5 Nutrition Tips to Naturally Reduce Hormonal Symptoms

Did you know that what you eat directly affects your hormones?  Here are a couple of examples.

Jessica is a 43 year old lady with perimenopausal symptoms.  After starting on our nutrition program, she felt tremendously better (without any hormone replacement).  By one month her energy and mood were back to normal, she no longer had night sweats, her bloating was gone and she no longer had brain fog.  As she started drifting back towards her prior eating habits, her symptoms started coming back.   Because she was able to recognize the connection between food and hormones, she is now able to control her symptoms by making better nutrition choices. 

Jack is a 55 year old man on testosterone replacement therapy.  He had been doing well, but when he came in for an appointment in January he complained of insomnia.  His sugar intake had increased significantly over the holidays, and he was finding it hard to cut it back down again.  When we helped him to clean up his diet and reduce the sugar,  his insomnia resolved and he did not need sleeping pills. 

The standard american diet is a perfect recipe for hormonal chaos, resulting in weight gain, insomnia, depression, poor memory, fatigue, lack of libido and hot flashes.  But you don’t have to fall into that trap!  Eat right for your hormone health and you can start to feel better very quickly!  Here’s how. 

1.  Eat healthy fats

For years you were told to eat a low fat diet, but it turns out that was wrong information!    

Certain fats are healthy and help promote hormonal balance.   While high in calories, these fats do not promote weight gain - they actually help improve hormonal health and keep your metabolism functioning normally to help maintain a healthy weight.   

• Omega 3 fatty acids, found in wild caught fish, flax and walnuts, are important for brain health, skin health, eye health, heart health and even help to regulate your immune system.  They also play an important role in hormone function.  Unfortunately, most americans don’t get enough omega 3s.
• Raw nuts are rich in monounsaturated fat, as well as containing many nutrients such as magnesium and zinc, which are very important for hormones. 
• Seeds, like raw sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, or ground flax seeds, contain healthy fats, and are an excellent source of fiber and protein that help to balance hormones.   Add raw seeds to your salad, stir fry, or smoothie. 
• Avocado is another delicious source of healthy fat.  It contains many anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals that help with hormone health.
• Organic Coconut oil not only supplies essential fatty acids, but is also has natural anti-microbial properties to help maintain the healthy bacteria in your gut.  Use it for cooking, melt it over vegetables, stir into smoothies.  
• Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a source of healthy fat, is anti-inflammatory and is helpful for healthy estrogen metabolization and proper blood sugar metabolism.

The most important fat to AVOID is trans fat.  This is a toxin that increases weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, dementia and other chronic diseases.  Trans fats are found in deep fried foods, margarine, commercially prepared baked goods, and other processed foods.  Read the label - if it says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated then leave it at the grocery store.

Also avoid commercially available vegetable oils, like canola and safflower.  These oils are highly processed and pro-inflammatory.  

2.  Add more broccoli

Cruciferous veggies have a lot going for them including cancer prevention and hormone balance.  

Examples include:

• broccoli
• cauliflower
• cabbage
• kale
• collards
• Brussels sprouts

These foods are good sources of calcium, fiber, vitamins and minerals.  They also have very important phytonutrients that affect how men and women metabolize estrogen.  Eating more of these veggies can help reduce hormonal symptoms, and may also reduce breast and prostate cancer risk. 

3.  Be Cautious with soy

Soy contains natural phytoestrogens, which are plant nutrients that can have some mild estrogen-like activity.  While there have been studies that suggest that soy can help reduce menopausal symptoms, in the US the vast majority of soy is genetically modified and is not recommended.  Also, most soy products are processed foods, like soy milk, soy cheese, and soy hot dogs which are not health promoting.  Even soy protein shakes are not a great idea. 

Excess quantities of soy can actually interfere with thyroid function.  Many people have hidden sensitivities to soy, and consuming extra soy can make them feel worse and cause an increase in hormonal symptoms. 

Fermented soy foods (which most people don’t choose to eat, and are not as readily available) like natto, miso or tempeh are good choices, so give these a try! 

4.  Avoid alcohol

While it is true that alcohol in moderation is good for heart health, no amount of alcohol is beneficial for hormonal health, and in fact alcohol consumption increases the risk for breast cancer in women.  In men, higher alcohol consumption can result in increased estrogen levels, which are associated with erectile dysfunction, obesity, gynecomastia (“man boobs”), and prostate cancer.  

When the liver has to process alcohol, it is not always able to properly metabolize estrogen.  Alcohol is a common trigger for hot flashes and night sweats.

I do not recommend starting to drink alcohol (including wine) to improve your health.  But if you would like to be able to continue to enjoy some wine, limit it to no more than four, 4oz glasses per week for women, and seven 4oz glasses for men (and not all on the same night!)

5.  Stabilize your blood sugar

One of the most common triggers for hormonal symptoms in men and women (after stress) is blood sugar fluctuations.  In our typical american diet we tend to eat foods that spike our blood sugar quickly, and then it crashes down again in a few hours resulting in sugar cravings and a repetition of the cycle.  Smoothing out blood sugar can make a big difference with hot flashes, energy, quality of sleep and mood.  

• Avoid sugar - save it for special occasions and get your “sweet” from fruit.   
• Avoid processed carbs  and the white stuff - white potatoes, white flour, white rice, white bread.  These spike your blood sugar quickly.  If you are going to eat potatoes, eating them with the peel helps, because the fiber in the peel helps to slow the blood sugar spike. 
• Eat healthier carbs in moderation.  Even when you are choosing the better carbs (sweet potatoes and brown rice, for example), limit your serving size as they still affect blood sugar (although not as much as processed carbs)
• Fill half your plate with non-starchy veggies - they are full of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, fiber and phytonutrients that help to stabilize blood sugar.  Avoid corn as this is very high in starch. 
• Get adequate protein - lean meats, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, legumes - these help stabilize blood sugar levels
• Eat healthy fats - did you know that eating the bad fats (found in processed meats like bologna, deep fried foods, margarine, and vegetable shortening) actually make blood sugar problems worse!  And eating healthy fats (see above) helps to improve blood sugar metabolism.

It is possible to have significant improvements in how you feel by making some important changes in your nutrition.   Don't be satisfied with less than optimal quality of life!  Feel better today (and increase the chances of staying healthy for years into the future!).   You deserve nothing less. 

Sometimes making changes can be hard.  If you need some help with learning how to eat a healthy diet, (or making it actually happen in your busy, stressful life!),  we are here to help. Call us at 704-752-9346  or contact us at questions@signaturewellness.org, or click here for more information.  

Deborah Matthew, MD

P.S.   For more information about how hormones may be affecting you, click here to read my book This is NOT normal!  A Busy Woman's Guide to Hormone Imbalance

Is this why you are tired?

Do you have a hard time getting going in the morning?  Do you have an energy crash in the afternoon?  And then, after feeling tired all day, do you get a second wind late in the evening and have a hard time falling asleep?  If so, you certainly aren't alone!

Cortisol is your stress hormone.  If you have a sudden stressful experience, like being late for an important appointment and getting stuck in traffic, your cortisol level goes up to help you cope with the stress.  Then when you get there and everything turns out ok, your cortisol level goes back down to normal.  This is a normal stress response.

The problem is that in our modern world we tend to have lots of little stresses all day long.  In the past, our stresses were things like being chased by a saber-toothed tiger and having to run for our life. The physical activity (running) helped us to clear the extra stress hormones from our system.  Today our stresses typically don't involve running for our life - they are much more likely to involve fuming at the slow traffic while we sit in our car worrying about being late for our appointment.  The end result can be chronically elevated cortisol levels.

When we are thinking about stresses it is important to realize that we don't just include the emotional stressors.  You are typically well aware of those - family issues, work stress, etc.  But physical stressors count as well - things like allergies, chronic back pain, insomnia, nutritional deficiencies and hormonal imbalances.  And you can have stresses on your system without being aware - for example toxins in the environment.  It is very common in our modern world to have high stress burdens.

If cortisol levels remain chronically elevated health problems can follow.  High cortisol may promote fatigue, mood symptoms including depression and anxiety, food cravings, weight gain, insomnia, high blood pressure, bone loss, poor memory, impaired immune system function and increased menopausal symptoms.  In a nutshell, high cortisol is a wear and tear hormone; it ages you at an accelerated rate.    You have probably witnessed this - people who have lived under extremely stressful conditions often look older than their biological age.

Over time, cortisol levels may drop inappropriately.  If you now have insufficient amounts of cortisol to meet your body's daily demands problems can get even worse.  This is when you start to feel really exhausted, have difficulty coping with stress and feel like little things (that shouldn't really be stressful) feel somewhat overwhelming.

Do you think you may have a cortisol problem?  Here is what can be done.

Your cortisol level can be measured in a saliva or urine test.  We prefer to measure your level at multiple times during the day, since the levels change - they should be higher in the morning to help you wake up and lower at night to help you fall asleep.   We commonly find low levels in the morning and high levels at bedtime - when your daily pattern is backwards, no wonder it is hard to wake up and hard to fall asleep!

Reducing your stress is important.  Breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, walking, laughter and heartfelt prayer are good examples of stress management techniques.  Sometimes reducing stress is not easy.  Please talk to us if you need help.

Caffeine, alcohol and sugar may make you feel a little better in the short term, but in the long term they are not helpful and should be minimized.  Supporting cortisol levels can improve your energy so you don't need to rely on caffeine to keep you moving.

There are a number of supplements that are very helpful, and which ones we recommend for you depend on your symptoms and the pattern of your cortisol levels.  Ashwagadha, rhodiola and holy basil are examples of herbs that are typically safe and beneficial regardless of whether your cortisol is too high or too low.

If you have having symptoms that are affecting your quality of life, and would like to be evaluated to see if cortisol may be a problem for you, please contact the office for further information at 704-752-9346 or questions@signaturewellness.org.  You can also find more information at www.signaturewellness.org

Yours in Health,

DrM

Is this why you are tired?

Do you have a hard time getting going in the morning?  Do you have an energy crash in the afternoon?  And then, after feeling tired all day, do you get a second wind late in the evening and have a hard time falling asleep?  If so, you certainly aren't alone!

Cortisol is your stress hormone.  If you have a sudden stressful experience, like being late for an important appointment and getting stuck in traffic, your cortisol level goes up to help you cope with the stress.  Then when you get there and everything turns out ok, your cortisol level goes back down to normal.  This is a normal stress response.

The problem is that in our modern world we tend to have lots of little stresses all day long.  In the past, our stresses were things like being chased by a saber-toothed tiger and having to run for our life. The physical activity (running) helped us to clear the extra stress hormones from our system.  Today our stresses typically don't involve running for our life - they are much more likely to involve fuming at the slow traffic while we sit in our car worrying about being late for our appointment.  The end result can be chronically elevated cortisol levels.

When we are thinking about stresses it is important to realize that we don't just include the emotional stressors.  You are typically well aware of those - family issues, work stress, etc.  But physical stressors count as well - things like allergies, chronic back pain, insomnia, nutritional deficiencies and hormonal imbalances.  And you can have stresses on your system without being aware - for example toxins in the environment.  It is very common in our modern world to have high stress burdens.

If cortisol levels remain chronically elevated health problems can follow.  High cortisol may promote fatigue, mood symptoms including depression and anxiety, food cravings, weight gain, insomnia, high blood pressure, bone loss, poor memory, impaired immune system function and increased menopausal symptoms.  In a nutshell, high cortisol is a wear and tear hormone; it ages you at an accelerated rate.    You have probably witnessed this - people who have lived under extremely stressful conditions often look older than their biological age.

Over time, cortisol levels may drop inappropriately.  If you now have insufficient amounts of cortisol to meet your body's daily demands problems can get even worse.  This is when you start to feel really exhausted, have difficulty coping with stress and feel like little things (that shouldn't really be stressful) feel somewhat overwhelming.

Do you think you may have a cortisol problem?  Here is what can be done.

Your cortisol level can be measured in a saliva or urine test.  We prefer to measure your level at multiple times during the day, since the levels change - they should be higher in the morning to help you wake up and lower at night to help you fall asleep.   We commonly find low levels in the morning and high levels at bedtime - when your daily pattern is backwards, no wonder it is hard to wake up and hard to fall asleep!

Reducing your stress is important.  Breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, walking, laughter and heartfelt prayer are good examples of stress management techniques.  Sometimes reducing stress is not easy.  Please talk to us if you need help.

Caffeine, alcohol and sugar may make you feel a little better in the short term, but in the long term they are not helpful and should be minimized.  Supporting cortisol levels can improve your energy so you don't need to rely on caffeine to keep you moving.

There are a number of supplements that are very helpful, and which ones we recommend for you depend on your symptoms and the pattern of your cortisol levels.  Ashwagadha, rhodiola and holy basil are examples of herbs that are typically safe and beneficial regardless of whether your cortisol is too high or too low.

If you have having symptoms that are affecting your quality of life, and would like to be evaluated to see if cortisol may be a problem for you, please contact the office for further information at 704-752-9346 or questions@signaturewellness.org.  You can also find more information at www.signaturewellness.org

Is Estrogen Replacement Safe?

In July 2002, the well publicized Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study suggested increased rates of heart disease, strokes and breast cancer in women on hormone replacement therapy.  Naturally women and their doctors were fearful of the risks, and in the next 10 years hormone replacement use dropped by 79 percent.  Newer studies are showing that warning women off hormones was a mistake.  We know that estrogen and other sex hormones are vital for many functions in a woman's body.  

A study done by doctors at Yale and published in the American Journal of Public Heath, Sept 2013, evaluated the result of this widespread reduction in hormone use.  According to their calculations, estrogen AVOIDANCE may have led to as many as 90,000 preventable deaths.  The study found that estrogen therapy (ET) was actually associated with a REDUCTION in deaths from heart attacks and breast cancer.   According to the authors:  “Estrogen therapy in younger postmenopausal women is associated with a decisive reduction in all-cause mortality” 

A new study supports this.  Almost half a million women in Finland were followed over 15 years, and the results show that the longer the women were on estrogen replacement, the lower their risks for heart disease and strokes.  In fact, all cause mortality (meaning death from ANY cause, including breast cancer) was reduced by up to 30%.

There is no need to suffer with symptoms of menopause due to fear of side effects of hormone replacement. Your individual risks are related to many factors including your age, whether you are using bio-identical or synthetic hormones and the delivery method of the hormones (for examples pills vs topical estrogen).  Please ask us about your personal risks and the potential benefits, including improved memory, energy, mood, sleep and even younger looking skin.   Click here for more information.