5 Ways for All of Us to Work with Our Body’s Hormones

Posted byLisa at Micro of the MacroPosted inHealth & Well-BeingTags:, , , , , , ,

In my last post, I shared that I’d begun a Nutrition Certification Program.  Today, I’m excited to share with you some info on hormones from a recent module. 

Even if the morning sun is obscured by clouds, it still helps.

I knew hormones were important for good health, but never really understood just how important until now.  In case you’re unclear like I was, I’ll start with a definition: hormones are chemical messengers secreted in the body that travel through the blood, regulating tissue function.  They are produced by both our larger organs, like the kidneys, brain, stomach, and liver, as well as our smaller endocrine organs, like the thyroid, pineal gland, pancreas, hypothalamus, and adrenals.  All of us, regardless of sex or other differences, share the same hormones, found in different quantities.  There are more than 50 total, including estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, insulin, adrenaline, cortisol, human growth hormone, and oxytocin.

When our hormones are working in balance, health is optimal on all levels.  But that is seldom, if ever, the case.  This fragile system is hindered by lifestyle choices such as poor sleep, stress, & unhealthy foods, as well as chemicals (found in plastics, can linings, nonstick cookware, cosmetics, cleaning products, conventionally-grown food, tap water, & many other sources) called endocrine disruptor compounds. These hindrances can lead to abnormal functioning including cancer & other chronic diseases, infertility and birth defects, nutritional deficiencies, impaired immunity, anxiety, depression, and ever-present fatigue.

Making changes to our daily activities can help correct hormonal imbalances and avoid dire outcomes.  Below, I’ve listed some important changes for your consideration.

Izzy demonstrating sound sleep.

  1. Find ways to manage your stress, and practice daily.  Sing, write, spend time outside, snuggle with pets, meditate, do yoga, get a massage – whatever works best to chill you out.  Stress decreases insulin sensitivity and increases cortisol production, leading to diminished progesterone, a hormone which acts as a powerful antidepressant.
  1. Prepare for quality sleep.  Make your bedroom cool & dark, turn off screens an hour or two before bed, get out in the morning sun, go to bed & get up at the same time each day whenever possible, and minimize caffeine & alcohol.  Quality sleep helps stabilize stress-related cortisol and regulates the release of anxiety-reducing progesterone.
  1. Choose your body’s fuel carefully.  Limit or avoid processed foods, fast foods, and factory-farmed meat, eggs, and dairy.  Fast and processed foods are not real foods that aid in hormonal balance.  And the hormones used in factory farming have adverse effects on animals, including humans.  Choose organic whole foods like fiber-rich cruciferous veggies, healthy fats like nuts, avocado, chia, olives & coconut oil, and good proteins like organic tempeh, tofu, and pasture-raised meats, eggs, and dairy products. 
If you don’t love these crucifers, you haven’t had them prepared well.

  1. Avoid buying and using plastics whenever possible.  Switch out your plastic storage containers for glass.  If you purchase water, use large refillable glass or steel containers at a refill machine.  Don’t microwave your leftover take-out in its plastic container.  A compound called BPA found in plastics has been linked with diabetes, cancer, infertility, obesity, and heart disease.
  1. Use clean cosmetics, toiletries, and cleaning products.  When feasible, buy organic.  Otherwise, buy products with mostly natural ingredients.  A great way to check the cleanness of a product is by scanning its UPC code on an app called EWG Healthy Living.  (EWG stands for the Environmental Working Group, the same folks who bring us the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen each year.)  Over 85,000 chemicals are used in US products, the great majority of which are unregulated, meaning manufacturers can use them as they wish, regardless of the harm they cause our bodies.

I know, I know. The situation is overwhelming and we need to change almost everything. But our new chemically-laden world is dangerous to our ancient biology (as well as that of all forms of life); we must protect ourselves.  It is critical for us to adopt new ways of being in the world for the benefit of our health and longevity.  (You may have noticed, these changes benefit the planet, as well!)

Hormones are an intricate part of the workings of our entire body, and imbalances are common in our modern world.  Making efforts to correct them by managing stress, sleep, food intake, and otherwise limiting chemicals can help us avoid disease, feel better, and live longer.  

Blessings for Balance,

Lisa

The content of this article is for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified health care professional before acting on any information presented herein. Any statements about the possible health benefits of any subject discussed have not been evaluated by medical professionals or the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or illness.

55 thoughts on “5 Ways for All of Us to Work with Our Body’s Hormones”

  2. Pingback: 5 Ways for All of Us to Work with Our Body’s Hormones – Me and my life 😍🙏😊(ये मेरी ज़िन्दगी हैं)

    1. Hi, Sue, thanks for sharing your experience. Thyroid problems seem to be getting more and more common. My mom’s doctor found that her thyroid was not working years ago due to celiac’s disease. She is doing much better now that she doesn’t eat gluten (and takes medication, of course.) Glad you enjoyed the read! 🌞

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  5. Excellent advice, but there are times things beyond our control interfere — managing stress, for example. I love writing for my blog, but when the machinations of the internet won’t let me do what I want to do (or cause something I’m in the process of writing to disappear), I get more stressed, not less. Sometimes you can’t win for losing!

    excellent advice, but sometimes things

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    1. Speaking of the above, the partial sentence at the end is a perfect(?) example. I thought those words had had disappeared, so I started over again, only to now find them showing up where they’re not wanted!

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    2. Hi, mistermuse, funny that you mention this – just a day before publishing this post, I was having problems with adding photos and captions. I resolved to add a paragraph explaining the issue if I couldn’t do what was needed the next day. Avoiding the internet as much as possible is part of my stress management! Thanks for your visit. 🌞

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  7. Excellent post, Lisa. I smiled at the caption on your picture of brussel sprouts. I hated them my whole life, because my mother used to boil the crap out of them. When my daughter came home from college one Christmas, she roasted them in the oven with olive oil and garlic. Now I love them! The irony of my daughter getting ME to eat my veggies was not lost on me.

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      1. Lisa, thankfully our neighborhood was spared from the worst effects of Hilary. The heavy rainfall did bring new life to our garden 🙂 Now, we’re back to extreme heat warnings!

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  13. What an important post Lisa. I was unaware of the EWG but will check it out. It’s frightening the amount of chemicals that’s been placed in almost everything in society. Consumerism at its worst. The best we can do is eat a balanced diet (though I must admit I love my indulgences like red wine and chocolate) 😄and to get out in nature as much as we can. Thanks for the informative post Lisa. Your course sounds fabulous!

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    1. Hi, Miriam, thank you. Yes, chemicals are pervasive, and many of us don’t know enough about their effects to try to avoid them. And the US is the worst. Other places (not sure about Australia) have banned many concoctions still used freely here. Yes, my course is packed full of info that I love learning & sharing! Hope your weekend is fun & beautiful! 🌞

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  15. Thank you for posting all of this information with us. You are right…it is overwhelming! Still, every little bit helps, and if we start making small changes, it will add up. Increasing our awareness is so very important. Thank you!!! 🙂

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  18. Stress really is such a big killer. When asked what her secret was, one of the eldest women alive said it was because she’d never worked and didn’t feel the same amount of stress as those that usually do. She smoked for more years than most people will ever be alive but is still kicking after all this time – proof of how deadly stress can be.

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    1. That’s quite a testament to the destructive power of stress! I am still working to heal damage to my gut and hormones from 18 years of extremely stressful jobs & toxic relationships. Had I known then what I know now . . . Better late than never, right? Hope your week is blessed! ☀️

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