The question heard round the world, how do we balance hormones?
Hormones have been the villain for years. Now more than ever, we have a hormonal epidemic on our hands. From irregular periods, PMS, early menopause, hot-flashes, low-libido, erectile dysfunction, depression, anxiety, PCOS, endometriosis, joint issues and countless others, we have a real issue going on.
While traditional medicine takes you on a very narrow journey of trying to mask all of these things with a simple daily pill or cream, there are other ways that actually work to fix the root. The goal in the end is to create an even harmony of your body doing the job it was designed.
Now I’m not saying that modern medicine isn’t working, for some it is working quite well. In other situations we need it. But outside of that, the solution has been only one your doctor can prescribe. Today we’re going to learn about treatment you don’t have to sit around and wait for, but things you can do today to find relief.
On this podcast we go in-depth to five natural ways to balance hormones, but in this article we’ll uncover one very detailed and yet so simple process of keeping your hormones in check so read on and listen in and you’ll have the steps you need to balance hormones in your body.
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biofeedback markers
Feedback is a critical aspect of life. It allows for us to know how well we are doing at something, keep us in check and make sure we are traveling along the right path. We use these markers in nearly every aspect of life from step trackers, budgeting, to the gas meter in our car.
Feedback is a simple process of collecting information and making a judgement based on what is provided. Feedback is defined as:
the modification or control of a process or system by its results or effects.
Our body also has a way of providing feedback through an intricate system that should make living a healthy life as easy as drinking when you are thirsty.
Unfortunately through years of ignoring and pushing away our biofeedback signals, our body has lost the connection with what it actually needs. The good news is we can regain this and have a better understanding of how our hormones, metabolism and body is functioning. Our end goal is to keep everything in check.
our body is amazing
If you really stop and ponder our body, there is no denying how amazing it is. One of the most impressive systems we have in our body is our nervous system. The connection of our sensory organs, to our mental feelings and even our physical feelings. The way the mind captures all of the information and appropriately signals for every single function {feeling, touch, smell, etc} in the body.
We can feel how food is being processed in our stomachs, to the change in stress levels at certain noises or phrases. We can hear sound change by small fractions and smell things for miles. What is even more crazy is that this happens automatically. We do nothing or think nothing to receive it, it’s there just waiting for what you will do with it.
what will you do?
Here’s the kicker, these signals are there but it falls into our court what we will do with them and how we will use them. Maybe I should ask, which senses are we even paying attention to?
- Our body can signal thirst, but will you drink?
- Our body can signal exhaustion, but will you rest?
- Our body can signal worry, but will you de-stress?
- Our body can signal hunger, but will you eat?
So often I find we get so overwhelmed with the constant information coming in about health, nutrition, what to eat and how to live that we can’t even begin to sort out the information our body is telling us.
We have more knowledge than any generation, yet we are also the most unhealthy.
It’s kind of disheartening when we really look at it. We have the most knowledge about our body, the intricacies of it, we even have some pretty great recommendations, standards and diets on how to feed our body including when and how to move it. Yet, we’re still here. With obesity, cancer, autoimmune disease, hormonal disorders and mental disease all increasing daily.
We are overrun with information, that we now live in confusion. Through that confusion we can’t figure out right from wrong. We don’t know what the answers are, we become saddened, stressed and overwhelmed. Yet deep down, we still want to know.
right in front of you
Here’s the deal, you can have all of the information in the world. You could know every diet plan, how every process in the body works but still be stuck. Why?
When we listen to the thought processes, ideas and standards over our own body’s needs we lose. Every single time we lose, because we are all unique. There isn’t one standard that works for everyone. The more we fill our mind with what we should be doing we lose out on the very thing that knows exactly what will work. We lose out on hearing our biofeedback cues.
The answer to your hormonal issues, metabolic issues, inflammatory issues could simply be you’ve forgotten to listen to your body first.
the one way to health
The only way we will ever achieve lasting health is through knowing our body. Having a deep sense of self-awareness, listening to it’s every cue and not over thinking it.
[Tweet “You can’t out smart your body, so stop trying.”]
If your body signals hunger, eat, because no amount of starvation is going to fix the energy problem.
Same goes with sleep, stop trying to use caffeine and other stimulants to push your body to a place it doesn’t want to go.
With exercise, don’t even try to beat your body into submission because it won’t work.
We must stop, understand, value, listen, have patience and respect and honor the very temple we have a privilege of taking care of. Sure, we can use standards as a starting point, but I can assure you there isn’t one set of calories, macronutrients, points or an exercise plan that is going to change your world without you first listening to you. There are deep desires, physiological needs and requirements your body is crying out for.
the easy path
Remember when I told you the amazing thing about our body is that it signals everything automatically? It doesn’t take any thought, note or alarm to remember, it just happens. Our body signals what it needs and you provide, nothing less and nothing more. End of story.
Stop trying to overcomplicate it and just start paying attention to it. A natural flow will happen pretty quickly and you’ll soon realize just how much your body can change from day-to-day.
fix your hormones
So by now you may be wondering how biofeedback markers can in fact fix our hormones? Let’s just be upfront. Our endocrine system is an intricate and delicate system that works diligently to keep our system in check. Our endocrine system is also the system that releases hormones.
Hormones are the messengers that tell the body to burn fat or store fat, remain full or feel hungry. They tell the body to have cravings or not, enjoy balanced energy or feel fatigued. Hormones impact our mood and motivation and essential compromise the software of our body, they give the body instructions about what to do with the information {food, toxins, environment, stress-level, joy, mentality} it is exposed to. Hormones create our biofeedback markers.
When our biofeedback alarms through thirst, exhaustion, hunger, moodiness, we know something is out of whack and we need to fix it. In most cases, it literally means provide what it is signaling. The problems arise when we choose to override them, ignore them or outsmart them {remember the thought that if you drink water you can overcome hunger?}.
In order to fix our hormones, create balance and harmony, we have to provide what our body needs and that is signaled through the intricate process of biofeedback, not through the next set of recommendations on the magazine cover. Let me give you a few examples of biofeedback and how to honor your body, balance hormones simply by listening and acting.
sleep
We’ve heard for years that you must get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Nothing more and nothing less. It has been taught to be the golden standard, but if we flip that on its head and understand there is no set standard for sleep, other than knowing it is critical to get an adequate amount by listening to your body. Knowing your sleep chronotype can help you understand your sleep patterns.
Our biofeedback loops will tell us, when we need to go to bed and also when we should wake up. Through using these things and knowing our chronotype as opposed to the recommended 8 hours per night we can start to see quality improve.
The better the quality of sleep, the deeper you sleep the more positive the hormonal flow will benefit. Listen to your body, if you are you groggy, not productive, or relying on caffeine to get you through the day, maybe you need to adjust your sleep schedule. Get more sleep, find ways to get better quality of sleep, or in some cases, maybe you are getting too much sleep.
thirst
This is a pretty basic one, drink when you are thirsty. Not when you think you should be drinking, or as you are guzzling water to win the next hydration challenge at work. Both of those things can actually do more harm to your hormones than good.
In fact, our thirst mechanism is one of our strongest biofeedback loops, yet we fail to miss it. Given that we are the only species on the planet that needs to be told when and how much water to drink it’s foolish, when you think about it, right? We were born with this stuff, we just have to honor it. Bottom line, drink when you are thirsty.
know this
You see where I am going with this? Above all of the recommendations and requirements we must first listen to our body. We need to stop trying to beat it into submission, stop trying to push past the pain and fatigue, starve or deprive and know that none of these things are going to make you more successful in any aspect of life.
Instead we need to stop and first analyze our own needs, drives, desires and feedback. To supply what it needs first and use all the other standards as starting points. To use it as a foundation to shape into a plan that works for you.
Of course a constantly changing one, knowing our metabolism and hormones are not static.
biofeedback markers to know
If you feel like you’ve lost all sense of your body or even if you have a good grasp, here are some crucial biofeedback markers to note;
- thirst
- hunger
- energy levels
- mood
- menstrual cycles
- body temperature
- digestion
- cravings
- sexual function/desire
- happiness
- muscles
- body odor
- skin sensitivities
While there are countless other biofeedback loops, these are some of the most important when it comes to our hormonal or endocrine system. If you feel like one or any number of these is extremely high for a longer period of time than just a couple of days, it means it’s time to take your hormones seriously. To get life back in balance.
When these things are in check, your body is on its way to lasting health.
Biofeedback markers are one of the greatest tools of your body, use them to your advantage.
first step
If you want to try to balance hormones, I’ve put together a comprehensive list of five foods you should avoid . Use these foods to test the reaction to your body. When you eat those things, do you notice change in how you feel, your mood, energy, cravings? Now what happens when you avoid them?
So often we live with blinders on that we only see the number on the scale. You have to know that in the end that number tells us little about our overall health. In fact, it tells us nothing other than a change but not what type of change. Get rid of the blinders and start to see your body in an entire new way.
While you’re thinking about this, don’t forget to listen to the other four natural ways to balance hormones.
hormones out of whack?
Tired, sluggish, groggy, moody, depressed, anxious, struggling with PMS, low libido or all of the above? Check out my free one day hormone reset which walks you through a quick and easy program that can help your hormones get back in check. It’s the quick solution to reset your hormones helping you to feel more alive in just one day.
Sign up below to join me on this journey to knowing you, uncovering a the real you and helping you to live with more energy than you knew was possible.
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