Hormones – the “H” word we don’t talk about enough during the holidays!
If you’re already working through hormone changes, the holidays can easily sabotage any progress you’ve made.
For instance, in my last post, I talked about stress and the holidays. Stress causes your cortisol levels to rise which can send your hormones into a tailspin!
Along with stress, there are many other factors during the holidays that can make your hormones feel anything but merry and bright. Here are a few tips to help you…and your hormones…survive.
- Increase your water intake. The air is typically very dry in the winter, so it is always a good practice to increase your water intake. If you drink alcohol, you should strive to have one glass of water for every drink to help keep your body balanced. Alcohol decreases our production of our antidiuretic hormone. The antidiuretic hormone is used by our body to reabsorb water.
- Limit sugar. Minimizing sugar helps reduce hot flashes and mood swings. Need I say more?!?
- Eat breakfast! It sounds like such a simple thing but starting your day off, especially with some protein, is so important.
- Take a probiotic. Staying regular helps your hormones and is key to keeping your gut healthy is a good probiotic. We have several we recommend and can help you find the right one for you.
- Get some sleep! I know I talk about the importance of sleep a lot, but it should not be underestimated. Our bodies restore during sleep. If we do not have enough sleep, our cortisol increases.
- Lastly, I know you probably don’t want to hear this but limiting alcohol does help. Did you know alcohol contributes to estrogen dominance? If you would like to indulge a bit this holiday season, check out the wine from Scout & Cellar. I learned about their wine recently from a friend and not only did I love it, but I was astonished to hear what is in a lot of the wine we drink…chemicals, pesticides, added sugar and more. If you would like to learn more about clean-crafted wine, check out my friend’s page here.
