A very common question I get asked is “what should I be eating to help my hormones?” Here are the top 4 types of foods to get started:
4. Green Vegetables – green veggies like kale, chard, broccoli, and spinach are all rich in dietary fiber, which normalizes sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone by improving your hormone metabolism. If you currently are challenged by adding veggies we encourage you to experiment with a variety of different sources to find what you like and how best you like them prepared. The more colorful the better!
3. Lignan-rich Seeds – Seeds like flax, pumpkin, and sesame contain lignans. These compounds help normalize your estrogen and stimulate estrogen production when you don’t have enough. Great ways to incorporate these lignan-rich seeds can look like: packing a small container of pumpkin seeds to snack on through out the day, add ground flax into your daily smoothy, and consider using sesame seed butter (tahini) in place of peanut butter.
2. Fresh Berries – Berries like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries are all packed with great nutrients. Berries are a rich source of vitamin C, which regulates your progesterone levels, particularly during your cycle. The best time to purchase fresh berries can be limited to the summer months but keeping a bag of frozen berries on hand for smoothies or fruit bowls makes it easier to consume these wonderful antioxidants throughout the year.
1. Avocado – avocado is rich in anti-inflammatory monounsaturated fats. These healthy fats promote stable insulin. Stable insulin keeps your energy steady and prevents your blood sugar from crashing. the healthy fats in avocados are building blocks for sex hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Replacing your morning toast with a morning avocado will support a healthy insulin response at start your day and carry you until the next meal.
