Tips for maintaining your body’s hormone levels

As you grow older, you may accept hormone imbalance as just a natural part of aging. While hormone imbalance may tend to be more common in older adults versus younger adults, there are plenty of ways you can maintain your body’s hormone levels as you become older without immediately having to resort to hormone treatments and medications. In fact, by making healthy lifestyle changes, you can get your hormones back to optimal levels and start enjoying life as you once did in your younger years.

Eat healthier foods

• Cut out all sugar from your diet, especially artificial sweeteners. Sugar and artificial sweeteners contain properties that can cause your hormones to fluctuate, which is why eating sweets often triggers weight gain. If you do insist on keeping sugary foods around the house, at least choose those that lack artificial sweeteners and other additives.
• Minimize or eliminate alcohol from your diet. Some doctors say that an occasional alcoholic beverage or glass of red wine can combat heart disease and other ailments, which has actually been proven true by some medical studies. However, excessive alcohol intake is associated with a number of adverse health problems, including hormonal imbalance.
• Stop eating processed foods. Many processed foods sold in the average supermarket contain neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors that can have an adverse effect on your overall health. Switch to eating whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes, and make sure that any processed foods you do eat lack any additives.

Change your environment

• Keep your living environment as clean as possible. Dust, mold, and other conditions associated with uncleanliness can trigger several different unwanted health problems as well as hormone imbalance.
• Stop using toxic household cleaners and chemicals. Inhaling toxic household products can introduce your body to multiple endocrine disrupters and result in possible illness. Replace toxic household cleaners with those that contain natural ingredients derived from citrus fruits and vinegar.
• Replace all plastic kitchenware with those made from glass or use BPA-free kitchenware. BPA is just one of many chemicals that can trigger hormone imbalance and other health problems.

Take better care of your body

• Use natural hair and body products. Lotion, makeup, body wash, shampoo, and other beauty products can enter your bloodstream through the skin and can inhibit your body’s ability to absorb vitamin D.
• Exercise regularly. Exercise is one of the best, most effective ways to regulate your hormone levels. Even if you are typically sedentary, or have a job that requires you to sit for most of the day, take time to stand up, stretch, and walk around throughout your shift.
• Practice stress relief. Stress will increase your body’s cortisol hormone, which will often disrupt the balance of all other hormones in your body, including those related to appetite and hunger. Find new ways to relieve stress such as deep breathing or yoga or make changes in your life to permanently eliminate stress-inducing factors.

Rock Creek Wellness offers bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for both men and women who need help maintaining their hormone levels. Our hormone replacement therapy program is designed for patients seeking a quick and affordable entry to bioidentical hormone therapy in Kansas City. Contact us today at 913-727-7700 to request a free consultation.