Hormonal changes are something most of us have to face sooner or later. The most general – and, probably, not very fair – association with this is the menopausal period; true, every woman is in for major hormonal rearrangement at the ages of 40 and 50. Nevertheless, hormonal changes is something that happens to us permanently, throughout our lives.
Menopausal hormonal change symptoms can actually emerge earlier than in the 40s; in some women they become evident in mid-30s and even earlier. It is reliant on many factors such as diet, lifestyle, exposure to toxins, synthetic chemicals and pollution.
The onset of hormonal imbalance can be detected by the following main symptoms:
1. Steady weight gain
Weight is usually controlled by a healthy lifestyle, sufficient physical activity and healthy eating habits, but hormonal imbalance has also its weighty word in it. If you find it impossible to stay within healthy pounds, hormones may be the reason behind that. A common background can be unaddressed insulin resistance. A possible counter measure may be alterations in the diet like cutting out sugars, processed food and wheat food.
2. Loss of muscle coupled with a broadening waistline
A stressed endocrine system begins to produce less of certain hormones and more of cortisol and some others. The body responds to it by storing fat which causes swelling of the waistline and a threat of adrenal fatigue in future.
3. Libido decrease
Hormonal imbalance affects your libido soon, causing bad sleep and consequently underproduction of sex hormones – your love life begins to suffer.
4. Increased sluggishness
You feel tired halfway through your morning, and completely spent by the afternoon? You find it hard to concentrate? It’s one of sure signs of hormonal changes, and you should take steps to control your blood sugar. Check your diet and give up on grains and wheat.
5. Insuppressible depression and anxiety
You can’t help feeling anxious and irritable, and bouts of depression keep recurring? It spells high toxicity, hormonal imbalance, too much stress and overwork, and most probably, lack of proper nourishment on top of it all. Don’t rush out to the drugstore to put it down with medication; rather, sit down and consider what you can do to relax and bring yourself back to normal.
6. Sleep disturbance and insomnia
When your stress begins to build up, the cortisol level shoots up, wreaking havoc with hormonal balance. Insomnia is a direct consequence of this, and all your life gets affected by poor night’s sleep.
7. Increased perspiration
Sweating in bed and onsets of hot sensation may be your first intimation that hormonal changes are on the way. Once again, before rushing into hormone replacement therapy, look closely into your lifestyle: what you eat, how you feel and what your emotional reactions are. Your emotions may be the clue to your onsets. When you feel the symptoms of a flash, stop and try to put your thoughts and emotions in order.
8. Poor digestion
Digestion tricks like bloating, gases and slowing down may or may not be caused by hormonal problems; anyway, it’s a sign for you to check up on your eating habits. See you don’t overeat and chew your food carefully. Your nutrient extraction ought to be better than ever to make up for poor digestion.
9. Food cravings
If you fall victim of sudden food cravings, overeat regularly or take more wine than you normally do, consider the possibility of hormonal imbalance setting in, preceded by insulin resistance, adrenal fatigue and other conditions. Respond by cutting out alcohol, sugars, wheat and dairy – you can diminish your cravings and improve your digestion to boot.
Naturally you should keep in mind that these symptoms can also indicate a number of other health problems, so you would do well to take a blood test to make sure you’re on the right track.
Once you have taken a firm stand in controlling your meals, thus setting your digestion on the road to improvement, curb your stress issue and get sound sleep, you are sure to feel much better.
