Hormones. The chemical messengers of the body. They’ll put you on a roller coaster of emotions and mess with your weight, food cravings, and sex drive. At times hormones can seem difficult to understand, and even harder to control. For some people, it's smooth sailing on the hormonal seas, but for others, it's a shipwreck at every high hormonal tide!

Hormones are something that we all have, and learning to manage them day-to-day is challenging (yet possible). Don't get caught in the tidal wave of a hormonal hurricane when you can stay even and balanced with a few tips.

New Health Kansas recommends the following 5 natural ways to help with balancing your hormones:

  1. Maintain a healthy weight. This is something that we all wish we could do, and all find ourselves wanting to do. Through healthy eating and a good exercise routine, everyone will find something that (eventually) works for them. Other than the fact that it is better on your body and your overall health to maintain a healthy weight, any excess fat tissue in your body can serve as an endocrine organ, eventually producing more estrogen in your body. When you are focused on maintaining a healthy weight, your body is not prompted to overproduce any certain hormones.
  2. Eat a fair amount of protein at every meal. There are a couple reasons as to why consuming protein at every meal is important for your health, as well as your hormone count. First of all, dietary protein contains specific amino acids, those in which your body cannot produce on it’s own. These amino acids must be consumed in order to maintain the use of your muscles, bones and skin. These specific proteins also release the hormones that control your appetite, which therefore control your food intake. Is it all adding up now?
  3. Learn to manage stress. This suggestion can easily be taken as a joke. How are we supposed to manage stress when we have kids running around, a job to manage, and so many other things on top of all that? Did you know that when you experience adrenaline, you are experiencing a hormone in action? This hormone is most commonly activate when we get wrapped up in our busy and overwhelming lives. Consider meditation or yoga, both of which are known stress relievers.
  4. Regular Physical Activity. Of course exercise was bound to be on this list, but not for the reasons people may think. Regular physical activity has been proven to reduce insulin levels while increasing insulin sensitivity. This means your body will need less insulin function at a healthy level. High insulin levels are dangerous and can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. But fortunately, even exercise as simple as going on a walk several times a week can significantly help control hormone levels.
  5. Get Enough Sleep. Both the amount and quality of your sleep are directly linked to your overall health. Those who consistently suffer from poor sleep have been shown to have imbalances in several different hormones including cortisol, insulin, and growth hormone. Aiming for at least 7 hours of sleep in which brain successfully completes 5 sleep cycles is the goal. Maybe it’s time to get that new mattress?

If you or someone you know needs medical help with regulating or replacing hormones, visit New Health Kansas for professional solutions and options. Contact us for an initial consultation today!