Thanks for all the great health and wellness questions. The most common question I received was “how do I manage my hormonal health?” This question came from women of all different age groups so here are the my top recommendations to manage your hormones at any age.
Before I answer that I have to share this: I just can’t help myself!!!!
I hope everyone is enjoying these amazing sunsets we are having here in sunny San Diego. This is one of the benefits of the Santa Ana weather.
The down side is that the humidity plummets and if we can easily become dehydrated. Dehydration symptoms can show up in many forms.
Things like headaches, constipation, poor digestion, tight muscles, allergies, dry eyes, skin and lips etc. So drink more water than you usually do and aim for at least 64 ounces per day.
Ok then, now on to this weeks Blog Post. This question came from someone who was 14 weeks pregnant and from someone who wanted to know the best ways to manage peri-menopause. The key elements centered around, mood swings, feelings of melancholy, and fatigue.
Both ladies were experiencing hormonal shifts at very different times in their lives and were looking for ways to improve their hormonal health.
As I began to put together the suggestions for optimizing hormones and therefore optimizing the health of the future of the unborn child for the woman who is pregnant I realized that the recommendations are not that different for women who are going through peri-menipause. Both women where experiencing hormonal flections. Different but the same.
Before I list my suggestions for optimizing your hormones, I know that what I am suggesting is easier said than done. The things that have the biggest impact on our health are often the hardest to actually do consistently.
My Top 7 Recommendations to Manage your Hormones at any Age
Keep your Blood Sugar Stable.
Add a bunch of Veggies, and Green Leaves. Minerals from Veggies improve gut health and help modulate the stress response. Get plenty of protein ( if you need more info let me know I have a Free Booklet on the subject). Have good healthy fats and make sure you are hydrated. Keeping Blood Sugar stable is not only what you eat but when and how much. One of patients just completed the P21 program and the category that had the biggest improvement was Emotions. She felt happier and had more energy. Eating well has an impact on your mood.
You Need Good Digestion to Manage Your Hormones
A healthy gut means a healthy brain and a healthy immune system. A diverse diet full of colorful foods helps support the microbiome. A body under stress can not digest well.
Add a Nutrient Rich Smoothie
This is a great way to address both of the above suggestions. It will help add the colorful foods, protein, good fats and it it is easy on the digestive system. Yeah!! If you need recipe suggestion we have some great ones in the Free Booklet I mentioned above. Now this is important. Make sure you are using clean protein made from real organic foods with out additives in it.
Exercise
Consistency is key and it is important that you do not overtrain. More is not better, consistency is better. Overtraining increases the stress response while activities like Yoga, walking in nature, pilates etc etc increase blood flow. Exercise also increases Dopamine a neurotransmitter that makes us feel good. If done consistently activate the parasympathetic response and helps balance blood sugar. Moving your body provides a lot of bang for the buck. This is one thing that you must make time for and never ever stop.
Meditation and Mindset
If you are not already doing some sort of meditation, prayer or gratitude practice start with 10 minutes a day. Sit with closed eyes and just listen and watch the breath. The write down 5 things you are grateful for everyday. Put your mind in a state that is calm and appreciative. This is by far the hardest step for most of us. It is even more challenging in today’s world where we are bombarded with Media in all forms. It can generate a mindset of not enough of all the things…
Sleep
The body repairs at night. Not enough sleep is stressful and if you are tired chances of you doing all of the above are reduced.
Sunshine
Get out in Nature. Enjoy the air and the sunshine. In San Diego we have no excuses for not doing this at least twice a week.
Supplements
This step is last on my list because you should aim for taking steps in the above areas first. That being said my Top 5 supplement guide is a good place to start. This guide will help fill in the gaps and help improve our ability to handle all the toxins in our environment. For Pregnancy I would increase the B vitamins and they should be in the Methylated form. For Peri Menopause I would increase the adaptogen herbs to help modulate Adrenal Health. The Adrenals slowly take over from the ovaries as they shut down. If you have an overtaxed system from stressors then Peri Menopause can be rough.
Although everyone is different and some of you might need more support or have more complex issues that need to be addressed these 7 tips are the foundation for good hormonal health whether you are pregnant or at the other end of the journey. BTW guys this tips are good for you too.
A Daily Journal
Journaling on a daily basis is one of the things that has been helpful for me and keeps me on track. I highly recommend you do this if you are not already. I consider this a health habit.
Each day I record my healthy habits. I also write what I am grateful for, list my goals and my dreams for the future. It shows me where I have opportunities and what things I have done to continue my healthy life journey.
I hope you enjoyed this post on How to Manage your Hormones? I would love to know what you think and which tip was the one thing that resonated with you.
Have a healthy and happy week.
Dr Pi
