Hormone balancing food shopping list for 2021

Everything we consume has an effect on our health (positive or negative) and if we support our bodies by nourishing them with whole, real food we are optimising our potential to feel vibrant, happy and healthy, to feel and look amazing and be empowered to do the things we want to.

It is true that by eating a natural whole unprocessed diet we can support our hormone health at every stage of our life from our 20s into our 70s and beyond i.e. through early adulthood, Perimenopause & Menopause and Post Menopause.

There are over 50 hormones in the body and these hormones work in a delicate balance with each other (like a well- orchestrated symphony) and one of the biggest culprits behind hormonal imbalances is this lack of a nutrient dense diet from mainly whole foods.

The procurement and therefore availability of optimal foods is a key first step in achieving and maintaining hormone balance. When I start working with a client, often the initial focus will be to guide them towards achieving this by providing personalised shopping lists, links to products I want them to buy, key staples I want them to have in their cupboards, fridges and freezers.

So if you are looking for a happier healthier you in 2021 invest some time into buying these key staples for your cupboard / larder. You could always ask for a gift of health by adding them to your Christmas gift list and in the New Year ensure your first shopping list for the fridge includes staples from the fridge list below.

Foods for the larder

• Tins of fish in olive oil or spring water: salmon, sardines, mackerel. anchovies
• Tins of organic pulses: cannellini, chickpea, butter bean, pinto, lentils
• Organic jumbo oats
• Raw organic nuts (organic taste sooo much nicer!): brazils, walnuts, almonds, cashew
• Organic seeds: flaxseeds, pumpkin, sunflower, chia
• Rice: basmati, wild, red camargue
• Dried pasta: brown rice, red lentil pasta, edaname and mung bean
• Buckwheat: buckwheat flour, buckwheat flakes
• Miso paste, tamarind paste, harissa paste, tahini, nutritional yeast, tamari (gluten free) soy sauce
• Raw organic apple cider vinegar
• Organic honey, maple syrup
• Oils: extra virgin olive oil, unfiltered olive oil for cooking, coconut oil, sesame seed oil
• Vegetable stock (kallo gluten free)
• Teas: green, turmeric, dandelion & fennel, peppermint, rooibos, and for evening – chamomile or valerian
• Chocolate: 85% – 95% preferably (work up to this and you won’t go back!)
• Protein powder: whey or hemp or vegan

Foods for your fridge

• Unwaxed lemons and limes (don’t want to eat Wax!)
• Seasonal berries: all
• Cruciferous and green vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, bok choi, chard, rocket, spinach, watercress
• Fresh herbs and sprouted Seeds: coriander, parsley, basil, mint, pomegranate
• Salad vegetables (all year round): dark salad leaves, peppers, celery, tomatoes, spring onions etc
• Squashes & root vegetables: onions, leeks, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, parsnips
• Seasonal fruit: apples, oranges, satsumas, pears

Foods for Fridge / Freezer

• Frozen berries
• Goats / feta / halloumi
• Chicken breast
• Turkey mince
• Oily fish
• Organic / free range eggs
• Organic beef steak
• Prawns
• Olives
• Hummus
• Unsweetened nut milks (with no guar gum): coconut, almond
• Yoghurt: coconut or natural full fat greek or skyr
• Unpasteurised / organic butter
• Avocado
• Raw ginger