How to Balance your Hormones with Food
Brain fog, bloating, PMS and erratic mood swings are signs that you might be struggling with a hormonal imbalance. Despite what your doctor said, these symptoms are not ‘normal’ and there are ways that you can eat to help balance your hormones naturally.
Western medicine often focuses on how to eliminate symptoms, which is why you might walk out of your doctors’ office with a birth control prescription after complaining about your “lady problems”. Although every body is different, birth control tends to mask many hormonal problems without addressing the root cause.
As a functional nutritionist, I seek out the underlying causes of these symptoms and work with foods and nutrients to help restore optimal health.
The hormone triad
Healthy adrenal glands, digestive tract, and liver are the foundation to a well-balanced endocrine system. Hormones are secreted into the bloodstream by endocrine glands – and they all speak to one another. Let’s dive a little deeper into the important role of these organs:
Adrenals
The adrenals are major endocrine glands that sit on top of your kidneys. They release adrenaline and cortisol, hormones that adapt the body to stressful situations. The pathways that help make these stress hormones share the same chemical precursors to those that make sex and thyroid hormones. This shared pathway means chronic stress can affect the production of multiple hormones, and ultimately shifts the body’s natural hormone balance.
Gut & Liver
Hippocrates was the first to state that “all disease starts in the gut” and modern medicine is beginning to catch up to this ancient concept. The liver and gut work together to first detoxify excess amounts of hormones and then eliminate them. Digestive problems, like constipation, can prevent the elimination of hormones and cause them to re-circulate between your gut and liver.
In addition to digestive regularity, a healthy gastrointestinal (GI) tract aids the liver by preventing the reuptake of inflammatory molecules. This allows the liver to optimize its essential functions, including the hormonal expression, detoxification, and regulation.
Interested in learning more on how the adrenal, gut, and liver triad affects your hormone levels? Watch this lecture by Dr Vincent Pedre on the unexpected hormone triad.
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The nutrition connection
Turmeric: contains curcumin, a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound that benefits the gut microbiota, digestion, as well as functioning of the GI tight junctions . Traditionally an Indian herb, it pairs well with curries but can also be enjoyed with roasted vegetables, eggs, smoothies. Try this delicious new trend golden milk latte (good for sleep, too!).
Cruciferous vegetables: vegetables in the cruciferous family include broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, and radishes. They contain a functional compound called sulforaphane that supports the liver detoxification (part of our hormonal regulation triad, see above).
Fermented foods: high in probiotics, these include sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir and kimchi. They promote the growth of healthy bacteria in gut, which works to strengthen your immune system, reduce inflammation, and support digestive regularity.
Bone broth: this is a fantastic source of glutamine, a gut healing amino acid that helps to heal leaky tight junctions contributing to a higher toxin load. Learn how to make your own.
Meditate: just 10 minutes per day
Chronic stress is not only harsh to the body’s adrenal glands, but also to the digestive tract. It wears down the tight junctions that keep the body safe from foreign molecules. Consistently meditating between 10 to 20 minutes every day can lower your stress levels, reduce GI permeability and allow your hormones to function more harmoniously. Read how integrative meditation can affect your GI immunity.
This article is not meant to treat or diagnose specific illnesses or disorders. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this website.