10 Ways to Balance Hormones Naturally
While hormonal imbalance is on the rise, more and more women seem to be going to Google for answers as they feel dismissed by doctors or generally confused about their own hormonal cycle. The diagnosis of endometriosis, PCOS, infertility, and so on keeps increasing every year, and women are suffering while thinking their symptoms are “normal”. The women who do speak out to their doctors get pushed birth control as a band-aid fix (which tends to lead to more problems).
Birth control may aid in relieving symptoms but it does not fix the root cause of the imbalance in the first place. Ignoring the root cause of the hormonal imbalance may lead to continued inflammation and other problems.
We know hormonal imbalance is common so how do we address these issues? An important step is to talk with your healthcare professional and consider taking hormonal-based labs like the DUTCH test. In the meantime, there are some natural ways to support your body and start feeling a little better on your own.
Before giving you the 10 ways to balance hormones naturally, I want to point out my biggest tip:
Eat blood-sugar balanced meals & snacks
Eating for your blood sugar is extremely important for hormonal, gut, thyroid, etc. Try not to eat “naked carbs” and ensure each meal and snack contains protein and fiber. I can’t stress the importance of balancing blood sugar enough. Some hormone-related conditions like PCOS are strongly linked to blood sugar imbalance and insulin resistance. There are also amazing tips that help flatten a blood sugar spike, while the most important one is consuming protein and fiber, things like going for a walk after a meal, taking a diluted shot of vinegar before a meal, and even opting for dessert after a meal.
Now on to the rest of the tips…
Eat Real Food
I know there are so many diets to choose from, but this is not about dieting. The majority of people will see great improvements in multiple areas of their health – including hormone health – if they just took the first step of eating mostly real, whole foods and cutting back on processed junk. This will look like a plate of lots of veggies, carefully sourced protein, and healthy fats. Aim for foods that are made up of one ingredient (ex egg, beans, lentil, nuts, honey, seeds, salmon, beef, apple, banana, you get the idea..). Focus on implementing more nutrient-dense foods into your diet. Traditionally, our ancestors would eat organ meats (the most nutrient-dense food on the planet, seasonal veggies and fruit, and animal fats. Our bodies need proper vitamins and minerals to function properly, which can be found in animal foods.
Healthy fats are also essential for hormone production. The best kinds of fats are from animal products, think grass-fed butter and ghee, beef tallow, and bone marrow. Some plant sources of healthy fats are coconut oil, avocado, olive oil, and nuts. I would completely avoid seed oils (canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil, vegetable oil, etc).
Always Eat Breakfast
Breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day, especially when it comes to stabilizing blood sugar and balancing hormones. A healthy balanced breakfast rich in fats & protein will help keep your blood sugar balanced throughout the day, reducing stress and supporting healthy hormone production. In a 2003 study where skipping breakfast was associated with significantly higher scores of menstrual pain & discomfort among young women. A 2014 study in Egypt supported these findings as well. Their results showed a statistically significant increase in premenstrual abdominal pain, irregular menstruation, and premenstrual cramping in participants who skipped breakfast vs. those who did not.
Eat Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables are high in fiber and have multiple natural compounds like sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol (I-3-C), and diendolylmethane (DIM), which help the liver detoxify estrogen to prevent it from building up and reabsorbing back in the body which can cause estrogen dominance. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, bok choi, and arugula. When it comes to these veggies I’d suggest cooking/steaming them to reduce goitrogens (anti-nutrients).
Take Magnesium
Most of us don’t get enough magnesium in our diets because our soil is depleted of necessary minerals like magnesium, and other environmental factors, and not consuming many magnesium-rich foods. I typically encourage consuming more magnesium-rich foods and supplements. Speak to your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Food Sources of Magnesium are brown rice, almonds, swiss chards, and spinach.
Ditch the Plastic & Other Endocrine Disruptors
Plastics and plastic-like products have estrogen-like effects on our bodies. This isn’t just limited to BPA. It includes dioxins, phthalates, lead, and many others that are found nearly everywhere these days – clothing, makeup, personal care products, building materials, receipts, toys, water bottles, and even our water supply! I have a blog post on endocrine disruptors, which you can read here.
Manage your Stress
Dont roll your eyes on this one. This is a crucial tip to balance your hormones. Stress depletes key nutrients for hormone balance. It also disrupts signaling between your HPA stress axis and your ovaries. This results in low progesterone and even low estrogen. In today’s fast-paced society, stress can be seen as normal and extremely common, but it is causing so many health problems in both men and women. Common sources of stress are disrupted sleep, intermittent fasting, too much caffeine, excessive exercise, toxins, big life events, endless scrolling on social media, a sedentary lifestyle, nutrient deficiencies, etc. As you can see our body perceives stress from everyday activities and being in a constant sympathetic state will perpetually steal resources from your hormone production efforts.
Love your Liver
The liver is the primary organ responsible for detoxifying the body. This includes everything from pesticides found in food, and alcohol to medications to harmful chemicals to hormones. There are two main phases of liver detoxification: phase 1 which turns fat-soluble toxins into water-soluble and phase 2 which processes and packs the toxins for removal. Then there is also a phase 3 detox pathway that brings those toxins from the liver to the gut to be eliminated.
So, how to support liver function:
eat cruciferous veggies like mentioned above
Eat enough grass-fed or wild-caught organic protein. The liver needs B vitamins and amino acids in order to detox properly.
Add more culinary herbs to meals like Parsley and Cilantro
Incorporate more turmeric into your diet (turmeric latte instead of coffee).
Reduce endocrine disrupting chemicals
Discuss liver-supportive supplements like milk thistle and others with your provider and/or herbalist.
Try a castor oil pack weekly.
Drink filtered or spring water. I’d highly recommend a high-quality water filter like AquaTru or Berkey.
Heal your Gut
It is all connected. Your gut problem is your hormone problem which is your liver problem. If you suspect having a gut infection or leaky gut then it is important to heal your gut. As mentioned earlier, your gut is phase 3 detoxification, if toxins and excess hormones are not being eliminated by the gut then it is just recirculating into the bloodstream, increasing hormone levels. This is why it’s critical to have a bowel movement every day and avoid chronic constipation.
An imbalance of “good” and “bad” bacteria in the gut can also disrupt hormonal balance. If you have any gut symptoms like chronic bloating, gas, heartburn, pain, constipation, loose stools, or other GI symptoms, it may be helpful to get a comprehensive GI stool test to find out what underlying gut issues could be fueling your hormone imbalance.
Track your Menstrual Cycle
Women have a 28-32 day cycle that consists of 4 phases (Menstrual, Follicular, Ovulatory, and, Luteal). Tracking your cycle using a basal body temperature thermometer will give you insight into when you are ovulating (if you are ovulating) and how long each phase is. Work with a holistic practitioner like myself to help you interpret your monthly cycle patterns.
Note that if you’re on hormonal birth control, there’s no need to track your menstrual cycles as you are not having a real period.
Improve your Sleep
Having good quality sleep is vital to healthy hormones, yet it is often ignored. One night of poor sleep can increase your stress hormone, cortisol, which will mess with your reproductive hormones. Having quality sleep of at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night can drastically improve your health especially if you have been sleep deprived.
When it comes to balancing your hormones, I’ll always recommend working with a professional. The tips in this article are great as a starting point, but not the “end all” advice. If you are looking for a holistic practitioner to work with then book a free discovery call with me so we can chat.