1. Your Candy Bar Addiction
Eating food with too much added sugar is directly linked to weight gain—and excess pounds can lead your body to become resistant to insulin, the hormone that moves sugar into your bloodstream so your cells can get the energy they need, says Holly Phillips, M.D., a women’s health specialist in New York City and medical correspondent for CBS News. The result: a precursor to diabetes called metabolic syndrome or even full-blown type 2 diabetes.
2.Stressing Out Late at Night
Normally, levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop at nighttime, which helps you wind down and sleep. But becoming anxious or tense in the p.m. means your cortisol levels keep surging, so you’re too wired to catch Zzz’s, says Phillips.
3.Regular Bouts of Insomnia
It’s a vicious cycle: Lack of sleep raises cortisol levels, and cortisol cranks up your blood sugar…which then plunges, making you stressed and craving junk food, says Phillips. Start scoring more snooze time, and your cortisol levels will even out.
4.Or Even Just One Night of Sleep Deprivation
When you sleep, levels of a hunger-related hormone called leptin surge, signaling to your body that you don’t need to eat. Toss and turn all night, and your body won’t produce the right amount of leptin—so you’ll feel extra hungry the next day and be more prone to weight gain.
5.Late-Afternoon Starbucks Runs
Cortisol is the culprit again here: Caffeine signals to your body to boost production of cortisol, which can make you feel anxious and definitely not in a sleep-well mindset. Limit yourself to no more than two regular-size cups of joe a day, preferably before 3 or 4 p.m.
6.Your Spotty Attendance at the Gym
Without regular exercise, your body won’t produce and release the optimal amount of endorphins, says Phillips. You know endorphins: They’re the feel-good chemicals in the brain that make you feel positive and alert. They also keep your immune system functioning well and increase levels of sex hormones so you score a libido lift. The more you move (cardio, Pilates, hiking, any kind of activity), the more endorphins your body will produce.
7.Crash Diets
A plunge in body-fat levels due to either a super low-calorie weight-loss regimen or intense exercise sessions lowers estrogen levels, halting your cycle until your body fat returns to a healthy level, says Phillips. Scary stuff.
8.Skimping on Cardio
You know how a heart-pumping workout can make you temporarily forget about where to go for dinner? It has to do with the way aerobic exercise prompts a drop in levels of a hormone called ghrelin, which suppresses appetite, studies show.
9.Easing PMS With a Sweet Treat
Besides leaving you wired, sugar also does a number on brain chemicals that are already thrown for a loop during your PMS week. If your premenstrual symptoms leave you cranky and moody, sugar will just make you feel like more of a basket case, says Phillips.
The Basic Things to do to avoid Hormonal Imbalance:
Keep your weight in check- being overweight causes insulin resistance leading to excess hormone production which then leads to PCOS which then leads to higher chances of other diseases down the road like diabetes or heart disease.
Avoid Plastic Containers- they leech chemicals from the container into your food or drink causing chemicals to mess with your hormones and other problems like cancer.
Filter your Water- Chemicals are being found in un-filtered water that are causing all types of problems including hormonal problems.
Use PFOA free Pans to Cook in- this chemical causes many problems after repeated ingestion from food cooked in PFOA pans causing hormonal problems and other problems.
Limit or avoid Dairy- IGF-1 and other antibiotics are in dairy and it causes a host of different problems in the body including hormonal problems .
Limit your Carb intake- Meaning: Bread,pasta,rice,sugar,processed foods: (cakes,cookies,chocolate, icecream,crackers), cereal, Oatmeal,and limit starches too like potatoes. Eating too many of these leads to insulin resistance which leads to the cycle of weight gain,poor hormone regulation and PCOS.
Exercise but not to excess- 30 min a day is recommended, include both cardio and weight baring exercise to keep your body running the way it should and to keep you in shape. Excessive exercise can increase your testosterone levels and possibly infertile because of loss of menstrual cycles and anovulation from your body fat percentage being too low.
Avoid caffeine and Alcohol- What you put into your body really matters when it comes to regulating your hormones and cycles.
Get a good sleep schedule- Sleep rejuvinates your entire body, replenishing it for the following day, an irregular sleep schedule can lead to so many problems in your body one being poor hormone regulation.
Eat your Fruits and Vegetables: These give you the vitamins and minerals you need to keep your body working effciently, a simple vitamin deficiency can leave your body out of whack causing you different symptoms and leading to larger issues.
Get 20 min a day of Sun exposure- Vitamin D really effects your hormones and fertility.
Up your Fish and Olive oil intake- Omega 3 is very important for your body and your hormonal balance, Wild caught salmon is a great choice along with olive oil, avocado and other sources. If you don't like those try a daily omega 3 supplement.
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