Our hormones (and we’re talking about more than estrogen and testosterone, here) affect a variety of aspects of our lives. For example, hormone levels can make or break your appetite, weight, mood, and more.
There are many ways to manage your hormones naturally. Sometimes, hormone optimization is needed to best manage your symptoms of fluctuating hormones and provide you with an overall sense of wellness. Continue reading to learn more.
12 Ways to Naturally Manage Your Hormone Levels
Here is a list of 12 easy things you can do to promote optimal hormone levels:
1. Eat a Healthy Amount of Protein with Every Meal
For the best hormone health, protein should be a part of every meal you eat. Studies have shown that eating a proper amount of protein gives you a sense of fullness – so you don’t overeat – and helps increase your body’s metabolism and fat-burning processes. This is because protein decreases levels of what scientists call your “hunger hormone” (a hormone called ghrelin) and increases production of hormones that make you feel full after a meal.
2. Exercise Regularly
We all know that we should exercise regularly to stay fit and to improve our heart health. But did you know regular exercise also reduces insulin levels and increases insulin sensitivity?
By regulating your insulin levels through regular exercise, you decrease your chances of inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Regular exercise also helps keep your metabolism in check.
3. Say “No” to Sugar and Refined Carbs
Those on the Keto and Whole30 diets are onto something. Scientists say that reducing the amount of sugar and refined carbs you consume helps with hormone regulation.
Reducing your sugar consumption, including how much fructose you consume, helps to reduce your insulin levels, which decreases your risk of developing diabetes.
4. Manage Your Stress Level
Sometimes stress is unavoidable. But if you have a stressful life, you need to develop skills to manage your stress level.
Experiencing stress releases cortisol and adrenaline in your body. These hormones, when elevated, can lead to overeating, obesity (especially increased belly fat), high blood pressure, a rapid heart rate, and anxiety.
Experts agree you should spend 10 to 15 minutes a day on stress-relieving activities, such as deep breathing exercises or meditating.
5. Eat Healthy Fats
Not all fats are bad. Healthy fats, including medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), give us immediate energy and help reduce insulin resistance in diabetics, as well as people who are overweight or obese.
You can find MCTs in a variety of oils, including coconut oil, palm oil, and pure MCT oil.
6. Don’t Overeat or Undereat
It turns out that whether you overeat or undereat, either habit is bad for your hormones. You see, overeating increases your insulin levels, while under eating increases your cortisol levels. For balanced hormones, you should eat a proper amount of food, which should be at least 1,200 calories a day.
7. Sip Green Tea
If you’re looking for something healthy to drink, stock up on green tea!
Full of metabolism-boosting caffeine and an antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), green tea helps promote healthy insulin levels and insulin sensitivity levels.
8. Make Fatty Fish a Regular Part of Your Diet
Fatty fish are full of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for fighting inflammation. Consuming fatty fish regularly has also been linked to reducing your body’s stress hormone levels.
9. Sleep Well
Most of us want to get a good night’s rest, but there’s more reasons to do so than not wanting to be tired in the morning. Poor sleep habits have been linked to imbalances in a variety of hormones including insulin, cortisol, leptin, ghrelin, and the growth hormone. While we all occasionally pull late-nighters, they should be the exception, not the rule.
10. Don’t Drink Sugary Beverages
We’ve already talked about the importance of limiting your sugar intake. But did you know the worst way to consume sugar is through a beverage?
Beverages with added sugars have been linked to insulin resistance. This is especially true for adults or children who are overweight or obese. Instead of drinking sugary drinks, consume lots of water. And if you crave a bit of carbonation, consider sugar-free sparkling water.
11. Make Sure Your Diet is High in Fiber
There are lots of reasons to eat a diet that’s high in fiber, and regulating hormones is one of them. Eating a diet that’s high in fiber helps promote insulin sensitivity and also releases the hormones that give you a sense of fullness when you eat, helping you avoid overeating.
12. Eat Lots of Eggs
Eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can eat! People who eat eggs (including both the egg yolk and the egg white) have been shown to have better ghrelin and insulin levels and to consume fewer calories in the 24 hours after they consume eggs.
How We Can Help Optimize Hormones When Healthy Habits Aren’t Enough
Sometimes, even practicing the above list of healthy habits isn’t enough to keep your hormone levels in check. That’s where we come in to help.
As a compounding pharmacy, we can create bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) solutions for you. The hormones in your BHRT may be testosterone, estrogen, or another hormone that is naturally imbalanced in your system. By having a custom-created prescription using bio-identical hormones, we’re able to provide you with a variety of benefits, including increased energy, better sleep, improved concentration and memory, and more.
Contact Us to Discuss BHRT
If you’re new to the concept of BHRT, we’re happy to discuss it with you and explain its benefits. Simply call us Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm at (985) 801-0800, or fill out our online contact form.