Top 10 superfoods that will balance your hormones
Hormones play a major role in defining how we look like and how we tend to behave. They are important to have but all in right measure.
NCSA Writer 
Hormonal imbalances have side effects and these may be reflected as an increase in one’s risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health conditions. These imbalances can fortunately be avoided in the simplest ways possible. These include eating a varied healthy diet which consists of dark green leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts, fruits, legumes, and whole grains is paramount to provide nutrients the body needs to build hormones and eventually break them down when no longer needed.
Superfood is a broad term used for herbs, fruits, and other food products that offer exceptional health benefits, beyond what you would expect based on just their nutritional profile. These offer maximum nutritional benefits and bioactive phytochemicals with a lot of health benefits for minimal calories.
No single food can do it all — but it goes without saying that some foods are healthier than others. Top 10 superfoods that will balance your hormones, in no particular order include: -
- Maca maintains positive energy and helps to stabilize your mood and provides relief from mood swings.
- Bitter melon promotes the secretion of insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels
- Fruits with special emphasis on Berries: Chasteberry, cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, saw palmetto, blackberries and strawberries are all hormone balancing foods packed with great nutrients. Berries are rich sources of vitamin C and Vitamin B6, which are focal in hormone balancing. Avocado is an honorary mention.
- Mushrooms like Reishi, Cordyceps, Chaga, lion’s mane, turkey tail and other edible mushrooms. These help with hormone balancing and buildup of nerve cells. They reduce stress, improve cognition and promote long life. These also contain Vitamin D which is essential in hormone balancing.
- Seeds and Nuts. Seeds like Pumpkin, Flax, Chia, and Mucuna are good for hormone balancing for both men and women as well as boost mood. They also get rid of toxins which block hormone functioning. Nuts provide healthy fats which are essential for hormone production and the reduce inflammation. These include Almonds, Cashews, Brazil nuts and others.
- Spices like cinnamon, cocoa, turmeric and others help with healthy blood sugar levels, mood boosting and anti-inflammatory hormone balancing at all stages of life respectively. Turmeric contains a chemical called curcumin, which might act like the hormone estrogen.
- Ashwagandha used for stress hormone balancing. It helps normalize blood levels of cortisol and thyroid hormones.
- Matcha Tea can increase circulating the thyroid hormones which play an essential role in metabolism, digestion and Gastro-Intestinal function, restful sleep, mood, and more. Besides, matcha is 137 times more potent than ordinary green tea and therefore offers a magnified benefit including sex hormone balance and slows hormonal cancers (like breast and ovarian cancer and prostate cancer) progression and disrupts the growth of tumors.
- Vegetables and Algae. Super greens which include dark green leafy vegetables like Nakati, kale and spinach, Cruciferous vegetables like Broccoli and also Algae like Chlorella and Spirulina. These are full of Vitamins A, K, B6, and C as well as minerals like manganese, copper, and calcium. Combined with fiber and potent antioxidants, these factors can reduce mood swings, painful cramping, bloating and water retention. Foods like Spirulina help to support natural detoxification for hormone balance. Wild yams are great for hormone balancing in women and is used as an alternative to estrogen replacement therapy.
- Legumes like beans, chick peas, and whole grains are good for hormone balancing. They are rich in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium. They also contain hormone-like substances.
See a Dietitian, a Naturopathic Doctor or a trained, qualified and experienced wellness expert for advice on how to incorporate and use these in a simple and natural routine.
Written by: Ivan Philip Baguma.
The writer is a dietitian and a member of the National Christian Students Association. (NCSA Youth).
