Tips to Naturally Balance Your Hormones

Alright, let’s talk hormones - those tiny chemical messengers that have such a huge impact on how we feel. Small but mighty, our hormones are like a complicated mystery to unpack, especially for women. 

For women of reproductive years, our hormone levels fluctuate daily. They are influenced by a whole host of factors (more on that to come) and have a big impact on how we feel. When there’s an issue with our hormones, the downstream effects can be significant. 

You rely on a delicate balance of multiple hormones to feel well - estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid hormone, insulin and cortisol. And when one gets out of balance, it affects the rest. 

In my training in functional medicine, I have learned that one of the hormones trumps many of the others, and that hormone is cortisol (our chronic stress hormone). Specifically, cortisol has a downstream effect on our male/female hormone production, our insulin and blood sugar balance and our thyroid hormone balance. 

I have seen it on many occasions in my practice where I help someone address their cortisol imbalance and the other hormonal issues resolve without any direct treatment. I start at the source, upstream, and it really simplifies the amount of treatment needed.

We all feel best when we are more balanced so let’s talk through some of the more natural ways (aside from birth control pills and hormonal therapy) to return balance to an easily off balance system.

Tip #1: Sleep More (and better!) 

When we don’t sleep enough (generally 7-9 hours for most people), all kinds of hormonal imbalances start to occur. Lack of sleep is a stressor on the system and will elevated cortisol levels in the body. And our hormones are like an intricate web - when one is off, it pulls the others off balance as well.

Getting more sleep is one of the fastest acting, simple, and effective ways to better your health in general and your hormones specifically. Sleep is truly the cheapest medicine out there because your body knows how to heal and restore balance if given enough sleep. 

It’s easier than you think to improve your sleep. Try adjusting your bedtime by 15 minutes earlier at a time. We really don’t need those extra 15 minutes to scroll social media or binge another show. Our body would much prefer it if we wind down and get a bit more sleep. 

Tip #2: Consider your Caffeine and Alcohol intake

I know we all love our morning coffee and evening glass of wine – but the reality is, they both put stress on our adrenals, spike cortisol and blood sugar, and generally put stress on the body as they’re processed. 

Having to detoxify caffeine and/or alcohol will slow your body’s ability to detoxify your hormones. And yes, we do need to detoxify our hormones to maintain a good balance, especially estrogen.

This knowledge doesn’t mean we have to cut our favorite beverages out entirely. But if you’re struggling with hormonal symptoms, it’s worth considering your relationship with both caffeine and alcohol. Maybe in the morning you try just cutting your caffeine consumption in half. And in the evenings, try replacing a glass of wine with herbal tea, or a yummy mocktail. 

Functional medicine isn’t about striving for perfection but making little changes here and there. Small, consistent changes add up over time to big results!

Tip #3: Eat regular, well-balanced meals

Blood sugar keeps our energy going throughout the day. In an ideal world, our meals keep our blood sugar relatively stable without dramatic dips or spikes. The more our blood sugar rises and falls dramatically, the more cortisol (our stress hormone) gets released and worsens our stress response. Have you waited too long to eat and become shaky, irritable, hangry? That’s your blood sugar sharply declining and your body sensing imminent danger.

Our blood sugar is intricately linked to the release and regulation of hormones, so keeping it stable throughout the day not only makes us feel better but keeps our hormones balanced over time. We can achieve this by having protein with every meal or snack, adding healthy fats, and spending time meal prepping to have healthy foods on hand when needed.

Tip #4: Replace toxic personal care products

The average woman uses 9-12 personal care products per day. The average man uses 5-7. When used daily over time, that adds up to a lot. These products are largely unregulated by the FDA for safety. And anything you put on your skin, hair, teeth etc gets absorbed to some degree into your body.

Our body was not designed to handle these chemicals and toxins and our delicate hormonal system is easily overwhelmed or knocked off balance by these chemicals.

Can you try to reduce the amount of products you use? Or switch one product at a time as they run out to a healthier, cleaner brand? You can check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database to find healthier options.

Tip #5: Manage Your Stress

Let’s face it, stress is not going anywhere. It must be managed and I would argue it needs to be managed daily, just like our blood sugar.

Can you spend even 5 minutes per day doing some form of relaxation or stress reduction? And I don’t mean watching TV. I am talking about active stress reduction - things like breathing exercises, guided or silent meditation, prayer, journaling, stretching or yoga poses. Just a few minutes per day can have profound effects on how you feel and your hormonal balance.

If you are unsure of your stress level or how it is affecting you, I would suggest that testing your cortisol levels can be eye opening. So many women that I work with cannot believe how stressed they are until they see the data in black and white. 

Then once we have this awareness, we can do something about it. Would you like to test your cortisol levels? Or learn more about how to manage them better? Schedule a discovery call today.

Wishing you hormonal bliss,

Dr. Emily