Everyone knows how crucial hormonal levels are to our health. We always joke about it whenever women have chocolate cravings or cry for no obvious reasons while experiencing PMS. We also know that sex hormones are responsible for giving men and women their distinguishable characteristics. However, unless you’re a medical student or you’ve been paying attention in your biology class, most of us aren’t aware of the various other hormones in our bloodstreams. As it turns out, our hormones play a significant role in maintaining our inner balance and health – and they do so much more than make us crave more chocolate.
Here’s how you can take advantage of hormones for better overall health.
The Detrimental Effects of Hormonal Imbalance
The human body operates at a highly intricate and organized level – so much so, that getting into detail about its scope of operations would require getting into medical school. However, to explain things simply, before any operation can take place, there is always some sort of a messenger that conveys orders from one part of our body to another. Hormones are one of those chemical messengers that play a significant role in our bodies’ operations.
When our hormones are balanced, we enjoy it in the form of well-functioning digestion, metabolism, sleep, muscle movement, libido and, reproduction, as well as reduced stress and enhanced mood in general. When our hormones are thrown out of balance, many aspects of our lives are affected accordingly. Hormonal imbalance can result in many conditions, starting from weight gain to increased stress levels, insomnia, and acne. It can also cause menstrual cycle disturbances, PCOS, and pregnancy issues in women, or it can affect men in the form of performance issues, muscle mass, and accelerated aging.
How to Balance Hormones for Better Health
- Follow a Healthy Diet
According to the experts at Mor’s Nutrition & More, following a healthy diet can regulate our bodily functions and keep hormonal imbalance at bay. The most common of which is the inability to lose weight or keep off the weight shed. This comes from a simple reason: most of the hormonal imbalances we suffer are a direct result of wrong nutrition. When we fail to give our bodies the nutrients needed to regulate hormones, we suffer the consequences. Giving our bodies high levels of junk to process will also increase the levels of some hormones above the normal ranges, which will certainly result in undesired side effects, such as weight gain and increased stress. In order to make the most out of your diet, make it a habit to increase your greens and eat whole grains, stay away from junk food, sugar, and processed carbs.
- Eat Sufficient Protein
Aside from eating healthy foods, you should pay close attention to the levels of protein you’re eating. As a rule of thumb, you should get protein in the appropriate ratios from all your meals. Our bodies need amino acids to make hormones, and these amino acids can only be broken down from the proteins we consume. These hormones are later on used by the body to develop and maintain the health of our bones, skin, muscles, and various functions.
- Hydrate
The importance of hydration has become widespread knowledge by now, so it shouldn’t be surprising to hear that water is essential for our hormonal balance. Generally speaking, water is necessary for the maintenance and performance of all our vital functions, which includes producing hormones and sending them across different regions to do their jobs.
- Exercise Regularly
There’s a reason why exercise is endorsed by all healthcare and wellness practitioners; it’s quite effective in dealing with various conditions. In our case, exercise is excellent in resetting the factory settings of our bodies, metaphorically speaking. Not only does it boost our metabolism and the ability to burn fat and lose weight, but it also encourages the body to balance the remaining hormones and maintain full function. So, even if you’re suffering from heightened levels of stress and anxiety, exercise can help you lower these levels naturally and effectively.
- Manage Stress Levels
Being exposed to high levels of stress, whether briefly or for prolonged periods, forces the body to produce stress hormones. These hormones are produced when the body feels like it’s in danger in order to protect itself, but prolonged exposure to these hormones is quite counteractive. For instance, hormones, such as cortisol and insulin, encouraged the body to store fats and increase anxiety and stress levels. No wonder we always gain weight when we’re worried!
Taking care of our health is crucial in order to live our lives to the fullest. However, most of us fail to realize the direct relationship between our hormones and the state of our health. As it turns out, hormones play a central role in how we feel and function, which should make keeping them balanced our priority.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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