Hormonal imbalances have become a hot topic in the past few years as awareness has grown around how much hormones affect our health. These chemical messengers play an integral role in many important daily functions including our sleep, mood, metabolism, skin health, fertility and more. Given their profound impact, it's important to find ways to support proper hormonal balance.

While fertility is often the spotlight in discussions about hormones, their significance extends far beyond reproduction. Whether you want to conceive, find relief from menstrual discomfort, improve your skin health, or just sleep better, these tips are for you. We’re breaking down daily practices to support your hormonal health.

1. Manage Cortisol Levels & Adrenal Health

This may be one of the most challenging ways to balance your hormones but it's arguably the most important.

When your body is in a constant state of stress, your cortisol (adrenal hormones) work overtime attempting to keep up with your stress demands. It is essentially running out of battery, similar to when our devices are on low battery. When your adrenal glands aren’t functioning correctly (called adrenal insufficiency or adrenal fatigue) it puts other body processes on the back burner. 

Here are a few simple ways to keep your cortisol levels in check and manage the effect stress has on your body:

• Avoid high intensity training. High-intensity exercise can spike your cortisol, putting your body into a “flight or fight” response. If you're dealing with hormonal imbalance, try taking a break from excessive running, weight lifting, and crossfit-type workouts. You can opt for walking, yoga, pilates, and rebounding instead—jumping on a small trampoline you can keep in your room or office. These options still provide great exercise without disrupting your hormones. 

• Opt for quality salt. Salt is medicine for your adrenal glands and kidneys. Increase your intake of good quality salt to allow the adrenal glands to properly control your sodium-potassium levels, fluid balance, and blood pressure.
• Conventional table salt can damage the adrenal glands and kidneys. It contains dextrose (sugar) and other chemical stabilizers to keep the synthetic iodine from oxidizing. Other synthetic chemicals are added to make it free flowing and white.
• Look for sources of additive free, high quality salt. We recommend rotating your salts to ensure you get a variety. Here are a few we like:

1. Premier Research Pink Salt – can be used raw at the table or in cooking (no need to roast)*
2. Masu Sea Salt - most medicinal sea salt used in cooking – must roast for use at the table.  
3. Celtic Salt – typically available at Whole Foods – used in cooking – not raw at the table.
4. Colima Salt - use in cooking, roast for at the table use

*Note: Raw salt used at the table is hard on the kidneys. Salt is best used in cooking. But if salt at the table is desired, roast salt at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, cool, and store in a glass container for use at the table.

• Add in Vitamin C via diet or a high quality supplement. Vitamin C can help buffer the effects of stress on the body. Citrus fruits, potatoes, spinach, broccoli, red peppers, strawberries, and tomatoes are all naturally rich in Vitamin C. For more information on how to choose a quality supplement, check out Your Quick Guide to Vetting Dietary Supplements. 
  
  
• Prioritize self-care.  In our modern world, we often forget to let our bodies rest! Living in a constant state of stress and over-stimulation can lead to adrenal fatigue and exhaustion. Remember: self-care isn't selfish——it's a prerequisite for sustained well-being. By carving out time for relaxation and rejuvenation, you empower your hormones to function optimally. We expand this idea of prioritizing yourself in The Power of Slow for a Healthier Life with tangible ways to destress and achieve a better work/life balance.

2. Increase Intake of Quality/Healthy Fats

A great way to support your hormonal health is to incorporate more quality fats in your diet. Healthy fats like Omega-3s—found in foods like avocados, almonds, and fatty fish—can prevent cortisol levels from rising during stress by improving insulin sensitivity. 

Equally important, healthy animal fats help support hormonal health because they make up the structural building blocks for hormones like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol.

Choosing animal fats that are sourced only from organic, grass-feed, and grass-finished animals is of great importance. Toxins, like pesticides and added hormones, in our food can wreak havoc on our body’s daily functions.

Learn more on how we vet the quality of our food in Toss The Toxins in Your Pantry and Refrigerator. 

3. Limit Alcohol and Caffeine 

Alcohol and caffeine both have their time and place, but an excess of either can disrupt your hormonal health—especially if you are dealing with painful periods, fertility issues, or other possible hormonal symptoms.

Excessive alcohol consumption can impair the liver's ability to metabolize hormones effectively, leading to imbalances. Additionally, alcohol can interfere with the production of hormones such as insulin and cortisol, contributing to irregular blood sugar levels and increased stress.

Caffeine, a staple for many seeking a morning boost, can also disrupt hormones if consumed in excess. While moderate caffeine intake may provide a temporary energy surge, overconsumption can overstimulate the adrenal glands, leading to elevated cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol levels can disrupt sleep patterns, increase anxiety, and can affect reproductive hormones. 

Instead of relying on alcohol and caffeine for a quick fix, consider incorporating healthier alternatives into your routine. Swap that evening cocktail for a tea or a glass of sparkling water. Likewise, opt for decaffeinated beverages or explore caffeine-free alternatives to kickstart your day without disrupting your hormonal equilibrium.

4. Remove Toxic Household Products

According to EWG, people come into contact with over 500 synthetic chemicals daily in their homes. Commercial personal care products and cleaning products typically contain Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), which wreak as they mimic natural hormones in the body. They also block hormones from binding to cells, and because our hormones signal a reaction to the body, the message is not received or is confused. 

Learn more about where to find EDCs in How To Avoid Endocrine Disruptors in Your Daily Life 

All of this creates a low-level chemical soup that your family has to detoxify from 24/7, never allowing time to recover, rest or rejuvenate from the everyday exposures. 

The spectacular news is that the simple act of removal clears these endocrine disruptors from the body within a few days. The landmark Hermosa Study verified that in three days after removing personal care products with certain hormone disrupting ingredients from the homes of teenage girls, levels of hormone disruptors dropped 25-45%! When you Toss the Toxins throughout the home and diet, these levels drop even more dramatically.

This is why it is imperative to Toss the Toxins in your home. We always recommend starting with the biggest offenders—pesticides and cleaning/laundry products. By removing these harmful products, your home’s air quality will improve immediately. 

Make the Life-Changing Decision to Toss The Toxins

We just don’t realize how much products with harmful chemicals impact our mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing until we remove them. Tossing the toxins can be truly life-changing. These chemicals are undermining our health and immune systems—not just our hormones—hijacking the healing process and keeping us from our full potential.

Ready to create a healthy home for you and your hormones? Check out our Toss the Toxins Online Course! We share a step-by-step, room-by-room system of how to safeguard your health by removing all harmful chemicals. It’s well worth the effort and much easier than you’d think!