Foods That Will Naturally Balance Your Hormones

Our hormones are the chemical messengers that play a major role on mental, physical, and emotional health. They control your appetite, weight, and mood. When healthy the body produces the proper amount of hormones needed to keep you healthy. If you have a more sedentary lifestyle filled with stress they may affect your hormonal health. A healthy diet and lifestyle can help help improve your hormone health. Here are some foods that will naturally balance your hormones.

Protein Rich Foods

Getting enough protein is important to get the essential amino acids needed that the body can’t make on its own. The body also needs protein to produce protein-derived hormones, known as peptide hormones. Peptide hormones help regulate many physiological processes, things like growth, energy, metabolism, appetite, stress, and reproduction. Research shows that consuming protein decreases the hunger hormone ghrelin and stimulates the hormone that makes you feel full. It’s recommended to eat 20-30 grams of protein at each meal.

Healthy Fats

Having a diet high in healthy fats can help reduce insulin resistance and appetite. Medium-chain triglycerides(MCTs) are fats that are less likely to be stored as fat and more likely to be used by your liver right away as energy, increasing calorie burning. MCTs are less likely to promote insulin resistance. Omega-3s help increase insulin sensitivity by reducing inflammation in the body. Omega-3s also help prevent cortisol levels from increasing when stressed. Some healthy fats are pure MCT oil, avocados, almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts ,fatty fish, olive oil and coconut oil.

Fiber Rich Foods

Studies have found that a diet rich in fiber helps increase insulin sensitivity and helps to stimulate the production of hormones that make you feel full. Soluble fiber helps increase the fullness hormones. The gut microbiome ferments soluble fiber in your colon, stimulating the fullness hormone.

The Mediterranean Diet

Research has shown that the Western diet is linked to higher estrogen levels, which are a risk factor for breast and ovarian cancers. Following a Mediterranean diet rich in seeds, legumes, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower can help reduce estrogen levels.