Hormones are all about communication and they play a vital role in the health of our body. ‘Sex hormones’ don’t just give us our male or female characteristics, they also influence many other things including mood, bone health and immunity.
Issues such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), acne and hair in unusual places can occur when we have an imbalance.
Hormones also influence our metabolism, libido, weight and even the way we handle stress. Given their importance, it pays to ensure that we utilise our diet and lifestyle to support them for optimal health and vitality.
Stress
In general, stress is the biggest alterable factor affecting hormonal health and the reason why we need to make stress reduction a priority. Find what works for you, be it dancing, walking, mindfulness, exercise. Two very effective natural therapies that can help reduce stress are Herbal medicine and Acupuncture.
Cortisol is a particularly influential stress hormone. When stress levels and cortisol are in a good balance, the rest of our hormones are often harmonious too.
Naturopathic nutrition is focused on a good general diet which is based on sticking as close to nature as possible, using organic whole foods and leaving processed and ‘artificial’ foods on the shelf. Here are some further nutritional tips to balance cortisol:
- Avoid consuming excessive sugar; favour a diet with a low GL (glycaemic load) and keep the sweet treats to a minimum. There are plenty of online tools to help you choose low GL foods
- Take probiotic and pre/probiotic foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, miso, yoghurt
- Get plenty of soluble fibre from foods such as oats and artichokes
- Drink plenty of filtered water and green tea
- Increase your magnesium intake. Magnesium is found in nuts and seeds, legumes, cooked spinach and other leafy greens. (The cooking process reduces the effect of oxalates and phytates which can reduce magnesium absorbability). Magnesium is known as the relaxation mineral, because it lessens muscle and nerve tension and promotes a feeling of calm, which is necessary for maintaining hormonal balance.
Sex hormones
In the world of hormones, an imbalance in our sex hormones, particularly oestrogen and progesterone, can lead to problems in both men and women. These two hormones work in concert with one another and the balance of the two influences us more than the effect of one hormone alone. It’s not just natural causes that we have to look to. Various modern-day pollutants act as ‘xeno-oestrogens’.
Xeno-oestrogens are endocrine disruptors, mimicking the effects of oestrogen and are implicated in various diseases including cancers of the breast, lung, pancreas and brain.
Insufficient progesterone is linked in women to difficulties with fertility, conception and anxiety. In men, many symptoms that also occur with lack of testosterone, such as muscle loss and erectile dysfunction are also linked to progesterone insufficiency. A major finding in clinic is that progesterone is too low in relation to oestrogen.
Fortunately there is a great deal that most of us are able to do to overcome some of the contributing factors, but it involves rethinking many aspects of everyday life and taking a completely fresh look at the products we use, as well as eat. Certain foods can go a long way to help normalise oestrogen levels, and there are a number of nutrients that have been found to support the natural production of progesterone.
For personalised advice, consult a Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist.
Attend an open event to find out how you could train to become a Nutritional Therapist.
By Naturopath, Gemma Hurditch
