Hormones and Food

Delving into eating clean is an important step toward balancing hormones. The concept hit-home with me when reading the recent issue of Clean Eating Magazine. My husband had been on my case for years trying to understand why I would so easily become angry and shake when I was hungry. (It really became a problem as I turned 36 and had two kiddos.)

I had no idea how strong of a relationship the food I was eating had on my body until exploring the idea of eating foods that positively and negatively impact human hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, etc.). In my situation, I produce a lot of estrogen and trace amounts of progesterone and testosterone. You may be wondering how I know this, right?? (I started seeing a hormone specialist every six months, after I turned 36, that checks my thyroid and other hormone levels because I have a low thyroid condition and perimenopause.)

According to the magazine, foods with NATURAL ESTROGEN include, but are not limited to:

APPLES – CARROTS – CHICKPEAS –  CUCUMBERS – EGGS – GARLIC – LEAN MEATS – OLIVE OIL – OLIVES – POTATOES – PLUMS – RHUBARB

Foods with ESTROGEN INHIBITORS (decrease estrogen and increase progesterone):

PEARS – ONIONS – CORN – CITRUS FOODS – BERRIES – SQUASH – CABBAGE – MELON – BROCCOLI – PINEAPPLES

Turns out, all the foods I was eating promote natural estrogen. Hmmmm . . . not so good – I was experiencing spiked blood sugar both by eating poorly and consuming estrogen promoting foods. For an excellent, detailed explanation of this process, visit The Depot: Health, Fitness, and Athletic Performance – Why We Get Fat

Naturally, I was burning up my body from the inside out! Choosing different foods, that inhibit progesterone, I have balanced my mood, cut-down on belly fat, and stopped feeling shaky and queasy. (Feelings I associated with hunger.)

To prove it really does work, I shared the Clean Eating magazine issue with my friend. Within 2 days, she also noted a significant positive shift in mood swings. While I referenced this information elsewhere on my blog, I felt it necessary to give a little more detail for those battling mood swings and weight issues.

I’m interested in what you have to say about these ideas – WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS?