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Category Archive PMS

10 Signs You May Have a Hormone Imbalance

10 Signs You May Have a Hormone Imbalance

Hormones are like chemical messengers, and govern nearly every cellular action in our body.

While very important, our sex hormones like oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, are actually not essential for our survival.

They’re responsible for sexual functioning and fertility, as well as in more of a “beauty” capacity – keeping our skin, hair & nails vital and youthful looking.

On the other hand, stress hormones (like cortisol & epinephrine, also known as adrenaline) are critical to our survival because they synthesise proteins, maintain cellular electrolyte balance, regulate heartbeat and blood pressure, and transport glucose into our cells – essentially feeding our brain.

These hormones are so crucial, that in times of chronic stress, cortisol (the “hormone of stress”) will be made at the expense of sex hormones. No wonder we can start feeling whacked out at certain stages of life!

SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HORMONES STOP PLAYING WELL TOGETHER?

We can often experience a ripple effect, LIKE MOOD SWINGS, even when there’s a slight hiccup in hormone function.

Also, due to the fact that the interconnected nature of your endocrine system, one hormonal imbalance can lead to an additional one, causing multiple symptoms and overlapping health issues.

The 10 signs you may have a hormone imbalance

  1. Poor sleep – not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep
  2. Fatigue that’s not alleviated by sleep
  3. Night sweats and hot flashes
  4. Resistant excess weight and body fat, especially around the belly
  5. Low libido or sexual dysfunction
  6. Acne or other skin issues
  7. PMS symptoms
  8. Foggy thinking (brain fog!) and difficulty concentrating
  9. Mental health issues – depression and anxiety in particular
  10. Mood changes like irritability and anger

THE MAIN CAUSES OF HORMONAL IMBALANCES

While there are many causes, here are the most common ones that have been identified:

  • Age and stage of life
  • Chronic stress
  • Medications (e.g. the Pill)
  • Toxins and endocrine disruptors like xenoestrogens
  • Poor nutrition and lack of adequate key nutrients
  • Blood sugar regulation problems
  • Disrupted circadian rhythm
  • Chronic inflammation (e.g. leaky gut & digestive system inflammation)

SIMPLE WAYS TO SUPPORT AND REBALANCE YOUR HORMONES NATURALLY

Eat whole foods: processed, packaged foods offering little to no nutritive value will also offer little to no fuel for your hormones.

Be sure to eat fresh over packaged foods, including plenty of vegetables, fruits, and quality sources of free range and grass fed meats and eggs. Also, if tolerated – nuts, seeds, and legumes in moderation.

Grains and dairy may cause or exacerbate hormonal problems for some people.

Eat more good fats: Good fats are essential for hormonal health because sex hormones need fat as a building block – and your body can only use the ones you give it.

Opt for sources of good fats from whole foods, such as avocados, raw nuts & seeds, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, real butter or ghee (grass fed preferable), wild-caught salmon, and free range eggs – yes, you can eat the yolks!

Exercise daily: Working out on a regular basis, engaging in resistance (or strength) training, and incorporating a specific workout called HIIT (high intensity interval training) has been proven to be especially beneficial for keeping our bodies AND our hormones fit.

Better sleep: getting deeper, more restorative sleep can be the key to supporting your hormones, above all other measures (but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the other ones!)

Stress management & self-care: the truth is – stress can be devastating for hormonal health.

We need to equip ourselves to manage the stress and “business” of everyday life through the actions that bring back balance and wellbeing to our bodies AND our minds – like good nutrition, exercise and sleep!

Learn better coping mechanisms (like breathing techniques), practice mindfulness and be sure to engage in daily self-care.

References:

https://draxe.com/benefits-high-intensity-interval-training/
https://www.womenshealthnetwork.com/hormonalimbalance/what-is-hormonal-imbalance.aspx

Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash

Hormone-friendly Cho-Coco Fat Bombs Recipes

Ingredients:

½ cup almond or other nut butter, no sugar-added (if nut-sensitive, use sesame tahini or pumpkin seed butter)
½ cup virgin coconut oil
3tbsp raw cacao powder
stevia, xylitol or monk fruit to sweeten to taste
silicone candy mould or mini-muffin pan

Optional add-ins:

  • splash of real vanilla extract or vanilla powder
  • cinnamon or ginger
  • pinch of Himalayan pink salt or Celtic grey salt

Instructions:

  1. In a large pan melt the coconut oil and nut butter over low heat.
  2. Stir in cacao powder and desired sweetener.
  3. Remove from heat and add vanilla (+ other add-ins), if using.
  4. You may want to pour mixture into a “spouted” cup to make pouring easier.
  5. Pour mixture into silicone candy molds or mini-muffin pan (about 1 Tb of mixture)
  6. Put in freezer or fridge until set.
  7. Remove from molds and store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Be mindful that each fat bomb is considered a full serving of fat – great for curbing the appetite, satisfying a sweet tooth and supporting your hormones with the building blocks they need!

Magnesium – The Key Nutrient for Fatigue

Magnesium is one of those nutrients we don’t hear about too much, despite the fact that it’s one of the most abundant minerals in our bodies. Moreover, it’s the fourth most abundant mineral that we have! Magnesium – the key nutrient for fatigue helps you to have more energy, better sleep and less muscle cramps amongst many other health functions!

So what role does magnesium – the key nutrient for fatigue play?

Do we really need to be consuming magnesium or taking supplements?

Magnesium has many positive health effects including:

  • Supporting the adrenal glands in producing energy hormones.
  • Relaxing the bowel muscles and helps to ease constipation.
  • Helping to stop chocolate cravings.
  • Lowering our stress levels. In fact, magnesium is often referred to as the “relaxation mineral.” Serotonin, which is a natural mood stabiliser found mostly in our digestive system, requires magnesium for its production. Therefore, it is recommended that we take magnesium to help manage our stress, anxiety, and mood disorders. In turn, a magnesium deficiency can affect our stress level and emotional state.
  • Also magnesium helps you to sleep by relaxing your muscles and helping to produce melatonin.
  • Magnesium is used in hospitals and given to patients intravenously who are having heart palpitations – the magnesium helps slow down their heart rate.
  • Numerous chemical reactions in our body, including making DNA.
  • Helps maintain our brain function by relaying signals between our body and our brain. It prevents overstimulation of nerve cells, which could result in brain damage.
  • Regulate muscle contractions – it works opposite to calcium to help our muscles relax. Magnesium is commonly recommended for treating muscle cramps and also PMS.
  • Magnesium has also been linked to helping reduce the risk of many diseases, including arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. Several studies have shown that migraine headaches are associated with low levels of magnesium.

Despite magnesium being so abundant in our body, many people don’t get enough of it.

Some studies say that up to 68% of adults don’t get enough magnesium in accordance with the recommended daily intake (RDI).

So how much magnesium should we be consuming on a daily basis to keep our body functioning as it should?

Adult men should consume 420 mg/day, while adult women should consume 320 mg/day.

There could be consequences from consuming too much magnesium or not enough magnesium:

  • Too much magnesium can cause various symptoms, including diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, and irregular heartbeat. Therefore, you might not want to take a supplement that contains magnesium if you are already getting enough magnesium through your food and other sources.
  • A magnesium deficiency (called hypomagnesemia) could lead to various health conditions, including muscle twitches and cramps, osteoporosis, fatigue, high blood pressure, asthma, heart disease, and diabetes.

Now that we know the importance of magnesium, where do we find magnesium?

Good news! There are plenty of magnesium-rich natural food sources.

  • Pumpkin seeds (check out the recipe below for making Creamy Pumpkin Seed Butter)
  • Raw almonds and cashews (raw nuts are better than roasted nuts – roasted nuts lose magnesium during the roasting process)
  • Dark chocolate
  • Black beans, peas, and soybeans
  • Green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale)
  • Whole grains (oat bran)
  • Herbs (coriander, chives, dill, sage)

Magnesium can also be absorbed through the skin, so consider using a magnesium oil or lotion that contains magnesium.

But, clearly the easiest (and yummiest) way of getting in your daily magnesium – the key nutrient for fatigue, is to include plenty of food sources high in this multi-tasking mineral, such as creamy pumpkin seed butters!

RECIPE:

Creamy Pumpkin Seed Butter

Ingredients:

2 cups raw pumpkin seeds

1-2 tsp olive oil

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet.
  3. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden.
  4. Cool for 15-20 minutes.
  5. Put the pumpkin seeds in a food processor.
  6. Run the food processor for approximately 4-5 minutes, until the pumpkin seeds begin to have the texture of butter. If necessary, stop the food processor and scrape the sides.
  7. Continue running the food processor for another 2-5 minutes until the pumpkin seeds have the texture of butter. Next add some of the oil, as needed, until the desired consistency is obtained.
  8. Finally pour spoon the pumpkin seed butter into a glass jar and store in a cool, dry place.

REFERENCES:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-does-magnesium-do

http://www.magnesium.ca/

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Natural Remedies to Relieve PMS

When you have pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) you may have symptoms including mood swings, anxiety, depression, breast tenderness, migraines and cramps. You get these symptoms in the week leading up to the start of your period. You may feel very uncomfortable and find it difficult to go about your day to day activities. Below I talk about natural remedies to relieve PMS.

Many women’s period cycles are in time with the 28 day cycles of the moon.

Here are my natural remedies to relieve PMS and the 4 types of PMS:

  • PMS A (Anxiety) – you may get anxiety, tension, anger and irritability with this type of PMS. It is the most common type of PMS.
  • PMS D (Depresssion) – people with this type of PMS get severe depression, tearfulness and withdrawal that can affect their everyday live. They may even feel suicidal. It is caused by low levels of the hormone progesterone and high levels of oestrogen. You need to eat more phytoestrogen containing foods such a flaxseed/linseed and fermented soya. When you eat phytoestrogens, these food block the oestrogen receptor sites in the body causing a weaker oestrogen effect.
  • PMS H (Hyperhydration) – you may get water retention, swelling, bloating, weight gain and breast tenderness with this hydration type of PMS. You need to avoid eating too much salt which increases the swelling.
  • PMS C (Cravings) – you can get strong cravings for sugar snacks and chocolate with this type of PMS. Also you may get blood sugar imbalance, headaches and fatigue.

Most women experience a different type of PMS before each period.

Natural remedies to relieve PMS including herbs:

  • Agnus castus – when you take this herb it stimulates your pituitary gland to balance the secretions of all of your hormones. It is very effective for relieving PMS and needs to taking everyday for 3 months.
  • Black cohosh – taking this herb can relieve symptoms of PMS A including anxiety and tension as well as headaches and migraines.
  • Milk thistle – helps to support your liver in detoxifying excess oestrogen and other hormones.

Caution – do not take these herbs if you are on the pill, on HRT or pregnant.

Furthermore if you would like to learn more nutrition tips for relieving PMS, contact Kate on 07562 868342 for a free 15 minute consultation!

 

Copyright: andreypopov / 123RF Stock Photo