Think about the last time you felt truly relaxed- nowhere to go, no one to be, tension-free and happy. 

Where were you? Who were you with? What smells, tastes, sights and sounds do you remember?

Think about it in detail for a minute right now. 

Are you feeling more relaxed? Great! The rest of this article is aimed at helping you to achieve the sense of calm you felt in the memory above more often in your life. 

One of the best ways to cultivate calm within our selves and our busy lives is yoga. I have been yoga-in for about 10 years now. By no means am I an expert, or even able to do crazy headstands and arm balances, but yoga has saved me. And it’s not just anecdotal stories that should convince you (although they did with me!), there’s some serious science to back up the yoga craze. 

What You Feel Like When You’re Stressed Out

Awareness is a huge step towards making positive changes in your life. If you can’t recognize patterns of distress your body is sending you like giant red flashing lights, you can’t help yourself.

So how can we cultivate this awareness? By keeping track of patterns. 

Specifically when you’re stressed, you can experience any number of symptoms, including the following list. See how many you’re checking off as you read through- likely the more of these symptoms you experience, the more stressed you are and the harder it is for your body to cope without support.

• Fatigue
• Quick to anger
• Irritable
• Brain fog
• Inability to focus
• Cold hands and feet
• Body aches and pains including shoulder, neck, jaw, lower back and hips
• Chest pain
• Heart racing or irregularity
• Panic attacks
• Shallow breathing
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Fist or jaw clenching
• Poor digestion- sluggish or loose bowels, burping, bloating 
• Fits of rage
• Insomnia
• Menstrual cycle irregularities 
• And much more!

What’s Happening in Your Body During Stress

So now that you have a slight idea of how you feel when you’re really calm, and what symptoms might be signalling you’re feeling major stress, let’s talk what’s causing these reactions in your body and how we can balance them naturally (aka with the Stress-melting yoga pose).

Your adrenal glands are very important for hormonal health, including both regulating your body’s stress response and creating sex hormones in small amounts. When you’re feeling stressed or are in a stressful situation, it’s your adrenals that kick in to help you get through it.

The main stress hormone the adrenals produce is called cortisol, and you may have heard of this hormone before. Cortisol is released both in acute and long-term stress. This means that every time you get pissed off at a dumb driver on the road, or internalize family drama that’s been going on for years, you’re telling your body you’re in a stressful and life or death situation (even if your life isn’t in danger). This is called the fight or flight response

Many hundreds of thousands of years ago, we were hunters and gatherers- living off the land and having to kill our own prey. The threat of bodily harm or death due to other large predatory animals and the elements was huge. Because of this, our bodies adapted to be able to save our asses in this kind of situation by releasing certain chemicals like the stress hormone cortisol, as well as adrenaline.

Here’s an example:

You’re out picking berries along the savannah, and you hear the cracking of dry brush in the distance, like it’s being stepped on. Your body will go on high alert, waiting for more information before deciding whether to fight or flee. If suddenly a lion comes charging at you through the brush, without you consciously making the decision, you’ll be running away in a split second flat. This is because the sudden increase in stress hormones has gotten your body ready to move quickly and easily to save your life. Your heart rate increases, pupils dilate and blood flow goes to the extremities.

All non life-saving body functions are put to the back burner- things like digestion and reproduction. Digestive juices dry up, and production and use of hormones like estrogen falls or goes crazy.

While this situation is awesome short term when your life is in danger, your body can’t tell the difference between that lion chasing you and your irritation over piles of dirty laundry or a crappy boss. So, every time you feel on high alert, stressed, tight, snappy- your body is in this fight or flight mode. Generally, this is happening to us several times per day, as we have little stress episodes like this many times throughout the day.

If this happens over a period of months or years, your adrenals begin to give up or go crazy and you can experience something called adrenal insufficiency or adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is a little known root cause or contributor to sex hormone imbalances, which is why I’m highlighting it here.

Why You Need to Manage Stress Better

As I’m sure you can gather, managing stress is mucho important for your overall well being and the health of your hormones. 

When you’re better able to manage your stress in a healthy way, all those shitty symptoms we talked about above can be replaced with:

• Be able to predict when your regulated periods will come and know there won’t be pain keeping you on the couch with The Notebook, Midol and a heating pad.
• Have stable energy throughout the day and you won’t have to worry about 24/7 grumpiness because you’re over-extended and haven’t eaten for hours.
• Feel slim, feminine, strong and sexy in your body while coming to a happy and sustainable weight.
• Feel confident and empowered in your healing journey
• Experience clothes that fit year round- no need to undo buttons, live in yoga pants or go up a size every season
• Be present and actually participate in your life instead of watching it pass you by

One Life Changing Yoga Pose To Melt Stress & Balance Hormones

Pin it for later >> https://goo.gl/biJD21

Okay! Now we get to the fun bit, the bit you can actually put into practice into your life. Before I get into what the pose is and why it’s so amazing for your health and hormones, I urge you to remember that small changes can have massive impact on how we think and feel- even if it seems too easy. With consistent practice and attention, positive results will follow (aka doing it once ain’t gonna cut it!).

The yoga pose I’m excited to share with you is called Legs Up The Wall or Viparita Karani is so helpful in melting Stress and balancing hormones because it reverse the effects of gravity on the body, helps direct nourishing blood flow to your internal organs (especially reproductive and digestive organs, and your adrenal glands) and helps the body move from “fight or flight” mode to “rest and digest” mode.

A few of the many benefits that come from this include:

• Insomnia relief when used regularly before bed
• Softens symptoms of PMS and bothersome menopause
• Calms a busy mind
• Relieves stresses and anxiety
• Relieves swollen and tired legs and feet
• Improves digestion

How To Do Legs Up the Wall

If you’ve looked at the image, you an see it’s a fairly simple pose. The things to pay attentoin Ito are making sure when you’re in the pose you cal relax fully. Your neck and spine should be straight, and you can put a bolster or block underneath your sacrum if you wish to go a little deeper. If you feel you need extra grounding, a block put on the bottoms of your feet when they’re up in the air can help. 

If all else fails, check out YouTube for more detailed instruction! Here’s to melting Stress and balancing hormones. 

Growing up the veggies I got at the dinner table usually came from the freezer. Those bags of frozen mixed veggies- the little green beans, cubes of carrots, etc- you know the ones I mean! If it wasn’t that it was an iceberg lettuce salad loaded with french dressing.

While I still love french dressing, I’m not such a big fan of those frozen veggies and flavourless salads. My veggie repertoire has seriously expanded since then and I’m proud to say I now love most veggies that I hated before.

It’s a good thing too because the veggies I eat daily have a big role to play in balancing my hormones and generally helping me to feel strong, healthy and mentally balanced.

Do You Feel Like. . .

A grumpy mess?
An elderly person because you’re always so tired?
A fat blob that can’t stop eating sugar no matter what?
Choosing what to eat is an ancient cypher you just can’t crack?
You’re in hormone hell?

Then, I’m Willing to Bet You’re Not Eating Enough Veggies.

  
Nutrients, phytochemicals, and general good ju-ju comes from eating fresh foods that comes from the ground- aka plants.

If you’re not eating any (or enough) then you’re not going to feel so good. Here’s why.

More Veggies = Happy Hormones

Vitamins
Veggies contain a whole laundry list of vitamins. Each veg has a whole bunch, and when you eat a variety, you can be sure that you’re getting what your body needs to make and balance hormones.

For example:

Vitamin C found in bell peppers, broccoli, swiss chard and spinach is anti-inflammatory, can help to increase progesterone and support your adrenals glands to manage stress more effectively.

Vitamin B5 found in mushrooms, avocado, sweet potato and broccoli support your adrenals glands to manage stress effectively, increase energy and assist fat metabolism.

Vitamin B6 found in sweet potato, spinach, cabbage and cauliflower helps your body produce progesterone, reduces water retention, may help with depressive or erratic moods and liver detoxification.

Beta Carotene the precursor to Vitamin A found in carrots, sweet potato, spinach and kale is anti-inflammatory, a thyroid-supportive nutrient and may help reduce heavy menstrual bleeding.

Minerals
Like vitamins, minerals are abundant to veggies. We need a wide variety of minerals to help us balance hormones, improve our emotional state and increase our energy. I find clinically that minerals are often an afterthought- we focus on the vitamins the proteins, fats and carbs and forget about minerals. Regardless, we need them in droves for our hormones!

For example:

Magnesium, a super abundant mineral found in spinach, swiss chard, collard greens and beets is used in over 300 body processes, including balancing blood sugar, supporting the adrenal glands, relaxing muscle contraction (think cramps and tense muscles) and regulates mood.

Zinc, found in spinach, mushrooms, asparagus and green peas is essential for clear skin, balanced mood, healthy hair, thyroid support, immune-boosting and healthy testosterone.

Selenium found in mushrooms, asparagus, cabbage and spinach supports activation of thyroid hormone, works as an antioxidant to reduce inflammation and free-radicals, and may help with energy production.

Healthy Carbs
Sometimes carbs get a bad wrap. True, if you eat too many of the wrong types of carbs, you’ll likely gain weight or experience some other type of health issue. However, the right types of carbs (and any food, really) can be enjoyed without guilt. Specifically, I’m talking about veggie-based carbs. Some veggies are considered non-starchy, and others starchy.

You’ll want to eat as many non-starchy veg as you possible can, as they’ll fill you up with fibre and loads of nutrients. Here’s some good examples of non-starchy veggies:
* Leafy greens of all types
* Broccoli
* Asparagus
* Sprouts
* Cauliflower
* Radishes
* Onions and garlic
* Cucumber
* Spinach
* zucchini
* Lettuce
* Green beans
* Artichokes

Starchy veggies have their place in the diet as well, and I usually recommend getting them mostly at dinner time.
* Winter squash like butternut and acorn
* Spaghetti squash
* Yams and/or sweet potatoes
* Potatoes
* Beets
* Carrots
* Corn (organic and non-GMO)
* Parsnips
* Green peas

9 Ways to Eat More Veggies – Even If You Hate Them!

#1: Add Puréed Veggies

You can hide so many vegetables in your food by simply cooking and pure ingredients them. For example, stir some pureed cooked carrots, sweet potato or pumpkin into your favourite tomato sauce- you’ll never know it’s there! Another option is to stir these pureed veggies into your morning breakfast porridge- you can see how it’s done in my Pumpkin Porridge recipe by clicking here. 

#2: Try an Unconventional Salad

A lot of the women I work with as private clients and in my 21-Day Happy Hormones Diet program aren’t huge fans of salad. They’re boring, they take forever to chew and really- who needs ’em? While I can’t totally relate as I LOVE salad, there is a better way that mixing some lettuce with carrots, cucumber and tossing with a store-bought gelatinous dressing.

There’s two ways to have an unconventional salad that I think you’ll love.

1) Warm Salad
Warm salads are amazing, especially during colder months. An example of a warm salad would be a bed of baby spinach that you top with warm grilled chicken, sautéed peppers and onions and a nice balsamic vinaigrette. Feel free to sauté any veggie you like, and you don’t even have to put it on a bed of greens if that’s not your thing.

2) Chopped Salad
Chopped salads are great. Simply put these salads are harder veggies (typically not leafy stuff) all chopped up to be a similar size and mixed together with a dressing. The recipe for Hormone Detox Salad you’ll see below is so good and so popular that I include it as a recipe in my 21-Day Happy Hormones Diet program.

#3: Zoodles (+ Other Plant Noodles)

Seriously, go out and buy a veggie spiralizer right now. It will be the best $20 you’ve ever spent. You can make noodles out of nearly any hard veggie using this device, and may I say that everything tastes way better shaped as noodles. For example, I normally don’t really like zucchini but some zucchini noodles “zoodles” lightly sautéed and topped with a sauce and protein is one of my favs ways to get this veggie. You can also make noodles out of sweet potatoes, beets, carrots and more.

#4: 5-Minute Dinner Greens

A lot of times we don’t eat enough veggies because we think it takes too much time. Who has time to roast/cook some veggies when pasta cooks in 10 minutes. The truth is veggies can be extremely quick, they’re the original fast food! Whether you’re eating them raw or cooked, you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen.

One of my favourite ways to get more hormone-loving greens in me is to lightly sauté them and serve underneath some baked fish or chicken with a little sweet potato or other starchy on the side for dinner.

Below you’ll find my 5-minute dinner greens recipe. Feel free to swap out any green leafy veggie you prefer! The trick is to cook them until they’re bright green in colour- faster for things like spinach and longer for heartier greens like collards. Don’t overcook- if their colour turns dull, you’ve left it in the pan too long.

#5: Soup – Two-Ways

I’m writing this in winter, so naturally I’m feeling soups. Soups are a fantastic and healing food that can be really easy to hide veggies in. Pour in some of those pureed veggies to thicken your soup, or use one of the following 2 methods for quick soup.

1) Purée

To do this, combine several cups of your fav veg (zucchini, carrots, greens etc) in a pot with some onion, garlic, herbs/seasonings of your choice and just enough bone broth to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer gently until veggies are tender. Puree to be as smooth as you like- I like it really smooth but some prefer chunky. Super easy, and depending on the veg can be made in 10 minutes.

2) Veggie-loaded
Sometimes it’s helpful to buy pre-made foods when we’re busy. If you think I cook 100% of my meals, you’re sadly mistaken. Purchasing store-bought soups (preferably not canned but rather from the refrigerated section) can be a great way to sneak in extra veggies. Purchase the soup of your choice, and then go home and add about 1/2 – 1 cup extra chopped/pureed veggies per serving. Dump the pre-made soup and veggies in a pot and simply cook a few minutes until the fresh veg are tender.

#6: Smoothies

The ultimate veggie-hider! Put anything you want in a smoothie- leafy greens like kale or spinach, harder veg like carrots and beets, or anything at all you want! If you add a touch of fruit, some flavorings like vanilla, cacao and/or cinnamon you’ll not even notice the veggies in your drink. As you get more adventurous, you can make your smoothies 100% vegetables.
  

#7: Roasted Veg

An easy way to make sure you have veggies prepared all week, roasting up a big pan of mixed veggies can be kept in the fridge and re-heated at lunch or dinner time. Combine any veggies you like, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs/seasonings of choice. Pop in the oven at about 350-375 degrees until tender. Note that some veggies like broccoli might be quicker that harder root veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes and turnips.

#8: Bacon

Anything is better with bacon. Bacon is how I’ve convinced my family that brussels sprouts are a delicious food. Chop up a fav veggie, saute it in a pan with nitrate-free bacon, some chopped onions and garlic and you’re good to go! I like to shred brussel sprouts, use organic corn, broccoli or any other veg.

#9: Greens Powder

This one is at the bottom of the list for a reason. While there are some really really good greens powders out there, they do not replace having fresh, whole vegetables. But, while you’re slowly building yourself up to have several servings of veggies in a day, greens powders can be good in a pinch to help with your nutrient status.

My. favourite greens supplement in terms of taste is the Chocolate Silk greens by Barlean’s- amazing! It tastes like chocolate milk when you mix the powder with non-dairy milk.
  

See the full post here >> https://goo.gl/y6YIND

Pin it for later >> https://goo.gl/icLIle

Right from my very first period, I’ve had cramps. Debilitating, nauseating, tear-inducing cramps. As a teenager (before the pill) my periods were also really heavy. Every time I would stand up I could feel the blood rushing out of me, and I was changing my super-duper pads every hour or two. The heaviness of my periods eventually went away, but the pain never did.

I was stuck popping Midol, Advil, Tylenol or anything that would work. I used heating pads, hot baths, massage, stretches and nasty thoughts about my uterus to try and quell the cramps. Often, I was so dizzy from them (even with meds) that it was hard for me to focus and work. 

Luckily, after a few years of working on my personal health and balancing my hormones, my periods are nearly pain free, and haven’t been heavy in years. It’s so AMAZING to actually be able to function on my period! 

I know that if you’re reading this, you likely have a similar story of pain and heavy flow. But where does it come from? And how can you fix it naturally?

That’s what I’m here to share with you.

What’s Causing My Painful and Heavy Periods?

Below I’m outlining four major contributors to painful and heavy periods. This list is by no means exhaustive, and I always recommend having tests done with your family healthcare practitioner to definitively find the cause. 

Estrogen Dominance

Very common these days, and a major contributors to the section on endometriosis, etc, below. Estrogen dominance is simply having too much estrogen in relation to progesterone in the body. These two hormones have a very delicate balance which can cause a lot of symptoms, including period pain and heavy flow if left unchecked.

What this means is that you can be estrogen dominant AND have low levels of estrogen- if the estrogen is still higher in ratio to progesterone than it should be. Lab testing can be done to tell for sure.

How does it create pain and heavy flow? Part of estrogen’s job is to begin thickening the lining of your uterus, in case a fertilized egg needs to be implanted after ovulation. The egg needs a cushy, cozy home, and estrogen helps create this atmosphere. If you’re estrogen dominant and/or have irregular cycles, the lining can build and build.

When it finally sheds, the blood may be heavy, dark and full of clots. 

Additionally, estrogen can build up in excess fat tissue. So, if you are overweight, you might be storing even more estrogen than you need. Eventually, this fat tissue becomes like an organ itself, producing AND storing estrogen, creating quite a vicious cycle. 

Endometriosis, Fibroids, Cysts or Polyps

While all of these conditions are separate, and require slightly different treatments, that all have common underlying contributors that lead to pain and heavy flow.

Endometriosis is often the most painful hormonal disorder, as the endometrial tissue (which normally lives inside the uterus) is elsewhere in the body- on the fallopian tubes, bowel, bladder, etc. When your uterine tissue sheds during a period, so will the misplaced tissue, creating boat loads of pain and sometimes heavy flow.

Uterine fibroids, polyps and ovarian cysts can also contribute to pain. Fibroids are extremely common in women with very heavy menstrual flow. A rupturing ovarian cyst can be very painful and cause cramping. You might consider these issues if you also experience bleeding or spotting between periods, extended bleeding (longer than 7 days) or irregular menstrual cycles. 

Hypothyroidism

The thyroid gland isn’t something we normally think about when it comes to our menstrual flow- cuz what does a gland in your neck have to do with your ovaries and uterus? Interestingly, they have a very intricate relationship, sometimes called the OAT Axis (Ovary-Adrenal-Thyroid Axis). 

Having an underactive thyroid gland (either from hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis) can contribute to heavy menstrual flow, irregular periods and menstrual pain. Hypothyroidism can reduce clearance of estrogens (contributing to estrogen dominance). Thyroid imbalance may also cause a disturbance in LH or Luteinizing Hormone, which if chronically elevated, can delay periods. 

Inflammation and Prostaglandins

Both inflammation and prostaglandins are huge contributors to menstrual pain. Prostaglandin imbalance can also cause you to experience loose bowels or diarrhea around your period time. 

Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances that participate in a wide variety of functions in your body including muscle contraction and relaxation, modulating inflammation, regulating blood pressure, and dilating and constricting blood vessels.  Where they differ from actual hormones is that they are not produced in a gland and sent out into your body, rather your body makes them at the needed site. Pretty freaking cool- unless this turns into menstrual cramps. 

Prostaglandins are gut-muscle regulators and regulators of both ovulation and your menstrual cycle. This is where the connection begins. Having too many prostaglandins in production because of your internal inflammation brings extra bodies to the site- and may cause more pain than you’d like when Aunt Flo comes to visit. 

The prostaglandins seem to be involved whether or not you have a pre-existing digestive complaint like Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. An interesting thing to note is that the shits and tears you experience during your period may be connected  as well! 

7 Foods To Lighten Your Flow & Help With Pain

Food is always the best place to start when you’re trying to balance hormones. The trick to getting these foods to work for you is to use them regularly. For example, the ginger tea recipe I’ve included below can be used daily, and increased during your period. Same goes for the rest!

#1 Ginger 

Ginger is a fabulous medicinal herb that you might have kicking around your kitchen. I find that using fresh ginger is most effective in reducing pain and heavy flow, however dried ginger powder can be used in a pinch. And no- crystallized ginger does not count, its full of sugar!

Ginger has the follow properties that make it fabulous for cramps and heavy flow:

• Anti-inflammatory: reduces inflammation
• Anti-spasmodic: inhibits prostaglandins and relaxes muscle spasms/contractions
• Antiemetic: reduces nausea and vomiting, which for some women accompanies heavy flow and pain
• Digestive: stimulates digestive juices to bring up your nutrient status and strengthen your gut

HOW TO USE:

• As a daily tea, see recipe below
• Tincture, follow bottle directions
• In Cramp Tea
• Capsules, follow bottle directions (not the best option, in my opinion)

Ginger Tea

2016-12-05 11:25:35

Serves 1

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Ingredients

1. 2 cups filtered water
2. 1-2 tsp freshly grated ginger

Instructions

1. Boil water
2. Place freshly grated ginger in a mug
3. Pour boiling water over ginger
4. COVER and steep 10 minutes

Notes

1. You can make a large amount of this and store in the fridge to be re-heated (NOT in the microwave) for up to 4 days.

The Hormone Diva https://thehormonediva.com/

CONTRAINDICATIONS: In some, ginger may increase bleeding, and in others, may reduce it. Tread carefully when using ginger during your period in large amounts. Discontinue if bleeding increases. Theoretically  ginger may interfere with antacids, anticoagulant or anti-platelet drugs, and should not be used before, during or after surgery. 

#2 Avocado

One of my favourite foods to recommend for women with reproductive issues, avocados are incredibly nutritious. While I personally am still working on loving the taste, I still find ways to include them into my diet regularly to get all the benefits. Unless you have a serious allergy, there’s nothing wrong with having one whole avocado daily, if you wish.

Avocados have the following properties that make them great for cramping and heavy flow:

• Anti-inflammatory: High in monounsaturated fatty acids and a good source of Vitamin C
• Blood-sugar balancing: due to B vitamins, monounsaturated fats and minerals
• Cravings reduction: super nutrient dense and high in fat to reduce feelings of hunger and give the body what it needs to reduce cravings
• Hormone-balancing: high in vitamins B5 and B6- both necessary for proper adrenal function and production of the anti-inflammatory sex hormone, progesterone

HOW TO USE:

• Eat it with a spoon, straight out of the skin
• Make some Chocolate Pudding
• Throw it in a smoothie in place of a banana for a creamy texture, and lower sugar
• Slice it and add to sandwiches and salads
• Mash it up, add some lime and salsa for a quick guacamole
• Roast it with some veggies and blend into a creamy soup (a personal fav)
• Mash it up and combine with cooked chicken or fish and seasonings of choice for a quick chicken (or salmon/tuna) salad instead of mayo

#3 Flaxseed

Depending on the source, some may say that flaxseeds are great for pain, heavy flow and estrogen dominant conditions, and others say the opposite. At this point, unless the woman has a history of estrogen-dependent cancer, I haven’t seen any adverse effects from using flaxseeds.

Flaxseeds are what’s known as a phyto-estrogen, or a plant-based estrogen that has a weaker effect than the estrogen our body makes. This is beneficial for us because these phyto-estrogens will bind to estrogen receptors with a weaker effect, reducing estrogen dominance. Flaxseeds also contain lignans, the compound with the phyto-estrogenic effect, also has anti-inflammatory benefits. Flax is also very high in omega-3 fatty acids, those fats which are most beneficial for menstrual pain, but are often lacking in our diet, which tends to have too much omega-6. 

Flaxseeds shouldn’t be eaten whole- they are so small, your body isn’t going to break them down well, and it’s what inside that will give the hormonal benefits. Typical amount is 1-2 tbsp daily. Flax should also NEVER be heated, as you’ll damage the omega-3 fats. Store in the fridge or freezer. 

HOW TO USE:

• Seed cycling: great for regulating menstrual cycles, readjusting estrogen/progesterone balance
• Sprinkle on salads, yogurt or chia pudding
• Mix into a smoothie
• Use in raw energy ball recipes

#4 Sesame Seed

Another nutrient-packed seed, sesame seeds should be in every Hormone Diva’s repertoire. Sesame seeds can be used for the second phase of seed-cycling, if you wish. Like flaxseeds, a good daily amount is 1-2 tbsp. Again, you can store in the fridge or freezer for a longer shelf life. 

Here’s a few reasons why sesame seeds could help reduce pain or flow:

• Calcium + Magnesium: these two minerals help regulate muscle contraction/relaxation in the body. Having enough of both can reduce menstrual pain
• Phyto-progesterone: plant-based progesterone to help increase progesterone in the body, regulate estrogen/progesterone ratio
• Iron: low levels of this mineral can contribute to heavy menstrual flow, which ironically depletes your iron stores even more
• Fiber: fiber helps to bind to estrogens (and toxins and other items) to be released from your body via your bowel movements

HOW TO USE:

• Seed cycling: great for regulating menstrual cycles, readjusting estrogen/progesterone balance
• Sprinkle on salads, yogurt or chia pudding
• Mix into a smoothie
• Use in raw energy ball recipes
• Sprinkle on Asian dishes like stir-fries
• Use tahini (sesame seed paste) instead of peanut butter
• Use tahini to make hummus and dip some veggies

#5 Raspberries 

One of the best fruits for women trying to get healthy, raspberries could lighten your flow and help with pain if used correctly. If you want to use this food therapeutically, I would recommend consuming about 1/2 cup daily, fresh or frozen. Sorry- raspberry jam doesn’t count! Reduce your toxic exposure and focus on getting organic raspberries only. 

Here’s a few good reasons to get more raspberries:

• Low-sugar: with only 5.4g sugar in a cup of raspberries, they’re one of the lowest sugar fruits
• Vitamin C: a perfect nutrient, especially helpful for detoxification, reducing inflammation and potentially helping with endometriosis
• High-fiber: with 8g fibre per cup, these berries can help get your bowels moving so you can get rid of excess estrogens
• Anti-cancer: the ellagic acid in raspberries makes them potential cancer fighters
• Liver detox: the ellagic acid can also increase glucuronidation (part of Phase II liver detox) by up to 75%!

HOW TO USE:

Mix into smoothies

• Eat raw, straight from the package
• Throw onto salads or yogurt
• Make a Raspberry Chia Pudding (see recipe below)
• Put raspberries and a dash of water into a pot and cook until mushy, use as a sugar-free fruit spread on grain-free pancakes, waffles, etc
• Make some gran-free, low-sugar raspberry muffins

Raspberry Chia Pudding

2016-12-05 11:31:14

Serves 3

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Ingredients

1. 1 cup non-dairy milk
2. 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
3. 1 cup raspberries
4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
5. 1/2 tsp ground ginger powder
6. 1/3 cup chia seeds
7. OPTIONAL: 1-2 tbsp seed cycling seeds per serving (i.e.: flax, sesame, etc)
8. OPTIONAL: a few drops liquid stevia

Instructions

1. In a blender, combine everything from non-dairy milk to ginger powder. Blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can mash the raspberries and whisk into the other ingredients. After blending, whisk in the chia seeds and seed cycling seeds if using. Let set in the fridge at least one hour, but preferably overnight. Add more liquid as necessary before eating to get your desired consistency (very thick vs thinner pudding).

The Hormone Diva https://thehormonediva.com/

#6 Wild-Caught Salmon

Second to last on the list but no less important, the use of wild-caught salmon could be very beneficial for your pain and flow. It’s important to get wild-caught salmon whenever possible, as much of the salmon you get is farmed, and they often inject dyes to make it look pink. The farmed fish are often so malnourished that their flesh is nearly white, not pink. Wild-caught salmon on the other hand has eaten a traditional diet (versus some GMO fish food) and hasn’t been subjected to overcrowding, antibiotics or similar nasties. Aim for a couple salmon servings weekly when you can. I provide several salmon recipes in my 21-Day Happy Hormones Diet program because I believe it’s so amazing. 

Here’s why you need this fish:

• Omega-3s: again we’re talking about these anti-inflammatory, blood sugar and hormone-balancing fats. Salmon is one of the highest sources of omegas you can get.
• Protein: having good amount of protein in the diet will help to produce hormones, give you energy, and balance blood sugar
• Selenium: this mineral is used in droves for thyroid health
• Vitamin D + B Vitamins: help with proper hormone balance, reduction of prostaglandins, mood balance and more

HOW TO USE:

• Use canned salmon to make salmon cakes
• Mix cooked salmon with seasonings, chopped veg and mashed avocado for a salmon salad
• Bake with butter, lemon juice and a sprig of thyme
• Throw it on the grill with a sugar-free marinade
• Make a soup with 1 cup bone broth, 1 tbsp organic, non-GMO miso paste, salmon pieces and green onions

#7 Spinach

Lastly, we have spinach. Spinach is really a wonder-green. Green leafy veg like spinach are an indispensable part of a Hormone Diva’s diet. Spinach in this sense can be swapped out for any other leafy green like kale, collards or swiss chard. ALWAYS choose organic, as leafy greens are heavily sprayed. 

Here’s the goodies:

• Iron: low levels of this mineral can contribute to heavy menstrual flow, which ironically depletes your iron stores even more
• Vitamin C: a perfect nutrient, especially helpful for detoxification, reducing inflammation and potentially helping with endometriosis
• Vitamin A + K: Both of these nutrients are needed to regulate bleeding, in fact, many women with heavy menstrual flow are deficient in Vitamin A
• High-fiber: get your bowels moving so you can get rid of excess estrogens

HOW TO USE:

• Use raw as a base for salads
• Add a handful to smoothies
• Saute in butter or coconut oil just until wilted for a side dish
• Chop and add to soups and stews
• Add to sandwiches and wraps instead of nutrient-poor iceberg lettuce