Supporting Healthy Hormone Balance with your Diet…

Written By Jayne Sharpham

A healthy diet plays an essential role in promoting female hormonal health, and yet the word ‘diet’ has the power to send our heads into a spin. Still, eating healthy can be a great experience – enjoying delicious foods that are inexpensive and easy to prepare, without strict calorie counting. Small changes here and there can go a long way with easing your symptoms, leaving you to feel your happy, relaxed, energetic self again.

Health experts worldwide continue to praise the Mediterranean Diet (MD) as the #1 diet for good health and longevity. The MD has many health benefits including cancer prevention, good heart and brain health and weight loss, but what’s less known is its therapeutic effects on female hormonal irregularities and disease. Studies show the high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients contained in the Mediterranean Diet is why it’s beneficial for managing and preventing chronic conditions.

The Mediterranean Diet is based on fresh, whole foods and is primarily plant based including vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, seeds, healthy fats (olive oil and avocado), with a little fish, seafood and meats. The main drink in the MD is water in which drinking 1.5 - 2 litres of filtered water daily is recommended.

Our main aim when supporting healthy hormones with women, especially peri-menopausal women, is to ensure we are making and clearing adequate oestrogen, that it is balanced with progesterone and that it is clearing correctly from the body. Many hormonal issues can be from poor oestrogen clearance and an imbalance of the ratio between progesterone and oestrogen.

There are two ways we move oestrogen from our bodies. The first step occurs in the liver and the second step occurs in our bowel. The health of both of these organs is vital to healthy oestrogen clearance. Ensuring we are having a regular bowel movement everyday is important for healthy hormones.

Reducing alcohol is really important as part of supporting hormone balance. Just 2 drinks a day can double your exposure to oestrogen.

The gut microbiome is the community of bacteria, fungi and other organisms that are living along our digestive tract, especially in our large intestine. A diverse and healthy gut microbiome has many impacts on the body including our ability to absorb nutrients, our mental health and  our ability to detoxify our hormones, especially our oestrogen.

It’s important to feed the gut microbiome with berries, fibre foods, linseed meal, psyllium husk, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, and fermented foods and consider taking a probiotic. 2 teaspoons of linseed meal daily is excellent for hormonal balance for women. These provide omega 3 fatty acids, aid clearance of oestrogen from the body and are an excellent fibre source. Ultra processed foods, high sugar intake, alcohol, trans fats from oils such as margarine, and fried foods can impact on the health of the gut microbiome, which can impact on hormone health.

Potent foods for optimising hormones:

·      ·        Protein with each main meal. Aim for a palm size portion with each main meal. Protein is found in meat, nuts, seeds, eggs, hommus, yoghurt, tofu, beans. It is critical for many reasons including balancing blood sugar to help reduce sugar cravings, supporting happy brain chemistry production and also maintaining muscle mass.

·      ·        Include some good fats in your diet such as avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil and fish. Good fats help support a healthy heart, brain and hormones.

·      ·        Selenium rich foods- brazil nuts, organ meats, seafood, salmon.

·      ·        Phyto-estrogens-these are beneficial as they weakly bind to your oestrogen receptor sites and help to buffer you from the ups and downs of stronger oestrogens (known as estradiol). These include legumes, flaxseed, wholegrains, sprouts .

·      ·        Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower aid oestrogen clearance in the body. Avoid eating in large raw quantities if you have an existing underactive thyroid.

·      ·        Zinc rich foods- some red meat, nuts, oysters

·      ·       Omega 3 foods- salmon, walnuts, fish, tuna, chia seeds

·      ·        Iodine rich foods such as seaweeds, iodised salt and seafood is very important for peri-menopause

·      ·        Calcium rich foods such as broccoli, tahini, hommos, tofu, lean dairy or fortified milk alternatives, sardines, oranges

Sample meal plan for a day:

On rising: Lemon Juice in Water or Fresh Ginger Tea.

Breakfast: Blueberry & Cinnamon Creamy Smoothie.

Morning Snack: 1 x Coffee, tea or herbal tea (no dairy milk or sugar).

Lunch: Salad in a Jar.

Afternoon Snack: 2 x Protein Balls of your choice.

Dinner: Grilled Fish or Chicken Salad.

Here are a few recipes from my ebook “Finding Balance in Female Hormones- 28 Day Program” for helping healthy hormone balance:

Blueberry and Cinnamon Creamy Smoothie

For balancing hormones, a good mood, clear skin and improving physical and mental energy.

½ to 1 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen)

¼ teaspoon of cinnamon powder - optional (not cinnamon sugar, balances blood sugar levels and is delicious)

½ - ¾ cup of raw greens (mixed broccoli and/or green leafy vegetables/kale)

1 serving of pea protein powder (organic and no sugar)

1 teaspoon of coconut oil (organic virgin or tasteless)

1 - 2 tablespoons of tahini (high in calcium and makes a smoothie creamy)

½ cup of water to blend to a medium consistency

A little ice if desired or use frozen blueberries

Blend thoroughly and serve in a large glass or take away shaker. The above amounts are for 1 adult. If the smoothie is too thick you may need to add a little more water.

Crunchy Chocolate Bliss Balls

1 cup of almond meal or almonds

2 tbsp of organic chocolate, vanilla or natural pea protein powder (no sugar)

¼ cup chia seeds

¼ cup sesame seeds,

1-2 tbsp of cacao powder,

1/3 cup of almond paste

1 tbsp of organic coconut oil (virgin or tasteless)

2 tsp of one of the following (honey, maple syrup or agave syrup)

¼ cup of dried cranberries (not sweetened with sugar).

 Mix all of the above ingredients in a food processor. Roll the mixture into balls and leave plain or roll in desiccated coconut, cacao nibs or sesame seeds. Store in a container in the freezer and thaw naturally as needed.

Cajun Salmon Tacos (or beef, bean, chicken, tofu or prawn tacos)

These delicious, healthy tacos are gluten and dairy free and will be a hit with your family and friends…and are super quick and easy to prepare!

1 serving of raw salmon

Pinch of salt and pepper

1-2 teaspoons of Cajun spice

1 dessert spoon of tasteless coconut oil

Salsa

 1 diced mango or apple

1 large ripe avocado, diced

1/4 red onion, sliced thinly - optional

2 small tomatoes, diced

Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving

Freshly chopped coriander for garnish – optional

 Instead of the above salsa ingredients you could use any vegetable or salad as a replacement.

 2 small tortillas per person - warmed or grilled 

Directions:

1.      Pat salmon dry, then evenly season all sides of the filets with salt, pepper, and Cajun spice.

2.      In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. When oil is hot but not smoking, add salmon. Cook until golden, about 5 to 6 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until salmon is opaque.

3.      Allow to rest and cool slightly, then flake into large pieces.

4.      Make avocado salsa in a medium bowl - add mango or apple, avocado, onion, tomatoes, and lime juice. Season with salt and toss to combine.

5.      Assemble tacos - fill flat bread with salmon, avocado salsa, and coriander. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Serves 2 people

For beef, been, chicken, tofu or prawn tacos –

Slice 1 tomato, 2 cups of Cos lettuce, and 2 pieces of shallots. Garnish with guacamole (blend 1 avocado, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, salt and pepper – then add finely chopped tomato and red onion) and add cooked protein of your choice.