Your gut plays a vital role in your body's health – and we're not just talking about your digestion. For example, a 2008 study discovered that your gut represents an estimated 70 percent of your entire immune system, which means it is essential for nutrient absorption, detoxification, energy production and hormone metabolism. Without a healthy gut, you could experience a myriad of problems, such as hormonal imbalances (particularly in women), that the GAPS nutritional protocol may address.

Hormonal imbalance in women is a very serious concern because it can affect puberty, menstrual cycles, fertility, and menopause. Hormones are also responsible for emotions, mood, sleep, blood sugar, blood pressure, hunger, body temperature, and even sex drive. To bring your body's hormones back into balance, you must first understand what could be causing this imbalance.

Hormone imbalance is a serious concern for many women, especially those going through puberty, a pregnancy or menopause. It can also affect women who lead an unbalanced lifestyle. To bring your body's hormones back into alignment, you must first understand what could be causing this imbalance and then seek treatment with your physician or nutritionist.

What are the causes of hormonal imbalances?
Women in Balance writes that hormone balance is intricately tied to the food we consume, toxins we absorb, our weight, how often we exercise and our anxiety and stress levels. Though most women experience slight hormone imbalances with the onset of menopause, unhealthy lifestyle habits can increase the pace of the body's hormonal decline and even lead to premature signs of aging. 

Chronic stress, both emotional (internal) and environmental (chemicals, diet, prescription medications, etc.) may severely contribute to hormonal imbalances. Daily stress can rob you of your energy, muffles your libido, suppresses your immune system, and puts you at serious risk for auto-immune conditions and other long-term illnesses. However, if you suffer from anxiety and long-term emotional stress, this can lead to high cortisol levels in the body, impeding hormonal production.  As a result, your body must steal from its own stores of progesterone to make more cortisol, which depletes this necessary balancing hormone, leading to estrogen dominance.

How can the GAPS Diet benefit women suffering from hormonal imbalances?
The GAPS Diet requires its followers to eliminate all processed carbohydrates, which negatively impact blood sugar.  The hormone insulin, released from the pancreas, is responsible for maintaining appropriate levels of glucose in the blood.  A diet high in processed carbs may lead to insulin dominance and even Type II Diabetes.  The opposite hormone of insulin is glucagon, produced by the liver, and released in response to fat and animal proteins. 

Dr. Campbell-McBride considers glucagon the "master fat-burning hormone, as it "mobilizes your own body fat to be used for energy production."  The GAPS nutritional protocol replaces refined sugar, processed carbs, and grains with nutrient-dense whole foods such as grass-fed meats, eggs, fish, shellfish, animal fats, raw/cooked/fermented vegetables, and organic fruits, nuts, and seeds.

The GAPS diet also recommends supplementing with probiotics and essential fatty acids, as well as implementing light detox protocols such as juicing, Epsom salt/seaweed baths, and reducing toxic chemicals in the home as much as possible.  While many individuals implement the GAPS diet for digestive and neurological conditions, many women (and men) have made dietary changes to re-balance their hormones.

In her book, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride writes about how oral contraceptives can cause serious damage to healthy gut flora. Birth control pills can also lead to numerous vitamin and nutrient deficiency. Additionally, these pills can also severely disrupt your body's natural hormone balance. Empowered Sustenance attest to the power of the GAPS diet if you are taking or have taken birth control, as it can drastically improve and repair your gut's flora and hormonal imbalance.

Meanwhile, another woman was suffering from severe hormonal acne and turned to the GAPS Diet for help. After being on the diet for a few months, she saw significant improvement. While she believes she still has a long journey ahead to completely bring her body's hormones back into balance, she firmly believes GAPS Diet has made a huge difference in her life, from improving her self-confidence to healing her breakouts.

There are numerous other ways the GAPS Diet may rebalance your hormones, whether you are going through menopause, recently had a baby, or simply trying to create lasting lifestyle changes.  For additional information about the GAPS Diet and how to get started, you can consult with a Certified GAPS Practitioner and visit our website today!