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| Ladies lifting, actually a great way to harness your hormones! |
Eat Healthy Fats (Including Coconut Oil and Avocados)
Eating a variety of foods high in short, medium and
long-chain fatty acids is key to keeping your hormones in check. Your body
needs various types of fats to create hormones, including saturated fat and
cholesterol. Not only are these essential fats fundamental building blocks for
hormone production, but also they keep inflammation levels
low, boost your metabolism and promote weight loss.
Balance Your Intake of Omega-3 to Omega-6 Fats
The use of refined vegetable oils and intake of omega-6
fatty acids in our diets have skyrocketed. Because people didn’t also boost
their intake of omega-3 foods during this time period, the result has
been drastically elevated omega-6 levels. Fish oils feature heavily in our gut and fat loss
programmes.
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| Sarah Gunn putting in cardio, could you experience her results? Click here for more info. |
Improve Gut Health & Heal Leaky Gut Syndrome
Leaky gut is a condition that not only affects your
digestive tract, but also causes hormone issues. Gut problems have been found
to trigger autoimmune reactions, including arthritis and thyroid disorders. So
what exactly is leaky gut syndrome?
When undigested food particles, like gluten for
example, leak through your gut into your bloodstream, it
causes disease-causing inflammation that impacts the entire body —
especially glands like the thyroid, which is very susceptible to heightened
inflammation. Most people with leaky gut have a deficiency of probiotics
in their guts.
Probiotics are healthy bacteria that can actually improve
your production and regulation of key hormones like insulin, and leptin.
Steer clear of the foods that can cause damage in your
digestive system most, including: processed foods, gluten, hydrogenated oils
and added sugar. The top foods and supplements that support healing leaky gut
include: bone broth, kefir, fermented vegetables, and high-fibre
foods like vegetables and sprouted seeds. In addition, supplements
like digestive enzymes and probiotics can aid in repairing your
gut lining, which in turn can balance your hormones.
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| Thumbs up for this breakfast. But do you know why? Expert nutritional advice can guide you to the right choices. |
Exercise (Especially strength and interval training)
One of the best all-around activities you can do for your
health is high intensity interval training (HIIT) − including one of my favourite
types called tabata. Exercise in general is great for balancing hormones
because it reduces inflammation, can help you maintain a healthy weight, lowers
stress, helps regulate your appetite, and aids in getting better sleep.
Whether we’re talking about endorphins from a “runner’s
high”, testosterone, growth hormone or insulin, HIIT, Tabata and strength
training can help your body regulate production and use of these hormones.
Exercise can also enhance your immune system, allow your cells to take up more
glucose (which lowers insulin), protect you from depression, and keep you more
alert without the need for caffeine.
Keep in mind that optimal exercise can differ a lot from
person to person however, so it’s a good idea to seek advise from an
experienced personal trainer if you’re ever unsure.
Reduce Stress & Get More Sleep
Unless you get 7-8 hours of sleep every night, you’re doing
your body no favours. A lack of sleep or disturbing your natural
circadian rhythm can be one of the worst habits contributing to a hormone
imbalance because your hormones work on a schedule.
Cortisol, the primary “stress hormone”, is regulated at
midnight. Therefore, people who go to bed late never truly get a break from
their sympathetic flight/fight stress response.
A lack of sleep, long-term use of corticosteroids and
chronic stress are three of the biggest contributors to high cortisol
levels.
Sleep helps keep stress hormones balanced, builds energy and
allows the body to recover properly. Excessive stress and poor sleep are linked
with higher levels of morning cortisol, decreased immunity, trouble with
work performance, and a higher susceptibility to anxiety, weight gain and
depression. To maximize hormone function, ideally try to get to bed by 10 p.m.
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| Can a drink like this better pick you up than a coffee? |
Watch Your Caffeine & Alcohol Intake
Caffeine in moderate amounts might be okay for some people,
but drinking too much caffeine is almost as bad as not getting enough sleep.
Caffeine, which can stay in your system for up to six hours, is a chemical
that affects the central nervous system (CNS) and raises your heart rate,
increases alertness, and changes the way your brain produces hormones.
You’re probably aware that caffeine is addictive by nature, increases
nervousness and anxiety in many people, and is linked with insomnia.
Another important step is to watch your alcohol intake,
since high levels of alcohol (above about 2-3 drinks daily) can negatively
impact liver functioning. Chronic alcohol consumption can contribute to oestrogen
dominance and has been found to interfere with pancreatic functioning,
increase liver disease risk, lower testosterone and contribute to anxiety and
malnutrition. The liver is very important for hormonal balance and has
over 500 different functions in the body!
Supplement with Vitamin D3
Vitamin D almost acts like a hormone inside the body and has
important implications for keeping inflammation levels low. This is why people
who live in dark areas often suffer from seasonal depression and other health
problems unless they supplement with vitamin D. Sunshine is really the best way
to optimise vitamin D levels because your bare skin actually makes vitamin D on
its own when exposed to even small amounts of direct sunlight.
Do you feel expert guidance could help you?
Contact Mac at http://elitefit.co.uk/ for more info.
Do you feel expert guidance could help you?
Contact Mac at http://elitefit.co.uk/ for more info.
