Hormone Balance- Hormones behaving the way they’re supposed to

In this post we’ll talk about how hormone balance is not just about having the right level of hormones in our body, it is also about their ebb and flow- how they rise and fall depending on our daily rhythms.

Our bodies generally follow a circadian code which can be defined as an internal clock that regulates our biological processes including the release of certain hormones that govern our bodily processes such as sleep, wakefulness, hunger, mental alertness, mood, stress, heart function and even immunity.

This means that our bodies are intended to operate on a daily rhythm. When there are disruptions to this rhythm, and consequently disruptions in the timing of hormone release, our day-to-day activities are affected. Moreover, it puts us at risk to long-term adverse effects on our health.

An example of this hormonal “ebb and flow” is how the hormones’ Cortisol and Melatonin are meant to rise and decline in a day. Ideally, when our body’s circadian clock in-synch or in proper rhythm, our Cortisol levels rise in the morning to make us ready for the day ahead- this is known as the Cortisol Awakening Response. 

As we wind down from our day’s activities, Cortisol naturally declines and our bodies now release more melatonin to get us ready for restful sleep- melatonin is at its highest levels at night.

When we are out of synch and experience a disrupted circadian rhythm such as when our bodies do not release enough melatonin at nigh but instead releases high cortisol, one or more of these things can happen to us:

1. We have trouble sleeping
2. We feel fatigued instead of refreshed waking up in the morning
3. We gain unwanted weight
4. We experience unexplained anxiety
5. We tend to make poor decision due to brain fog
6. Our immune system is compromised making us prone to illness