Hormones can affect everything! From our mood, our weight, our skin, and even our sex drive. But keeping them balanced can be hard. Imbalanced hormones can be influenced by dieting, stress, birth control, lifestyle factors, and anxiety, just to name a few! 

Before you keep reading/listening — make sure to GRAB THIS (free) GUIDE. I outline ALL the things I did to balance my hormones naturally, so that you can too!

Now back to the meat of this post 🙂

 

When trialing birth control during engagement, my hormones were thrown completely out of balance. I was moody. I was an emotional rollercoaster. My sex drive was almost nonexistent. My digestion was completely off with stomach issues constantly. And in the only words I could think of to describe it: “I didn’t feel like myself anymore”.

If you had a similar experience with birth control, or you simply think you could be experiencing imbalanced hormones for any other reason — keep listening. Because I’m about to go through the signs and symptoms of imbalanced hormones, why our hormonal health is important, and 10 Steps to Reset Your Hormones and feel alive again!

What results from birth control commonly and why?

I always want to explain a little of the science behind things, so here it is in a nutshell! But even if you don’t have the same BC story, you may still have imbalanced hormones for another reason.

The Endocrine System

Since we’re going to be talking hormones, let’s quickly talk about the endocrine system! The endocrine system is made up of a network of glands. These glands secrete hormones to regulate many bodily functions, including growth, metabolism, and tissue function, sexual reproduction, sleep, mood, etc. Endocrine diseases (over or under functioning thyroid, adrenal fatigue, etc.) are common and usually occur when glands produce an incorrect amount of hormones.

So, given all of that, we want to make sure that we have an endocrine system that is working well to avoid any imbalanced hormones!

Everything I talk about in this episode will be different ways that we can support our hormones and different glands within our bodies!

What are hormones?

They are chemical messengers that travel throughout the body coordinating complex processes like growth, metabolism, and fertility. They can influence the function of the immune system, and even alter behavior (ever cry for no reason during certain times of the month? Our hormones can really influence all body functions, so what are some signs that you may have some unhappy hormones that need a little extra love??

Hormonal Health — signs and symptoms of unhappy and imbalanced hormones?

First off: check this list to see if you should keep reading on to learn how to reset your hormones and make them happy again!

• Increased anxiety/depression/moodiness
• Low energy
• Fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping/staying asleep
• Excessive hunger
• Low libido
• Fertility issues
• Difficulty gaining or losing weight
• Brain fog
• Acne
• and more!

 

(don’t forget to grab your FREE GUIDE on my exact steps for balancing my hormones naturally right here!)

 

10 Steps to Reset Your Hormones and Feel Alive Again

1. Fix Nutritional Deficiencies

When it comes to making sure you’re getting all the right macro and micronutrients, it can be tricky trying to balance out all the right nutrients. Imbalanced hormones can be due to a variety of nutritional deficiencies.

Vitamins B2, B6, and B12 are incredibly essential for proper nutrient metabolism and the body’s energy supply. Sometimes, it can be difficult to get these essential B vitamins if someone was on a completely plant-based diet- but it’s not impossible! Just make sure you’re getting in the proper amounts of your B complex.

Vitamins C and E are incredibly essential for our body’s antioxidant capabilities. Luckily, we usually get enough Vitamin C and E from our fruits and vegetables.  

Magnesium, selenium, zinc, and folate are also very important micronutrients and we must make sure to be getting sufficient amounts in our diet.  

Vitamin D levels may also drop after coming off the pill, so make sure to monitor those levels and be sure to get enough sunlight and maybe even some fish! 

The nutrients we find naturally in our foods always come first, but also consider the following supplements if you want to make sure you’re getting a sufficient amount of micronutrients in your diet:

Omega 3, B Complex, and Vitamin C to help balance estrogen.

• RD Recommendation: Super B, Omegagize, and Super C — all by Young Living!
• Consider a good mineral supplement with sufficient magnesium, zinc, and selenium ? Mineralessence by Young Living is what I’d recommend.
• Probiotics, antioxidants and phytonutrients are also really great to supplement. They include vitamin E, resveratrol, curcumin, n-actetyl cysteine, green tea, selenium.
• Probiotic Rec: Life 9 (find more info here)
• Antioxidant Rec: Rec: Ningxia Juice (find more info here)

2. Balance Your Blood Sugar

Blood sugar spikes and drops not only lead to fatigue and sugar cravings, but a multitude of others things as it contributes to imbalanced hormones.

Be sure to always be including the FreshFitnFIVE concept for each meal, morning smoothie, and snack to balance blood sugar. Remember, the FreshFitnFive includes protein, healthy fats, smart carbs, fiber, and a boost for flavor. Stick to this magical recipe, and your blood sugar will balance out. 

Healthy fats help normalize our blood sugar levels too, which therefore helps increase our metabolism while maintaining stable cortisol levels! Nothing is worse than a spike of cortisol when you don’t need it!! Make sure you’re getting those healthy fats mostly from your diet. 

Not going too long without eating is also crucial to balance out those blood sugar levels, as well as avoiding any under or over eating. 

• For balancing blood sugar, I really recommend the Omegagize supplement. 

3. Think About Giving Up Dairy

Dairy often times contain hormones that can directly influence our mood and feelings. Often times, dairy milk contains estrogen from the female cow which can throw off our estrogen levels. Increased estrogen levels can lead to reduced fertility and even some cancers. Dairy can also lead to bloating and water retention in our bodies.

Instead of whole milk, try replacing some of your dairy milk with nut milks! I love cashew milk, almond milk, oat milk, and macadamia nut milk! Believe it or not, some of these milks are even creamier and more delicious that traditional dairy milk. Nut milks also tend to be lower in fat and calories than dairy milk.

4. Restore Gut Microbiome

A healthy gut flora contains bacteria with genes that break down and eliminate estrogen. Our immune system is directly influenced by our gut microbiome, so it is incredibly essential to keep it healthy and active. 

Eating pre- and probiotic rich foods, taking a high-quality probiotic that contains at least ten billion CFUs from a variety of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium species, and eating plenty of fiber will aid you in restoring your gut microbiome and create much healthier digestion. 

Food sources: see this post on gut health here

• RD Supplement I recommend: Life 9 probiotic and Digest & Cleanse for extra support to clean things out.

5. Empower Liver to Clear Excess Estrogen

The liver is in charge of processing and packaging used hormones so they can be eliminated from the body. If the liver isn’t working properly, there can be a number of hormonal and mood problems in our lives. Most of us are experiencing a combination of exposure overload from environmental toxins and insufficient intake of the nutrients our bodies need to keep liver detoxification functions in top form. 

The good news is that coffee and tea can really help to maintain a healthy liver! A healthy liver is also supported by foods such as nuts, fish, olive oil, blueberries, grapes, and cranberries.

• Supplements I recommend:
  • JuvaPower, JuvaCleanse, Cleansing Trio Kit
  • Others herbs to clear estrogen & support liver: Curcumin, DIM

6. Clean Out Toxins from Home

To help support your liver’s natural ability to detoxify, avoid environmental hormone exposure whenever possible by saying no to plastic food containers, BPA-lined cans, health and body care products that contain synthetic fragrances or other harsh chemicals, toxic household cleaners, dryer sheets and fragranced laundry soap, and non-organic food, for example.

There’s no hormonal upside to ongoing low-level exposure to common chemicals in your food, air, water, household cleaners, personal-care products and cosmetics. In fact, they interfere with optimal hormonal function. Make an effort to switch to the least toxic, most natural products possible to limit exposure to chemicals

• I started my more toxic-free journey by buying my oily starter kit, here’s some details one that right here. If you get your kit with me, I’ll walk you through balancing your hormones and give you all the support you need 1-1!
• I switched my candles for diffusers, and started using our chemical Free Cleaning Line, Thieves through young living!
• I also cleared out my makeup and body care/hair care products slowly over time — using our products from Young Living too.

7. POOP

Best way to rid out excess estrogen and other toxins? POOP daily. No one likes talking about poop, but as a registered dietitian, I know how crucial it is to make sure we’re going daily for optimum digestion and health. The nutrients from our foods get absorbed in our bodies after digestion, and whatever our body doesn’t need, along with any toxins gets excreted out of our bodies in our poop. 

Keep track of any bowel changes and habits, and notice if there are any imbalances when it comes to going number 2.

8. Add in Targeted Oils, Herbs & Supplements

To really help aid the healthiest hormone balance in your body, consider some of these supplements (again, not all of them, just start with a couple!): 

• OILS (start your oily journey fully here by buying a kit — I’ll lead you the rest of the way!)
  • Progessence Plus: Use this oil to balance out your progesterone levels, only if you’re NOT on birth control.
  • Sclaressence: Clary Sage, Peppermint, Sage, and Fennel. Supports a healthy glandular system and therefore a woman’s overall well being. This blend is also great to use for emotional support related to hormones, and even as a natural romance enhancer.
  • Lady Sclareol: This romantic blend not only has a seductive scent, but the oils contained in it have been used traditionally to support healthy skin—especially blemishes cause by raging hormones. Use it to energize and enhance your evening with your significant other. Wear some on your wrists or neck. This is a great oil to use to support a low libido that may be due to hormone imbalance.
  • Dragon Time: A blend of Fennel, Clary Sage, Marjoram, Lavender, Blue Yarrow, and Jasmine essential oils. Its sweet, herbaceous aroma can help promote feelings of stability and calm during cycles of moodiness.
  • Clary Sage: Helps to balance estrogen levels because it contains natural phytoestrogens. It can be used to regulate your menstrual cycle, relieve PMS symptoms, treat infertility and PCOS, and even reduce the chances of uterine and ovarian cancer. It also serves as a natural remedy for emotional imbalances, like depression and anxiety.
  • Fennel: Relax your body, improve your digestion and gut health, boost your metabolism and reduce inflammation. Fennel also supports regular menstruation cycles.
  • Sandalwood: Can be used to increase your libido, reduce stress, promote relaxation, boost mental clarity and even help you to relax.
• ADAPTOGENIC HERBS
  • Maca powder: acts on adrenal glands for healthy estrogen and testosterone
  • Rhodiola: helps decrease effects of stress, supports immune system, helps support healthy estrogen levels
  • Ashwagandha: hushes cortisol and gives a sense of deep calm, helps reduce inflammation, can also help with libido, sleep, memory, energy, and heavy bleeding during periods.
  • Cordyceps (mushroom): helps nourish adrenals and improve liver function + natural aphrodisiac
  • Licorice Root: increases energy, decreases inflammation
  • Reishi Mushroom

For Other Oils to consider in future

• Thyroid health and regulation, I highly recommend:
  • Endoflex Oil and Thyromin Supplement.
• Adrenal Health: 
  • The oils I recommend: En-R-Gee, Clove, Nutmeg, Rosemary

• The supplements I recommend:
  • Omegagize / Mindwise (our adrenals love healthy fats!)

 

9. Back to the Healthy Lifestyle Basics

For optimal hormone health, make sure you’re including healthy lifestyle choices constantly in your day-to-day life. This includes making sure you’re getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night for optimal energy and health.

Make sure to manage any stress that comes into your life effectively and in a healthy way. If you need help or some tips for managing stress, check out these Top 10 exercises for Stress Relief. 

Of course, exercising daily is another HUGE part of a healthy lifestyle. Find a workout or a physical activity that motivates you and is FUN, and stick to it! Whether it’s going to the gym, going on a run or a hike, swimming, doing yoga, or even just walking during your lunch break, it is so essential for you to move your body daily. 

Always try to limit processed foods, processed sugar and carbohydrates, and alcohol. I’m not saying these need to be avoided completely and taken out of your diet, but just be mindful of how much you’re consuming and how often. Limit intakes as much as you can. 

And of course, as I already mentioned, make sure to eat balanced FreshFitnFIVE meals.

10. Create Routines for Your Health

Do you have a healthy morning and night time routine that you stick to? Consider taking time today to create both a morning and nighttime routine that support the first 9 steps to healthy, balanced hormones above! Your morning and nighttime routine should help you feel energized, fulfilled, and ready to take on the day. 

If you want more tips on creating a healthy nighttime routine, check out this post on the 8 Steps to a Healthy Night Routine.

Or, check this one out on My Healthy Morning Routine. 

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ps: Don’t forget to grab your FREE GUIDE on my exact steps for balancing my hormones naturally right here!

Just ready to start your oily journey? Click here: www.freshfitnhealthy.com/buy-oils

Disclaimer—even though I’m a registered dietitian, I’m  not claiming that these oils/products can cure, heal, or treat any disease or condition. We always encourage you to run these things by your doctor when incorporating something new!