7 new superfoods for men and women
Eat these to correct hormonal imbalances: beat hair fall, weight gain and depression!
Hormones can cause huge havoc in men and women. Whether it is severe acne and hair on the face, fatigue, yo-yo weight gain, irregular menstrual cycles, low libido, brittle hair, depression or poor fertility. The symptoms of hormonal imbalance and their severity may vary but they are very distressing. And are today an epidemic of sorts. Hormones sound complex (after all, there are about 200 of them). To keep your hormones happy include these seven foods in your diet on a regular basis.
Spirulina to tackle Oestrogen
Oestrogen imbalance shows up in abdominal obesity, bloating, cold hands and feet, hair loss, mental fogginess, hot flashes, night sweats and temperature swings.
Food pick: Spirulina has the essential fatty acids that help the liver metabolise excess oestrogen. Have it mixed with water or add to smoothies.
Cinnamon to keep insulin stable
Insulin is the body’s sugar regulator. Imbalance shows up in the form of lethargy, hunger, brain fog and weight gain.
Food pick: Cinnamon helps keep your blood sugar stable through the day and insulin tamed.
Mackerel to keep thyroid healthy
Thyroid keeps our metabolism in shape, and its imbalance leads to us feeling cold or sluggish all the time.
Food pick: Thyroid has the highest selenium content, and its deficiency is often a primary cause of thyroid disorders. Mackerel is a good source of selenium.
Banana to cosy up melatonin
This sleep hormone helps you stay rested and sleep well. And sleep debt is associated with higher weight and hormonal imbalance. Its imbalance shows up as you begin to experience fatigue, impaired memory and lack of concentration.
Food pick: Pile on B6 rich foods, particularly banana, as it helps the body produce melatonin naturally.
Jamun to strengthen the liver
Liver is our body’s master filter – it cleans out toxins we are exposed to and is the powerhouse of all hormone production and metabolism.
Food pick: Jamun can keep it healthy as it prevents excessive lipid accumulation, which leads to fatty liver and multiple hormonal messes.
Ghee to keep cortisol low
When cortisol rises, it makes our body hoard fat as it encourages conversion of blood sugar into fat for long-term storage. It also leads to food cravings and, addictions and irritability, frequent headaches, anxiety, high blood pressure.
Food pick: Good fats are building blocks of all hormones – and are especially helpful with stabilising the production of stress hormone cortisol. Eat ghee from grass fed cows to keep cortisol low.
Spinach to boost adiponectin
This fat-burning hormone works on the brain to regulate inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which contribute to weight gain.
Food pick: Have spinach as it has certain enzymes and antioxidants, which stimulate this hormone.
Finally, the important thing to understand is that all our hormones are interconnected, and interact and work together synergistically – so even if one is out of whack, it can start a bad cascading effect. Don’t let that happen – for the sake of your weight and health. Eat a hormone stabilising diet.
The writer is a Delhi- based nutritionist and weight management consultant. She writes on health and has recently authored Ultimate Grandmother Hacks
From HT Brunch, September 30 , 2018
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