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5 Ways to Naturally Balance Hormones while TTC
July 20, 2022 | By Dr. Patti Haebe, NMD
Hormonal balance is essential when trying to get pregnant, especially when it comes to find fertile windows. You’re looking for that luteinizing hormone spike that triggers the release of an egg and then that big beautiful BBT (basal body temperature) rise after, caused by a swift increase in progesterone, that confirms ovulation occurred.
How to Balance Hormones Naturally
When your hormones are out of balance, it can make getting pregnant difficult and adds a great deal of stress to the process. Thankfully, there are many ways to manage hormone imbalance naturally. Here are a 5 methods to get your hormones under control to help you get pregnant faster:
1. Eat more fat!
Our body needs the right kind of fats in order to produce and balance our hormones. When you consume the right kinds of healthy fats, it can actually help to support hormone synthesis and keep your brain healthy and functioning properly. Consider working more healthy fats into your diet by regularly consuming avocados, wild caught salmon, walnuts, and organic olive oil.
2. Eat more chocolate
Wondering if you read that right? Raw cacao is a wonderful food tool that provides high levels of magnesium and iron that allow women to feel nourished and can even help you feel more calm. We know that a healthy stress response and cortisol hormone balance allows your sex hormones to cycle more easily so saying yes to quality organic raw cacao powder in your smoothies or snacking on some 85% cacao dark chocolate for an afternoon pick-me-up may be exactly what your hormones need.
3. Change your mind, change your hormones
The self-talk you practice on a daily basis controls the way you feel and the way you feel correlates with the ways your hormones function and respond. By changing the way that we speak to ourselves we can help to improve our general well being, improve our mood, decrease our stress, and allow our hormones to function as they were intended. Let your mind be a place where positive, empowering, and caring words reside as they guide your body to restoring hormone balance.
4. Supplement to balance hormones
Many women considering hormone replacement therapy or struggling with hormonal imbalance while TTC often look to more natural solutions to regulate their cycles. Vitamin B6 has been shown to support the progesterone dominant, luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and potentially support healthier progesterone and estrogen balance. Women with elevated Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels can also benefit from prolonged use of an herb called Vitex or Chaste tree berry. *
5. Get more sleep and wake up to sunshine
A healthy circadian rhythm (a fancy name for your sleep-wake cycle) has been shown to impact all body rhythms including hormonal cycling. Melatonin is your ‘moon’ and promotes sleep, produced when the sun goes down and encourages rest. Cortisol is your ‘sun’ and is secreted in response to sun exposure, it gives us energy. When you give yourself the gift of 8-10 hours of sleep each night and exposing yourself to direct sunlight each morning upon waking, you are encouraging biological rhythms that can in turn, help your sex hormones and menstrual cycle to function in a healthy and consistent pattern.
As always, all nutrient and supplement changes should be discussed with your doctor prior to beginning or changing your routine or regimen. Download the Premom app to learn more about your hormone patterns today!
About author
Dr. Patti Haebe is a results-obsessed naturopathic doctor. She specializes in pre-conception preparation, fertility and hormone optimization. She is committed to root-cause healing through therapeutic supplementation as well as targeted diet and lifestyle modifications. Her virtual practice, Ocotillo Integrative Medicine, provides integrative consultations worldwide via webcam for those looking to incorporate natural, proactive approaches to their healthcare and fertility journey. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Haebe right through your Premom app!
References
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S008367290860240X
