How to Balance Hormones : Eat These 7 Foods Daily

Eating these 7 foods daily can help balance hormones. They are easy to eat in smoothies or salads or alone. Balancing hormones through food can lead to better moods, weight-control, overall health and more.

Balancing hormones with foods is a popular route because we eat every day. You'll want balanced hormones to positively impact moods and energy, to weight-loss, better skin and fertility, and even how long you live. It is easy to throw hormones out of wack though, which is why we need solutions. This article will discuss hormone disruptors to avoid, the seven best foods to eat to level off those hormones, and even other options such as seed cycling or making more of your own foods.

Hormone Level Disruptors

Many factors can throw off our hormone levels. Eating the wrong things, lack of sleep, stress, birth control, even environmental impacts such as air pollution or the absorption of BPA from cans and plastic.

Did you know that even the slippery chemical-filled film on the cash register recipe you are handed after shopping can disrupt your hormones? The good news you can take steps to put them back in line.

Signs of Hormone Imbalance

You cannot always tell if you have a hormone imbalance, so visit your doctor for a definitive answer, but some general signs include:

• Unexplained weight changes.
• Fatigue.
• Constipation.
• Diarrhea.
• Numbness in your hands.
• Slow or Rapid heartbeat.
• High cholesterol levels.
• Depression or anxiety

Ways to Balance Hormones

There are many ways, including:

• sleeping well,
• exercise,
• maintaining a healthy weight,
• watching your gut health,
• reducing stress (try my stress-relief coloring books)

But a primary way to positively impact hormone levels in via food.

Getting enough protein with a complete balance of amino acids because your body cannot make them is essential. That's because amino acids are needed to produce peptide hormones which control energy, metabolism, the gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems, energy expenditure, and reproduction. Here is my homemade protein bar tutorial so you can make a handy protein snack devoid of additives.

Other nutrients are needed beyond protein, however. And you can get them via a balanced diet. A balanced diet is hard to keep up though so if you want a fallback starting point, try for these seven foods daily: dark leafy greens, avocados, chia seeds, almonds, maca powder, quinoa, and dark chocolate.

The 7 Foods

Here is the detail and amounts you should eat daily of the 7 whole food ingredients that can help balance your hormones.

• Dark Leafy Greens (Spinach, Kale, Collards + Parsley) – at least 1 cup a day
• Avocados – exactly ½ an avocado a day
• Chia seeds – 1 tablespoon a day
• Almonds – 11 almonds a day (or 2 tablespoon almond flour)
• Maca Powder – 1 teaspoon a day (I use this brand)
• Quinoa – 2 tablespoon a day
• Dark chocolate – 6gms a day (1-2 squares) or 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder.

Nutritional Breakdown

And here is how these ingredients impact your hormones:

Dark Leafy Greens (Spinach, Kale, Collards)

- Contain 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. It also tends to promote a healthier progesterone to estrogen balance.

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. Technically the Food & Drug Administration allows a daily portion of almonds to be up to ⅓ cup. However, studies show 11 daily are beneficial to obtain the amount of healthy unsaturated fat and minerals the body needs to balance hormones, among other benefits without adding to weight-gain.

Maca Powder

– Is a hormone boosting veggie from the radish family that supports hormonal balance that can impact skin, hair and reduce PMS symptons. Read an NIH study about the positive impact on balanced hormones.

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!

Ways To Eat these 7 Foods

• Add leafy greens to a sandwich, a smoothie, or use collard leaves as the "wrap" in a roll.
• Add the one-half avocado to salads, sandwiches or just eat on its own.
• Chia seeds can be tossed in a smoothie, on yogurt or cereal, or actually mixed into a chia pudding.
• Almonds can be eaten alone, or added to just about any recipe.
• Maca powder can be stirred into any drink or stirred into yogurt or protein overnight oats.
• Quinoa can be used a rice-replacement, or even blended into a smoothie. I used it in a quinoa paella here, swapping out the rice, and a chocolate quinoa scotcheroo bar here.
• And dark chocolate. You can eat straight chocolate, the darkest possible and at least 70% chocolate or you can add cocoa to a recipe. My chocolate smoothie is a good start.

Helpful Recipes

These recipes include many of the seven foods mention above.

Seven Overnight Oats Recipes
Six 2-ingredient Smoothies
Chocolate Buckwheat Brownies
Peanut Butter Mousse

FAQS

Eating these seven foods daily in some form are an excellent starting point toward balanced hormones. Add to that proper exercise, sleep and reduced stress, and you stand a great chance for balancing those hormones. Even with the hormone disruptors in our world today.