7 Ways To Balance Our Hormones
Hi Everyone! Let's talk about hormones, PMS, pre-menopausal, and menopausal symptoms - and how we can ease them. As women, most of us can agree and relate that none of these are pleasant. And I know, because I’ve personally been through all of these! We can feel irritable, sluggish, moody, bloated and get an array of food cravings. While there is no cure for symptoms, my nutritional and exercise solutions may help. Give these a try if you are experiencing any of the above, and pass along to any friends going through these hormonal changes. Let's normalize talking about this stage - we are all in it together!
7 Suggestions To Keep Hormones In Balance
1. Keep a balanced diet. The keyword here is balanced! Eat complex carbs, a moderate amount of lean protein, legumes, and dairy. Try to have a good carb - like vegetables, whole grains or fruit - along with a protein at every meal!
2. Exercise regularly. Keeping your body fit and your mind right is so important at any age, but especially over 50. Exercise may decrease the not-so-fun symptoms: stress, moodiness and depression. The rise of endorphins (the body’s feel-good hormones) that happen when exercising is what helps. Also, regular cardio exercise helps to decrease fluid retention and reduce the risk of many conditions - especially as we age. Start your free trial of my EVER BETTER™ Plan if you aren't already a member, for all my exercise workouts!
3. Cut back on Alcohol. Drinking alcohol can impair the function of glands that release your hormones. Your blood sugar level can be disrupted when consuming alcohol by interfering with all three sources of glucose and and the hormones that regulate glucose level. Our bodies make several hormones that are necessary for bone health - these hormones can be altered when drinking too much alcohol and can cause calcium deficiency which eventually lead to much larger problems.
4. Limit caffeine. Too much caffeine can stress out your adrenal glands, which could lead to an increase in the production of cortisol - your bodies stress hormone. Try switching to caffeine-free tea or green tea, which has less caffeine and tends to not have the side effects of coffee.
5. Reduce sodium and salt in your diet. Sodium can cause you to retain fluid which leads to bloating, edema, and maybe even weight gain. Reducing sodium can ease these symptoms. I have a low-sodium balanced eating plan included in my 10-Week Plan, see if it's right for you.
6. Try a natural diuretic. Add just a splash of lemon juice in your water or some parsley to your morning smoothie. Both are natural diuretics and will help flush that unwanted fluid retention.
7. Eat more often. If you experience fatigue, dizziness or sometimes feel shaky during PMS or Pre-Menopause, you might have low blood sugar. Consider eating six mini-meals that are rich in complex carbs and protein and low in simple sugars, rather than the standard three meals a day.
Give these tips a try to help alleviate any symptoms you might have and balance your hormones - they helped me so much! Goodbye cramps, bloated tummies and poor sleep! And if you need some help putting together a balanced diet or some positive motivation to exercise regularly, join my EVER BETTER™ 10-Week Whole Body Plan. My goal is to help you learn how to eat right, get regular exercise, and stay motivated to keep it up!
Denise