EATING FOR BETTER HORMONE HEALTH

Ann Marie McQueen, health and wellness journalist and founder of Hotflash inc, explores the complex relationship between diet, hormones and health, highlighting key insights from experts in the field.

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No matter our age, every single bite we eat has an impact on our hormones. The job of figuring out how to eat for our body’s systems and our cellular health is a big responsibility and a lifelong journey. Happily, these efforts are rewarded with us feeling better and living a longer, healthier life, making it very worthwhile.

INSULIN RESISTANCE

Something everyone has to watch out for these days, no matter where their reproductive journey is at, is insulin resistance. This happens when cells in our body become less sensitive to insulin, meaning they have to take up more glucose from the blood, prompting the pancreas to make more insulin. This is not a good loop and serves as a warning signal, because it is a precursor to prediabetes, diabetes and indeed many diseases.

CAUSES

There are a number of causes of insulin resistance, including a diet high in processed foods, such as vegetable oils and sugary foods. Lack of sleep and a sedentary lifestyle also contribute, as do genetics and a range of other factors. When it comes to perimenopause, as Lara Briden, the New Zealand-based naturopathic doctor and author of ‘Hormone Repair Manual’ writes, women are particularly vulnerable because at this stage, their progesterone starts to fall and their oestrogen starts to rise and fall - and both are responsible directly or indirectly in regulating how insulin works in our bodies. There are also links between insulin resistance in women who have PCOS and those on hormonal birth control, so if either are things you are dealing with, it’s best to be extra vigilant.