Diet and lifestyle are key to supporting a healthy hormonal balance, which in turn plays a big role in how we look, think and feel.
Too often I hear stories from women who are at their wits’ end when it comes to their hormones. From the CEO who experiences uncomfortable hot flushes in the boardroom to the mum who feels out of control when it comes to her monthly mood swings, or the young professional whose menstrual cramps are so debilitating she’s forced to take time off work.
Not to mention the increasing percentage of the population who spend their days feeling tired but are then too wired to sleep well because of all of the stress hormones they’re churning out. Or those who feel their body is betraying them because their thyroid hormones are out of whack.
Hormones play an enormous role in how we look, think and feel, and when they’re out of balance it can feel like we have no control over our bodies. Our body doesn’t have a voice so it communicates to us through symptoms, which may be asking us to eat, drink, move, think, breathe, believe or perceive in a different way so as to better support our health.
Symptoms associated with our sex hormones can include menstrual cycle challenges (PMS/PMT, hot flushes, heavy and painful or irregular periods, breast tenderness, mood swings and/or food cravings), as well as symptoms of excessive stress hormone production, such as low energy and poor sleep quality. Not to mention thyroid challenges which, in the case of an underactive thyroid, can contribute to a whole host of symptoms including fatigue, brain fog, feeling unusually cold, inexplicable weight gain, sluggish bowels, menstrual irregularities and hair loss. Although medication can be necessary in some situations, there is also much that can be done from a dietary and lifestyle perspective to support healthy hormonal balance and improve quality of life.
The best place for us to start is often with the way we eat. Our bodies require nutrients to drive the biochemical reactions involved in producing our hormones. Nutrients are also needed for the biochemical reactions that change the structure of hormones so they can be eliminated or used for another purpose. While some hormonal imbalances may benefit from specific and targeted doses of nutrients in the form of supplementation, a diet that includes a wide variety of whole, unprocessed foods and making water your main drink can go a long way to ensuring your body is getting what it needs to function properly. When it comes to our health and hormones, nourishment really matters. So, what could you do today to offer your body that little bit of extra nourishment?
Dr Libby will be speaking in Christchurch in May. See her website for details.