I'm Too Young for This!: The Natural Hormone Solution to Enjoy Perimenopause (12 page)

So what are the smart choices to keep your body fit and in the best health and shape?

Smart food choices, supplementation, coupled with a natural hormonal regimen (which we’ll explore later in the book) are the components to successfully navigating and enjoying perimenopause.

What do I mean by smart food and why does it matter?

Let’s look at the benefits you get from just a single healthy meal.

Say you have finely chopped sautéed spinach or kale in olive oil with minced garlic, a medallion of wild caught salmon sautéed in olive oil and topped with crispy fried thin-sliced ginger and garlic, and a side of gluten-free pasta with roasted tomato sauce and sautéed pine nuts. (I know it’s a lot of food, but I have a hearty appetite!) As soon as good (and might I add delicious) food gets put in your mouth and hits your saliva, your body begins working its magic and the process of digestion begins. Digestion extracts the nutrients from your food. Our bodies have learned how to benefit from the chemicals in food, discarding some and using others, as they see fit. Each of the extracted food chemicals interacts with other foods’ chemicals and your own body’s chemicals in very specific ways. It is a complex and magnificent process. Let’s take a peek at the nutrients in just one of the foods in the preceding meal and why they’re so good for you.

The spinach or kale alone is a cornucopia of various nutrients: calcium, iron, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, B
₁
(thiamin), B
₂
(riboflavin), B
₃
(niacin), B
₆
(pyridoxine), fatty acids, amino acids, tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, cysteine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, valine, arginine, histidine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine, and phytosterols! If we explore just one of these nutrients’ benefits, phytosterols, you will see just how much real food really matters. Phytosterols are plant fat. They are the naturally occurring compounds within plants that act as a catalyst for certain plant cell functions. Ingesting phytosterols, in foods and in supplement form, may help you control your cholesterol levels. Phytosterols may also aid in joint health and in boosting your immune system.

The antioxidant effects of ginger, garlic, and turmeric are
tremendous. Antioxidants, in the simplest of terms, “eat” the free radicals (the bad guys) that bombard us each minute from living and from the toxins, chemicals, and pesticides that surround us. The more antioxidants you can take in, the better for your health.

Kale helps balance estrogen and wards off many forms of cancer, including breast, bowel, bladder, prostate, and lung cancers; it protects against heart disease and regulates blood pressure. The calcium in kale is easily absorbed by the body and protects against osteoporosis, arthritis, and bone loss. These are just the benefits in one dish; we haven’t even touched on the rest of the foods in this meal.

It boggles the mind to see what nature has provided. You get a host of health benefits, including hormone-balancing ones, just from eating one serving of spinach or kale! Imagine what a regular diet of healthy foods can do for you? No need to imagine; next we are going to explore some key foods you’ll want to stock up on.

It’s important to know the jam-packed power of certain foods that will not only protect you from a myriad of health issues, but also will help you with hormone balance. Ideally, your food choices should be organic and pesticide free. Beef should be organic and grass-fed; fish should be wild not farm raised. It is difficult to get organic food at most restaurants, so when possible eat at home. When not, do your best.

Almonds are a great source of protein, fiber, and minerals including:

Almonds are also high in vitamin E and unsaturated fats, keeping arteries supple. With the decline of minor hormones, cortisol goes high and is one of the main reasons women get (and die of) heart disease; almonds play a role in preventing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

All types of apples contain quercetin, a powerful antioxidant that prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which in turn lowers
the risk of damage to your arteries. An apple’s pectin is effective in lowering levels of blood cholesterol.

This fruit may prevent breast cancer (
see
Brooke
), as well as prostate cancer.

Beans are loaded with complex carbohydrates, as well as calcium, iron, folic acid, B vitamins, zinc, potassium, and magnesium. They contain large amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol and normalize blood sugar.

Beets contain high levels of carotenoids and flavonoids, which are known to protect artery walls as well as reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. In addition, they contain iron and also boost bone health, due to their calcium content, thus reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Berries are a great source of antioxidants that keep your brain and heart healthier. Blueberries also contain pterostilbene, which is effective in reducing bad LDL cholesterol.

This vegetable contains two powerful anticancer substances: sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol. Sulforaphane destroys ingested
carcinogenic compounds and kills
H. pylori
(
Helicobacter pylori
), a bacteria that causes stomach ulcers and increases the risk of gastric cancers. (If you eat in restaurants and consume non-organic chicken, it’s likely at some point you will pick up
H. pylori
.) Indole-3-carbinol metabolizes estrogen, potentially protecting against estrogen dominance and breast cancer. It also has a good amount of potassium and beta-carotene.

High in fiber, vitamin A, and minerals, cabbage stimulates the immune system, kills bacteria and viruses, inhibits growth of cancerous cells, protects against tumors, helps control estrogen levels and promotes balance, improves blood flow, and boosts sex drive. It speeds up the metabolism of estrogen toward a “good” metabolite and slows the production of a bad one, reducing the risk of breast cancer, and inhibits the growth of polyps in the colon; cabbage also protects against stomach ulcers.

Eggs are a good source of selenium, riboflavin, vitamin B
₁₂
, pantothenic acid, and vitamin D, and are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin (both offer protection for the eyes, which were not meant by nature to last beyond our childbearing years). Eggs are also a great source of choline, a neurotransmitter critical for brain health and a good source of natural progesterone.

This power food increases the number of ovulatory cycles in perimenopausal women and increases testosterone at the time of ovulation. Regular consumption of flaxseed improves the
progesterone/estrogen ratio in postovulatory women and helps with PMS. Flaxseed is also an excellent source of essential omega-3 fatty acids. Freshly ground flaxseed releases more nutrients than whole flaxseed.

This yummy bulb is an excellent cancer fighter; it protects against cancers of the breast, colon, skin, prostate, stomach, and esophagus. Garlic stimulates the immune system by encouraging the growth of natural killer cells that directly attack cancer cells. Also, it has the ability to kill many of the antibiotic-resistant strains of MRSA (the hospital superbug).

Lean meats (organic, of course, and grass-fed whenever possible) are an excellent source of protein. Meat also provides needed iron, B
₁₂
, and zinc. Bison meat is an often overlooked example of a healthier meat, because bison live on natural grass and spend very little time in feedlots or slaughterhouses. As such, they are not given drugs, chemicals, or hormones. Bison meat has a greater concentration of iron than any other meat, as well as some essential fatty acids. Of particular importance to women is its high iron content.

Nuts and seeds provide excellent nutritional value. They are especially good sources of essential fatty acids, gamma tocopherol vitamin E, protein, and minerals. They also provide valuable fiber components; important phytonutrients in nuts and seeds include protease inhibitors, ellagic acid, and other polyphenols.

Regular consumption of this omega-3-rich oil helps protect against heart attacks, because of its unique polyphenol and monounsaturated fatty-acid content. Polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil help keep cell membranes soft and pliable, allowing for oxygenation and hydration, the elements of life, to flow through the membranes easily and thus give energy and vitality.

Oranges contain high quantities of hesperetin, which protects against inflammation. Eating these regularly can lower cholesterol because of the fiber/pectin. They are a good source of potassium, which reduces blood pressure, as well as folic acid, which lowers levels of homocysteine (high levels of this substance in the body are not good for the heart).

This is one of the top fifty foods with the highest antioxidant content. Antioxidants have been found to help protect cells from the damage of free radicals, which can break down muscles, increase aging effects, and as a result lead to cancers and other chronic diseases.

These sea gifts are full of healthful vitamins and minerals. Oysters are a great source of vitamins A, B
₁
, B
₂
, B
₃
, and D and are also high in iron, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals. Many other shellfish are also excellent sources of iron and zinc, including mussels, clams, scallops, shrimp, prawns, and crab. Shellfish
are one of the best dietary sources of zinc, a mineral necessary for keeping your immune system healthy and promoting the healing of wounds. The highest levels of zinc can be found in oysters.

This power food is full of protein, fiber, artery-protecting beta-carotene, blood pressure–controlling potassium, and antioxidants.

Black, green, and now white teas are hailed for their antioxidant properties. The polyphenols in green tea are powerful antioxidants and protect against free-radical damage, which is a major cause of arterial aging. Green tea may inhibit breast, digestive, and lung cancers as well.

Cooked tomatoes contain high levels of lycopene, a nutrient that reduces the risk of prostate, lung, and stomach cancers. Tomatoes contain potassium, vitamin C, and lycopene; each is essential to your immune system and to keep your skin healthy.

This fish is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Eating omega-3 rich salmon regularly may help protect against heart disease, breast and other cancers, as well as provide relief to sufferers of certain autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. Its omega-3s are great for mood and also protect the brain, and are essential for the membranes of every one of your 60 to 90 trillion or so cells in your body.

Do you see what eating the right foods can do for you? You can clearly see the difference between eating any of these power foods versus a fast-food hamburger from your local drive-in. Look at the nutrients your body misses by making the wrong food choices! How can you function at your prime without the right fuel?

You shouldn’t just rush out and grab every supplement we discuss in this book. That’s not my aim, nor is it responsible. When creating a supplement regimen, team up with your doctor or a nutritionist and have him or her do blood work to tailor your intake to your individual needs.