Have you ever experienced sudden weight gain? Do you experience extreme changes in mood, irregular or heavy bleeding? Or are you lately stressed for no reason, and have loss of appetite/insomnia? Then you may be suffering from hormonal imbalance.

An imbalance in body chemistry due to lifestyle, medications, pregnancy or menopause can cause your hormones to go awry. And as hormones are responsible for a number of body functions, the functioning of crucial organs will get affected.

So what can you do? Do you live with the discomfort or do you go for synthetic hormones, anti depressants, etc. for hormonal imbalance treatment?  Are there any natural cure and life style changes which you can inculcate to bring back hormonal balance?

Yes, there are and we will discover some popular natural remedies here.

Natural cures for female hormone imbalance

1. Avoid Polyunsaturated Omega 6 Fats

This may come as a surprise to some, but polyunsaturated fats oxidize easily and cause inflammation in cells, clogging in arteries. When such cells become part of reproductive organs, they can cause problems like PCOS. So choose fats like coconut oil, olive oil, butter, ghee over margarine, corn oil, peanut oil and other chemically altered fats.

2. Be Away From Chemicals

Storing things in plastic, cooking in Teflon or nonstick cookware can release certain chemicals into your food. These toxic chemicals can mimic the hormones present in our body, and cause hormonal imbalance. Go for organic produce, and avoid coated metal-ware, chemical pesticides and cleaners. 

3. Eat Right Kind Of Foods

Certain foods can help support hormone balance. Calcium-rich foods, iron-rich foods and fiber-rich foods can help women during pre-menopausal phase. Spicy foods and high fat foods should also be avoided.

Increase the intake of flax seed and Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which can act as natural remedies for menopausal hormonal imbalance. Give more stress on yellow and green leafy vegetables, Kelp, beetroot, and bananas are rich in iodine, and help when you are suffering from hypothyroidism.

Include foods rich in Vitamin C, B6, manganese etc in your diet. Animal fats should be avoided.

4. Lifestyle Changes

Getting good night sleep improves hormone functioning and so is exercise. But avoid high intense exercises and go for walking or swimming which is low impact. Regulated breathing and Yoga is also great for overcoming hormonal imbalance.

Drink plenty of water and avoid too much usage of salt and sugar in the diet. Try avoiding caffeine and aerated drinks as well. 

Some women also benefit from switching to cloth pads as they do not react well to chemicals present in pads.

5. Supplements That Can Help

Certain supplements help in balancing hormones in our bodies. Maca, a tuber in the radish family, boosts hormones. Magnesium is great for sleep, PMS and cramping; Vitamin D is better for improving hormone functions; and Cod Liver oil is great for getting Vitamins A, D and K.

Few general tips

  • Pumpkin seed and sunflower seeds can be taken regularly.
  • Taking Ashwagandha tonic is good for women suffering from hormonal imbalance.
  • Certain Yoga Asanas are beneficial for regulating organs. For example, Sarvangasana is for regulating thyroid imbalance. So check out a yoga teacher for overcoming hormonal problems.  
  • Always consult your doctor before taking supplements or medicines.

If you give more stress to balanced diet which includes organic fruits and vegetables, grains, brown rice, lentils, nuts, cereals and sprouts, much of the problems arising out of hormone imbalance can be avoided.