Restore Hormonal Balance with a Healthy Diet
Hormones are your body’s messengers, responsible for facilitating and regulating how different body parts communicate, and fostering such body functions as growth and development, metabolism, sexual function and mood. Nutrition plays an important role in achieving balanced hormones—for instance, foods that are high in sodium, sugar and grease (such as fast foods) are low in essential nutrients needed for optimal body function, having a dragging effect on your system. When you refrain from eating a well-balanced diet, it is no surprise that the result is imbalanced hormones.
Making the correct choices about what to eat can improve your overall physical and mental fitness, and can even help mitigate certain hormone-related conditions.
Your nutritional expert can help you make sensible dietary choices that will have a balancing effect on your hormones, which will lead to optimal health. Some recommendations will likely include:
- Reducing portions of high-fat meals and dairy products
- Increasing your consumption of high-fiber foods such as whole grains, vegetables, beans and fruits
- Decreasing omega-6 polyunsaturated fats found in vegetable oils and meat products
- Increasing omega-3 fatty acid consumption
- Limiting caffeine intake
- Avoiding alcohol intake to one drink per day
If you’d like help with nutrition to balance your hormones, please call (832) 532-0050 or contact us online.
Hormonal Benefits of Proper Nutrition
A healthy diet is the first step toward balanced hormones and optimal health. Seeking help from a nutritional specialist can have such benefits as helping you lose weight and improving your mood and energy levels. Furthermore, certain preexisting conditions may benefit from nutritional support:
- Hormonal imbalance
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypothyroidism
- Decreased libido
- Adrenal fatigue
- Erectile dysfunction
- Hypertension
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Diabetes
Nutritional counseling can work as a supplement to bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, or BHRT. Your nutrition counselor will likely recommend a diet change in addition to BHRT.
What to Expect
When meeting with a hormone specialist, it’s important to provide them with detailed information about your current diet and ailments. This will allow them to formulate the best possible plan to fit your needs, lifestyle and budget.
Your healthcare provider will also recommend regular exercise, which is a key component to any nutritional counseling session. Like your food selection, your style and amount of exercise will be personalized to suit your needs.
Nutritional Plan for Hormone Imbalance
Your hormone specialist will provide you detailed information regarding your current diet and conditions. They will develop a nutritional treatment plan that accommodates your specific contextual needs, lifestyle and budget. While every plan is different, your nutritional plan may include:
- Fruits
- Nuts, seeds and legumes
- Vegetables
- Lean proteins
- Healthy fats and oils
- Fermented and probiotic foods
With any nutritional plan, it will be important to not skip meals, to avoid processed and prepackaged foods and to cut out refined carbohydrates and sugar.
Hormone Balance Supplements
When nutritional support is not sufficient, your healthcare provider may recommend hormone balance supplements that can have a positive effect on your health. Some supplements your healthcare provider may recommend to incorporate into your nutritional plan include:
- Adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha and rhodiola
- Omega-3 fish oil
- DHEA
- Pregnenolone
- Any critical nutrient in which you are deficient such as vitamin D or magnesium
Getting Started with Nutrition and Hormone Balance
Nutrition is essential for balanced health. It is important to consult your healthcare provider to develop a personalized plan that suits your needs. To take the path toward a happier, healthier life please call (832) 532-0050 or contact us online.
