I’m pretty sure there are thousands of you out there struggling every day with hormone imbalance like me. Hormone changes are not something related to menopause, but an issue we face our entire lives. There’s a whole philosophy about how women are connected to the nature and moon cycles, about the way our diet and lifestyle is immediately mirrored in our bodies and our psyche, but one thing is for sure – hormone balance is deeply sensitive and depends upon the pituitary gland, which is not something to mess around with and not something to trick with hormone pills, because it influences our whole system.
I have been struggling with hormone imbalance for quite a long time, and I learned to keep my eyes open for everything that might influence it. First of all, I gave up birth control pills, because it’s the main cause of disrupting the balanced activity of the pituitary gland. Trusting your body’s natural ways of adjusting the imbalances is the smartest thing you can do, helping with appropriate nourishment. Before adjusting your hormone imbalances with pills, be sure you’ve tried everything natural!
Here are some ideas about adjusting your hormone balance naturally:
1. Avoid Processed Foods
And I’m talking all of them – white flour snacks (cupcakes, bagels, pretzels), white sugar, refined carbs (white rice, white flour, alcohol). Replace them with sugar-free granola bars, raw bites, hearty meals with legumes, baked products with whole flours (wholemeal, buckwheat, chickpea, coconut, almond).
2. Supplement with Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids
These are called essential fatty acids because they aren’t produced by our bodies, so we need to get them from our food. They help our cell’s activities, lowers the bad cholesterol, and helps the liver to metabolize the excess hormone. They are available in flax and chia seeds, walnuts, and primrose oil supplements.
3. Quit the Xenoestrogens
Xenoestrogens are artificial hormones released by chemical compounds in products we use on a daily basis. They trick our body’s hormone receptors to read them as estrogen, causing confusion. You can avoid them by giving up plastic toys and containers (source of Bisphenol-A (BPA), cleaning products, and personal care products that contain parabens and phthalates.
4. Supplement with Superfoods
I’m talking about spirulina, maca powder and bee products. Spirulina contains the essential fatty acids I mentioned before and detoxifies the liver, helping it to metabolize the excess estrogen. Maca powder has direct effects on hormone balance and fertility and relieves PMS. Bee products – pollen, honey, and royal jelly contain bioflavonoids that help our system release hormones in a balanced way. It is very important to get your superfoods from verified sources, and to make sure they are fully raw and of high quality. You can mix them in your morning smoothies, in raw treats, or juices.
5. Add the Two F’s to Your Daily Diet: Fibers & Fat
Soluble fibers help our bodies to eliminate the hormonal excess metabolized by the liver, dumping it in the intestines. Chia seeds, ground flax seeds, oatmeal, lentils, psyllium husk, and oranges are some of the most important sources of soluble fibers. When it comes to fat, we’re talking about the material from which our body creates the hormones, so we wouldn’t want to use anything else but high quality saturated fat – avocado, coconut oil, or raw cacao butter.
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds
- 1 tbsp raw sesame seeds
- 2 tsp raw Spirulina
- 2 tsp raw Maca powder
- 2 tsp Chia seeds
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 ripe banana, fresh or frozen
- Put water, sesame seeds and hulled hemp in the blender, and process on high speed for one minute, to obtain raw milk.
- Add spirulina, maca, chia, coconut oil and banana, and process on medium speed for one more minute, to incorporate.
- Drink on an empty stomach.
July 26, 2015
What can I use instead of hemp seeds? Can I leave them out altogether?
July 28, 2015
You can leave them out altogether and replace them with half of a ripe avocado.
August 6, 2015
Can you drink this on a daily basis?
August 11, 2015
Sure, you can have this every day, but it’s a good idea to make a pause from maca powder from time to time. The other ingredients are great for daily use!
August 6, 2015
Are all the ingredients easy to find in stores or do you need a health food shop?
August 11, 2015
Kirtsy, I don’t think you can find everything in a store, I would suggest shopping for quality products at a health food shop.
January 18, 2016
Hi Ana,
Thanks for a great recipe. Is it possible to replace the banana with a different fruit source? I’m allergic to bananas so this limits me greatly with quite a few raw & vegan recipes. Any advice would be great.
Thanks again.
Keep well,
Andrea
January 19, 2016
You can replace it with mango or persimmon – the colors will be gorgeous and the taste really refreshing. I hope this helps!
July 10, 2016
How long can I take maca?
July 12, 2016
I take it in one month rounds, four times a year, but I recommend asking the doctor’s advise before including it to your diet.
March 10, 2017
Hi,
Can you provide some great smoothies to balance hormones, focusing on lowering estrogen?
How do you know what should or shouldn’t be mixed or used in a smoothie? I read that you should cook your Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, kale, and spinach….and then on the other hand some suggest you blend in a smoothie?
Please advise!
Thanks so much!
March 14, 2017
I will definitely work on some new smoothies for hormone balance, thanks for your suggestion! For me the problem is too much progesterone and a poor thyroid function, so I mostly rely on Ashwagandha and kelp powders – these might work for you too. Also, vitamin E is important for lowering estrogen – this one you can find in pumpkin flesh, seeds, spinach and broccoli. I consume green leafy greens both lightly cooked as a side dish and raw in smoothies and salads, this way I’m sure my body gets their nutrients. I hope this helps!
May 12, 2017
Hi am currently having high prolactin, any suggestions on hormone balancin smoothies
May 15, 2017
Prolactin is most often associated with a slow thyroid, so nuts (especially Brazil nuts, for their high Selenium content), oats and kelp powder are some of the ingredients I would include in smoothies. But always ask the doctor before starting a new diet, because the high prolactin can have different causes. I hope this helps!
May 15, 2017
Why shouldn’t we have a lot of Maca powder? Just because I read its good in a smoothie so I have been putting it in a few times a week.
May 15, 2017
I try to limit the maca powder intake because there aren’t studies regarding its side effects, and since it plays a role in hormone production, I’d rather keep the consumption on the safe side. I am also skeptical regarding any plant which is not a native of my birth areal, so my body is not used with consuming it. Some people take it in high doses and have no problem, but I prefer not assuming any risks. A few times a week sound like a reasonable dosage 🙂
May 17, 2017
What type of maca powder would be best to use?
May 23, 2017
A trusted, certified organic source is always the best choice!
August 16, 2018
Hi
I have high prolactin n trying to conceive what smoothie would you recommend…
August 16, 2018
Hi, I would choose to add plenty of greens (kale, spinach, chard), banana, nuts and seeds. But make sure to check with your doctor and nutritionist to see if these are good for you. I hope this helps, wishing you to see your dream come true and become a mother soon.
November 11, 2018
Hello Ana!
Good day to you and thank you for this very useful information a woman should read.
How do I know I have Hormonal Imbalance?
I have a very abnormal period which never happened in my whole life, it’s all started only this year. I very little blood to none in a month.
Thanks for your reply
Regards,
Jane
November 11, 2018
Hi Jane, abnormal periods can be caused also by stress, excess exercise or pregnancy. However, hormone imbalance is most often the cause, so I would suggest to check the levels of progesterone, estrogene and thyroid markers, especially TSH. If any imbalance is discovered, don’t take any pills from the first place, try to make some adjustment to your diet and lifestyle first. Keep me posted, I’d be happy to share the things I learned during my experience with hormone imbalance. Warmly, Ana
January 17, 2019
I had a complete hysterectomy years ago. From that my hormones went out of whack and my stomach looks like I’m pregnant
I’m over weight. However, I don’t eat much. I know it’s the hormones. Please send me smoothie recipes that are a sure thing and will attack this problem.
January 21, 2019
24 with premature menopause . any suggestions on how to balance my TSH & estrogen levels naturally?
February 5, 2019
Sorry to read about your premature menopause, but I’m sure things will get better for you in the future with some lifestyle and diet adjustments! To balance the thyroid function, focus on eating foods rich in Selenium, Zinc and Copper (nuts and seeds, legumes and eggs), Iron (green leafy vegetables) and also vitamin A (raw carrots and fresh dandelion leaves when available). For the estrogen deficiency, try to reduce or even eliminate the gluten, avoid caffeine, consume non-GMO soy products and supplement with vitamin E and Magnesium (which are both to be found in seeds, nuts and avocado). Sending you all the positive vibes!