8 Things I Do Every Day To Keep My Hormones Balanced: A Doctor Explains

Mood swings, bloating, brain fog, "water" weight that just won't go away … if you're struggling with any of these, it could be a sign that your hormones are unbalanced.

What's the point of balancing hormones? Living a long and vibrant life is first and foremost. Hormones rule inflammation, and inflammation is at the root of many diseases like cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

Second, of course, we want to feel good every day! As an integrative M.D., I've dedicated my life to finding the best ways to balance hormones for my patients, my family, and myself. It wasn't easy at first, but with some trial and error, I made the mistakes, discoveries, and optimizations so you don't have to.

Every morning, I mix warm water and organic apple cider vinegar for a morning tonic. The ACV is fermented, which is beneficial for gut bacteria and key in hormone balancing. It's pretty sour, so I like to drink this quickly!

I recommend taking a daily mix of adaptogens, B vitamins, vitamin D, and biotin for optimal hormone health. I'm asked often about which brands are best to take, and truthfully, it's hard to tell. Adaptogens can be contaminated with heavy metals, and vitamin and mineral supplements aren't as pure as we think.

When we want to lose weight, we often will take drastic measures like signing up for a boot-camp-style class. For many people, though, this backfires. Since a workout like this is hard on the body, cortisol shoots up, making any existing hormone imbalance worse. You also may feel completely depleted afterward, causing lethargy and hunger instead of feeling energized.

I count up all the veggies I've eaten during the day and eat the remaining balance at dinner (my goal is 6 cups a day). It's my trick to make sure I'm eating enough nutrients. Veggies are prebiotics, which nourish your microbiome, and having a healthy gut prevents food sensitivity, helps regulate hormones, and promotes a good mood.

That said, dinner is also my lightest meal of the day. My current favorite dinner veggies are artichokes, asparagus, green bananas, and anything with a stalk, like broccoli.

My aim is to get nine hours of sleep a night. Sometimes it's embarrassing to say, but I feel best on nine hours (everyone is different) and am a big believer in getting in as much shuteye as you need. When we sleep, our bodies really repair and heal.

One of the reasons I eat dinner on the early side is so I can more easily do intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is a period of time (usually 12 hours, but with experience you can increase it) when you don't consume caloric food or drink.

Intermittent fasting helps your digestive system rest, which has anti-inflammatory effects on the body. In turn, it's inherently hormone regulating and has even been shown to benefit people with cancer — ones who fast intermittently are more likely to stay in remission.