To help you prepare for the busiest time of the year, I’m sharing some tips on how to eat to support your hormones over the holidays.

Most women report that January is a challenging time of the year! Its no surprise really, especially after months of indulgences that aren't the best for our 50+ year old body.  It can start with Halloween candy in October continuing with holiday feasts, social events, wrapping up work projects - all of which often leave us feeling sleep deprived and stressed.

So, not only are we dealing with the peri/menopause hormonal changes, add holiday stresses on top of that and our body undergoes even more hormonal imbalances. These imbalances may show up through the weight getting more stubborn, troubled digestion, increased belly bloat, more aches/pains, a spike in cravings and energy slumps. 

To help you avoid that January holiday hangover I have a few ways you can continue to support your hormones this holiday season.

6 TIPS ON HOW TO EAT TO SUPPORT YOUR HORMONES OVER THE HOLIDAYS

#1 Eat Your Breakfast

Breakfast, or as I call it the first meal of the day, is key for setting the tone for the day. Enjoying a breakfast with the right balance of protein, healthy fats and fibre rich foods is super important for balancing blood sugars levels, which helps prevent our body from crashing in the afternoon and prevents triggering of cravings PLUS it keeps your cortisol hormone from rising too quickly and creating additional stress in your body PLUS it helps to keep the insulin hormone from spiking which means it's in fat storage mode, so above all else we want to keep our insulin in check.

Bottom line, make sure you enjoy a breakfast balanced with healthy fats, quality proteins and fibre rich carbs.

Not sure what to eat for breakfast? Grab a copy of my free guide which includes one of my favourite breakfast recipes: 5 Simple Ways to Get Rid of the Middle Age Spread. 

#2 Lemon Water With Ginger

If you are waking up and feeling tired, the best thing you can do to bring energy back into your body is drinking water within the first half hour of waking up.

One of the main reasons we wake up tired is because while we slept, ideally 7-9 hours we were without water, so our body feels a little dehydrated first thing in the morning.

By drinking water water first thing in the morning, you are rehydrating the body, which also provides vital energy.

If you live where I am in Canada, it's no surprise as we head into winter and colder weather, we forget to drink water - and for those in the southern hemisphere in Australia/New Zealand, you might find it easier to drink your water as you head into your hot summer months - one trick that might help no matter where you live in the world, is to grate a little ginger and squeeze a lemon into your water. It adds flavour, refreshment and it's a great combination to help with digestion. 

#3 Eat to Feed Your Hormones All Day Long

It doesn’t have to feel overwhelming to eat for your hormones, just remember this quick formula; quality proteins + healthy fats + fiber rich foods = happy healthy hormones! And remember, it's not only the formula but it's the quantity & quality of each that will bring your body back into balance.

Eating in a way that supports your hormones keeps your energy stable, your moods balanced and your cravings low, plus when you get the formula right your body will also shed the stubborn excess weight with easy because we also balance the metabolic hormones.

If you are finding that you don’t have time to devote to cooking dust off your crockpot or carve out some time on the weekend for meal prep. It will save you time during the week plus you will have more energy when you are eating lots of nutrient dense foods that are super easy to make during this busy time.

Inside The Menopause Fat Loss Method the majority of meals are ready within 30 minutes, using every day ingredients - how easy peasy is that?

Feel free to Grab a copy of my free guide which includes a few recipes and examples of eating to feed your hormones: 5 Simple Ways to Get Rid of the Middle Age Spread. 

#4 Support Your Digestion

To help support your digestion I suggest slowing down while eating, take smaller bites and chew your food before swallowing then take a little walk after eating, even if it’s just the halls of your office or home to help aid with digestion.

Then take a look at your plate and make sure you have fibre-rich foods (part of that formula I referred to), fibre is essential for healthy digestion and digestion is key for hormonal balance. Try adding more dark leafy greens and veggies to your plate and aim for at least half of your plate to be filled with fibre rich foods.

If you aren’t already taking a probiotic, this will help support your digestion and keep your bowel movements regular. You can also add in some fermented foods like sauerkraut or even add apple cider vinegar (you can add this to the lemon water with ginger in the morning) to help with bloating and digestion. I also love a hot cup of good quality bone broth which is not only super nutritious, but it's super healing for our gut & digestion as well - especially when combined with an eating approach that supports healthy hormones. 

#5 Eat Before Drinking

If you are having holidays cocktails please remember to support your liver before and after. Before you go out, make sure you’ve had an MFL meal designed to balance your hormones and drink a ton of water! When you get home drink even more water. And when you wake up in the morning drink water, and have a MFL friendly breakfast with quality protein, healthy fat and fibre-rich foods to ensure you are eating to bring balance to your hormones. 

#6 Prioritize You! 

It’s a super busy time of the year so before you start overcommitting yourself, please block off days on your calendar for "you" between now and the end of the year. This way you still have time to do the things that you know support you and your hormone health. Whether it’s having time to move your body, cook a healthy meal or have some time to relax and enjoy the season. Also, it’s okay to say no! If you feel tired and stressed from too many holiday events its okay to decline invitations for a night at stay home to watch your favourite holiday movie.

That's it!

There you have it, my 6 tips to help ensure you continue to eat to support your hormones over the holidays. 

All I want for you is that you feel energized and hormonally balanced throughout this busy time of the year - so pick one or two of the tips I've highlighted above, you don't have to do them all, just pick what's doable for you and add them to your days during the next few weeks. The more you do to support your hormones, the better you'll feel after the busy holiday season, and the better you'll feel as you enter the New Year.

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones. 💕