Are you in a stressful season? Whether it’s the start of the school year, the holidays, the end of the school year, back to back illness, work stress, family stress, traffic prolonged stress can flip your body into fight or flight mode. When stress becomes chronic (i.e. longer than a few days or week) your hormones can get out of whack.
Chronic Stress and Hormonal Imbalance
Constant stress can lead to disruption of cortisol, thyroid hormones, and sex hormones.
- Prolonged elevated cortisol can lead to symptoms of:
- Disrupted sleep
- Increased belly fat
- Poor immune function
- Insulin resistance or blood sugar issues
- Thyroid disruption from chronic stress can lead to symptoms of:
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Mood swings
- Hair loss
- Temperature control issues
- Digestive issues
- Elevated cortisol levels can interfere with estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone production (the most important hormones for your menstrual cycle) which can lead to symptoms of:
- Irregular periods
- Infertility
- Menstrual pain or dysfunction
- Mood changes
- Anxiety/depression
- Libido changes
- Fatigue
How to Balance Stress Hormones
Thankfully, you can take steps to calm your stress response and support your hormonal health:
- Prioritize Sleep
- Quality sleep is essential for cortisol regulation
- Aim for 7–9 hours of rest in a cool, dark room
- Try to keep bed time/wake time consistent
- Eat to Support Hormones
- Eat dark leafy greens – this supports healthy liver functioning and hormone detox
- Protein + fiber – eat protein with every meal and pair it with fiber to lessen blood sugar spikes, promote healthy bowel movements (for detox), and to lessen cortisol spikes
- Healthy fats (avocados, salmon, extra virgin olive oil) – healthy fats are essential for hormone production, thyroid support, inflammation, and blood sugar regulation.
- Cut back on inflammatory foods like sugar, alcohol & caffeine – these can spike cortisol and blood sugar leading to more inflammation in the body. It doesn’t mean you can’t have any, but trying to limit these can be helpful.
- HORMONE FRIENDLY MEAL FORMULA
- Protein + healthy fat + fiber + colorful veggies = happy hormones
- Practice Relaxation Techniques
- Meditation
- Deep breathing
- Journaling
- Nature walks
- Exercise
- Even 10 minutes a day can shift your body into a parasympathetic “rest and digest” state.
If you struggle with chronic stress or any of the above hormone imbalance symptoms, you would benefit from hormone coaching! Where we dive into diet, lifestyle, stress, and sleep for optimal hormone regulation and improvement in symptoms. Click here to schedule a free hormone consultation with our holistic hormone coach, Jen today!