How Hormones Affect Your Health

Are you feeling tired? Sad? Restless? Well your hormones could be to blame. The glands within your endocrine system send out hormones that instruct each section of your body what work to do, when to do it and for how long. Hormones are vital to your health and wellbeing but sometimes they can get out of balance, which can lead to problems such as diabetes, weight gain or weight loss, infertility, weak bones and other health related problems. 

Hormones can impact your sleep due to a little guy called Melatonin. The level of this hormone varies throughout the day and usually works as; high at night to help you sleep and low during the day due to the bright light, which helps you to wake up. If you wake up in the morning feeling sluggish and restless then step outside for a walk in the sunshine. This will flood out some of that melatonin and perk you right up. 

Now, if you’ve ever felt constantly hungry and fallen into a binge eating cycle then the hormone Cholecystokinin may be the one to blame. This hormone is released roughly 30 minutes after you’ve finished eating and signals your body to stop eating. If you want to stop your overeating then the trick is to eat more slowly, allow the hormone the time to travel through your body and alert your body that you’re full.

The hormone Oestrogen is vital when it comes to healthy bones within your body. When this hormone level decreases then bones are put in danger of becoming brittle and breaking. If you want to check how your bones are going we recommend getting a bone density scan completed. To prevent brittle bones start incorporating exercises such as fast walking, tennis, weight training and skipping alongside improving your overall diet. 

When it comes to Testosterone you probably thought this one was only for the men, well bad news ladies… we’ve got it too and it’s important (because why would we catch a break?). Testosterone is the main sex hormone and imbalances with this hormone can occurs if you eat a lot of meat, live a sedentary lifestyle, drink excessively or smoke. Once this hormone is out of balance you will experience symptoms such as decreased libido, depression, poor memory and weight gain around the tummy. To prevent this from occurring it’s best to eat a healthier diet and exercise regularly. 

And last but definitely not least, Serotonin. This hormone is nature’s feel-good chemical and it assists in regulating your mood, sleep, appetite, memory and muscular functions. Like all hormones, serotonin can also become unbalanced but this occurs because the brain isn’t producing enough of the hormone, which can be caused from recreational drugs, some medications and supplements. If this hormone is low you will start experiencing symptoms such as depression, weight gain, migraines, panic attacks, insomnia and carbohydrate cravings. To naturally improve this hormone level insures you get an adequate amount of sleep, eat foods such as pork, avocado and yoghurt and get enough exercise. 

There are many hormones within your body that can massively impact you, if you aren’t feeling yourself lately then we suggest speaking with your doctor to find out what exactly is happening in there.