Hormones. They always get the short end of the stick and are typically the ones we blame for a multitude of things we can't control.

But it doesn't have to be this way forever, because it is possible to have a healthy relationship with your hormones and address your hormone imbalance with confidence.

First, identifying whether you have a hormone imbalance, is important and then figuring out which ones are the main drivers of our symptoms is of secondary importance. If you have gone to the doctor and you were told that you have a thyroid imbalance, it is very likely that it is not just your thyroid, as all hormones and body systems work together.

Grab your hormone self-assessment inside + guide to help narrow down and connect the dots as to which hormones (there will likely be more than one) may need addressing as a step further to get to the root cause of your symptoms.

How did your hormones get out of balance in the first place?

I think it's important to note, that we are all walking around with some sort of hormone imbalance (about 80% to be exact), but everyone has a different starting point.

Here are a few contributing lifestyle factors (some obvious, and some not) as to why you are experiencing the symptoms you're feeling today as we start to unravel:

• A recent or past traumatic or stressful event (childhood trauma, loss, childbirth).

• A history of chronic, unmanaged stress.

• An overachiever/perfectionist way of living leading to burnout.

• A genetic predisposition surfaced by a pattern of unhealthy habits.

• A chronic pattern of unhealthy eating habits or yo-yo dieting.

• Lack of activity or mostly sedentary lifestyle.

• A deeper hormone imbalance rooted in the gut, liver, disease, or infection.

These factors have helped our hormones ride a rollercoaster of ups and downs. It's until we notice the unbearable fatigue that coffee no longer fixes, painful, heavy, or missing periods, endometriosis, acne, mood swings, cravings, fertility challenges, and weight gain do we decide to address it.

"But my bloodwork was normal"

After receiving the results back for your blood work, you learn that your lab values are normal. It lifts your mood for a moment to know you're “normal,” but then you're finding yourself right back at square one with the same symptoms an hour after you ate that celebratory donut (we all do it). Don’t worry, this happens often, as although they may fall in a normal range, this is not the optimal range.

Not having answers or a game plan to address your hormone imbalance and start eliminating symptoms is frustrating. And that is why you've read (or skipped) down this far. You're ready for answers and a game plan!

4 Habits to Kickstart Feeling Good Again

Well, let's get started! Pair these 4 habits with your Self-assessment + Hormone Guide for your best results. But even if this is all you do, give yourself grace and credit For starting somewhere.

1. Address that stress and start to manage it. Stress is the first place I begin with any of my clients because it is the key driver of inflammation and imbalance. We can eat all the healthy foods and not absorb one nutrient because of the stress we are under. High levels of cortisol and estrogen imbalance are often associated with this. Some stress we cannot control, so having stress-relieving strategies that we can do anywhere are extremely helpful in getting grounded and feeling stable in our feelings and emotions again.

Habit: Check in with yourself daily to rewire your stress response hormones when you're feeling anxious.

Another great way to rewire your stress response is laughing and going for a 20-minute walk unplugged!

2. Eat & drink to nourish more than not. Because no one is a perfect eater, and placing stress on what we can't put on our plates is well...stressful. For a hormone balancing plate, here is what to focus on. Balancing your plate means including healthy protein, healthy fat, and fiber onto your plate. This helps with balancing insulin and cortisol hormones. And there is a wide variety of those!

Habit: Aim to eat a balanced meal 3 x's a week to get started

3. Keep a hormone-friendly environment.

Did you know that the average woman is exposed to hundreds of chemicals every day? And that's only within her home. This includes face wash, moisturizer, deodorant, perfume/body spray, lip moisturizer/lipstick, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. The chemicals called Xenoestrogens in our personal care products can wreak havoc on our endocrine systems and hormones. They interfere with the way our hormones are supposed to naturally work. Some even mimic and some actually block natural hormones from doing their job.

Habit: We can be proactive by swapping one product out as we finish it and replacing it with a cleaner product.

4. Ask questions + Get to the root cause of your hormone imbalance. If no one else tells you, "hormone-imbalance" is not a root cause. Our liver, gut, and blood sugar balance all play a role in your hormones and how efficiently they function. And addressing how well these systems are running is a key player in bringing things back into balance. This is where hormones can seem complicated, but working with the right practitioner or team of practitioners, coupled with the right testing can help bring those hormones back into balance.

Implementing the above four habits can make a dramatic impact on the way you feel, whether you are menstruating, pre-menopausal, menopausal, or postmenopausal. But if you feel like "this has been going on for too long", seek more help. We can't do this alone! We already have enough on our plates.

Habit: Be consistent with your healthy hormone habits + eating patterns. But if you are having trouble hitting that turning point, seek more help.

If you enjoyed these habits and found value in them, continue joining us in healthy habit building with the resources available in our community!