Can you regulate hormones naturally

We asked Michele Helfgott, MD , PPG — Integrative Medicine, to elaborate on what a hormone imbalance could look like and the possible ways women can reset the condition naturally. For women, a hormone imbalance can start as early as age 25 and can last until the age of Usually, a hormone imbalance occurs when your female hormones, specifically estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, DAGA and cortisol, are out of whack and unbalanced.

For some women, this can look like mood changes, fatigue and hot flashes, while others may experience night sweats, sleep disturbance, daytime sleepiness, changes in their menstrual cycle and even weight gain. These imbalances can also happen to teenagers. Many may think they are too young, but if they experience some of the issues I mentioned, it could be due to a hormonal imbalance.

Some definite warning signs and symptoms of a hormone imbalance could include those I mentioned previously. While the thyroid is not a hormone, it does produce hormones.

So, if you are experiencing a thyroid imbalance, you might also see some of the following:. Moreover, my mentor used to talk about a hormone symphony, which means there is a relationship between the thyroid, cortisol and female hormones. When women, especially those in their 20s and 30s, start their families, they tend to put themselves last. They have a hard time balancing it all.

Often, they are busy doing everything for their children and work and forget to take care of themselves. Start the day with one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or the juice of half a lemon in a glass of water to stimulate liver detoxification.

Enjoy bitter foods like dandelion greens, rocket, green tea. Easy to digest, nourishing foods: soups, stews, bone broth, casseroles. Enjoy fermented foods like cultured, unsweetened yoghurt, kombucha, and sauerkraut. Slippery elm bark powder — soothes an irritated gut: 1 tsp in glass of cold water, followed by lots of water. Stress wreaks havoc on our hormones, particularly our production of progesterone. Progesterone is produced from the same building blocks as our stress hormone cortisol our stress hormone.

When we are stressed, our body ramps up its cortisol production and slows down on progesterone , contributing to a number of hormonal imbalances. For many of us, we have little control over the stressors that are thrown on us on a day to day basis.

The key then to managing stress is learning how to change your relationship with stress. Shifting your mindset around stress is the cornerstone to changing the way that it affects your body. Protein with every meal to stabilise blood sugar and moods important in reducing cortisol surges. Time outdoors: barefoot on the ground this is great for helping ground yourself after an intense day. The above suggestions will go a long way to improving your body's production and elimination of hormones.

Consider these initial steps as the 'ground work' for hormone balance. If you have implemented all of these tips, your next step is to consider adding 1 or 2 high quality supplements in to your regime Important note: please check with your health care provider before starting any new supplement regime. Magnesium : wonderful in helping the body cope with chronic, ongoing stress as magnesium is used in the stress response. Magnesium bisglycinate form is best for most people as it causes the least disturbance to digestive symptoms.

Zinc : Great for acne and digestive issues. Iron : great for heavy periods, low iron stores and fatigue. Please have your iron levels checked through a simple blood test which can be requested through your health care provider. Bisglycinate form is best as it causes the least digestive issues. Our patriarchal work culture has been built around the masculine energy of high productivity every day of the month. Unfortunately, women are not designed to operate like this.

Our menstrual cycles mean that we naturally go through phases of high energy around ovulation: mid cycle and slower, more introspective times around menstruation. Learning to identify and respond to these subtle energetic changes can revolutionise your productivity and output throughout your cycle. This is a topic I am very passionate about and spend an entire module teaching my students about in Hormone Harmony Academy.

I teach my students to chart their cycles, and respond to energetic changes throughout the month. This means they can stop fighting the inevitable ebbs and flows and make turn their menstrual cycles into a source of power, rather than suffering.

When first becoming aware of your changing energy throughout your cycle, start by taking time to truly rest at menstruation. Even if this means for just one hour — asking someone to watch your kids, going to bed early, taking a bath or reading a book instead of tidying the house. I guarantee if you can take some time for some self-care at menstruation, you will be rewarded with overflowing energy, productivity and creativity at your next ovulation time.

Your highest energy levels will be during ovulation mid cycle. This is when your productivity and focus will be at their highest. You will feel like connecting with others and being social. This is the time to schedule big meetings, important life decisions, parties and social gatherings. Use this energetic burst to achieve things on your to-do list that then allow you to slow down and rest during your menstruation.

Take my free Hormone Imbalance Quiz to find out which imbalance is most likely for you. In need of a hormone reset? Join my 7 Day Hormone Reset Challenge now. Sign up for my free Heal Your Cycle 60 minute webinar. Ready to step it up and truly get to the bottom of your hormonal symptoms?

Enrol in the next intake of my Hormone Harmony Academy 8 week digital program. Certain adaptogens can help regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal HPA axis which controls cortisol levels. Lowering your cortisol levels can help hormonal imbalance symptoms, such as fatigue or sleep issues. Consistently high levels of cortisol not only impact bodily functions associated with hormones, but can feed the beginnings of hyperglycemia and suppress immune and inflammatory responses.

Adaptogens that aid adrenal function include ashwagandha, ginseng, jiaogulan, Chinese licorice, reishi, and Rhodiola rosea. Research has shown that estrogen-related imbalances might be able to be reversed with probiotic supplementation by restoring the set of bacteria known as estrobolome , which is responsible for metabolizing estrogen.

Probiotics can also lessen the impact chronic stressors may have on the hypothalamic pituitary axis our stress response system , which is why probiotics are starting to be considered a form of treatment for those dealing with depression and anxiety. Fermented foods, which also contain live bacteria, can also aid in the regulation of gut bacteria.

A Vitamin D deficiency is more common than you may think, with over a billion people worldwide suffering from either a deficient or insufficient supply of this critical vitamin. Vitamin D plays an extremely important role in a number of bodily functions, such as immune function, cell differentiation, and inflammatory response.

Low levels of Vitamin D have been associated with an increased risk in colon, prostate, and breast cancer, as well as tuberculosis, influenza, and heart disease. A relationship has also been found between hypothyroidism and a vitamin D deficiency. Ideally, we would get our daily dose of Vitamin D from 10 to 30 minutes of uninterrupted sun exposure, but this is unrealistic for most. When life is busy, often the first thing we sacrifice is sleep.

Sleep or rather inadequate sleep quickly throws our body off balance. In a small study testing the impact of prolonged sleep restriction, participants that slept only 4 hours versus 10 or 12 hours experienced an increase in ghrelin, a hormone responsible for appetite regulation, alongside a decrease in leptin, a hormone responsible for communicating satiation. For many of us, 10 or 12 hours might be hard to achieve. Experience personalized medical care that gets to the root cause of your symptoms.

Our clinicians specialize in functional medicine and get to the root cause of your chronic health issues so you can finally feel better. Parsley Health Inc. Health Concerns. Hormones are the most potent chemical messengers in our bodies, telling your body what to do and when. Common causes of hormonal imbalance include:.

While the conditions below may be initially caused by hormonal imbalances, having the conditions can also lead to further hormonal imbalances:. Many causes of hormonal imbalance in women are related to reproductive hormones. Common causes include:. Begin by making an appointment with your doctor for a physical exam. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may suggest one or more diagnostic tests. You can also request that your doctor perform these tests. Your doctor will send a sample of your blood to a lab for testing.

Most hormones can be detected in the blood. A doctor can request a blood test to check your thyroid and your levels of estrogen , testosterone , and cortisol.

An ultrasound machine uses sound waves to look inside your body. Doctors may request an ultrasound to get images of the uterus , ovaries, testicles , thyroid , or pituitary gland. Home testing kits for menopause measure follicle-stimulating hormone FSH in your urine. FSH levels increase when you enter menopause. Levels also rise and fall during a normal menstrual cycle. Other factors, such as the use of hormonal birth control, can also affect your FSH levels.

Home testing kits typically use saliva or blood from the fingertip to measure your levels of cortisol, key thyroid hormones, and sex hormones such as progesterone and testosterone. Some tests may require a urine sample. These kits require you to send the sample off to a lab.

Your test results are usually available online within 5 to 9 business days. Some common treatment options are described below.

Be sure to discuss the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy HRT with your doctor. Using this local therapy treatment helps eliminate many of the risks associated with systemic estrogen, or estrogen that travels throughout the bloodstream to the appropriate organ.

Shop for estrogen cream online. Hormonal birth control can help regulate your menstrual cycles. Types of hormonal birth control include the:. It may also help improve acne and reduce extra hair on the face and body.

Androgens are male sex hormones that are present in both women and men.