Page 32 - LIN M-J-J-2023 web-low

Balancing your Hormones with Foods

by Svetlana Kogan, M.D.
because of the small but significant risk for breast, uterine, and colon
iving in paradise is definitely a positive cancers. Instead, consider adding a small amount of plant derived
thing for our health and longevity in estrogens to your diet. Typically, 50mg of phytoestrogens eaten daily
Lgeneral. And yet even here, people of is sufficient for alleviating most of the menopause-related ailments.
different ages can come down with hormonal This can be supplied by a small cup of miso soup or 4 oz. of tempeh.
imbalances resulting in various health concerns. If you don’t like the taste of the former you can opt for 1 and ½ cup
In many cases, instead of starting a long of soy milk daily or 1 and ½ cup of tofu yogurt daily. There are other
term relationship with prescription hormone foods rich in phytoestrogens, such as flax seeds, tofu, garlic, dried
replacement therapy, there are safer holistic apricots, prunes, and sesame seeds and these can serve as a tasty
options. Because no matter which way you component in many recipes.
slice it – hormones, even if they are bioidentical Menopause is also accompanied by the decreasing progesterone
– still raise cancer risk, albeit less than their levels. The lack of this hormone is accompanied by painful breasts,
non-bioidentical siblings do. Holistically hair loss, bloatedness and headaches. In the past, it was customary
speaking, if we modify our food intake a little bit, we can get many to treat this with progesterone hormone replacement therapy or
of the same benefits without side effects of hormones whatsoever. its bioidentical variant. However, progesterone, even bioidentical,
The most common hormone culprit in both men and women poses small but significant risks for developing breast cancer, ovarian
is certainly cortisol. It is the primary hormone of the sympathetic cancer, blood clots and stroke. Instead, try nature's’ own pharmacy:
autonomic nervous system and is released by the adrenal glands enriching your diet with yams and sweet potatoes, brown rice, sesame
when we feel threatened or anxious. From the evolutionary seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts and avocados – all will help
standpoint, it was designed to help us handle acute dangers like optimizing the body’s own manufacturing of progesterone.
oncoming predators in prehistoric times. Normally, cortisol is Now, let’s turn to a common aging concern in men – namely
highest in the morning, and then tapers off as the day goes by. andropause – a decrease in testosterone levels. This can lead to
Unfortunately, in the modern world, we are exposed to prolonged erectile dysfunction and/or impaired libido, both of which can be
stress and chronic anxiety, and most people test for excessively high very discouraging to say the least. Instead of turning to prescription
cortisol levels throughout the day. Keep in mind that cortisol is or bioidentical hormones right away, try the following change in
a fat depositing hormone contributing to obesity as well. It also your diet. For those men who are obese or overweight – the most
raises blood pressure and increases risk for diabetes by elevating important first step is to lose weight to bring Body Mass Index
baseline glucose in the blood. Last but not least, cortisol promotes (BMI) to normal range of 20-25. This is so because every pound of
inflammation, which is correlated with every illness known to excess fat disables normal testosterone functioning by transforming
humanity today. To balance out your cortisol nutritionally, first cut it into estrogen molecules. The next step would be to eat an anti-
back on the amounts and frequency of alcohol and caffeine intake. inflammatory diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, and beans. For
Next, start eating mostly an anti-inflammatory diet, predominantly a colorful example of such diet, take a look at Dr. Weil’s website
fruits (especially berries), vegetables, nuts, and beans. It is prudent at: https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/anti-inflammatory-diet-
to enrich your diet with Omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish, like wild pyramid/dr-weils-anti-inflammatory-food-pyramid/
caught Atlantic, Norwegian, or Alaskan salmon. Finally, adding and you can tweak this to your liking and tasting preferences.
a small amount of goat or sheep cheese to your diet will provide It is important to remember that just because something is
glutamine – an amino acid, which is a precursor of L-theanine – an natural, does not mean that it cannot be harmful. So, instead of
important neuro-hormone which helps to regulate cortisol. indiscriminately starting to favor a certain food group – talk to your
For women entering or going through menopause, who tested holistic physician customizing this nutritional advice just for you,
for estrogen deficiency, common hormonal symptoms are tiredness, with your unique medical history and lifestyle.
low libido, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness. Many people do not Dr. Kogan is a Concierge Holistic Internal Medicine doctor in Naples.
want to take hormone replacement therapy, even if it is bioidentical, Her website is CustomLongevity.com. Office phone: 239-676-6883
32 Life in Naples | May/June/July 2023