48 Foods To Balance Your Hormones & Give You Glowing Skin

BY MEGAN KELLY

Who doesn't want a rocking reproductive system, balanced hormones, and glowing skin?

I know I do, and eating certain nutrient dense foods will put anyone on this path. Whether we like it or not, hormones control our mood, digestion, energy, libido, metabolism, and how our skin looks.

If we don't eat foods with the nutrients we need, our body cannot produce hormones correctly or maintain hormonal balance because it doesn't have the building blocks to do so.

Whatever you're eating is either helping hormonal production, or causing unpredictable imbalances.

The human body needs a balance of all three macronutrients, carbohydrates, protein, and especially fat.

Fat is one of the most crucial elements for hormonal balance. For years, we've been told that fat-free is good, while cholesterol and saturated fat are bad. This is a dangerous lie. Healthy fat is the raw material that we need to produce and maintain proper hormone function.

Here's why: hormones are produced using certain fatty acids and cholesterol, so if we're missing these nutrients, hormone problems arise simply because the body doesn't have the nutrients it needs to make them. Our body needs certain fats for rebuilding cells and stabilizing hormones. This is especially important for the female reproductive system.

How to eat for hormonal balance

Basing meals off clean protein, hormone-balancing healthy fats, antioxidant-rich vegetables, and healing herbs will help your body thrive. Choose one food from each category for an easy, hormone balancing, skin healing, meal.

1. Clean protein

Soaked or sprouted nuts
Beans
Seeds
Quinoa
Lentils
Organic pasture-raised/grass-fed chicken, turkey, beef, bison, elk, pasture-raised eggs
Wild caught fish
2. Hormone-balancing healthy fats

Coconut oil (and all coconut products for that matter). It contains lauric acid, which is incredibly healing to the skin and extremely beneficial for hormonal production. It also kills bad bacteria and viruses in the body, provides a quick source of energy, is easy to digest, and speeds up metabolism.
Avocados. They're rich in healthy fat that helps our body absorb and use nutrients They are also full of fiber, potassium, magnesium vitamin E, B-vitamins, and Folic acid - all essential for maintaining hormonal balance in the body.
Raw butter/ghee. They provide a rich source of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K2. These nutrients are key building blocks for hormonal production. Butter provides great amounts of short- and medium-chain fatty acids, which support immune function, boost metabolism and have anti-microbial properties; meaning, they fight against bad bacteria and viruses in the body.
Egg yolks. They're rich in countless vitamins and minerals including: A, D, E, B2, B6, B9, iron, calcium, phosphorous, potassium and choline which all contribute to a healthy reproductive system, hormonal balance, and healthy skin. The choline and iodine in egg yolks are also crucial for making healthy thyroid hormones.
Nuts and seeds. Soaked nuts and seeds, olives and olive oil, fermented cod liver oil, hemp seed oil, flax-seed oil, and raw cultured dairy products.
3. Antioxidant-rich vegetables

Look for anything dark green: asparagus, broccoli, spinach, collard greens, cabbage, cucumbers, kale, cilantro, etc.
Opt for brightly colored veggies: green, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, red cabbage, red/white onions, tomatoes, and carrots.
Don't overlook starchy vegetables: sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, yucca, beets, artichokes, butternut squash, and turnips.
4. Healing spices & herbs

Cinnamon
Turmeric
Cayenne
Cumin
Garlic
Ginger
If your body has the nutrients it needs to be in hormonal balance, it will be. You'll experience glowing skin, stable moods, fertility, and consistent energy. Our bodies have an incredible ability to heal and be in balance, when given the nutrients they need to flourish.

Original Article At: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11983/48-foods-to-balance-your-hormones-give-you-glowing-skin.html