How to balance hormones naturally
Still looking for natural ways to balance your hormones?
Getting the right balance usually means the difference in maintaining a healthy body, healthy mind and healthy weight.
Here’s another suggestion from Dr Axe to help you get that balance right:
“7. Reduce stress and get more sleep
Unless you get seven to eight hours of sleep every night, you’re doing your body no favors. A lack of sleep, or disturbing your natural circadian rhythm, can be one of the worst habits contributing to a hormone imbalance. How so? Because your hormones work on a schedule! Case in point: cortisol, the primary stress hormone, is regulated at midnight. Therefore, people who go to bed late never truly get a break from their sympathetic flight or fight stress response.
A lack of sleep, long-term use of corticosteroids and chronic stress are three of the biggest contributors to high cortisol levels. A report published in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism says, “Stress can lead to changes in the serum level of many hormones including glucocorticoids, catecholamines, growth hormone and prolactin.”*
Sleep helps keep stress hormones balanced, builds energy and allows the body to recover properly. Excessive stress and poor sleep are linked with higher levels of morning cortisol, decreased immunity, trouble with work performance, and a higher susceptibility to anxiety, weight gain and depression. To maximize hormone function, ideally try to get to bed by 10 o’clock pm, and stick with a regular sleep-wake cycle as much as possible. ”
