Hold on to your shorts! The following stats we are about to share about hormone health are astounding and will indeed blow not only your socks off but possibly even your shorts!

Are you ready?

• An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease. Up to 60% of them are unaware of their condition.
• In 2016, the US fertility rate fell to the lowest rate of reproduction since the CDC started keeping records in 1909.
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) affects one in 10 women of childbearing age.
• There are roughly 6,000 endocrine disorders that can be caused by hormones imbalance.

Now that the cat’s out of the bag, let’s talk about hormones and YOU!

Maybe you know that you have a hormone condition. Or perhaps, you have a sneaky feeling that you’re experiencing hormone imbalances.

Some of you may even have no clue what hormones are but have a gut instinct that something just isn’t right internally.

Just know that whatever you’re dealing with, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re among many. The good news is that you can start holistically healing your body and your hormones now with some simple practices.

Before we get to these powerful practices, let’s talk about what hormones are!

WHAT ARE HORMONES

Your body’s hormones and the glands that produce them play a significant role in physical and psychological well-being.

Their job is to regulate your body’s key activities including growth and development, regulating mood and metabolism, and reproduction — important to say the least!

Hormones are actually tiny chemical messengers that travel throughout your body to all of the organs and tissues inside.

Individual hormones play different roles, some start or stop a process, while others will continuously work over a long time to perform their specific jobs.

In order to do so, hormones have to work together and in unison. It’s important to note that while hormone-producing glands are referred to as a system, they are actually located all over the body.

Collectively, they act as a system because of their relationship with each other and the functions they simultaneously perform.

WHAT DO THEY AFFECT

Hormones affect everything – from birth through childhood, mood, sexual function, how we manage stress, sleep, and even how we break down and digest food. You can see why they’re so very important, and if even one is out of sync, a lot can go wrong!

However, by making an effort to heal them holistically, you can shift what symptoms you experience from hormone imbalances.

While nutrition and supplementation play a big role in balancing your hormones, implementing psychological and spiritual practices will help you begin to heal on a deep and emotional level.

We suggest that you work with a healthcare practitioner or a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach (CTNC) to create a personalized nutrition and supplementation plan for your healing.

Try the following practices to deepen your psychological and spiritual connection and skyrocket your healing!

BALANCE YOUR HORMONES WITH THESE SIMPLE PRACTICES

YOU ARE NOT A CRAZY PERSON

Healing hormone imbalance from a psychological standpoint is very important for your full recovery. Many experiencing hormones imbalances describe their emotions as being “out of control,” and they often feel “like a crazy person.”

Acknowledging these feelings without trying to change them is critical. Remember that these conditions are common and that you can overcome them!

Here are some powerful ways to psychologically support your hormones.

1. Begin improving personal relationships.
2. Resolve any conflict you might have in your life currently or any past conflicts that you have yet to resolve.
3. Make a list of positive ways to cope with your condition.
4. Use positive affirmations:
   • “I now take charge of my mind and my life.”
   • “I am a powerful, dynamite woman/man.”
   • “Every part of me functions perfectly.”
   • “I love me.”
5. Explore how this condition is affecting you by answering these questions:
   • What are these symptoms preventing me from doing?
   • What are these symptoms making me do?
6. Explore your past successful and unsuccessful approaches to hormone health.

GET CONNECTED

Connecting to something greater than yourself can be extremely helpful when you’re suffering from hormone imbalances. Love, support, connection, and understanding go a long way during this trying time.

Relationships with yourself, others, and the environment are key. If you have a spiritual practice you enjoy, turn up the volume on that practice during this time of healing.

Connecting spiritually through physical, communal, and environmental practices is important as your body heals.

Here are some simple ways to implement those kinds of practices!

1. Practice meditation or journaling to explore your feelings.
2. Spend time alone to better understand who you are and what you enjoy doing.
3. Begin a spiritual study on a topic of your choice and continue it daily for 10 minutes.
4. Develop a gratitude practice!
5. Support is key during this time, so ensure that you have a strong social network.
6. Reconnect to your family members and loved ones that you may have disconnected from in the past. Resolve differences and move forward in love.
7. Take a walk in nature as often as possible.
8. Reconnect or connect to a higher power, if you’re called to do so.

SUPPLEMENTS TO BALANCE HORMONES

While your mental and spiritual health are certainly contributing factors when it comes to your hormone health, it might also be helpful to incorporate the right supplements to help naturally balance your hormones.

1. Magnesium

This incredible co-factor participates in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. Some of the more important functions include transmission of nerve impulses, muscular activity, production of ATP (energy), temperature regulation, detoxification reactions, and calcium formation of healthy bones and teeth. If magnesium levels are low, PMS cramps and migraines due to smooth muscle contractions may arise or worsen. The RDA dose for magnesium is 400 mg per day and up to 1,500 mg per day for therapeutic doses.

2. Chasteberry (Vitex)

Chasteberry has been used for menstrual irregularities and PMS symptoms. By increasing pituitary sensitivity to produce more luteinizing hormone (LH), chasteberry can support normal progesterone levels. It also inhibits FSH, supports a normal menstrual cycle, increases prolactin levels in the second half of the menstrual cycle, and improves hormonal interactions and the balancing of hormones.

3. Omega-3s

If your client enjoys cold-water fish, nuts, and berries, encourage them to continue eating them – even upping their intake! These are a great source of omega-3s that fight inflammation, improve insulin resistance, protect against free radical damage, support weight loss, support the production of hormones, and help combat infertility. It is best to get omega-3 from food, but when not possible, take an omega-3 supplement

4. Evening Primrose Oil

Evening Primrose Oil is high in essential fatty acids, specifically omega-6 (GLA), which can be used to treat PMS and menopause symptoms.

5. Diindolylmethane (DIM)

If an individual is struggling with perimenopause, premenstrual syndrome, or an enlarged prostate gland, estrogen levels may be the culprit. DIM is a phytonutrient found in cruciferous vegetables that promotes estrogen metabolism and fat loss, supports prostate health, and helps maintain healthy skin, bones, and hormone balance, especially for estrogen dominant conditions. Cruciferous vegetables include: broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts, turnip, watercress, and radish.

6. Probiotics

A majority of the immune system is found in the gut, so if the digestive system is malfunctioning, a weak immune system and hormonal imbalances are often the result. The imbalances can also affect the thyroid gland and result in fatigue, joint pain, depression, and many more symptoms. So, how can probiotics help? They are the good bacteria that line the digestive tract, absorb nutrients and fight off invaders. Probiotics help produce B12, kick out the bad bacteria, create fighting enzymes, and secrete IgA and regulatory T-cells.

7. Inositol

Similar to a vitamin, inositol is found in plants, animals, and is also made in a lab. Inositol helps lower triglycerides, testosterone, insulin levels, and blood pressure. It also functions to promote ovulation, fertility, and egg production in women with PCOS.

8. Spearmint

Who would have thought that by keeping your breath minty fresh, you can also help reduce the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome? If you drink 2 to 3 cups of spearmint tea daily, you can reduce androgen levels, excessive body hair, and hirsutism. Spearmint has been shown to reduce testosterone levels, so start drinking that tea!

SENDING LOVE FOR YOUR HEALING

While these practices  and supplements are powerful and can aid in healing your hormones, we highly suggest you also seek out a healthcare professional or Health Coach to guide you along your journey.

At ITN, we offer a Certified Hormone Coach program for those looking to coach anyone suffering from hormone imbalances or to bring their focus directly to hormone healing!

Whether you’re looking to heal your own hormones, help others heal theirs, or a little bit of both, becoming a Certified Hormone Coach will be one of the most empowering things you ever do!

Are you interested in becoming a Certified Hormone Coach? Head here for more information on how you can begin your healing journey!

Comment below and tell us how you’re working to heal your hormones holistically.