Tips to Improve Hormone Imbalances

Have you been feeling tired lately, more than normal? Do you find it difficult to wake up in the morning or perhaps fall asleep easily at night? Have you noticed any dramatic weight fluctuations? If you have answered "yes" to these questions, the problem may lie in a hormone imbalance. So it is important for you and your health that you understand the potential severity of this issue and why it is imperative to treat it accordingly.

What are Hormones?

In the simplest terms, hormones are the body's natural chemical messengers. They interact with every process and come in many different types. Growth, reproduction, mood, and metabolism are just a few of the things hormones have a marked impact on, and as such, the quantity of their production has a direct effect on how these processes are carried out in the body. Hormones are produced by the endocrine glands (pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, etc.) and consumption of healthy fats and cholesterol is what facilitates/regulates hormone release.

The Effects of Abnormal Hormone Production

Herein lays the problem. Very few of us are perfectly healthy-far from it actually. The majority of people in the U.S. experience the negative effects of bad diets (we can blame fast food for that), and one of the major ones is an imbalance in the natural production of hormones. This happens in one of two ways, neither of which is positive. Too little or too much of any hormone can cause adverse side effects such as fatigue, rapid weight gain, infertility, and a number of other problems. Thus, keeping your body's hormone production cycle in check is paramount, and here is how to do it.

Getting the Balance Back in Order

1. Limit the intake of polyunsaturated fats; fat is necessary for cell building as well as for producing hormones, but not all types of fat are good. While you may know to avoid saturated fat at all costs (it is simply unhealthy), you may not be aware that polyunsaturated fats like those found in peanut, canola and soybeans oils can also be harmful in high quantities. Why? They are unstable and can cause cell mutation when oxidized.

2. Cut back on caffeine; while one cup of coffee or pop is safe, excessive consumption can cause a whole manner of problems on the body's endocrine system. What may keep you alert in the morning could also be causing you to feel fatigued later on, believe it or not! Try not drinking coffee for a few days and see how you feel. Chances are withdrawal will not take long to run its course.

3. Get adequate sleep each night; sleep has a wealth of regenerative functions. Be sure to get at least eight hours a night. Among other things, this will help your body produce healthy hormones, and that inevitably means a better feeling you.

Atlanta natural health clinic physicians have long stressed the importance of hormone balancing o when it comes to treating their patients. This is why many integrative medicine doctors make this issue a top priority even when presented with a common ailment such as fatigue or mood changes.