Backed by RAIN's Health Expert, Marie Guerlain
In today's world, the prevalence of toxins and chemicals has led to an increase in hormonal imbalances for both men and women.
Men and women react differently to stress and toxins due to their unique hormonal cycles. Women, for example, may experience more pronounced hormonal imbalances and menstrual irregularities, while men might face issues related to testosterone levels and cardiovascular health. These changes in hormones can be due to endocrine disruptors, chemicals that mimic, block, or interfere with the body’s hormones, which are part of the endocrine system. An example of this is BPAs found in plastics, which can migrate from food and beverage containers into the content when heated or even under normal conditions. It can increase chances of cancer (releases carcinogens), cause numerous hormonal disease, including sexual behaviour problems and accelerated puberty, alter the ovarian cycle in females, and lower sperm production. These are just some of the effects of BPA on our health and hormones, which is why it’s so important to learn about our bodies’ hormones and the symptoms.
Men’s hormone health
Men can face issues related to testosterone levels, where we’ve seen levels decrease by 1% per year and have decreased by 25% over the past 15 years, due to endocrine disruptors. As men get older, their testosterone levels will gradually reduce from the age of 30 to 40. Testosterone levels usually are the lowest when men reach their late 40s to early 50s, and they experience symptoms including depression, loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction, mood swings, loss of muscle mass, fat redistribution, insomnia, or poor concentration.
Women’s hormone health
Women can experience hormonal imbalance, with various hormones in their bodies, including sex hormones (especially related pregnancy, periods and menopause), hormones that control metabolism and weight, thyroid function, sleep cycles, and the body’s response to stress. Symptoms include weight gain, fatigue, mood changes, insomnia, hot flushes, infertility, hair loss, and irregular periods. It is so important to balance hormones, because it can lead to more serious health issues, such as menopause, thyroid dysfunction, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, endometriosis and PCOS.
Now, what can we do?
Here’s 5 ways to reduce intake of toxins and chances of hormonal imbalance:
Remove as much plastic as possible out of your life
Avoid BPAs which will disrupt your hormonal balance.
Eat nutrient dense and organic foods when you can
This includes foods in the Clean 15 list, which is conventionally grown fruits and vegetables with very low or no traces of pesticides. This decreases exposure to pesticides, which is largely found in foods in the Dirty Dozen list, which are non-organic, conventional fruit and vegetables with the highest pesticide residues. It’d be best to grow your own if you can!
Use stainless steel pans instead of non-stick pans
They contain phthalates and forever chemical or PFAs, which do not break down in the body. This means that these toxins stay in our bodies unless we detox our bodies of these toxins and chemicals.
Maintain muscle mass by lifting weights
This can increase testosterone levels. People with high percentages of body fat and higher body weights are more likely to have low testosterone levels and experience symptoms.
Mitigate stress by getting into rest and digest
This is the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the state of being where the body can relax and restore energy. This helps balance blood sugars, hormones and sleep, and decrease cortisol levels.
Incorporating these tips into your lifestyle and routine can significantly contribute to maintaining your hormonal health and enhancing your overall wellbeing. Remember that taking these small steps can make a significant difference on your health.
Comments