Everyday Habits That May Be Disrupting Your Hormone Balance

Most people probably give little thought to the more than 50 hormones that keep your body humming along each day. When a hormonal imbalance develops, the symptoms can make it hard to concentrate on anything else. 

At Integrative Medica in Salt Lake City, Utah, Dr. Jake Schmutz works with adults of all ages to achieve optimal hormonal balance and avoid disruptive symptoms. Today, we explore some common daily habits that could affect your hormones, and how to avoid or treat an imbalance. 

Why are hormones important?

Hormones work as chemical messengers that facilitate and coordinate a variety of functions within your body, including:

• Metabolism
• Fertility
• Growth and development
• Sexual function
• Mood
• Sleep-wake cycles
• Electrolyte balance
• Blood sugar
• Blood pressure

Your hormones typically work seamlessly. However, when something causes your hormonal balance to fluctuate, you might experience troubling changes.

Diet directly impacts hormones

We say it a lot, but it bears repeating. Few things impact your everyday health more than what you consume. Food is fuel, and the quality (and quantity) you take in directly affects virtually all of your bodily functions. 

Gut health is a great example. Your digestive system contains a complex community of microorganisms, collectively known as your microbiome. Poor gut health can lead to systemic inflammation, which can cause or worsen a hormonal imbalance. 

Choose whole foods and strive for a healthy mix of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Eating a variety of foods is critical to meeting your daily needs. Avoiding highly processed food is one of the easiest ways to enhance your diet and avoid hormonal imbalance.

Don’t ignore stress management

Everyone experiences stress, and your stress levels fluctuate as you face challenges at home, at work, and within your community. How you react to stress influences your health, including your hormonal balance. 

Hormones, in fact, create the symptoms of stress. It’s crucial to avoid stressful situations and manage unavoidable stress. There are plenty of ways to do that.

Working with a therapist is a great place to begin, as is engaging in activities that bring you a sense of peace and calm. That may mean long walks at the end of the day, short periods of meditation at work, or making time to connect with friends and loved ones.

Medication can be a good fit for people with severe or chronic stress. 

Limit exposure to chemicals

Evidence suggests that the environmental toxins we’re exposed to daily can significantly and negatively impact the endocrine (hormone) system. 

Simple, evidence-based choices you can make to minimize exposure to these chemicals include choosing organic foods and thoroughly washing non-organic produce to help remove pesticide and herbicide residue. 

Avoid heating food in plastic containers, and consider switching to a glass or stainless steel bottle to reduce your use of plastic water bottles. Wash new clothing before wearing to remove chemicals used in the manufacturing process. 

As we learn more about how chemical exposure affects human health, expect new guidelines on reducing exposure.

Are you concerned about a hormonal imbalance?

If you experience changes in how you feel and function, make time to meet with the Integrative Medica team to discuss solutions. If hormonal imbalance is the issue, we offer outstanding hormone replacement therapy as an option. 

Call our office or book your appointment online today.