In this article, which is Week 1 for the 30-day challenge*
to treating hormonal imbalance naturally I will focus on how diet can affect
hormonal imbalances in women.
→Did
you know that the Western diet that consists of processed foods, high amounts
of sugar, fried foods, artificial ingredients added to foods, pesticides that
are found on fruits and vegetables, and meats that are injected with hormones
and antibiotics are wreaking havoc on your hormones?
The conventional remedies that are offered to women
such as painkillers, mood enhancers and birth control pills do not properly
treat hormonal imbalance, they just mask the symptoms.
Starting to balance your hormones naturally begins in
what you are eating. Use a journal just for one day and write everything that
you are ingesting into your body. READ THE LABELS and list the ingredients. Do
you know what you are really consuming? Educate yourself on what you are
eating. Prior to the end of WWII cows and even chickens were allowed to have “free
range” or “cage free” environments, now these animals are in cages of some type
and are injected with hormones to produce more milk, and more quantities of
meat. In the United States we also mass produce fruits and vegetables by
applying harmful pesticides and chemicals and some fruits and vegetables are genetically
modified. Even if you wash your fruits and vegetables there can still be traces
of pesticides that you can ingest.
Tips on what your diet should look more like
for a balanced hormonal system:
First,
I will say that if you are used to eating a diet that consists of processed foods,
lots of sugar, and eating a lot of red, fatty meat-ease into this new way of
eating. Give it 30 days before you give up. Between 21-30 days you can form a
new habit or break an old habit.
►Tip
1:
If
you eat for good digestive health, you will already have a jumpstart on hormonal balance.
Science now shows that gut health equals hormonal balance.
Processed foods, many dairy products, and red, fatty meat are hard on your digestion
system. If you do happen to eat a slice of cheese or another similar food, try
taking a dairy-focused digestive enzyme supplement when you can’t avoid eating
dairy.
►Tip
2:
Flush
your liver.
Your liver is your body’s master filter and detoxification-If
your liver is clogged, it can affect hormone balance. Include a green smoothie in
your day to detoxify your liver. Green smoothies can include dandelion, parsley,
cilantro and celery. Do a little research on green smoothie recipes and make
your own.
Tip
3:
►Create
healthy plates.
¼ plate should be a protein, ½ plate should be a
non-starchy vegetable and ½ plate should be whole grains.
►Tip
4:
Foods
to avoid or have very minimally:
Fried foods
Processed foods including fast food and frozen meals
White flour, white pasta, and white rice
Sugar
Soy
Foods that have artificial ingredients (read the labels)
Red, fatty meat
Meat that has been injected with hormones and
antibiotics
Dairy products that have been injected with hormones
High amounts of caffeine/alcohol/soda
Vegetable and peanut oil
►Tip
4:
Foods
to eat to balance hormones naturally:
Protein at every meal such as chicken, eggs, or fish.
Salmon, tuna, sardines are the best types of fish to
eat.
Incorporate heathy fats-extra virgin olive oil, ghee
(real butter), coconut oil, walnuts, almonds.
Organic fruits and vegetables without the use of
pesticides/chemicals
Dark leafy vegetables-collard greens, romaine lettuce,
kale
Other vegetables: asparagus, avocados, broccoli,
cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, edamame, and
other colorful vegetables.
Organic pastured, grass-fed chicken, turkey, beef and
eggs (without the added hormones and antibiotics)
Beans, and lentils
Brown rice, Quinoa, and other whole wheat organic
carbohydrates
Flaxseed and chia seeds
Tofu
What
drinks help with natural balance of hormones:
Filtered water and not from a plastic bottle (more on
this coming in another article)
Lemon tea with either green or black tea. Lemon wakes
up your digestive system. Add boiling water to tea and squeeze a half of a
lemon.
If you need a sweetener for your tea, try Stevia
and/or unpasteurized organic honey
Almond milk in place of full-fat dairy milk
First thing in the morning drink raw/organic apple
cider vinegar (ACV). ACV has many healing properties such as with digestion and
immunity. Mix 1 tbs. of ACV with 3 tbs. of water.
Invest in a smoothie or juicer and make your own juice-pineapple,
orange, etc.
Snacks
in between meals or for after dinner:
Nuts-walnuts and almonds are the best
Fruit and real-fruit popsicles
Whole-grain cereal with almond milk
Make your own popcorn-organic popcorn kernels. Cook in
olive oil and add sea salt
Raw carrots (not baby carrots)
If you enjoy food like I do, incorporating these
changes will not be easy. Start off with a few changes that you know you can make
and add the others as you get used to the new foods. Because I enjoy food so
much, I will allow myself one or two meals per week that I enjoy the most. Adjust
the diet to your liking and what works best for you. You may find you need a little
more or less of a particular food. My hope is if we challenge ourselves just
for 30 days to eat better for our hormonal balance we will see significant
improvements in mood, energy, sleep and weight.
→Anyone
up for the challenge? I say challenge because changing from our deep-fried and
over-processed food diet will be a challenge. But, what is the alternative? Hormonal imbalance.
I am up for the challenge, are you? Let me know if you are and what foods you
will implement or incorporate.
