Hormone awareness and the awareness of the need for maintaining an optimal health has been growing in the last couple of years, according to Natural Living Ideas. Although the symptom lists that may indicate an endocrine system malfunction is short and because they are often symptoms of other health issues too, not recognizing them timely may lead to overlooking the main cause, i.e. hormonal imbalance.
With this in mind, in today’s article, we decided to present a list with the 10 ways in which our body may be warning us about hormonal imbalance. If you happen to experience one or more of them, make sure you consult your physician because your endocrine system may need to be healed.
10 Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance
- Loss or gain of weight
Hormones are pivotal for the metabolism, including the burning of calories and the storing of calories as fat. So, when the hormonal levels are misbalanced, one may be more prone to weight fluctuations. Although thyroid or adrenal gland problems may be the underlying causes, sometimes the problem may require simple dietary improvements to be fixed. Include foods that are known to contribute to the balancing of the hormones. Consult your physician about these foods or look them up on the internet.
- Loss of muscle mass
As you may already know, there are specific hormones which are crucial for the growth and maintenance of the muscle mass in our body. When they are not synchronized, the body’s ability for processing and digesting proteins from foods is impeded and this increases the risk of muscle atrophy and poor capacity for building new muscle tissues. To elevate your muscle mass, make sure you introduce weight training and light cardio and eat more protein too. Avoid carbs from white bread, rice, and sugar-rich foods. And, last but not least, ensure you get the much needed 8 hours of sleep per night.
- Low libido
Our reproductive system depends on hormones so that it can perform optimally. When the hormones are unbalanced, one may be more prone to low sex drive. To address the problem, follow a nutritious diet that is rich in foods that are good for the hormones and try your best to limit your exposure to environmental toxins from plastics and household chemicals.
- Chronic tiredness
When the hormones are imbalanced, you may feel more fatigued on the daily. In this state, the body overworks in order to perform even the simplest of functions, resulting in a fatigue that does not go away after a good night’s sleep or an afternoon nap.
- Poor sleep or lack of sleep
Our circadian rhythm, which informs the body when it is time for sleep, is associated with the endocrine system so it should come as no surprise that hormonal balances may lead to sleeplessness. Although there may be a lot of reasons for your insomnia, hormonal imbalance is a contributing factor so make sure you consult your physician to find the underlying cause.
- Mood swings and anxiety
When the hormones are not synchronized, you may experience frequent mood swings and anxiousness. Some natural remedies that may help you address this problem are eating more proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbs and reducing your exposure to environmental toxins by eating organic foods.
- You sweat a lot
Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are thyroid gland issues that may lead to excessive sweating. Sometimes, profuse sweating may also be an indicator of hormonal imbalance in women due to birth control or menopause.
- Unusual food cravings
Although craving some foods may be a consequence of some nutrient deficiency, they can also be a symptom of some hormonal imbalance, especially if you are craving salty and sweet foods and if you feel a strong hunger when the body does not actually need to eat.
- Poor digestion
Hormonal imbalance may affect your digestive system and you may be more prone to flatulence, burping, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, indigestion, etc.
- Belly fat
The inability to shed weight, especially from the abdominal area, may be an indicator of some hormonal imbalance in the body. Namely, cortisol, a hormone is known to trigger the retention of belly fat when it is excessively present in the blood. Too much cortisol is usually a consequence of too much stress.
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