Take Charge of Your Hormones: By Changing the Foods You Eat!

Hormones are the slow release messengers to all the organs of your body.

When they are disrupted, as you all know too well, you feel terrible. Moody, sad, anxious, afraid, with difficulty in coping.

Balancing your hormonesmay be easier than you think by following the detailed support for you.

How many times have you heard about your hormones being out of balance? Yes it is quite common.

However even though there may be times for the contraceptive pill or HRT one of them isn’t necessarily to balance hormones.

Reduce your intake of sugar, especially processed foods that are high in sugar; these include prepacked meals, milk drinks, soda drinks, packaged cereals and breads. By helping our pancreas and insulin levels, this will in turn help with balancing estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol, and thyroid issues that can lead to weight gain and diabetes.

First commence to implement a diet that is 75% – 85% plant based. At the end of one week, you will find that you will have more energy, you will think more clearly, and your weight will begin to balance. If you are overweight you may even begin to lose weight. Your skin will feel and also look better; this is one of the first and most important steps to “Ageless Aging”

What's wrong with processed foods?

The processing of foods exists along a continuum. Completely unprocessed foods are eaten in their raw, natural state. An example of a completely unprocessed food would be a raw carrot. Minimal processing makes some foods more convenient to eat. Examples of minimally processed foods would be cleaned fish, plucked chickens and butchered meat. Foods such as carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, cucumber, radish can sliced for easy consumption without cooking, or you can have these foods cooked that are still considered unprocessed such as sweet potato, pumpkin, swede, turnips, parsnips, peas & beans etc. As the amount of processing increases, the food moves farther from its raw, natural state, often changing its taste, texture, and depleting its nutritional value.

Some foods still need to have some processing, so let’s look at some foods that can also be introduced that have minimal processing therefore still having high nutritional value for us.

Soy, almond, and oat milk needs some processing. It is essential to choose organic and non-genetically modified foods. When we talk about processed foods and their detriment to your health, it is about the way in which they are processed as well as the fact that once a food is processed, the nutritional value of that particular food is diminished. Your body needs high nutritional count each day from fresh whole foods that have no to minimal processing.

Making different choices

Dairy, wheat, and gluten

You may well decide to eliminate dairy, wheat and gluten from your diet, as these are known to cause digestive problems and also can lead to further health conditions such as thyroid imbalance, heart, and circulatory problems.

You can replace dairy with goat products, soy, and also almond milk. To eliminate wheat and gluten, you then choose wheat and gluten free products. One of the best brands here is Orgran. Orgran has a line of products that are both vegan and vegetarian friendly.

Fats

Your body needs a small percentage of your diet to be of fats. However these need to be what is known as good fats.  Good fats aid healthy nutrient absorption, nerve transmission, maintaining cell membrane integrity while supporting a healthy heart and circulation. These include:

• Monounsaturated fats: Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Nuts including peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios, avocado, canola and olive oil are high in MUFAs. MUFAs have also been found to help in weight loss, particularly body fat.
• Polyunsaturated fats: Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.

Protein

Like fats, most meats and fish require physical processing to make them ready to eat. Sashimi-grade seafood can be eaten raw in its most natural form, but is physically processed. This processing doesn’t detract from the nutritional value of the food.

Vegetables

Vegetables in their raw, natural state are unprocessed. Examples of unprocessed vegetables include carrots, tomatoes, potato, pumpkin, broccoli, sweet potato and cauliflower etc.

(Avoid totally if possible) Frozen vegetables may be cooked or blanched; canned vegetables are usually cooked in the can. Dried vegetables may or may not have been chemically treated. (Vegetables are best purchased in the fresh state with the majority of them having minimal cooking with potato, pumpkin needing a little longer.

Seaweed is usually cooked before packaging without chemicals therefore is beneficial to include with your diet.

Fruits

Fruits in their raw, natural state are unprocessed. Examples of great fruits to include in your daily eating regime are red apples, bananas, pears, kiwi fruit, red grapes (in minimal quantity), grapefruit, rockmelon, and honey dew.

Fruit is much better for your health when eaten in the non-processed state.

Nuts and seeds

Raw nuts and seeds are unprocessed. Many nuts and seeds, including Brazil nuts, pecans, and cashews, are treated with heat during the shelling process, and roasted before being sold.

Sugar

Sugar is really a no-no in any shape or form, however it can significantly be reduced by minimizing your intake of processed foods, processed juices, and soft drinks.

Grains

Grains are a great way to increase your protein and vitamin intake. The best grains are Quinoa, Brown Rice, Lentils, Wild Rice, Millet and Buckwheat. If you find that grains are difficult for your digestion a great way to have them is ground using them in vegetable bakes and flour for cakes, bread etc.

Eggs

Free range eggs are unprocessed but should be cooked for maximum health benefits; the best ways of cooking are either poached or scrambled.

“Each step you put into place each day will lead to a healthier, happier you.”

Learn powerful, significant, easy-to-follow steps for self-care in Julie’s eBook: “Optimal Health the Key to Ageless Aging”

Download your copy today!

Take Charge of Your Hormones: By Changing the Foods You Eat!