Your hormones have a lot to say all around your body. Yep, mood, appetite, energy, metabolism and even overall men’s and women’s health can all be affected by them. But while they might be complex to understand, balancing them out doesn’t always have to be.
In fact, Ayurvedic herbs and spices are one of the oldest forms of healing techniques in the world - and have been used for millennia to treat hormone imbalances. Want to know more? We reveal the signs and symptoms that your hormones might be out of whack and highlight a few Ayurvedic ingredients that will answer all of your prayers.
Signs of a hormone imbalance
Your hormones are basically chemical messengers that travel around your body and ensure it works exactly as it should. So, when these are out of balance, they can cause a lot of discomfort - both mentally and physically. Fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, weight gain, cravings, brain fog, sleeping issues, irregular periods and digestive concerns are just some of the signs that you might be experiencing hormonal imbalance.
The reason for a hormone imbalance can vary between people too. It might be because of stress, a lack of certain nutrients, environmental toxins or if you’ve recently given birth or are at a specific stage in your menstrual cycle. The food we eat and our general lifestyle choices also play a part.
Don’t worry if this is all sounding a little too familiar. We’ve all been there. Plus, with a few changes, you can be on the road to a healthier and happier mind and body in no time.
The role of the Dosha
If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know how important your dosha is in your overall health and wellbeing. If you’re new here, don’t worry. Ayurveda says we’re all made up of three doshas - Vata, Pitta & Kapha. Everyone has all three but we’re made up of different quantities and have a more dominant dosha, or body type. This dictates how we feel, act, and respond to certain emotions and foods as well as medical conditions that we might be more prone to. Just like our hormones, when our dosha is out of balance, it can have a wider impact on the rest of our body.
Vata (which controls stress and the nervous system) tends to be aggravated by certain lifestyle choices and technology. If you find yourself feeling a little on edge after too much TV or social media, you’re probably Vata dominant. Pitta (which rules chemical processes) tend to be aggravated by too much caffeine, alcohol or spicy foods. And, a heavy diet and slow lifestyle may result in Kapha imbalances.
By knowing which dosha you’re dominant in, you can then begin to understand how your body works and exactly what it needs to function properly. One of Ayurveda’s biggest life lessons is to strive for balance, not perfection though. To get started, all you need to do is take our simple dosha quiz to find out a bit more about you.
Hormone healing with Ayurveda
Whatever your dominant dosha, there are a few things that we can all be doing to balance out hormones:
1. Learn to manage stress
Research shows that stress is one of the biggest causes of a hormone imbalance as well as other illnesses around the body. For this reason, it’s super important to learn how you can personally deal with feelings of stress and anxiety. Practicing mindfulness, yoga, meditation, journaling - all of these can be easily fitted into your lifestyle and have lots of benefits for both physical and mental health.
Exercise is also proven to help with stress and, while different exercises may be more suitable for different doshas, a light walk or some yoga is sure to help!
2. Enjoy a healthy diet with Ayurvedic herbs and spices
Ayurvedic herbs and spices have been used for more than 5,000 years to help boost overall health and wellbeing, and you’ll be pleased to know there are many that can balance hormonal levels. One of the most popular, Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that helps the body to deal with stress and also has positive effects on the reproductive hormones.
Fennel Seeds, also called Nigella Sativa, boast rich antioxidant properties and contain thymoquinone which is found in many medicines for hormonal balance. And Chaste Berry, a small herbal plant, can relieve symptoms of menopause and infertility issues and is an effective pain relief for reproductive conditions.
3. Focus on your gut health
As we know, in Ayurveda, gut health is super important if we want good overall health and wellbeing. In fact, there’s a famous saying ‘you are what you digest.’ We’re also taught that poor digestion can lead to concerns all around the body as well as build up of toxins and waste. Suhas Kshirsagar, a renowned Ayurvedic practitioner, says “a healthy digestive system is a cornerstone of wellbeing, and every disease is believed to arise from inefficient digestion.”
But did you know that gut health also has a part to play on your hormones? Studies show that a healthy gut can have a direct, and positive, impact on your hormones by balancing out your appetite and reducing your body’s resistance to insulin. There are ways you can support your gut though such as eating mindfully and meditating, which we explore more in this blog. Of course, with our bestselling Rest and Digest capsules, it’s never been easier to give it a little helping hand either.
4. Get more sleep
Seriously. We all know what lack of sleep feels like but it can actually have a bigger impact around the rest of your body. In fact, poor sleep is even linked to hormone imbalances. One study found that after five sleep deprived nights, adults experienced a direct impact in their insulin sensitivity.
That’s before we even get onto the fact that your brain needs to go through all five stages of a sleep cycle to release those all-important growth hormones.
5. Take a supplement
At Deja, we’ve made it even easier for you to benefit from the Ayurvedic super-herbs and spices with our all-natural supplements and capsules. We’ve even created a brand-new functional latte powder designed to balance your hormones and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time.
Jam-packed with Ashwagandha, Cacao, Maca, and Shatavari, our Love Cacao Latte Powder helps to realign both female and male hormones by helping the body to deal with stress, getting you in the mood by boosting your libido and releasing positive feelings in the brain, plus more. It’s a super easy addition to your daily self-care ritual. All you have to do is mix the powder with your milk of choice and sit back to enjoy a warming drink while the spices and herbs do the work.