A balanced network of hormones is critical for a healthy body to function effectively and efficiently for a happy productive life. Menopause brings on different physical and emotional challenges as a result of the hormonal imbalance that your body is experiencing. But you don’t have to deal with it alone or figure your way out the hard way.
Here are 12 diet tips to help your body regulate and keep your network of hormones in harmony, and safely metabolize estrogen to achieve your best hormonal balance.
Dietary changes for better hormonal balance
1. Eliminate Sugar
Sugar is a hormone disruptor which means that it blocks your body’s ability to use estrogen and other hormones properly. Plan to lower the amount of unhealthy refined sugars in your diet. One of the easiest things you can do is to completely eliminate sugary drinks from your diet. No more soda, processed fruit juice, and sugary sports drinks. Water is your best hydrator and if you need a flavor boost, try adding natural fruits in season to naturally sweeten them up.
If you cook and bake, there are so many healthier comparable alternatives in the market these days that you really have no excuse to stick with refined sugars. Try nutrient-packed coconut palm sugar or turbinado sugar etc. Albeit a little more expensive, they are still considered very affordable.
In addition, always read your food labels because even some products labeled as healthy absolutely has huge amounts of refined sugar. Check out the food labels on your packaged bread the next time you are at the bakery…you will be surprised at what you see.
2. Use Lean Protein
Eating plenty of healthy lean protein will help boost your metabolism and keep you fuller longer, thus helping you curb your appetite to support a healthy weight loss/maintenance. High-quality lean protein choices include lean meat from animals that have been raised without hormones and antibiotics, fish, eggs, and beans. All these protein sources provide the complete 9 essential amino acids that your liver uses to metabolize estrogen. For this reason, several studies also suggest that protein is particularly effective against belly fat.
For a wholesome protein option, try my healthy hormonal detox protein smoothie here. while improving your detoxification and weight loss.
3. Go Crazy with Fiber
The recommended daily intake of fiber is 25 grams, however very few of us achieve this amount in our daily diet. When you eat soluble fiber, it helps reduce belly fat and improves your general metabolic health. Fiber supports better digestion and estrogen metabolism by eliminating unwanted estrogen from the body.
Excellent fiber sources include foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, chia seeds and flaxseeds. Chia seeds and flax seeds are especially easy ingredients to add to your smoothies for an even healthier meal.
4. Eat Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds such as pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds contain high amounts of healthy fats known as polyunsaturated fatty acids. These healthy fats help to increase your bone density, improve your sleep quality and help you feel full which promotes weight control. These amazingly healthy seeds also contain lignans which help to metabolize estrogen in the digestive tract, so it excretes from the body thereby reducing potential cancer risks.
5. Add a Splash of Lemon
Lemon water is a huge health benefit! Lemons are a powerful antioxidant and help with detoxification of the major organs in your body, including the gut and liver. Lemon contains D-limonene and is extremely helpful to rid your body of toxins and excess estrogen. I am a huge advocate of lemon water and make it a habit to drink this every morning!
6. Herbs and Herbal teas
Herbal teas are so in trend right now but how are they good for us? Since the early ages, several different cultures such as Chinese and Indian medicine have used herbs as natural remedies against various types of ailments. The medicinal properties of herbs are neither new nor revolutionary. We just have never found a way to make them so accessible until herbal teas came along.
Some well-known herbal teas such as ginseng, chasteberry, passion flower, black cohosh, ginger, red clover, valerian, and green tea have been shown to provide relief from common menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, night sweats, menopausal bloating, and more.
Green tea is especially popular among menopausal women for its ability to help with fatigue and support weight loss, due to the EGCg compound found in green tea. Studies show that the EGCg in green tea helps to reduce abdominal fat. [1]
Chasteberry is especially helpful in maintaining a healthy balance of the network of hormones in your body by making more progesterone and less estrogen. This helps with appetite control which in turn boosts weight loss.
Dandelion, when eaten or in an herbal tea, helps reduce the water retention of menopause.
As with all remedies, use these herbs with caution if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, have hormone-sensitivities or gallbladder issues or managing other specific health conditions.
7. Pomegranate
Pomegranate (specifically pomegranate seed oil) helps to inhibit an enzyme known as aromatase, from converting androgen, not estrogen. In addition, it inhibits a protein called endothelial growth factor, which supports the development of blood vessels that cancer cells need to survive.
Pomegranate is also a good food source to boost progesterone levels and can be consumed as a fruit, pure juice or in supplements. They are a great addition to salads too.
8. Try Kudzu
Kudzu is a vine, also known as Pueraria Montana. It is prized for its medicinal properties that can help heal a variety of ailments. The root, flower, and leaf contain phytochemicals such as quercetin which is high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. The primary compound, isoflavones, has estrogen-like effects which may help to treat menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. Research indicates that kudzu may help manage your metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance reducing excess belly fat and weight gain. [2,3,4]
9. Add Superfoods
Superfoods with nutrients that balanced hormones are one of your best approaches to help minimize menopausal symptoms. Foods such as avocados, sea vegetables, grapefruit, blueberries, flax seeds, chia seeds, almonds, olive oil, and beans can help stabilize your estrogen levels, reduce inflammation, combat insulin resistance and weight gain. Did I mention that they also taste amazing?
10. Go for Healthy Fats
Try to incorporate more cold water fish in your diet. They provide high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids that helps ease menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and mood. Salmon, mackerel, and herring are all good choices. Healthy fats also support heart risk which is more prevalent with menopause.
11. Cruciferous Vegetables
This is your broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbages! How lovely! Cruciferous vegetables are an excellent source of DIM (diindolylmethane), a compound formed when you eat foods that have a nutrient called indole-3-carbinol. DIM is highly effective in the production of healthy estrogen metabolism, which potentially protects against estrogen-induced cancers. DIM-Evail™ softgels is an all-natural formulation that improves the absorption of DIM which otherwise can be difficult to absorb or when you need a little extra support.
Studies have shown that if you eat more than 7 servings of vegetables per day, you can weigh up to almost 11% less than those who do not eat vegetables.
12. Don’t Forget to Drink your Water
Drink lots of water during menopause. Adequate hydration replaces water loss from your body while you experience hot flashes and night sweats. Water also helps to remove impurities from your body, controls bloat, and keeps you full for better weight control due to hormonal fluctuations.
Click here to learn more about the different Diet Options that are great for losing weight during menopause.
A Tailored Plan Just for You
In summary, the best way to get your hormonal network back in harmony is to start from within with a clean primarily plant-based diet. This list is not exhaustive but I hope it will help you feel confident enough to start making simple easy adjustments to your diet.
Looking for ways to feel better during your hormonal transition, read my articles on:
If you are like me and always looking for a more targeted tailored approach, CONTACT ME to get a reading on your unique hormonal situation for a more tailored diet plan. We can work together to address the issues that are holding you back from feeling your best.
Click here to learn more about Understanding Menopause and Weight Gain.
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Resources :
1. Can EGCG reduce abdominal fat in obese subjects?, J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Aug;26(4):396S-402S.
2. Kudzu Vine, plant, Encyclopedia Britannica,www.britannica.com/plant/kudzu-vine.
3. The surprising health benefits of the Kudzu Vine, http://health.facty.com/food/nutrition.
4. Kudzu May Help Ease Metabolic Syndrome, https://www.webmd.com/heart/metabolic-syndrome.