Our local experts Eve Wellness tell us about a well balanced lifestyle
Often, when we’re striving for perfection, what we should really be striving for is balance. Nothing can be good all the time, just as nothing can be bad all the time, but if we strive for balance, we can be a little closer to a well-rounded life that isn’t all raw green smoothies but also isn’t all clinking glasses of prosecco (while still keeping plenty of both).
Because we’re Eve and wellness is always at the front of our mind, there are seven pillars we’re going to look at for whole body health: balanced hormones, balanced moods, balance on contraception, balanced pH, balanced energy, balanced exercise, and a balanced diet. Because it can be a little overwhelming to change loads of things at once, it might be more manageable to choose one and watch the rest of them fall into place.
Balanced Hormones
We’re keeping this one right up top because our hormones determine every other pillar we’re going to talk about in this article.
Why: When we talk about balanced hormones, what we’re saying is that we want our hormones to ebb and flow in the right amounts and at the right time. Hormones like oestrogen and progesterone will be around all month long but their levels will change with our cycle. Similarly, our stress hormone cortisol will change on a minute-by-minute basis depending on your lifestyle. All of these hormones are useful for us but, like a bad party guest, if they start showing up when they shouldn’t or hanging around longer than they should, we might start to feel off.
How: We can make changes all day long but if we’re not doing it the right way, it’s like texting the wrong number and wondering why your friend isn’t answering. The Eve Test Complete is the first step to checking in on what your hormones are actually doing as well as bespoke recommendations for how to get them right where you want them.
One of the most common recommendations from our lab is for one of our most popular supps: Eve Period Pal – Skintopia Because it’s designed to ease common signs of PMS, it does that by giving your body the nutrients it needs for healthy ovulation, easing stress, and progesterone production.
Balanced Moods
Why: If you’re one of the one in four people who will be affected by anxiety in their lifetime, then you’ll know what it’s like for a sudden and unexpected wave of worry to take over. It’s not nice and it feels urgent so having instant relief on hand is essential both for your mental state and also for your cortisol levels. When our cortisol levels rise, it impacts all other areas of our health because our fight or flight instincts kick in. We can keep these under control with the right nutrients, loads of sleep, and some herbal help for when it all gets a bit much.
How: Quite simply, Eve Chill Pills – Skintopia. Taken in small doses (one capsule) they give instant relief to stressful situations like big meetings or nervous situations. But, triple that dose to three capsules and you’ll want to be sure you’re within arm’s reach of your bed. Made from the ancient root Kava, they calm the body and the mind to give sleep a chance to take hold. Sleep is essential for balanced moods so if you’re someone who finds it hard to nod off, hop into the sheets with Eve Chill Pills – Skintopia
Balance on contraception
Why: We know you’ve heard us say this before but hormonal contraception requires more nutrients than when we’re not using it. We also know that our body needs nutrients to function properly so doing some quick maths, if we want our bodies to function well for us, we need to load up those nutrients.
How: Doing what it says on the tin, Eve Take Me With The Pill – Skintopia is your daily dose of nutrients for those of us on hormonal contraception with all the vitamins and minerals you need, and leaving out those you don’t or that might interfere with what contraception’s main job is.
Balanced pH
Why: Did you know the pH of our vaginas sits slightly on the acidic side? On the pH scale with zero being the most acidic, and 14 the most basic, an ideal vaginal pH is between about 3.2 and 4.5. And the reason that it's more acidic than basic is because the main vaginal bacteria is Lactobacilli which produces hydrogen peroxide and lactic acid and acids prevent bacterial growth which, if not kept in check, can lead to irritants like thrush - we’re good, thanks.
How: You know about probiotics for your gut but we’ve gone one further and made a probiotic for your vagina. An extra layer of protection against bacterial vaginosis, thrush, and other itches and niggles, Queen V is a best-seller for a reason taking care of both your microbiomes - G and V.
Balanced Energy:
Why: If you’re exhausted but unable to sleep, or wake up feeling like you’ve been raving all night but the reality is you were tucked up with Selling Sunset, your hormones might be messing with your energy levels leaving you tired and wired and utterly fatigued. Oestrogen gives us some get up and go, so does testosterone, so if either of these levels are low, we might notice we have more dozy days than not. Because we need the right nutrients to ensure those hormones are being produced in effective amounts, and to ensure that the energy we put in (food) can be utilised properly to match energy out (living), we can top up our nutrient stores and see a huge difference.
How: First up: B vitamins.They play a key role in turning our food into fuel which means not feeling sluggish, and instead feeling bouncy. Other key nutrients to pay attention to are iron, omega–3 fatty acids, and vitamin D. EVE Morning Person – Skintopia (sold out) is our go-to for energy and may even replace your morning coffee and will definitely help the 3pm slump.
Balanced Exercise:
Why: We’re sure there are days when you feel like you could jump up Everest and then next thing you know you can’t muster a walk up the stairs. It’s easy in this situation to feel down in the dumps but when we realise that our energy levels and our body’s response to different exercises are directly tied to our cycles we can approach exercise mind- and body-first and really take the pressure off.
How: This handy graphic shows you the best kind of movement to match your hormones and therefore your energy. Don’t forget that gains are made on rest days so sometimes doing nothing is actually doing a lot.
Balanced Diet:
Why: This one is no big surprise but variety, when it comes to food, is key. Eating a mix of proteins, carbs, and fats (and in varying ways) keeps meals interesting and nourishes your body, your hormones, and your gut.
How: Mix. It. Up. Shop seasonally and shop local to be sure you’re getting foods with the most nutrients in them. Be sure to eat fats, carbs, and protein at every meal. How much of each of those depends on you. Whatever keeps you fullest the longest is the macro you want to eat more of but make sure you’re getting all three!
What next?
Feeling unbalanced might be your norm but it needn’t be. If you feel like your mood and mind, your sleep, or maybe your energy levels are unpredictable or not where they should be, look at your hormones!
- Take the Eve Test Complete. Get a snapshot of your hormonal picture and start from a place of knowledge and bespoke advice.
- Find the supps you need: the right nutrients will support your hormones in the right ways. Start with what bothers you the most - for example nerves and Eve Chill Pills – Skintopia - and go from there
Written by our friends at Eve: At-home Collection Hormone Health Testing (evewellness.com)