Hormones are chemical messengers that affect your physical, emotional, and mental health. They control your weight, mood, and appetite. Endocrine glands are the ones that produce the hormones needed by your body.
There are currently numerous hormonal imbalance cases, and the modern lifestyle has played a considerable role. Age is also another factor that affects the rate of hormone production. Luckily, consuming a nutritious diet and living a healthy lifestyle helps improve hormonal health. Here are natural ways to balance your hormones. The hormone imbalance women experience can cause a whole host of issues so keeping on top of it is very important.
Workout Regularly
Working out increases sensitivity and minimizes insulin levels which have a huge effect on hormonal health. Insulin refers to a hormone that allows the intake of amino acids and sugar. The two compounds are used to maintain muscles and produce energy. Excess insulin can be harmful to your body, but low levels are very beneficial.
High levels of insulin may result in cancer, diabetes, inflammation, and heart disease. Your cells might also fail to respond correctly to the signals offered by insulin, a condition known as insulin resistance.
It is important to engage yourself in physical activities such as aerobics, strength training, and walking. Engaging yourself in physical workouts will positively affect your hormone levels by protecting your muscles and minimizing chronic disease risk.
Watch Your Meal
Proteins provide your body with essential amino acids that it cannot produce by itself. Protein also assists in the production of hormones responsible for food intake and appetite control. You should make sure that every meal you consume has at least 20 to 30 grams of proteins.
Also, it is important to avoid refined carbs and sugar intake. To balance your hormone levels, you should avoid sugar-sweetened beverages or any other food that can lower your testosterone levels. You will also optimize hormone function and avoid excess weight. Note that refined carbs and sugars cause insulin resistance.
Consume Green Tea
Green tea is a healthy beverage that boosts metabolism and has EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) antioxidant. Green tea consumption reduces insulin levels and increases the insulin sensitivity for diabetic, overweight, or obese individuals.
Avoid Trans Fats
To minimize appetite and insulin resistance, consume natural fats. MCTs (Medium-chain triglycerides) refer to unique fats directly absorbed by the liver to form energy. They minimize insulin resistance in obese and overweight people and even in diabetic individuals. You can get MCTs from palm oil, coconut oil, and pure MCT oil. On the other hand, trans fats increase insulin resistance.
Consume Fatty Fish Regularly
Fatty fish are a source of omega-3 amino acids that offer anti-inflammatory properties. They assist in reducing the levels of adrenaline and cortisol hormones. They also reduce the levels of insulin and heighten insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant and obese individuals.
Consume Food Rich in Fiber
Fiber is a major part of a healthy diet, and it stimulates hormone production. The hormone produced controls fullness, hunger, and food intake. It also increases the sensitivity of insulin. To avoid overeating and insulin resistance, consume foods rich in fiber.
Consume Eggs
Eggs are great in balancing hormones since they lower insulin levels and regulate the amount of food you consume. The good thing is that you can consume eggs at any time.
Avoid Undereating and Overeating
To balance your hormones, do not eat too little or too much. If you overeat, the levels of insulin will increase, and the insulin sensitivity will decrease. On the other hand, if you eat less, you minimize the level of calories, cortisol hormone will increase, leading to increased weight. Maintain your hormonal balance by eating within your calorie range.
Manage Stress
Stress is a condition that affects adrenaline and cortisol hormones. Adrenaline refers to the hormone that helps your body respond to danger by producing a huge energy amount. On the other hand, cortisol is the hormone that helps you to manage stress over a long period.
If you have chronic stress, the cortisol levels will remain elevated, which may cause you to consume excess calories leading to obesity. By improving your mental health you’ll be able to control your stress and anxiety and keep your hormones balanced. On the other hand, high adrenaline levels may lead to anxiety, rapid heartbeat, and hypertension. Aim always to reduce stress through yoga, listening to relaxing music, meditation or massage.
Get Enough Sleep
If you fail to get enough sleep, you may suffer from hormonal imbalance. To balance your hormones, ensure that you get quality sleep for around seven hours.
Conclusion
Hormonal imbalance causes the risk of being obese, diabetic, suffering from heart disease, and other chronic problems. To improve your hormonal health, engage yourself in physical exercises and consume healthy foods. The above-discussed are natural ways that you can use to balance hormones.
