How are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions? Unfortunately, successfully accomplishing goals that you’ve set depends much more on thorough planning, realistic goals, and the support you surround yourself with than your strength of will.
The very best way to begin implementing changes in your life is to know yourself, your habits, how you’ve been responding to the world around you, what kind of patterns you’ve fallen into, and where you are starting from. Before stumbling through another set of good intentions, consider keeping a log of “you”. Track sleep habits, entertainment/internet/Netflix habits, your eating and exercising habits, and how much time you spend strengthening bonds with your loved ones. It's important that your logging is judgement-free at this stage, so resist bringing down the verdict on yourself over habits you're ashamed of. Find out how you’ve been ticking before trying to make changes.
I am happy to welcome holistic nutritionist, Sarah Steward, back to the blog for a quick word about nutrition and our cycles. Check out Diet and Hormones 101, here.
As women, we often feel at the mercy of our body’s phases. Knowing what to expect every month, and why, is an important part of “knowing thyself.” Maybe there is a way to eat optimally to give your body the best chance at balance during the most challenging times of the month.
Diet and Hormones 101
Part 2
Optimizing nutrition though our cycles
Hormones fluctuate in our bodies as we go through our monthly cycles so it makes sense that we may require more of specific nutrients. Eat plenty of anti-inflammatory foods and lessen gluten, dairy, and refined sugars.
Here are some items to support your body during your cycle:
Dark leafy greens
Iron in dark leafy greens helps with our energy levels and support our bodies during blood loss. They contain Vitamin K an important vitamin during the bleeding process.
Whole Grains
Full of fiber and important nutrients that will combat craving and balance our blood sugar. Quinoa, millet, brown rice and buckwheat are all great sources of whole grains. Keeps our blood sugar stabilized and can even help the body eliminate excess estrogen.
Fiber
Increasing Fiber helps eliminate waste. Eating foods with fiber like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains will help remove excess estrogen, This will help with moods, period regulation and reduce the probability of PMS symptoms.
Good Fats
Will help with vitamin transport and help you feel full longer. Good fats help with energy levels during menstruation.
Water
Helps flush out your body, being hydrated will make you feel better, helps with elimination, keep the body hydrated throughout all phases.
Probiotics
Foods containing probiotics can help break down and rid the body of estrogen.
Raw veggies
Contain glutathione an important antioxidant and helps the liver detoxify the excess estrogen in our bodies.
Iron
Foods with iron will help build the blood. Eat plenty of lentils, eggs, dark chocolate, black beans, and brocolli.
Vitamin A
Help the liver break down Estrogen. Due to blood loss, the focus after your period should be building the body back up, building the blood, detoxing and incorporating foods to energize you.
Magnesium rich foods
When we get those chocolate cravings our body is signaling for magnesium, so we can also eat magnesium-rich foods or get a high % cacao chocolate to just eat in moderation.
Decrease during all cycles
Refined sugars
Processed foods
Alcohol
Caffeine
Fatty Meats
Dairy
Fried Foods
Sodium
Artificial Sweeteners
The more processed the food, the harder your body must work when digesting. This alone can make you feel fatigued and awful. Have you ever felt exhausted after eating a meal? Often it is because our digestion system is using up so much energy to digest what we ate, that it leaves us feeling zapped..
If you would like to learn more about the holistic approach please visit my website www.nutritionsteward.com or contact me sarah@nutritionsteward.com
*Disclaimer*
I am a Holistic Nutritionist and received my education and training from the
Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. I am not a medical doctor and cannot
diagnose or treat diseases and disorders. I do not claim that any of my
recommendations will cure or heal any ailment. I do not prescribe any medicine.
The information and materials I share are not intended to be a medical
diagnosis or treatment. My job is to equip individuals with the tools they need
to have a healthier lifestyle and provide recommendations from a holistic
perspective.
Sarah Steward
RHN has had a lifelong interest in health and nutrition. Sarah approaches
health from a Holistic perspective, recognizing that everyone is biologically
unique and individual experiences shape the someone's current state. She
believes that the mind, body and spirit work together to achieve better health.
Sarah’s main desires are dispelling health myths, taking the confusion out of
nutrition, and simplifying care of the body. In 2004 she began her studies in
Theology through the University of London correspondence program and received
her degree in Theology in 2010. Soon after she began pursuing a career in
Holistic Nutrition at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and received the
designation of RHN (Registered Holistic Nutritionist). Her business The
Nutrition Steward provides nutrition services, from a Holistic approach, in and
around the Charlotte, NC area. Sarah grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia and now
resides in South Carolina with her husband, step-daughter and 2 dogs. In her
free time she enjoys creating healthier versions of common recipes, crafting
and taking walks with her husband.
Sources:
http://drhyman.com/blog/2012/06/13/ten-reasons-to-quit-your-coffee/
https://annarborholistichealth.com/blog/2015/4/30/estrogen-dominance
https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/nutrition/is-coffee-inflammatory/
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/15893/1/List-of-Human-Hormones-and-Their-Importance.html
Journal photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash
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