Where do I begin? 3 steps to get started.

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Hormones play a central role in the body throughout each phase of life, orchestrating development, growth, sexual maturity, sleep, and many other bodily functions. Acting as small messenger molecules, hormones are released by glands into the blood stream to locate receptor cells on organs and tissues and bring about a specific change in the body. A well-known example of this is the hormone insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas to reduce the levels of sugar in the blood.

Our bodies have developed over thousands of years to adapt to our environment allowing us to thrive and survive. Our environment and lifestyle has changed at a relatively rapid pace since the industrial revolution, and our bodies have not been able to keep up.

These changes on the whole are not conducive for hormonal health. The levels of physical, chemical and emotional stress have increased to a point where our bodies at times struggle to perform some of the most basic daily functions. The body receives mixed signals from the environment and over a long period of time, these changes have a significant impact on the way our bodies work.

The good news…

These three lifestyle changes can help to restore the natural shifts of hormones within the body.

Get your circadian rhythm in check

  • Wake up and go to sleep at roughly the same time each day
  • Get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep
  • Expose yourself to bright light first thing in the morning, this can be from an artificial light box
  • Stop using screens 2-3 hours before bed, use blue light blocking glasses/apps to minimise evening light exposure
  • Avoid caffeine after mid-day
  • Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark and quiet
  • Create an evening routine to help wind-down

Drink at least 2.5l water per day

De-hydration affects the body’s ability to perform many functions, drinking 2.5L per day is conducive for hormonal and metabolic health.

  • Re-hydrate in the morning with a glass of slightly salted water and lemon juice
  • Use filtered water where possible
  • Avoid plastic water bottles

Manage emotional stress

The stress response is a simple and potentially life-saving reaction triggered when the body perceives a threat. The HPA axis stimulates the adrenals to produce the hormone cortisol which has a wide range of effects on the body, preparing it for action. Historically the life-threatening event would resolve and the body would come back to ‘normal’. Unfortunately, our modern lifestyle bombards the body with potential threats, triggering the stress response throughout the day. This puts our nervous system in to a state of ‘fight, flight or freeze’ which affects the balance of hormones in our bodies. Managing emotional stress in the body can be a challenge, but it is worth it if you want to balance the hormones in your body.

  • Make time for doing the things that you love
  • Breathwork is the easiest way to instantly slow down the stress response, try box breathing
  • Mindfulness such as meditation can help
  • Exercise regularly
  • Limit your social media use
  • Try counselling or therapy to work through past trauma

Dr Hannah Douglas
Doctor of Chiropractic

You can contact me: hannah@northcotechiropractic.co.uk

Sending you all my support!

Hannah