Tips to Keep Your Hormones Balanced When Traveling
Summer is upon us, and while the annual travel season is fun for most people, it doesn't come without hassles, perils, and problems. Changing time zones can create a mess out of your circadian rhythms and lead to hormone imbalances, leaving you with sleep issues, brain fog, fatigue, moodiness, and an increased risk of elevated blood pressure and blood clots.
Women susceptible to environmental changes can develop hormonal interruptions such as menstrual irregularity or increased menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats. For some people, travel stress can be high enough to cause disturbances to our neuroendocrine systems.
Later in the article, we will share tips on how to help you adapt to travel disruptions on your endocrine or hormonal system.
The Hormones
Many hormones are responsible for our circadian rhythm and endogenous circadian-regulating mechanisms, such as growth hormone, melatonin, cortisol, leptin, and ghrelin. They play an essential role in glucose and lipid homeostasis. Travel can disrupt these timely hormonal secretions and cause changes in body temperature, digestion, appetite, and the wake-sleep cycle.
Even though we may not be able to reduce hormonal changes during our travel, we can help hormones recover much faster with some planning and behavioral changes. Here are some ways travel can affect hormones:
Sleep Hormone
Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate sleep-wake cycles. It is primarily produced in the brain's pineal gland and is influenced by light exposure. The body's melatonin production may be disrupted when traveling to a different time zone, especially with a significant time difference. This can lead to jet lag, where you may experience fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and disorientation as your internal clock adjusts to the new time zone.
TIP: Take the SLEEP Formula containing jujube seed, which stimulates the natural release of GABA, melatonin, and serotonin, which extends sleep time without waking up drowsy.
Adrenal Hormones
Cortisol is a hormone involved in the body's stress response. Traveling, especially long-distance travel or experiencing travel-related stressors, can elevate cortisol levels. Jet lag can be a stressful experience for the body, leading to increased cortisol production. Additionally, disruptions in sleep patterns and exposure to different environments can influence cortisol levels.
TIP: One way to balance cortisol is to take DHEA, a precursor to adrenal hormones that can help replenish and refresh.
Growth Hormone
Growth hormone regulates tissue growth, repair, and metabolism. Sleep is crucial for releasing growth hormones, and disruptions in sleep patterns due to travel can affect its secretion. Lack of quality sleep or disturbances in the timing of sleep can interfere with growth hormone production.
TIP: Take the amino acid arginine to help boost your growth hormone production. Additionally, do 20-30 leg squats on the plane, especially on long-haul flights. Leg squats have been shown to triple your normal growth hormone production while getting you out of prolonged sitting and reducing the risk of blood clots.
Thyroid Hormone
The thyroid gland produces hormones vital to metabolism and energy regulation. Travel-related stress and changes in sleep patterns can influence thyroid hormone levels. Some studies have suggested that travel-related stress may impact the conversion of inactive thyroid hormone (T4) to active thyroid hormone (T3), potentially affecting metabolic processes.
TIP: The amino acid Taurine and trace mineral selenium have been found to support the healthy function of the thyroid gland. These, in addition to potent antioxidants are found in Cell Protect MAX.
Reproductive Hormone
Travel-related disruptions can also influence reproductive hormones. For example, jet lag and changes in sleep patterns may affect the release of reproductive hormones, such as luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which play essential roles in menstrual cycles and fertility.
TIP: The Water Element corresponds to the reproductive system in Chinese medicine. The Water Core Element consists of wild yam, Rehmannia root, and goji berry that help promote hormonal balance and support the kidney and adrenal systems. Be sure to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration while traveling.
The extent of hormonal disruptions during travel can vary from person to person and depends on factors such as the duration and frequency of the journey, the number of time zones crossed, individual susceptibility to jet lag, and overall health. Implementing strategies to mitigate the effects of travel, such as adjusting sleep schedules before a trip or gradually adapting to the new time zone, can help minimize hormonal disruptions and facilitate a smoother adjustment to the new environment.