Women: Take Control of Your Hormones With These 7 Lifestyle Changes
“Hysterical” women, moody teens, and going through “the change”…all have one thing in common. We blame symptoms on hormone imbalance.
Do you feel like you’re constantly juggling a million things and never getting ahead? Are you struggling with weight gain, PMS, infertility, or other hormone-related issues? Many people don’t realize that a lot of the things we do daily mess with healthy hormones. Things like late-night TV watching, high-intensity workouts 6 days per week, the cosmetics we use, and even some foods all contribute to the problem. Consider these next paragraphs to be Hormone Problems 101—how they start, how hormones affect the body, and how to keep your levels in check.
Learn to balance your hormones naturally with the support of an amazing community inside the Superwoman Circle.
Why hormones matter
Hormones are part of a system that’s crucial to the health and effective function of the human body. They control metabolism, appetite, reproductive health, mood, energy levels, and so much more. Hormones are like chemical messengers that keep your body running smoothly. When any one of your hormones fall out of whack, it can not only cause noticeable symptoms, but it can also affect the function of other hormones too.
While it’s impossible to avoid every single factor that causes hormone imbalance, there are steps you can take to tip the scales in your favor. As an integrative doctor who helps women navigate the ins and outs of hormone balance, I encourage my patients to be informed and to focus on what you can control so you can make the best choice for you when it comes to your daily habits.
Related: 7 Hormones You Should Know
What does a hormone imbalance feel like?
When a hormone imbalance occurs, it feels like your body isn’t working the way it should. These symptoms often come and go—especially if they’re associated with a menstrual cycle. For example, you may only get migraines before you start your period, but they’re often caused by a buildup of estrogen that happens weeks prior.
In women, hormone imbalances can sometimes result in:
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Irregular periods (infrequent, heavy, painful, etc.)
- PMS
- Hair loss
- Hair growth on the face, back, or chest
- Changes to hair, skin, and nails (dry, brittle, or falling out)
- Insomnia
- Fatigue, no matter how much you sleep
- Acne or other skin problems
- Breast tenderness
- Pain during sex
- Feeling hot or cold all the time
- Anxiety, depression, and mood swings
- Digestive issues
- Cravings for salty or sweet foods
In men, hormone imbalances can result in low libido, weight gain, erectile dysfunction, depression, fatigue, hair loss, or muscle mass loss.
These symptoms are frustrating and difficult to manage on your own. That’s why it’s important to understand the root cause, and which hormones are responsible. You may also benefit from working with a qualified functional doctor who specializes in hormone balance.
Read: Why Is My Period Early? 6 Things to Consider
Important hormones to know
Different glands throughout the body produce all the various hormones, and each hormone regulates a different bodily function. Understanding the basic hormones involved and how they affect your body will help you target the root cause of your symptoms.
Estrogen: This is the primary female sex hormone. It regulates the menstrual cycle, helps keep your skin and hair healthy, and influences mood.
Progesterone: A hormone that’s crucial for reproduction & pregnancy, and also plays a role in sleep and stress levels.
Cortisol: The stress hormone. It’s released when your “fight or flight” response is activated.
Melatonin: The sleep hormone. It regulates your sleep-wake cycles and is highest at night. If you’re not producing enough melatonin you’ll have insomnia or trouble falling asleep.
Testosterone: Both men and women have testosterone, though in different amounts. It influences energy, motivation, and sex drive. Elevated testosterone is a common concern with PCOS.
Insulin: Insulin regulates blood sugar. When blood sugar is too high or too low, a range of health issues can arise. It can also be imbalanced if you have PCOS.
Thyroid hormones: The thyroid is the main control system of your metabolism. It regulates energy production, body temperature, and other metabolic processes.
Leptin: Leptin is the “fullness” hormone and controls your appetite.
Ghrelin: Ghrelin is the “hunger” hormone, released when the stomach is empty.
Related: Is Stress Wrecking Your Hormones? Activate This Nerve to Get Relief
What causes hormone imbalance
Hormone imbalances can occur for many reasons, but some of the most common causes include:
Diet and nutrition
A healthy diet provides the raw materials necessary for your body to produce hormones. Modern diets high in processed and refined foods disrupt hormonal balance with synthetic hormones, excess sugars & fats, and chemical ingredients that can harm our health.
Nutritional deficiencies also contribute toward hormonal imbalances. For example, as many as 93% of people don’t get enough vitamin D, which is necessary for estrogen production and the immune system, in addition to dozens of other necessary functions (1). Similarly, most people have a diet low in magnesium, which contributes towards PMS, anxiety and other mood issues, and hormone-related migraines.
Missing the relaxation mineral? Learn more about magnesium.
Poor gut health
Your microbiome’s influence extends to almost every other body system, including your hormones. Poor gut health can cause problems with estrogen, progesterone, and mood-regulating hormones like serotonin.
Gut bacteria help digest food and provide certain nutrients needed for hormone production, such as some B vitamins, folate, and biotin (2). Your microbiome is also responsible for breaking down and eliminating estrogen from the body. An imbalanced microbiome (also called dysbiosis) can lead either to too much or not enough estrogen.
Unfortunately, the causes of poor gut health are many, including a diet high in inflammatory foods, underlying infections, frequent antibiotic use, chronic stress, and undiagnosed food sensitivities.
Read more: Common Hormone Problems That Actually Begin in Your Gut
Not getting enough sleep
When we don’t get enough good quality sleep, the effect on our hormone health is similar to the impact of stress, as exhaustion and fatigue triggers a stress response.
Studies have also linked poor sleep to increased levels of ghrelin (the hunger hormone), and decreased levels of leptin (the fullness hormone), ramping up food cravings (3). Poor sleep may also cause you to reach for those unhealthy habits, like caffeine and alcohol consumption and processed foods.
Sleep deprivation can also reduce our thyroid hormones (T3 & T4) and increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Related: When Poor Sleep Causes Weight Gain—Here’s What to Do
Stress
Stress is majorly disruptive to hormone levels, and frustratingly it can be one of the hardest things to treat and prevent. When we are stressed, the adrenal glands ramp up cortisol production (the stress hormone). Over time, chronic cortisol dysregulation causes anxiety, weight gain, difficulty sleeping, and sometimes long-term health issues.
Endocrine disruptors
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that mimic or interfere with your body’s own hormones. Toxins like BPA, phthalates, or PFOAs are known to cause hormonal imbalance, fertility troubles, and interfere with thyroid hormones.
They are much more common than you may think and can be found in various everyday products including household cleaners, beauty products, plastic bottles and cookware. They are even in many of the foods we eat as they are often found in pesticides and animal feeds.
7 Things to do right now to balance hormones
Pass the veggies, please! Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts help your gut metabolize excess estrogen. Estrogen dominance is one of the more common hormone imbalances in modern women, and eating the right foods can help combat symptoms. Make sure to cook them though, as raw cruciferous vegetables in larger quantities can be damaging to the thyroid, especially if you’re predisposed to thyroid issues.
Eat more healthy fats. Your adrenal glands need quality fats to produce hormones. Too few, and you can throw off estrogen and progesterone—two of the most important cycle-regulating hormones. Aim for healthy fats like avocado, coconut, olives and olive oil, ghee, and even pastured eggs & dairy, if you tolerate it.
Cap the coffee consumption. If you’re reaching for a second (or third) cup of coffee, you might be doing more harm to your hormones than you realize. Excess caffeine from coffee or energy drinks interferes with cortisol and adrenaline, and may make it harder for your body to produce its own energy.
Switch to glass containers—ditch the plastic! When storing food, most plastic containers contain BPA, a known estrogen mimic that contributes to estrogen dominance. Even for plastics labeled “BPA-free” they often still contain BPA alternatives that cause the same problems as BPA itself.
Reduce your toxic load. Personal care products like cosmetics & toiletries are some of the heaviest culprits for parabens and preservatives that contribute to a high toxic load and hormone havoc. The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database is a great resource to determine which products are more hormone-friendly.
Practice good sleep hygiene, such as limiting screen time for at least an hour before getting into bed, and keeping your room at a cooler temperature. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night; this helps normalize hunger hormones, plus allows for the release of a variety of other beneficial hormones. Insomnia is a key symptom of hormonal imbalance, so it may be necessary to address the symptoms first to start to alleviate your sleep issues. You can also consider a sleep supplement with calming minerals like magnesium.
Prioritize stress relief. Chronic stress bombards your system with cortisol, which spells trouble for almost every other hormone. Start with making time for small things like deep breathing, yoga, or an afternoon with friends. You may find you need to take decisive action, such as setting boundaries at work or getting help around the house. Reducing chronic stress is incredibly important for our overall health as well as hormonal balance, so it’s worth investing time and energy on helping to bring more calm and relaxation into your life.
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