4 Ways To Naturally Balance Your Hormones

Balancing hormones have become a hot topic as more awareness has come to just how much hormones affect our health. Our hormones contribute greatly to the success of our daily functions including our sleep, mood, metabolism, skin health, fertility and more! Given their profound impact, it's important to adopt daily practices that support hormonal balance, ensuring our bodies operate optimally!

While fertility is often the spotlight in discussions about hormones, their significance extends far beyond reproduction. Whether you're striving to conceive, seeking relief from menstrual discomfort, aiming to enhance skin health, or simply yearning for better sleep, these tips are for you. We’re breaking down daily practices you can implement to simply support your hormones' health!

#1 Work on Reducing Stress

This may be one of the most challenging ways to balance your hormones but is arguably the most important. Stress is one of the leading causes for hormone imbalances and therefore, can create adverse health effects. 

In our modern world, we often forget to let our bodies rest! Living in constant stress and over-stimulation can lead our body to a state of adrenal fatigue and exhaustion. This has major effects on our hormones and disrupts the entire endocrine system.

When your body is in a constant state of stress, your cortisol (adrenal hormones) work overtime attempting to keep up with your stress demands. It is essentially running out of battery, similar to when our devices are on low battery. When your adrenal glands aren’t functioning correctly (called adrenal insufficiency by medical doctors and adrenal exhaustion or adrenal fatigue by naturopaths ), they put body processes on the backburner and lead to your hormones being deprioritized. 

Here are ways we try to mitigate stress's toll on hormonal balance:

• Avoid high intensity training and opt for lower intensity options. These forms of exercise can spike your cortisol putting your body into a “flight or fight” response. Skip the excessive running, weight lifting, and crossfit type workouts and opt for walking, yoga, pilates and rebounding. These options still provide great exercise and movement without disrupting your hormones. 

• Salt is medicine for your adrenal glands and kidneys. Increase your intake of good quality salt to allow the adrenal glands to properly control your sodium-potassium levels, fluid balance, and blood pressure.
• Conventional salt damages the adrenal glands and kidneys  It contains dextrose (sugar) and other chemical stabilizers to keep the synthetic iodine from oxidizing. Other synthetic chemicals are added to make it free flowing and white.
• Sources of additive free, high quality salt. Healthy salt with no additives is very important to the body. We recommend rotating your salts to ensure you get a variety.

1. Premier Research Pink Salt – can be used raw at the table or in cooking (no need to roast)*
2. Masu Sea Salt - most medicinal sea salt used in cooking – must roast for use at the table.  
3. Celtic Salt – typically available at Whole Foods – used in cooking – not raw at the table.
4. Colima Salt - use in cooking, roast for at the table use

*Note: Raw salt used at the table is hard on the kidneys. Salt is best used in cooking. But if salt at the table is desired, roast salt at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, cool, and store in a glass container for use at the table.

• Add in Vitamin C via rich foods or a high quality supplement. Vitamin C is used rapidly to create cortisol and stress hormones, leaving us depleted. Citrus fruits, potatoes, spinach, broccoli, red peppers, strawberries, and tomatoes are all rich in Vitamin C! For more information on how to choose a quality supplement, check out Your Quick Guide to Vetting Dietary Supplements. 

 Remember, prioritizing self-care isn't selfish—it's a prerequisite for sustained well-being. By carving out time for relaxation and rejuvenation, you empower your hormones to function optimally!

We expand this idea of prioritizing yourself in The Power of Slow for a Healthier Life with tangible ways to destress and achieve a better work/life balance!

#2 Increase Intake of Quality/Healthy Fats

A great way to help your hormones is to incorporate more healthy, quality fats in your diet. Our cells’ outer membranes are composed of fats and are the initial building blocks for certain hormones. Increasing the amount of healthy fats we consume is providing our cells with what they need to function.

The quality of these fats play an extensive role in how much they help our bodies. Choosing animal fats that are sourced only from organic, grass-feed, and grass-finished animals is of great importance. Toxins, like pesticides and added hormones, in our food can wreak havoc on our body’s daily functions.

Our favorite ways to get healthy fats are through grass-fed butter, ghee, unrefined coconut oil & butter, avocados, extra virgin olive oil, and whole eggs. 

Learn more on how we vet the quality of our food in Toss The Toxins in Your Pantry and Refrigerator. 

#3 Limit Alcohol and Caffeine 

Alcohol and caffeine both have their time and place but an excess can disrupt your hormones ability to function correctly. Especially if you are dealing with painful periods, fertility issues, or other possible hormonal symptoms.

Excessive alcohol consumption can impair the liver's ability to metabolize hormones effectively, leading to imbalances. Additionally, alcohol can interfere with the production of hormones such as insulin and cortisol, contributing to irregular blood sugar levels and increased stress.

Caffeine, a staple for many seeking a morning boost, can also disrupt hormones if consumed in excess. While moderate caffeine intake may provide a temporary energy surge, overconsumption can overstimulate the adrenal glands, leading to heightened cortisol levels—the body's primary stress hormone. Elevated cortisol levels can disrupt sleep patterns, increase anxiety, and can affect reproductive hormones. 

Instead of relying on alcohol and caffeine for a quick fix, consider incorporating healthier alternatives into your routine. Swap that evening cocktail for a tea or a glass of sparkling water! Likewise, opt for decaffeinated beverages or explore caffeine-free alternatives to kickstart your day without disrupting your hormonal equilibrium.

#4 Toss the Toxins!

We’re a broken record- but it really is THAT important! Toxic products create a low-level chemical soup that your family has to detoxify from 24/7, never allowing time to recover, rest or rejuvenate from the everyday exposures. 

According to EWG, people come into contact with over 500 synthetic chemicals daily in their homes! Commercial personal care products and cleaning products typically contain Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), which wreak havoc on our hormones. That means what you wash your clothes in, clean your kitchen with, and put on your skin all contribute to hormone health.

Endocrine disruptors mimic natural hormones in the body. They also block hormones from binding to cells, and because our hormones signal a reaction to the body, the message is not received or is confused. Learn more about where to find EDCs in How To Avoid Endocrine Disruptors in Your Daily Life 

The spectacular news is that the simple act of removal clears these endocrine disruptors from the body within a few days. The landmark Hermosa Study verified that in three days after removing personal care products with certain hormone disrupting ingredients from the homes of teenage girls, levels of hormone disruptors dropped 25-45%! When you Toss the Toxins throughout the home and diet, these levels drop even more dramatically!

This is why it is imperative to Toss the Toxins in your home. We always recommend starting with the biggest offenders, pesticides and cleaning/laundry products! By removing these harmful products, your home’s air quality will improve immediately.

We just don’t realize how much products with harmful chemicals impact our mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing until we remove them. Tossing the toxins can be truly life-changing. These chemicals are undermining our health and immune systems, not just our hormones, hijacking the healing process and keeping us from our full potential.

Interest in hormonal health underscores its pivotal role in our holistic well-being. By embracing mindful lifestyle practices and prioritizing self-care, we can cultivate a nurturing environment for our hormones to thrive. Listen to your body's cues, take gradual steps toward balance, and empower yourself to reclaim control over your hormonal health. 

Make the Life-Changing Decision to Toss The Toxins

Ready to create a healthy home for you and your hormones? Check out our Toss the Toxins Online Course! We share a step-by-step, room-by-room system of how to safeguard your health by removing all harmful chemicals. It’s well worth the effort and much easier than you’d think!