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Jul 3

Tuning in to your hormones can help you sleep better, lose weight, have more energy and make you feel happier … – The Sun

Lose Weight Comments Off on Tuning in to your hormones can help you sleep better, lose weight, have more energy and make you feel happier … – The Sun

Practical tips to make sure your hormones become and remain balanced

IF you need coffee to get going and chocolate to see you through the day, it could be down to your hormones.

The chemical messengers released into our blood control major bodily functions, from hunger to mood.

Sidey Clark

And when they are out of sync, they wreak havoc with our well-being.

Nutritionist Angelique Panagos believes that by tuning in to your hormones and making simple lifestyle changes, you can bring them back into harmony.

Her new book promises to help you sleep better, lose weight, have more energy and feel happier.

Here, NATASHA HARDING shares the best bits.

IT IS important to understand that no hormone works in isolation. Heres how to make sure your hormones become and remain balanced:

NOURISH: A few easy tweaks to our diet can make a huge difference to our hormonal balance.

Eat the right carbs such as brown bread and porridge. These are are slow-release carbs.

Stay hydrated and avoid caffeine, alcohol and stimulants.

Eat good fats each day such as avocado, because they help to build hormones, reduce inflammation and keep our cells functioning well.

BALANCE: Steady blood sugar levels stabilise our insulin production, this leads to better moods, quality sleep and reduced PMS symptoms.

Maintain your blood sugar levels by eating balanced meals regularly. If you skip meals or leave many hours between them, blood sugar levels can crash.

Make breakfast a priority. Have a good, protein-rich breakfast within an hour of rising. This will boost your mental energy and set your hormone pattern for the day.

Avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners. Foods high in sugar, such as chocolate or sweets, send your blood sugar rocketing. What goes up, has to come down.

The crash will leave you irritable, hungry and reaching for more of the sweet stuff. Read the ingredients labels and watch for sugars many guises (syrups and names ending in -ose, like sucrose or dextrose).

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NURTURE: For you to successfully combat stress and find balance, we need to activate the bodys natural relaxation response.

Prioritise sleep. It is vital for all bodily functions and is controlled by your hormones. We need to start putting a curfew on laptops, computers, tablets and phones.

Laugh more. Laughter is food for the soul. It helps release happy hormones such as a serotonin, which boost mood.

Be more active. Adaptive exercises, like going outside for a brisk walk and filling your lungs with fresh air, can be just what you need to re-energise.

CLEANSE: Toxins can be in the products we use, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat.

Filter your water and buy food unwrapped. Choose food with as little packaging as possible to reduce your exposure to chemicals found in plastics and canned products.

Try bathing in Epsom bath salts for relaxation and boosting blood flow.

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MOVE: Exercise is essential but dont feel like you have to hit the gym. Just spend a little time figuring out what works best for you.

Try to take the stairs, not the lift. Buy a pedometer or activity tracker to monitor your movement and motivate yourself.

Get the kids off the sofa and away from video games go for a family stroll or a kickabout in the park.

RESTORE: Create some me time it is so important for stress reduction, improved mood and good digestion.

Take some time out. Have a quiet cuppa or read a magazine.

Be social. We are social creatures so find your tribe and nurture those relationships.

Treat yourself. It doesnt have to cost the earth, just be sure to stop work, unplug and wind down.

Six key hormones affect what you are like as a person. They are:

PROGESTERONE: Helps prepare the body for conception and pregnancy while regulating the menstrual cycle. Results of an imbalance include irregular monthly cycles, miscarriage, osteoporosis, PMS and irritability.

TESTOSTERONE: Commonly known as a male hormone but women have it too. Over-consumption of sugary foods can cause the ovaries to create too much testosterone. Low-fat diets, depression and lack of exercise can also cause testosterone levels to fall.

OESTROGEN: Performs more than 300 functions in the body including maintaining bone density. Obesity, stress, environmental toxins and too much caffeine can lead to too much oestrogen being produced, causing mood swings, memory loss and problems focusing.

CORTISOL: The stress hormone is the only one we produce more of as we age. It balances blood sugar, the immune system and helps with weight control. Too much or too little causes impaired immunity, risk of osteoporosis and excess belly fat.

THYROID: These hormones give us energy and help maintain weight. Women are more susceptible to thyroid disfunction than men. It can result in weight gain or not being able to shift extra pounds and fatigue.

INSULIN: Created in the body to help regulate blood sugar levels. Results of an imbalance include Type 2 diabetes, irritability and low mood and energy.

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Tuning in to your hormones can help you sleep better, lose weight, have more energy and make you feel happier ... - The Sun

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