This seed-flour loaf is full of protein and fibre, the ideal combo for keeping you feeling full, and it won't raise your blood sugars like wheat bread will.
Serve toasted with a slather of butter or slice up and freeze for handy low-carb bread when you need a quick scrambled eggs or mashed avo on toast!
4) Create an eating window
It's not just what you eat, it's when. The recommendation is to have an eating window that ends around 6pm, so that there's a gap of a few hours before you go to bed. When your blood sugars go up at night, your kidneys have to kick in to try and remove this excess blood sugar, which then means you're up in the night urinating. During your eating window, become aware of your carbohydrate intake and up your protein content - this will make you feel fuller, making you less likely to snack.
(Source: Pauline Cox - Hungry Woman )
5 Ways women can eat their way to healthy hormones
Ingredients:
150g golden linseeds (or flaxseeds)
150g sunflower seeds
1 heaped tsp gluten-free baking powder
1 tsp salt
5 eggs, beaten
1 good capful of apple cider vinegar
40g coconut oil, melted
2) Add fermented foods
To deliver beneficial bacteria to your gut, try including fermented foods like pickled vegetables, kefir, kombucha or natural yoghurt as part of your daily diet. Our gut diversity declines as we age and microbiome diversity has been linked with longevity and good health, just a tablespoon of sauerkraut a day can make a difference.
1) Look after your liver
"Oestrogen is a driving -growth hormone'. Progesterone keeps it in check. When we lose progesterone, oestrogen gets out of control. That's why it is important that our bodies are able to clear oestrogen efficiently through the liver, gut and bowels. How much oestrogen we clear can be influenced by what we eat. A sluggish liver; arising from a high sugar diet (resulting in fatty liver), alcohol and high toxin exposure and poor nutrient intake can result in hormonal imbalances. Used oestrogen cannot be adequately detoxified, leading to higher levels of circulating oestrogen. Cruciferous vegetable (broccoli, cauliflower...) and supplements such as milk thistle can help to support the liver.
5) Monitor your magnesium
Most women are sub-clinically deficient in magnesium, which can cause insomnia, the risk increases with age.
As we get to 40, we absorb less magnesium than we do in our 20's. Diet also plays a role; If we have high blood sugars and levels of inflammation when we're stressed, we lose magnesium. A recommended supplement is magnesium glycinate. Take it before bed to increase your chance of getting a good night's sleep. The glycine part helps to reduce your core body temperature, which is what the body wants when going to bed.
3) Avoid ultra-processed foods
There's been a lot of talk recently about how detrimental ultra-processed foods are, and that includes the effect on hormone levels. When we are eating high sugar, processed foods, our inflammatory levels go up and our cortisol level goes up, which robs us of progesterone.
Low-carb loaf recipe
Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 170 fan. Line a 450g loaf tin with parchment paper.
2) Grind up the linseeds/flaxseeds in a blender or food processor, then tip into a large mixing bowl. Do the same with the sunflower seeds.
3) Add the baking powder and salt to the mixing bowl and combine well.
4) Add the beaten eggs, apple cider vinegar and melted oil and mix. The batter will become quite thick and sticky.
5) Transfer the mix into the lined tin and bake for 30-35 minutes.
6) Remove and allow to cool.