World Menopause Day - Keep your hormones in harmony
What are hormones?
Hormones are chemical messengers in your body that cause things to stop or go. They can affect your metabolism (thyroid), your sleep (circadian rhythm), your weight (blood sugar) and sexual function. Sex hormones are involved in the latter and an imbalance can impact your sexual libido, your fertility and your mood. Balancing your hormones is vital for optimal health.
How can you balance your hormones?
Balancing your hormones requires a combined effort of diet and lifestyle measures.
INCREASE:
Cruciferous vegetables
Vegetables such as broccoli, broccoli sprouts, kale, swiss chard and cauliflower are all high in I3C which helps with the detoxification of oestrogen.
Phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens such as fermented soy, flaxseeds and certain organic fruits and vegetables act as adaptogens in the body. This means they can either increase oestrogen by mimicking it or decrease it when levels are toxic in the body.
Fibre
Fibre is vital for the detoxification of excess hormones by encouraging regular bowel movement.
Omega 3 fatty acids
Omega 3 helps your cells respond more effectively to hormone triggers as every cell membrane is made up of fat. Fat helps manufacture sex hormones and enables you to absorb fat soluble vitamins. Try to eat oily fish at least 3 times a week (SMASH – sardines, mackerel, anchovies, salmon and herring) or a vegetarian source of omega 3 algae of ground flaxseed. Other good sources of fat include nuts, seeds, olive oil, chia, hemp, avocados and dark green leafy vegetables.
Exercise
Exercise is fantastic for your health and wellbeing. Yoga, pilates, strength training, running or swimming – find something you enjoy! HIIT can be enjoyed but if you are stressed out, this can raise your cortisol levels and impact hormones so limit to once or twice a week. Exercise will reduce weight by reducing insulin and aid in managing stress.
Sleep
Aim to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep is associated with increased stress hormones, weight gain and fatigue leading to hormonal imbalances.
Meditation and Relaxation
It is vital to prioritise calm in your life. Try to incorporate meditation, Epsom salt baths and restorative yoga into your life.
DECREASE:
Sugar
Sugar leads to blood sugar fluctuations and encourages weight gain. Excess fat cells produce more oestrogen and can lead to oestrogen dominance in the body and possible fertility issues and mood fluctuations.
Alcohol
In addition to alcohol containing sugar it can add extra strain on the liver when it should be in optimal health to recycle spent hormones.
Stress
Ongoing stress raises cortisol hormones in the body which disturb blood sugar balance and lead to excess storage of hormones.
Coffee
As above, those sensitive to coffee can lead to cortisol disruption.
Xenoestrogens
These are synthetic oestrogens found in chemicals such as plastics, pesticides, cleaning products and toiletries.
Processed foods
Processed foods are full of preservatives, additives and artificial sweeteners, all of which disrupt hormone balance. Try to eat a diet rich in wholesome, organic foods.
Omega 6 Fatty Acids
Omega 6 from fried foods, vegetable oil, dairy and non organic meat can cause our ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 to become unbalanced. To ensure we are getting the benefit of omega 3 we need to ensure our intake of omega 6 is limited.
Useful substitutes to coffee and alcohol
¨ Turmeric latte
¨ Chicory root coffee
¨ Raw Cacao with nut milk
¨ Herbal teas – ginger, lemon balm, red clover, sage
¨ Non alcohol drinks such as seedlip spirit with a good quality tonic is a perfect G & T alternative.
Seed Cycling
Properties of certain seeds have been shown to balance hormones, reduce PMS and trigger menstruation when required. If you don’t have a regular cycle you can use the moon cycle instead.
Day 1 – 13 (to boost oestrogen)
1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds and 1 tbsp of ground pumpkin seeds.
Day 14 - 28
1 tbsp of sesame seeds and 1 tbsp of sunflower seeds
References
Boost your fertility, Marilyn Glenville, 2008
The natural health bible for women, Marilyn Glenville, 2010