3 Dietary Ways to Naturally Balance Your Hormones

Sometimes you may not feel, ‘right’. You might not be sick but you could be struggling with minor annoyances you just can’t explain. By visiting your doctor you may be able to determine if these ill feelings are related to hormone imbalance. Hormone imbalance can affect women as well as men with varying presentations.

Female Hormone Imbalance

For women, hormone imbalance sometimes occurs either after pregnancy or around menopause.

Symptoms of female hormone imbalance may include:

• Hot flashes
• Night Sweats
• Weight Gain
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Low Libido
• Vaginal Dryness
• PMS
• Mood Swings
• Depression
• Endometriosis
• Fibrosis
• Foggy Memory

Male Hormone Imbalance

Male hormone imbalance is sometimes referred to as andropause and could happen when men hit their fifties.

Some symptoms of male hormone imbalance or andropause may include:

• Irritability
• Weight gain
• Sleep apnea
• Memory loss
• Diminished libido
• Hair Loss
• Erectile dysfunction
• Hot Flashes
• Muscle loss
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Night Sweats
• Gynecomastia (male breasts)

HRT

There are ways to balance your hormones to reduce these symptoms. Conventional medicine may use hormone replacement therapies (HRT). This is a medically prescribed protocol once referred to as “The Elixir of Youth” but has been found to hold the potential for some serious health risks.

The Mayo Clinic lists some of these risks as:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Blood clots
• Breast cancer

3 Natural Approaches

Traditional medicine is another choice for addressing hormone imbalance issues. Below are 3 dietary ways to naturally balance your hormones. It is important to check with your doctor before trying any of these 3 natural approaches.

Get Your Broccoli Down

Broccoli is part of the cruciferous family which holds some hormone balancing components.

According to Dr. Valencia Porter, Director of Integrative Medicine at The Chopra Center, broccoli and similar vegetables contain “a substance called indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which is metabolized in the body to produce diindolylmethane (DIM).”

These combined compounds have been linked to modulating estrogen production as well as holding anti-cancer effects, especially against breast cancer.

Other hormone balancing cruciferous vegetables include: cauliflower, bok choy, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, and kohlrabi (a type of cabbage).

Fresh Fatty Acids

Fat is an ugly word but when it comes to eating the essential fatty acid Omega-3, healthy hormone production may ensue. This powerful, natural nutrient enables healthy cell membranes to form, paving the way for hormones to easily move throughout the system.

Omega-3 can be taken as an oral supplement but is best utilized when obtained through foods such as:

• Wild-caught salmon
• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Flaxseed
• Organic, cold-pressed olive oil
• Grass-fed meats
• Coconut oil

A Carrot a Day

Biologist Dr. Ray Peat recommends eating a carrot per day due to its unique ability to naturally balance hormones.

Dr Peat describes some of the carrot a day benefits,

“Several women who suffered from premenstrual symptoms, including migraine, had their serum estrogen measured before and after the “carrot diet,” and they found that the carrot lowered their estrogen within a few days, as it relieved their symptoms…The carrot salad improves the ratio of progesterone to estrogen and cortisol, and so is as appropriate for epilepsy as for premenstrual syndrome, insomnia, or arthritis.”

When eating a carrot a day make sure it is not cooked or a baby carrot. Best if it is organic and must be eaten raw, either washed and peeled or washed and not peeled, in between meals. Chop it up and make a carrot salad with your favorite dressing.

These 3 dietary ways to naturally balance your hormones are a good start in utilizing clinical nutrition. Sometimes all it takes is a dietary adjustment to get back on track. Talk to your doctor before trying these and other natural remedies. If a certified/licensed naturopathic doctor is available, using their expertise is also recommended.