Eating to Banish PMS
A whopping 20-40% of ALL women and girls have several symptoms of PMS that severely affect their lives. 1. Having a healthy menstrual cycle is important for feeling your best. As women, our hormones (estrogen and progesterone) are cycling throughout the month and a proper balance is so important for a healthy body and mind. Diet can play a big role in how our bodies produce and process hormones. Good nourishing foods are the base of all our body systems.
Some of the most important nutrients to consume for good hormones are fats and proteins.
The fats you eat are broken down into fatty acids and are the building blocks of all cells in our bodies. These help create healthy hormones.
Think about it… are you getting enough healthy fats throughout the day? A good rule of thumb is actually using your thumb to measure the amount of fat at each meal. For instance, a thumb length of almond butter is a serving or using a tablespoon of coconut oil for cooking vegetables is about equal to a thumb. Try to be cognizant of how much fats you are eating each day and add in more if you need it. Having 1 serving at each meal is a good place to start.
Protein is another macro-nutrient which is important for healthy hormones. Protein foods come from animals and plants. When you eat a food that is mostly protein, the protein is broken down into amino acids. Some of these amino acids are essential (we must get them from food) and non-essential (our bodies can make them.)
Amino acids are also building blocks of healthy hormones. It is important to eat foods from animals and plants to get a well rounded amount of protein. A good amount of protein in a meal is equal to the palm of your hand. About 3-4 ounces of fish, chicken or steak is equal to the size of your palm. Shoot for getting a serving at each meal.
Once you get in the habit of eating 3 servings of both fat and protein throughout the day, you will feel more balanced each month. For more tips and tricks, I have a FREE workshop on Eating for a Healthy Cycle coming up soon! Register today and get more freebies!
Premenstrual Syndrome: An Overview. Informedhealth.org. accessed August 14, 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279265/