Try to reduce the amount of coffee you drink, or opt for herbal teas instead. And then of course there’s the caffeine in sodas, beverages which have no beneficial elements and only leach vitamins and minerals from the body. While moderate amounts of coffee have their benefits, excessive caffeine can pummel your endocrine glands, particularly when your hormone levels are already out of balance due to pregnancy, a high-sugar diet, or stress. To increase the ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s in your diet, replace margarine and most vegetable oils with coconut oil, pure butter, olive oil and lard, while increasing your intake of high Omega-3 foods like fish, organic eggs, chia seeds, flax seeds and green leafy vegetables. When the body doesn’t get enough of these fatty acids, it has to rely on inferior polyunsaturated fats, which aren’t very stable and oxidize rapidly – resulting in the overproduction of pro-inflammatory hormones. In addition to taking in too many omega-6 fats and polyunsaturated seed oils, most people don’t consume enough healthy omega-3s and saturated fats, which are essential ingredients for optimal hormone production and cellular metabolism. Many unsaturated vegetable oils (including canola, peanut and soybean oil), which became extremely popular in American cooking during the second half of the 20th century, are loaded with omega-6s. Most modern diets are high in polyunsaturated and omega-6 fats, which in excess can cause the body to overproduce inflammatory stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. The fiber in these natural carbohydrate sources helps offset blood sugar fluctuations, and seasoning them with ginger and cinnamon helps to further slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream. In addition, instead of eating refined sugar and starches that cause insulin swings, stick to moderate amounts of natural carbs like fruit, starchy vegetables, and whole grains. Supplementing with probiotics is an extremely helpful therapy that restores digestive function by equalizing beneficial gut bacteria. In addition, the production of thyroid hormones that normalize metabolism is also closely connected to the digestive system. Over two-thirds of the human immune system resides in the digestive tract, where it dispatches messages to the endocrine glands in order to protect the body. Serotonin, which is responsible for feelings of alertness and well-being, is mostly synthesized in the digestive tract rather than in the brain. What a lot of people don’t realize is that many essential hormones and neurotransmitters are manufactured directly in the intestinal tract as a result of digestion, and if the gut is compromised these chemicals may be in short supply. Impaired digestion is often overlooked as a primary cause of hormonal imbalance.
So during moments of stress, intense worry, anger and fear, remember that these feelings directly affect your hormone levels and may eventually trigger more serious health problems. Our feelings and hormones are intimately related, so when we make an effort to stabilize one, the other is inevitably balanced as well. TCM treatments like acupuncture and massage also aid in balancing hormones, minimizing stress and increasing blood circulation. The key is to prevent stress associated with negative emotions from building up by working in practices like meditation, belly breathing, nature walks and daily exercise. These are just a few reasons why resolving negative emotional patterns is so very important for naturally balancing hormone levels. And chronic worrying and anxiety often lead to erratic levels of insulin, which in turn unbalances several other vital hormones. For example, the emotion of fear can cause the body to produce too much cortisol and adrenaline, and over time chronically elevated levels of these hormones wreak havoc on the body, particularly the kidneys, reproductive organs and adrenal glands.įeelings of impatience and unresolved resentment can damage the liver, which may result in unbalanced estrogen levels. Our emotional states have tremendous impacts on our hormone levels.