The Happy Hormone Guide Page 7
KEEP YOUR PANTRY AND FREEZER STOCKED
Having a well-stocked pantry and freezer allows for quick and easy meals. In the pantry, I love to stay stocked up on assorted beans, lentils, brown rice, quinoa, crushed tomatoes, veggie broth, canned coconut milk, dried herbs and spices, nutritional yeast, nuts and seeds, vegan protein powder, almond flour, dates, and vegan chocolate chips. In the freezer, I make sure to have shelled edamame, ready-to-steam jasmine rice, riced cauliflower, riced broccoli, riced carrots, mixed veggies for stir fry, fruit for smoothies, and sprouted or gluten-free bread.
COOKING OILS
Every oil has a smoke point, which is the maximum temperature it can be heated while cooking before it starts to smoke. If oil begins smoking, the nutritious minerals in the oil have broken down and began to oxidize, creating carcinogens and free radicals that are toxic when consumed. At this point, the oil will also produce a chemical called acrolein which makes burnt food taste bitter and smell unpleasant. An oil’s smoke point temperature is highly affected by its fatty acid profile, meaning its ratio of saturated fat to monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, and how refined it is.
Avoid refined and processed vegetable oils like:
□Canola oil
□Corn oil
□Soybean oil
□Sunflower oil
□Cottonseed oil
□Sesame oil
□Safflower oil
Cook and bake with high-heat oils like:
□Coconut oil (for baking)
□Avocado oil (for frying and grilling)
□Grapeseed, avocado or coconut oil (for lightly sautèing)
For dipping and sauce, use a low-temperature oil that has a great flavor like:
□Extra-virgin olive oil
□Flaxseed oil
□Walnut oil
SOAKING NUTS AND SEEDS
Nuts and seeds add a variety of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals to a plant-based diet, but sometimes eating them raw can be hard on your digestion. By soaking your raw nuts and seeds before eating, you can enhance their nutritional profile and digestibility. Soak them in a bowl or mason jar with filtered water for 7-8 hours. This activates and releases their enzyme inhibitors and phytates, which makes them easier to absorb and digest. Be sure to drain, rinse, and then dry them completely afterward, so they don’t turn moldy. You’ll notice how they plump up after being soaked. Soak, drain, rinse, dry, and eat. You can also store them in the refrigerator to maintain freshness and prevent them from going rancid.
SEED CYCLING
Seed cycling refers to a naturopathic method of rotating different seeds throughout different times of your menstrual cycle. Doing this can support hormone balance which, in turn, may alleviate those pesky PMS symptoms like acne, amenorrhea, heavy bleeding, fatigue, infertility, insomnia, and others. Different seeds provide various oils, vitamins, and minerals that can help stimulate production, detoxification, and metabolism of estrogen and progesterone. The alternating seeds include flax, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds.
□Ground flaxseeds are more easily absorbed than whole flaxseeds, so you should always grind them (otherwise you’ll poop them out whole).
Note: If you are grinding flax seeds, do not soak them first because they’ll turn into a wet mess.
□Pumpkin, sesame, or sunflower seeds can be eaten raw, raw and soaked, or raw and ground.
□Nuts and seeds can go rancid if not stored properly, so it’s best to refrigerate them in glass jars to keep them fresh.
HOW TO SEED CYCLE
In Part 2, each phase incorporates seed cycling, so no need to memorize the following information, but I wanted to provide a basic overview of how and why it works. I’ve been following the seed cycling method for a while and think it’s a wonderful place to start eating for your cycle because it’s effective and easy to incorporate.
Seed cycling divides into two rotations. Even if your cycle is irregular and does not fall within the average 28 to 30-day range, I recommend working off of the days in a normal menstrual cycle because this will gently encourage your cycle to balance itself out.
□The first rotation combines your menstrual and follicular phases (days 1-14), to support rising estrogen levels with flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds. Here’s how they work:
□Flax seeds are high in phytoestrogens that promote estrogen production as well as lignans that help detoxify excess estrogens and fiber to eliminate them. Together, they work to harmonize optimal estrogen ratios.
□Flax seeds and pumpkin seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that fight inflammation and work to regulate FSH levels for ovulation support, not to mention their amazing benefits for healthy skin, hair, and nails.
□Pumpkin seeds (or pepitas) are high in zinc, which helps prime and support the production of adequate progesterone in the next phase (the luteal phase).
Add flaxseeds to smoothies, chia pudding, energy balls, oatmeal or baked goods. Add pumpkin seeds to salads, yogurt bowls, or homemade trail mix.
The second rotation combines your ovulatory and luteal phases (days 15-28) to support progesterone levels with sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. Here’s how they work:
□Sesame seeds are high in lignans, which help harmonize and modulate estrogen levels. They’re also rich in magnesium and calcium to ease PMS cramps and provide an immunity boost.
□Both sesame seeds and sunflower seeds are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which help reduce PMS-related inflammation while also supporting progesterone levels.
□Sunflower seeds are rich in selenium, which is essential for liver function, to ensure proper detoxification and elimination of excess hormones and magnesium.
Add sesame and sunflower seeds to salads, soups, stir-fries, sauces, baked goods, or energy balls.
Seed cycling is a simple, natural, and inexpensive way to support fluctuating hormones.
See my Seed Cycling Snack Balls recipe.
Finding Your Happy Weight
This isn’t a weight loss book, but weight may be correlated with hormone balance. Sometimes, gaining a little weight may be beneficial for your body to achieve healthy hormone function. The same goes for losing weight. As women, we have to find, accept and embrace our happy weight, whatever it may be, instead of going against where our body wants to be. Our culture is changing and what matters more than the number on the scale is our health and our natural shape. Otherwise, we are constantly swimming upstream and getting nowhere in terms of our physical, mental, or emotional health.
The Happy Hormone Guide will help you find your happy weight, whether your body wants to gain or lose, to find its sweet spot. Through intuitive eating, following hunger cues, giving your body nourishment it wants and needs throughout the month and doing the corresponding workouts, your weight will work itself out over time. The numbers should not be a focal point when it comes to balancing hormones. When you honor your body with the lifestyle action steps in chapter 6 and follow the Happy Hormone Method throughout your cycle, things will fall into place naturally.
IN A PERFECT WORLD, WE COULD GET EVERYTHING WE NEED from food alone. But nowadays, the soil that grows our food is often depleted of nutrients due to modern farming practices. I’m not going to pretend that every vegan is healthy and gets what they need from food alone. Because there is not much we can do about our food system in the U.S. (except to buy more organic produce), we should focus on getting the nutrients we need to be able to maintain our vegan or plant-based lifestyles. Some people have a harder time absorbing nutrients, and supplementation can help fill in the gaps. Supplementing also becomes highly beneficial in times of stress, when vitamins and minerals quickly deplete.
Supplementation and healing herbs will only work alongside a nourishing, plant-forward diet and healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, high-quality sleep, and healthy stress management.
Before starting a new supplement or herb protocol, I urge you to get hormone and nutrient level testing done (refer to the Hormone Testing section), so you are not guessing or wasting money on herbs or supplements. Always talk to your doctor or naturopath before starting new supplementation.
THE PLANT-BASED ESSENTIALS
As much as people don’t want to hear it, there are certain vitamins and minerals to be aware of when you stop eating animal foods to avoid the risk of deficiencies. Even if you eat a clean, healthy, whole food diet, it’s unlikely that you are consuming enough of every vitamin and mineral from food alone (this can be true for meat eaters, as well). The Happy Hormone Method encourages variety, which will help increase your intake of these vital nutrients from food sources as well as supplementation to fill in the gaps.
An excellent way to measure your current nutrient intake from food is to enter everything you eat every day for a week, into an app like Cronometer that calculates whether or not you are meeting the daily requirements. This will give you a good idea of where you may be lacking and can act as a starting point for creating a supplement protocol (in addition to working with your doctor or naturopath). It is recommended to try a new protocol for three months before stopping or giving up, because it takes 100 days for new follicles to develop, and for you to begin noticing improvements. Also, wait three months before incorporating new herb or supplement protocols.
Each time you get your hormone and nutrient levels tested is a great time to reassess your supplement protocol and make adjustments as necessary.
Figuring out the supplements to incorporate will depend on your genetics, current hormone and nutrient levels, the variety of foods in your diet, how well you absorb nutrients, current stress levels, and gut health. I do not know where you stand, but the following includes essential vitamins and minerals that are crucial for hormone balance in women (ages 18-65) and is sourced from the USDA and veganhealth.org. These will support estrogen and progesterone production and can significantly improve your period and hormone health while reducing PMS symptoms and promoting overall health.
Note: Multi-vitamins usually contain more of what we don’t need and less of what we do need. For instance, I highly doubt your multi-vitamin has magnesium glycinate, iodine, and selenium, let alone in the right amounts—all of which are essential for hormone balance. I prefer to get most of the nutrients that are in multi-vitamins (like vitamins A and C and calcium) from food sources, and then supplement with the following essentials separately, or as needed.
B VITAMINS
B vitamins are essential to help the liver eliminate excess estrogen each month, which will help reduce PMS symptoms. Vitamin B6 in particular, helps synthesize progesterone, makes red blood cells, reduces inflammation, reduces bloat, and reduces overproduction of sebum (which will help those with acne and oily skin). Vitamin B12 is a non-negotiable for vegans because the amount of B12 found in plant-based foods is not enough to meet your body’s needs. Because our livers become depleted of B vitamins so quickly, it’s important to adequately replenish our supply since they provide the energy our cells need for fuel. I prefer a B-complex that contains all of the activated B vitamins, like the Country Life Coenzyme B-Complex Caps or B-Right from Jarrow Formulas. I also love the highly absorbable VeganSafe B-12 Bioactive drops for extra energy, especially in my luteal phase.
Here are the daily recommendations (sourced from the USDA and veganhealth.org) for each B vitamin (for some, the amounts will be higher in a supplement form, for higher absorption rates):
VITAMIN B1 (THIAMINE)
1.5 mg
VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN)
1.7 mg
VITAMIN B3 (NIACIN)
20 mg
VITAMIN B5 (PANTOTHENIC ACID)
10 mg
VITAMIN B6 (PYRIDOXINE)
2 mg
VITAMIN B7 (BIOTIN)
300 mcg
VITAMIN B9 (FOLATE)
400 mcg
VITAMIN B12 (METHYLCOBALAMIN)
1500 mcg
Note: If you think vitamin B12 makes your skin break out, it could be the methylcobalamin form. Try the cyanocobalamin form which is the synthetic version but is less likely to make you break out (2.4 mcg daily).
MAGNESIUM CHELATE (MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE)
Magnesium is an essential mineral needed for 300+ chemical reactions in the body, and most women (and men) are deficient because day-to-day stress uses up magnesium stores like crazy. It’s a front-line treatment for almost every period symptom and hormonal problem under the sun including PMS, PCOS, thyroid conditions, perimenopause, HPA Axis Dysregulation, anxiety, insomnia, and high cortisol. Magnesium works together with vitamin B6 to manufacture progesterone. It reduces inflammation and calms the nervous system which is why you almost instantly feel relaxed and calm after taking it.
Food sources of magnesium are usually not enough to meet daily levels because we deplete them so quickly. Magnesium chelate (or magnesium glycinate) is the best and most absorbable form to restore magnesium levels. Magnesium Citrate (which is what the CALM magnesium tea is formulated from), is more for digestion-related issues like constipation or bloating and can cause an upset stomach, so keep that in mind. Also, there is no way to test magnesium levels, but the general recommendation is that if you are a human living in today’s busy world, you need more magnesium. I take Magnesium Glycinate before bed because it puts me right to sleep. The recommended daily amount is 400 mg. I like Solgar Chelated Magnesium or Viva Naturals Magnesium Biglycinate.
VITAMIN D
You can obtain vitamin D through non-dairy milk and direct sunlight exposure (without sunscreen) to enhance your body’s natural vitamin D production, but if you live in a cold climate or have fair skin, it can be difficult to source enough of this nutrient through food alone. Vegans can have an especially hard time, which is why I highly recommend supplementing vitamin D. If you have inflammation or a magnesium deficiency, vitamin D production is inhibited which is problematic because both are essential for hormone function. You also need vitamin D for calcium absorption and healthy bones. Be sure to look for a supplement that’s labeled vegan, as many D3 supplements are animal-derived. The recommended daily amount is 2,000 IU. I like the Suntrex D3 drops from Global Healing Center or Country Life Vegan D3 supplements.
ZINC
Zinc is an essential mineral that our bodies cannot store, so it’s important to eat foods high in zinc or take a zinc supplement. Zinc is crucial for estrogen production and healthy maturation of follicles. Healthy follicles promote ovulation. Ovulation helps make progesterone in your luteal phase, and adequate levels of progesterone help regulate your cycle overall while reducing PMS symptoms. Zinc is wonderful for your skin because it’s anti-inflammatory, helps maintain collagen and healthy connective tissue, and clears up acne, not to mention its immunity-boosting effects. When I start to feel sick, I will double my daily dose of zinc to boost immune function. I like the Solgar Zinc Citrate or Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Zinc. The recommended daily amount is 25 mg of zinc citrate.
IODINE AND SELENIUM
Iodine is an essential mineral that’s crucial for thyroid hormone production, immunity, and brain function. It also plays a significant role in breast and ovary health, as it protects you from estrogen overload by down-regulating estrogen receptors. Iodine has been shown to significantly reduce fibrocystic breast changes and decrease the risk of breast cancer. Iodine is also a tre
atment for breast tenderness, breast cysts, ovarian cysts, heavy periods, fluid retention, and ovulation pain. It’s important to pair iodine with selenium, as it protects your thyroid from over-stimulation and damage.
Note: If you have a thyroid condition, do your research and speak to your doctor about iodine supplementation.
I recommend liquid iodine in the form of potassium iodide drops or Nascent Iodine drops. I like the Detoxadine drops from Global Healing Center or the drops from Benevolent Nourishment (or any potassium iodide drops from your local health food store). The daily recommended amount is 150 mcg.
Pair it with selenium, which is also an essential mineral, in the form of 1–2 raw brazil nuts per day (one brazil nut contains roughly 90 mcg of selenium). The daily recommended amount of selenium is 70 mcg.
Note: You can also get iodine through sprinkling kelp granules (I like the Sea Seasoning brand) on your food.
IRON
Iron is an essential mineral. We need iron to make healthy oxygen-carrying red blood cells, transport oxygen from the lungs to organs and tissues throughout the body, to support thyroid hormones and for reproduction. I try to consume as much iron as possible from food sources, but I still take an iron supplement for overall health and well-being, especially since I’m vegan. If you feel fatigued or have difficulty focusing, shortness of breath, pale skin, difficulty staying warm, lack of endurance, muscle weakness, prolonged soreness, heart palpitations, brittle or ridged nails, or if you get sick often, you may be low in iron. Talk to your doctor if you think you may have an iron deficiency because it’s important to get your levels checked.