Naturopathic medicine can be the remedy you’ve been looking for to help balance your hormones. Some patients become frustrated when visiting their general practitioner or specialist because they notice they’ve been feeling off, but technically nothing is “wrong” with them. Still, when it comes to your health, you are the person who knows your medical history best and can tell when something is off.
Naturopathic doctors are slightly different from general medical practitioners. While they are trained in traditional medicines, pharmaceutical, minor surgery, and use the exact sciences as medical doctors (MD), they are also trained in complementary treatments such as physical medicine, homeopathy, herbal medicines, nutrition and counseling.
This approach gives patients a more inclusive and comprehensive approach to their health and lifestyle. Because of this approach, naturopathic medicine can be the answer you’ve been looking for if you’re someone seeking a more holistic way to balance their hormones.
The most common and effective ways to balance your hormones through naturopathic medicine can be via changes in nutrition, movement and stress management.
Nutrition Changes to Balance Hormone Health
Changes in nutrition can be an effective and effortless way to get you back to feeling on top. Diets often recommended by naturopathic doctors can include making the foundations of your diet one of organic fruits and vegetables and incorporating more Omega-3 fatty acids.
Some studies have shown that as many as 95% of Americans do not get enough Omega-3s in their diet, while other studies have shown that deficiencies in Omega-3s have been linked to hormone imbalances such as depression.
An assessment with your naturopathic physician can help you determine the other changes in nutrition – including the elimination of fried foods, processed carbohydrates and vegetable oils – can be made to help you feel your best.
Changes in Movement Can Balance Hormones
One of the questions regarding hormone therapy for women that we get revolves around exercise. It’s no secret that exercise generally is good for everyone.
But as with everything else, we should make informed and educated decisions about which exercise and movement are best for our unique hormone health and structures.
While some high-intensity exercises – like HIIT, CrossFit and running – can make you feel good in the moment because of dopamine and endorphin release, they may not be the best choice for your long-term health goals. These kinds of training may cause significant hormone health imbalances when you do more than your body can handle.
Instead of doing such high-intensity training too often, the majority of us will benefit from lower intensity movement such as:
- Stretching
- Walking
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Barre
Your naturopathic doctor can help you determine which training is best for your lifestyle in tandem with other factors.
Stress Will Imbalance Your Hormones
Stress is not always a bad thing. It acts as an alarm to let us know when something is wrong. Still, stress can wreak havoc upon our health when we let it run our lives because our bodies are then subject to thinking we are in a constant state of survival. Many people lead hectic lives that give their bodies very little time to readjust between periods of stress. This shouldn’t make you feel guilty; it’s our world; but, our hormones and overall health would benefit from being intentional and mindful of our time to destress.
This means letting your body find ways to relax and rest. While a massage is excellent and rejuvenates our muscles, it may not be the most practical method for the average person to destress daily.
Instead, gentle movement and sleep should be valued. Allowing your body to get a full eight hours of sleep every night will enable it to repair damaged tissues, help build long-term memory and can help prevent significant diseases in the future, including heart disease, stroke and impaired mental health.
Overall, you can do so many things to balance your hormones better; however, knowing where to start may feel intimidating. But, if you want to invest in your health, your naturopathic doctor can work with you to help build a regime that works best.
If you have more questions regarding hormone therapy for men or women, we encourage you to get in touch with us. Your doctor can’t help if you don’t call or schedule an appointment for an assessment. So, don’t wait until your hormones make you feel horrible. See what your naturopathic doctor can do for you now at NaturopathicRx San Diego.