It’s not unusual for our hormones to be out of balance.
This can start to happen from about 35 years onwards.
Though many women don’t notice the odd one or two issues.
Common issues are;
Weight gain (especially round the tummy)
Brain fog
Feeling tired all the time.
Feeling run down and ‘out of sorts’
Feeling you’re not well but can’t understand why.
What can you do?
If you’re really worried then go and see your physician or doctor.
It’s time to look at what you’re putting in your mouth.
What you eat is really important, for building hormones & for them to work at their best.
Top tips for happy hormones
1. Eat healthy foods & ditch the processed junk foods. Processed foods can make the issues worse, so try and eat healthy, nutrient dense foods.
2. Choose your carbs wisely – try and eat ‘complex carbs’ like wholemeal bread, brown pasta and rice. As well as vegetables & fruits. Swap out, or reduce white bread white pasta and white rice, cakes, biscuits and pastries.
3. Eat healthy fats – this is important for bodily functions & building hormones. Think olive oil, organic coconut oil, avacado, nuts & seeds.
4. Heard the saying ‘eat the rainbow’ – this helps us to eat lots of different veggies, which is so important to give us the range of vitamins & minerals we need. Try and have 1 -2 fists of veggies at each meal.
5. Whole fruits are way more nutritious than fruit juices, as you get the fibre, as well as the vitamins and minerals. Dried fruits contain a lot of sugar, even if it is natural fruit sugar with none added, it can still spike your blood sugar, which makes you want to eat more.
6. Add daily foods that will help your digestion & clear up any leftover hormones.A daily raw carrot is fantastic for this, as well as eating plenty of dark green leafy veggies.
7. Help your gut health – this can make you more regular, reduce bloating and help hormone balance – eat fermented foods, or have some organic Kefir daily.
8. Eat enough protein daily – this will help you in so many ways, keep you fuller for longer, get that ‘lean’ look and help to regulate your hormones. You should have protein at every meal – one to two palm sizes.
(I always bang on about eating enough protein & will continue to do so, as it’s so important).
9. Add in some spices like tumeric and ginger to your healthy eating – together this will help to reduce inflammation (hormones that are out of balance can make inflammation worse)
10. Have a smoothie a day – chuck in some greens like spinach, cucumber, avacado, ginger, lemon and pineapple with water and blend. This is packed full of nutrients and minerals.
11. Boost your hormones by taking some healthy supplements (see Do women need supplements?)
12. Go organic as much as you can – now I know that this can be expensive and is not in everyone’s budget. You can shop at local farmers markets or stores as well.
13. Try and reduce caffeine and alcohol, as these can often make issues worse. No ones saying to can’t have your morning coffee or a glass of wine, but look at how much you’re drinking – can you cut back on it a bit ?
Eating healthily and exercising can boost your hormonal health – they may still need a bit of help though.
Claire x
