I’m Sarah, a Naturopathic Doctor, wellness enthusiast and health-foodie. I’m a well-being advocate and green kitchen guru who is living my true purpose while guiding patients through their personal health journeys. I’m also a complete and utter health food fanatic who wants to see everyone benefit from eating healing foods!
May 9, 2019 By Sarah White No Comments
Why you need to eat more healthy fats for balanced hormones.
A large portion of my hormone + fertility focused appointments revolve around optimizing my patient’s diets. Great hormonal health begins with the foods you’re putting in your body, so we naturally spend a good portion of time during initial consults discussing my patient’s daily food choices. At least once a day I have a new patient with PCOS, infertility, etc. sit across from me in a visit and proudly exclaim that they’re already doing a great job with their diet since stay far away from fats. This post is for you, my fat phobic females! Not only are dietary fats important for maintaining an ideal body weight and improving brain health, they’re also critical for optimal hormonal health and fertility.
Most fat is healthy, satiating and a completely necessary part of our diets. Dietary fats from healthy whole foods are especially important when it comes to your hormonal health because they provide the essential fatty acids needed to make hormones. In order to have healthy hormones we also need to have healthy cell membranes, which are made from fats and require lots of dietary fats in order to function optimally.
There’s a growing body of evidence suggesting that most female hormone problems actually start with an imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory lipid compounds called prostaglandins. These prostaglandins are fat-based molecules that play a role both in activating & eliminating inflammation. While some inflammation is necessary & even beneficial, excess inflammation causes a variety of health problems, including hormone dysregulation. Consuming an optimal amount of healthy fats (specifically those containing omega-3s: see below) can help increase the production of anti-inflammatory compounds in the body and resolve the root cause of many hormonal imbalances.
Before we dive into my favourite high-fat foods for hormones I feel it’s important to first differentiate between good and bad fats:
We have 3 main sources of dietary fats: trans, saturated and unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are a great choice to support optimal hormone health and may even reduce your risk of heart disease. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, specifically those containing omega-3 fatty acids, are particularly important for healthy hormones. Fatty fish is by far the best source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. And research suggests that increased dietary intake of omega-3s can balance hormones by reducing levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. My favourite sources of unsaturated and healthy saturated fats include:
The one thing that all researchers agree on: eating trans fats leads to a list of poor health outcomes including hormonal imbalances, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and even depression. Saturated fats in the form of processed foods have also been shown to increase your risk of heart attack (read more about the difference between “bad saturated fats” found in processed high-sugar foods and those found in natural sources like coconut in this fat-focused article). These are the top dietary sources of trans fats and saturated fats that should be avoided:
Here are some of my favourite high-fat healthy recipes. I typically make 1 – 2 of these recipes weekly to make sure that my husband and I always have some quick and easy healthy fats on hand:
Dr. Sarah White is a Naturopathic Doctor, Integrative health expert and the founder + CEO of This Doctor’s Kitchen — your evidence-based resource for all things health and wellness. Dr. Sarah takes a food-first approach to health with a focus in fertility, longevity and natural beauty. She is recognized as an expert in women’s hormones, thyroid health and anti-aging. Dr. Sarah is a published health author with features in Elle Canada, Best Health, EcoParent & Whole Family magazine.