“Just tell me what to eat.”
This is the most common thing I’ve heard or been asked over the years I’ve been doing nutrition coaching.
It’s also one of my biggest pet peeves. How people eat should match their goals and preferences, which are unique to them. Which is why I teach people how to eat, not what to eat.
Though everyone’s nutrition is different and should be customized to them, there are 5 common nutritional habits that I recommend for all of my clients who are looking to improve their hormonal symptoms.
Protein with Breakfast
Protein is one of the building blocks for your hormones, as well as the building block for your muscle mass and bone density.
As women age, we lose bone density and muscle mass at a higher rate. Meaning, it’s important for us to prioritize protein throughout the day.
However, if your breakfast is light on protein, it makes your protein goal an uphill battle the rest of the day.
When you start your day with protein, not only will you be closer to your protein goal for the day, but you’re balancing your blood sugar so that you don’t have an energy crash midmorning. Bonus: protein in the morning will help prevent cravings the rest of the day too!
My favorite sources of protein in the morning are eggs with egg whites, cottage cheese, a protein shake, or Greek yogurt.
Fiber Intake
Fiber is important to keep things… moving in your system. When your bowel movements slow or are backed up, it can lead to estrogen dominance, which leads to breast tenderness, weight gain, and more painful periods.
For women, I encourage getting between 25 and 35 grams of fiber per day.
Though fiber is in fruits and vegetables, you can also get them in oatmeal, rice, potatoes, chia seeds, beans, and nuts and seeds. It’s important to get a wide variety of fiber in your diet.
Blood Sugar Balance
If you’re waking up in the middle of the night, crashing in the afternoon, or have cravings throughout the day, your blood sugar may need a little TLC.
Blood sugar balance is connected to your energy levels. A healthy balance will be consistent energy all day and restful sleep at night.
To balance your blood sugar, you should be eating every few hours, balance your plate with protein, carbs, and fiber, and manage your stress (which is known to depleting your blood sugar levels).
Hydration
Hydration may seem elementary, but it is important to help flush out the liver and excess hormones. If you are chronically dehydrated, it increases your inflammation and cortisol levels.
Proper hydration also balances your blood sugar so that insulin isn’t overproduced in your body. And helps eliminate bloating!
I encourage my clients to be hyper-hydrated. This means that they are getting about half their body weight in ounces of water and adding electrolytes once per day.
Consistent Eating Schedule
Not only does a consistent eating schedule ensure your blood sugar is balanced and you won’t have energy crashes throughout the day or blood sugar dips that wake you at night, it also makes sure you are eating enough throughout the day.
When the day gets busy, if you have a consistent eating schedule, it’s easier to stick to it.
Outside of blood sugar balance, your hormones want to be nourished through nutrition. If you chronically diet or go a long time between meals or accidentally under eat, this is depleting your hormones and causing more symptoms to arise.
Focus on eating every 3 to 4 hours, even if it’s a small snack. To keep it simple, have grab-and-go style snacks or go to meals for when you are more busy.
In Conclusion…
People complicate nutrition. They want the secret to losing weight, feeling better, and everything between. But if you don’t have the above habits in place, it doesn’t matter how perfect your macros and calories are, your hormones will still take a hit.
Simplifying nutrition, focusing on what works for nourishing your body, and eating in a way that makes you feel good (including adding some treats!) is important for your overall health.
If you’re struggling with your nutrition plan and want to use nutrition as a tool, let’s schedule a Complimentary Hormone Analysis Call to chat!
