Or are you suffering from hormonal imbalance symptoms like:
- acne (especially right before your period)
- heavy bleeding
- sore breasts
- infertility
- low libido
- or an irregular period?
Well, you’re in the right place.
But a hormone balancing diet doesn’t have to be hard.
There are some simple first steps you can take to balance your menstrual hormones and create a healthier period.
Whether you’re looking for the best drinks to help with period cramps, foods to help reduce period bloating, or foods to keep your iron levels high and your menstrual hormones balanced, these 10 hormone-balancing superfoods are a great place to start.
➥ Are Emotional Intimacy Issues Affecting Your Relationship?
Superfoods to Help With Period Cramps
hormone Balancing Superfoods #1
Cacao
Yep, turns out there’s some wisdom to all those chocolate cravings. Cacao is amazing for your period and your female hormones!
Cacao is full of magnesium, which reduces cramping and PMS symptoms. It’s also full of antioxidants, which are great for reducing inflammation and supporting healthy egg development (which is important for our overall health and fertility, whether you’re trying to get pregnant or not).
If you’re a chocolate lover, go for organic, dark chocolate – as dark as you can stand it. Or use raw, organic cacao and make your own hot chocolate. Who doesn’t love a hot drink to help with those period cramps? Yummmmmmm.
hormone Balancing Superfoods #2:
Matcha & Green Tea
Now I’m a freak for all things Japanese (I used to live in Japan and also taught Japanese many moons ago!). But that’s not the only reason green tea makes the list.
Green tea is packed full of antioxidants, which reduces inflammation in the body, and helps healthy egg development. Some studies* even suggest that green tea’s abundance of catechins may reduce the build-up of pain-causing prostaglandins, making it the perfect drink to help with period cramps.
Green tea also increases fertile cervical mucus, which keeps things healthy in your vagina and increases overall fertility. It’s an all round female health tonic and the perfect hormone balancing tea!
➥ Is Sex A Problem In Your Relationship?
Superfoods to Help Balance Your Female Hormones
hormone Balancing Superfoods #3
Avocado
When it comes to fertility and your female hormones, fats are good. (Yes, get ready to unlearn that food pyramid you studied back in high school.)
Fats and proteins are the building blocks of your hormones, so for a healthy cycle fats are essential. Which makes avocados a great food for balancing women’s hormones, ‘cause they’re packed with good fats!
They also contain up to 20 essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, E, K & B-6. So keep up that smashed avo on toast, and you’ll be starting the day with the perfect hormone balancing superfood.
hormone Balancing Superfoods #4
Eggs
Speaking of breakfast… Eggs are another great way to get the therapeutic fats we need AND they’re also a great source of protein – another important hormone building block.
If you’re a vegan, obvs you can skip this one. But if not, go ahead and add a poached egg to your avo toast for an easy way to support your hormonal balance.
Or try one of my favourite lifehacks – keep a stash of boiled eggs in the fridge for an easy hormone-boosting snack. Nom nom.
hormone Balancing Superfoods #5
Fermented Foods
One of the most common hormonal imbalances in women is estrogen dominance. This happens when the ratio of estrogen to progesterone (your two main menstrual cycle hormones) gets out of whack.
A simple way to keep estrogen in balance? Staying regular 💩😉
When things get backed up, your body can reabsorb too much estrogen, which throws the estrogen-progesterone ratio out. It’s not the only cause of hormonal imbalance, but a healthy gut certainly plays a major role in healthy hormones.
Since fermented foods are a great source of natural probiotics, they’re a great way to keep your digestive system happy. Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, miso, kombucha, and pickles – anything that’s fermented is rich in gut-friendly bacteria.
But beware: choose naturally fermented products with as little added sugar as possible (yoghurt, I’m looking at you).
hormone Balancing Superfoods #6
Seaweed
Seafood is the obvious choice when it comes to foods rich in Omega 3’s (which are GOLD for your hormones). But why not skip down the food chain and go straight to the source?
The seaweed in miso soup and those delicious seaweed salads you get at sushi restaurants (also known as wakame) is a great source of Omega 3s and iodine – both of which are key to a balanced metabolism and endocrine system (i.e. the great conductor of your female hormones).
A balanced metabolism and a happy endocrine system will also help prevent hormonal weight gain. Or help you lose any hormonal weight that you can’t seem to get rid of.
Superfoods to Help With Low Iron & Iron Absorption
hormone Balancing Superfoods #7
Leafy Greens
Us gals need to keep on top of our iron levels. Our monthly bleed means we can easily become deficient, which then creates a whole slew of health problems.
Spinach, kale, swiss chard, collard greens are all high in iron, plus a bunch of other vitamins like A, C & K. Because these greens contain non-heme iron (the type of iron found in plants) it’s important to pair your greens with a rich source of vitamin C to help with absorption, such as capsicums or a squeeze of lemon.
But beyond these iron benefits, all those vitamins and antioxidants make leafy greens a great all-round superfood for balancing hormones as well.
hormone Balancing Superfoods #8
Kiwifruit
This little green gem packs a lot of punch. Just one kiwifruit contains 100% of your RDI of vitamin C (depending on the size, of course!).
Vitamin C helps promote progesterone – a hormone essential for reducing PMS symptoms and for increasing fertility. AND it increases iron absorption too.
If you’re not a fan of kiwifruit, other great sources of vitamin C include guava, capsicum, strawberries, broccoli, and of course, oranges.
Superfoods to Help Reduce Period Bloating
hormone Balancing Superfoods #9
Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)
These little seeds are another great source of magnesium (which most people are deficient in). And remember what we said about magnesium? It reduces cramping and PMS symptoms, and can help fight that premenstrual bloating.
Pumpkin seeds are also a great source of zinc, which keeps your estrogen and progesterone levels balanced and promotes a healthy immune system.
And since they’re so easy to carry around, they make a great hormone-friendly snack. (Can you tell I’m a big fan of snacks? I don’t like to to get hangry)
hormone Balancing Superfoods #10
Water
OK. I know this isn’t technically a food, but water is super important for your body and a healthy period. Do you ever get sore breasts right before your period? Or lots of bloating and water retention?
This can be a sign that you’re dehydrated, and you need to drink MORE water. The more hydrated you are, the less water retention you’ll have, and you’re also less likely to suffer from cycle related headaches, cramping, acne and fatigue.
It may just be the best hormone balancing superfood of them all. 🙂
Hi, I’m Jodie - a life, love, and sexual empowerment coach. I work with women and couples to help them create the lives, love, and sex they’ve always wanted. More love, more passion, more pleasure, and more fulfilment.
Apply for a complimentary 1:1 women's empowerment coaching call.
