4 lifestyle factors affecting your hormones
Give your body a little extra TLC and say hello to happy hormones.
Dr Nat Kringoudis shares four lifestyle factors that when addressed can help address stress levels, your PMS and period.
1. Diet
Inflammatory foods can add to the mix. The main offenders are gluten, sugar and dairy. Take a month of keeping these foods on the lowdown and see how it influences your period. These foods also upset gut function, which can impair your body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients, further adding to the issue.
2. Sleep
Poor sleep will only further fuel the cortisol issue. Try getting a minimum of seven hours per night, even if you have to beg, borrow and steal. Again, just try it from one cycle to the next to see if there is any change.
3. Avoid cold foods leading into period time
Chinese medicine places great emphasis on the energetics of foods. Cold and raw foods slow the body down, can lead to stagnation within the body and aren’t advised at the best of times. In the week leading up to your period, try eating warming and cooked foods and observe.
4. Just breathe
Breath is one of the only ways we can help our bodies cope with stress. We can’t always remove stress; the trick is helping the body to cope with it. Take five deep belly breaths each time you are feeling overwhelmed.
NEXT: Under cover the truth about your period.
