FIND A BETTER BALANCE

FROM MOOD SWINGS TO SABOTAGING YOUR WORKOUT RESULTS, YOUR HORMONES MAY HAVE A LOT TO ANSWER FOR

Your hormones could be standing in the way of your health and fitness goals and you wouldn’t even know it. A growing body of research suggests that hormones play a massive part in preventing both males and females from achieving their health and fitness objectives.

Hormones are responsible for controlling a lot of our body’s major functions such as regulating heart rate and metabolism, appetite, mood, sexual function, reproduction, growth and development, sleep cycles and patterns, and the transportation from the food we eat to the energy we use throughout our body.

So, I guess you could say that hormones are pretty important.

Hormone levels are different between males and females and many of us can experience hormonal ups and downs on a regular basis. Some signs of imbalances include sleep disorders, skin conditions, acne, depression, anxiety, persistent weight gain, excess belly fat, unusual dispersion of fat on the body, sweating, loss of muscle or finding it hard to put muscle on, memory fog, digestive issues, cravings, constant fatigue, headaches and migraines, low sex drive, hot flashes and night sweats. And then there’s the one that a lot of husbands, wives and partners know all too well ... mood swings.

Don’t be alarmed by this long list. If you are experiencing two or fewer of these symptoms then there is a very good chance that you do not have a hormone imbalance.

However, if you are experiencing three or more of these signs it may be a good idea to get an assessment done with a knowledgeable health and fitness professional or naturopath who can help identify any imbalance and put together a program to rectify the issue.

Imbalances of hormones within your body can be caused by a number of things including excess stress in your life, poor digestion and poor gut health, a lack of nutrients in your diet, lack of exercise and lack of thyroid function (hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism).

So how do we balance our hormones and allow ourselves to live a happier, healthier and more productive life?

Well, the first thing you need to do is identify what hormones, if any, are out of balance.

The second step is to identify and eliminate any factors that may be contributing to the cause of your hormone imbalance.

Once you’ve done this you can introduce a specifically designed nutrition and supplementation plan in conjunction with an exercise program to create the ideal environment for your hormones and your body to thrive.