As a woman do you experience migraine, insomnia, weight gain, hot flashes, mood swings, low libido, or even infertility without an explanation?
You may be having hormonal imbalance, according to Dr Isaac Ayodele, Founder, Diafa Ayodele Herbals.
In an interview, he said nature could cure the disease.
According to Ayodele, a Herbal Medicine practitioner and holder of Doctor of Science in Public Health from Atlantic International University, Honolulu in Hawaii, United States, though hormones could be diffucult to set straight, it is not so if one uses natural means.
He said hormones regulate cells and tissues in the body. The balance of hormones produced by the body is essential to good health and well-being, he added.
According to him, hormones are incredible chemical messengers in the body that affect everything – the brain, heart, bones, muscles, skin, and reproductive organs. “Hormones are an essential part of the workings of every cell in the human body. They also work best when balanced. However, stress, poor food choices, inadequate sleep, synthetic hormones, and sedentary lifestyles can throw hormones out of balance and create real health problems. When your hormones are out of balance, it can contribute to migraines, insomnia, weight gain, hot flashes, mood swings, and low libido, to name a few. Over time, hormone imbalances could lead to rapid aging and increase risk for disease. When hormones are balanced, you could regain your sexual vitality, sleep better, have more energy and just feel better,” he explained.
On how hormone imbalance impairs health, Ayodele said the healthy, body manufactures its hormones to keep it functioning. It becomes unbalanced when subjected to inadequate supplies of nutrients, inordinate stress and toxic influences. Balance is the most central aspect in a woman’s health.
“We often assume that all illness is a product of injuries caused by germs or bodily harm. But it is not always true. When we live in a way out of balance with our nature or natural cycles, we accumulate certain patterns and build up imbalances that lead to stresses on body system that build on one another and, eventually, lead to illness. Balanced hormones are important for the cure and recovery from ill-health. In conception, for instance, a balanced hormone is key to a successful natural conception and healthy pregnancy,” he said.
According to Ayodele, raw carrots, which contain a unique fibre helps to detoxify excess estrogen from the body. Men and women can benefit from this practice, since estrogen dominance or too much estrogen in the body is a component of hormonal imbalances in both sexes, he said.
He said: ‘’For instance, women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can naturally balance their hormones by eating only carrots diet for some days. This is very beneficial for women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome, including migraine. Carrots diet could lower the estrogen within a few days. This raw carrot diet is also appropriate for those suffering from epilepsy, insomnia and arthritis.’’
He continued: ‘’Take control of your mental and stress levels. One of the factors that rob us of hormonal balance is lack of focus and negative thoughts, which lead to stress. If women who have stopped ovulation prematurely should reduce their stress and be more positive and focused on their goal of conception, they can ovulate again.
‘’Eat foods that promote natural fertility. These are foods that help to provide the right pH needed to make conception possible. The blood pH should be 7.2, which is slightly alkaline. Hence, choose food fertility diet with a focus on alkaline-forming foods. Therefore, if you want to function optimally, you should be doing your best to keep it this way daily. Typical acid-forming foods and drinks to avoid are: white sugar, wine, coffee, soft drinks/colas and wheat flour.’’
Ayodele said the acid-forming foods may be a breeding ground for micro-organisms, such as yeast (candida), fungi, and negative bacteria and viruses to thrive in the body, leaving the body susceptible to various health-related issues, including the following: interference with enzymes and coenzymes, reducing the absorption of essential vitamins and minerals needed for hormonal balance, menstrual difficulties, urinary tract infections, impotence, chronic pelvic pain and the wrong pH for sperm to survive.’’
He cited nutritionists who advocate that one should try to achieve a diet that consists of 60 percent alkaline-forming foods, and 40 percent acid-forming foods. ‘’But still keep healthy basics in mind when choosing your acid-forming foods. Don’t be afraid of choosing acid-forming foods either, such as lean, organic animal protein as these are vital for hormone building, just be sure to top up the rest of your plate with plenty of alkaline-forming foods, such as organic, dark leafy vegetables, chickpeas, cucumbers, sprouts, avocados, quinoa, and buckwheat.
‘’Eat Liver. Liver is reputed to be the ideal super food to balance hormones. It is the most nutrient-dense food on the planet. Most importantly, liver provides the highest source of vitamin A, one of the most valuable vitamins to balance hormones. Vitamin A not only improves thyroid function, it also improves liver health so we can synthesise and detoxify hormones well.
‘’Walking is vital. Of all exercises, walking stands out to balance hormones. Chronic cardio exercises, such as jogging, running, spinning classes and even cross fit places undue stress on the body. Prolonged cardio exercises create free radical damage and spikes stress hormones. Chronic cardio exercises also impair balanced hormones; hence, those with adrenal fatigue should avoid cardio exercises for one month.
‘’Walking, in nature, on the other hand, provides a restorative yet invigorating exercise ideal for balancing hormones. As a matter of fact, walking has been shown to reduce cortisol levels (a stress hormone) and boost the immune system. High cortisol levels create inflammation and perpetuate hormonal imbalance, so reducing cortisol is very helpful. It also stimulates the lymphatic system to help flush toxins from the body and works the muscles without undue stress on the body.
Ayodele said one should avoid hormonal birth control pills but take egg yolks. “The pill and other forms of hormonal birth control create a cascade of hormonal imbalance in the body by creating nutritional deficiencies and disrupting gut bacteria. On the contrary, we have been throwing egg yolks down the drain due to cholesterol-paranoia, but it turns out that the yolk provides the most valuable nutrition,” he explained.
He said egg yolk contains Vitamin A to balance hormones and one couldn’t get it from vegetables. It also contains Vitamin D, which works more like a steroid hormone in the body, so it is vital to balanced hormones to receive enough of this fat-soluble vitamin. Egg yolk has Selenium, which is necessary for the conversion of thyroid hormones from the inactive form to the active form. Egg yolks are nature’s thyroid support supplement, due to the selenium content, vitamin content and healthful fats. (About 40 percent of the selenium is found in the white and 60 percent is in the yolk.)
Ayodele said though it sounds funny, a long hug of one’s loved ones could stop hormonal imbalance.
Quoting a neuro economist, Paul Zak, Ayodele said: “A 20-second hug with a romantic partner has been shown to spike oxytoxcin, the ‘Happiness Hormone’.”
By: Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha
