Supporting Hormones as you Age

This might seem like a complicated question, but are you supporting your hormones as you age? My guess is you immediately start thinking about estrogen, progesterone, your moods, etc. Am I right?

Yes, those are all hormone related. However, hormones are much more complicated than that and play a role in a lot more of our body than just reproduction.

Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers, sending signals into the bloodstream and tissues. Before I scare you, stay with me.

Basically, hormones affect many areas of our health including growth, development, metabolism, getting energy from food, sexual function, brain health, reproduction, mood, and more! 

While it may seem complicated, today I want to share 5 ways you can support your hormones daily.

1. Get enough sleep. We live in a world where life is go, go, go. Rest is so important to our overall health and helps the health of our hormones. Without enough sleep our cortisol levels are off which then throws off our leptin and ghrelin. You should aim to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
2. Reduce stress. I talked in length about stress over the last several weeks in my newsletter. Stress is a very common factor in our hormone imbalances. When we are under stress, our brain tells our adrenal glands to release more cortisol, aka the fight or flight response. Chronic stress can affect our weight, mood, sex drive, sleep, and risk of disease. 
3. Eat enough protein. As mentioned before, protein is the building block. Just like muscle, it helps the cells build and create the structural framework for hormones to develop. If you missed last week’s newsletter, I shared ways to get more protein daily. Be sure to check it out. 
4. Eat balanced meals. Not only is protein important, but so are all the macros. Our body needs carbs, fats, protein, and fiber to function optimally. Focusing on whole foods gives our body the nutrients and fuel for the energy it needs to balance and support our hormones.
5. Lift weights. Strength training stimulates the release of the growth hormone which aids in building muscle and burning fat. It can also help regulate our sex hormones. As we age, it is important to continue incorporating heavy lifting. 

Based on these 5 things, on a scale of 1-10, how well are you doing supporting your hormones as you age?

If you are below 5, it is time to get to work and make some changes! It is much easier to crash hormones than it is to get them back to balance.

While these are just 5 ways you can work daily to support your hormone health, there are several other ways that we as women need to take into consideration when working on our overall health and wellness.