Get to Know (& LOVE) Your Hormones

Estrogen: A group of hormones, including the adrenal glands and fat cells. Responsible for menstruation, breast and hip growth, and help with balanced moods, strong bones, lustrous hair and proper good clotting. Estrogen dominance is a rampant epidemic with the modern American Diet, as so many synthetic products acting as endocrine disruptors, and overly processed soy acting as a estrogen mimicker. Insulin: Drives glucose into cells as fuel and deposits fat. Responsible for stabilizing blood sugar, and chronically high insulin disrupts estrogen. Leptin: Regulates appetite and satiety. Ghrelin: Works alongside leptin, and raises appetite to start eating. When eating improperly with processed junk and foods that confuse the neurotransmitters, these 2 hormones can be thrown off, causing a dramatic shift in how you interpret your hunger and satisfaction with food. Cortisol: The stress hormone in charge of blood sugar, blood pressure, and immunity. Produced in your adrenal glands; we've talked on this before, but we fully support choosing self-care as a method for healing and nourishing your adrenals and combatting stress. Growth Hormone: Helps gain muscle and and burn fat. This is a critical hormone created in our sleep-- yet another reason to clock in precious Z time (and turn off electronics early and often to capture that coveted REM cycle). Testosterone: Not just for the boys, the testosterone hormone is a critical sex hormone in the androgen family. It is responsible for libido, fertility, confidence, vitality and muscle tone. Thyroid: Helps with the communication between hormones, and in charge of the pathways for endocrine system. This affects your weight, energy, mood and and metabolism. Nourish from the inside-out: Up your intake of cruciferous vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower. This class of veggies helps to bind excess estrogen and detoxify the body, flushing it out. Chia seeds and other high-fibrous foods also work to rid the body of excess estrogen.Make sleep a priority! 7-9 hours will land you in that magical zone to reap the benefits of HGH(human growth hormone). Eating fat to lose fat! It's not the 90s anymore, fraught with false claims about all things fat-free. Choose delicious and nutritious sources like organic avocados, coconut oil and sprouted nuts like cashews and brazil nuts.Eat regularly. Playing games with your blood sugar does no favors to your hormones, so make smart choices with your snacks (peace out, processed sugar!) and try to incorporate breakfast in your morning over black coffee alone. Feeling wired and tired will be a thing of the past. Advocate for greens, greens, and more greens! By oxygenating your blood and feeding your body with micronutrients, a heavy plant-based diet will play an important role in balancing everything out. Try it now: This week, start every morning with a cup of hot water and lemon. Then, make gluten free toast, and use an entire avocado for sustainable energy, and delicious + healing fats for your body. If you're up to score extra points in the beautifying breakfast department, top with chia seeds and a watermelon radish. http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-17130/5-signs-your-hormones-are-unbalanced-what-you-can-do-about-it.html http://thechalkboardmag.com/hormones-101-12-things-you-need-to-know-with-dr-sara-gottfried http://thechalkboardmag.com/how-to-naturally-cure-hormonal-imbalance#sl=2 http://www.sakara.com/blogs/mag/115665605-alisa-vitti-on-why-your-diet-isnt-working http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-16436/i-quit-sugar-healed-my-autoimmune-disease.html http://www.sakara.com/blogs/mag/115689861-is-it-really-possible-to-heal-your-hormonal-symptoms-with-food