A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Woman – Part 2

The general focus of the diet…
The diet should be as clean as possible. This means eating food that contains NO unnecessary additives, preservatives, hormones or hormone-mimicking chemicals (xenoestrogens), sugars, or trans fats/hydrogenated fats. Eating only natural, unprocessed foods (in itself) will ensure that all these biochemically and hormonally disruptive substances are kept to an absolute minimum. 

Highly beneficial foods…
Nutritional science has come a long way, and it is now known that the following foods are highly beneficial for proper hormone production and healthy oestrogen metabolism.

Legumes – e.g. chickpeas, lentils and beans in general – mung beans are easy to soak and cook in 45 mins, and are very quick and easy to sprout. Mung beans have one the best nutritional profiles of all beans, and are easy to use in soups, salads or stir-fries.
Whole and ground Indian spices and herbs – fenugreek seeds (wonderful when sprouted), cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger root, and fennel. Grind 2-3 in a coffee grinder and use fresh, in any dish.
Unpolluted oily fish (and other quality fish) and fish oil – choose high-grade unpolluted fish oil capsules. If you don’t like fish, eat plenty of green veg, seeds such as linseeds and sunflower seeds, and the following…
TRUE whole grains – brown basmati rice, wild rice, quinoa, millet, barley, rolled oats, oatbran, wheat berries and rye berries (these are the whole wheat and rye grains, which when soaked and cooked have a lovely chewy texture).

Cruciferous vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts – Other beneficial vegetables include all winter and summer squashes, fennel, kale and spinach and watercress.
Ground/milled flaxseeds – 1-2 tablespoons per day
Other seeds – sunflower and pumpkin seeds
Almonds and walnuts – good source of vitamin E and healthy fats – use in moderation, i.e. a palmful a day
Berry fruits (especially blueberries, raspberries, blackberries etc.)
Melon and cleansing citrus fruits such as lemons and fresh limes – warm/hot water with a little fresh lemon juice is the best way to start the day.
Soya foods and fermented soya foods – tofu, edamame beans, miso or Tamari as cooking flavourings. This list does not include processed soya foods such soya sausages/burgers, soya milk. Choose only natural soya protein, and fermented soy foods, as described.

Highly beneficial drinks…
Organic Green tea – steep for 5-10 minutes
Red grape juice (best taken ½ and ½ with water) or Pomegranate or Cherry juice
Miso soup – you can buy sachets or just add hot water to a tsp of miso paste
Filtered water with a little lime or lemon juice – remember that urine colour is an excellent indication of hydration status. It should be pale yellow/straw colour the majority of the time… so drink enough water and other fluid to achieve this. Drinking sufficient water is vital for normal kidney function and excretion of oestrogen via urine.

Meal ideas…
The majority of the meals and foods I have chosen contain slow-releasing carbohydrates, and many of the foods listed above. Slow-releasing carbohydrates (often call “complex” or low-glycaemic foods) are digested and broken down in the gut relatively slowly, releasing their sugars steadily into the bloodstream. This results in a steady rise in blood sugar, sustained energy, as well as efficient fat breakdown and hormone control. Eating complex carbohydrates help increase and control energy levels; aids weight loss, and controls and encourage a natural appetite. 

Re: Women’s health and hormone balance…
Eating natural whole foods keeps insulin levels low – high insulin increases testosterone and oestrogen production leading to potential oestrogen and/or testosterone dominance in relation to progesterone

Breakfast
* Berries with plain yogurt, seeds, lime and cinnamon – Combine ½ a punnet of blueberries and ½ a punnet of raspberries with 100g of plain live yogurt. Mix in 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds with the juice of ½ lime. Sprinkle with ½ tsp of ground cinnamon, and serve. 
* A small bowl of oat porridge (30g oats) or cooked oatmeal made with water, or almond or rice milk, with ½ grated apple, and a small handful of whole almonds, or sunflower seeds.
* Smoothies in a glass – A blend of raspberries and strawberries, yogurt, almond milk, and 2 tablespoons of ready milled/ground flaxseeds (available from some supermarkets or health food shops), or wheatgerm. This meal provides essential fats, protein and fibre and flaxseeds (or other seeds) add a nutty taste to the mixture. A great start to the day!

Lunch
Chickpea dahl with dark green leafy and baby vegetable salad – gently fry off ½ tsp each of fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and ground cumin. Add ½ can of chickpeas and 100g of cherry tomatoes. Cook gently for 10-15 mins. Make a salad of green leaves, chopped coriander, and add mange tout peas, sliced beetroot, cucumber, and sliced raw fennel. Drizzle with a little olive oil, balsamic or cider vinegar, and a little lemon juice. Serve with a slice of rye bread.

Dinner
Salmon or marinated tofu and cruciferous veg stir-fry. Use a variety of cruciferous vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and stir-fry with onion, garlic and ginger. Use Tamari or a spoon of miso (try brown rice miso) mixed in a little water as a base or marinade. Stir in flaked salmon, or 100-150g of cubed tofu, tossing the mix until the vegetables are “al dente”… cooked but with a slight crunch!

Snacks if and when you need them…
* A small handful of organic whole almonds or walnuts
* Raw vegetable crudités with or without hummus
* A small bowl of sliced melon, blueberries and raspberries
* Red grapes and pumpkin seeds
* ½ avocado
* A small handful of raw coconut

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