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Healthy foods can balance your hormones.
By Unwritten — Written on Jan 20, 2021
A balanced estrogen level is necessary for a healthy, nourished body and mind.
Estrogen is the sex hormone that is responsible for maintaining and developing female characteristics in the body. This hormone also facilitates a healthy environment for the embryo after fertilization and helps women sail through the menstrual cycle.
Therefore, an estrogen imbalance can have a debilitating effect on women.
Discussed below are the causes and effects of estrogen imbalance, as well as foods that help prevent and crush it.
Causes of Estrogen Imbalance
A study shows that a whopping 80 percent of women across the world suffer from estrogen imbalance.
Estrogen imbalance is a phenomenon where women suffer a shift (either a spike or a drop) from the normal estrogen balance, which happens due to a number of factors.
Stress, illness, unhealthy eating habits, poor sleep, high cortisol levels, and the phases of puberty, perimenopause, and menopause are some of the main causes of estrogen imbalance in women.
Effects of Estrogen Imbalance
Estrogen imbalance, which directly affects the body, can lead to a number of ailments such as weight gain, fatigue, thinning hair, decreased fertility, and even infertility if it is not treated at the right time.
In addition, women can suffer from migraines, painful breasts, and low sex drive.
This hormone imbalance can also wreak havoc on the monthly menstrual cycle and may cause menopausal issues, which takes place in women naturally from somewhere between the age of 45 to 54 years.
The good news is that you can control estrogen imbalance by imbibing healthy foods.
1. Avocados
Avocados, an incredible incredible superfood with a wide range of health benefits, have become popular worldwide.
They are packed with potassium, zinc, monounsaturated fats, folate, and dietary fiber. Avocados are high in vitamins. They provide vitamins B5, B6, C, E, and K.
Eat half an avocado daily and you shall experience an estrogen release in the body. Avocado plays the role of balancing estrogen levels in the body, keeping the skin radiant and healthy.
2. Green, leafy vegetables
Almost all health issues can be solved with the regular consumption of leafy vegetables, owing to their benefits.
Rich in antioxidants, iron, calcium, manganese, and zinc, leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and broccoli are highly dense in nutrients. They effectively inhibit bloating, painful cramps, and mood swings.
Green, leafy vegetables, which are great at metabolizing estrogen, help balance hormone levels.
3. Nuts
Consuming nuts, such as almonds and walnuts, enables you to target estrogen imbalance in the body efficaciously.
High in proteins, antioxidants, and omega-3, you can eat nuts any time of day. They balance out the secretions of estrogen in the body and improve their balance throughout.
Nuts also help deal with the side effects of hormonal imbalance, such as acne, depression, anxiety, and mood swings.
4. Eggs
Skipping the yolk of an egg for health reasons is a misconception, as the egg yolk increases the HDL cholesterol in the body instead of the bad cholesterol, the LDL. Not only do eggs contribute substantially to maintaining a healthy reproductive body, but they also even out the estrogen levels in the body.
This vitamin-rich superfood keeps the skin clear, both inside and out, by removing the unnecessary toxins from the body. You can eat up to three eggs daily for maximum benefits.
5. Spring Vegetables
Spring season vegetables are nutrient-dense. Spring vegetables include vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, fennel, and mustard greens.
They ward off toxins and disease-causing elements from the body. Known to bolster the immune system, they are anti-inflammatory in nature, thereby allowing the body to bloat and accumulate fats.
Due to spring vegetables’ properties, they keep the estrogen imbalance in check to ensure the levels of estrogen remain adequate and controlled throughout the body.
6. Fruits
A list of foods that control estrogen levels is incomplete without fruit. Fruits, especially bell peppers and tomatoes, are rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C.
Fruit not only facilitates the body’s flushing out of excess estrogen, but it also increases estrogen levels in case of estrogen deficiency. You can eat these, along with cooked vegetables, salads, and sandwiches, on a daily basis.
Regularly consuming fruit goes a long way in ensuring that your health, fitness, and hormones remain intact.
Our daily lives make us want to push hard and attain nothing less than success.
Due to a busy schedule, we may not be able to maintain our proper diet, get enough sleep, and remain stress-free. All this can collectively contribute to an estrogen imbalance in the body.
Hence, this list will enable you to crush estrogen imbalance and lead a healthy lifestyle. Eat your way to a nourished and resistant body.
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Unwritten is a website for millennials written and run by millennials. It is because of this that they are an extremely relatable publication for a young generation.
This article was originally published at Unwritten. Reprinted with permission from the author.