5 Simple Ways To Rebalance Your Hormones With Foods, Herbs and Lifestyle Therapies
Hormonal imbalances are all too common when addressing women’s health concerns.. PMS, fibroids, endometriosis, depression, low libido, infertility, and even hair loss can all be tied back, at least in part, to disruptions in hormone balance.
Yet, with everything we know about hormones today, most women I speak to are unaware that simple changes to their everyday diet and lifestyle choices can make a huge difference. You can take it one step further and introduce healing herbs that are specific to feminine health. Early research shows herbs like dong quai and black cohosh tend to balance estrogen for women, with mild, safe estrogenic or anti-estrogenic effects to match what the body needs.
1. Try a detox.
As an herbalist, I’ve found one of the fastest ways to ease hormonal concerns is to go on a short detox. A detox gives your body a necessary break from processed foods, added sugars, fatty dairy products and meats. This allows your hormones a chance to reset naturally. You only need to set aside a few days to a week. Long cleanses or very restrictive programs are counterproductive. To get started, stock up on fresh juices, herbal teas, and organic produce. Check out my Spring Cleanse or Brown Rice Cleanse for step-by-step guidance.
2. After your detox, focus on an organic, largely plant-based diet.
Every time you eat food grown with pesticides, you increase the workload of the liver, which is directly in charge of hormone metabolism. Even more concerning, more than 50 pesticide ingredients are identified as endocrine (hormone system) disruptors by the European Union. Choosing organic is one of the surest ways to avoid chemical toxins and genetically modified organisms (GMO’s), implicated in hormone driven cancers, fertility problems and elevated estrogen levels. Organic foods may be more expensive, but they are worth it in terms of your hormonal balance.
3. Get moderate exercise 3-4 times a week.
The importance of exercise on health cannot be understated. Regular, moderate exercise strengthens muscles, builds stamina, increases circulation, and reduces stress and anxiety. It helps the body process of excess hormones and hormone-disrupting chemicals in the body. Many hormone-related problems like PMS, mild anxiety, and low libido show dramatic improvement just through getting regular exercise.
4. De-stress with meditation and herbal remedies.
Chronic stress is a huge factor in hormonal problems. For women, chronic stress causes progesterone dips, potentially affecting fertility. It also boosts cortisol, linked to cardiovascular risks, and weight gain around the stomach. Meditation is an excellent tool you can use for daily relief of stress and anxiety. Consider an app like Calm or listen to guided meditations on your choice of streaming services. You can use herbs like ashwagandha, skullcap, and kava to calm the nerves and moderate the body’s stress response, too. I keep a bottle of Relax caps with these herbs on hand for stress relief.
5. Use hormone-specific herbal blends to rebalance.
The formula Female Harmony is my go-to for hormone support for pre-menopausal women. It’s especially helpful to reduce PMS symptoms like mood swings, bloating and fatigue that occur in the week before the menstrual cycle. For menopausal women, Estro G Balance is a formula to explore to ease hot flashes, moodiness and “brain fog” related to changing hormones.
Choose Your Health and Hormone Balance Will Follow
Each day, take steps to put your health and hormone balance first. Be mindful of the choices you make. Ask yourself if the foods you’re eating are really nourishing you? Are you getting regular exercise? Are your stress levels in check? If you’re in need of a reset, the 5 steps shared in this article offer a good foundation to address a hormone challenge naturally.
