Imagine a courier that travels all around a large, complex facility giving vital information exactly where it is needed right on time. Then the courier moves on to another area to deliver similar or wholly different information where it is needed … again and again and again … getting it right every time.
That’s a hormone.
We Need Hormones
Hormones are like little messengers that move around your bloodstream activating organs and tissues in certain ways to support the operation of your body’s important functions like stress management, metabolism, sexual activity, and reproduction.
What are Hormones?
There are five main hormones you should make sure are balanced and healthy; these five account for almost all hormone deficiency diagnoses. They are:
- CORTISOL
Manages stress and helps manage blood sugar - INSULIN
Manages blood sugar and helps turn sugar into energy - ESTROGEN
Manages reproductive health in addition to cognition and bone and cardiovascular health - TESTOSTERONE
Manages libido, bone mass, fat distribution, and production of red blood cells and sperm - PROGESTERONE
Manages reproductive health and supports healthy pregnancy
Hormone Imbalances
Diagnosing hormone imbalance requires a doctor’s help and can now be done by phone. More on that further down. But the symptoms are easy to recognize. Some of the symptoms can lead to other diagnoses though, so contact the doctor if you are having symptoms like:
- Persistent fatigue
- Loss of bone density
- Abnormal or asymmetrical fat distribution
- Reduction in muscle strength and mass
- Loss of facial and body hair
- Diminished red blood cell production
- Decreased sex drive
- Lower sperm production
Balance Hormones Naturally
There are plenty of things you can do to support your body’s natural ability to balance its hormones and options for when natural remedies aren’t enough. Some of the best solutions include:
GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Sleep is the single most important factor in balancing hormones. Some hormones operate primarily during sleep. But sleep continues affecting your hormone levels throughout the day.
LESS LIGHT AT NIGHT
Your body interprets light as daytime and activates hormones accordingly. In this way, looking at phone and television screens late at night can trick the body into daytime mode, interrupting the body’s circadian rhythm and canceling out the production of nighttime hormones.
REDUCE STRESS
The endocrine system is crucial to the production of hormones but is negatively affected by stress. Over-stressed people may not be able to produce sufficient hormones for extended times, leading to chronic symptoms.
PROTEIN AT EVERY MEAL
The amino acids required to produce healthy muscle, bone, and skin are not produced by the body and must be obtained through diet.
EXERCISE. EXERCISE. EXERCISE.
Physical exercise has a big impact on your hormonal balance. In addition to reducing insulin, exercise stimulates all aspects of your metabolism. Regular strenuous activity has been found to reduce insulin and to improve insulin sensitivity.
HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
Hormone replacement therapy has been seen to be safe and effective in treating insulin resistance, low testosterone, osteoporosis, and difficulty conceiving. Hormone replacement therapy requires diagnosis and prescription by a doctor and can now be done by phone.
All hormones play an integral part in your overall health and should be monitored and discussed with a doctor when needed.
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