Foods to help regulate hormones

[Adora]

Suiren - I find adding cold water to warm bath water to be the most unpleasant experience. A shower is easier and more safe than CT in a bath. After your next warm shower (best after exercise and high fat meal, so your body feels warmer) gather your convictions and turn the water all the way to cold, and get out of the stream, quickly. Next, tell yourself you are just going to put on foot in the cold shower. Promise yourself  only that. If the water is cold enough it will numb your skin, which is good because after it will be quite tolerable. Then, you can either go up your leg a bit or to other foot. You're a strong mother Suiren, I have complete faith in your ability to get all of the way in. Decide in small steps. First, lower body, then hands. Then, I cup my hands and cool/freeze my face. Then, arms, and just as I approach shoulders I go under at my core. I'll be honest, that step is really hard, but once your skin is numb you're much more comfortable. It is even fun to realize you've done it, your victorious. I do what Whim Hoff says. As soon as my body is under and cool, and my breathing is calm (always breathe through your nose, it keeps you much warmer), I feel for my inner fire. Its deep in your core, chest, belly, or womb. Mine moves but it is remarkably warm, a fire in contrast to the cold all around me and I experience the truth, the well spring of my vitality. Like, the core of the earth in winter, I too am ablaze with life.
  I always move, although Whim and Jack both say it is easier to be still. That has never been true for me. I weave and turn in the bath and shower.
    Your skin should get red, never white, shivering is fine, but not necessary, my head and back are the hardest part. I still get head aches every time I do, and I can only tolerate 10 secs.
   I like to linger at my thyroid and get it really icy.
If you don't have a shower. Exercise to get warm and then turn on the faucet and get in when there is only a puddle in the tub. get you feet, to your knees then hands face and arms, then sit down and splash the cold water around you to evenly distribute the cold. Then, relax if you can, it's a hard place to start. I would set a timer and get out no matter what after 2-3min max.
    When your all done, you may want to get warm. I have never had a man to warm me and i don't mean to get in your business, but your husband seems supportive of your health. Maybe he could be waiting with a big towel, or warm covers.
    Later, in you're training you may like to stay in the cold air naked, I go in my bed room which is 55degs C and I fold clothes or dance while I air dry and smother oils. You learn to love the cold, not for a while though.
  I still love the warm and today after CT I snuggled in my bath robe by the wood stove, enjoying my tea. Every day is different there is no wrong way. All CT is good CT.

[raw]

Surien, have u tried sungazing yet? We have a whole topic on it by Raw-Al. Only sun gazing can cure everything for free

[Barefoot Instincto]

Adora, have you had good successes with hormone regulation through cold training? I've started to go at it a few weeks ago. I do quite a bit, but feel I could be doing a lot more. I suspect my hormones have been severely out of whack for the last decade. Everyday of my life I get anxiety, several times a day, in a lot of situations. Makes me sweat a lot, and its basically trained my systems to soak me, and especially my hands, which can go from dry to drenched in literally seconds. Its kinda fucking up my entire life. ._<

I always had felt more comfortable in the cold than others did generally, so it was an exciting idea to immerse myself in this world of cold.

Not all of my showers have a cold component, but many do. A lot of times it won't be the coldest setting though, but still very cold. Then I do things like driving with both my front windows down anytime I drive (which is daily), and sometimes my A/C blasting on high, for stretches of 10-40 mins, usually split up by a few minutes of a bit of heat if it drags past 15 mins or so. I live in Canada so its really cold at this point of year. I also sleep with no heat in my room.

Problem is, my problem is still as bad as ever. Feels like I have a massive fire burning inside me when this happens, but its not the good kind of fire. Its a fire that burns me, makes me worry, makes me anxious, and expels large amounts of water from my over-trained sweat glands. Anytime I'm overcome with anxiety it feels like a heat regulation issue, as when I'm calm, I'm a normal relaxed temperature. In this moment it feels like my hands may never sweat again (unless it gets triggered again and starts). But then when they do inevitably sweat because of something (an environmental trigger, or simply my own thoughts when I'm alone), it feels like it can never stop, until it does when I calm down somehow. This is why I thought cold training would help me master my mind, body, and all of its systems.

I think I need to be more strict with my cold showers to probably make the biggest difference. I'm definitely committed, because at the very least I know that its an amazing way to improve the cardiovascular system.

I just want my mind to cool down and relax, so that my body doesn't go into an uncontrollable hot sweat. I'm also working on proper daily, mindful breathing. At current rates I imagine I'm taking in a quarter of the oxygen I'd be able to if I were paying attention. From what I hear, proper breathing is the best strategy for controlling anxiety (which is just a symptom, I'm sure, of a whole range of issues such as my low self-confidence/esteem, fear of humiliation and criticism, fear of screwing up or dread of even having to deal with mundane things, etc).

I know it doesn't need to be this way though, as my body was functioning normally before a decade ago. I was very much unlike how I turned out to be. I had behavioral issues, but I was still filled with confidence and all the good things that come with it. Then over the course of a short amount of time (from middle school to high school) it all went to shit. I guess that would be a time my hormones really started to change with puberty, and I think something went terribly wrong. I was on a typical junk food diet all my life except a few years ago, and even then it wasn't nearly optimal. I think it was a period of my life where my mind was extra mold-able due to the stage I was going through. My thoughts, unknowingly, set in motion an inescapable path that to this day plagues me to the core.

Cold training is probably the best way for my body to overcome this problem, I think, through regulation of my hormones and my sympathetic nervous system. I want a life. One where I don't have to worry everyday of my life about things that don't need to be worried about.

[Suiren]

Surien, have u tried sungazing yet? We have a whole topic on it by Raw-Al. Only sun gazing can cure everything for free

No, but I have heard about it. If the sun would decide to come out once in a while I might be able to do it

Suiren - I find adding cold water to warm bath water to be the most unpleasant experience. A shower is easier and more safe than CT in a bath. After your next warm shower (best after exercise and high fat meal, so your body feels warmer) gather your convictions and turn the water all the way to cold, and get out of the stream, quickly. Next, tell yourself you are just going to put on foot in the cold shower. Promise yourself  only that. If the water is cold enough it will numb your skin, which is good because after it will be quite tolerable. Then, you can either go up your leg a bit or to other foot. You're a strong mother Suiren, I have complete faith in your ability to get all of the way in. Decide in small steps. First, lower body, then hands. Then, I cup my hands and cool/freeze my face. Then, arms, and just as I approach shoulders I go under at my core. I'll be honest, that step is really hard, but once your skin is numb you're much more comfortable. It is even fun to realize you've done it, your victorious. I do what Whim Hoff says. As soon as my body is under and cool, and my breathing is calm (always breathe through your nose, it keeps you much warmer), I feel for my inner fire. Its deep in your core, chest, belly, or womb. Mine moves but it is remarkably warm, a fire in contrast to the cold all around me and I experience the truth, the well spring of my vitality. Like, the core of the earth in winter, I too am ablaze with life.
  I always move, although Whim and Jack both say it is easier to be still. That has never been true for me. I weave and turn in the bath and shower.
    Your skin should get red, never white, shivering is fine, but not necessary, my head and back are the hardest part. I still get head aches every time I do, and I can only tolerate 10 secs.
   I like to linger at my thyroid and get it really icy.
If you don't have a shower. Exercise to get warm and then turn on the faucet and get in when there is only a puddle in the tub. get you feet, to your knees then hands face and arms, then sit down and splash the cold water around you to evenly distribute the cold. Then, relax if you can, it's a hard place to start. I would set a timer and get out no matter what after 2-3min max.
    When your all done, you may want to get warm. I have never had a man to warm me and i don't mean to get in your business, but your husband seems supportive of your health. Maybe he could be waiting with a big towel, or warm covers.
    Later, in you're training you may like to stay in the cold air naked, I go in my bed room which is 55degs C and I fold clothes or dance while I air dry and smother oils. You learn to love the cold, not for a while though.
  I still love the warm and today after CT I snuggled in my bath robe by the wood stove, enjoying my tea. Every day is different there is no wrong way. All CT is good CT.

Thank you! That is good advice. I will try it the way you described next time. It makes sense, because I can deal with cold water much better when I just jump right into it for example..(unline the people that rub cold water over the body and try to do it slowly).
I know for sure I hate hot water, it makes me feel dizzy.

So I don't have to be cold every minute of my life now right? We have the temp. lower at our house (usually 17, but now a bit less), but when it drops much we need to turn up the heat for a little on full blow (old heaters).
My son does not mind the cold, he would even prefer to run around shirtless. He refuses to dress warm  and does not like socks much *shrug* . So unless he is really, really cold, we let him have his moments with less clothing. Though it is weird when you consider how warm babies and toddlers are always wrapped up.

When we are outside I dress him about as warm as myself or a tad warmer (since he does not move as much), but most parents put their baby in a snow suit, inside a bag for extra warmth, and they are so bundled up they can barely move. Mine would protest heavily.
Maybe there is a reason he does not like it. He was always acting very much on instincts.

[Inger]

Suiren.. computer is very bad light. Very bad. You can protect yourself pretty good by using f.lux, just google it and download it for free. Makes the sreen turn into reddish and limits blue light. Then, turn the screen lightness on lowest settings, and put on dark brownish sunglasses. Or blue blockers. That way you have quite good protection.

You can "sungaze" with great benefits as soon as it is light outside, I do it if the sun shines or not. Just look into the sky for a minute or more! You will get massive amounts of light in your eyes even if it is cloudy!

The whole point is to gain back natural circadian biology (because it affects our hormones to a great degree), and all you need is dayligh. But do it as soon as it gets light outside!

[Adora]

Surien dressing cool sound very healthy. Ivy was always hot as a baby and child. She would be in short sleeves, no hat or gloves, maybe a sweat shirt when it was really cold out. I had to throw fits to get her to bundle up. I regret it now, she's often cold and huddles by the wood stove. It is easy to get into a heat rut. If you are over tiered, and spend too much time in warmth, it's hard to reacclimatize to cold.

Barefoot I think CT, sleep, and dark in addition to diet (high fat/low carb) are the best habits for hormone regulation.
    Emotions and hormones are closely, if not directly linked too. I've done a great deal of work to heal my emotions. I like a web site I've mention before, sorry to repeat, healingtowholeness.com. The main pt I think would help is that when I suffer anxiety that bad a huge door has opened for healing, but the door was powerfully blocked by self judgement/fear.  I was alone and deep in suffering when I decided I was going to try to feel the energetic rhythm of what was occurring in my body. Notice the tension, in my shoulders, jaw, or whole body. Feel it. I had no love for it, only frustration, anger, and fear. Later, when working with those feelings I choose to connect to frustration, anger and fear, but at first I was deeply suffering and just felt that. So, I released it by noticing the thoughts I was judging and breathing them out of the top of my head (giving it to god, whatever you want to call it, ditching what I was overwhelmed with so I could manage to love the core of the feeling in my body).  Then, I just sat with the discomfort, I stayed loving as long as I could, when my thought wandered I found they were always to a judgement, which I would breath out, or to an old story that would play in my head, that I would also breath out.  I just stayed with the energy of the suffering, sending myself love there where it was so desperately needed, not to make it go away, but because it was there and it was demanding my attention to the extent that I couldn't do anything else, so I knew I needed my love powerfully, and I choose to give it to myself as best as possible. It's not easy, but it's not really hard either. It helps, but it's not instantaneous, or it wasn't for me that time. I know this had nothing to do with diet, but  your description felt so familiar, I hope that helps.
 

[Barefoot Instincto]

Thanks Adora. It seems I can relate to a lot of the stuff you write about. Maybe we're like-beings. :p

From the research I've done on the specifics of my problem, it seems that everything you're saying is absolutely true. Its the proper path to accepting and loving oneself, so they can feel peace and ease instead of worry and self- destruction.

I'll need to start giving it my all and really work on self-healing. Your experiences help, thank you.

[Inger]

I think we really destroy our ability to stay warm with forcing too much clothing and heated homes from childhood on. Too sad...
But I am confident we can regain that ability to produce heat back, when we just let our body embrace the cold often! It will take time for sure...

Adora you wrote so beautifully above.. so very beautiful.

BarefootInstincto, I suffered a lot from anxiety too but it is gone now. Now I have it very seldom, and it is for a reason then.. even if it is stupid I know. But I am learning. So just that you know, your will disappear too, I promise!

[Suiren]

Inger

I see, there is much more light pollution than I thought! It makes sense. I read something about night time and day time hormones, which was very interesting, and it said that with all the lights on the balance is thrown off because we don't get enough night time hormones anymore. The light after dark even causes an increase in stress hormones.

Do you know any online source where I can read more about that? I find it interesting and I want to make sure I understand it all. My light atm are dim, but I might have to go all out.

Adora

See, I think Babies are always right. My son seems to have so many instincts and likings that society would try to correct, but I just think he is right.
As an example: Sleeping with his parents, nursing for comfort, nursing until he decides to stop, wanting to be held, not wanting too many clothes on, wanting a lot of attention, wanting to be outside a lot, wanting to get into everything, not liking veggies and preferring meat....those are all instincts imo

I feel I have adjusted to colder temperatures a little since moving out of my parents house when I was 21. When I visit nowadays, the heat makes me feel horrible. They always crank up the heat 
They always tell me I am not dressed well for cold weather too (dresses, skirts, thin wool coats)

The cold shower went much better today. Just am not able to do icy cold yet.

I wanted to add something about what eveheart said:

I did find rice, wheat and soy in a few products and tossed them. I was not aware of the fact that they contained it...not sure why I did not check...how stupid.
I tried to do no shampoo again, but my hair was very oily, so I got a mild organic shampoo that could be considered Paleo.
Since I stopped washing with old shampoo, I have been losing much less hair during a wash. For some reason I always lost even more when washing.
My hair loss is still happening, but just wanted to share that the shampoo apparently did not help.

I also researched coffee, and yes there is a protein in coffee that can be seen as Gluten by the body...I haven't had any coffee since, and I am noticing a bunch of improvements, similar to when I went grain free.

My acne has also been bettering.

That is some good progress already Now my hormones just need to settle.