I talked about hormones recently and a lot of women were asking, how do you know if your hormones are off and how can you tell which ones are off?!
So I wanted to dive deeper into this topic so you can start seeing better results and get back to feeling great.
What are some signs that your hormones are off?
- weight gain
- hair loss
- low sex drive
- fatigue
- disturbed sleep
- acne
- water retention
- irregular periods
- infertility
How to figure out which hormone is off…
I am only touching on a few hormones in this blog but if you find it helpful, I can continue with a hormone series.
Estrogen.
What is estrogen?
Estrogen is a hormone that plays various roles in the body. In females, it helps develop and maintain both the reproductive system and female characteristics, such as breasts. It helps thicken and grow hair, nails and skin is more hydrated when estrogen peaks. Also important for things like brain health, bone health, moist joints, cardiovascular systems and cognitive health. It peaks Day 1-10 during your cycle. So take advantage of this phase. More happiness, focus and better communication skills during this time.
If you have high estrogen you will most likely be experiencing excess hair growth, bloating, weight gain in thigh and lower belly, PCOS, fatigue, anxiety and trouble falling a sleep. If you have low estrogen, you will most likely be experiencing painful sex, irregular or no period, hot flashes, trouble focusing and depression.
Progesterone.
What is progesterone?
Progesterone will slow things down. When this peaks in our cycle (the week before your period usually by day 21) You will notice you crave more carbs and sleep. That’s because of progesterone. You want to be sure to fill up on carbs that help boost progesterone like sweet potatoes, squash, beans… This can help with pms symptoms.
Progesterone also prepares for the potential of pregnancy after ovulation. It triggers the lining to thicken to accept a fertilized egg. It also prohibits the muscle contractions in the uterus that would cause the body to reject an egg.
If you have high progesterone symptoms including anxiety, bloating, depression, reduced sex drive and weight fluctuations. If you are low progesterone, you would be experiencing things like hot flashes, low blood sugar, dryness and tender breast.
Testosterone.
What is testosterone?
Testosterone is most often associated with sex drive. We get a peak once a month during ovulation. It also affects bone and muscle mass and the way we store fat so this is a great time to really focus on weight training and building strengthen.
If you have high testosterone your symptoms will be something like excessive body/facial hair, hair loss, enlarged clit and deepening of voice. If you have low testosterone, sluggishness, muscle weakness, sleep disturbance and weight gain.
A lot of the symptoms can be similar so I always recommend going and getting your levels tested by a doctor or dutch test to find out what your levels are.
In the mean time, here is how you can balance your hormones through foods.
How to balance your hormones…
- intermitten fasting
- stay away from alcohol, processed carbs and sugar
- eat more sweet potatoes, red potatoes, fruit, vegetables and healthy fats
You can really help your hormones by the way you eat and train in your cycle. During the first half, you can get away with more fasting, low carb, healthy fat and HIIT training then during the second half it is beneficial to start eating more carbs and doing more LISS training. I just switched to this method a few months back because I could tell my hormones were a bit off due to stress and it has truly helped me feel better, be easier on myself and see better results.
If you need help putting this all together, book a free consultation with me now by clicking here.
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I look forward to serving you. ❤️