Foods affecting your relationships?
Foods affecting your relationships?
By Julie Daniluk RHN
We have all heard that a romantic meal sets the tone for a hot date but what if the menu had the power to make or break the mood? The latest research shows that what we eat affects our sex hormones. Hormones are tiny messengers in our body that influence everything we feel and do. Have you ever blamed your bad day on your hormones? Men often hear their partner’s say: “It’s not my fault, my PMS made me do it.” It feels sometimes like the hormones are in control. It is like your glands are throwing a mutiny and it is time that the captain takes back the ship!
How you may ask? By giving your body the right building blocks to feel balanced. In our modern world, there is a big disconnect between the foods we eat and how they can affect our hormones. For example, if you eat food that disagrees with your stomach, you are likely to feel pain or bloating. The food-hormone connection is subtler, since eating a sugar and fat-rich donut may contribute to the PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) you experience two weeks later. The lag time makes it difficult to make a direct correlation. The swings in mood can put a huge dent in the trust that women and men have in relationships. In John Gray’s Book, “Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice”, he explains that the food-hormone connection is now scientifically proven. This book gives couples so much hope because it reminds us that we can choose our destiny with our next meal!
Why are hormones so complicated?
Hormones are like women at a party – they like to do everything (including washroom visits) together. If one of the hormones is upset, then the rest of the hormones start to tip like a line of dominos. For example, when you eat too much sugar, your pancreas releases a large quantity of insulin to deal with it. If the insulin overworks, it begins to influence the thyroid, the adrenals and the ovaries until all of a sudden, you’re dealing with a bunch of glands having such a chat that they can’t be productive anymore.
When we eat empty calories in refined food such as white bread, pop, candy and fried food, we miss out on the key nutrients we need to make our hormones happy. The solution is to eat foods that are supercharged with extra nourishment so that we can fill in the gaps our bodies need.
Here are 3 fabulous SuperFoods to get excited about:
Goji Berries contain gram for gram more vitamin C than oranges. Vitamin C helps our body cope with stress by supporting the adrenal glands.
Acai Berries contain a remarkable concentration of antioxidants called flavonoids that protect your body from toxins. Studies indicate that eating flavonoids protect our thyroid and sex hormones from damage.
Cacoa (raw chocolate) has twice the antioxidant concentration of processed cocoa. Long considered a ‘happy food’, chocolate is a popular treat when we need a food friend to lean on.
And yes ladies, chocolate is a hormone helper! That is why we crave and love it so much! The cacao bean is rich in magnesium, an energy mineral that improves sleep and reduces PMS.
A great way to start balancing your hormones is to create vibrant recipes using the SuperFoods™ Daily Power Shake Powder. It conveniently contains many superfood ingredients combined into one easy to use, delicious nutritional supplement so you can produce hormones in just the right amount and at just the right time!
For more information, visit Balanced Planets.com
