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Found: These 5 Snacks Will Help Balance Your Hormones

Are you prone to afternoon or late-night snack attacks? If so, you aren’t alone!
 
A lot of people identify as ‘snackers’ and would prefer to graze all day than to have three square meals. But did you know that if your snacking habits are driven by cravings, it may be a sign of a blood sugar imbalance? This kind of imbalance also affects your hormones.
 
This article will share information on blood sugar imbalances and hormone imbalances, along with a few tasty ways to address them.
 
When you have a hormone imbalance such as adrenal fatigue, PMS or menopause, you’re prone to insulin resistance. This is because a hormone imbalance is a form of stress on the body, and your body doesn’t efficiently use the sugar (read: energy) from your blood.
 
Because of this, you might experience brain fog, weight gain, moodiness, and especially that low-energy dip later in the day.
 
These types of hormone imbalance cause you to crave sugar for instant energy. However, the remedy is to reduce your sugar intake and instead eat protein and fat to stabilize your blood sugar.
 
Maybe you can identify with the following scenario . . .
 
You’re at work and you’ve been hitting roadblocks all day. You’re under the pressure of deadlines, and you have barely left your desk. Someone asks if they can grab you anything from the coffee shop, and you immediately brighten at the thought of a small bag of chips or your favorite latte.
 
When they get back with the loot, you down your snack quickly and return to your work, only to notice the craving’s back! You question whether you should’ve just skipped the snack or settled for a cup of tea and a granola bar… But here’s why it’s important to listen to your cravings and how you can actually satisfy them.
 
 

Listen To Your Cravings

It’s unwise to ignore or avoid your cravings. The body uses sensation to communicate its needs to you, and heeding the sensations is one way to maintain our health. Some other examples of your body’s messages include feeling thirsty when you’re dehydrated and pain or tension in your muscles when you need to move and stretch.
 
When you notice thirst or pain, it’s a good idea to stop what you’re doing and care for your body’s needs.
 
Ultimately, if you ignore your body’s signals, stress increases and the ability to make informed decisions decreases. In the case of cravings, you might weaken to the temptation and grab whatever is in sight.
 
If you choose the wrong snack, your body won’t be able to balance your blood sugar and the craving will persist, leading to dissatisfaction (and possibly more snacking!). Instead, be proactive and make hormone-balancing snacks to give your body what it truly needs.
 
 

Hormone-Balancing Foods

A hormone-balancing food is one that serves to promote hormone balance. I mentioned how when blood sugar is off, the hormone insulin is off, and that has an effect on your body’s ability to prioritize the production of other hormones.
 
When you stabilize your blood sugar, you prevent a disruption to your hormone balance.
 
Hormone-balancing snacks include the essential triad of fat, protein and fiber. Here’s how they work magic on your cravings:

Fat

Fat is required to stabilize blood sugar and stop insulin from retreating after your body has digested your snack. Good sources of fat are grass-fed butter, sugar-free organic nut butter, or avocado.

Protein

Your body needs protein, and getting enough protein daily will stop your craving in its tracks. I find protein is the anchor for my blood sugar – a little goes a long way. Try a small piece of meat, beans or a scoop of some of your favorite protein powder.
 
Wondering if you’re getting enough protein in your diet? Here are 10 Unexpected Signs
 

Fiber

Fiber gives you that full feeling and it’s usually where you get the ‘crunch’ from. Think fresh, crunchy veggies or fruits.
 
 

Here Are 5 Easy Hormone-Balancing Snack Ideas

You can modify your go-to snack by making sure it has fat, protein and fiber. If you need some inspiration, try one of these 5 simple hormone-balancing snacks:
 
1. A quarter cup of hummus with a handful of your favorite chopped veggies
 
2. 4 celery sticks plus 2 tablespoons of sugar-free nut butter
 
3. 8 olives, 2 slices of prosciutto and cucumber slices for crunch
 
4. A piece of smoked salmon wrapped around 2-3 cold, steamed asparagus spears
 
5. A quarter cup of Easy Chocolate Avocado Pudding (see recipe below)
 

Easy Chocolate Avocado Pudding Recipe

 
This is an easy fix for a sugar or chocolate craving, and the addition of protein powder helps to balance your blood sugar. The pudding is a great dairy-free alternative to chocolate ice cream if you use frozen banana chunks!
 
Feel free to get inventive and create your own version of this recipe based on banana, avocado and cacao powder.
 
Ingredients:

 
Directions:
In a high-powered blender or food processor, combine the banana and avocado until smooth. Add a bit of water if required. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until combined. Enjoy!
 
 

Transform Your Cravings With Hormone-Balancing Foods

Listen to your cravings! They are a sensation to be respected, just like fatigue, thirst or to relieve yourself. Your craving could be a sign of a blood sugar imbalance, which is disruptive to your hormone balance. Prepare for cravings by having your favorite hormone-balancing snack options on hand.
 
Just remember to incorporate fat, protein and fiber, and your snack will help you balance your blood sugar, your hormones and satisfy your taste buds!

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Madeline MacKinnon

Madeline MacKinnon is the founder of Natural Hormone Healing and is a leading expert in the emerging fields of herbal culinary arts, elixir-crafting and tonic herbalism. Madeline teaches across western Canada and runs online courses on Adrenal Fatigue Recovery, Elixir Crafting and Eating For Your Cycle. Madeline teaches women how to balance their hormones through functional nutrition and holistic lifestyle changes. Find out more at naturalhormonehealing.com

naturalhormonehealing.com

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