How to Naturally Boost Your "Feel-Good" Hormones!
Did you know you can naturally increase your body's "FEEL GOOD" hormones?!
Whether it's been a downer of a day, a rough week, or you could just use a boost, learning way to increase YOUR feel-good hormones can go a long way in improving your mood and even help in reducing feelings of anxiety and depression.
Let's jump into exactly what hormones are + ways you can utilize yours to feel your best!
What are Hormones?
Hormones are considered the "chemical messengers" of the body. They are produced and released by the glands of the endocrine system, which includes the hypothalamus, pineal gland, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, thymus gland, adrenal glands, pancreas, as well as the ovary glands in females and testes in males. As a whole, the endocrine system sends hormones directly through the blood to virtually all body cells.
Hormones play pivotal roles in processes such as:
Regulating metabolism and energy balance
Influencing smooth muscle (such as in the stomach) & cardiac muscle secretions
Regulating the chemical composition + volume of extracellular fluid
Allowing proper growth and development of body tissue
Regulating certain activities of the immune system
Contributing to reproductive processes including embryo nourishment + childbirth
Regulating blood sugar, blood pressure, heart rate, etc.
Establishing the circadian rhythms
Regulating mood balance
What Are the "Feel-Good Hormones"?
Of the 50+ hormones found in the human body, there is a specific group commonly known as the "feel-good hormones" due to the happy (and sometimes euphoric) feelings they produce. These hormones include serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin.
You may also often hear these hormones referred to as neurotransmitters, as they can further carry messages between the cell spaces of the nervous system.
How to Naturally Increase Your "Feel-Good" Hormones
One of greatest "life hacks" we can incorporate into our daily routine includes utilizing certain activities, life practices, and even foods to directly promote an INCREASE of these happy hormones!
Find the 4 "Feel-Good" hormones, what they do + ways to naturally increase them below!
1. SEROTONIN
Officially nick-named the "feel-good hormone", serotonin plays an important role in regulating mood and emotions, as well as helping prevent both anxiety and depression. Serotonin also aids in regulating important processes such as appetite, digestion, sleep-wake cycles, wound healing, bone health and libido.
How to increase Serotonin: eating tryptophan-rich foods (i.e., turkey, salmon, eggs, cheese, pineapple, pumpkin seeds), partaking in exercise, getting 15-30 minutes of sunlight, promoting a healthy gut microbiome, sleeping 7-9 hours per night, and reducing stress levels as best as possible.