Balancing Hormones

One of the most common causes of skin problems, low mood, sleep issues and lack of energy is a hormone imbalance. This doesn't necessarily have to be an imbalance that requires medication or causes serious health problems, but you might be surprised how much a few tweaks to your diet can alter and re-balance your hormones and improve chronic issues.

Most women suffer from some symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) at some point in their life and many suffer throughout their entire adult life. However making sure that you aren't deficient in certain nutrients and minerals and altering your eating habits around the time that you're most affected (for some this is the week leading up to their period, for others it's the first few days of their period only) can go a long way to reducing symptoms and improving the way you feel.

PMS can impact every system within the body including the immune, digestive, endocrine (hormone), circulatory, skin and nervous systems. Common symptoms include anxiety, mood swings, irritability, sugar cravings, headaches, fatigue, bloating and water retention. Factors such as stress, an unhealthy diet, smoking, drinking alcohol and consuming stimulants such as caffeine can have a major impact on your hormones so it is important that you look after your body and are mindful of what you eat in order to reduce the severity of these symptoms.

Whether you suffer from PMS or you just suspect that your hormones may be off-kilter, these tips should help to improve the way you feel.


Stabilise Blood Sugar Levels

Cherries: The perfect low GI sweet treat.

• Reduce refined and processed foods such as ready meals, takeaways, white bread, white pasta, pastries, biscuits, cake and chocolate.
• If you crave sugar, opt for bright berries and cherries - they're packed with vitamin C, antioxidants and an abundance of other essential nutrients, but they are low GI, meaning their sugars are released more slowly than those in other fruits (and much more slowly than those refined foods), so you'll still get the sweetness without the spike and dip in energy.
• Reduce caffeine, alcohol and stimulant drinks such as Red Bull.
• Reduce salt intake.
• Increase complex carbohydrates such as wholemeal bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice and oats.
• Increase fibre by eating plenty of vegetables and fruits with their skins on as well as eating plenty of wholegrains (in complex carbohydrates).
• Eat regularly, every three to four hours, and don't skip meals or ignore hunger.
• Make sure you're getting enough essential fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6) from eggs, walnuts, seed oils, oily fish and flax/linseeds.

Watercress: Rich in calcium.

Increase These Nutrients

Calcium

• Milk, 
• Cheddar cheese
• Plain, fat-free yoghurt
• Cottage cheese
• Broccoli
• Almonds
• Celery (especially the leaves)
• Watercress

Zinc

• Lentils
• Raw, unsalted nuts (Brazils, almonds, cashews etc.)
• Red meat (in moderation)
• Shellfish
• Eggs

Bananas: Full of energy boosting B vitamins.

Vitamin B6

• Onions
• Watercress
• Cabbage
• Bananas

Vitamin B12

• Oily fish
• Liver
• Tofu
• Fortified cereals
• Milk, cheese and eggs

Nuts: Packed with zinc, calcium and magnesium.

Magnesium

• Cod
• Cannellini beans
• Salmon
• Brazil nuts
• Mackerel
• Cashew nuts

For Period Pain

Mint: A natural digestive healer and great for reducing period pain.

• Tarragon and mint are powerful anti-spasmodics, meaning they're great for overcoming cramps. Use the fresh herbs in food or drink mint tea. 
• Eat foods rich in calcium
• Drink plenty of water
• Avoid dairy (so get your calcium from nuts and green veggies)
• Avoid alcohol 

The Benefits of Calcium

We all know that calcium is important for strong bones, but its uses and importance goes much further than this. Calcium is a micro-mineral, or trace element, essential for repairing bones and teeth, giving them strength and rigidity. This is a continual process, although the rebuilding of teeth is a much slower one.


What Does Calcium Do?

Calcium travels through the blood, stopping at sites where blood clotting and muscle contraction needs to take place as well as at nerves where impulses are transmitting. Without this micro-mineral our blood would not clot, our muscles would not contract efficiently and ineffective nerve functioning would mean our body just wouldn't function properly, cells wouldn't be able to communicate and pain perception would be altered.


What Are The Benefits of Calcium?

• It is vital for people suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD)
• CKD causes an imbalance of calcium and phosphorus, causing bones to lose calcium and weaken.
• CKD can result in calcium travelling to areas of the body where it is not required causing stiffening and narrowing of the blood vessels which may lead to a heart attack or stroke.

• It prevents cancer
• When calcium is present in the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin), we are able to tan which is a protective mechanism against the sun's harmful UV rays, reducing the chances of developing skin cancer.
• Calcium in the skin also contains antioxidants which fight precancerous cells. 

• It helps to control the body's acid/alkaline (pH) balance
• Especially when supplemented in calcium citrate form (because it is more easily assimilated).
• An imbalanced pH can cause an array of problems including heart damage, weight gain, bladder conditions, kidney stones, immune deficiency, premature ageing...and many more.

• It improves your skin
• Most calcium in the skin is found in the outermost layer (the epidermis); it regulates the rate at which new skin cells are produced and old ones are removed, resulting in fresh, dewy, youthful looking skin.
• Calcium also produces a sebum which allows the skin to retain its moisture, preventing irritation and eczema.
• A lack of calcium will result in thin, dry, papery skin.

• It reduces muscle cramps 
• It's an ideal supplement for those who suffer with premenstrual cramps or cramps during exercising.
• If you are deficient in calcium and therefore suffering from muscle cramps, your bones will start to leak calcium to make up for that which is lacking in the muscles. This will lead to weak and fragile bones and increased risk of fractures and osteoporosis.