Every one out of ten females in India suffers from hormonal imbalance. But how many of us have been able to identify subtle science that regulates this entire system? Do we know that both the hormones & lifestyle are interrelated and affect each other to a great extent? Young females are popping pills to address the symptoms & leading to another set of problems without taking care of the root cause.
This Women’s International Day, Chat on the Mat in rendezvous with Deepti’s an effort to unearth the science behind the interaction of Hormones and Nervous System. Deepti is an internationally certified Macrobiotic Diet Consultant and stalwart in nutrition and yoga who conceptualized Svarasya, an initiative to revive natural self-care approach.
hellomyyoga: How to know if you are suffering from hormonal imbalance?
Deepti: At different phases of life, how our body functions & behaves is the direction given by hormones to our brain. Often, as a result of disharmony between mind-body functioning, the disturbed molecules of nutrition, thoughts, feelings, stress, exercise & various other internal reactions can cause ample hormonal symptoms that may show up as acne especially on the jaw & near mouth area, fatigue & irritability, mood swings & anxiety, digestive upsets & bloating, unexplained weight gain & weight loss, hot flashes & excessive sweating, dry skin, skin rashes, difficulty sleeping, water retention, calcium issues like osteoporosis, thinning hair, blood sugar & blood pressure fluctuations.
hellomyyoga: What is the minimum age it affects?
Deepti: Hormones are very active between 13 years till 18 years, & hence we see outburst of aggressive physical, emotional & mental impulses on teens. The impact is quite active until menopause. During all these years between teens & menopause, the shifts between active & lean phase of hormones keeps changing, based upon biological, physiological, dietary, fitness, phycological factors. However, whatever we look, feel, behave & function at any age, is an interplay of hormones that get impacted by the mentioned factors.
hellomyyoga: What is the major cause behind hormonal imbalance?
Deepti: I believe ‘Disturbed Sleep Pattern’ & ‘Lack of Deep Relaxation’ are the two most prominent causes of hormonal imbalance in today’s lifestyle scenario. Hormones like discipline; the same discipline that nature follows in its daily rhythms. Our body prepares to match the changed nature’s rhythms in a day through hormonal controls.
The daytime hormones are made to keep us active, energetic & alert, while the night time hormones are meant to help us detox, rejuvenate, relax & deeply. The more we started living 24/7 kind of a lifestyle, it has become like a confused state for our hormones.
Sleep deprivation, late sleeping patterns, late waking up, less sleep, improper sleep, improper rest, I believe are some of the major causes of hormonal imbalance today.
hellomyyoga: How far stress affects the hormonal imbalance and how can one cope with it?
Deepti: Sensory perception of stress creates a vicious cycle of release of stress hormones →activation of sympathetic nervous system → release of adrenaline & cortisol → digestive, circulatory, respiratory, immune& nervous distress creating a vicious cycle of emotional, mental & physical issues.
To cope up, we must focus on lifestyle that sends positive bio-feedback to the nervous system. This involves, deep relaxation practices like meditation, body stretching techniques like yoga, fulfilling desires by following passions, easing the load on the body & cleaning it internally with cleansing diet & yogic kriyas & controlling autonomous nervous system by practicing breath control.
hellomyyoga: What is the relevance of food in regulating hormones?
Deepti: The balance of neurotransmitters is the key when it comes to regulating our hormonal health.
Interestingly, many neurotransmitters (that impact feel-good hormones) are synthesized in the gut & our immune system is dependent on some signals passed on through these neurotransmitters. Thus, in the Macrobiotic approach to regulate hormones we focus on incorporating foods that help us improve upon our nerve signaling, immune health & gut health.
Focus on nutrients include vitamin C, B-vitamins (especially B6, B12, and folate), amino acids, zinc, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D are focused strongly.
hellomyyoga: How lifestyle plays an important factor to create balance?
Deepti: From a lifestyle perspective, hormones are highly sensitive to internal cleanliness, order & discipline in eating & living habits, need nutritional support to have a strong impact &need a stress-free environment to keep balance. The more closely we map our daily activities keeping these pointers in mind, the better we will be able to maintain our hormonal balance.
The Ayurveda ‘Dincharya’ concept beautifully provides a guideline to live a lifestyle that is ‘Hormone-Friendly’.
hellomyyoga: What integrated approach do you follow with your patients?
Deepti: I am a strong proponent of ‘Circadian Rhythm’ when it comes to following an integrated approach to deal with hormonal issues.
My foremost focus in such cases is to induce a state of deep cleanses the first & foremost step to healing, then we refill the body with hormone supporting nutrients. Alongside, strengthening the gut health is equally important. Other steps include working on the Dincharya, incorporating activities that help release good hormones such as exercising, & focusing on emotional/mental health by practicing appropriate yoga asanas & meditative practices.
hellomyyoga: Svarasya products that you suggest as a step towards healing
Deepti : Svarasya skincare approach is designed on the premise of ‘Clean Beauty’& is inspired by ancient philosophy. At Svarasya we wanted to create a skincare range that is naturally powerful to cleanse, exfoliate, stimulate & nourish the skin with natural ingredients without any parabens, SLS, Sulfates or mineral components that are known to mimic estrogen & causing severe hormonal imbalances.
Svarasya products support healing drastically with a range of pure & ancient range of products created for inner healing & outer beauty.
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