Have you ever thought about eating for your hormones? There are SO many diets out there, but most diets are not made for women. They usually have us eliminating or not eating enough of the foods our body needs in order to support our hormones. Eating for your hormones is how you can start to balance your hormones naturally.
Since our hormones regulate everything that goes on with our bodies, body temp, energy levels, cravings, metabolism, mood… you name it – it’s time to rethink what’s on our plate!
If you are experiencing heavy periods, irregular periods, intense sugar cravings, exhaustion, have any sort or anxiety, these are all signs that your hormones could be out of balance. The most important step we can take to help regulate our body is by making healthy hormone supported changes to our diet.
Today, I will be sharing the first step you can take to help balance your hormones, no matter what life stage you are in. Whether you are preparing your body for pregnancy, just had a baby, have PCOS, or transitioning into perimenopause.
Balancing your blood sugar levels is super helpful even if you might not be experiencing any typical “hormone” issues. We all feel better when our blood sugar levels are stable. We have energy, feel less irritable and can focus on the task at hand.
Plus, who wants to feel “hangry” all of the time?
Feeling hangry is one of the most common signs of blood sugar instability. Hangry is when you are so hungry you start to feel angry and irritable and if you don’t eat right away you might freak out! I know, because this used to happen to me all of the time! I wrote an entire blog post about it.
What usually happens when we are hangry is that we start craving sugar or caffeine to help keep us going, but instead of it helping us along we just get stuck on a crazy up and down rollercoaster ride.
Have you ever felt like this… you feel okay, then all of a sudden you must eat, then you feel better…. but now you need a cup of coffee so you make it through your next meeting, and then you have to eat a candy bar to make it to the end of the day. This type of blood sugar instability usually goes on not just for a day, but for weeks and sometimes years which can really cause issues with your hormones.
What does it look like to have unbalanced and balanced blood sugar levels?
Unbalanced blood sugar
- Craving sugar or caffeine all of the time
- Feeling moody and low
- Not feeling rested when you wake up
- Never having enough energy no matter how many hours you sleep
- Having a hard time falling asleep
- Feeling wired but tired
- Feeling anxious and stressed
Balanced blood sugar
- No cravings for energy in the form of candy bars and coffee
- Your mood is stable and pleasant most of the time
- You feel energized when you wake up in the morning and it lasts all day
- You fall asleep and stay asleep until your alarm goes off
- You feel calm during the day
- Less or no period pain
How To Balance Your Blood Sugar To Support Your Hormones
- At every meal and snack make sure your plate is full of healthy fats, proteins and fiber. It looks like a power bowl full of cooked veggies, your protein of choice – chicken, salmon, beans or lentils, and avocado for lunch. Always pair fruit with a protein like an apple with almond butter as a snack to keep your blood sugar balanced and don’t skip breakfast if you are feeling extremely hangry, stressed and are having a difficult time sleeping at night. The more you eat like this the less cravings you will have for candy bars and hamburgers.
- Up the fat intake! I know I say this in almost every newsletter, blog, Facebook post etc, but most of us are still not eating enough healthy fats. 40-50% of your diet should be healthy fats like avocado, coconut oil/butter, olive oil, olives, nut butters, salmon, grass fed butter. You can read more about healthy fats here.
- Watch and see what foods might make you hungry sooner. Even though fruit has fiber in it, sometimes you might have an afternoon snack and notice you get a headache or feel hungry after eating. Track this and see if it happens every time and try another snack or meal combination
- Try to eat away from your computer. When we are stressed and on the go while we are eating it can cause our blood sugar to spike and then we will crash sooner
- Drink water and stay away from caffeine, especially in the morning. Always drink water, (and please stay away from plastic and get a glass water bottle I use this one from Life Factory) eat breakfast and then have a very small cup of coffee if you can’t live without it :). Please never have coffee on an empty stomach, it will really mess with your blood sugar levels and is one of the main reasons your body starts that rollercoaster ride every morning.
I suggest starting with these healthy hormone tips for a few weeks and see how different your moods, energy levels and cravings feels once your blood sugar levels are more stable. If you feel like you need some additional support to help you and your hormones you can sign up anytime for a complimentary session. You can schedule one here. You can also check out my hormone balancing programs here.
Click here to check out step two of eating to support your hormones!