What the Hormones is Happening to Me?

You’re eating all the right things….

You’re even getting active most days…

BUT the fat is just not budging!

 

I hear you girlfriend and I want you to know that YOU are doing all the right things for what you know BUT sometimes we need to dig deeper and look at what is really happening in our bodies...

Have you ever taken the time to check in with your hormones and what part they are taking in your health journey?

Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers, controlling almost every physiological process in your body, including:

• Metabolism
• Immune System
• Menstrual Cycle
• Reproduction System

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to not only be fuelling your body for optimal energy and health but KNOWING the foods that will balance your hormones and help you step away from the mood swings, heavy periods and even give you a better sex life!

To start on your balancing journey it is so important to be eating a balanced diet filled with fruit, vegetable, protein, wholegrain carbs, monounsaturated fats & polyunsaturated fats (The “good fats”) and to avoid processed ANYTHING especially sugars, saturated and trans fats as well as too much sodium.

A balanced diet DOES NOT look like limiting certain food groups and limiting your intake to the point you have NO energy and your moods are even worse!  It is the opposite.  A really great reference on knowing how to fuel your body is right here 👉 https://bit.ly/32wvSno.

 

To help you on your journey, I have gathered together some super simple tips on how to balance your 3 main hormones with food effortlessly…

 

ESTROGEN:

Being the primary female sex hormone, Estrogen regulates your menstrual cycle & prepares your uterus for pregnancy. 

You can’t specifically obtain estrogen from your diet, but you can find phytoestrogens which are a group of chemicals in plant-based foods that weakly act like estrogen in the body.  Great sources of these are flaxseed, Sesame seeds, lentil and rice.

 

INSULIN:

Insulin is probably the most well-known hormone affected by your nutrition.  With carbs being the most well known source.  The glucose from the carbs you eat travels through your blood stream triggering your pancreas to release Insulin which then attaches itself to glucose molecules & carries them to your cells where it is then used for energy.

If your pancreas cannot produce enough insulin, excess blood sugar builds up in your bloodstream and over time this insulin resistance can lead to prediabetes or diabetes…. which none of us want!

A great way to avoid this happening is for you to fuel your body with complex carbohydrates like oats, bran beans, lentils and lots of vegetables.  Always avoid highly processed carbs like white bread, white sugar and lots of cake and cookies filled with white sugar and flour.

 

CORTISOL:

Cortisol is often referred to as the “stress hormone”, a part of your body's fight or flight response.  As a part of your fight or flight response, cortisol is vital to your survival so it is essential to have this hormone in your body HOWEVER having chronically high levels of cortisol in your body can increase your stress levels, blood pressure and visceral fat (the fat the sits around our mid-section).

The good news is, it can be easy to reduce cortisol by reducing caffeine and alcohol as well as practicing a more mindful lifestyle by adding meditation into your days.

 

THE BALANCED LINE…..

Your hormones are involved in every aspect of your health and to live with optimal health you need them in your body to thrive at your optimum.

There are many different steps you can take to ensure your hormones are balanced and your body is working at it’s optimum.

The scary fact is hormonal imbalances can increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, obesity and all other health problems.

So, the balanced line is to focus on consuming nutritious foods, exercise regularly, meditate or just take 5 minutes each day to be quiet in your mind.

 You’ve got this beautiful and please reach out in the comments below if you want to learn more on how to balance your hormones and balance your life 🙏

 

In love and light xx