Hormones are produced by and circulated throughout our bodies to aid growth, mood, sexual function, and metabolism. It’s a complex web that may easily become out of whack, resulting in symptoms that can affect our fertility, weight, menstrual cycles, and stress tolerance. When it comes to hormone imbalances, food can be a powerful tool for setting things right.
Hormone balance is critical to overall health, particularly for women. Hormones fluctuate a lot during the month and throughout our lives – your hormones in your thirties and forties are very different from what they were in your twenties. Hormone balancing foods might help you regain control of your hormones.
Hormones are chemical messengers produced by the endocrine glands of the body. The tissues and organs receive constant messages from these clever molecules about what has to be done. They aid in the regulation of hunger, weight, mood, and other body functions.
Hormone balance is crucial to practically every function of your body. Because hormones interact with one another, if one is out of balance, the effects can be felt throughout the body, creating discomfort. Many women deal with weariness, cognitive fog, rapid weight gain, hair loss which are clinical signs of a hormone imbalance.
Hormonal imbalance can cause havoc on the human body’s ability to perform and produce at its best. Hormone-balancing foods and lifestyle practices are part of a healthy diet that can assist in the improvement of hormonal health.
The good news is that you have a lot of control over your hormones. Hormone balance is influenced by your cycle, age, diet, exercise, and stress levels.
How hormones function
Amino acids from protein and fatty acids from lipids are used to make hormones. The higher the quality of the raw materials we use, the better the hormones our bodies produce. Variety is also essential!
Every food has a unique structure and contains a distinct set of macronutrients. We need everything in the appropriate amounts to maintain a balanced system and our optimal hormonal health. If you suffer from hormonal imbalance, one of the most effective ways to rebalance your hormones and reclaim your health is through nutrition.
The following foods have a profound impact on hormones in the body:
Fresh Berries in Season
Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries are all high in antioxidants and hormone-balancing minerals.
Berries are high in vitamin C, which helps to control progesterone levels, especially during the luteal (PMS) phase of the menstrual cycle. A sign of a progesterone imbalance is if you have particularly bad PMS. In the days coming up to your period, eat more berries and the vitamin C in them may help reduce your symptoms.
Polyphenols, potent antioxidants that protect your cells from stress, are abundant in berries. Polyphenols can help you control cortisol, your body’s stress hormone, by reducing inflammation.
Avocado
Avocado is a hormone-balancing food that is high in heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory monounsaturated fats and low in carbohydrates. The good fats and low carbs help to keep insulin levels steady, which is one of your most important metabolic hormones. Insulin stability keeps your energy levels stable and prevents blood sugar crashes.
Avocados are high in beta-sitosterol, which has been shown to lower blood cholesterol and balance cortisol levels. Avocados include plant sterols that regulate estrogen and progesterone, the two hormones that control ovulation and menstrual periods. Avocados’ fat and fiber content boosted satiety hormones such as peptide YY (PYY), cholecystokinin (CCK), and glucagon-like peptide 1 in a study published in 2019. (GLP-1).
Furthermore, avocados include healthful fats that serve as building blocks for sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Avocados’ high fat content provides your body with the raw materials it requires to produce hormones.
Seeds high in lignans
Lignans are chemicals found in seeds such as flax, pumpkin, and sesame that help to balance estrogen levels by removing excess estrogen and boosting estrogen synthesis when needed.
Flax seeds are high in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats and phytoestrogens, which are plant-based substances that act like estrogen and bind to estrogen receptors in the body, allowing us to eliminate excess estrogen.
They contain the highest amount of lignans, a form of phytoestrogen that helps to balance estrogen levels. They can also aid in the treatment or prevention of other hormone-related conditions such as breast cancer, menopausal symptoms, and osteoporosis.
You may have an estrogen imbalance if you experience low energy, mood fluctuations, or abrupt weight gain. Every day, try to include seeds in your diet. They’ll aid in the regulation of estrogen levels and the correction of hormonal imbalances.
Leafy Vegetables
Leafy green vegetables like kale, chard, broccoli, and spinach are high in dietary fiber and excellent hormone balancing foods that improve hormone metabolism and help to balance sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone.
You should try to consume organic vegetables because studies have shown that even one serving of a high-pesticide fruit or vegetable (such as strawberries) might harm fertility. Many pesticides are hormone disruptors, which means they either mimic hormones in your body or interfere with their effects.
It’s critical to avoid endocrine-disrupting chemicals like glyphosate, for example. You may drastically limit your glyphosate exposure by eating organic.
If you can’t afford to eat organic, the benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables greatly exceed the disadvantages of not eating them. Remember that fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Consider buying organic vegetables from the “Dirty Dozen” list, which ranks the most contaminated produce.
Green vegetables should be consumed in at least five servings each day, if not more. A green smoothie is a delicious and easy way to include more fresh, raw vegetables in your diet.
Fatty Fish
The best source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids is fatty fish, which have powerful anti-inflammatory qualities. They may also benefit hormonal health by lowering levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
A small study looked at how omega-3 fats affected men’s performance on a mental stress test. When men ate a diet rich in omega-3 fats for three weeks, their cortisol and epinephrine levels were much lower during the test than when they ate their regular diet.
Furthermore, increasing your consumption of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to lower insulin resistance associated with obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and gestational diabetes.
Salmon, for example, helps to keep your appetite hormones in check. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish help to promote overall hormonal communication and have been demonstrated to lower the incidence of breast and prostate cancer. Hormones are used by the endocrine system to communicate with the brain, which improves our mood and cognitive abilities.
Salmon is also high in Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin that aids in the production of sex hormones and increases testosterone levels. Vitamin D is also beneficial to bone health and immunity.
Include two or more servings of fatty fish each week for best health, such as salmon, sardines, herring, and mackerel.
Hormones and Their Impact on Your Health
Hormones play a significant role in your mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
These chemical messengers play a key role in hunger, weight, and mood regulation, among other things. Your endocrine glands normally create the exact amount of each hormone required for numerous bodily operations.
Hormonal imbalances, on the other hand, have become more widespread as a result of today’s fast-paced modern lifestyle. Furthermore, as people age, certain hormones fall, and some people have a more dramatic decline than others. Fortunately, a well-balanced diet and other healthy lifestyle choices can help you enhance your hormonal health and feel and perform better.
The human body contains about 200 hormones. The most well-known hormones are estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, insulin, leptin, ghrelin, and thyroid hormones. Metabolism, fertility, and mood are all strongly related to these compounds.
Metabolism
Insulin: is a hormone produced by the pancreas that transports sugar (glucose) from the bloodstream to cells for energy. Insulin is also the hormone that causes additional sugar to be stored as fat.
Thyroid hormones: such as triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) affect weight, energy, temperature, hair, skin, and nail growth, among other things.
Leptin: is a hormone produced by fat cells that helps you control your appetite, maintain your weight, and inform your brain when you’re full. It’s also known as the “satiety hormone.”
Ghrelin: Also known as the “hunger hormone,” this hormone is responsible for boosting your appetite.
Mood and Stress
Cortisol: Cortisol is a stress hormone that raises blood pressure and heart rate. It’s often referred to as the “stress hormone” since too much of it is bad for your health.
Adrenaline: When we are stressed, our “fight or flight” hormone, adrenaline, is released, which raises our heart rate.
Melatonin: is a hormone that is produced at night and helps the body prepare for sleep. It’s also known as the “sleep-inducing hormone.”
System of Reproduction
Estrogen: is the female sex hormone that causes puberty-related changes and aids in the regulation of the menstrual cycle, the maintenance of pregnancy, the control of cholesterol, and the maintenance of healthy bones.
Testosterone: is a male sex hormone that causes puberty-related changes in sex drive, bone density, and muscle strength (in both men and women).
Natural ways to balance your hormones
Hormone balance is influenced by diet, and dietary modifications can be strategically designed for keeping your hormones in check. Exercising, getting direct sunlight (but not so much that you burn), and controlling stress with meditation and self-care days are all excellent approaches to attain and maintain hormone balance.
Here are a few meals that can help you balance your hormones.
Every meal should include clean protein:
Eating protein on a daily basis helps to keep blood sugar levels stable and minimizes insulin spikes. It also curbs cravings and improves mood. Protein is utilized as raw materials in the synthesis of hormones. Lean meat sources such as chicken, fish, turkey, eggs, dairy, lentils, and legumes should provide 15-20 grams of protein every meal.
Consume healthy fat in moderation:
Good fats aid to lower insulin resistance by acting as hormone building blocks. Trans fat, which can be found in packaged and fried meals, should be avoided. Olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, nuts, seeds, and nut and seed butter are all wonderful sources of healthy fats. Aim for two to three teaspoons each day.
Omega-3 fats are good for reducing inflammation and improving insulin sensitivity. Walnuts, flax seeds, and seafood are all good sources. Aim to eat nuts and seeds every day, as well as fish three times per week.
Magnesium is important:
Consume magnesium-rich meals to help balance blood sugar levels and rebalance hormones. Dark green leafy vegetables, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, almonds and cashews, and avocado are also good sources.
Limit caffeine intake:
Caffeine in excess can disrupt the endocrine system, especially if other hormone stresses are present. Pregnancy, the presence of pollutants, a fat imbalance, or overall chronic stress are all possible obstacles to balancing hormones. Start the day with a veggie smoothie or a piece of fruit, then have coffee after that.
Eat foods that support the thyroid:
The thyroid gland maintains equilibrium in the body. Cooked cruciferous vegetables, iodine-rich foods like eggs, strawberries, salmon, and iodized salt, and selenium-rich foods like mushrooms and chia seeds are foods that support your thyroid. Include whole grains, beans, lean protein, and healthy fats in your diet.
Plastics must be avoided at all costs:
Chemicals that disturb the endocrine system, such as BPA, are found in these. Stainless steel and glass are popular choices.
Make sleep a priority:
Hormones will be out of balance if you don’t get enough sleep. Your body actively eliminates toxins, recharges the intellect, and produces hormones as you sleep. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night, and don’t stay up late.
Increase the amount of natural light in your home during the day:
Spend at least 30 minutes each day, preferably first thing in the morning, outside. This helps to increase serotonin levels, which can help you sleep better by balancing melatonin levels at night.
Hormones are influenced by the digestive system in more ways than we think. Many hormones are critical neurotransmitters produced in the digestive system, but an imbalance in the stomach can lead to an imbalance in neurotransmitters and hormones. Optimize
Fiber-rich foods, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and fermented foods like kefir, apple cider vinegar, kombucha, and homemade curd are all good gut-boosting foods.
Hormones play a role in almost every area of your health. For your body to work properly, you need them in very specific amounts.
Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems can all be exacerbated by hormonal abnormalities.
Though aging and other variables are beyond your control, there are things you can do to assist your hormones to perform at their best. Consuming the foods discussed above, exercising regularly, and engaging in other healthy behaviors can all help improve your hormonal health.