Eating Your Way to Hormone Balance

Women’s health expert Christiane Northrup, MD, recommends a hormone-balancing diet that includes lean protein at every meal and limiting grains—even whole grains—if you’re dealing with a gluten sensitivity.

High-glycemic foods can trigger hormonal spikes, so Dr. Northrup advocates eating smaller portions of foods like basmati rice, kidney beans, potatoes, and bananas.

Instead, she recommends low-glycemic options such as chickpeas, black beans, leafy vegetables, wild rice, and pears. (Obviously, anyone with a gluten sensitivity should avoid gluten or limit it to tolerable amounts.)

Dr. Northrup also offers these tips:

  • Eat at least three meals a day—never skip breakfast or lunch to “save” calories for dinner.
  • Eat a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables every day—the more colorful the better.
  • Eat healthy fats daily, such as eggs, flaxseeds, soybeans, walnuts, and wild, coldwater fish.

 

Click to See Our Sources

“Nutrition: Hormone-Balancing Food Plan” by Christiane Northrup, MD, www.drnorthrup.com, 8/21/09
Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom by Christiane Northup, MD ($20, Bantam Books, 2010)

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Sandra Neil Wallace

Sandra Neil Wallace is an author and advocate for change. Known for her investigative journalism and original narrative style, her books for young readers focus on people who break barriers and change the world. Learn more at sandraneilwallace.com. She lives in New Hampshire and Maine with her husband, author Rich Wallace.