The experience of a hormonal imbalance may feel like a curse, but women are often left with no other choice but to deal with it. Even with the availability of treatment options like hormone replacement therapy, prescribed medications, and even changes in lifestyle, there is still a huge percentage of the general population suffering from its consequences. Lack of sex drive, persistent weight gain, unexplainable cravings, weird mood swings, and acne are just some of the most common unpleasant symptoms. If you are in that percentage of women who suffer from hormonal imbalances, the first step is to become aware and understand why this is happening. And second, it’s important to find the relief that will work best in individual cases.
Poor Diet
As they say, you are what you eat. If you choose to eat healthy, which may be a sacrifice for those who are used to eating junk, you will have a better state of health. On the other hand, if you maintain a poor diet, you are a more likely candidate for a variety of health problems; which will include hormonal imbalances. As recommended by experts in nutrition science, your diet needs to be rich in green and leafy vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and whole unprocessed foods to keep your hormones at a favorable level. If you are experiencing a hormonal horror show, one of the reasons would be the lack of fiber intake from your daily diet. Make sure to eat fibrous foods to allow the body to eliminate excess hormones.
Environmental Factors
Pollution is another common cause of hormonal imbalance among women. There are different toxins that get mixed in the air, which will have a negative impact in hormone secretion. If you live in a bustling metropolis, there is a higher likelihood that your endocrine system will suffer. Did you know that even your home can be a breeding ground of toxicity? Most families use five or more chemical laden cleaning products that contain a wealth of pollutants. Petrochemicals can be found in Styrofoam, cleaning agents, and even car exhaust. Chronic exposure to unnatural estrogens is one of the leading causes of endocrine issues. Environmental pollutants absorbed by the body, thrive in your receptor cells and inhibit the production of progesterone. This is why it’s so crucial to eliminate any toxic products in your home such as, Tide laundry detergent or Palmolive dish cleaner. Whether you inhale it or it touches your skin, it can get into your system.
Chronic Stress
If you feel stress because of work, raising a family, managing your business, or even with just the tiniest of things, there is a greater tendency to suffer from hormonal imbalances. Each time that you’re in a stressful situation, pregnenolone, which is essential in the production of female hormones, is diverted from its normal pathway, and throws off your hormone balance. If you’re currently in the menopausal stage, you might be more stressed from the thought of aging and that your children have their own lives and ready to leave the nest. Our feelings and thoughts also have a tremendous impact on all our bodily systems, including hormonal health.
Medications
There’s a good reason why a professional consultation is necessary before taking any medications – to make sure they won’t have an adverse effect on your body. Several studies have shown how medicine can be a cause of hormonal imbalances. A perfect example are birth control pills. Although they are commonly used by some to treat hormonal imbalances, there are instances where it has the opposite effect. Birth control pills can cause more problems rather than be the solution. Taking pills can cause an increase in the level of progesterone. Even in menopause a woman’s body still produces progesterone but to a lesser degree. Birth control pills stops your body from naturally producing its own. If you introduce a synthetic form of a hormone natural to the body, your body’s innate intelligence by design will stop producing it. Hormonal imbalance is also common for people who have suddenly stopped taking birth control pills after a prolonged use of such. It’s important to slowly ease off of any medication under the guidance of a medical professional you trust.
Aging
It’s a fact of life that you will age and that can be a hard pill to swallow for some. Of course, there are numerous positive actions one can take to slow the process and do it with style, grace and gusto like exercise, eat organic, start a new career, overhaul your wardrobe and get a new hairstyle. But the reality for some percentage of menopausal women is a body and hormones that feels like it’s gone way off course. Symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, weight gain, hair loss/thinning and insomnia become a part of everyday life. DHEA, which is considered to be a precursor to estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol, is linked to an imbalance in hormones as a result of aging. More so, once you enter your menopausal stage. The good news there are health supportive life style strategies you can take to reverse menopausal symptoms as previously mentioned like exercise, dietary changes and stress busting techniques. Genetics loads the gun but lifestyle pulls the trigger. Just because the women in your family history suffered from menopausal symptoms, doesn’t mean you have to.