Both lifestyle and diet play a major role in our general levels of health, which of course includes keeping hormones balanced.
The Endocrine (or hormonal) system, which produces the majority of hormones includes glands such as the thyroid, pancreas, adrenals, ovaries/testes, pituitary and hypothalamus. These glands and the hormones they produce play a role in numerous bodily functions
· Regulation of fluids
· Reproduction
· Responses to stress
· Metabolism
· Sexual function
To name a few!
When the hormonal system is balanced, we generally have lots of energy, sleep well and have digestive systems and immune systems that work efficiently. However, it is surprisingly easy for our hormonal systems to become unbalanced, leading to a number of symptoms and well-known disorders.
· Adrenal fatigue
· Hypothyroid or hyperthyroid
· Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - again to name a few.
Of course, hormonal dysfunction doesn’t always show as a diagnosable disorder in the first instance. These will usually take many years to develop and for symptoms to become evident. In some cases, a hormonal problem may be due to a direct malfunction of a particular gland, through a hereditary factor. However, it may also be as a result of a combination of diet and lifestyle, which has led to a build-up of problems over a period of time, that eventually shows as a symptom.
Hormonal imbalances are often related to a response to long term stress. The primary stress hormone, cortisol, becomes unbalanced when we are stressed, which has an effect on the body’s ability to normalise blood sugar, convert food to useable energy, maintain a healthy immune system and respond to stress. When our hormones become unbalanced, a domino effect occurs with the other hormones being produced by the body.
Any form of stress can impact negatively on the body’s hormonal functions
· Too much work
· Job loss
· Financial trouble
· Relationship problems
· Too much processed food in our diets and a lack of nutrients
· Exposure to environmental toxins
· Lack of sleep, reducing the immune response
· Excessive exercise, although exercise in itself can be an effective immune booster,
in excess it suppresses the immune system.
A change in lifestyle can have a positive effect on rebalancing the hormonal system, by using a whole-body approach that addresses the excess stress and unhealthy habits, which created the imbalance in the first place. By listening to your body, taking regular, but not excessive exercise, resting when you are tired and eating a healthy, nutrient rich diet, your overall health and wellbeing will improve.
At times, this isn’t enough and at this point it is worth considering complimentary therapies such as homeopathy to aid the body’s healing process. As a complimentary therapy, homeopathic remedies can be taken alongside conventional medicine prescribed by a GP. They are effective in relieving the symptoms of hormonal disorders, physical and emotional stress, addressing the overload of toxins on vital organs and many other forms of ill health.
Whatever the ailment, it is worth considering homeopathy as form of support for you and your body to help improve symptoms and for keeping you fit and well for many years to come!
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