Hormones aren’t just the things that make women “crazy” as stereotypes would make you think. Hormones are chemical substances in your body that act as messengers that control and coordinate activities between bodily functions. Today there are over 30 known hormones, likely more.
There are many bodily functions that are influenced by hormones including growth, development, reproduction, puberty, differences between sexes, cell growth, heart rate, the speed that we burn calories, insulin secretion, metabolism of glucose, protein and fat, hydration, oxygen and blood flow, electrolyte balance, and many other functions of the body.
Here are some things that affect your hormones:
- Exercise (Affects leptin, which regulates energy & appetite. Also helps reduce cortisol and adrenaline)
- Sleep (Affects many hormones, especially ones associated with digestion and appetite. Lack of sleep is associated with weight gain.)
- Diet (inflammatory foods can affect the absorption of nutrients in the gut and impact hormonal function) and getting enough essential minerals, macros, nutrients, and vitamins
- Fasting (can affect ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel full, and dopamine levels)
- Stress management (too much stress can affect the ability to produce hormones and raises your cortisol levels)
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Eliminating things that disrupt your hormones: Stress, sugar, BPA plastics, xenoestrogens, aluminum, and heavy metals, coffee, poor sleep, dairy, alcohol, soy, nicotine, and GMO foods that contain Roundup.
We encourage you to consider your hormones when looking for ways to improve your health.
