Balance Is The Key
Written By Kim Deschamps | November 23, 2022
We’ve been talking a lot about the link between a healthy gut and balanced hormones. If you haven’t been reading along this month, the short version is that our digestive system – or gut – plays a critical role in hormonal health. Levels of serotonin, thyroid, cholesterol and so many other hormones we need to regulate our mental and physical health are dependent on a happy microbiome.
Regulating hormones through a good balance of bacteria in the gut can yield great rewards when it comes to overall wellness - and the opposite is also true. A gut that has gotten off-track can wreak havoc on the body and the brain. So it’s important to pay attention to those “gut feelings.”
If you suspect that your hormones are off, start in the gut and try some of these strategies to get back in balance the natural way.
Sleep – Important in oh-so-many ways. Without good sleep habits, it’s easy for your hormones to become unbalanced and for cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, to rise. Attend to your sleep cycle by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day; limiting screen time before bed; and don’t eat after dinner so that your body isn’t busy digesting when it should resting!
Exercise – Building movement into your daily routine yields a ridiculously high number of health benefits. Among them is better gut and hormone health. From stimulating your lymphatic system and keeping your blood sugar levels stable to promoting regular bowel movements, it seems like exercise does it all. Hormones like cortisol, insulin, thyroid hormones, and estrogen all respond to physical activity.
Diet Do’s – For a healthy gut and balanced hormones, it’s critical to ensure your diet contains a diverse variety of nutrient-dense foods. That means lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, while grains, dairy products, and healthy proteins found in lean meats and fish. Sticking to whole foods as much as possible will load up your diet with the micronutrients your gut needs to keep your hormones on track.
Diet Don’ts – Relax, no one’s taking your morning coffee away. We promise! But too much caffeine can increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol, can impact estrogen levels, and might make it hard for some people to sleep. Alcohol is another habit that is fine in moderation but should be limited. It can disrupt the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut and can also raise cortisol. Avoid processed foods and added sugars too!
Harmful Chemicals – It’s not just what you put in your body. What you put on your body and the environment around you can impact your hormone health. Hormone disruptors, also known as endocrine disruptors, are chemicals that can wreak havoc on what goes on in the gut microbiome. Look at your makeup and cleansing products, household cleaners, and packaging that your food comes in. Watch out for BPA’s, phthalates, parabens, lead, mercury, pesticides, and more – or just opt for organic or all-natural products whenever possible.
Our bodies are complex, and our hormone balance is intricately linked to our hormone health. If you need some professional advice to help sort it all out, talk to one of our team members in Naturopathic Medicine or Lifestyle Medicine – and get on your way to better balance.
Kim Deschamps
MPT, BKin, PYT, BDN