Balance your hormones naturally

The past few months have been one heck of a hormone ride over here for team YHY! You all know that Robyn was pregnant but both Steph and I have been on our own hormonal journeys trying to regulate our periods naturally (after being on birth control for what feels like our whole lives). Even as health coaches, we don’t have everything figured out in the women’s health department (or in many other departments for that matter 😉 ). Which is why we were so excited to cover this topic last month in Robyn’s group coaching program with special guest and women’s health expert, Nicole Jardim. We each took something different away from our conversation on women’s health and today we are sharing our top 3 tips for balancing your hormones naturally.

Before we share these tips, let’s rewind a bit. Why exactly do we care about hormones and keeping them in balance?

• Hormone imbalance can cause weight fluctuations, bloating and other health symptoms throughout the course of a month.
• Hormones can be the reason why some people naturally put on muscle more easily or lose weight more quickly. Also, hormones can usually be blamed for that stubborn belly fat you just can’t seem to lose.
• Hormones control ovulation, reproduction, pregnancy, etc. The more we understand the cycles we are going through, the more we can listen and adapt, vs feeling “out of control” with cravings and emotions. This cycle, this flow in our bodies directly correlates to flow in our lives.

Some symptoms of hormone imbalance: missing period, painful periods, a period that is shorter than 3 days or longer than 5 days, unexplained weight gain and belly fat, digestive issues, zero sex drive, acne, mood swings, chronic fatigue, and brain fog. As you can see, hormonal imbalance can impact all different parts of our bodies and our lives!

Here are our top three tips for balancing your hormones naturally:

• Start tracking your cycle – Just like we keep a food journal to identify allergies and learn more about our eating habits, tracking your cycle will help you figure out where you currently are with your period. There are many apps that will give you good information, and the more you put in, the more you’ll get out. Recommendations: Kindara, Glow, Clue, iPeriod
• Honor your period – Just like the seasons, the different stages of our cycle are good for different types of activities. The time of your period is a good time to rest, journal, take time off (if possible). Limit exercise to gentle movement like yoga and walking.
• Balance your blood sugar – What you put on your plate will vastly influence your hormonal health. The goal is to eat in a way that keeps your blood sugar steady throughout the day. If you stay full 3-4 hours after eating, this is an indicator that your blood sugar is stable! If you are hungry 30 minutes to 1 hour after, this is a sign that your blood sugar is not as stable. Each meal should ideally contain good protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates like this recipe.

Which of the above tips will you incorporate into your daily life? Share with us all in the comments below.