Balancing Hormones Through Diet
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The information in this blog post is meant to be educational and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice.
I’ve seen the term “balancing hormones” get some backlash recently. Some even say that using the term is misleading. As a women’s holistic nutritionist, I am here to tell you that you can balance your hormones and you can do it naturally and through diet.
But what does it mean to balance your hormones? Your body produces many hormones like estrogen, progesterone, LH, FSH, thyroid stimulating hormone, among others.
Your body produces these hormones at different levels during different times of your cycle. Estrogen is dominant during the first half of your cycle and progesterone is dominant during the second half of your cycle.
When one of these hormones is too low or too high, it can cause a hormonal imbalance. There are several factors that can play a role in hormonal imbalances in women.
Underlying causes of hormonal imbalances:
Poor diet
Poor gut health
Inability to metabolize hormones properly
PCOS
Endometriosis
Thyroid disorder
Although, I’d say that even some health conditions aren’t the true underlying cause of hormonal imbalances. It likely stems from one of the first three mentioned: poor diet, poor gut health, or inability to metabolize properly.
That’s why paying attention to what you eat is crucial for hormone health. Doing so provides the body with the vitamins and minerals needed to balance hormones naturally and to even manage stress better. Plus, focusing on nourishing your body the right way will help optimize liver and gut function which are crucial for hormone balance.
Signs of hormone imbalance women
You may be wondering though what does hormonal imbalance really look like?
Here are some signs that your hormones aren’t functioning optimally:
Irregular periods
Cycles lasting less than 27 days or longer than 35 days
PMS symptoms (cramping, breast tenderness, mood swings, cravings, etc.)
Painful periods
Heavy bleeding
Fatigue
Headaches/migraines (especially those occurring around the same times each month- such as around ovulation or right before or during your period)
Acne breakouts
Want to know what a healthy cycle looks like? Watch here.
Hormone balancing foods women
While there’s no one food that will magically balance your hormones, I’d love to highlight some foods that are great to incorporate when it comes to balancing hormones naturally.
These foods include:
Wild-caught salmon
Pasture-raised eggs
Broccoli
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
Berries
Wild-caught salmon
Maybe most known for its Omega-3 content, wild-caught salmon is the perfect addition to any woman’s diet who is trying to balance her hormones.
Not only are Omega-3s beneficial for brain function (hint: this is great for supporting stable moods and brain fog), but these types of healthy fats are crucial building blocks for our cells and hormones.
Omega-3s are also fantastic for reducing menstrual cramps.
Wild-caught salmon is also high in protein which helps keep blood sugar stable and thus supporting balanced hormones, stable moods, energy levels, and reduced cravings.
Other benefits
Rich in B vitamins, Vitamin D, and important minerals like potassium and selenium, wild-caught salmon boasts a wide range of nutrients necessary for balancing hormones and supporting healthy ovulation (and in turn healthy periods).
I always recommend wild-caught over farm-raised due to the higher nutrient content and lower risk of contaminants and additives.
Pasture-raised eggs
Eggs have gotten a bad rap in the past, but I believe they can be a great addition to most women’s hormone balancing diets. Like salmon, eggs are a great source of Omega-3s, protein, selenium, and B vitamins. They also boast a significant amount of choline which not only supports healthy brain function, but also supports egg health and ovulation.
The importance of ovulation beyond pregnancy
I briefly mentioned before that healthy ovulation equals healthy periods. We’ve mostly been taught as women that the period is the star of the cycle, but you might be surprised to find that ovulation is truly the main event. Having healthy eggs and ovulation is important for fertility, but also for overall hormone health. How you ovulate can determine how you menstruate.
Why choose pasture-raised eggs
Pasture-raised eggs from a local trusted farm contain higher levels of vitamins (like Vitamin D) and a higher omega-3 content than conventional eggs.
Broccoli
I honestly love broccoli. But I know it’s not a favorite for everyone. Steaming it or roasting it are my favorite ways to cook it. Cooked just right, this cruciferous vegetable can be a super tasty addition to any hormone balancing meal.
Happy gut, happy hormones
Broccoli is high in fiber which helps move digestion along. Being able to eliminate daily (and well) is crucial for healthy hormones. This helps the body eliminate excess toxins and hormones that create those unpleasant symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and PMS symptoms.
Sulforaphane
Broccoli is also high in a compound called sulforaphane. This compound is not only anti-inflammatory and high in antioxidants, it helps to boost liver detox enzymes necessary for removing toxins from the body along with excess estrogen (such as in the case of estrogen dominance).
This ultimately can help with symptoms associated with excess estrogen like heavy periods, breast tenderness, mood swings, and painful cramping.
Tips from a holistic nutritionist
I always keep a bag of frozen broccoli florets in my freezer for whenever I need to add this hormone balancing veggie to my plate.
Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are another colorful addition to any hormone balancing plate. Another one that’s high in fiber, this complex carb can assist with healthy digestive elimination (remember how this is needed for happy hormones).
Benefits
Sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin C, potassium, beta-carotene, magnesium, and calcium among various other nutrients.
Your body uses beta-carotene to convert to Vitamin A. We often think of Vitamin A for eye health, but it plays an important role in male and female reproductive health. Vitamin A supports healthy sperm and egg production.
Minerals for hormone balance
Vital minerals like magnesium and potassium, help support healthy periods (and even reduce cramping) plus they can help your body adapt well to stress.
I often recommend women increase their mineral intake especially if they are under chronic stress, as minerals help to support the adrenals which can easily get depleted and affect some of those hormonal symptoms.
Magnesium deficiency can be associated with symptoms like constipation, cramping, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and headaches.
A word of caution: before blindly supplementing with various vitamins and minerals, check with a qualified practitioner first. Too much of one can deplete another. There also can be various forms of the vitamin or mineral that maybe better and more absorbable than others.
That’s why it’s important to include a variety of foods that contain these important vitamins and minerals. I tend to recommend a food first approach, while then supplementing with some key, targeted supplements if necessary.
Best time to eat sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are perfect for the luteal phase of your cycle (the 10-14 days between ovulation and your period), because they can help keep you more full and satisfied as your body requires some additional calories during this phase.
Alongside a hormone-balancing meal, they can help reduce your cravings and give you some much needed energy when that pre-period fatigue hits.
Tips on cooking sweet potatoes
I absolutely love to roast whole sweet potatoes until they just melt in your mouth. For medium to large potatoes, this could take an hour or so in the oven, but I promise it’s worth it.
I’m also a sucker for sweet potato fries, but those can sometimes be a not so healthy option disguised as the healthy option.
Carrots
Another powerhouse for hormones, carrots are high in fiber and help clear excess estrogen from the body. If you suffer from estrogen dominance symptoms like heavy periods, breast tenderness, mood swings, acne breakouts and painful cramping then carrots (especially raw) are an excellent addition.
Raw carrot salads have become all the craze for hormone balancing and for good reason. High in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, potassium, beta-carotene, and phosphorus, this bright orange root vegetable boasts many of the same nutrients as sweet potatoes.
Additional Tips
Raw carrots contain a certain fiber that can help bind to and clear toxins from the body. I recommend using organic carrots, washing them thoroughly, but you don’t necessarily have to peel them as this will give you the extra fiber found in the outer layer.
Simply eating raw carrot salads won’t balance your hormones alone (neither will any one food or supplement) but it can greatly assist your body in the process.
Grab my raw carrot salad recipe, HERE.
Berries
There are many reasons to make berries a part of your diet. High in antioxidants and minerals, berries are great for hormone balancing.
Many of the foods I’ve talked about thus far contain Vitamin C. Berries are no different. Vitamin C is essential for progesterone production (which can often be low in women with PMS symptoms).
Berries can also help fight inflammation that may be contributing to irregular periods and hormonal symptoms.
Berries are perfect for the luteal phase and during your period, however this is one food I recommend eating weekly, if not daily.
Additional Tips
Add some wild blueberries to your oatmeal or yogurt. Or make a hormone balancing trail mix with some Goji berries (great for male and female hormones).
Eating for your cycle
While there’s no one food that will magically balance your hormones, adding in some of the above mentioned foods can go a long way when it comes to balancing hormones naturally.
Inside of the Healthy Hormone program, we not only talk about some of the foundations of nutrition (like the importance of protein + fat + complex carbs), but we talk about eating for your cycle.
Eating for your cycle helps to support your cyclical rhythms and the ebb and flow of your hormones throughout your menstrual cycle.
Menstrual Cycle Phases
Each woman goes through 4 distinct phases during her menstrual cycle: menstrual (period), follicular, ovulation, and luteal.
Eating specific foods during each of these phases can support hormone balance.
For example, eating those raw carrots during your follicular phase and ovulation will benefit the gut and liver (which are the big goals during those phases) to allow for a happier and healthier period with less of those pesky PMS symptoms.
Prioritizing foods that support progesterone production during the luteal phase (like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and salmon) can help reduce PMS symptoms like mood swings, cramping, cravings, and fatigue.
Not only is this great for supporting your hormones, but it can make grocery shopping and meal planning much easier.
Many of the women I have worked with find that eating for their cycle has not only GREATLY reduced their PMS/period symptoms, but it has put them in tune with their bodies in a way they never have been before.
Women who have gone through the Healthy Hormone program not only know what to expect during each phase of their cycle, but also how to support each phase for less fatigue, cramps, headaches, and more regular periods.
I’ve even had women tell me it has improved their communication with their spouse as they are able to effectively communicate what is happening in their own body.
Eating for your cycle alongside some individualized support, you can overcome hormonal imbalances that are causing your irregular periods, PMS symptoms, and period woes.
Are you ready to experience happier, healthier periods?
