How to Balance Hormones Naturally: A Comprehensive Guide

Hormones are chemical messengers that influence nearly every function in your body, from metabolism and energy levels to mood and reproductive health. When your hormones are out of balance, you might experience symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, mood swings, skin breakouts, low libido, infertility, and more.

Fortunately, there are natural ways to balance your hormones and restore harmony to your body. Here are some things you can do simply by making different choices in your lifestyle.

1. Understanding Hormones and Their Roles

What Are Hormones?

Hormones are powerful chemicals produced by glands in the endocrine system. They travel through the bloodstream, sending messages to organs and tissues, instructing them on how to function. Hormones regulate many bodily processes, including metabolism, growth, mood, and reproductive cycles.

Common Hormonal Imbalances

Some of the most common hormonal imbalances involve estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormones. These imbalances can result from various factors, including poor diet lacking nutrients (or issues with absorption/assimilation), chronic stress, lack of sleep, and environmental toxins. Understanding the roles of these hormones can help you take steps to maintain balance:

• Estrogen: Essential for reproductive health in women, but too much or too little can lead to issues like PMS, weight gain, and mood swings.

• Testosterone: Important for muscle mass, bone density, and libido in both men and women. Low levels can lead to fatigue and reduced muscle strength.

• Cortisol: Known as the "stress hormone," cortisol helps your body respond to stress. Chronic stress can lead to elevated cortisol levels, which may cause weight gain and anxiety.

• Insulin: Regulates blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance, often due to poor diet and lack of exercise, can lead to type 2 diabetes.

• Thyroid Hormones: Control metabolism. Imbalances can cause symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, and depression.

2. Diet and Nutrition

Importance of a Balanced Diet

Your diet (and nutrients getting to your cells, but more on that later) plays a crucial role in hormone production and regulation. Consuming a variety of nutrient-dense foods is crucial for hormone balance. Here's how to optimize your diet:

Foods to Include

• Healthy Fats: Fats are the building blocks of hormones. Include sources of healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, eggs, and fatty fish from the animal kingdom (if consumed) to support ideal hormone production.

• Fiber-Rich Foods: Fiber helps regulate insulin levels and supports digestive health, which is essential for hormone balance. Load up on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Avoid any and all processed cereals and anything coming out of a box to try to get fiber into your diet.

• Protein Sources: Quality protein is necessary for hormone synthesis and overall body function. Include lean meats, eggs, and plant-based proteins like beans and lentils in your diet.

• Superfoods: Incorporate hormone-balancing superfoods like maca root, flaxseeds, and turmeric. Maca root is known for its ability to support the endocrine system, while flaxseeds contain lignans that help regulate estrogen levels. Maca is easy to find nowadays in powder form and can be added to tonic blends (refer to our tonic recipes) or smoothies. 

Foods to Avoid

• Processed Foods: These foods are high in refined sugars and unhealthy, chemically-processed fats and oils, which disrupt hormone balance.

• Excessive Caffeine: Too much caffeine can increase cortisol levels, leading to stress and hormone imbalance. It’s best to avoid it together or stick with raw cacao if your system handles it well.

• Alcohol: Any amount of alcohol can affect liver function, which plays a role in hormone metabolism and stresses the pancreas. It’s best to avoid it altogether. If you do drink sometimes at social gatherings, etc., make sure to take our additive-free Activated Charcoal Capsules with you and take a few capsules with drinks. It will make a HUGE difference, and you will avoid hangovers and next-day regrets.

3. Exercise and Physical Activity

Benefits of Regular Exercise

Physical activity is one of the most effective ways to balance your hormones naturally. Exercise helps regulate insulin levels, reduces cortisol, and boosts mood-enhancing hormones like endorphins. Here’s how to tailor your exercise routine:

Recommended Types of Exercise

• Strength Training: Lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises can help boost testosterone levels, which is beneficial for both men and women.

• Yoga and Meditation: These practices help reduce stress and lower cortisol levels, promoting overall hormonal balance.

• Cardiovascular Exercise: Activities like running, swimming, or cycling improve heart health and support the regulation of insulin and other hormones.

Whatever forms of movement you choose, the best practice is staying active throughout the day while being gentle with yourself (especially for the female body) and choosing one strenuous activity to do 3-4 times a week. Thai means not sitting all day but making sure to get up every half an hour, even if your work calls for sitting at a desk. On the flipside, doing strenuous exercise every day or even multiple times a day is recognized as stress and can be counterproductive to the female body, especially for fertility and reproductive health. Men, stay strong and work those muscles often. Your hormones (and, most likely, your partners) will love it!

4. Stress Management

Impact of Stress on Hormones

Chronic stress is a major contributor to hormonal imbalances. When you're stressed, your body produces cortisol, which, if elevated for long periods, can lead to weight gain, insomnia, anxiety, malnutrition (due to lack of absorption due to gut issues from stress), and more.

Stress-Relief Techniques

• Mindfulness and Meditation: Practicing mindfulness can help you manage stress by keeping you grounded in the present moment, reducing cortisol levels.

• Breathing Exercises: Simple deep-breathing techniques can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which helps lower stress hormones.

• Adequate Sleep and Relaxation: Ensuring you get enough sleep is critical for hormone balance. Establish a relaxing bedtime routine to improve sleep quality.

5. Sleep and Rest

Importance of Sleep for Hormonal Health

Sleep is when your body repairs and regenerates, and it’s also when many hormones are regulated. Lack of sleep can disrupt the balance of hormones like melatonin (which regulates sleep), cortisol, and growth hormone.

Tips for Better Sleep

• Establish a Sleep Routine: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to regulate your body’s internal clock.

• Create a Restful Sleep Environment: Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Consider blackout curtains.

• Limit Screen Time Before Bed: The blue light emitted by phones, tablets, and computers can interfere with melatonin production. Try to avoid screens at least an hour before bedtime. The earlier the better. Try to also turn off LED lights and switch to amber or red lights in the evening (after “sunset”). You may also use blue-blocker glasses once it’s dark outside. They can be a valuable investment! If you DO need to be in brightly lit places, especially in the evening hours, wear long-sleeve shirts and cover as much of your skin as possible. There aren’t too many people who talk about this, but your skin has photo receptors, and exposing them to bright lights is the opposite of what you’d want to do, especially in evening hours. Planning a good night’s sleep and appropriate melatonin production starts in the morning hours. Plan your days accordingly.

6. Herbs and Supplements

Herbal Remedies for Hormonal Balance

Herbs can be a natural and effective way to support hormonal health. Some of the best herbs for hormone balance include:

• Adaptogenic Herbs: Adaptogens like Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, and Maca help the body adapt to stress and support the endocrine system.

• Herbal Teas: Chamomile tea can promote relaxation and improve sleep, while peppermint tea may help with digestion and hormonal balance.

Key Supplements

• Magnesium: Supports many functions, including the regulation of cortisol. The problem is, many people take some in the evening in hopes of getting better sleep, but they absorb none of it. But don’t worry, I have the answer! I take the famous Schizandu Reishi + Shilajit stirred in hot water and down it at about 8 pm. I sleep like a baby. There is NOTHING like it. Trust me. It’s one of those things you try once and will never go without. 

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Found in algae oil and flaxseed oil, these healthy fats are essential for hormone production. Of course, I’d recommend the Schizandu, petroleum-free version! Thai is where the fish get it from! 

• Vitamin D: Often called the "sunshine vitamin," Vitamin D is crucial for hormone health, particularly for the regulation of estrogen and testosterone. Get out there as soon as you can in the morning and expose your skin!

• Probiotics: A healthy gut is essential for hormone balance. Probiotics can support digestive health and help regulate hormones. No, not pills out of a bottle. Go with fermented foods and drinks. That is where they are at!

7. Detoxification

Role of Detox in Hormonal Health

Toxins in your environment and diet significantly disrupt hormone balance by interfering with hormone production and signaling. Detoxification and supporting your kidneys and liver in their work helps your body eliminate these toxins and maintain hormonal harmony much more effectively.

Natural Detox Methods

• Drinking Plenty of Water: Staying hydrated is essential for detoxification. Water helps flush out toxins from your body. BUT there is a caveat.” Commercial, processed water” does not get to the cells, so it does not hydrate your body. Make sure you drink as much structured water and juices as possible and/or, at the very least, add a flavorless, no-additive electrolyte to your water throughout the day.

• Incorporating Detoxifying Foods: Foods like leafy greens, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower) support your liver’s detoxification processes. They are best to eat cooked food if you have a hormonal imbalance/thyroid issues!

• Regular Exercise: Sweating through exercise can help eliminate toxins and support your body’s detox pathways.

• Detox with Activated Charcoal: Activated charcoal can help remove harmful substances from the digestive system, thereby supporting overall detoxification and helping to maintain hormonal balance.

• Shilajit + Fulvic Minerals is a crucial game-changer when it comes to detoxification while nourishing at the same time. 

8. Shilajit and Mineral Support

Shilajit and Hormonal Balance

REAL Shilajit is a natural substance formed from the decomposition of plant matter in the mountains over centuries. It contains a rich array of over 80+ minerals and compounds that support overall health, including hormonal balance.

Minerals in Shilajit

• Fulvic Acid: Enhances nutrient absorption and supports cellular function, which is crucial for maintaining hormonal balance.

• Iron: Essential for energy production and overall vitality.

• Calcium and Magnesium: Important for bone health and hormone regulation.

• Zinc: Supports immune function and helps regulate testosterone levels.

• Why does our shilajit work while taking many supplements don’t? Unfortunately, lab-made pills don’t get assimilated, and often you get no benefits. Our shilajit works on the mitochondria, on the cellular level, allowing your body to produce endless energy when needed and to have the greatest deep sleep when it’s time for rejuvenation. Quality sleep is ESSENTIAL for hormonal balance and even more so for fertility!

Benefits of Shilajit

• Supports Endocrine Function: The minerals in Shilajit help balance hormones by supporting gland function.

• Boosts Energy and Vitality: Helps combat fatigue and improves overall energy levels.

• Enhances Nutrient Absorption: Improves the body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients, which supports overall hormonal health.

• Supports Deep Rejuvenative Sleep.

9. Lifestyle Changes

Minimizing Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals found in many household products that can interfere with hormone function. These disruptors are found in plastics, cosmetics, perfumes, most cleaning products, cooking dishes and utensils, and most clothing!

• Avoid Plastics: Use glass or stainless steel containers instead of plastic, especially for food storage.

• Choose Natural Products: Opt for natural or organic personal care and cleaning products to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals.

• Clothing and bedding: whenever possible, wear organic cotton, linen, and other 100% natural textiles. The same goes for bed sheets.

Healthy Habits

• Consistent Routine: Maintaining a consistent daily routine helps regulate your body’s natural rhythms, including hormone production.

• Limit Alcohol and Quit Smoking: Both alcohol and smoking can negatively affect hormone balance, so it’s best to limit or avoid these habits.

10. Monitoring and Testing

When to Seek Expert Help

While natural methods can significantly improve hormone balance, it’s essential to know when to seek professional help. If you’re experiencing severe symptoms or if lifestyle changes aren’t making a difference, consult a trusted health advisor.

Tests to Consider

• Hormone Panels: A comprehensive hormone panel can provide insights into your hormone levels and help identify imbalances.

• Thyroid Function Tests: If you’re experiencing symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, or depression, it may be wise to check your thyroid function.

• Cortisol Levels: Testing cortisol levels can help determine if stress overload is impacting your hormonal health.

Conclusion

Achieving hormonal balance naturally is possible with the right diet, lifestyle changes, and self-care practices. By focusing on nourishing your body, managing stress, and supporting your endocrine system, you can restore hormonal harmony and improve your overall health. Start incorporating these natural strategies today and monitor your progress over time. Remember, small, consistent changes can lead to significant improvements in your hormonal health.