5 ways to Naturally Balance your Hormones

We all know a little something about hormones and how annoying they can be. Being "hormonal" can make you irritable, moody, sleepy, or even increase hunger. But aside from the annoying symptoms, hormonal imbalance is actually responsible for a number of ailments and conditions in the body. The good news is, there are natural ways to help maintain hormone balance to prevent or reduce any of these issues.

Hormones are very complicated and it took me years to fully understand exactly how they work . It's certainly not something that can be covered in one blog. But, the most important thing to know, is that they all work together synergistically in your body. And doing what you can to keep them balanced, will keep your body running at healthier more optimal levels. So here are 5 easy ways to help keep your hormones balanced naturally.

1. Eat your Fats!

Yes, you heard me. We need fats. There's a reason why low fat diets don't work. Aside from the fact that they are typically higher in carbs, they don't work because we actually need good fats to keep our hormones balanced. Essential fatty acids are just that, essential to the production of hormones. This doesn't give us a free pass to start frying our food... those aren't the kinds of fats we need. Good fats come from avocado, coconut oil, walnuts, flaxseeds, fatty fish like salmon, and 310 Nutrition's new MCT oils. Adding a little MCT oil to your coffee or used in your salad as a dressing gives you a healthy dose of good fats that can increase energy and speed up the metabolism. Like with anything, we don't want to go overboard with our fat intake but just a few servings per day is enough to help really keep those hormones in check.

2. Cut the Sugars and Refined Carbs.

Not only does sugar and refined carbs cause inflammation in the body, but they are also a cause of hormonal imbalance. When we take in too much sugar (or white flour carbs) it spikes our insulin and over time may promote insulin resistance. Our blood sugars also help to regular the rest of our hormones so it's important not consume large amounts of sugar causing big spikes. Restrict your sugar intake to a few pieces of fruit per day and only carbs that provide fiber for the best insulin regulation.

3. Keep your Gut Healthy.

The first two tips are an important part of keeping inflammation down in the body and in the gut. But, also adding probiotics is an important measure to take when maintaining good hormone balance and a strong immune system. Supplementing with 310 Nutrition's probiotics can help repair the gut lining, which will improve the production and regulation of key hormones.

4. Sleep and Stress Management.

Our emotions directly impact our hormones and vice versa. So when we are in a constant state of stress, that can affect our insulin and cortisol levels leading to bigger issues. Taking time out of our day to take a break and meditate for even 10 minutes, doing yoga, going for a quick walk outside, or anything else that relaxes you, is an important aspect of balancing our hormones. Sleep is also a critical factor since our cortisol regulates itself at night. It is recommended that we go to sleep before midnight and try to get around 7-8 hours for optimal regulation. Good sleep also helps to control stress and balanced stress levels equal balanced hormone levels.

5. And Finally, Exercise.

There's no way around it, we need movement. To decrease stress, increase our endorphins, and yes, balance those hormones. Even walking 30 minutes a day is a great way to help reduce insulin levels and potentially increase insulin sensitivity. But a combination of resistance training and aerobic training is best to help maintain the hormones that naturally start to decrease with age.

So there you have it, 5 ways to naturally help balance your hormones. A crucial aspect of wellbeing.