TIPS TO RESTORE HORMONE HEALTH
Not where I thought I’d be, but progress is progress.
If you’ve ever been in my shoes and have wondered why you’re seeing only little or no physical changes despite being disciplined in the kitchen and gym, then you may want to take a good look at your hormones.
Some of the main causes of burnout (aka adrenal fatigue) that can interrupt hormone health are prolonged and un-managed stress, sleep deprivation, chronic inflammation, and/or a blood sugar imbalance. In my case, it was grief. (Turns out that losing three immediate family members in a two year period shortly after having a baby can really kick your hormones ass. Who knew?) Luckily, I had helped people heal from this and knew what the symptoms looked like and what to do. Adrenal fatigue is not generally one you can supplement your way out of, but the ones mentioned can help speed up your healing.
TIPS TO RESTORE HORMONE HEALTH
1. Consider supplementing:
(DISCLAIMER: Don’t take EVERYTHING listed. The ideal approach is to get your blood work done to see which of these you are deficient in, then go from there.)
Kelp – seaweeds like this are high in the mineral Iodine, which is essential when balancing and managing hormones.
Omega-3 fatty acids – Helps improve communication between cells by resensitizing receptors, improving chemical pathways.
Ashwagandha (aka “Indian Ginseng”) – Has a anti-stressor effect and supports adrenal and thyroid function.
B vitamins – These are needed to create and excrete adrenal hormones.
Licorice – Inhibits the breakdown of cortisol.
Magnesium chelate – Has a calming effect on the nervous system, which helps manage stress and improve energy production.
Vitamin C – Adrenals use up this vitamin, depleting it rapidly.
2. Get most of your calories from protein, fats and veggies.
Proteins and healthy fats do a much better job of regulating blood sugar levels than carbs. Most of our carbs are processed, and if your body doesn’t recognize the ingredients, neither will your body. This, in turn, further interrupts your hormone health.
3. Prioritize sleep & manage your stress.
Chronic stress will raise cortisol and adrenaline levels, causing further burnout and interrupting sleep. Choose de-stressing activities (eg. yoga, breathing exercises, meditation) and do at least one daily to improve your wake/sleep cycle because a lot of your healing will occur while you’re sleeping.
4. Ditch dairy, soy, and non-organic meat.
Dairy and conventional meats are laden with hormones (among other things). If the animal ate it, you eat it. And one needs to be consuming hormones, especially those with a hormone imbalance. Soy is now a known endocrine disruptor because of its similarities to estrogen. Like dairy and conventional meat, t’s just best to steer clear.
5. Scale back the intensity in the gym.
This is one I learned this one the hard way. The gym was/is my therapy, so I’d unleash emotions in there. However, the last thing you want to do when your adrenals are drained is to further stress your body. So instead of doing HIIT cardio, you’ll want to replace it with something less strenuous like walking, or take it easy on a stationary bike or elliptical.
