Hormone Balancing Tips - Spring Edition!

Spring is in the air and you might be starting to feel less like hibernating and eating warming and comforting foods. 

Hormone balancing tips for spring:

- Make the most of the lighter and brighter mornings to do some exercise. Exercise is a great way to increase endorphins (the happy hormone!) and can help improve insulin sensitivity.

- Get outdoors more often - With the milder and (hopefully!) drier weather, going for a daily walk is much more appealing. Walking also helps to reduce the levels of levels of the body's stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol.

- Eat in season - Spring vegetables are particularly good for liver health and help to metabolise oestrogen in the body which is important for overall hormonal balance. Vegetables that are in season in March, include: artichoke, beetroot, cabbage, carrots, chicory, leeks, parsnip, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, rhubarb, sorrel, spring greens, spring onions, watercress.

- Filling Spring salads - When the weather is warmer you may feel like having lighter meals. If you are having a salad for lunch/dinner, try to make sure it is filling enough and still contains a good source of protein and slow-releasing carbohydrates. Pulses like chickpeas and lentils are good to add to Spring salads to make them more filling. 

- Make smoothies a mini-meal - Smoothies are appealing to have as a snack or breakfast as the weather warms up but you can make them more balanced by adding in yoghurt, flaxseeds and/or a natural protein powder like hemp or pea. Keeping the fruit chunky and not too liquidised will also help keep your blood-sugar steady for longer. 

- Spring clean your make-up bag - I love a good Spring clean and having a clear out of your cosmetics can feel very satisfying! Replace chemical cosmetics with natural/toxin-free alternatives as the ingredients in many cosmetics contain endocrine disrupting chemicals.