Hey ladies, if you’ve crossed over 40 it’s going to happen to you. For some it happens sooner than later, but your hormones will start going haywire eventually, it’s part of the aging process, and one that quite frankly isn’t talked about enough.
The signs
Part of the problem with hormonal disruptions is that there are so many signs that it is happening to you. It can look like a lot of other things. Here is the short list:
· Fatigue
· Weight gain
· Inability to fall or stay asleep
· Low energy
· Dry skin
· Decreased libido
· Acne
· Depression
· Irrational thoughts or irritability
Staci LaRue is a wellness consultant, personal trainer, and holistic nutritionist with two decades of experience. She works specifically with women who are getting into their middle age and beyond. She runs the Facebook group where women can find both help and comradery as well as the website Sexy in the Middle.
“If these symptoms sound familiar to you, you can bet your hormones are out of whack,” says LaRue.
Not to worry though, there is action you can take.
Sleep
The first step to balancing your hormones is getting enough sleep. This can be elusive to some, and is a good place to start if you want to reset your hormones. Taffeta has a group aimed at doing just this which you can join for free at https://www.facebook.com/groups/201863568553407.
Go green, literally.
If it’s green, embrace it. There is a meme that circulates about a reset button for good health being kale. It’s making fun of the fact that no one really wants to eat kale, but the cold hard truth is you need to find a way to embrace it or broccoli, or spinach, or arugula, you get the picture…. Just like you would encourage your kids to keep trying healthy things until they found a way to enjoy them, you need to as well. The older you get, the more important it is to focus on diet and get those greens!
Protein and healthy fats
Alongside that half plate of greens you’re going to embrace, make sure to eat clean protein and healthy fats. By “clean” we mean grass-fed, pasture raised meats and wild caught fish. Organic is better. Healthy fats include coconut oil, avocado, and the right kinds of animal fats and dairy. You can read more about that here.
Move!
You already knew exercise was going to be on this list, didn’t you? But it doesn’t have to be “exercise” dance, jump, garden, do whatever you can to keep your body in motion. The key is to find ways to do more of it throughout your day and focus on things that make it enjoyable.
Limit sugar and processed foods
This is good advice for all ages and all health ranges, but even more important if you are trying to balance your hormones. Don’t try to force yourself to do this all at once, but start with a few big problem areas, such as giving up drinking soda and start there. Once you’ve got that under control, add something additional. You can do this, and even though it may feel hard at first, you will notice yourself feeling better so quickly that it will get easier and easier to stick with it.