5 Tips to Balance Your Hormones Naturally!
I’m going to say it…being a woman is no easy feat, ESPECIALLY, when it comes to our hormones. It can be confusing and overwhelming when you are trying to get your hormones back in line. You can have multiple imbalances at once with a whole slew of symptoms. So, how do we correct a hormonal imbalance for good?
To start out, I’ve been there. I gained 20 lbs., had acne like a teenager, painful periods, mood swings, low libido, migraines, brain fog, memory issues, and more. I was miserable and was left wondering how this could have possibly happened. And for me, the cause was a tiny little pill I’d been taking for 7 years. I had no idea that even though my period had returned after coming off birth control, all of those symptoms I was experiencing were connected to an imbalance in my hormones caused by hormonal birth control. If you’re experiencing any symptoms I’ve mentioned or suspect an imbalance, sit tight because I want to share my tips with you on how I healed myself through nutrition and lifestyle.
In this blog post, I’m sharing 5 tips to begin your journal to heal your hormones naturally, no matter the issue (typically when you focus on certain habits, it is a domino effect to solving other issues). I’ll be covering:
Key hormones and symptoms if there’s an imbalance
What causes hormonal imbalances
5 steps to correct hormonal imbalances
How to implement those steps without being overwhelmed
Additional Resources
If you think your hormones might be out of whack and would like to take back control of your life, you’re in the right place.
My Story
When I was 18, I was prescribed hormonal birth control to bandaid my painful PMS symptoms. What did not happen was any education on the risks, alternative options, and how birth control disrupts your body in general. I was on the pill for 7 years before I decided to come off of it and use the fertility awareness method instead.
I knew there were consequences to coming off, but made the unfortunate decision to just see what happened instead of support my body intentionally.
If you need support, I have an ebook on how to support your body when coming off any hormonal birth control.
Fast forward 6 months, I started gaining weight, my skin started acting up, I was more anxious/depressed/stressed than I’d ever been, my periods were back to being unbearable, my sex drive was non-existent, and I had terrible brain fog.
Upon doing research (and eventually running blood tests), I confirmed the cause of all of these symptoms was...you guessed it, hormonal imbalances.
Types of Hormones
I will briefly touch on your hormones and what each does in your body, but these are the main hormones that can become imbalanced. See below for a free hormone assessment to see where you fall.
Estrogen: Our Queen Bee hormone! Estrogen is in charge of development and maintenance of sex characteristics, buildup of your uterine lining, cholesterol and glucose metabolism, maintains body temperature, bone preservation, skin elasticity, maintenance of lean muscle, prevention of estrogen related cancers, preserves memory and cognition, prevention of vaginal dryness and UTI’s, and supports cardiovascular health. Estrogen dominance is the most common hormonal imbalance in women.
Progesterone: Progesterone works to calm the nervous system, combat stress, thickens the uterine lining, helps the body use fat for energy, protects against estrogen-related cancers, increases metabolism and basal body temperature, and promotes a healthy sex drive.
Cortisol: Our stress hormone! Cortisol signals to our body that we should be on high alert. Your body prioritizes cortisol over other hormones when you are stressed.
Testosterone: Testosterone aids in mood and cognition, builds strength, maintains sex drive, preserves bone mineral density, increases motivation (and yes, women need testosterone too).
Thyroid Hormones: Thyroid hormones are in control of our metabolism (which in turn impacts our digestive function), brain development, and bone maintenance.
Root Cause Analysis
There are multiple ways our fickle hormones can become imbalanced and here are a few of the most common ones to be aware of:
Stress
Hormonal Birth Control
Medications
Pregnancy
Eating Disorders/Restrictive diets
Certain Health Conditions: diabetes, heart disease, thyroid issues
Adrenal Fatigue
Gut Issues
Endocrine Disruptors
I believe all women can benefit from education on how to best support our bodies and what our lives can feel like: happy, energetic, healthy sex lives, healthy weight, balanced moods. To put it simply: we should be THRIVING.
How I Balanced My Hormones Naturally
Pillars of Correcting Hormonal Imbalances
Each pillar is discussed in depth in my course Balanced Babe's Academy, where you will get a step-by-step guide on how to tackle each of these issues! You can also find posts on my blog going over each of these topics.
When beginning this journey, I was hoping I could pop a supplement and fix everything, but unfortunately that is not the case. The good news is I am here to help and I want to see you living your happiest and healthiest life. In order to do so, we’re going to take baby steps to get there.
Step 1: Track Your Cycle and Symptoms
Take the next 30 days (at least one cycle) and track your period, ovulation, and symptoms you experience. Waking up in the middle of the night? Write it down. Hair loss or hair growth in weird places? Write it down. Not feeling as motivated or have crazy brain fog? Write it down.
This is helpful for determining specific hormones that might be off and it helps to understand your cycle better!
Step 2: Get Plenty of Healthy Fats and High-Quality Protein
Every so often a food will become demonized for something: eggs because of cholesterol, fat in general for fear of gaining weight, now people seem to think carbohydrates are the root of all evil. Unfortunately, this is our culture trying to cash in on our insecurities and health problems. Cholesterol helps build our hormones (and did you know: dietary cholesterol does NOT contribute to the cholesterol in your blood), you get energy from carbohydrates, and fats are literally the backbone of our cells!
Try to get a source fat and protein with every meal and snack. With that being said, let’s talk quality. If you’re eating deep fried Twinkies and saying “this dietitian online told me to eat more fats…” that’s not exactly what I’m talking about here..
Healthier options include: avocado/olive oil/coconut oil, nuts/seeds, fish, avocados, ghee, eggs, dark chocolate, full-fat cultured dairy. As for protein, I would recommend pasture-raised eggs, cultured dairy, grass-fed beef, and wild caught fish because they have a more diverse nutrition profile and aren’t as likely to be fed contaminated feed, pumped with antibiotics or growth hormone.
Step 3: Two S’s: Sleep and Stress
If you aren’t getting at least 7 hours of sleep every night, we need to talk. Sleep is our body’s time to truly relax and repair from the day. How do you feel after watching videos on your phone until 1am (no judgement, we’ve all been down the rabbit hole). Do you need a vat of coffee just to get through the next day? Sleep deprivation can impact memory, attention, decision making skills and is often compared to the effects of drinking excess alcohol. The consequences of a sleepless night can last for days after.
Some tips on getting a better nights rest: turn off electronics an hour before bed, turn that thermostat down a few degrees (68-72 degrees is said to be best), drink a cup of chamomile tea, put a few drops of lavender in the diffuser, and make your room as dark as possible.
Stress! Now, I understand it’s impossible to get rid of stress, but it’s more how YOU react to stress. Are you the type of person where if something happens in the morning, it ruins your entire day or are you able to let it go quickly? Try one of these techniques the next time you feel your blood start to boil or your heart start to race:
4-7-8: Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, breathe out for 8 seconds.
Alternate nostril breathing: Plug your right nostril and breath in for a count of 10. Hold for 10 seconds and switch nostrils, so the left one is plugged and breathe out. Alternate which one you start off with, so both are being used for the in and out breath.
Meditation: I will have a separate post on meditation techniques coming soon, but for now try focusing on your breath for 3-5 minutes with your eyes closed.
Step 4: Xenoestrogens: Ditch & Switch
Your beauty, home, and skincare products could be your root cause to imbalances. Not only does your body have to work to clear out those toxins, but many products contain xenoestrogens. Xenoestrogens act like estrogen in the body causing high levels of estrogen, which in turn can cause imbalances in progesterone. Try switching out a couple of your products at a time. I have a list of safer brands to use for your everyday products that you can download for free, here.
Step 5: Balance Blood Sugar and Insulin Resistance
One out of every two people have insulin resistance due to our diets high in refined carbohydrates and poor intake of fiber and a fear of healthy fats (looking at you diet culture). Insulin resistance and poor blood sugar management are a fast train to endocrine issues and diabetes. Generally, a diet focused on quality protein, whole grains, and vegetables; cutting back on refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, white sugar, etc), processed/sugary foods and caffeine (especially on an empty stomach), and fueling prior to exercising allows your body to even out your glucose levels. If you need more guidance on this topic, I have a post (linked here) and menu plans available.
Read: Gut Health, Adrenal Fatigue, and Liver Detox
Read these articles about gut health, adrenal health, and supporting your liver to help your body’s stress and detox pathways!
Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed
One of the most important parts of making any lifestyle changes is your mindset. Often times, we can get in our own way with constant negative thoughts and tearing ourselves down because of the symptoms that we are experiencing. How about changing those thoughts to something like: “I deserve to be happy and healthy”, “I deserve to love the life I live”, “My body is trying to tell me something and I will get it under control.”
To that point, you may feel hopeless because it seems like there is so much to learn or to implement. I want to reiterate the importance of implementing one new habit at a time or focusing on one habit that feels manageable before moving on. If you are staying on your phone until midnight before trying to fall asleep, let’s focus on that instead of tackling it all at once. You have got this!
If nothing else, please understand that it is possible for you. I know how frustrating the process can be, but I am here if you have any questions or need any support. Mood swings, painful periods, no sex drive, hormonal acne, migraines, zero energy, forgetfulness, hair loss does not have to be your norm!
After implementing all of these steps into my own life and helping other women 1-on-1, I can say first hand what a difference it makes in the symptoms you’re experiencing. I feel like myself again and I want that for you too! I have a few resources to help you get started and I urge you to utilize these resources and take back control of your life.
