BALANCING HORMONES WITH FOOD
Are you and your hormones a hot mess lately?
If so, I feel you, sister…. Cause’ after having kids and going through a major health crisis, mine went
W-A-C-K-O, so, I know what it’s like.
When your hormones are all over the place, it can cause things like fatigue, weight gain/loss, insomnia, changes to your appetite, irregular periods, anxiety, depression, low libido, digestive problems, and even hair loss.
Hormone balance is absolutely vital to having a healthy body, yet they can be disrupted in many ways. Your hormones are going to fluctuate naturally, such as in puberty, menopause, and perimenopause. Hormone imbalance can also be caused by things like toxins or an unbalanced lifestyle.
There are several things that can be done to help, and one of those ways is with FOOD.
Here are 15 hormone-balancing foods that you can eat to help bring some calm to the storm in your body:
1. Salmon:
Eat this fatty fish 2-3x per week. It’s full of Vitamin D – which helps to make the sex hormones and boost testosterone levels.
2. Turmeric:
A fantastic anti-inflammatory in and of itself. Take as a supplement or season soup and curries with it.
3. Flaxseed:
Try adding in 1 TBSP to your salads, smoothies or yogurt.
4. Bitter Greens:
Serve a handful of sautéed dandelion or kale as a side dish at every meal.
5. Sauerkraut:
Add ¼ cup of sauerkraut to a meal.
6. Eggs:
These breakfast staples have been shown to beneficially affect the hormones that regulate food intake, including lowering levels of insulin and ghrelin. Skip the pancakes and waffles and instead, scramble up 2 eggs for breakfast.
7. Broccoli Sprouts:
An easy addition to your salad or sandwich! Broccoli sprouts are a hormone balancing superfood as they help reverse estrogen dominance. Sprouts of cruciferous seeds have a highly estrogen-balancing quality.
8. Coconut Oil:
This is very beneficial to hormone production. Put 1 TBSP into your coffee or cook your veggies in it!
9. Seaweed:
Sea veggies are awesome for you. They are a great source of iodine, which is an important mineral that helps your body to manufacture thyroid hormones. Add kelp flakes to soup or enjoy a seaweed salad.
10. Cruciferous Veggies:
Eat 1 cup of things like brussels sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower every day. Side note: Broccoli is high in fiber which will help you to eliminate excess estrogen through pooping.
11. Sunflower Seeds:
These are high in Vitamin E, an antioxidant that is important in estrogen production. Try topping them on a salad or have a handful as a snack
12. Lentils:
These are high in protein and fiber, which can reduce estrogen levels. They are also high in zinc, which raises testosterone.
13. Sweet potato:
Very high in vitamin B6 and this helps your liver to detox properly. Any food that aids with liver detox is going to also help rid your body of any excess hormones
14. Bell Peppers:
These will give you a boost of Vitamin C, an antioxidant vitamin that is essential to your adrenal glands functioning well. You store a lot of Vitamin C in your adrenals and when stressed, you’ll use up a lot of it. Bell peppers replenish it.
15. Avocado:
Blood sugar imbalances can disrupt our adrenal hormones. Avocados are a rich source of healthy fat that will help to keep your blood sugar level. Add into a smoothie, top your salad with it, or even just eat it on its own with some olive oil, salt/pepper!