How to Build a Hormone-Balancing Meal

By Melanie Reidl, Naturopathic Doctor

Many of my patients struggle to know how to eat in order to support their hormones and metabolism. The food you eat consistently truly impacts whatever hormone-related health issue you are experiencing, from fertility challenges to perimenopausal concerns, fatigue to weight management. 
Here are the steps to building a simple hormone- and blood sugar-balancing meal:

1. Non-Starchy Veggies / Greens  – Load up your bowl/plate with a combination of any type of non-starchy vegetables (bonus points for the dark leafies like kale!) Cruciferous vegetables contain powerful hormone detoxifying ingredients, and leafy greens provide my favourite mineral, magnesium, amongst many other vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and insoluble fibre!

2. Protein – Add a ‘hand-sized’ serving of high-quality protein (ie leftover chicken, fish, and/or hard boiled eggs) to stabilize blood sugar & insulin and regulate hunger.

3. Complex Carb / Fibre – Add approximately a ‘fist sized’ serving of quinoa, root vegetable, or beans/legumes to pump up the fibre content to keep you satiated, provide a steady stream of energy for the day, and to feed your microbiome.

4. Healthy Fats – Add a homemade olive oil based salad dressing for a dose of good mono-unsaturated fats, and if you wish, add some slices of avocado or raw nuts or seeds as well. Healthy fats help to regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and regulate hunger.

Pro Tip 1: Prepare a larger batch of protein in advance (ie Triple the amount of protein you prepare at Sunday dinner) to ensure that protein is always available when meal time rolls around! 

Pro Tip 2: Make sure that you keep your fridge + pantry stocked with healthy essentials (ie a variety of fresh or frozen veggies, eggs, canned chickpeas, extra virgin olive oil) 

Now you know the basic steps to creating an easy, hormone-balancing meal that creates a strong foundation for the treatment of most of the women’s hormone health conditions that I see. Bon Appetit!