Hormones play a major role in controlling your appetite, weight, and mood, among other things. They also have a profound effect on your mental, physical and emotional health. Our body cannot produce hormones correctly or maintain hormonal balance, because it doesn't have the building blocks to do so. Hence, we need to eat foods with the nutrients that help in hormonal production. Here's why: hormone balance is deeply connected to the food we eat: the fatty acids and cholesterol in our food is used to produce hormones regularly and assist with rebuilding cells and stabilising hormones.
Guest Post by Sara, Founder of Just Argan Oil
Sometimes, hormone imbalance can occur naturally by internal factors, such as in puberty, menopause, and peri-menopause. And it can also be caused by an unbalanced lifestyle, including by anxiety, irritability, depression or toxins. So let’s have a look at the best 5 foods to balance your hormones and give you glowing and healthy skin:
1. Eggs
Eggs have been proven to produce hormones, leading to softer, more supple skin. It beneficially affects hormones that regulate food intake, including lowering levels of insulin and ghrelin, and increasing PYY. However, we do recommend eating one egg per day to get the goods without overloading the system.
2. Almonds
Almonds are a fantastic source of antioxidants. And also one of the best resources in the world of vitamin E. It helps in increasing levels of the adiponectin hormone, which regulates blood sugar levels. For optimal health, try to include two or more servings per week of fatty fish, like salmon, sardines, herring, and mackerel.
3. Coconut Oil
One of the most important food for balancing hormones. It contains lauric acid, which is incredibly healing to the skin and extremely beneficial for hormonal production. Coconut oil includes high-quality natural fats (Medium-chain triglycerides), which help in reducing insulin resistance and appetite. You can add coconut oil to your coffee or to your smoothies every day. In fact, you can use it in just about anything.
4. Broccoli
Broccoli is a great source of vitamins K and C, a good source of folate (folic acid) and also provides potassium and fibre. Researchers studying broccoli discovered that when the vegetable is chewed, plant enzymes are activated that create healthy compounds. They lead to the release of DIM, a very stable compound, which improves your liver's ability to metabolise estrogen. Also, eating lots of broccoli, along with other vegetables, is a great way to balance and control your insulin levels.
5. Garlic
Throughout ancient history, the main use of garlic was for its health and medicinal properties. Garlic contains allicin, which helps to kill off harmful bacteria and viruses in your body, including acne and other skin infections. To avoid garlic breath, take it with milk (nut, sheep, goat), chew on fennel, orange skin, or a few sprigs of parsley, basil or mint.
Our bodies need real foods and clean water, this is the basis of most good diets. If you can adapt these foods into your lifestyle, you'll enjoy stable moods, glowing skin, fertility and never-ending energy.
Author Bio
What’s up? I'm Sara the founder of Just Argan Oil, an organic beauty blog dedicated to providing honest skin care advice focused on argan oil. Feel free to follow me on Facebook or check out my latest article on using argan oil for the beard.