7 Hormone Re-Balancing Nutrition Tips
- Jodi Forestell CHN. NNCP
- Mar 2, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 19, 2024
People lead stressful and busy lives - that’s an undeniable fact these days. When you factor in a poor diet and/or lack of adequate nutrition, it’s no wonder that disorders of the metabolic and endocrine systems are becoming the new norm!
Your hormones - the body’s chemical messengers - are involved in every aspect of your physical (and even mental & emotional) health, and you need them in very specific amounts for your body to function efficiently.
When your hormones aren’t working optimally, then your body starts to show the signs/symptoms. Symptoms are your body’s way of telling you that something is off.
Signs/symptoms of common hormonal imbalances
When your body produces too much or too little of one or more hormones, the following signs and/or symptoms may start to appear:
- Periods are irregular or absent
- Sleep issues and insomnia
- Memory or brain fog
- Fatigued or have consistently low energy
- Digestive issues
- Mood swings, irritable, anxious, or depressed
- Gaining weight or weight loss resistant
- Lack of sex drive/no libido
- Night sweats and hot flashes
- Food cravings and constant hunger
- Skin & hair changes including: acne, dry skin, thinning hair and/or hair growing in unexpected places - like your face!
Everything is connected in the endocrine system so hormones always impact one another as well. This means if your body is producing high levels of certain hormones like cortisol (the hormone of stress), then levels of other hormones will likely fluctuate in response - estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid hormones (T4 and T3), for example.
Why your nutrition matters when it comes to hormones, especially when they’re unbalanced!
The building blocks that your body needs to produce hormones, not to mention properly fuel your body, must be obtained from your diet.
For example, many hormones used for reproduction (sex hormones) are derived from cholesterol - yes, cholesterol! This comes from foods like whole-fat dairy, eggs, butter, and meat. (Please, please, please stop buying low-fat foods!)
If you’re experiencing chronic stress or your diet doesn’t supply enough “raw materials” to make all the necessary hormones, your body will prioritize stress hormone production (particularly cortisol) because these hormones are essential for survival (which means your body is in survival mode, and sex hormones aren’t considered necessary to sustain life.
Eating nutritious foods, exercising daily, and engaging in an otherwise healthy lifestyle can go a long way toward supporting and improving your hormonal health.
These are the key factors that on work with my clients in the Metabolic Balance Program. We work to bring balance back to your body through personalized nutrition and small, consistent lifestyle changes. Things that will be sustainable for you long-term. Health isn’t something you achieve once and never have to think about again. It’s ongoing and it doesn’t have to be hard.
Seven nutrition tips you can start today for better hormone balance:
Eat adequate high-quality protein with every meal and eat 3 well-balanced meals per day.
Reduce inflammatory foods, like sugar & refined carbs, sugary drinks, gluten, hydrogenated oils & trans fats.
Consume healthy fats, including fatty fish, whole eggs, olive oil, coconut oil & avocados.
Increase fiber with natural plant fibers and consume whole grains in moderation.
Consume probiotic rich foods such as fermented yogurt, kefir & sauerkraut as well as prebiotic foods like bananas, artichokes, garlic, onions & chicory root.
Drink adequate water and limit alcohol & caffeine.
Supplement with Vitamin D, especially in the darker winter months. (Get you vitamin D levels checked).
Everyone is different, and what works for some people does not work for everyone. Just start with the basics of eating for hormonal support and balance to see if you feel any positive changes.
If you’re ready for more support, accountability, and personalization on your journey to finding balance in your life again…. book a FREE 15 minute Discovery Call with me HERE
I can’t wait to chat with you.
In health,
-jodi
RECIPE (Give this a try….it’s ah-maz-ing!)
Chocolate Cauliflower Shake
Ingredients
2 cups cauliflower (frozen)
2 bananas (frozen)
2 tbsp almond butter
¼ cup cacao powder
½ cup chocolate protein powder. (I use Complete )
2 cups unsweetened nut milk
1 tbsp of either chia, flaxmeal, hemp hearts or a combo of all three).
Preparation
Add all ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth. Drink one serving now and save the other in the fridge for up to one day. (Of course, you share the other serving if you want to)
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