5 foods that help balance hormones

If your hormones are out of gear, your body will be too. For hormones are the body’s chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream to get specific organs to act in a certain way.

Hormone disorders can lead to several illnesses like diabetes, thyroid, heart disease, osteoporosis and even lupus have their origins in hormone disorders. Hormonal imbalance could lead to depression, weight gain, fatigue, insomnia, digestion problems and cravings.

A healthy hormonal system depends on several factors like sleep, stress levels and exercise. But the most important way to ensure a balanced hormonal system is through nutrition. Since fats are the raw material for hormone production, fatty foodstuffs like oil and butter are recommended for maintaining hormonal balance.

So forget fad hormone diets. All you need to do to balance hormones naturally is to include these five items in your diet.

1. Coconut oil:

   Coconut oil has many health benefits, including boosting resistance to bacteria and virus. It also contains lauric acid, which helps hormone production. Coconut oil improves insulin utilisation within the body and boosts thyroid function. This, in turn, increases the metabolic rate, releases energy and can.
   

2. Seeds:

   Seeds like sesame, flax, pumpkin and sunflower are known to boost hormone production. Naturopaths often recommend “seed cycling” to balance hormonal production. This means incorporating different seeds in your diet to encourage the body to produce deficient hormones or eliminate excess ones. Regular consumption of seeds may prevent weight gain.

3. Ghee and butter:

   Despite the general sentiment against saturated fats, they do have their uses. Several vitamins present in ghee and butter provide the raw material for hormone production. Butter also stimulates the production of bile, which flushes out old hormones.

4. Quinoa:

   Quinoa has several benefits, including proper bone growth and keeping cholesterol in check. Rich in protein, magnesium and phosphorus, this superfood that originated in the South American Andes helps maintain hormonal balance. Incorporate it in simple dishes like quinoa pour and salads to enjoy its health benefits.

5. Egg yolk:

   Egg yolks may be out of fashion, but that doesn’t mean one can discount their nutritional value. Rich in vitamins A and D, biotin, iodine and selenium (which helps convert thyroid hormones from inactive to the active state), consuming egg yolks is an excellent way to address hormone imbalance. Yolks are recommended food for people with hypothyroidism.
   

Along with eating foods that help maintain hormonal balance, it’s also important to cut down on food items that can disrupt the equilibrium. So stay away from red meat, caffeine, alcohol and refined carbohydrates like white rice. High omega-6 polyunsaturated fats such as vegetable oil, peanut oil, canola oil and chemically altered fats are also a no-no. Don’t forget to work on exercises or yoga poses that will help boost your metabolism.

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Written by Sumita Thomas

For Sumita Thomas, good nutrition advice is less about what NOT to eat and all about HOW to eat. Armed with a master’s degree in clinical nutrition and dietetics from IGNOU, Sumita has worked with multi-specialty clinics and corporate clients, planning calorie-specific menus for their cafeterias. She’s also a certified diabetes educator, has worked in cardiac nutrition and is even a TUV-certified internal auditor for food safety management systems. Maybe that’s why she ensures her advice is always scientifically sound, which makes her a perfect fit for us at HealthifyMe. Of the belief that a healthy lifestyle can be achieved with the combination of a healthy mind, body and diet, Sumita recommends setting realistic goals – one health target a day – and gradually incorporating healthy ingredients to your daily diet. Does she practice what she preaches? For sure, and ensures all those around her do too. So get set, because that now includes you!