Are you feeling irritable, bloated or just not at your best? Changes in your hormones could be the reason. It's normal for your levels to be during your period of pregnancy or menopause. But having an unhealthy lifestyle can also lead to an imbalance in your hormones. Here are some habits you should avoid.
Hormones are chemicals produced in the endocrine glands and help control many vital functions of our body. Hormonal imbalance occurs when the levels are either low or high, leading to other chronic diseases, from thyroid, PCOD, diabetes, infertility and acne. So how do we know if our hormones are not balanced? Many lifestyle habits could be affecting your hormones. For optimal hormonal balance, one should avoid inevitable mistakes that could make your hormones go haywire.
Coffee on an empty stomach: Love your coffee first in the morning to kickstart your day. However, having caffeine before anything else is the worst thing you can do to your metabolism, which may lead to every kind of gut and hormonal issue.
Stress: A restless mind and body may increase cortisol (stress hormone) which disturbs all other hormones. On the other hand, a peaceful mind (with the help of pranayamas) ensures balanced hormones.
Day-sleep: Can't survive without your daily dose of afternoon siesta? This may be affecting your health adversely. Sleeping during the day for more than 30-40 minutes increases Kapha dosha in the body and slows your metabolism.
No fixed meal times: Eating at fixed times is mandatory for optimum gut and hormonal health. Eating at the wrong time confuses your stomach. It disturbs the release of digestive enzymes and hormones (ghrelin and leptin), which is the primary cause of gut issues like acidity, gas, bloating, leaky gut, IBS, etc.
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Lack of sound sleep: Your liver detoxifies, and your body and mind relax when you have a sound sleep. The better you sleep, the quicker you heal. Improper or disturbed sleep disrupts your hormones and can lead to gut issues, obesity, irregular periods, etc.
Unhealthy foods: Excessive white sugar, alcohol, processed foods, excessive nonveg, leftover and deep-fried foods, fermented foods, gluten and dairy can increase inflammation and disrupt your hormones. You are what you eat and digest. Just limiting these foods can improve your hormonal balance.
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