Jul 3

Happy, Healthy Hormones

We all understand the importance of exercise and healthy eating patterns to maximise our wellness and health. It’s been bashed into us countless times; eat your greens, curb the carb, drink plenty of water, accumulate 10 000 steps per day etc. And many of us do try and adhere to these guidelines, but often for the wrong reasons; to get into that little black dress for our office party, or into a bikini for the summer; aka, for aesthetic reasons rather than the feel-good factor and understanding ‘what lies beneath’.

So what does lie beneath? For starters, a life-changing system called our hormonal system which when managed with care will transform every aspect of your health. The endocrine hormones help control mood, growth and development, the way our organs work, metabolism, and reproduction. The endocrine system regulates how much of each hormone is released. This can depend on levels of hormones already in the blood and the rest lies in our very capable hands.

We can influence our hormones and the endocrine system positively through clean eating and regular exercise, but rarely do we consider other crucial hormones which bring about feelings of happiness and love into our bodies. Hormones that are produced through doing simple everyday activities which we often take for granted. Think about the feelings hugging a dog evokes, a walk in the sunshine, strolling barefoot on a beach, bathing in essential oils, or going for a run.

Here are the four hormones/chemicals we should not ignore. Take time out everyday to appreciate the beauty out there, which in turn will produce these feel-good hormones in abundance.

Know your hormones and how to get more of them

DOPAMINE – The reward chemical

• Completing a task
• Eating food
• Doing self-care activities
• Celebrating little wins
• Listening to your favourite music


OXYTOCIN – The love hormone

• Holding hands
• Playing with a dog or a baby
• Hugging those close to you
• Giving and receiving a compliment


SEROTONIN – The mood stabiliser

• Sunshine
• Meditating
• A walk in nature – especially barefoot
• Running
• Swimming
• Cycling outdoors


ENDORPHIN – The pain killer

• Laughter
• Light exercise – jogging is great
• Essential oils
• Dark chocolate
• Watching a comedy
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