» » » What does it take to have healthy hormones? Plus 7 tips to help


posted in: Blog | 0
Hormones. Most people know they are important to some degree, but in my experience in speaking with people about hormones,  there are many misconceptions.

First of all:


1. Hormones are chemical messengers that act independently of one another.

You can think of each hormone in the body as a different instrument. Ideally, the instruments are in sync moment to moment performing music that creates harmony in the body. In addition, when there is an imbalance in one of the glands that produces hormones, we often see disharmony further down the chain of the hormonal cascades.

Lesson: The body is more like a symphony. A symphony sounds best when in harmony, and the body feels best when in harmony too!

2. The body is a machine and taking synthetic hormones treats the root cause.
In some perspectives, the body is treated like a machine. However, the body is a sacred creation that we still cannot explain completely using science and physiology. Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine have existed and been in practice in varying degrees over the last 5000 years, and have comprehensive and sophisticated ways of explaining the effect of energy on the body. These systems are advanced and fortunately are making a come back into these times.

Hormones taken internally do one of three things:
1. One becomes dependent on the hormonal medication.
2. It masks the symptoms as the root cause is not being addressed. (There are reasons why hormones become imbalanced, and not addressing them does not make them go away).
3. There is an increased risk of side effects.

Lesson: When we acknowledge that the human being is more than mechanical, healing happens! Although there is a time and place for hormone therapy, one is wise to address the root cause and use mother natures remedies whenever possible (our bodies recognize plants and herbs in the same way it recognizes whole foods).


Let us look at some common hormonal imbalance symptoms:

1. Adrenal imbalances including adrenal fatigue: 
-fatigue upon waking
-wired but tired or totally exhausted
-low mood and motivation
-short fuse
-trouble sleeping (falling asleep or staying asleep)
-unexplained muscle aches
-brain fog
-abdominal weight gain
-sugar cravings
-salt cravings

2. Diabetes:
-weight gain
-nerve damage (neuropathy)
-vision issues

3. Hypothyroidism:
-easy weight gain despite healthy diet and exercise
-digestive irregularity
-low mood
-slower metabolism
-irregular monthly cycle

4. Hyperthyroidism:
-thinning hair
-weight loss
-difficulty sleeping
-irregular heartbeats

5. Low Estrogen:
-menstrual irregularities
-mood imbalances
-poor sleep
-temperature changes like hot flashes and night sweats

6. Estrogen Dominance
-difficulty falling asleep
-mood changes
-higher perceived stress level
-difficulty losing weight

7. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (Also known as PCOS)
-weight gain
-skin changes like acne
-abnormal hair growth
-increased risk for diabetes

7 tips on to help:

1. Balanced nutrition:

Certain foods can either positively or negatively impact your hormones and overall well-being. Find out what foods are best for your body via a thorough assessment. Avoid food sensitivities and inflammatory foods in general. Also, the body needs certain vitamins and minerals for the production of hormones. If these are missing from the diet, the hormones will be effected.

2. Balanced emotions and stress management:

Mind and Body are one and the same. One of my teachers says: If you want to understand someones past, look at their body. If you want to understand their future, look at their mind.  Life is too precious. This happens to be an area I love to work in using a variety of modalities such as:
-craniosacral therapy
-lifestyle counselling
-meditation training
-deep breathing exercises
(I am also a yoga teacher and pilates teacher).

3. Hydration

Most people do not drink the recommended 2 L of water a day. The body needs water to function optimally- for hormone health and for general well-being. Remember, water is life!  Keep it up:)

4. Improve Your Digestive health:

Many people have leaky gut syndrome which has been found to trigger autoimmune reactions due to food particles not being digested and leaking into the bloodstream, causing inflammation that can impact the whole body including glands such as the thyroid. Probiotics can be helpful as well as avoiding foods that you are sensitive to. You can also get a food sensitivity test to know what those foods are and then avoid them to help with healing, as well as start using remedies to help heal the gut lining and decrease overall inflammation.

5. Improve Your Sleep

If you are not sleeping well, get support to find out why. Your hormones have a schedule and work best when your body biorhythms are in sync. A lack of sleep, long term corticosteroid use and chronic stress can lead to high levels of cortisol and eventually low levels due to depletion. The result: low energy and fatigue leading to more hormonal imbalances elsewhere in the body.

6. Keep Your Vitamin D levels up.

Vitamin D has implications in hormonal health and in parts of the world where there is not a lot of light, seasonal depression can occur for some people.

7. Find out which Adaptogens are supportive for you!

Adaptogens are a class of herbs that increase ones resistance to factors that cause stress (physical and emotional factors). The result is more balanced stress hormones (and remember these hormones affect other hormones like insulin, thyroid hormones, and progesterone, for example). They are essentially mother natures resilience plants.

In essence, balancing your hormones is a worthwhile endeavor. The result is better physical and emotional health overall and when that is better, we have more energy available to pursue other things in life that bring us happiness with more energy and peace. Now that is worth it! 🙂

For a customized approach to helping to balance your hormones, feel free to connect. We begin with an initial consultation, potentially some testing and then a plan of action to move forward towards greater well-being.

Book online at www.dralexinamehta.com or call 604-731-7789.

Leave a Reply