6 Best hormone balancing foods: eat these daily!
Calling all the ladies with hormonal imbalances! Here are the BEST hormone balancing foods to eat for hormone healing. You are going to want to include most of these foods into your diet for optimal hormone balance. Not to mention, youre going to feel amazing and your body is going to feel energized throughout the day!
A imbalance of hormones is the culprit for many of our daily struggles including:
- sleep issues
- cravings
- irregular menstrual cycles
- painful periods
- acne
- skin conditions
- digestive issues
thats just naming a few! The importance of hormone balance cannot be stressed enough if you want to live your best life free from pain and low energy. In this post, I am going to share with you my top 6 hormone balancing foods I include in my everyday diet. Are you ready? Lets get into hormone balancing food number 1!
side note – the order of these foods are irrelevent, all have amazing qualities regarless of what number I have placed them in!
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice and should not be taken as such. I am not a doctor and do not claim to be as these are solely based on my experiences. Please consult your family doctor before considering any recommendations listed in this post. Thanks!
What is a hormone imbalance
Hormones are sensitive to their enviroment. Lifestyle changes, toxins, and stress can effect the delicate balance between estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen is the dominant hormone in the first half of your cycle (follicular), then progesterone takes the lead in the latter half (luteal). When the balance between these are upset, women can experience symtpoms like:
- Mood swings
- Irregular periods
- Cramping and period pain
- Insomnia
- Hair loss
- Low libido
- Brittle bones
- Unexplained weight gain
For more information on hormonal imbalance – check out this post!
Foods to eat for hormone balance
Now, lets get into the list of foods that will help balance out your hormones and give you the energy you need to live a healthy life!
1. flax seeds
Flax seeds are a super food and deseredly so! These little power houses are a rich source of lignans and contain omega – 3’s and fibre to help flush out excess estrogen. Which is ideal for women experiencing estrogen dominance!
additionally, studies have shown women who have been diagnosed with PCOS greatly benefit form regular consumption of flax seeds. They have been shown to decrease androgen levels and testosterone (which are characteristics of PCOS).
2. cruciferous veg
Cruciferous vegetables include:
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- brussel sprouts
- cabbage
These Vegetables in particular contain a valuable component called indole-3-carbinol (I-3-C), which is associated with estrogen metabolism. In terms of estrogen dominance, eating more cruciferous vegetable can improve symptoms.
So, do as your mama told ya and “EAT YOUR VEGETABLES”
3. FAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT: they are great for hormone balance!
Fats actually make your hormones! With the help of protein which is another one of my points later in my post. Healthy fats are the building blocks of progesterone and estrogen, they are also shown to decrease insulin sensitivity.
Low fat diets are one of the worst diets for your health. When I was in my dieting days I put myself on a low fat diet and my period went missing. This is because my body could not produce adequate amounts of hormones to maintain my reproductive health.
The fats you should be focusing on eating everyday for hormone balance are (within appropriate portion sizes):
- avocado
- eggs
- grass fed butter
- fish (like salmon)
- unsaturated oils
4. Fibre rich foods for hormone balance
Fibre is amazing for estrogen excretion! Estogen is processed by the liver then out the shoot when you take a trip to the bathroom. When you are not having regular bowel movements (1-2 per day), estrogen can build up and circulate back into the body.
This is not ideal as we then see symptoms of estrogen dominance. The next time you want to skip your morning bowl of oatmeal, think about the amazing qualities of fibre rich foods!
Here are some of my favourite ways to get fibre in my diet:
- oats
- whole grain breads
- vegetable and fruits
- legumes
- whole grain rice
Need recipe insporation? Check these out!
5. Protein, Protein, and PROTEIN
As I breefly mentioned earlier, protein and fats are what make estrogen and progesterone. Therefore, protein is an essential macro nutrient to be getting enough of every day!
Additionally, Protein decreases the hormone ghrelin (hunger homrone) and makes one feel more satisfied after meals. It is recommended to get between 20-30 grams per meal depending on weight and gender!
how are you getting your protein intake up?
- free run chicken
- salmon, shellfish, haibut, cod
- free run eggs
- turkey
- legumes (paired with rice for the complete amino acid profile)
- tofu
Personally, Im not much of a meat eater so I tend to lean towards tofu, legumes, and eggs.
6. Decaf coffee and herbal tea, I know decaf doesnt taste as good…
EW! DECAF?! I know, I do prefer caffinated coffee over decaf. I do not know why but the two taste differently!
Caffine has stress inducing qualities that are not ideal for hormone production. Caffiene increases cortisol levels (stress hormone) and when we are chronically stressed, we can run into homronal chaos. Our adrenal glads get worn down the more stress we put on out bodies which can leave us feeling fatigued and run down.
opting for decaf or herbal teas will greatly benefit your stress levels and adeanals.
Davids tea has some of my favourite flavours! Just because it is decaf, doesnt mean it has to taste bad!
conclusion/references
In conclusion, hormone balance can be tricky to navigate. With these 6 food suggestions, you can balance out your hormones naturally! Are there any other hormone balancing foods you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!
xx
-Hailee
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2752973/
