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How Your Diet Affects Your Hormones
Hormones are little messengers in your body that carry chemicals from one place to another. Almost every bodily process is helped by hormones including your immune system, metabolism, menstrual cycle and reproduction. It’s important to have a healthy hormone balance so that your body can perform these tasks properly – so if your hormones are out of whack, it’s important that we set them on the right path. One thing that can affect your hormones is your diet. Eating a well-balanced diet is essential to achieving hormonal health, and today we’ll look at how diet affects your hormones – and who to contact to improve hormonal balance.
Oestrogen
Choosing the right diet can affect your oestrogen levels. As we all know, oestrogen levels can fluctuate rapidly. This can lead to hot flashes, mood swings and even night sweats – not ideal bodily experiences, really. One way to maintain appropriate oestrogen levels is to eat foods that are rich in phytoestrogens such as soy and flaxseed.
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone that your body produces when you eat carbohydrates. It’s then stored in your body and used for energy – unless your body resists the insulin, in which case this can lead to pre-diabetes or diabetes. Eating a balanced diet that doesn’t include an excess of carbs is important in maintaining insulin levels.
Cortisol
Cortisol is part of your body’s fight or flight response; your adrenal glands secrete cortisol when stressed. While having cortisol is vital to your body, too much will increase stress and anxiety, blood pressure and visceral fat. Controlling your diet is one way to keep on top of your cortisol levels. Caffeine and alcohol have been shown to mildly increase cortisol production in the body, so cutting down on coffee and wine are two good ways to achieve healthy cortisol levels.
Leptin and ghrelin
These hormones are partly responsible for your metabolism. Leptin, also known as the ‘satiety hormone’, is released from fat cells which help to control appetite and tell your brain when you are full. Ghrelin is the hormone that’s responsible for triggering your appetite. A great way to keep on top of these hunger hormones is to add things like salmon and avocado to your diet. These foods promote satiety and stabilise your appetite.
If you want to know more about how diet can affect your hormone levels, it’s a great idea to get in touch with an expert naturopath like Luke Clarke. As a practitioner of functional medicine and naturopathy, Luke Clarke applies both principles to view the body and works alongside you to provide top class health advice. Get in touch with Luke Clarke for a free 10-minute consultation today.