Hormone Health Basics:
When our hormones are out of balance it can leave us feeling terrible. That’s because hormones regulate multiple physiological functions. Hormone Health is an important, complicated, and broad topic, so I will be dedicating multiple posts to the subject. In this post, I will cover the basics and talk about some signs & symptoms that your hormone health needs attention. In future posts, I will discuss some easy changes you can make in nutrition and lifestyle that may improve your hormone health & the quality of your life.
Hormones are chemical messenger molecules produced by the Endocrine System. They are responsible for regulating multiple physiological functions.
What are hormones & what is their function?
So what are hormones and why should we keep them in balance? Hormones are special molecules produced by the Endocrine System.** They are responsible for regulating multiple physiological functions. You can think of hormones as little chemical messengers sending signals all over the body. That’s why keeping them in balance is crucial for overall health, not just for sexual function and fertility.
** The Endocrine System Includes the following: Hypothalamus, Pituitary Gland, Thyroid Gland, the Parathyroid Glands, the Adrenal Glands, Pineal Gland, the Reproductive Glands, and Pancreas.
Can houseplants help balance hormones?
Learn more here
Not just for reproduction:
When we talk about “hormone health” most people are usually thinking about sex hormones, like estrogen and testosterone, produced by the reproductive organs, but those are just one example. Hormones don’t just regulate sexual development and function. They also regulate growth and metabolism (physical and chemical processes of the body). You may be familiar with insulin, made by the pancreas, which helps regulate blood sugar, or melatonin, produced in the pineal gland, which helps regulate sleep. We also have hormones that regulate appetite called ghrelin and leptin. They tell us when we’re hungry, or when we’ve had enough to eat. Hormones are involved in the stress response and can influence our mood as well as our ability to lose or gain weight. These are just a few examples of the functions of hormones in the body.
Hormones don’t just regulate sexual development and function. They also regulate growth and metabolism.
Hormones Impact Multiple Body Systems:
By now I’m sure you can see that hormones are critical to the proper functioning of multiple systems in the body. That’s why we suffer multiple symptoms when our hormones are out of balance. For instance, one can suffer from both mood, fertility, and skin health issues as a result of too much testosterone, or low energy and weight gain due to a sluggish thyroid. Chronic stress, poor diet, poor sleep hygiene, environmental toxicants, certain health conditions, and inactivity, or the wrong type of exercise, can all lead to hormonal imbalances. Keep reading to learn more about the most common signs that your hormones need attention.
Since hormones are responsible for multiple physiological functions, keeping them in balance is critical for overall health.
Signs that your hormone health may need attention:
- Anxiety, or Restlessness
- Fatigue, or Brain-Fog
- Unexplained Weight Gain or Weight Loss
- PMS, Cycle Irregularity, Low Libido, and/or Painful Periods
- Acne, or changes in skin and/or hair
- Insomnia, or sleep disturbances
- Digestive Issues
- Low-mood
This is not an exhaustive list. These symptoms may be the result of other conditions. If you are suffering from any of these symptoms I recommend speaking to a health care professional. Most of all, don’t worry, many people, such as myself, have had success in balancing their hormones through lifestyle & nutrition.
Sleep is key to hormone health. Read about the best ways to improve your sleep naturally here.
Eating a nutrient-dense diet that keeps your blood sugar balanced is one of the best ways to maintain hormone health. Find my Easy Step-by-Step Formula for building meals like a nutrition expert here.
Visit me on Pinterest for more information on how to support hormone health holistically with nutrition, lifestyle, and herbal medicine.
