Most people think of sex hormones like progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone when they think of hormones. Hormones are messengers and in the case of sex hormones, they trigger reactions like the starting of puberty, distribution of body fat, and menopause and the often debated menopause. You have far more hormones than just those. Other hormones control all the functions of the body. Insulin opens the cells to receive glucose. You can reset your hormones, particularly sex hormones, by making certain changes in your life.
You can correct a hormonal imbalance with healthy eating.
Whether it’s sexual hormones or other types of hormones, a healthy diet is a must. Cutting sugar out of your diet can help improve the balance of sex hormones, rebalance ghrelin and leptin—the hunger-satiety hormones, improve the balance between insulin and glucagon and help balance thyroid hormones. Consuming more protein helps boost peptide hormones that control appetite. According to Sara Gottfried, the author of The Hormone Reset Diet, drinking a green protein shake to replace one meal a day can help rebalance sex hormones and make menopause easier.
Get adequate exercise.
Exercise can help reverse insulin resistance, which causes the body to make too much insulin. It also can reduce menopausal symptoms and rebalance sex hormones. It improves blood flow to the muscles and delivery of hormones. Exercise can also help you to lose weight, which aids in balancing all types of hormones. Exercise also boosts hormones that maintain muscle mass, such as DHEA, IGF-1, and testosterone.
Stress hormones can affect all parts of the body and the balance of other hormones.
Learn techniques to help you deal with stress and reduce the production of stress hormones. Stress hormones, such as cortisol, can cause abdominal fat, which is responsible for other hormonal imbalances. High intensity interval training—HIIT—can help burn off stress hormones. All types of exercise, especially HIIT, can deal with estrogen dominance with symptoms that include hot flashes, weight gain, and insomnia. Exercise also increases the production of melatonin, necessary for the sleep-wake cycle, and boosts HGH—the fountain of youth hormone.
- The gut has specific bacteria that are necessary for the body to overproduce estrogen. Drinking three cups of green tea and improving the gut microbiome with fiber can also help regulate hormones.
- Get a good night’s sleep to help regulate the hunger-satiety hormones. When you lack sleep, your body produces more ghrelin and less leptin, which makes you feel hungrier.
- Beware of consuming too much caffeine, since it can increase cortisol. Eliminate caffeinated soft drinks, because of caffeine and sugar. Reduce the amount of coffee you drink and drink it black.
- Eat prebiotic and probiotic foods to improve gut bacteria. Prebiotic foods include soluble fiber that feeds beneficial bacteria, such as apples, asparagus, or onions. Probiotic foods include kefir and yogurt.
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