Endocrine System - Balancing Your Hormones
What is the Endocrine System?
The endocrine system has two main components: hormones and glands. The endocrine (glandular) system works alongside your nervous system (brain, spinal cord & nerves) to control almost all functions in the body. It is super important to our overall health. The primary focus of the endocrine system is to regulate the status of the body & secrete hormones to bring the body back into homeostasis or balance.
Hormones are chemical substances that, when triggered, are released by glands into the bloodstream. Think of the bloodstream as a train system, transporting hormones throughout the body so they can do their job to keep you healthy and balanced.
Glands are just a grouping of tissues that monitors the states of the body and secretes the hormones when an imbalance is detected. The major endocrine glands include the pituitary (or master gland), pineal, thyroid, adrenals, ovaries, testes, pancreas, and thymus. The pituitary gland is one we focus on a lot in Kundalini yoga as stimulating it can aid our bodies in returning to balance.
Another process is the removal of hormones if we have too much. This process is done by the liver (digestive system) while we sleep, however, if the liver is bogged down with a high level of toxins or hormones it will become overtaxed and circulate the toxins & hormones in the blood until it has worked out naturally. This process may not feel too good; just think about a night out drinking and how yucky you feel the next day. This is an example of your liver being overtaxed.
What are Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)?
According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIH.gov), EDCs can be both man-made and natural. They can mimic, block, or interfere with your body’s hormones. We encounter these chemicals daily in cosmetics, food & beverage, packaging, toys, carpeting, pesticides, etc. Contact can occur through the air (think candles), diet (food), skin (cosmetics & beauty products), and water (unfiltered & plastic-contained water). There are 85,000 human-made chemicals in the world today, which continues to increase. Additionally, many of these chemical companies have stated that they create their products to be “tastier” than average food, making the consumer crave more and causing addictions to some foods.
Note: Natural flavors. While they may come from natural ingredients, they are created in a lab. They can have up to 100 chemicals in one natural flavor, creating their “perfect flavor.” This can cause you to experience dopamine spikes that are higher than you see with whole foods, which can create a cycle of addiction & overconsumption. Additionally, solvents, emulsifiers, flavor modifiers, and preservatives can also impact the endocrine system.
What are the impacts on the body?
When exposed to EDCs, it can disrupt, alter, or block your hormone functions. This can cause irritability, stress, mood swings, negativity, diabetes, weight gain, anxiety, depression, and a whole mess of issues we don’t fully understand yet. It can also impact our sexual functions, fertility, menstruation cycles, cause greying of hair, and general drying up the body.
When we have healthy hormonal balances in the body it promotes the healthy activity of serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which leads to us feeling healthier and happy. So next time you reach for the salty or sweet snack, remember what it might be doing to your body and how it can impact your emotional state.
How do you protect your body?
Protecting yourself can be easier than it sounds. Try to reduce or moderate the amount of food that you’re eating that includes chemicals, foods that are processed (i.e. fast food, junk food), reduce the amount of unhealthy oils like corn, canola, cottonseed, soy, safflower, sunflower, grapeseed, rice, etc. Reduce alcohol intake or quit altogether*. Review your food ingredients and stay clear of the list of EDCs provided above. Limit chemicals in candles, cosmetics, fabrics, and your environment.
There are several ways you can restore your body back to balance, you can use cyclical breathing, meditation, Kundalini yoga, walking, earthing, Tai Qi, herbal remedies, ect. Also, the daily routine is great for bring back balance to your most crucial energy systems. https://youtu.be/BWMXg17O2C8
Try Out Yogic Asanas or Poses:
Bowing
Bow Pose
Camel
Cat-Cow
Frogs
Shoulder Shrugs
I hope this article is helpful to your healing journey.
With love,
Jeri
P.S. *If you are trying to quit alcohol, I recommend reading a book called “Kick the Drink Easily” by Jason Vale. After the first read, I was convinced that I would never drink again. And it has been a 2.5 year since I’ve read the book, and I’ve had no alcohol since. I am free from one of the worst EDCs. Sweet freedom at last.
Additional Resources:
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/files/health/materials/endocrine_disruptors_508.pdf
Original Post: August 30th, 2023 Updated: 12/14/2024
