How to Eat for Your Hormones
Last week we discussed the effects of a woman’s cycle and how to help get you through those rough situations. This week I want to dive into how to eat, to balance hormones effectively. Again, the saying is all there. “You are what you eat.” The more garbage we put into our bodies, the more like garbage we will feel. When we nourish our bodies with healthy foods, our bodies will then fall in line, and it will result in a healthy body. There are certain items to go towards to help your hormones and today that is what we are going to go into more in detail about…
Proteins
Clean proteins are what you want to stick to. What does that mean…
Chicken, eggs, rich-fatty fish, grass-fed beef/turkey… and other non-animal substances that can be counted in carbohydrate sources are quinoa, beans, and lentils. Fats that can be counted as proteins too would be nuts and seeds.
Why are these important for hormones? When you are eating a protein-enriched meal, it influences the release of leptin and ghrelin the hormones that control your appetite.
This is important for your hormones because when you are not releasing enough, you can feel hungry, or start to crave more processed/ refined sugary foods.
Also, rich-fatty fish like salmon hold omega-3s that help with inflammation and are also high in vitamin D.
Carbohydrates… Yes, Even Vegetables
When you think of carbs, I need you to move your brain away from bread, pasta, and baked goods. I need you to switch your thinking over to vegetables, and whole grains.
Kale is a great source of fiber for gut health, helps to not raise blood sugars, and is rich in magnesium which supports estrogen and testosterone levels for males and females. Really any dark leafy greens are going to be beneficial.
Then think of eating the rainbow! Between different colored bell peppers, tomatoes, fruits, squashes, sweet potatoes, and beets. Eat all the different colors.
Cherries are a great fruit for hormones because of their high vitamin C and magnesium. It also has a natural source of melatonin in them, so can help with insomnia.
Other fruits that are beneficial would be bananas, apples, berries, watermelons, and peaches.
The main point for carbohydrates with hormones is to stay away from refined sugars, and processed foods. Stick to key nutrients, high fiber, & vitamin enriched.
Fats
This is such a forbidden word that people even hate to eat it because it has been stuck in our heads, we gain fat by eating fat. On the contrary, fats are good for us depending on what fats we stick to.
Fats are needed to support our cells and manage hormones. Without fats appetites can increase, cravings can increase, and energy can be lowered.
Foods enriched with good fats are coconut oil, avocado, egg yolks, & nuts, and seeds.
Avoiding processed fats, canola oils, oils that hold soy-lecithin, & trans saturated fats in food products.
The micronutrients that each one of those fats listed above contains are crucial for each hormone. I am also not discussing that you should go out and switch everything to keto either. Unless that fits your lifestyle. What I am saying is do not avoid the good fats you need in your life.
You will not gain fat by eating fat. You gain fat from eating bad fats and eating above the amount of fat allowed for your own body’s macronutrients. If you need help figuring out your healthy lifestyle let me know. CLICK HERE.
For the Males
Shocker guys y’all have the same hormones females have just in a different ratio. Where women have higher levels of estrogen and progesterone with a small amount of testosterone. Males, y’all have high testosterone with smaller amounts of estrogen and progesterone.
Helping your testosterone levels is by going towards more dark leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables.
Now, are those the only hormones everyone has, no. This blog is just touching on last week’s section. Next week we will dive into all the hormones the body holds, and what their role is for your body.