5 Lifestyle Factors that may be contributing to hormonal chaos
Our hormones are chemical messengers that regulate many things in the body from metabolism, our blood sugar, our menstrual cycle, our stress response, our immune function, energy, mood and more. But the environment in which our hormones are produced and act also play a significant role in how well these things happen. When we have gut bacterial imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction it can impact how we make our hormones and how those hormones can exert their function in the body. I know we love to blame our hormones for a lot of symptoms we feel as women, but the truth is the environment in which our hormones are functioning play a huge part in how we may feel.
Did you know your lifestyle can have a significant impact on your hormones? Let’s break down five factors that can impact your hormones, and how to access support around this.
Nutrition
Every time we eat, it’s a hormonal experience. Not only are the foods we eat the building blocks for hormone production (hello healthy fats), but our body makes a hormone called insulin in response to what we are eating. Insulin regulation has been linked to almost every system in the body including mental health, skin health, reproductive health and metabolic health. Arguably, that first meal of the day is one of the most important for setting the tone for insulin throughout the day. How many of you grab a bagel, muffin, bowl of cereal to quickly devour then head out the door? For a lot of people, breakfast is loaded with simple carbohydrates without protein, fat, and fiber to help support what that insulin response looks like. The same can be true if we are overly sensitive to insulin, in this case what we’re eating is driving our blood sugar down below normal range. This creates a stress response in the body, and again, sets us up for a blood sugar and insulin roller coaster throughout the day leaving us tired, hangry, headachey, etc. Eating in a way to support stable insulin and blood sugar levels is a foundational aspect for creating happy hormones.
Stress
It Is without question that all have some level of stress in our day to day lives. Acute short-term stress is not necessarily a bad thing! However, for a lot of there is chronic exposure to stressors throughout the day. Our nervous system is incredibly intelligent, and its number one job it to keep us alive based on how it is perceiving our environment. While we always want to consider internal stressors – gut bacterial imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, blood sugar dysregulation, etc. we also want to be able to have things in our day to day that can help to manage the mental emotional stress. Although we may not always be able to control what that source of stress is, we do have the ability to change our perception of that stressor and how our body manages it. Incorporating moments of mindfulness, silence or breaks, movement, and breathing can also be incredible tools to help support our nervous system out of fight or flight. When we’re being bathed in adrenaline and noradrenaline, we can become over stimulated, lose focus, and have the inability to do the things we know can be helpful in those moments of stress. That’s where certain supplements and herbs can also be helpful to lessen the intensity in how our nervous system is reacting, so that we can utilize the tools we know to be helpful to manage our stress.
Movement
Our hormonal harmony is extremely responsive to regular movement that feels good for our bodies. This doesn’t mean you have to sign up for a HIIT class five times a week, but it does mean that movement should be a part of your weekly routine. Movement helps to increase our insulin sensitivity, it can promote the release of endorphins (feel good chemicals), and it can help to support healthy stress level hormones. For many, movement can feel like another thing on their to do list that they need to get done in the day. Movement can look different for every person, but no matter the type we can still reap the benefits of it. Ask yourself what type of movement feels good in your body, and honor that. It may be a workout class, it may be dancing in your kitchen, or it may be a walk and a coffee with a friend. Choose something that you enjoy versus something that feels like a chore.
Sleep
In today’s day and age, I see a lot of women prioritizing their to do list in the day, and skipping out on proper sleep at night. We cannot expect our bodies to function the way we would like them to without proper restorative sleep. Sleep is essential for regulating inflammation, insulin, cortisol, growth hormone, leptin and ghrelin (hunger and satiety hormones). Something I encourage we ask ourselves is how can we resource ourselves throughout the day, so that we can support proper sleep habits at night. I can guarantee the tiktoks and instagrams will still be there to scroll the next day, and your body will love you so much more for closing your eyes versus scrolling on your phone. Want to go to sleep, but can’t? This is where we want to look at those daytime stressors, the nervous system, and blood sugar regulation as that will also impact our ability to both stay asleep and fall asleep. In addition to supporting the nervous system and blood sugar balance, if you’re in the window of perimenopause or menopause we may consider additional hormonal support to support sleep.
Environmental Exposures
Did you know that every day we are exposed to endocrine disrupting chemicals in our environment? They can be found in our personal care products, our food containers, our household cleaners, candles, etc. Some of these chemicals interfere with how our hormonal signaling works in the body, either by mimicking, blocking or interfering with our body’s natural hormones creating havoc to this system. It’s impossible to avoid these chemicals altogether, but sometimes subtle shifts can help to reduce the amount of exposure we have to them. Some simple swaps can be avoiding handling paper receipts as they’re coated in a chemical called BPA, opting for glass over plastic containers at home, and avoiding synthetic candles or home air fresheners and opting for either an essential oil diffuser or a natural soy candle with essential oils.
Prioritizing these lifestyle factors can create a supportive environment for our hormones and optimize overall health. These are the foundations for health and we always want to make sure these are in place while we investigate deeper changes that may be impacting your hormones and how you feel.
