10 Things I Do To Balance My Hormones

I’m on a never ending journey to figure out my hormones and get it under control! At 45, I’m fully in perimenopause and everything that comes with that. If you aren’t quite there yet or past this stage, you can still get lots of great info from this post that pertains to everyone!

[These are my personal experiences and we all need to be our own advocates and detectives in our health journeys! I highly recommend having your blood taken by your doctor or naturopath before supplementing for hormone support.]

10 Things I Do To Balance My Hormones

1) Use plant based cleaners. Traditional cleaners contain fragrances and chemicals that disrupt hormones. I realized that everything I was using in my home and on my body too could affect my hormones. This is what I use. (New customers can use code SHAREYL to get 10% off your first order.)

2) Use Progessence Plus. This serum made from essential oils and wild yams helps my body to naturally produce progesterone, a hormone that tends to be deficient during perimenopause. (I’m 45 and officially in this part of life.) Some things I was experiencing that are starting to get better after using this consistently: anxiety, night sweats, waking up in the night, bloating, PMS, heavy periods, irregular periods, sugar cravings, and weight gain. One thing I noticed that improved greatly is that my cycle that had been 21 days apart and very heavy for almost a year has now gone to 28 days and much more manageable. Read here to see if this could help you.

3) Eat raw carrots every day. Did you know that carrots contain a special fiber that binds to excess estrogen? Another fact about perimenopause is that estrogen levels tend to be high, so I am doing things to clear the excess estrogen. I shred 1-2 carrots every day before lunch, add 1T of apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and a little Italian seasoning. The vinegar helps to stabilize blood sugar as well and the fiber helps me feel fuller.

4) I quit caffeine. Caffeine on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning can cause cortisol levels to rise. Some signs of high cortisol are weight gain around the belly, anxiety, digestive issues, and sleep issues. I also had a panic attack in March and I noticed the caffeine was setting me over the edge in the mornings so I quit and didn’t look back. I love the routine of coffee though so I drink decaf. I honestly don’t miss it!

5) I use Thieves laundry soap and don’t use artificial fragrance in my laundry. Laundry soaps contain many fragrances and chemicals that are known to disrupt the endocrine system. Plus, the clothing, sheets, towels, etc are touching our bodies all day long. This was an easy, no brainer for me! And yes, plant based laundry soap works just as well!

6) I take DIM. DIM is a natural compound found in cruciferous vegetables, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts and more. This is the one I take. DIM has been shown to support the liver’s detoxification function and control estrogen metabolism to help balance hormones. Like I said before, I have high estrogen, so this helps to flush that out. DIM is not for everyone, if your estrogen isn’t high, then you won’t need it. Make sure to have those hormones tested before supplementing.

7) I stopped drinking alcohol. This choice came when I started taking a medication that recommended not drinking. I didn’t drink that much to begin with and realized it was an easy change that could help with empty calories and sleep, which in turn will support my hormone levels, especially my cortisol. I do enjoy a non alcoholic beer once in awhile, but overall I think this was good choice for me.

8) I keep my blood sugar stable. How is this connected to hormones? When cortisol is high because of stress, the body is in a constant flight or fight mode and cortisol is constantly obtaining glucose from the body. This can lead to high blood sugar levels. I am currently experimenting with the glucose hacks in this book to help with my cortisol levels and cravings. Follow her on Instagram and get her book for more in depth info.

9) Get my blood checked. My naturopath says to never supplement without bloodwork. It’s tempting to just try all the things we see others using, but the truth is that we are all different and may not need what others need. I know I’m low on progesterone, high in estrogen and cortisol because I was tested. This will also take out the guesswork and save you money!

10) I stopped high intensity workouts. I did Crossfit for 8 years and thrived on going all out every day. Well, my body did not like that so much. I still weight train (another very important thing to do as we age) and I walk or run weekly. I also do hot yoga to calm my nervous system and keep those cortisol levels down. The every day intense workouts were messing with my cortisol and my body was actually holding onto fat because it was in that fight or flight mode all the time.

Hopefully this list was helpful for you! This is a constant journey for me that is always changing so I will continue to update this post as I learn more!

What are you doing to help balance your hormones? Tell us in the comments!

XO

Sarah

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