The Importance of Hormone Balance

Feeling Off? 

Hormones are crucial the one’s body and its proper function. They act as the chemical messengers that deliver signals to help regulate the body, ensuring that each system is carrying out their tasks effectively. When hormones aren’t released properly, a plethora of negative symptoms can take a toll on your wellness from insomnia to skin breakouts. Here, we’ll discuss the importance of a healthy hormone balance and natural solutions to reset your systems.  

What is Hormonal Imbalance? 

Your hormones oversee different processes throughout your entire body ranging from your sleep, appetite, metabolism, reproduction system, and more. When your body is under stress, hormonal imbalance occurs. Hormonal imbalance is when there is too much or too little of a hormone in the bloodstream and can affect both men and women. When your hormones are not regulated, it can impact several systems in your body – often accompanied by various unwanted symptoms such as fatigue, sudden weight changes, low mood, among others.  

Although hormonal imbalances can occur at any time, the most common and striking are during the times of puberty, aging, menopause and during the menstrual cycle. As levels of hormonal imbalances will fluctuate throughout your lifetime, it’s crucial to maintain their balance as long-term imbalances may lead to more serious, life-long conditions such as diabetes and infertility.  

Signs of Hormonal Imbalance 

Constant Fatigue: This is the most common symptom of hormonal imbalance. If you have excess progesterone, you’ll often find yourself consistently wanting more sleep, despite a full night’s rest. Additionally, if your thyroid levels are too low, you’ll find that your energy levels are low. During menstruation, your ovaries produce less estrogen, which may contribute to night sweats, further hindering sleep patterns, and adding to your daily fatigue. 

Unhealthy Weight Changes: The thyroid gland controls your body’s metabolism, helping you convert food into fuel to take on the day. If there’s an insufficient number of thyroid hormones in your body, the nutrients you’ve consumed cannot all be made into energy, thus potentially causing weight gain. The opposite occurs when your thyroid makes too many hormones than you need, causing sudden and drastic weight loss.  

Weakened Skin Health: If you have acne or dry skin, the root of the problem may lead back to an imbalance of certain hormones. Excess androgens can generate a surplus of sebum, causing your pores to clog, which itself may lead to inflammation and acne. Additionally, a decrease in estrogen due to age or other factors decrease healthy collagen production, leading to skin dullness and sensitivity. 

Irregular Menstrual Cycles: Menstrual cycles typically last between 24 to 38 days. If your cycle is consistently changing or you’re skipping a month or two at a time, it may be because of hormonal imbalance, such as an excess of or too little of estrogen and progesterone. Several hormones are involved in the healthy functioning of this system and their balance is crucial for regular cycles and healthy fertility. 

How To Naturally Balance Your Hormones 

Hormones are often influenced by our daily lives such as our diets, physical activity, and overall well-being. Adjusting certain aspects in our lives can surely improve our hormonal balance and overall health. Here are some factors that play a great role in our hormones. 

Physical Activity: Moving your body and exercising regularly can stimulate our body to efficiently release higher levels of euphoric hormones called ‘endorphins,’ while decreasing levels of estrogens to help symptoms of PMS and other estrogen conditions.  

Protein: Make sure your body is getting enough protein. They give us the essential amino acids used to produce peptide hormones which are crucial in controlling energy homeostasis and metabolism.  

Sugar Intake: Too much sugar leads to insulin resistance, which may lead to serious conditions such as diabetes. Similarly, it can also disturb your gut health by favoring the growth of bad bacteria in your microbiome which may lead to cramping, pain, and sensitivity.  

Sleep: It’s important to get quality sleep as sleep regulates cortisol, known as the stress hormone. The release of cortisol heavily depends on the quality of sleep you get. If you’re not attaining quality sleep, your body may secrete an excess amount of cortisol, causing more stress.  

CBD & Your Hormones 

Although CBD solely cannot balance your hormones, we know that it can aid in the process and alleviate some side effects of hormonal imbalance. Once inside, CBD interacts with the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), which acts as a moderator of various systems including our sleep, appetite, and cardiovascular system. Here are some takeaways. 

• CBD is well known for its anti-inflammatory properties. We know that an imbalance in insulin may lead to not only diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is heavily linked to chronic inflammation, which may be subdued with CBD. 
• Recently studies have found that CBD shows great promise in lowering cortisol levels, acting as an excellent form of stress management. Many CBD users use it for their anxiety, depression, and stress levels. 
• CBD has the potential to activate your CB1 receptor in the ECS, which may lead to higher melatonin levels, helping you to sleep longer and better through the night. 
• Many women experience mood changes during their menstrual cycle and menopause. Research has shown that CBD has the power to activate serotonin levels, known as the happy hormone.  

A Balanced Life 

Maintaining hormonal balance is crucial for our well-being and small lifestyle changes can have a huge impact on our overall health. Things such as a balanced diet and exercising regularly may alter your life drastically. Emerging research also suggests that CBD can regulate hormonal imbalances by supporting our natural ECS – providing an alternative for those looking for more natural solutions. Remember, consulting your medical provider is always encouraged, and especially important when diagnosing and managing more complex hormonal issues.