How to Balance Your Hormones Naturally After 40 and Beyond?
“Aging is not ‘lost youth’ but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” — Betty Friedan
In the quest for a vibrant and healthy life, it’s impossible to overlook the crucial role that hormones play. A lot of people don’t even know how to balance your hormones naturally, especially after you reach 40 or 50.
Even less people know what are hormones, how they affect us exactly. Yeah, we all heard hormones are important, hormones this, hormones that, bla, bla, bla…
But do you really understand what hormones are and how they work?
These chemical messengers orchestrate a wide array of biological actions in our bodies, influencing everything from our energy levels and mood to our cognitive abilities.
However, as we age, hormonal imbalances can throw a wrench into this intricate system, leaving us feeling less vital and energetic.
But, here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be that way.
In a recent podcast with James, we delved into the topic of “How to Balance Your Hormones Naturally After 40.”
We explored the fascinating world of hormones, their impact on our well being, and practical steps to optimize them for a fulfilling life.
Who is James Davis?
James Davis is a multi award winning psychologist and coach specializing in helping driven individuals in their 40s to 60s avoid burnout, anxiety, and weight gain. His media background and podcast, “The Midlife Mentors,” provide a distinct perspective on personal branding and communication, making him a sought after expert for well being and performance enhancement in both individuals and organizations.
He is also one of the speakers on The Superhuman Summit that will dive deep into hormones and share practical secrets on how to balance your hormones even after 40.
There will be over 25 other experts and coaches that will dive deep into each of the 4 fundamental pillars The Spirit, The Mind, The Body, The Heart, and show you the hidden superpowers within each of the pillars.
How to Balance Hormones Naturally After 40: Understanding the Hormone Equation
At its core, hormone balance is about maintaining harmony in the chemical symphony that takes place within us.
While there are several hormones at play, there are three major ones that are crucial to understand.
The Role of Pregnenolone and Hormonal Balance:
The 3 main hormones that orchestrate almost all the hormonal events within your system are Pregnenolone, often referred to as the “mother hormone,” Cortisol, often known as the “stress hormone”, and DHEA, or the “youth hormone”.
Pregnenolone is a crucial player in the hormonal orchestra.
It’s the precursor from which our bodies manufacture cortisol (the stress hormone), as well as DHEA (the youth hormone).
When stress becomes chronic, pregnenolone is predominantly used for cortisol production, leaving insufficient resources for our youth hormone, further exacerbating imbalances.
DHEA is a precursor hormone that gets converted into other hormones like testosterone and estrogen in the body.
It is associated with vitality and youthful characteristics.
In other words, when your body is producing more of the stress hormone there are not enough resources to produce the youth hormones and that makes a huge hormonal disbalance in your system.
The 3 Factors of Hormonal Disbalance:
1. Stress: This is number one (as we explained). Stress is the biggest The Hormone Disruptor. Stress, often considered the modern epidemic, tops the list of factors that can wreak havoc on our hormones. Chronic stress can lead to imbalances, adversely affecting our overall health.
2. Diet: What we consume has a direct impact on our hormonal balance. Diets high in processed sugar and laden with pollutants can disrupt the delicate equilibrium.
3. Age: Aging is inevitable, but suffering due to hormonal imbalances isn’t. As you can see, age is 3rd on the list, it’s not first, nor second. By adopting the right beliefs, dietary habits, and exercise routines, we can mitigate the effects of aging and keep our hormones optimized.
How to Manage Stress so You Can Balance Your Hormones After 40:
Effectively managing daily stress is paramount to maintaining hormonal equilibrium.
This involves recognizing your individual stressors and staying within your stress limit to prevent hormone disruption.
Pinpoint your daily stressors, be it from work, social media, the environment, family… and try to eliminate as much as you can.
Social media or the news, these things you can curate so you are not bombarded with stressful information all the time.
The stressors you cannot eliminate like your kids, work, etc. there are few things you can do to manage your stress.
First, you can improve the relationship you have with stress. Don’t see it as stress, see it as family duty or work duty.
Second, try to limit the time that these stressors affect you daily.
And third, apply methods to destress like night routine, relaxation exercises, massage, yoga, meditation, listening to calming music, warm bath, exercise, etc.
Contrary to the misconception that exercise drains energy, it actually does the opposite.
Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins and hormones that boost your energy levels, making exercise a powerful tool for achieving vitality.
Engage in strength training exercises like compound movements (e.g., squats, deadlifts, bench press). Building muscle can boost metabolism and support hormonal balance.
What Foods to Eat to Balance Your Hormones After 40:
Optimizing your hormones through diet and exercise can have a significant impact on your overall health and well being.
Here are some dietary and exercise recommendations to help you balance and optimize your hormones:
1. Balanced Nutrition: First of all before we get into specifics, consume a well balanced diet. That’s a diet that includes a variety of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. A balanced diet provides essential nutrients required for hormone production and regulation.
2. Healthy Fats: Include sources of healthy fats in your diet, such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish like salmon. These fats support hormone production and cellular health.
3. Protein: Incorporate lean protein sources like poultry, fish, tofu, and legumes into your meals. Protein is essential for building and repairing tissues, including those involved in hormone production.
4. Fiber: Eat plenty of fiber rich foods like whole grains, vegetables, and legumes. Fiber helps regulate blood sugar levels and can prevent insulin spikes, which can disrupt hormone balance.
5. Limit Sugar, alcohol and Processed Foods: Minimize your consumption of sugary foods, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods. These can lead to insulin resistance and hormonal imbalances. Alcohol can also have an impact on your hormonal balance, so avoid drinking too much.
6. Manage Carbohydrates: Choose complex carbohydrates like whole grains and vegetables over simple carbohydrates (sugars, refined grains, candy, soda and sweetened beverages, and of course, processed foods). Complex carbs provide sustained energy and help stabilize blood sugar levels.
7. Phytonutrients: Include foods rich in phytonutrients, such as berries, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli and kale). These foods contain antioxidants that support hormonal health.
When we talk about food we have to mention Hydration. Stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Dehydration can affect hormone balance significantly.
What You Should Remember?
Optimizing your hormonal balance naturally after 40 is not only possible but also a gateway to a life filled with vitality, joy, and purpose.
By understanding the role of hormones, recognizing stressors, and embracing the right lifestyle choices, you can take charge of your well being and unlock your full potential.
Dive into the podcast to embark on your journey to balanced hormones and boundless energy.
You have to power to optimize your hormones and unleash the superhuman potential that your body has within. Everything we talked today with James is just a glimpse of the hidden superpower of The Body.
I help people upgrade their Spirit, Mind, Body, Heart to become the best version of themselves! After 10 years of writing, coaching and collaborating with top coaches from all around the world I have learned the best secrets to help you unleash your full potential! You can be a Superhuman! Write me at davcevskid@gmail.com if you have any direct question! Much Love!