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Are Your Hormones Ruling Your Life? (And How To Regain Control)

Our hormones affect every part of our body from our ability to conceive to where we put fat on, so when they go haywire, they can cause big problems

Hormones control everything from where you gain weight to how you feel. They're chemical messengers that help your body work and are involved in absolutely everything we do, whether we realise it or not.

Whatever your age or life stage, hormones are very much part of who you are, so learning to keep them in check is vital to your wellbeing.

Tired, wired, gaining weight and grumpy? It could be your homones (REX)
Tired, wired, gaining weight and grumpy? It could be your homones (REX)

Imbalances in hormone levels can cause problems with energy, mood swings, food cravings, weight, memory, concentration, muscle cramps, sweating, anxiety, tension and irritability. They can even change how well your digestive system works, giving you symptoms such as bloating, flatulence and IBS.

Because of their more complicated hormonal make up, women are even more at the mercy of rogue hormones.

Imbalances of female hormones can give you PMS, irregular periods, endometriosis, fibroids and PCOS and then there's regular PMT caused by surges of hormones around your monthly period. Plus even when periods come to an end, our bodies' response to falling levels of hormones at the menopause can be dramatic.

Which hormones?

Let's focus on the main hormones that we're talking about here - stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, female hormones oestrogen and progesterone and the male hormone testosterone (though there are many others that interact with these) are key.

Stress messes with your hormones and reaching for your caffeine fix can make it worse (REX)
Stress messes with your hormones and reaching for your caffeine fix can make it worse (REX)

Stress

Female health expert Marilyn Glenville has a particular interest in hormones and explains why it's so important we get them in sync.

"The first thing to look at is stress and how the hormonal response it causes has such a huge effect on quality of life and physical health," she explains.

"Stress releases the evolutionary response of 'fight or flight' but in modern times this translates to a wash of cortisol and adrenaline that isn't used for either of these things. So the hormones just stay in your body.

"The digestive system shuts down because your body doesn't deem it an immediate priority, and this can cause IBS symptoms, particularly over long periods of stress

These stress hormones also cause your body to put weight on round the middle, because this is the easiest place you can get energy from if you do have to fight or run away, so you find yourself getting a fat tummy.

"Chronic stress also shuts down the reproductive system," she adds, making trying for a baby difficult.

Add to that the weakening of your immune system, elevated blood pressure and the loss of calcium from your bones (which release it to help blood clot in expectation of a fight), and it's clear that regular high levels of stress need to be dealt with.

Fat around the middle: A warning sign

Hormones can cause our fat to be stored on our bodies around the middle as easy access energy. But fat at the waist puts us at risk of health problems from heart attacks to Alzheimer's.

And it's not just stress. Diet here is a big cause of the problem. And taking control of it is important to help your hormones rebalance.

The types of food we eat and when (such as reaching for a high-sugar chocolate bar when we're stressed or need a pick-me-up) cause a blood sugar roller coaster, that affects our insulin levels - another hormone.

This can lead to cravings and can even cause your body to wake you up in the middle of the night in a panic, without you realising why.

"Women become 'tired but wired' - they desperately need sleep but their bodies aren't co-operating because they're getting mixed messages," says Marilyn.

"Taking control of your eating is an important way to cope with this and begins to encourage your body back into good working order."

Fat in the middle can be cause by stress hormones, not just a bad diet (REX)
Fat in the middle can be cause by stress hormones, not just a bad diet (REX)

What to do?

1. Work out if you have a problem

Symptoms that your hormones are out of whack include:

  • Food cravings and increased appetite

  • Weight gain especially around the middle

  • Slump in the afternoon

  • Low immune system

  • Headaches

  • Nail biting or skin picking around nails

  • Tiredness

  • Mood swings

  • Skin tags and discolouration

  • Premature ageing

  • Thyroid problems

  • Memory and concentration issues

  • Digestive problems

Marilyn doesn't recommend using your BMI, as this isn't always accurate (especially if you play sport or have a muscular build). Instead measure your hip to waist ratio.

You waist measurement (in either inches or centimetres) divided by your hip should equal 0.8 for women and 0.9 for men.

If it's more than this, you need to slim down.

2. Work on your stress

How many times have we heard this? And then we just end up being stressed about how stressed we are.

But there's no badge of honour to being the busiest or most stressed, and focusing on reducing yours is vital for your health. Try mindfulness, meditation or yoga and give yourself a break. We have some great stress reduction tips if you need more help.

Curb your cravings (REX)
Curb your cravings (REX)

3. Get your cravings under control

Cut down refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta etc) and sugar. Ideally cut them out, but let's be realistic here.

These hit your blood stream too quickly, causing a blood sugar surge that results in a following crash.

Instead eat complex carbs, protein and good fats (found in seeds, nuts, avocados), and eat them in small amounts regularly.

"Try to eat a small amount every three hours. This will keep your blood sugar levels stable, meaning your body won't feel a dip and release hormones to counter it," Marilyn advises.

"Eat protein when you eat carbs to make you feel fuller for longer."

Once you're eating good food regularly you'll stabilise your blood sugar and your hormones won't need to work so hard to adjust your body to the highs and lows of a poor diet.

Other tips include eating within an hour of waking (unless you head to the gym first), avoiding diets, particularly the 5:2 (Marilyn is concerned that the 5:2 is not very effective for women and can have negative consequences including weight gain) and avoiding alcohol and caffeinated drinks.

Supplement sensibly (REX)
Supplement sensibly (REX)

4. Supplement sensibly

The only real way to know if you're deficient in vitamins and minerals is to have a blood test. But if this isn't an option for you, looking at your symptoms and diet can help you make the decision to supplement or not.

Marilyn says most people can benefit from taking Omega-3 fatty acid supplements and if you know you don't eat much oily fish, this stands to reason.

Vitamin C, B vitamins and Magnesium are all key in terms of dealing with stress and amino acid L-theanine has been found to help with both mental and physical stress. So if you are going through a difficult period you could try taking some of these to see if you notice the difference.

Probiotics can also be useful, especially if you suffer from stress-related digestion issues.

"Take good quality supplements and make sure the vitamins they are giving you are in the right form for your body to use most easily," says Marilyn.

For example, magnesium oxide is commonly found in vitamin supplements but experts believe very litle is absorbed by the body. In contrast magnesium citrate is fairly well absorbed by the body and though more expensive, is more useful.

5. Sleep

Lack of sleep plays a big part in hormone control. If you're not sleeping enough, your body produces more of the hunger hormone ghrelin, which helps explain why when you're tired you reach for the biscuits.

Getting adequate sleep also allows your bodies systems to recharge, including your endocrine system, so if you want settled hormones you really need to be getting your eight hours.

If you're waking up in the middle of the night it could be because your blood sugar isn't level.

Marilyn explains: "Through the day you rely on sugary pick-me-ups and caffeine to keep going, which causes a blood sugar rollercoaster. But when you're asleep, your body doesn't get a hit of the sugar it's used to and wakes you up with a start when your blood sugar dips.

"To combat this, have a small, healthy snack before bed to help stabilise your blood sugar. An oatcake with cream cheese or hummus will work well and it may be all you need to see you through the night."

6. Exercise

We know exercise if vital for the rest of our bodies, and the hormone system is no different. It helps to speed up your metabolism and is key to staying slim and healthy.

Exercise also improves mood and fights depression, anxiety and stress, plus builds healthy bones and reduces the risk of high blood pressure, cholesterol, breast and colon cancers and type 2 diabetes.

Marilyn Glenville is running a series of health retreats with Champneys Tring, to help women understand their health and hormones and how to take control for themselves.

Two Night Hormonal Health Retreat
Two Night Menopause Retreat
Two Night Fat Around The Middle Retreat
Two Night Infertility Retreat