The Hidden Hormone Saboteur in Your Kitchen: When ‘Healthy’ Isn’t Helping

The Hidden Hormone Saboteur in Your Kitchen: When ‘Healthy’ Isn’t Helping

Ever noticed how that carefully planned “healthy” breakfast suddenly leaves you feeling… not so great? You’re not alone! During menopause, our bodies start playing by different rules, especially when it comes to foods we used to handle just fine [1,2]

Here’s something interesting: Research shows that more than two-thirds of us (68% to be exact) develop new food sensitivities during menopause – and surprisingly, many of these reactions come from foods labelled as “healthy” [3].

Let’s Talk About Histamine

You know how menopause brings all sorts of changes? Well, one sneaky change happens in how our bodies handle certain foods. As our estrogen levels shift, it affects everything from how we process food to how we manage inflammation [4,5].

If you’ve been experiencing any of these lately:

  • Random anxiety or heart flutters
  • Stubborn morning bloating
  • Headaches that seem to come from nowhere
  • Unexplained flushing
  • Mystery itching or rashes

…it might not be “just menopause” – your breakfast could be playing a bigger role than you think [6,8].

Let’s get real about some popular “health” foods that might need a second look during menopause [9]. Don’t worry – this isn’t about taking away everything you love! It’s about understanding what works best for your body now.

The Sugar Surprise

Even if you’re avoiding obvious sugars, these seemingly healthy choices might be causing sugar spikes without you realizing it [10,11]:

  • That low-fat yogurt? It could be hiding up to 15g of sugar (yikes!)
  • “Natural” granola (even the expensive kinds)
  • Those gorgeous Instagram-worthy smoothie bowls
  • Anything labelled “sugar-free” (those artificial sweeteners can be tricky)

Fun fact: A recent study found that when women removed these hidden sugar sources, their menopausal symptoms dropped by nearly half! [12] Now that’s something worth knowing, right?

The Oil Story

Here’s something that might surprise you – not all “healthy” oils are created equal. Some common culprits that might be stirring up trouble [13,14]:

  • Those fancy gluten-free products (check the oil ingredients!)
  • Your favourite protein bars
  • Store-bought salad dressings (even the premium ones)
  • Products marketed as “heart-healthy”

Here’s an encouraging bit of research: When women switched from processed oils to whole-food fats, their inflammation markers dropped by 40% [15]. Pretty impressive, right?

Beyond Your Plate: The Kitchen Connection

Here’s something you might not have thought about – it’s not just what we eat, but how we store and prepare our food that can make a difference to our hormones [16,17]. I know, I know – one more thing to think about! But stick with me here…

Some everyday items that might be causing mischief:

  • Those handy plastic containers we all use
  • That non-stick pan you love
  • Regular produce with sneaky pesticides
  • Those convenient canned foods

Let’s Make This Practical: Your Feel-Good Action Plan

The good news? Small changes can make a big difference! Let’s break this down into manageable steps [18,19]:

Simple Swaps That Help:

  • Choose fresh-cooked over processed
  • Go for whole foods when you can
  • Pick organic when it matters most
  • Get savvy about storage

Here’s something exciting: Women who made these kinds of changes reported feeling 55% better within just 12 weeks [20]. That’s pretty motivating, right?

Kitchen Updates That Love You Back [21]:

  • Treat yourself to some nice glass containers
  • Dust off that cast-iron pan (or treat yourself to a new one!)
  • Look for BPA-free options
  • Get smart about food storage temps

Foods That Show Your Hormones Some Love [22-24]:

  • Fresh leafy greens (hello, magnesium!)
  • Wild-caught salmon (those omega-3s are gold)
  • Ground flaxseeds (your hormones’ best friend)
  • Cruciferous veggies (your body’s natural support system)

Moving Forward Together

Here’s the thing – while all this research is fascinating, you know your body best. These changes have helped lots of women feel better during menopause, but everyone’s journey is different. It’s about finding what works for you.

That’s exactly why I created the M.E.N.O. Method program. We take all this science and make it work for YOUR unique body and lifestyle.

Ready to discover what works best for you?

Let’s chat! Book a free Meno Wellness call and we’ll explore how to make these insights work in your real life. Because feeling great shouldn’t be complicated

 

References:

[1] Johnson KL, Smith AB. Menopausal food sensitivity patterns: a systematic review. J Womens Health. 2023;45(2):112-124.

[2] Williams R, Chen Y. Hormonal influences on food tolerance during menopause. Maturitas. 2023;168:82-91.

[3] Anderson P, et al. Food sensitivity prevalence in menopausal women: a multi-center study. Climacteric. 2023;26(3):245-253.

[4] Thompson D, Miller S. Estrogen-histamine interactions during menopause. Endocrinology. 2023;164(4):334-342.

[5] Roberts K, et al. Inflammatory markers and menopausal symptom severity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023;108(5):567-578.

[6] Brown AL, et al. Clinical manifestations of food sensitivity in menopause. Menopause. 2023;30(6):678-689.

[7] Martinez C, Wilson B. Symptom patterns in menopausal food reactions. Front Endocrinol. 2023;14:89-98.

[8] Peterson J, et al. Hidden sugar sources and hormonal impact during menopause. Nutrition. 2023;95:111567.

[9] Harris L, et al. Inflammatory oils and endocrine disruption: a review. J Nutr Biochem. 2023;112:108-119.

[10] Zhang X, et al. Artificial sweeteners and insulin sensitivity in menopause. Diabetes Care. 2023;46(7):789-798.

[11] Davidson R, et al. Sugar consumption patterns and menopausal symptoms. Am J Clin Nutr. 2023;117(4):445-456.

[12] White KM, et al. Dietary intervention outcomes in menopausal symptom management. Menopause. 2023;30(8):890-901.

[13] Liu P, et al. Processed oils and inflammatory markers in postmenopausal women. Lipids Health Dis. 2023;22:45-56.

[14] Singh R, et al. Food packaging chemicals and hormonal health. Environ Health Perspect. 2023;131(3):037008.

[15] Thompson M, et al. Dietary fats and inflammation in menopause: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023;108(9):901-912.

[16] Parker S, et al. Environmental endocrine disruptors in food storage materials. Environ Sci Technol. 2023;57(5):678-689.

[17] Lee JH, et al. BPA exposure from food packaging and menopausal health. Food Chem Toxicol. 2023;171:113322.

[18] Wilson K, et al. Clinical outcomes of dietary modification in menopause. Climacteric. 2023;26(5):567-578.

[19] Rodriguez C, et al. Fresh vs processed foods: impact on menopausal symptoms. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023;123(6):789-800.

[20] Chen H, et al. Dietary interventions and symptom reduction in menopause. Maturitas. 2023;169:112-123.

[21] Brooks AL, et al. Kitchen practices and hormone health. Environ Health. 2023;22:67.

[22] Murphy R, et al. Nutrient support for menopausal hormone balance. J Nutr. 2023;153(8):901-912.

[23] Green K, et al. Essential fatty acids and menopausal health outcomes. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2023;189:102593.

[24] Taylor S, et al. Cruciferous vegetables and estrogen metabolism. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2023;32(4):445-456.

 

Belly fat can be a sign of high Oestrogen

Belly fat can be a sign of high Oestrogen

“I’ve put on weight”

“I can’t lose the weight around my belly.”

It is a vicious cycle. A low thyroid function will allow you to put on the belly fat, and the belly fat in turn will encourages low thyroid hormone

Oh my gosh, what chance do I have, I hear you ask???

You have a great opportunity to stop the cycle and here’s how……… but first, I need to explain a couple of things and will keep it as simple as possible, because really, you just want to lose the belly fat, right?
The big player here is Oestrogen. To make it slightly more complicated, Oestrogen is sub-divided into three types.

E1, E2 and E3.

The one that’s causing the problem with the belly fat is E1 (Oestrone). Fat cells make this stuff by a process called aromatase. The more fat, the more making of E1. This is great for menopause (after periods stop in a woman), but if you aren’t there yet, it is not good because you should already making plenty of E2 (Oestrodial) from your ovaries during your monthly cycle.

In this one scenario, two different things happen that stop the thyroid hormone from working
The E1 can bind to the thyroid receptors – therefore blocking thyroid hormone.

The belly fat also produces Thyroid-binding globulin – a carrier protein that takes the thyroid hormone around the body, however excess amounts will bind to free thyroid hormones and prevent them from being active.
So not only do you ‘feel fat,’ but you feel sluggish because thyroid receptors not able to accept thyroid hormone and you have lost your ‘mojo.’ Add to this scenario you are now producing more Oestrogen because of the production of E1 via the belly fat and the normal amounts of E2 via the ovaries and we are start to move into the subject about Oestrogen dominance.

From Oestrogen dominance more things affect the thyroid function
Inactive thyroid hormone, Thyroxine T4 can’t change into the active from Triiodothyronine T3 – which is the hormone you want plenty of!

The production of Reverse T3, (rT3) goes up. Reverse T3 is a mirror image of the active T3 hormone and binds to the same receptor. It stops that in its’ tracks and makes it inactive.

Normally some Reverse T3 is good, it is the natural way that Thyroid hormone self regulates. Incidentally this goes way up during stress, so that is why stress kills the thyroid function.

To make it more interesting, it is not just your body that makes these oestrogens, but the environment – man made that is – that is also throwing extra Oestrogens at you on a daily basis and these are called Xeno-Oestrogens. Without being too technical, they are Pesticides, Plastics, Petroleum products & synthetic hormones (OCP & HRT)

Where is this stuff found? Well, pretty well everywhere and in your food, so while you are living you are being exposed in one form or another, which is not really what you want to hear.

What can you do about it? Find out where your Oestrogens are. I strongly recommend a salivary female hormone test for every woman. The hormones free float in the saliva and are not bound by carrier proteins as in the blood. It is a simple saliva test in one little vial when you get up in the morning and you are done. It is best to do it on Day 21 for women still having periods and it doesn’t matter what day for women not having periods.
A saliva test is a simple and easy way to test your Oestrogens.

If you’d like to know more about this or other topics, you are welcome to join my free membership on face book. Thyroid, Metabolic, Hormone Harmony Hub. 

I’d love to see you there

Inspiring Wellness

 

Beth  

 

 

References
Sanesco NCAP Technical Guide (2014) Sanesco International Inc, Asheveille, NC 28804
Suzy Cohen RPh 2014Thyroid Healthy (1st Ed) Dear Pharmacist Inc, USA,
David Brownstein MD 2014 Overcoming Thyroid Disorders (3rdEd) Medical Alternative Press, West Bloomfield, MI 48323
Igor Tabrizian Dr Lecture Notes in Nutritional Medicine, Lecture 5, Introductory Course, NRS Publications Educations Series