Hormones are chemicals that the organs produce to regulate every function in the body.
All processes are in delicate balance with one another and if hormones get out of whack, symptoms will manifest to let you know:
- Insomnia
- Unexplained weight gain or loss
- Changes in breast tissues (men and women)
- Decreased sex drive
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Loss of muscle mass
- Night sweats
- Recurrent bladder infections
- Hot flashes
- Puffiness and bloating
- Mood swings and irritability
- Foggy thinking and problems with memory
- Migraine headaches
- Gallbladder problems
- Acne
- Ovarian cysts
- Hypoglycemia
- Debilitating fatigue
- Brown spots on the face
- Low blood pressure
- Rheumatoid arthritis (1)
- and others
Causes of hormone imbalance are many.
Some are part of the normal aging process but some are a result of chronic stress, improper diet, and lifestyle factors like obesity. Other causes are:
- Adrenal fatigue from excessive stress and exhaustion
- Candida yeast overgrowth feeds on progesterone, upsetting its balance with estrogen
- Environmental toxins in foods, personal care and household products, and plastics
- Heavy metal toxicity
- Neurotransmitters that misfire due to excess sugars, nicotine, alcohol, lack of proteins and healthy fats, white flour, and environmental toxins
- Radiation and chemotherapy
- Thyroid problems
- Tumors of testes or pituitary
Pushing ahead without addressing stresses to the endocrine system can have very serious, long-term health consequences. (2, 3)
It’s easy to ascertain if you are producing too much or too little of the various groups of regulating hormones by taking a saliva test. It can be administered by your healthcare provider or you can do it yourself at home with a kit. (4)
Fortunately, most bodily processes can be restored to balance through a proper diet and regular exercise.
Following are a sampling of nutrient-rich foods that will help you naturally get back to the proper stasis, feeling and looking great—as you were meant to be. Reduce or cut out dairy, wheat, sugars, and processed foods.
Proteins
- Seeds
- Soaked or sprouted nuts
- Beans
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Wild fish
- Organic, free range poultry, wild game, grass-fed beef and bison
- Organic, free range eggs (loaded with vitamins, minerals, and protein supporting hormone balance and a healthy reproductive system)
Antioxidant-rich Vegetables
- Green leafy: spinach, kale, chard, collard greens, cabbage
- Other greens: asparagus, broccoli
- Brightly-colored: red/yellow/orange bell peppers, red and white onions, orange and purple carrots, tomatoes, red cabbage, purple potatoes
Herbs and Spices
Fats
- Avocados – rich source of E and B-complex vitamins, magnesium, potassium, and fiber
- Grass-fed butter (raw if you can get it) – vitamins A, D, E, and K stimulate proper hormone function and medium-chain fatty acids support the immune system and metabolism
- Coconut oil – lauric acid stimulates hormone production and boost metabolism; antibacterial and antiviral
- Fermented cod liver oil
- Flax seeds and oil
- Olive oil – extra virgin, organic, cold pressed
- Sesame oil
All fats are not created equal. Watch the video below to see why.
This is by no means a comprehensive list of endocrine-supporting foods but the highlights.
The importance of regular, adequate, good-quality sleep can’t be over-emphasized; it’s during sleep that the brain cleans itself and many of the housekeeping tasks of the varying systems take place.
You can eat an ideal diet and exercise properly but if you don’t sleep enough, nothing will work quite right. It could be that sleep deprivation may be part of the problem affecting hormone regulation.
Sleep on it.