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

If you are feeling “hormonal”, you are not alone. 47% of women experience symptoms of hormonal imbalance.

I have been there. I have had symptoms of hormonal imbalance ever since I can remember. It started with my first menstrual cycle that I used to experience severe and debilitating cramps for two days every month. As the years went by, I began to experience PMS symptoms such as mood swings and irritability the week before my menses. I had flare-ups of acne that lasted beyond puberty. And then came the pregnancies. Pregnancy is a time of many natural hormonal shifts, and this is when I struggled the most. Mood swings were more pronounced, because my thyroid went out of balance.

Fast forward ten years and three kids later, I started experiencing sleep issues. Waking up at night for your child, on and off for ten years, may have contributed something here (just saying), but it became very challenging for me to sleep through the night. It was very frustrating because I felt tired, but still woke up frequently. I guess that is why they call it "tired and wired."

Being an acupuncturist for almost a decade and a health enthusiast for even longer, I can tell you that I have tried many different natural solutions. Learning from my experience and from the solutions that worked best for my clients, I gained some insight, which I am happy to share with you.

The secret is that there is NO secret. No magic pills. No short cuts. No quick fixes. Ok, I think you got it. The key to balancing your hormones naturally is to live a lifestyle that supports hormonal health. How does that look like?

In the next two blog posts, I will discuss healthy habits that will promote your health and well- being.

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.

We’ll get to all that later, though. First, let’s talk about hormones. What are they, why are they important, what are the symptomes of hormonal imbalance, and what are possible causes of hormonal imbalance.

What is hormonal imbalance?

Everyone will experience natural periods of hormonal imbalance or fluctuations at times in their life, but hormonal imbalances can also occur when the endocrine glands are not functioning properly.

Endocrine glands are specialized cells that produce, store, and release hormones into the blood. The endocrine system coordinates the relationship between different organs and hormones, which are chemicals that are released into your bloodstream from cells within your endocrine glands. Once your hormones are in circulation, they target specific tissues or cells by binding to receptors that are located inside the cell or on its surface.

Hormones — such as estrogen, progesterone, thyroid hormone, testosterone, adrenaline, and insulin — are essential chemical messengers that affect many aspects of your overall health. Hormones are secreted by various glands and organs, including your thyroid, adrenals, pituitary, ovaries, testicles, and pancreas. The entire endocrine system works together to control the level of hormones circulating throughout your body. If one or more is even slightly imbalanced, it can cause widespread, major health problems.

Hormones coordinate many diverse areas, including metabolism, heart rate, sleep, sexual development, libido, energy, digestion, stress, mood, growth, muscle mass, appetite, skin, immunity, bone strength.

What are the possible reasons for hormonal imbalance?

There may be several reasons for hormonal imbalance. The common causes of hormonal imbalance can be divided into two categories, genetic and lifestyle-related. Here are some of the lifestyle-related causes that affect your hormonal balance-

1. Stress

Hormonal imbalance is often the long- term result of operating in overdrive. 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 in various endocrine disorders. Also, stress leads to a change in the clinical course or status of many endocrine conditions.[1]

2. Poor nutrition

Undereating, a poor diet, insufficient nutrients, reliance on stimulants, and junk food can all lead to a nutrient deficiency, which will ultimately affect hormone production. For example, studies have found that B6 supplementation has positive effects on some PMS symptoms. B6 likely helps to balance estrogen and progesterone levels mid-cycle. B6 is also a co-factor in the synthesis of serotonin, which is responsible for good mood and a feeling of well- being. [2]

3. Poor liver function

Overloading the liver with alcohol, drugs, caffeine, fried food, trans fats, refined carbs, sugar, and chemicals in food may lead to poor liver function. For example, Estrogen is metabolized by the liver and excreted in bile. If the liver is not functioning efficiently, estrogen levels in the blood may remain relatively high.

Symptoms of estrogen dominance- Irregular menses and heavy bleeding, weight gain, especially in your hips, thighs and mid-section, fibroids, endometriosis, fibrocystic breasts, insomnia, depression, anxiety, irritability, low libido, fatigue, breast cancer, Infertility, PCOS. [3]

4. Hormonal replacement

One of the side effects of long term use of hormones such as the birth control pill is the decrease in levels of testosterone.

“Your body has a certain amount of testosterone, and if you take birth control pills, that level can be affected over time. Oral contraceptive pills, as they are metabolized through the liver, induce the liver to produce a protein called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). This acts as a testosterone sponge, pulling testosterone out of circulation, reducing the amount of ‘free testosterone’. There are pros and cons to this. Having less testosterone can decrease acne, but can also lower your libido.”

— Steven A. Rabin, MD, FACOG, a board-certified OB/GYN (for Bustle)

Long-term use of birth control can deplete vitamin C and several B vitamins, including B12, B6, and folate, along with the minerals magnesium, selenium, and zinc. Having lower levels of these vitamins can significantly affect you by changing your mood, creating fatigue, leading to headaches.

Oral contraceptives can increase your risk of inflammation, which can cause some health problems over time. This might also explain why birth control increases your cardiovascular health risk factor. Inflammation in the body can have detrimental effects on your body in the long run and can eventually lead to disease or conditions, including certain cancers or arthritis. [4]

5. Endocrine disruptors

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that mimic the action of our natural hormones and cause problems in our endocrine system. These chemicals can be found in cosmetic products, personal hygiene products, cleaning products, cookware, food, and more. I’ll go into more detail below.

Symptoms of hormonal imbalance

The symptoms may vary depending on which endocrine gland is involved. Sometimes, one may experience a wide range of symptoms because a few endocrine glands are out of balance.

take the quiz to evaluate your hormones

Symptoms associated with the more common causes of hormonal imbalances include:

Unexplained weight gain or weight loss

Unexplained or excessive sweating

Difficulty sleeping

Changes in sensitivity to cold and heat

Dry skin or excessively oily skin

Changes in blood sugar concentration

Irritability and anxiety or Depression

Unexplained and long-term fatigue

Irregular menstruation or painful cramps

Bloating and Changes in appetite

Reduced sex drive

Thinning, brittle hair

A “meaty” bulge in the neck

PMS- the week before menstruation- breast tenderness, irritability, migraine headaches, mood swings

Balancing your hormones, naturally

Now let’s talk about what you can do to support your hormonal system and promote your general health.

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’ll discuss the principals of healthy nutrition and some healthy eating habits. I’ll also explain why sleep is essential, and I’ll offer tips to improve the quality of your sleep. I’ll touch on the significance of living an active lifestyle and how to incorporate daily activity into your busy schedule. In part two, I'll discuss three ways to manage your stress levels. I’ll remind you about the significance of staying hydrated, and how to reduce your exposure to endocrine disruptors.

Nutrition

Healthy eating habits are at least as important as what you end up eating. Here are a few examples of healthy eating habits-

Eat at regular times (at least 3 per day) and don't skip meals. Yes, I can hear all of you intermittent- fasting people mumble to yourself. Intermittent fasting is very controversial [5], and I think it's not suitable for everyone. The simple facts are that constantly fluctuating blood sugar levels play havoc with your hormones. Therefore, it is vital to make sure that the foods you eat are broken down slowly. Foods such as plant-based protein or animal protein or healthy fats at each meal helps you to feel full for more extended periods by delaying the emptying of the stomach and slowing down the digestion of carbohydrates into simple sugars which raise blood glucose rapidly.
Finish eating before 7:00 pm. If you insist on intermittent- fasting, the timing can make a huge difference. I suggest limiting the times of food consumption and avoiding nighttime snacking.
Eating with the seasons- according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, one of the most ancient systems of medicine, you should prefer eating warm food and cooked food, especially in the morning and in winter. Eating more cooked food will help your digestive system and metabolism.

Enjoy a Mediterranean type diet which includes:

Organic, grass-fed, and free-range protein such as chicken, wild fish, eggs, and plant-based protein such as nuts and seeds.
Healthy fats found in fish, olives, coconuts, avocados, nuts, and seeds.
At least 5-7 portions of organic vegetables and organic fruit daily.
Plenty of fiber – found in root vegetables and cruciferous vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Fiber helps to carry excess hormones out of the body and prevents them from re-circulating and causing imbalance.
An abundance of plant foods that are high in phytoestrogens, such as nuts, apples, fennel, celery, alfalfa, parsley, flaxseed, sesame seeds, berries, oats, barley, dried beans, lentils, rice, mung beans, carrots, and wheat germ. Phytoestrogens are compounds that gently mimic natural estrogen and can bind to estrogen receptors. Phytoestrogens have the advantage of either blocking the uptake of estrogen if the body has too much or raising levels of estrogen where there is too little, helping to balance hormone levels.

Avoid these foods:

Avoid or at least significantly reduce the consumption of foods that may trigger inflammation and cause symptoms to worsen. For example sugar, salty and highly processed foods (that contain food coloring, preservatives, high- fructose corn syrup), gluten, dairy (butter, cheese, cream, and yogurt), fried food, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, caffeine*, and energy drinks.

*caffeine is a stimulant that triggers the release of Adrenalin, Cortisol, and Epinephrine (stress hormones), which raises blood sugar. [6]

The bottom line

*Healthy habits consist of eating at regular times, avoiding nighttime- snacking, eating a balanced diet (such as the Mediterranean diet), and avoiding inflammatory foods.*

Sleep

We all live according to our circadian rhythm, a near 24-hour internal clock that controls how our body's functions change throughout the day. Your cognition, metabolism, sleep-wake cycle, and many other bodily functions all follow a circadian rhythm. The master clock in your hypothalamus keeps track of time by queues such as light and darkness, physical activity, and mealtime schedule. Other functions in your body are synchronized with the master clock in your hypothalamus through neural and hormonal signals, such as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol, that cycle throughout the day,

Maintaining a consistent circadian rhythm is essential for general health. Inconsistent eating and irregular sleeping patterns can throw off your circadian rhythm and increase your risk of developing several diseases. Sleep deprivation can affect your physical and mental well-being by causing a variety of health problems such as fatigue, impaired learning and memory, and irritability. Lack of sleep can also weaken your immune system and make you susceptible to illnesses such as the cold or the flu.

Insufficient sleep over the long term can contribute to severe health conditions because sleep controls your stress hormones and maintains your nervous system healthy. Not enough sleep can affect your body's ability to regulate stress hormones and lead to high blood pressure. Enough quality sleep is also crucial for maintaining healthy levels of hormones that control appetite and blood glucose levels. [7]

Sleeping eight hours per night and having a good quality sleep is not enough, though. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, you also need to be mindful of the exact time that you go to sleep. Being in a state of deep sleep by 11:00 pm will allow your body to get the full benefits of sleep and get the chance to regenerate, rejuvenate, detoxify and cognitively process the day that just ended.

The bottom line

Get in bed before 11:00 pm and try to get at least 8 hours of sleep. Tips that may help to promote a good- night sleep: sleep in a dark room, switch off gadgets, avoid caffeine drinks in the afternoon, take a hot bath with Epsom salts, add an essential oil defuser with lavender oil, ban TV from the bedroom, and avoid screens at least an hour before bedtime.

Active lifestyle

Moving more and sitting less helps to improve circulation, detoxification and nutrient delivery for hormones.

A healthy lymphatic system is the key to the process of keeping our body healthy as it is part of our immune system. The lymphatic system consists of a network of tissues and organs that help rid the body of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials. The primary function of the lymphatic system is to transport lymph, a fluid containing infection-fighting white blood cells throughout the body. (check my blog post about Dry Brushing and the lymphatic system)

The only issue is that the lymphatic system doesn't have a pump like the blood has the heart. The lymph fluid moves in reaction to muscle contractions, and it relies on bodily movement to pump lymph fluid. Therefore, a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to lymphatic congestion.

What are some S/S that our lymphatic drainage is not optimal?

-Swollen lymph nodes in our armpits, groin area, and neck.

-tendency to get swollen ankles.

Leading an active lifestyle is vital for our general health; we all know that. The challenge is to find the time to do it. Here are a few suggestions-

1. Wake up 45 minutes earlier and start your day with 30-40 minutes of workout.

2. Take your friend or spouse on "walking dates" where you can catch up instead of sitting somewhere.

3. Choose the stairs instead of the elevator.

4. Lunchtime- take 20 minutes to eat and take a walk for 20 minutes.

5. TV time = workout time. Make the most out of the exercise equipment that you have in your home and watch your favorite Netflix series while cycling or walking or using the elliptical.

Dry brushing may also help lymphatic drainage based on ancient traditions and practical experience, though not scientifically proven. (Check out the video I made to learn how to do it).