NUTRITION

7 Benefits of Zinc for Women

7 Benefits of Zinc for Women

Zinc is an essential trace mineral in our body that we need in order to carry out many essential functions in the body to keep chemical systems operating. It helps to grow and repair tissues, supports the immune system, and is required for the function of enzymes. Fortunately, zinc does a lot more than just keep our body function, it can be supplemented opportunistically to help with additional health issues. Zinc-rich foods include oysters, yogurt, pumpkin seeds, lamb, chickpeas, hemp seeds, spinach, and cashews.

8 Benefits of Vitamin D for Women 

8 Benefits of Vitamin D for Women 

Vitamin D is an essential fat-soluble vitamin. Essential means that our body can not make it on its own. Fat-soluble means that we need to consume adequate fat in the diet to optimize the absorption of the vitamin. Vitamin D can be consumed through the diet from salmon and fortified milk, but it is much more abundant and bioavailable when sourced from 15 minutes of direct sunlight. For those who do not live in sunny climates, vitamin D deficiency is more common and supplementation becomes necessary. Here we will talk about all of the benefits of vitamin D for women.

9 Benefits of Magnesium for Hormone Balance

9 Benefits of Magnesium for Hormone Balance

Ovulation is the main event of the menstrual cycle. It occurs during the halfway point in the menstrual cycle for one day. Ovulation is when the egg gets released from the ovary into the fallopian tube to prepare for fertilization and pregnancy. Progesterone is the hormone that promotes pregnancy and ovulation, and if progesterone is low, then you may not be ovulating (pro meaning to upgrade and gesterone meaning pregnancy).

5 Important Vitamins for Hormone Balance

5 Important Vitamins for Hormone Balance

All the hormones in the body are connected and when one is too high or too low, this will impact all other hormones.

Stress and sex hormones are a family of hormones called steroid hormones, meaning they are built from cholesterol.

Other hormones are proteins built from peptide chains (chains of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein).

These vitamins for hormone balance provide essential nutrients for healthy hormone production and metabolism.

7 Benefits of Magnesium for Hormones

7 Benefits of Magnesium for Hormones

Birth control works by administering artificial forms of estrogen and progesterone in the body to make it think that you are pregnant and will therefore not ovulate. Your body learns to trust this administration of the artificial hormones and it will close off your body’s natural brain-ovary communication to produce hormones. After lots of time of using birth control, you become dependent on not being able to regulate your hormones naturally, so when you stop using birth control you’ll find hormonal imbalances to be common. For some women, this transition to regulating hormones naturally may only take a few weeks, and for others, it’ll take a few months.

5 Key Vitamins to Increase Progesterone

5 Key Vitamins to Increase Progesterone

Certain vitamins like vitamin B6, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin B12 helps to support healthy progesterone levels in the body. Vitamins play an important role in hormone production and are needed to make enough progesterone. Nutrient deficiencies can be a reason behind low progesterone levels. Including certain foods and sometimes vitamin supplements can help to raise progesterone.

20 Hormone Balancing Foods

20 Hormone Balancing Foods

All the hormones in the body are connected and when one is too high or too low, this will impact all other hormones. Stress and sex hormones are a family of hormones called steriod hormones, meaning they are built from cholesterol. Other hormones are proteins built from peptide chains (chains of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein). These hormone balancing foods provide essential nutrients for healthy hormone production and metabolism. Here are 20 hormone balancing foods.

12 Best Foods to Boost Progesterone

12 Best Foods to Boost Progesterone

Progesterone is a sex hormone released from the ovaries that is vital for conceiving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. The hormone can be broken down as ‘pro’ meaning to promote and ‘gesterone’ meaning gestation or pregnancy. It is released from the corpus luteum which is the remains of the ovarian follicle which releases the ovum or egg. Progesterone has 2 different paths each month depending on fertilization and ovulation. If your ovulated egg is fertilized, then progesterone rises after ovulation to help thicken the uterine lining for pregnancy. If your egg does not become fertilized after ovulation, then progesterone peaks and then declines, because you do not need to prepare for pregnancy. The uterine lining will shed and become a period. Progesterone is also involved in breast development and breastfeeding. Problems can arise when progesterone levels are too low regardless if you are attempting to conceive. Certain foods contain nutrients to help increase progesterone in the body.

What is Seed Cycling?

What is Seed Cycling?

Seed cycling is a food-based approach for supporting healthy hormones. It is the concept of alternating seeds during the first half and second half of your menstrual cycle to support your hormones throughout your cycle. The idea is that seeds contain a lot of phytoestrogens and healthy fats which have been shown to balance out hormones. Phytoestrogens are components that have structures similar to estrogen, thereby having a weak estrogenic effect in the body. Additionally, the seeds contain other essential nutrients in them that aid in hormone regulation. There is no specific evidence available yet on the concept of seed cycling as a whole, but there is evidence for specific seeds and their benefits. Anecdotal evidence supports the use of seed cycling to encourage menstrual regularity, easing period pain, in addition to other nutrition and lifestyle shifts to support hormones and your individual hormonal story.