Balanced hormones have been linked to everything from improved moods and energy, to weight-loss, better skin and fertility, and even longer life. Trouble is, it is easy to throw them out of whack – eating carbs and sugars, birth control, stress and lack of sleep. Even the onslaught of daily pollution is a sharp endocrine disruptor such as absorption of BPA from the use of plastic.
The good news you can take steps to put them back in line. There are many ways, including sleeping well, exercise, avoid plastics, but food plays a primary role, whole foods in particular. And a few well-placed ingredients daily can work wonders, easily tucked perhaps in a smoothie or parfait.
The Magic 7 List of Ingredients
These 7 plant-based ingredients you probably already eat, yet when eaten methodically and in certain amounts, they can help your journey toward balanced hormones:
- Dark Leafy Greens (Spinach, Kale, Collards + Parsley) – at least 1 cup a day
- Avocados – exactly ½ an avocado a day
- Chia seeds – 1 tbsp a day
- Almonds – 11 almonds a day
- Maca Powder – 1 tsp a day (I use this brand)
- Quinoa – 2 tbsp a day
- Dark chocolate – 6gms a day (1 tiny square of a normal bar)
The Informational Breakdown
And here is how these ingredients impact your hormones:
- Dark Leafy Greens (Spinach, Kale, Collards) – contains substances that boost your liver’s ability to metabolize estrogen which is a GOOD thing. Estrogen bumps up collagen to keep your skin firm, taut, pink and quick to repair. Tossing in a handful of parsley or the like helps with liver detoxification because a well-functioning liver is important for proper hormonal balance.
- Avocados – contain a key component in hormone synthesize healthy fats, which also beef up your skin’s natural lipid bilayers so cells stay hydrated and plump.
- Chia Seeds – Contain Omega-3 fatty acids, the core building block in both cholesterol and hormone synthesis. The chia seeds and avocado are healthy fats; if necessary swap for a tablespoon of coconut oil.
- Almonds – So interesting, just 11 almonds a day can help regulate your blood sugar levels and and even out your hormone levels so your skin looks plumper and cleaner among other benefits. The 11 is considered to contain the exact amount of healthy unsaturated fat and minerals the body needs to balance hormones, among other things.
- Maca Powder – is a hormone boosting veggie from the radish family that supports hormonal balance that can impact skin, hair and reduce PMS symptons.
- Quinoa – balances hormones by keeping your androgen levels even. Quinoa is also full of protein, magnesium and phosphorus. Eat about a cup overall a week for best hormone-balancing benefits.
- Dark Chocolate (70% cacao and up) – Chocolate has many benefits but it can contribute to hormonal balance via its potent magnesium and iron, and ability to lower cortisol and boost mood-impacting hormones, serotonin and dopamine. Just 6gms of 70%+ cacao chocolate bar daily will do the trick!
And finally, now thatI gave you the building blocks to balanced hormones, below I will occasionally add links to recipes I find that incorporate one or more of these ingredients, to help you fold these magic 7 into your daily life. Watch my Instagram for updates on when the next recipe is added!
Recommended Recipes that Include the Magic 7
Pineapple Lime Coconut Parfait – adds quinoa
–2015, July Hormone Balancing Foods Prevention;2015, November Nutritional Psychiatry: Your Brain on Food Harvard Health Publications Harvard Medical School;1998, September Hormone Options Chicago Tribune;2015, October Headaches and Hormones Mayo Clinic
;2015, October Nutrition’s Role In Age-Related Degeneration Mayo Clinic
Hi,
For this list, Can I combine all of them in one smoothie? I usually blend smoothies good for three days as I am always on the go for work. I make sure I have nutrients in my body first thing in the morning. I usually have 5 or more different veggies ( kale, spinach, parsley, cucumber, carrots, celery, and fruits – frozen mixed berries, frozen tropical fruits (mango, pineapple, peach combo) then use almond coconut milk blend 50/50 with water. I also add chia and flax seeds, matcha green tea, raw cacao powder. Recently I just bought maca root powder on Amazon after researching and read that it helps with hormonal imbalance, stress and anxiety too. Can I substitute the 11 almonds with almond milk instead? Am I overdoing the smoothies with all these ingredients I mentioned? I am coping with some anxiety, stress, and feeling tired and low energy and mood, probably due to perimenopausal and hormonal imbalance only recently, so fairly new and I still have yet to learn how to handle this. I have been drinking yogi mooncycle and raspberry leaf teas as well. Hope you can help me handle this better as I prefer natural and safest way instead of relying on Zoloft as what doctors would prescribe.
Hi Michelle,
What a great idea to start each day with a healthy smoothie that incorporates your nutrient needs.
I love what you put in your smoothie, although I hope you are using organic berries as non-organic berries are known to have high levels of insecticides.
You might know about the EWG clean and dirty product charts here: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/
Regarding the hormone balancing, of course listen to your hormone doctors, but I do suggest you add fresh raw almonds, not almond milk to your smoothie.
I am so excited you found Maca powder, it really does help balance hormones.
And yes, in answer to your question, I think all these hormone-balancing ingredients can be added to a single smoothie.
So in to your smoothie would be a cup of greens, 1/2 avocado, 1 tbsp chia, 11 almonds, 1 tsp maca, 2 tbsp (cooked;steamed?) quinoa, and 1 square dark chocolate with at least 85% cacao.
But of course listen to your doctors; anything I recommend couldn’t replace official medical advice.
Let me know how you get on!
Dee xx
can i consume maca during breastfeed
Hi Sarah,
Please ask your doctor or health care professional if maca is safe while breastfeeding. I cannot give you professional healthy care advice. Good luck! Dee xx
Such a great little informative article! I can’t wait to add Maca back in to my diet when I finish feeding! Otherwise It looks like I’m doing OK! Thanks for the check -in Dee this is such a useful reference for Women.
Oh, that’s so nice of you. I know, Maca is so important, but all the rest are equally so, so no rush. Love that tiny specific number for almonds, so easy! Take care! Dee xx.
Is it okay to eat more than these amounts or does that throw the benefits out of balance?
Hi Amanda, well, I am not a medical professional, but I have read that these exact portions help balance your hormones, and so if you increase one, you ought to increase the others proportionally for that same result. But you and I know that overall these are healthy foods, so I would certainly eat more of dark leafy greens for instance if I felt like it. That’s just smart, right? Thanks for stopping by! Dee xx.