what are some fruits that help balance hormones in females. Although there are a lot of harmful products out there claiming to assist with balancing hormones, those aren’t the only way to do it. In fact, but eating more natural foods such as the ones below can help balance your hormones. There are certain fruits that balance hormones in females and they should be included when healthy eating plan is designed. In this article, we shall discuss these fruits and the benefits they have on the female body.
4 Hormone Balancing Foods for Women
Hormone balance is an essential part of wellbeing, especially for women. Our hormones fluctuate a great deal throughout the month, and throughout our lives — your hormones are quite different in your thirties and forties than they were in your twenties. To help get your hormones back in check, hormone balancing foods can help.
Hormone balance plays an important role in almost everything your body does. And because hormones all influence one another, if one hormone gets out of balance, the consequences can ripple throughout your body causing discomfort for women with hormonal imbalance. In my clinical practice, I see a lot of women who come in with fatigue, brain fog, sudden weight gain, hair loss, and other symptoms of hormone imbalance.
The good news is that there’s plenty you can do to influence your hormones. Your cycle, age, diet, exercise, and stress levels all play a major role in your hormone balance.
If you’re one of the many women suffering from hormonal imbalance, diet is one of the most powerful ways you can rebalance your hormones and take back your health. With that in mind, here are my top four hormone balancing foods for women.
1. Avocado
Avocado is one of my favorite hormone balancing foods. Avocados are low in carbs and rich in heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory monounsaturated fats. The healthy fats and low carbs promote stable insulin, one of your key metabolic hormones. Stable insulin keeps your energy steady and prevents your blood sugar from crashing.
On top of that, the healthy fats in avocados are building blocks for sex hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. The plentiful fat in avocados gives your body the raw materials to make hormones it needs.
2. Fresh berries
Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries are all hormone balancing foods packed with great nutrients.
Berries are rich sources of vitamin C, which regulates your progesterone levels, particularly during the luteal (PMS) phase of your cycle . If you have especially rough PMS, it could be a progesterone imbalance. Try doubling down on berries in the days leading up to your period; the vitamin C in them may help relieve your symptoms.
Berries are also packed with polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that protect your cells from stress. Polyphenols decrease inflammation and can help you manage cortisol, your body’s stress hormone
3. Lignan-rich seeds
You may have heard of seed cycling as a natural way to regulate your estrogen levels.
Seeds like flax, pumpkin, and sesame contain lignans, compounds that normalize your estrogen levels by both getting rid of excess estrogen and stimulating estrogen production when you don’t have enough
If you have low energy, mood swings, or sudden weight gain, you may have an estrogen imbalance. Try adding seeds to your diet every day. They’ll help stabilize your estrogen levels and correct hormonal imbalance.
4. Leafy green vegetables
Leafy green veggies like kale, chard, broccoli, and spinach are all rich in dietary fiber, and great hormone balancing foods which normalizes sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone by improving your hormone metabolism
Try to get at least five servings of green vegetables a day, if not more. This green smoothie is one of my favorite ways to get more veggies in my diet.
THE BEST FOODS FOR HORMONE BALANCE
When we think about hormones, we often immediately think of reproductive health. But they’re not just heavily involved in keeping the reproductive system functioning: Hormones can affect your mood, stress levels, appetite, and overall health. If our hormones are off balance, we might feel more fatigued than usual. Even further, we might experience irregular bowel movements to irregular menstrual cycles, heightened stress, and general irritability. Yikes!
Many of us don’t think about turning to food first as a remedy for hormonal issues; too often, we tend to steer toward medication. And unfortunately, hormone production isn’t something we can directly control.
Diet is integral to hormone health, especially by regulating your gut health (which can have an effect on your mental health). Thankfully, there are certain foods that can help you balance your hormones, so we can select the best foods that regulate hormones and fuel our bodies with those. Here’s everything you need to know about treating hormonal imbalance with a hormone-balancing diet and other positive health habits.
FOOD GROUPS THAT HELP PROMOTE HORMONE BALANCE
Consider adding some of these hormone-friendly foods into your daily diet to keep your mind and body functioning at optimal levels.
PROTEIN
Protein is extremely important for hormone balance since it influences the release of leptin and ghrelin, the hormones that control your appetite and food intake.
CARBOHYDRATES
Nutrient-rich complex and high-fiber carbohydrates are ideal foods for hormone balance because they help stabilize blood sugar and reduce cortisol levels. Fiber doesn’t break down in the body, and since it doesn’t convert to sugar, fiber can’t raise blood sugar levels like other carbs can.
FATS
Including high-quality natural fats into your diet can help curb not only your appetite, but also insulin resistance. Several studies show that consuming healthy fat at meals can trigger the release of hormones that can help you feel satisfied.
10 BEST FOODS FOR HORMONE BALANCE
1. EGGS
There are some myths out there about eggs and hormonal imbalance, but in actuality, eggs are one of the best foods for balancing hormones, as they have a positive impact on insulin and ghrelin hormones in the body. Specifically, insulin controls blood sugar while ghrelin controls appetite.
Your insulin and ghrelin levels are lower after you eat eggs for breakfast (compared to a carb-based meal). Similar to other proteins, eggs are one of those hormone-friendly foods that keep you full for longer, so you can end up consuming fewer calories. This aspect is particularly advantageous if you have trouble losing weight.
2. FATTY FISH
According to the American Heart Association, fatty fish—such as wild-caught salmon, herring, mackerel, lake trout, and sardines—help stabilize your hunger hormones, thus helping you feel fuller for longer.
On top of that, fatty fish are considered to be one of the foods that balance hormones in females. They are rich in vitamin D, which helps improve female testosterone levels. Getting these hormonal levels under control can positively address concerns including weight gain, fatigue, and depression. A 3.5-ounce serving of such fish twice weekly can also keep your heart healthy and your skin and hair glowing.
Finally, the good fats in fish improve overall hormonal communication, which solidifies it as one of the best foods to eat for hormonal balance. The endocrine system uses hormones to communicate with the brain, which in turn boosts our mood and gives us better cognition skills.
3. CHICKEN BREAST
Chicken breast is high in protein and low in fat. Research indicates that high-protein diets promote the secretion of hormones such as leptin, which provides feelings of satiety. Chicken also has purported positive effects on anabolic hormones (such as insulin and estrogen) by helping build muscles after workouts, making it one of the key foods to balance female hormones.
4. LEAFY GREENS
Greens like spinach, kale, collard greens, and Swiss chard are loaded with antioxidants and can help prevent inflammation. Leafy greens are also considered to be hormone-balancing foods in that they can reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels and helping balance estrogen.
Additionally, greens are high in fiber. A high-fiber diet can aid in lowering estrogen levels, particularly for people with history or risk of hormone-sensitive breast cancer, according to 2020 research by Harvard University. In general, try to consume 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily to support hormonal balance.
5. CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES
Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts are all part of the cruciferous vegetable family and are potential foods that regulate hormones. Like leafy greens, these vegetables also help process and remove excess estrogen from the body. It’s also worth noting that the high calcium content in broccoli can aid PMS relief by reducing cramps and bloating, as well as regulating mood swings.
Top 10 foods to restore hormone balance
Hormones have a huge impact on our overall health and well being as they affect everything from our menstrual cycles to health issues such as PCOS, Thyroid, PMT and Endometriosis. Nutrition can be a powerful tool when addressing hormone imbalances as when hormones are in harmony you reclaim your life back! Here are my top 10 foods to eat to help restore hormone balance.
Cruciferous vegetables
These are part of the brassica family and when cut, chewed or cooked a phytochemical known as Indole-3-carbinol is produced. Indole-3-carbinol promotes liver function which is important for hormone balance where our waste products and “spent” hormones are cleared out.
Cruciferous vegetables should be eaten daily to as part of your hormone detoxification and balancing system. Examples include:
- Rocket
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Radish
Eat good fats daily
Eating good fats is essential for hormone production as it is these fats that build our hormones as well as reduce inflammation. So always include a portion of fat in each meal which can come from olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocado oil, raw unsalted nuts or seeds, nut butter and avocados.
Eat a rainbow of vegetables
By eating a rainbow of vegetables with a wide variety of colours we can be sure we are getting different nutrients and a wide variety of different vitamins and minerals. Aim to eat 7-8 portions daily (a portion is roughly a fist size).
Eat quality protein at every meal
Protein fills us up and keeps us fuller for longer thus keeping our blood sugar levels balanced. Whether this is animal or plant protein is a personal choice, I would normally recommend a mix of both and with animal protein to be sure that this is hormone free by choosing organic grass fed meat.
Eat 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds daily
Flaxseeds are the richest dietary source of lignans, a type of phytoestrogen which help balance oestrogen levels by promoting oestrogen but also getting rid of “spent” oestrogen. Add to your breakfast, to smoothies, soups.
Eat whole fruit in moderation
Eating 1 or 2 low sugar fruits daily, ideally raw, with their skin on helps keep our blood sugar levels in check and includes all berries, citrus, apples, pears Dried fruit and fruit juices may spike our blood sugar levels so should be avoided.
Include herbs and spices in your foods
Including an array of fresh (or dried) herbs and spices especially those that have anti-inflammatory properties such as ginger, turmeric, sumac, paprika, garlic will promote hormone harmony as well as ensuring we are adding an array of different nutrients to our meals.
Eat wholegrain fibrous carbohydrates
Including a fist size portion of wholegrain slow release carbohydrates such as brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa with 1 or 2 of your meals will ensure that we are getting much needed fibre and all important B vitamins which support hormone balance and healthy elimination of spent hormones (especially with period related problems such as PMS).
Magnesium food sources
Magnesium improves our insulin sensitivity meaning that our bodies are better able to use insulin and to regulate our blood sugar levels as well as regulating our nervous system (especially helpful with PMS symptoms and with PCOS). Magnesium food sources include and so are easy to incorporate into your daily foods!
- Dark green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach, watercress, kale)
- Avocados
- Legumes – chickpeas, lentil, beans, soy beans
- Tofu
- Nuts (especially almonds, brazil, cashew and pine nuts)
- Seeds (especially pumpkin and sunflower)
- Wholegrains – quinoa
Feed your gut microbiome
For hormone production and balance we need to ensure our gut bacteria are flourishing so eating fermented foods daily (kefir, olives, fermented vegetables), prebiotic foods and probiotic yoghurts etc as well as eating as many different foods as possible in a week will help maintain the diversity you need.
If you feel that you could benefit from additional support, they you can learn more by reading my page about hormone imbalance or don’t hesitate to contact me using the form below.
These 9 dietician recommended foods will help you combat hormonal imbalance
Hormonal imbalance can significantly impact overall health. A dietician recommends foods that can help maintain hormonal balance and hence, improve health.
When you have too much or too little of a hormone in your bloodstream, it leads to the development of hormonal imbalances. You probably already know that hormones play an essential role in the functioning of the body. Hence, even minute hormonal imbalances can cause an overall decline in health.
What are hormones?
Hormones are essentially chemicals that are produced by glands in the endocrine system. They usually travel from the bloodstream to the tissues and organs, delivering messages that tell the organs what to do and when to do it.
The effect of hormonal imbalance
Hormones are mandatory for regulating crucial bodily processes. So, a hormonal imbalance can affect a wide range of bodily functions. Hormones assist the regulation of metabolism, heart rate, sleep cycle, reproductive cycle, sexual function, general growth, physical development, stress level and body temperature. Hence, suffering from a hormonal imbalance often leads to symptoms such as joint pain, fatigue, high blood pressure, headaches and much more.
1. Almonds
Almonds act as a helping hand in the regulation of blood sugar levels. In the long term, it can reduce the risk of developing type II diabetes. They also help in reducing bad cholesterol in the body. You do, however, need to enjoy almonds in moderation because they’re high in calories.
2. Avocado
Avocado is considered to be one of the healthiest fruits in the world. It is rich in healthy fats and fibre. Avocado brings down the absorption of estrogen and uplifts testosterone levels. It also improves heart health. Avocados are high in calories and must be consumed in moderation. Eating one-fourth of an avocado daily can be beneficial for your health.
3. Broccoli
Broccoli has a significant impact on our hormone balance. This is due to its effect on how the body breaks down estrogen. Another important element of broccoli is sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is being widely studied for its efficacy in treating cancer and other illnesses. It also helps with fatty liver disease and increases liver detoxification pathways, which are critical to metabolizing estrogen. Broccoli also provides potassium, calcium and magnesium. These are some important minerals that improve muscle functionality and strengthen bones
4. Apples
Apples are a rich source of quercetin, an antioxidant that reduces inflammation in the body. This fruit helps in fighting high blood pressure, reduces the risk of cancer, and keeps viral infections at bay. It is the perfect fruit for weight loss since it provides dense nutrition while being low in calories and rich in fibre.
5. Flaxseed
Adding flaxseed to your daily diet can do wonders for your health. It is very rich in antioxidants, fibre and healthy fats. Flaxseed has been a long-standing staple in a healthy diet because it is packed with a huge amount of nutrients and essential fatty acids. In fact, milled flaxseed is multi-functional and tastes great. These are two majorly amazing perks that make this food easy to incorporate to your diet!
6. Green Tea
Most people are aware of the fact that green tea provides numerous health benefits. Along with that, it also boosts metabolism in the body. Green tea accommodates theanine, a compound that reduces the release of cortisol which is a stress hormone. It also has antioxidants that reduce inflammation and lower the risk of disease.
7. Blueberries
Blueberries are not only sweet in taste, but they also have high antioxidant activity! Eat three or four cups of blueberries per week to improve your health. Blueberries actually have numerous health benefits such as improving heart health, preventing urinary tract infections, and improving vision.
8. Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are a great source of magnesium. Magnesium is the anti-stress mineral that works alongside vitamin C and vitamin B5 to support the adrenal glands and lower stress levels. Unfortunately, stress depletes our magnesium levels. Hence, it is important to consume pumpkin seeds regularly to maintain magnesium levels.
9. Eggs
Eggs contain a healthy dose of choline, a vitamin that helps us produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is essential for the functioning of the nervous system, brain health, memory and development. Eggs are highly rich in omega 3 fatty acids, the anti-inflammatory fats that provide assistance to the brain. When the mind and nervous system is healthy, a person is able to cope with stress better. People must aim to buy organic, pasture-raised eggs instead of conventional.