What's the first thing you think of when I say hormonal imbalance?
You might immediately think of women who are going through menopause, though hormonal changes affect everyone from birth to death.
The most pronounced changes, as you know, take place when a woman is in her 40s and 50s, but symptoms can be seen as early as the mid-30s.
In fact, many women are developing symptoms earlier these days, due not only to pollution, toxins and xenoestrogens (synthetic chemicals that act as estrogen in the body), but because of diet and lifestyle.
One of the most common symptoms of a hormonal imbalance is consistent weight gain – obviously, that makes it quite challenging to maintain a healthy weight.
When your endocrine system is under stress, this causes an underproduction of certain hormones along with an overproduction of others, like cortisol.
This encourages the body to store fat for future use, creating an increase in belly fat too.
And, that’s not all – you may suffer from fatigue, which makes it hard to get motivated to workout, as well as increased cravings, digestive issues, anxiety, irritability, depression and insomnia.
All of which combine to make getting in shape and staying that way seem like practically an impossible feat.
Frustrating, isn’t it?!
But don’t give up just yet.- There is some good news too.
Eating certain foods can help correct a hormonal imbalance.
Healthy fat is one of the most essential factors for hormonal balance.
For years, you probably heard that all fat was bad, and that fat-free anything was good. But that’s just not true.
Healthy fat is necessary for producing and maintaining proper hormone function. That’s because hormones are produced using certain fatty acids and cholesterol.
If you’re missing those nutrients, hormone problems will arise because the body doesn’t have what it needs to make them.
It’s really quite simple.
If you base your meals off hormone-balancing healthy fats, clean protein, healing herbs and antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies, it will help your body to thrive and help you achieve your weight loss and fitness goals.
Healthy fats are derived from foods like coconut oil which contains lauric acid.
Lauric acid is extremely beneficial for hormonal production, and, it also offers a quick source of energy along with a boost to the metabolism.
Avocados are not only packed with fiber, potassium, B-vitamins, folic acid and magnesium, they’re loaded with healthy fat that helps the body absorb and use nutrients – all of which are crucial for maintaining proper hormonal balance.
Oils like hemp seed oil, olive oil and flax seed oil, nuts and seeds all offer healthy fats too.
Of course, you also need to remember that these foods need to be consumed in moderation. Be sure to measure your oils as it’s surprisingly easy to pour two tablespoons of oil into a pan instead of one.
Clean protein includes foods like beans, seeds, quinoa, wild-caught fish, pasture-raised eggs and organic pasture-raised/grass-fed beef, turkey or chicken.
When it comes to powerful antioxidants, think anything dark green or brightly colored, like kale, spinach and broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and pepper – green, yellow, orange and red, they’re all fantastic!
Don’t forget to spice up your dishes too – there are a number of herb and spices that offer healing properties which can help keep those hormones in balance, like cumin, turmeric, cayenne, ginger and cinnamon.
The bottom line?
When your body is given the nutrients it needs, hormonal balance naturally occurs!
Yours in Health,
Danette
