Hormones control nearly every function of our bodies including maintaining energy levels throughout the day, regulating our metabolism and blood sugar levels, maintaining homeostasis of our body temperature and blood pressure, stimulating growth and development of muscles and bones, regulating our sleep cycles and of course they control sexual function and influence our ability to reproduce. Hormones even effect our mood and our response to stress factors. There is no question that hormones play a vital role when it comes to optimizing our health.
So, now that we understand that hormones are important, what exactly are they? Hormones are chemical messengers that signal the various functions of our bodies. Just as we breath without thinking about it or our hearts beat automatically, we also synthesize, or create hormones without much of our attention. That is, until something goes wrong. Hormones that become imbalanced or depleted can have significant consequences that leave us experiencing annoying and sometimes life-threatening symptoms.
Symptoms of Hormone Depletion
Hormones can become imbalanced from a variety of factors and effect our bodies in different ways. For example, low thyroid hormones can lead to hypothyroidism, characterized by feeling depressed, having an intolerance to cold temperatures, feeling fatigued even with plenty of rest and experiencing weight gain even on a low-calorie diet. An imbalance of adrenal hormones including cortisol and epinephrine can lead to chronic fatigue and suppression of your immune system. And, imbalances of reproductive hormones including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can lead to symptoms like PMS, mood swings, hot flashes, facial hair growth in women, reduced muscular strength in men, low libido and even infertility. But the good news is we can heal our hormones and reduce symptoms with a few simple steps.
5 Steps to Heal Your Hormones
Step #1 Improve Your Digestion – For most of us improving our digestion isn’t something we think about all that much unless we are feeling bloated from our last meal or maybe experiencing hot burn. But the truth is that digestion is a key factor when it comes to hormone production and is the very first step we need to address. Poor digestion at a bare minimum can lead to undigested food moving through the intestinal tract. Our bodies can’t extract the vitamins and minerals needed from the food and pull it into our blood stream to be utilized. This can lead to malnourishment and deficiency of much need nutrients. Conditions like leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome, candida or an overgrowth of certain types of bacteria can also affect the body’s ability to absorb and utilize vitamins and minerals. To improve digestion, follow these steps:
- Chew each and every bite of food thoroughly before swallowing-about 25 to 30 chews.
- Try to relax when eating and not eat on the run. When you are stressed, or when watching or listening to things that might cause stress, the body produces stress hormones that slows down the digestive process.
- Eat something bitter or sour about 15 to 20 minutes before meals to help produce digestive enzymes that break down and digest food.
- Reduce or eliminate excessive sugar and processed carbohydrates that feed the harmful gut bacteria and help them to overpopulate in the intestinal tract.
- Include fermented foods daily such as sauerkraut, kimchi, brined pickles, or naturally fermented whole milk yogurt, to promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and promote a healthy gut microbiome which is essential for nutrient absorption.
You can learn more about how digestion impacts your hormones in this article Digestion and Hormones
Step #2 Include Healthy Fats – Many people, particularly women trying to lose weight, tend to cut back on healthy fats. Remember fats are one of the most beneficial nutrients. Without them we are unable to absorb fat soluble vitamins including vitamins A, D, E and K. Fat helps to create satiety, or a feeling of fullness and satisfaction when eating. Fat supports brain development and heart health. And fat is essential for synthesizing hormones. But not all fat is created equal. Highly processed fats like vegetable oils, canola oil, industrial seed oils, soy bean oil, and corn oil are toxic for our bodies. Canola oil which is commonly promoted as a healthy fat, smells so bad when it is extracted from the rape seed plant that it has to be deodorized with chemicals to make it suitable for human consumption. Instead of these oils choose extra virgin olive oil, grass-fed butter, nuts, seeds and their butters, coconut oil, aged cheese, whole milk dairy if tolerated, and avocado oil. Avocado oil is extracted by centrifuge so no chemicals are needed. It’s neutral in flavor making a perfect substitute for canola and vegetable oils in baked goods and other recipes.
*Note About Fat Digestion: If you have had your gall bladder removed it’s important to consume bile salts with your meal to help digest fats. Often, the medical recommendation for those who have had their gall bladder removed is to consume a very low-fat diet which leads to nutrient deficiencies. Instead choose healthy fats and make bile salts a part of your daily routine.
Step #3 Eat to Balance Hormones – So now that we have the two primary steps down including our digestion and eating plenty of healthy fats, less look at what to eat to make sure we are getting the actual nutrients we need to produce hormones.
Each major organ in the human body has a specific nutrient that is essential for the organ to work properly and produce hormones.
- The thyroid requires iodine which can be found in shellfish, seaweed, grass-fed dairy products, and iodized salt.
- The adrenal gland requires a sufficient intake of vitamin C and B vitamins to help reduce cortisol levels which can suppress the immune system, create oxidative stress, promotes weight gain around the middle, and stimulates the production of fat build up around our organs which can be life threatening.
- The Ovaries and Testes require selenium, zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin D and healthy fats to produce optimum levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
Fun Fact: Just 1 Brazil nut contains the recommended daily allowance of selenium for men and women.
To insure you are getting the nutrients you need, avoid all processed and fast foods. Instead, focus on nutrient dense foods including healthy fats, nuts and seeds, a variety of wild caught or grass-fed proteins like fish, shellfish poultry, and meat, several servings of vegetables and fruit daily, and if tolerated whole milk dairy products like aged cheese and yogurt. For a complete list of foods that will help support your health and your hormones grab a copy of my book The Simply28 Real Food Cookbook. This book not only has over 100 healthy recipes, a complete What To Eat Food Guide, plus an entire section dedicated to knowing exactly what foods to eat to optimize your health.
Step #4 Stay Hydrated – Drinking plenty of water is crucial for digestion and the transportation of nutrients to your organs and other tissues. Without water many systems fail and hormone production can be affected. Drink one half your body weight in ounces daily and more if you are in a hot or dry climate. Moderate the consumption of caffeine and alcohol as these products have a dehydrating affect.
Step #5 Rest & Restore – Hormones are produced from or organs and other tissue. These cells need time to restore which occurs primarily during our sleep. Make sure to get adequate sleep for growth and repair which for most adults is about 7 to 9 hours a night. Children and teenagers will need even more rest.
Bonus Step: Consider Supplementation – While over the counter vitamins and supplements are no substitute for a nutrient dense diet, they can sometimes be helpful to get our bodies back on track. When I work with clients I assess and evaluate your health to target any nutritional deficiencies and help you get back to having more energy, reducing nagging symptoms, and feel great! Schedule a free consultation with me to learn more and see working if nutritional therapy might be beneficial for you.
Maintaining hormonal balance is intricately linked to adequate nutrient intake and efficient nutrient absorption. Poor digestion, lack of healthy fats, and issues like gallbladder removal can all impair the body’s ability to obtain and utilize essential nutrients. By focusing on a nutrient-rich diet, supporting digestion, and getting the hydration and rest you need to restore hormone producing tissue, individuals can promote optimal hormonal health and overall well-being. Prioritizing these aspects can lead to improved energy, mood, and vitality, highlighting the profound connection between nutrition and hormonal harmony.
