How to Promote Hormone Balance

Hormones, the biochemical messengers of the neuroendocrine system, play an essential role in immunity and metabolism. As you age, your body produces less hormones and an imbalance can arise, particularly in women. Hormone imbalance can lead to an array of health problems including infertility, heart disease and some cancers. Many factors affect the hormone production in your body. Simple diet and lifestyle techniques can be implemented to promote hormone balance and overall well-being.

Instructions

• 1

  Reduce your cortisol levels. Cortisol, the stress hormone, triggers the production of other hormones to rid your body of it, potentially resulting in hormone imbalance. Ways to reduce stress include adopting a relaxation technique such as meditation, getting enough sleep and exercising regularly.

• 2

  Exercising regularly is not only a great way to combat stress and reduce cortisol levels, it also is essential in stimulating the production of other important hormones. However, overexercising can lead to low cholesterol levels and a diminished production of steroidal hormones.

• 3

  Adopt a healthy diet. Diets rich in processed foods can lead to hormone imbalance. Similarly, eating too many refined sugars cause a spike in insulin levels that will likely lead to an imbalance. Diets should be rich in lean proteins, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables and slow energy-releasing complex carbohydrates to promote hormone balance. Dieting and starvation can result in hormone imbalance. Conditions such as anorexia can have dramatic effects on your hormone production.

• 4

  Undertake hormone treatment. Following testing, your physician can determine the nature of your hormone imbalance and whether it necessitates treatment. Typical treatment methods consist of administering synthetic hormones into the body to promote balance and relieve symptoms.