Hormonal depression often affects women but is not just a “women’s issue.” It can affect anyone and can especially hit those with thyroid conditions hard. The traditional medical community often treats this form of depression with a battery of tests aimed at thyroid function, thyroid medications and anti-depressants. It is possible, though, to treat depression caused by a hormone imbalance using a more natural approach and avoid yet another onslaught of medications and their side effects.

• Hormones are those fantastic chemicals regulating your body that you thought were only important during your adolescence. At least that is when everyone ascribes all your mood swings and bodily changes to “hormones.” But hormones play a crucial role throughout our lives acting as chemical messengers in our bodies to regulate everything from growth and development to metabolism and reproduction. Hormones also affect and regulate our mood and when our hormones are slightly off, it can result in a nasty battle with your hormones and depression.

Exercise

Are you tired of hearing about exercise yet? Too bad, because it truly is one of the best ways to restore both physical and mental health. Exercise has so many benefits for the body and mind, so many in fact that it’s hard to find an ailment for which exercise doesn’t work (maybe a broken leg).

Exercise helps alleviate hormonal depression by:

• Improving your mood: Exercise stimulates the release of positive chemicals into your bloodstream that actually combat depression. 

• Increase energy: Depression saps you of your energy and makes you feel lethargic. Exercise leaves you wanting more physical activity. It delivers oxygen and blood to your organs and vital systems giving you more energy to attend to your daily life, something depression can rob you of.

• Improve sleep: Regular exercise can increase the amount of time you sleep and improve the quality of your sleep. Better sleep is closely related to combatting all varieties of depression. 

Maintain Optimal Health

Hormonal depression and hormone imbalances can occur for many reasons — thyroid malfunctions, menstruation, childbirth or pregnancy, and nutritional deficiencies. These are less likely to occur when you maintain an overall level of health. This can include eating a well balanced diet, exercising, taking nutritional supplements and vitamins, and seeing your primary care physician for regular check ups. The more efficient your body, the more efficient the systems maintaining the release of hormones. 

Smart Food Choices

What you put into your body has an impact on your overall health and your hormones. Some foods work to maintain a hormonal balance while other foods work against it. Choosing your foods wisely can help treat your hormonal depression. Try the following diet tips to help with your depression.

• Carbohydrates: Some studies have linked a serotonin deficiency to a carbohydrate deficiency. As you “carb up,” do so smartly. Choose complex carbohydrates rich in fiber and nutrients instead of simple carbohydrates made up of mostly sugar. 

• Protein: Foods rich in protein have been linked to the production of the hormones dopamine and norepinephrine. These hormones help you feel alert, energetic and help you concentrate.

• Vitamin D: Most people get all their vitamin D from sunshine but in many climates, there simply isn’t enough sun. Vitamin D can help regulate your metabolism, boost your mood and help your immune system.

Our hormones didn’t leave us behind when we left those tumultuous teen years behind and our hormones can still cause us problems well into adulthood. But hormonal depression doesn’t mean a life of pills and treatments. Treat your hormone depression naturally by keeping yourself healthy and in shape.  

*The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. Never substitute, disregard, or delay seeking professional medical advice and assistance for any health or mental issue(s) you have or are concerned about because of something you have read.