Happy hormones with nutritionist Mel
Hormones do so much more for us than simply support our reproductive health.
Often hormones are blamed for things that go wrong and a range of negative symptoms - and being described as being hormonal can sometimes come with negative connotations!
And today nutritionist and hormone health expert Mel, talks to us about hormones and nutrition - and if you want to be part of Mel's LIVE group coaching sessions then come and become a Zing Wellbeing member and get direct access to coaches and experts all through the week!
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What are hormones?
Hormones are basically messages being fired off from our endocrine system which loves sending these texts to our organs. And they are essential for health and wellbeing! Hormones are important for reproductive health in men and woman yes, but they are also key to sleep, mood, cognitive function, energy, libido, healthy arteries, and memory.
In clinic, I often see women who are off balance. Flat, low energy, swinging appetite, not sleeping well and some with reproductive disorders, thyroid disease, and often our hair skin and nails tell this same story as well.
But as Naturopaths we are always looking at the whole person and its pretty rare that hormonals are working solo in any of these scenarios. Usually symptoms such as these are a combination of root causes, lifestyle factors, stress levels and of course – diet!
Types of hormones
Can you believe that we have are over 50 different hormones in the human body? We are not just talking about sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone here.
We are also talking stress hormones including cortisol and adrenalin. Remember cortisol is not the bad guy in this scenario it actually helps the body respond to stress, regulates metabolism, and controls inflammation. It is when we have prolonged stress that things start to get out of balance.
We also have digestive hormones including Leptin which regulates energy balance by inhibiting hunger and ghrelin which stimulates appetite and increases food intake.
Don’t forget our sleep hormone melatonin which regulates sleep-wake cycles. Melatonin is stimulated by the light dark cycle so when it is dark ideally melatonin is released and we sleep, when the sun comes up and we see that light it stops being released. Obviously – our lives have gotten a little more complicated since the invention of the light switch and this guy can often get confused about what’s going on. Essentially, we are primitive beasts trying to live in the modern world.
We have so many more hormones which run our day to day lives including our thyroid hormones and the magically oxytocin which stimulates uterine contractions during childbirth and milk ejection during breastfeeding and helps us forget the pain of childbirth and bond with our little people.
Hormone imbalance
If we remember that our hormones are essentially the communicators of the body when we have any of these symptoms that we have spoken about and tend to relate back to hormonal imbalance, we know that it is our body's way of talking to us or sometimes screaming at us for some attention. And I think often as busy working amazing women we can sometimes forget to give ourselves the TLC that we need, that our body needs, that mind need and that our hormones needs to function at their best.
When it comes to our hormones they need all the usual suspects – exercise, water for hydration, sleep, and trying to avoid prolonged stress. And, of course – we can use our food as medicine to help balance our hormones and encourage them in the right direction. We can also use exercise and lifestyle changes to assist.
We must acknowledge that when we are really out of sorts we may need that further assistance - in the form of pharmaceutical or herbal medicine.
A few key things to keep in mind:
Macro Nutrient Balance
Having adequate protein and fat are essential to hormone production. Amino acids found in protein can help regulate the release of hormones and assist in regulating appetite.
Most Australians eat plenty of carbs and many people now know about eating enough protein but most of us could use a little more in our daily diets along with a nice hit of good fats.
When the macronutrients are well balanced, you will also stabilise blood sugar levels which will make for a happy hormonal home.
Up that Mag!
Magnesium is a super-nutrient that supports hundreds of different bodily functions. It is a calming mineral, helping to reduce levels of adrenaline and cortisol and allowing your body to recover from a stressful event.
Magnesium also supports the production of serotonin, the “mood boosting” hormone, and melatonin, the “sleep” hormone. Cacao is one of the richest magnesium foods available so get into the raw dark chocolate!
Love that liver
Responsible for detoxing everything from the body including our hormones – you can love your liver by upping our green intake spinach, broccoli etc. and ensuring we are drinking enough water, reducing our toxins watching our alcohol intake.
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Remember this is general advice. Please see a health professional for any health concerns.
Mel is a Medical Herbalist, Naturopath, Nutritionist, Iridologist, and Trainer.
MHlthSc(D&A), BHlthSc(Comp Med), AdvDip WHM, AdvDip Nat, AdvDip NutMed, Dip Iridology
After graduating as a Medical Herbalist top of her class and with a scholarship in 2011, Mel opened her private practice. She has since completed further qualifications in Nutritional Medicine and Naturopathy, as well as a Bachelor Degree of Health Science, in Complimentary Medicine.
In 2023 Mel completed a Master in Health Science in Drug and Alcohol Addiction.
Mel has extensive clinical experience with a range of hormonal conditions and transitions including menopause, PMDD, PMS, PCOS and the changes females with ADHD may experience with hormonal changes.
She has a special interest in both endometriosis and adenomyosis having personal and professional experience with these conditions.
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