Feeling "hormonal"? 6 ways to balance your hormones, Naturally. Part two

In the previous blog post I discussed hormones. What are they, why are they important, what are the symptomes of hormonal imbalance, and what are possible causes of hormonal imbalance. I begun to suggest ways to balance your hormones, naturally.

A lifestyle that supports hormonal health has a few principals-

Healthy nutrition.
Good sleep (and lots of it).
Active lifestyle.
Managing stress well.
Water. Lots of it. Stay hydrated.
Reducing your exposure to endocrine disruptors.

In part one, I discussed the principles of healthy eating habits and what is considered a healthy and balanced nutrition. I also discussed the significance of sleep and offered tips that will help you sleep better. I also touched on tips to incorporate physical activity into your busy daily schedule.

In part two, I'll discuss three proven ways to manage your stress levels. I will also remind you of the significance of staying hydrated and will share a few tips that help me to keep up with drinking sufficient amounts of water. Finally, I will explain what are endocrine disruptors and how we can reduce our exposure to it.

Learn to manage stress

In today's competitive modern world, one encounters stress in various aspects of life. As an adaptive response to stress, there is a change in the serum level of various hormones, including CRH, cortisol, catecholamines, and thyroid hormone. These changes are required for the fight or flight response of the individual to stress. However, long-term exposure to stress may lead to many harmful consequences resulting to various endocrine disorders. [8]

There are many things you can do that will help you manage your stress levels, and the key is that it requires ongoing self-care habits. It's not just something that you occasionally do to check it off your to-do list, but rather, it's a mindset and a way of life. You can try one or all or even other mind-body practices, the key is to add it to your daily routine. Remember that it takes at least 30 days to acquire a new habit that will stick with you, so have the intention of trying it out for at least that many days.

I'll focus on three research-based methods that were proven to reduce stress effectively-

1. Acupuncture.

2. Deep breathing.

3. Mindfulness meditation/ positive mindset.

Acupuncture

Modern research has demonstrated Acupuncture's effects on the nervous system, endocrine and immune systems, cardiovascular system, and digestive system. Acupuncture improves the body's functions and promotes the natural self-healing process by stimulating specific anatomic sites commonly referred to as acupuncture points, or acupoints.

Acupuncture works in three main pathways-

Acupuncture promotes relaxation of muscles and improves the blood circulation.
Acupuncture stimulates the release of endorphins, dopamine, serotonin to reduce pain and improve the mood.
Acupuncture also stimulates the release of anti-inflammatory substances from the brain.

Acupuncture reduces inflammation, and researchers have discovered how it works. In a laboratory-controlled scientific investigation, a key biological marker has been identified, quantified, and directly correlated with the application of Acupuncture. Acupuncture successfully downregulates a proinflammatory biochemical (tumor necrosis factor-alpha). Which results in anti-inflammatory responses. Also, the researchers have mapped the neural pathways by which acupuncture signaling stimulates anti-inflammatory effects. [9]

Deep breathing

Deep breathing relaxes the Autonomic Nervous System and decreases the stress response in the body. The autonomic nervous system is a control system that acts mostly unconsciously and regulates bodily functions such as the heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, pupillary response, urination, and sexual arousal. This system is the primary mechanism in control of the fight-or-flight response. [10]

Here's how we practice deep breathing-

Find a comfortable position- lying down or sitting on a comfortable chair. It may be easier to start practicing this lying down. Take a minute to focus on your breathing, and don’t try to push off random thoughts popping up in your mind. Instead, let the thoughts come and go, like waves. Eventually, you’ll be able to focus on your breath with less distractions.

Inhale on the count of 5 (slowly). Feel your ribcage expanding, and your abdomen rises as if it's a balloon full of air. Then slowly exhale on the count of 5.

I recommend doing this a few times a day- 3 deep breaths each time.

Mindfulness meditation

Meditation is a mind-body practice that has a long history of use for increasing calmness and physical relaxation, improving psychological balance, coping with illness, and enhancing overall health and well-being. Mind and body practices focus on the interactions among the brain, mind, body, and behavior. [11]

There are a few types of meditation, and research shows that Mindfulness meditation can help reduce stress and anxiety. [12]

Studies have shown benefits against an array of conditions, both physical and mental, including irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

I came across an interesting research that uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which not only takes pictures of the brain, as a regular MRI does, but also records brain activity occurring during the scan. The researcher demonstrated that changes in brain activity in subjects who have learned to meditate hold steady even when they're not meditating. They took before-and-after scans of subjects who learned to meditate over the course of two months. They scanned them not while they were meditating, but while they were performing everyday tasks. The scans still detected changes in the subjects' brain activation patterns from the beginning to the end of the study, the first time such a change — in a part of the brain called the amygdala — had been detected. [13]

I adopted meditation as a daily habit about five months ago, after reading “You are the Placebo” by Dr. Joe Dispenza.

For those of you who think that meditation is not for you because you can't quiet down your mind, trust me, it's possible. That's me a few months ago. Even today, after months of daily practice, I still have mornings in which my brain refuses to surrender and quiet down. On those days, I try to slow down my thoughts for a little while, but sometimes, it just doesn't work. So instead of doing my full meditation routine, I focus on gratitude for a few minutes, and I start my day.

The bottom line

*There are many ways to manage stress; the key is to adopt a positive mindset and regular self- care habits that help you unwind*.

Stay hydrated

Working with my clients, I have heard every possible excuse here. Really. "I don't feel thirsty", "I don't have time to drink", "It makes me go to the restroom more often, and I hate it", "I don't like water. Does coffee count?" (NO!).

The reason I'm being firm with my clients about drinking more water is because I've been there myself. I came up with every possible excuse as to why I don't drink enough water. I was like that for years.

Here are a few tricks that help me drink more water-

1. I keep a glass of water near my bed, and I made it a habit to drink about 4oz (half of it) first thing in the morning.

2. I always have a bottle of water with me. (make sure it's a refillable one- glass or stainless steel).

3. I made a rule to drink 3-4 glasses of water BEFORE lunch.

4. After lunch, I would typically drink another cup (or two when I exercise).

5. In between, I drink 2-3 cups of tea (organic herbal tea or green tea).

6. In summer, I add fresh fruit or lemon slices and fresh mint leaves to my water bottles to keep it exciting and refreshing.

Drinking lots of fluid is essential to help eliminations of toxins and excess hormones from the body. Drinking a minimum of 6 glasses of water daily, topped up with 2-3 herbal teas. Keep caffeinated drinks to a maximum of 1 or 2 a day, and preferably less if you can.

The bottom line

*Drink at least 6 cups of water a day. And no, coffee doesn't count (on the contrary).*

Reduce your exposure to endocrine disruptors

The endocrine system (ES) consists of specialized organs and glands positioned throughout the body, which synthesize a variety of different chemical messengers called hormones. Together, these organs and glands work to maintain homeostasis by controlling functions such as growth, development, energy homeostasis, and reproduction.

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals are natural or synthetic compounds that can interfere with the endocrine system's ability to help an organism develop, grow, reproduce, and maintain overall homeostasis. Chemicals from the outside get into our bodies, they can mimic our natural hormones, blocking or binding hormone receptors. Endocrine disruptors are particularly detrimental to hormone-sensitive organs like the uterus and the breast, the immune and neurological systems, as well as human development.

Xenoestrogens are a sub-category of the endocrine disruptor group that specifically have estrogen-like effects. Estrogen is a natural hormone in humans that is important for bone growth, blood clotting, and reproduction in men and women.

The body regulates the amount needed through intricate biochemical pathways. When xenoestrogens enter the body, they increase the total amount of Estrogen, resulting in a phenomenon called Estrogen dominance.

Xenoestrogens are not biodegradable so, they are stored in our fat cells. Buildup of xenoestrogens has been indicated in many conditions, including breast, prostate and testicular cancer, obesity, infertility, endometriosis, early onset puberty, miscarriages, and diabetes.[14]

Endocrine disruptors can be found in cosmetics, personal hygiene products, cleaning products, food, cookware, containers, and even carpets, cloths, and more. It can be overwhelming to change every possible one of these items overnight. I suggest to do it gradually and start with the products that are in closest contact with you, either internally or externally on your skin.

Here are a few ways to reduce the number of endocrine disruptors around you:

1. Glass containers to store or re-heat your food.

2. Pyrex bakeware. (Avoid aluminum foils or bakeware).

3. Water bottles made of glass or Stainless-steel.

4. Pots and pans- prefer materials that are safe and non-toxic such as -ceramic, cast iron, or stainless steel.

5. Beeswax wrappers instead of plastic Ziplock. (healthier for you and the environment. It's a win-win).

6. Choose a deodorant that is non toxic, without parabens, aluminum or other toxins.

This is a good start, but there are plenty of more ways to clean up your daily environment from toxins. Make it a habit to read labels of the products and food that you buy and double-check if the ingredients are safe. Like any other new habit, this too, may take a while to “stick” in your routine. I suggest doing this gradually, so it doesn’t become overwhelming. For example, you can begin with cosmetic products and personal hygiene products, which must be non- toxic. I find this website very helpful- www.ewg.org. It rates products according to their safety.

The bottom line

*Reducing your exposure to toxins by choosing products that are safe. This website is a reliable source of information about the safety of products -www.ewg.org*

Now that you know what to do, I'd like to help you figure out how to implement these changes in your life. If this is something that resonates with you, head to my website to book a 30 minutes online consultation.