The start of a new year motivates many people to turn over a new leaf and establish healthier habits. One critical area that influences whole-body wellness is balancing our hormones through proper nutrition. Rather than extreme dieting, a sustainable, hormone-friendly diet rich in key foods can get your health on track.
How Diet Impacts Hormones
The hormones inside our bodies are extremely sensitive to what we eat and drink. Consuming high glycemic foods like sweets, refined carbs, and sugary drinks leads to spikes and crashes in blood sugar. These fluctuations strain the endocrine system, especially the pancreas, promoting insulin resistance and leading to not only diabetes but an even more pronounced risk for cardiovascular disease over time (1). Inflammation also runs rampant from highly processed foods, saturated fats, or food sensitivities (2) – impeding cellular function and disrupting delicate hormone pathways.
Additionally, without adequate intake of nutrients like zinc, selenium, magnesium, and B vitamins, the body lacks the basic components to produce thyroid hormone, insulin, estrogen, and testosterone properly (4). A vitamin D deficiency alone can depress sex hormones and worsen PMS, infertility, and menopause symptoms in women (3). Diet keeps the intricate hormones playing in sync.
Best Foods for Hormone Health
The ideal hormone-nourishing diet emphasizes complex, minimally processed whole foods:
- Fiber-rich complex carbs: lentils, beans, oats, quinoa, root vegetables
- Anti-inflammatory fats: avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds, omega-3s
- Micronutrient & antioxidant-dense fruits and vegetables
- Herbs, spices, and green tea – anti-inflammatory, detoxifying
Arming your body with the building blocks it needs to churn out key hormones properly is the first step. But additional lifestyle measures and medical guidance can provide further hormonal support. Things like prioritizing sleep, targeted exercise regimens, stress-relief practices, and professional lab testing (which we do) help regulate hormones for optimal functioning.
As you overhaul your habits in 2024, reach out to 25 Again and we can help provide a holistic approach so you can look and feel your best. Pair our help with additional healthy habits for an unstoppable hormone-balancing combination!
Sources:
- Hanssen, N. M. J., Kraakman, M. J., Flynn, M. C., Nagareddy, P. R., Schalkwijk, C. G., & Murphy, A. J. (2020). Postprandial Glucose Spikes, an Important Contributor to Cardiovascular Disease in Diabetes?. Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, 7, 570553. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2020.570553
- Shirasuna, K., Takano, H., Seno, K., Ohtsu, A., Karasawa, T., Takahashi, M., Ohkuchi, A., Suzuki, H., Matsubara, S., Iwata, H., & Kuwayama, T. (2016). Palmitic acid induces interleukin-1β secretion via NLRP3 inflammasomes and inflammatory responses through ROS production in human placental cells. Journal of reproductive immunology, 116, 104–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jri.2016.06.001
- Mei, Z., Hu, H., Zou, Y., & Li, D. (2023). The role of vitamin D in menopausal women’s health. Frontiers in physiology, 14, 1211896. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1211896
- Via M. (2012). The malnutrition of obesity: micronutrient deficiencies that promote diabetes. ISRN endocrinology, 2012, 103472. https://doi.org/10.5402/2012/103472
