Tips On Hormonal Health

Hormonal imbalance can cause mood disorder, fatigue, bloating, hair loss, palpitations, mood swings, headaches, trouble concentrating and infertility. The hormones that contribute to infertility are, luteinizing hormone follicle stimulating hormone, progesterone and prolactin.

Leaky Gut Syndrome

Leaky gut syndrome is an inflammatory condition that happens when the lining of the small intestine is damaged. The damage allows undigested food particles, microbes, toxins and other foreign particles to leak into the blood stream. This can lead to contaminated and toxic blood. It causes an imbalance in your gut bacteria and can lead to chronic inflammation and hormonal imbalances.

Home Remedies

There are various home remedies that may be able to correct some hormone imbalances. Please keep in mind that these recommendations are for overall women’s hormone health. If you are currently pregnant, talk to your doctor about hormone health and nutrition as this may be different during pregnancy.

• Coconut oil contains MCTs (medium chain triglycerides), also known as MCFA (medium chain fatty acids). The most notable MCTs in coconut oil are, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid. Coconut oil has been shown to heal leaky gut. Coconut oil is a good source of raw fat, which is needed by the adrenal glands, to produce hormones.
• The maca root is one of the rare plants that can be classified as an ‘herbal adaptogen’. It can potentially directly change the balance of your hormones to help you adapt to stress and fight illness. The recommended dose is 1 teaspoon for 6-12 wks. It comes in a powder, which can be added to a smoothie. Your body’s adaptive response triggers your hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This is a feedback loop that impacts areas of your brain like the hypothalamus, the pituitary and the adrenal glands. Its job is to pick up signals from your body and the environment around you and react. It affects stress hormones including adrenaline and cortisol. It also affects your kidney function, metabolism, digestion and mood. When it’s over-stimulated, you may suffer fluid retention, constant anxiety, stomach troubles, weight gain and lowered immunity. If you’re under chronic stress or suffer from anxiety, the adaptogen effects of maca can reduce some of that load. Unlike antidepressants medications, maca helps tone the HPA axis to support the body’s own production of numerous hormones, increasing or decreasing their levels according to what you individually need. This can minimize the unhealthy results that stress and anxiety have on your cardiovascular, respiratory, lymphatic, reproductive and nervous systems. Maca can help prevent you from getting stuck in the adrenal exhaustion stage.
• Licorice root can be beneficial if you have polycystic ovarian syndrome. Research reports that licorice root can help balance irregular ovarian follicles, and decrease ovarian cysts. Organic licorice tea can be easily purchased on Amazon.
•  Amazingly, just raw carrots can be beneficial. A salad, using carrots, was first created by Dr Ray Peat, who specialized in thyroid and hormone health. He has written many articles that cover a variety of topics based on his own research and experience. For a traditional raw carrot salad, you need 4 ingredients: Raw peeled carrots (not baby carrots), Vinegar, Salt and Coconut or MCT oil. Each of these ingredients serves a specific purpose. The raw carrot fibers bind to excess estrogen and endotoxin in the gut, and help eliminate it from the body. They also help to decrease constipation. Vinegar, usually apple cider vinegar, is antibacterial and anti-fungal, and helps to balance out the gut bacteria balance. Salt is added for additional mineral content. Coconut or MCT oil, is also both antibacterial and anti-fungal. When added to the carrots, it helps to sweep the intestinal tract and decrease bad bacteria and fungus. People have seen improvement in various problems such as, irregular cycles, painful periods, painful ovulation, melasma, acne, hormonal headaches, estrogen dominance, and fungal issues. It is recommended to eat a raw carrot or raw carrot salad daily for several months until symptoms improve. After that, you can continue to eat it daily, or several times weekly to continue seeing the benefits. The raw carrot salad has been life changing for many people who are able to go from horrible periods to minimal cramping and discomfort within a span of a couple months.

Eating Well

Nutritional intake and proper food choices are just as, if not more important, than herbal or dietary remedies to “fix” imbalances. While there are many diet plans out there, a simple rule of “eating well” is better than a “diet”. Eating well can mean consuming minimally processed whole foods, healthy fats, meats, seafood, veggies and some fruit. It is also important to limit sugar and caffeine intake and to stay well hydrated.