Troubled With Hormonal Imbalance? Try These

Hormones are responsible for regulating various processes in our body. When there is an imbalance, our body signals that something is not on the right track. The common symptoms of hormonal imbalance are irregular periods/early menopause/ mood swings/ acne issues/sleep apnea. These signs hint it is high time to focus on the flaws present in your lifestyle, which can be corrected with proper dietary changes. With the onset of Covid-19, the prevalence of hormonal imbalance in females has seen a hike.

The newly adopted ill-practices in the Covid situation includes sitting on the system for longer durations, poor dietary habits, lack of physical activity.

Here are the major hormonal issues faced by women:

High amount of cortisol
Cortisol is the hormone that directly impacts your stress levels and also blood sugars. This is produced by the adrenal glands and when it goes high, your blood sugar even goes high, which can create all kinds of disruption in the hormone system. It is also present in obese individuals, which usually adds on to the cravings for high salty and sugary foods. And even reflected in the form of mood swings, depression, etc.

Dietary tips:  
1. Keep distractions like mobile phones and television away while having meals. Try to eat in a quiet, relaxed environment – the act of mindful eating practice.

2. Intake fibre-rich diet including a lot of fruits and vegetables and soluble fibre

3.Keep your body hydrated.

4. Try to start your day with a protein base, for example, chia lemon water – empty stomach in the morning.

High insulin levels
In the case of high sugar cravings and consumption, your body tends to produce a lot of insulin. When insulin goes high, your cells eventually stop listening which leads to inflammation in the body. The common sign and symptoms of high insulin are- shakiness/anxiousness/ irritable mood between meals. This is even commonly found in females with PCOS/PCOD problem (polycystic ovarian syndrome/disease).

Dietary tips:
• Add cinnamon to your diet as it helps in controlling your blood sugar levels and reduces sugar cravings.
• Antioxidant foods are best to reduce inflammation, Try some turmeric/ginger/garlic/berries in your diet.
• Cut down intake of simple sugars and fats. Go for complex carbohydrates in your diet for ex.- oats/ buckwheat/multigrain atta, etc.
• To add high protein content in your diet, consume more legumes/pulses, eggs, milk and milk products, nuts and seeds.

High Estrogen

Severe headaches/migraines / heavy period flow/ mood swings / PMS / Sobbing, are some of the common symptoms related to high estrogen levels. Some women also experience gallbladder issues and they often feel bloated or puffy or complain of retaining excess water before their period. Further, they face tender breast issues.

Dietary tips:
• Best is to incorporate cruciferous vegetables into your diet. For example – broccoli/ cabbage/ bokchoi/ kale/lettuce etc.
• Take sufficient probiotics that help in maintaining gut health and reduces bloating issues.

High Testosterone
When testosterone gets too high in the body, symptoms like irregular periods, excess hair growth on the chin, chest, and abdomen, hair fall, heavy acne, and sometimes infertility are common. Women also experience greasy hair, depression, anxiety, lack of motivation when this hormone is imbalanced which is quite common in PCOS/PCOD patients.

Dietary tips:
• Eat foods that are rich in zinc like green beans, nuts, and oilseeds help balance out testosterone levels.
• Include regular seed cycling and pumpkin seeds in your diet as it fulfills zinc requirement.

(The author is a lifestyle coach and diet counsellor. She tweets @Bipasha1sugati)