Are your Hormones to blame?
Lets get them back in balance
Period pain, PMS and irregular cycles are not normal. These things are your body‘s way of telling you that something is out of balance and the odds are that your hormones are to blame.
Stress, poor diet, overwork, over exercise and environmental toxins can all contribute to a hormonal shit storm. And we are not just talking PMS, in a lot of cases this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to reproductive health concerns. There is a growing occurrence of PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid issues, adrenal fatigue and unexplained infertility.
As an acupuncturist with a keen interest and background in women’s health I regularly treat the symptoms of these health conditions. In most cases the presenting symptoms can be varied and at times complicated, however they can mostly be treated successfully naturally or in conjunction with medical interventions. But it takes time, a multifaceted treatment approach, hard work and an appropriately qualified practitioner.
I’m a firm believer that we can’t expect the outcome to change unless we change our behaviours. It’s the small things that we do each day that impacts our health, not the sometimes things.
I could write a very long book on this subject, but today I just wanted to share with you my three top tips to kick start good hormonal health. And they are easy peasy!!
Diet
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel or make things complicated with your diet. Start by adding some more green vegetables from the cruciferous family into your diet (broccoli, spinach, collard greens, cabbage etc) or get a good greens powder. Also sprinkle some seeds on your salads or add them to smoothies – flaxseeds, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, hemp seeds etc. These foods help to support good hormonal balance.
Stress
Life is stressful, we can’t avoid it, the trick is to learn to manage our stress. Good hormonal balance comes from a happy and calm adrenal gland, so start by consciously winding down from your day with a solid evening routine – turn off the screens, read a good book, take a hot bath with epsom salts and lavender oil (yass!), do a yin yoga class, start a journal or gratitude diary or relax with a ten minute mediation before bed. Anything that gets you calm and breathing deeply will make a world of difference to your hormonal health and the bonus is a good night’s sleep!
Environmental toxins
They are the hidden villain when it comes to hormonal health. They can wreak havoc with your hormones, and this is very much and increasing issue in Womans health. Start by doing some simple swaps with your household cleaning products and personal care items. You don’t have to move to the country and grow an organic veggie garden, but you can start by making good choices when it comes to the products that you consume, put on your skin and breathe in every day. There are options for every budget, do your research, get interested in the ingredients in the products you use and limit chemicals where possible.
If you feel like you need further support in this area book in for a Chinese Medicine consultation, Acupuncture is amazing for hormonal balance, plus we can help with individualised diet and lifestyle advice and recommend supplements to get you back into balance.