Balance your hormones by balancing the things you put in your mouth. I don’t mean weighing your food or putting them on the scales of justice (although you should justify what you do eat based on how you will feel, both physically and mentally, POST consumption, NOT pre-consumption). This is more about balancing the types of foods you eat. That’s right: the foods that you do or don’t eat and the combinations of them play a major role in the types of hormones that are released in your body.
The western (modern) diet basically tells our bodies one thing hormonally…GROW. Yep, if you eat like the average American, you are eating a diet that gives you no chance at being healthy or having a “magazine-like” body. And we’re not talking Cosmo, People or Muscle Media, we’re talking Shape or Women’s/Men’s Health, or any other magazine that depicts people who at least appear healthful. You see, the average American eats roughly 50% of their calories from carbohydrates, and most of them come in the form of processed grains, sugar and corn syrup.
If you compare this to our ancestors’ diets, you will see a large difference in both the amount and the type. About 25-40% of our ancestors’ diet was comprised of carbs, and those were pretty much exclusively vegetables with some fruit (not a lot). This plays a huge role in our hormones and in our size. Now, it is safe to say that nobody wants to be fat, but from a physiological perspective on the way that we eat in this country, it sure seems like that is the goal. Not only are we eating tons of these processed carbs, but it is also the way that we eat them. You see, different hormones are released, based on the food combinations that we choose.
Food Choices and Hormonal Response
What is a typical breakfast in the States (if it is even eaten)? Cereal comes to mind, along with pastries, pop tarts, packaged waffles, bagels or toast right? We’re not sure how mainstream media switched the good ol’ fashion steak and eggs to a sugar slap first thing in the morning, but it has happened. Eating like this is just like a slap or a punch to the pancreas, telling insulin to be released and telling the body to grow, grow, grow. We would have never eaten that high a sugar content or anything remotely like these foods in our hunter-gather days. And remember, we are the same – our genes haven’t changed much, if at all, in the last 40,000 years.
You may be wondering what you should eat for breakfast; we have some ideas.
Carbs are going to spike our insulin, no matter what; however, we can curb that spike to some degree if we eat some protein and fat along with the carbs. We are in no way recommending a high carb, high processed food diet. It’s important to take it one step further when eating fruits and veggies. It is best when we eat a balanced diet by consuming protein, fat and healthful carbs together at every meal. This is the basis for The Zone Diet prescribed by Dr. Barry Sears. Where we at Bonfire Health differs from Dr. Sears is when it comes to quality of food. He goes into this somewhat, but we want you to focus on eating natural foods (from the earth, not processed), as well as balancing the macronutrient content (protein, carbs and fats).
By eating healthful carbohydrates (fruits and veggies), you will dramatically decrease the insulin released, which will decrease your body’s message to grow and store fat. By going a step further, eating a small portion of lean protein (grass-fed beef, turkey, chicken, etc.) and fats (avocados, nuts, seeds) along with those carbs, you will in fact be balancing your hormones, which will keep you healthy or move you toward health!
For more info on balancing hormones through foods, as well as other great nutritional info, visit:
