To help you prepare for the busiest time of the year, I’m sharing some tips on how to eat to support your hormones over the holidays.
Most women report that January is their worst period of the year! Its no surprise to hear this after months of celebrations starting with Halloween candy, and ending with holiday feasts, social events and wrapping up end of year work projects we are often more sleep deprived and stressed over the holidays. All of this can create imbalances that show up either through our digestion, periods and our energy and moods. To help you avoid that January holiday hangover check out ways you can continue to support your hormones this holiday season.
Eat To Support Your Hormones Over The Holidays
Wake Up, Eat Breakfast
Eating within 45 minutes to an hour of waking up plays two very important roles for our hormones. Having a protein packed breakfast helps balance our blood sugar levels, which prevents our body from crashing in the afternoon and craving sugar PLUS it keeps our cortisol (that bossy, inner voice) hormone of ours from rising too quickly and creating additional stress in our body.
If you don’t eat breakfast, try to have a handful of nuts within that window of time, drink tons of water, and only then have caffeine. If you are hooked on coffee, starting to eat breakfast consistently can actually give your body more energy than a cup of coffee, so its definitely something to think about! Try matcha tea as an alternative for that morning boost.
Not sure what to eat? I have created a recipe ebook just for you with meals and snack suggestions that are not only delicious but easy to make. It’s just $9.97 and is a really easy place to start supporting your hormones.
Lemon Water With Ginger
If you are waking up and feeling tired, the best thing you can do to bring energy into your body is drinking a lot of water within the first two hours of waking up. One of the main reasons we wake up tired is that we haven’t had any water, which hydrates the body, for at least eight to nine hours. By drinking water you are rehydrating the body, providing vital energy. Since it’s getting chilly in the mornings, I like to grate ginger and squeeze a lemon into my water which is also helpful for digestion.
Eat For Your Hormones All Day Long
It doesn’t have to feel overwhelming to eat for your hormones, just remember this quick formula; healthy proteins + healthy fats + fiber = happy healthy hormones! Eating in a way that supports your hormones keeps your energy stable, your moods balanced and your cravings low. I’ve written tons of blogs posts about this, with meal ideas, here is one to help get you started. If you are finding that you don’t have time to devote to cooking dust off your crockpot or carve out some time on the weekend for meal prep. It will save you time during the week plus you will have. more energy when you are eating lots of nutrient dense foods or look into a meal delivery service to help support you during this busy time.
Support Your Digestion
To help start supporting your digestion I suggest slowing down while eating, take smaller bites and chew your food before swallowing Then take a little walk after eating, even if it’s just the halls of your office or home to help aid with digestion.
Then take a look at your plate and add fiber to whatever you are eating, fiber is essential for healthy digestion and digestion is key for hormonal balance. You can read more all about the importance of digestive health for hormones. Try adding veggies to your eggs or roast some veggies for sides and aim for half of your plate to be full of fiber rich foods.
If you aren’t already taking a probiotic, this will help support your digestion and keep your bowel movements regular. You can also add in some fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchee, coconut water Kiefer or apple cider vinegar (you can add this to the lemon water with ginger in the morning) to help with bloating and digestion. I also love a hot cup of bone broth and when my digestion is really off I can add some collagen peptides. You can get my bone broth recipe here that I make in my crockpot.
Eat Before Drinking
If you are having holidays cocktails please just remember to support your liver before and after. Before you go out, make sure you’ve had a hormone supporting meal and have drank a ton of water! Keep some coconut water in the fridge, it helps with dehydration and is full of electrolytes so it’s the perfect hangover cure. I also like Ultima which I mix with my water before I go to sleep or when I wake up. When you wake up in the morning have a breakfast full of protein, fat and fiber to continue eating for your hormones meals. You can also add some parsley or cilantro to your salads, soups and other meals to help with the liver throughout the next few months. I also love a tea with milk thistle like this yogi liver support tea.
Prioritize You!
It’s a super busy tine of the year so before you start overcommitting yourself, please block off days on your calendar until the end of the year. This way you still have time to do the things that you know support you and your hormones the best. Whether it’s having time to move your body, cook a healthy meal or have some time to relax and enjoy the season. Also, it’s okay to say no! If you feel tired and stressed from too many holiday events its okay to decline invitations for a night at home watching some holiday movies.
I’d love for you to feel energized and hormonally balanced throughout this busy time of the year so pick one or two things that feel realistic for you to implement during the next few weeks and hopefully come January you will feel supported. Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones.
Blog Post Updated November 30, 2021
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Medical Disclaimer
Information in this post and on this web site is provided for informational purposes only. The information is a result of practice experience and research by the author. This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. Do not use the information on this web site for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem.
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