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A balanced diet is crucial for overall health as well reproductive. Taking some precautions on the foods you bring to the table every day can help maintain the correct hormonal balance and improve fertility.
Of course, there are no miracle foods or supplements – they explain Dr. Claudia Banfi, nutritionist at Eugin Clinic, and the dr. Domenico Carone, Medical Coordinator of Eugin Taranto Clinic and Eugin Clinic in Bari – but an integrated approach, which aims to restore hormonal balance acting at various levels, it is certainly the best way.
But first it is important to change lifestyle, doing more movement and physical activity if you don’t already dedicate enough time to movement; reducing stress levels and giving up cigarettes. It is also important to take care of the hygiene of the sleep and respect the circadian rhythms. Not abusing over-the-counter drugs, especially anti-inflammatory drugs, is a good rule to respect, as is reducing exposure to heavy metals is endocrine disruptors of various kinds.
Finally, as mentioned, it is fundamental to pay close attention to what you bring to the table.
Foods to avoid
- For good reproductive health, experts recommend:
- Reduce your consumption of caffeine;
- Avoid consumption of alcoholic beverages and sugared;
On the contrary, it is important hydrate adequately throughout the day.
Green light to good fats
Extra virgin olive oil, dried nuts, avocado, bitter cocoa and oil seeds are instead extremely important to include in our diet as sources of unsaturated fats, precious allies in a diet aimed at supporting hormonal balance.
The hormones they are not all the same: some are lipid in nature, others protein and still others derive from modified amino acids. For this reason the diet must primarily meet the needs of fat is proteins, hormonal precursors. Sex hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, for example, are derived from cholesterol, fat of animal origin. “To provide sufficient quantities of cholesterol – explains Dr. Claudia Banfi – it is advisable to consume eggs organic or free range hens. A good intake of omega-3 fatty acids – with anti-inflammatory action – of which blue fish is rich, in particular mackerel, anchovies, sardines. Molecules precursors of omega-3 are also found in some plant foods, such as walnuts, flax seeds and chia seeds ”, adds the expert.
Watch out for blood sugar
It is also essential to prevent glycemic spikes, a condition that often also allows you to avoid blood insulin peaks which, if frequent and repeated over time, can cause insulin resistance, for example, causing absence of ovulation, a condition common to a number of female reproductive disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
A diet aimed at supporting hormonal balance should therefore have a low glycemic load. “The advice is to avoid simple sugars, refined grains and desserts of various kinds, including apparently “diet” snacks such as cereal bars and yogurt at the fruit. The amount of sugars present in a jar of fruit yogurt – even if classified as low-fat or light – is very high and, furthermore, by depriving the whole yogurt of its natural fat content, the entry of sugars into the circulation is accelerated “he continues. Dr. Banfi. “I recommend consuming Whole grains – in grains and in the form of derivatives – and legumes, rich in fibers that help to break down the glycemic load of the meal. They can’t miss it too seasonal fruit and vegetables, sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, essential for hormonal health. Finally, I recommend the consumption of complete and balanced macronutrient meals – proteins, good fats, complex carbohydrates and fibers – and micronutrients – vitamins and minerals. Meals that include seasonal and quality foods “.
We help the liver, kidneys and intestines
Bitter vegetables and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, black cabbage and savoy cabbage support liver, intestinal and kidney activity. “As for bowel function, diet and hydration will have to prevent conditions constipation able to interfere with the elimination of “exhausted” hormones through the faeces “explains Dr. Banfi. “Second, the goal will be to maintain or restore a intestinal microbiota healthy and eubiotic, essential for a 360-degree psychophysical well-being “.
Finally, it is important to know that numerous hormones, such as those thyroid, to make their action explicit, they need subsequent activation steps for peripheral organs. “These passages – says Dr. Carone – require the presence of enzymes and enzymatic cofactors, many of which are vitamins or minerals introduced with the diet, in particular through whole grains, extra virgin olive oil, avocado, legumes, nuts, oil seeds, fresh fish, molluscs and crustaceans, eggs and organic white meats, red meat raised on pasture and of course seasonal fruit and vegetables ”, concludes the expert.
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