Even slight imbalances can harm a persons health and raise the risk of chronic health conditions.
Possiblesymptoms of a hormonal imbalanceinclude fatigue, acne, irregular periods, and weight gain.
People with hormonal imbalances may want to consider testing their levels with their healthcare provider.
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Consume Healthy Fats
The body needshealthy fatsto function and keep hormones balanced.
Research shows that consuming healthy fats like olive oil can reduce appetite and improveinsulin resistance.
This leads to an imbalance in insulin levels and raises the risk oftype 2 diabetes.
Healthy fats help the body balance cortisol (stress hormone) levels.
Too much of it can lead to inflammation over time.Healthy fat foods include:
2.
Watch Sugar Intake
A sugar-rich diet increases the risk of insulin resistance and leads to highblood sugarlevels.
Focus on Fiber
Fiber is an essential nutrient that improves digestion and provides a feeling of fullness.
Increasing your fiber intake may improve the hormone balance that affects your gut.
Foods rich in fiber include:
4.
Balance Your Protein Intake
The body needs protein to build and retain muscle and maintain a healthy weight.
Protein also helps produce peptide hormones that regulate appetite and provide a feeling of fullness.
The gut needs the right balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria to function well.
To improve your gut health, consider limiting your intake of sugary and processed foods.
Focus on fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and plant-based proteins.
Avoid Inflammatory and Processed Foods
Processed foodsare those that have been altered during the production process.
Examples include store-bought cookies, crackers, chips, and fast food.
Reduce your intake of processed and fast food.
Eat Fatty Fish
Fatty fish are rich in healthy fats, such asomega-3 fatty acids.
These fats have been found to improve heart health, digestion, and mood.
They may also benefit the brain and central nervous system.
Fatty fish contain healthy fats, balance hormones, and reduce insulin resistance.
Examples of fatty fish include:
8.
Avoid Chemicals You Dont Recognize
When choosing foods at the grocery store, glance at their ingredients lists.
Focus on eating fresh, whole foods to improve your hormonal balance.
Stay Hydrated
Dehydration triggers when the body loses more water than it consumes.
Try keeping a filled water bottle with you throughout the day.
you could also set reminders on your phone to drink water.
Limit or Avoid Alcohol
Alcoholic drinks like beer, wine, and liquor may disrupt hormone levels.
Even modest amounts of alcohol can significantly affect hormone health.
Quit Smoking
Smoking is harmful to just about every aspect of health.
Tobacco smoke is known to alter hormone levels and may harm thyroid health.
Exercise Regularly
Regular physical activity benefits heart health and improves hormonal balance.
People who exercise regularly have increased insulin sensitivity.
Speak with a healthcare provider about an exercise plan.
Consider starting withlow-impact workoutslike walking, swimming, biking, and yoga.
Manage Stress
Chronic stress is harmful to the body and can wreak havoc on hormone health.
Stress hormones like cortisol are helpful for short periods.
High-stress levels also impact the hormones that regulate appetite.
To lower your stress level, incorporate proven stress management techniques into your routine.
Get Quality Sleep
Quality sleepis essential for all aspects of health.
Poor sleep has been linked to several health issues, including hormonal imbalances.
People who do not get enough sleep regularly have altered insulin and cortisol levels.
When your body doesnt get the sleep it needs, you may feel hungrier throughout the day.
Sleep deprivation also leads to stress and an increased risk of insulin resistance.
Avoid Endocrine Disruptors
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere with hormones.
They can be natural or made by humans and may mimic or block hormone activity.
Many household products and foods contain endocrine disruptors, and we are regularly exposed to them.
To reduce exposure to endocrine disruptors, cook your meals at home as often as possible.
Avoid heavily processed foods that may contain harmful chemicals.
Consider switching to natural cleaning products.
They may help people assigned female at birth who have low levels of these hormones.
Low estrogen or progestin may lead toirregular periodsand infertility.
Talk with a healthcare provider about your hormone levels and ask if birth control pills could help.
Hormone Therapy (HT)
Hormone therapy (HT)refers to medications that contain hormones.
If you have low levels of certain hormones, your healthcare provider may recommend HT to improve symptoms.
People with low levels of estrogen or testosterone may benefit from HT.
These hormones are available as oral pills, injections, or topical medications.
Insulin-Sensitizing Medications
Insulin-sensitizing medications lower blood sugar levels by increasing insulin sensitivity in the body.
These drugs may be beneficial for people with insulin resistance or other insulin imbalances.
Examples of insulin-sensitizing medications include Glucophage (metformin) and Actos (pioglitazone).
Summary
Hormonal imbalance shows up when the body has too many or too few hormones.
Even a small imbalance can lead to serious health risks.
Dietary changes like reducing sugar intake and consuming more fiber may help.
Other lifestyle adjustments include sleeping better, exercising daily, and reducing stress.
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