8 Natural Solutions for Hormonal Imbalance in Females:
1. Diet
Eating a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats can help to balance hormones. It is also important to avoid processed foods, sugar, and caffeine.
While it’s ok to have a varied diet, we ask for an 80:20 balance. That can look like Monday to Friday sticking to a healthy regime and relaxing at social outings or weekends.
For some women, limiting caffeine can assist with reducing PMS. Also cutting back dairy can alleviate period pain. A diet with adequate protein, vegetables and fruits can assist with healthy progesterone levels, which can work wonders on most period concerns.
2. Exercise
Regular exercise can help to balance hormones by reducing stress and improving mood. Try to engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week. If you aren’t down for an intense gym workout, start with getting your steps up, ideally 10k per day. Build on that with some dedicated works outs. that could be swimming, yoga or pilates. The best way to incorporate exercise is to find something you love.
3. Stress management
Chronic stress can disrupt hormone balance, increasing cortisol and testosterone and reducing progesterone, This can lead to outbreaks of acne, spotting and painful periods. Our sex hormones are responsible for ovulation and cycles are dictated by what our sex hormones are up to.
Because of this, it’s important to find ways to manage stress. Activities like yoga, meditation, journaling, being in nature, talking to someone, and deep breathing can be helpful. When it comes to stress management it is best to have habits in place all the time, not just for when things get stressful.
5. Herbal supplements
As a Naturopath, I always recommend a mix of herbs to my clients working on hormonal imbalances. Certain herbs, such as maca, vitex, ashwagandha (Withania), and evening fish oil, have been shown to help balance women’s hormones.
6. Withania
Also known as “Withania somnifera” or “Ashwagandha”, is a herb commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine. While it is primarily known for its adaptogenic properties and its ability to help the body manage stress, it may also have some effect on female hormones.
Withania is well-known for its ability to reduce stress and improve overall well-being. Chronic stress can disrupt hormone balance, including female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. By helping the body manage stress, Withania may indirectly support women’s hormone balance.
7. Fish oil
Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil can potentially have positive effects on women’s hormones. While the exact mechanisms are not fully understood, there are several ways in which fish oil may contribute to hormonal balance in women. Here are some potential benefits:
- Regulation of the menstrual cycle
- Help alleviate symptoms associated with irregular periods, such as cramps and heavy bleeding.
- Reduction of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms
- Support for fertility: Omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in reproductive health.
8. Vitex
Vitex, also known as “chaste berry” or “Vitex agnus-castus”, is a herb that has been traditionally used to support women’s menstrual health. It is believed to have an effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis, which regulates hormone production and menstrual cycles in women. Vitex can help women by:
- Regulation of menstrual cycles
- Relief from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms: Vitex is often used to alleviate common symptoms of PMS
- Support for hormonal imbalance
- While fish oil, Withania and Vitex are immensely helpful for hormone balance. We know hormones are complex. It is by no means a one size fits all.
Herbs and nutrients can be immensely helpful but you need to know exactly what your hormones are doing before you start taking any herbs as you can make things worst. That’s why it’s best to work with a Naturopath specialised in women’s hormones and health.
When working with women a Naturopaths first step is to take a thorough case history and run some blood tests. While clients often say, ‘my last bloods tests, my Dr said everything is normal’, a Naturopath always finds answers in blood work as to why women are experiencing these hormonal imbalance symptoms.
If you are having issues with your cycles, or feeling like something is off with your hormones contact me or book a clarity call and we can investigate what is going on and create a custom plan to have you feeling your best self, life is too short for crappy periods.
