Top 10 Hormone-Balancing Superfoods!

Hormonal imbalances are becoming the norm in this fast-paced, technological, & artificial modern lifestyle. This causes butt-hurtness, drama kings (I'm guilty of this one on occasion), sour faces & poopy pants. Many hormones go out-of-whack with age & some of us experience bigger problems than others. Fortunately, there’s one thing you can put most of your focus on to avoid disaster pants: Food Medicine.

These chemical messengers mainly operate based upon what is shoved down your chomper. The endocrine system glands release hormones that tell each part of your body, “Yo, do this, at this time, & for this long.” For instance, if you were to eat something like McFat Burger, you are basically giving these hormones mixed signals; therefore, sabotaging your efforts to boost IQ/EQ, lose weight, replenish skin, boost fertility, & achieve a balanced cycle. Case in point: steer clear from McFat burger.

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Before reading onward, take a long look at these common symptoms of out-of-tune hormones. It's bad news... its sad news... but it doesn't have to be that way.

Lets get them in check with these 10 superfoods you can eat on the daily:

Wild Fatty Fish ("SMASH")

Loaded in omega-3s, an essential fatty acid for holistic health, fatty cold-water fish should be at the top of your list for achieving balanced hormones. These fats prevent oxidation of cells and can boost your lifespan, libido, and love-life. No joke. Super anti-inflammatory stuff. Plus a lot of these SMASH fish (Salmon, Mackerel, Anchovies, Sardines, Herring) are chock full of vitamin D and other hormone-balancing compounds. Eat at least 4oz twice a week and you’ll be set for one good life.

Dark Leafy Greens & Brightly-Colored Veggies

Eat the rainbow. This will ignite your true colors inside and out. Combine some form of moderately steamed veggies like broccoli with every meal. I usually like to do a fists amount of veggies with every meal to restore adrenal fatigue and support your digestion, which in-turn can tremendously help out with your hormones.

Pasture-Raised Organic Eggs

Nothing like cracking open a dark orange yolk encapsulated by that sizzling white, floaty cloud. The darker the yolk the healthier and more nutrient-dense the egg. That bright yellow yolk you get with the conventional $1 a dozen is crap. Those chickens are living in depressing, crowded, sick conditions from birth to death. Opting for the pasture-raised, organic eggs tend to be more expensive, but they give your health some wealth. Loaded in vitamin A, omega-3s, choline, and a ton of other vitals, get yourself in a daily egg!

Seaweed, Chlorella & Spirulina

GREEN GREEN GREEN. These three sea plant algae guys are incredible for detoxification, digestion, energy, recovery, and yes, hormones. Seaweed is especially high in iodine which is fantastic for thyroid function (aka metabolism). But tie that with some beautiful, rich dark-green chlorella and spirulina and you’ll take your wellness to another level.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Nothing like an olive oil that has that spicey almost burning sensation in the throat that pairs well with a dark leafy-green salad topped off with pasture-raised soft-boiled eggs, and maybe some sardines. YUM! That is one of the best hormone-balancing meals there is! But EXTRA-VIRGIN olive oil is one of the healthiest fats because it is packed with anti-inflammatory unsaturated fat, oleic acid and comes with antioxidants that build your holistic health.

Maca

I religiously take gelatinized maca root powder (gelatinized is just removing the starch so it's more bioavailable and less carbs). THIS LITTLE TURNIP-LIKE ROOT WORKS! I notice a calm, clean energy after a couple weeks of daily dosing...AND morning wood hits levels you never knew existed. Dirty information, but all facts. This little brassica comes from the Peruvian Andes Mountains and survives extremely harsh, cold, high-altitude climates. That’s probably why it harvests some potent energy and libido-boosting qualities! Survival of the fittest.

Ginger

Get your digestion and hormones in check with this little spicy af rhizome. Everyday I try to get a daily tbsp dose of fresh ginger in my Ninja smoothie. If I consume often I definitely notice a difference in my mood, tummy (less bloating), and energy. These feelings are all tied to a dialed-in hormonal system. If it has been shown in studies to lessen whole-body inflammation and helps with common symptoms with PMS, such as mood swings, cramps and headaches, why not take it daily?! Teas, supplements, fresh in smoothie, you name it. Get the ginger in your diet!

Turmeric

Ah, I have blogged about this lil bright orange root before for a variety of health reasons, but for today I am going to talk about its effects on your HORMONES! Turmeric contains many anti-inflammatories from the turmerosachharides to the potent curcumin you may have heard of. Opting for the whole root is fantastic as a daily medicine when tied to a Meriva supplement, a highly absorbed form of curcumin. Although there is a limited amount of evidence that turmeric root can alleviate menstrual pain in women, there are indeed a boat-load of anecdotal reports about it helping out with cramps, bloating, headaches and all that other mumbo-jumbo inflammation associated with hormonal imbalances. Either way, you have nothing to lose and all to gain when it comes to taking this on the daily! (I buy organic turmeric powder and take ⅛-¼ tsp daily along with ⅛ tsp black pepper to enhance absorption and effectiveness).

Quinoa & Legumes

This one probably seems less intuitive as the other foods mentioned but hold on a second here. Quinoa is one of the very few grains with a complete protein profile, so when you eat a pressure-cooked and soaked batch, you’re absorbing a chock-full of good quality aminos AND fiber (aka repairing your body and gut = balancing your hormones). Beans and legumes are also a great protein and fiber source, which can negate the effects from environmental toxins like heavy metals which disrupt your hormones and health. They both are a FAB source of nutrients and antioxidants to support you and your health hike. I consume quinoa and legumes religiously at least 3-4 days a week to supercharge my workouts (good starch and carbohydrate source) and improve toilet time (pressure cooking is my fav cooking modality because it breaks the lectins and phytates (anti-nutrients that bind to minerals and other helpful nutrients).

Ashwagandha

My all time favorite root on this planet: Awesome Ashwagandha. I have been taking ash for over 2 years off and on now and definitely notice a difference in my health. Specifically, I am more calm, less anxious, and seem to sleep and recover quicker. Why does this happen? Well, that’s the beauty of ashwagandha, it basically balances your hormones and alleviates adrenal stress (aka cortisol, your stress hormone). So, after about 2-3 weeks of daily dosing, you may notice a holistic improvement. Online it talks all about how people notice stress dissipates (a hormonal underlying issue) and how they feel much more clean energized. I can 1000000% back these statements up personally. I mean shit, it has been around since all that fascinating Chinese dynasty stuff originally for female hormonal imbalances. But it also has been shown in many trials to benefit your adrenals, as I mentioned, and thyroid (metabolism). I recommend Physician's Choice high dose ashwagandha on amazon.