How Does Nutrition Affect Our Hormones?
How Does Nutrition Affect Our Hormones?
By Sophie Cross
August 7, 2024
Hormones in General
As a woman, I have gone through my fair share of hormonal changes and struggles. I imagine that many can relate, navigating the random struggles of acne, birth control, and unexplainable weight fluctuation, this topic can feel very frustrating and unexplainable. I think for a lot of people, there was never really an explanation for these problems till recently. The conversation of hormonal challenges is still being learned about still everyday, and only recently in the media has it gained a lot more attention. I have seen many videos about balancing hormones and how hormones are the cause of all our problems, but what does this really mean? Through research and many trips to the doctor, I have learned that hormonal imbalances can lead to weight gain, hair loss, insomnia, acne, amongst many other issues that no one wants to deal with. Personally, I think that being on and off birth control really brought these issues to light, but there are many causes and scenarios where these imbalances can just happen naturally. I know that this is extremely hard to deal with, because there really is no black and white fix to the problem. This is why I’ve tried to learn more about how lifestyle can make a difference, and what this really looks like.
Hormones in General
As a woman, I have gone through my fair share of hormonal changes and struggles. I imagine that many can relate, navigating the random struggles of acne, birth control, and unexplainable weight fluctuation, this topic can feel very frustrating and unexplainable. I think for a lot of people, there was never really an explanation for these problems till recently. The conversation of hormonal challenges is still being learned about still everyday, and only recently in the media has it gained a lot more attention. I have seen many videos about balancing hormones and how hormones are the cause of all our problems, but what does this really mean? Through research and many trips to the doctor, I have learned that hormonal imbalances can lead to weight gain, hair loss, insomnia, acne, amongst many other issues that no one wants to deal with. Personally, I think that being on and off birth control really brought these issues to light, but there are many causes and scenarios where these imbalances can just happen naturally. I know that this is extremely hard to deal with, because there really is no black and white fix to the problem. This is why I’ve tried to learn more about how lifestyle can make a difference, and what this really looks like.
Nutritional Effects on Hormones
In many cases, and I know first hand, bringing these issues to light with a doctor can easily lead to a recommendation of many different diagnoses and medications that do mask the problem, but never really fix what is going on in our bodies. So how can we try and take this into our own control? Balancing hormones isn’t easy, but scientifically there are ways to go about our lives that can positively affect our hormones, and can eliminate many of the symptoms that pair with the imbalances. One proven way to get our hormones back on track is having a substantial amount of protein in every meal. This provides us with amino acids and protein derived hormones, which play a big role in controlling appetite, stress, metabolism, and reproductive health. There was even a study done of 156 teenagers that began eating high protein breakfasts regularly, only to find that they lost weight due to increased feelings of fullness over time. This isn’t to say that anyone needs to lose weight or suppress their appetite, but that many of us have constant craving and overeat due to the lack of protein in our diets. This is why having healthy and high protein options on hand is so crucial.
Nutritional Effects on Hormones
In many cases, and I know first hand, bringing these issues to light with a doctor can easily lead to a recommendation of many different diagnoses and medications that do mask the problem, but never really fix what is going on in our bodies. So how can we try and take this into our own control? Balancing hormones isn’t easy, but scientifically there are ways to go about our lives that can positively affect our hormones, and can eliminate many of the symptoms that pair with the imbalances. One proven way to get our hormones back on track is having a substantial amount of protein in every meal. This provides us with amino acids and protein derived hormones, which play a big role in controlling appetite, stress, metabolism, and reproductive health. There was even a study done of 156 teenagers that began eating high protein breakfasts regularly, only to find that they lost weight due to increased feelings of fullness over time. This isn’t to say that anyone needs to lose weight or suppress their appetite, but that many of us have constant craving and overeat due to the lack of protein in our diets. This is why having healthy and high protein options on hand is so crucial.
Gut Health
Another way that hormones are naturally balanced is through the health of our gut. Our guts naturally contain bacteria that produce metabolites. These have the power to affect our hormone health in good and in bad ways. This is all dependent on what we are putting in our bodies. The number one key to having a healthy gut is to lower sugar intake. Having healthy food and snacks on hand that are lower in sugar makes this a lot easier to maintain and work into our busy lives. I know not everyone has time to worry about every little thing they put into their bodies, but the presence of healthier foods rather than more sugar filled ones is just taking that next step.
Healthy fats, like almonds and peanuts, are other factors that help to promote insulin resistance. Having high insulin is what keeps us in a high stress mindset, making it impossible for our bodies to feel the best and keep in a healthy state. These two things have a relationship with one another that is dependent on how the other does. If we keep up on our healthy fats, our hormones will thank us. If our hormones are well balanced and regulated, we will crave these good sources of nutrition.
Gut Health
Another way that hormones are naturally balanced is through the health of our gut. Our guts naturally contain bacteria that produce metabolites. These have the power to affect our hormone health in good and in bad ways. This is all dependent on what we are putting in our bodies. The number one key to having a healthy gut is to lower sugar intake. Having healthy food and snacks on hand that are lower in sugar makes this a lot easier to maintain and work into our busy lives. I know not everyone has time to worry about every little thing they put into their bodies, but the presence of healthier foods rather than more sugar filled ones is just taking that next step.
Healthy fats, like almonds and peanuts, are other factors that help to promote insulin resistance. Having high insulin is what keeps us in a high stress mindset, making it impossible for our bodies to feel the best and keep in a healthy state. These two things have a relationship with one another that is dependent on how the other does. If we keep up on our healthy fats, our hormones will thank us. If our hormones are well balanced and regulated, we will crave these good sources of nutrition.
External Effects of Hormones
So how do we avoid an imbalance of hormones through food? One of the top things that throws off our system is processed foods. In the US, these are seemingly impossible to avoid. Protein bars are one of the main processed items that many people keep on hand and rely on for high sources of protein. Even glancing at the ingredients of many favorite protein bars on the market, we can find long lists of words we don’t even recognize. This should be a telling sign that something probably isn’t the best for our gut health and nutrition as a whole. Because protein is so prioritized and many are often on the go and need something quick, finding natural sources of protein that also contain healthy fats is the best of both worlds for our metabolism and hormone regulation.
External Effects of Hormones
So how do we avoid an imbalance of hormones through food? One of the top things that throws off our system is processed foods. In the US, these are seemingly impossible to avoid. Protein bars are one of the main processed items that many people keep on hand and rely on for high sources of protein. Even glancing at the ingredients of many favorite protein bars on the market, we can find long lists of words we don’t even recognize. This should be a telling sign that something probably isn’t the best for our gut health and nutrition as a whole. Because protein is so prioritized and many are often on the go and need something quick, finding natural sources of protein that also contain healthy fats is the best of both worlds for our metabolism and hormone regulation.
The Takeaway
The Takeaway
Why is Hormone Regulation Important
You may be wondering, why do I need to put all of this stress on keeping our hormones in check if I feel fine and enjoy eating the foods that I do right now? Although we can’t always see the effects that our eating is having, the underlying issues and long term results are a great reason to take these things into account. Things such as immune health, bone health, and sleep patterns can all have impacts that we may ignore until they become real problems for us. If these things can be helped in any way, why wouldn’t we make efforts to try? I think for many, our lives are so busy and long term health can travel to the back of our minds, becoming the least of our priorities. This is why simply having the knowledge and being just a little more aware can help us to mindlessly make better choices, benefiting our health without us even realizing. Our hormones affect so many different aspects of our wellbeing that we have never been able to gain knowledge on before.
Why is Hormone Regulation Important
You may be wondering, why do I need to put all of this stress on keeping our hormones in check if I feel fine and enjoy eating the foods that I do right now? Although we can’t always see the effects that our eating is having, the underlying issues and long term results are a great reason to take these things into account. Things such as immune health, bone health, and sleep patterns can all have impacts that we may ignore until they become real problems for us. If these things can be helped in any way, why wouldn’t we make efforts to try? I think for many, our lives are so busy and long term health can travel to the back of our minds, becoming the least of our priorities. This is why simply having the knowledge and being just a little more aware can help us to mindlessly make better choices, benefiting our health without us even realizing. Our hormones affect so many different aspects of our wellbeing that we have never been able to gain knowledge on before.