Although it's tempting to think that ringing the bell after chemotherapy or radiation marks the end of our cancer experience, many of us soon realize that our journey with hormone therapy is just beginning.
Cancers that require hormones to grow, which include breast cancer, prostate cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer, often respond to hormone therapy either as a preventative measure or as a means of easing the symptoms of cancer. Although effective at starving cancer of its critical fuel, hormone therapy can cause a barrage of other side effects including weight gain, mood swings, and more.
Here are nutrition expert, radiation oncology therapist, and OneVillage contributing writer Sarah Kown's 5 best tips on how to keep your hormones in check naturally.
1. Protein should make up 30% of your diet.
Dietary protein provides essential amino acids that your body can't make on its own. There are a total of 20 necessary amino acids that are necessary for life, with 11 created by the body naturally. The other nine are referred to as “essential amino acids,” which are necessary to sustain life. But our bodies don’t create them, so we need to obtain them through the foods that are a part of our regular diet. Animal protein contains all 9 essential amino acids, but can often be inflammatory to the body. Grass fed beef, and organic chicken and fish are the best sources for animal protein.
2. Manage stress levels with exercise.
Stress can negatively impact our hormones, and movement of any kind has been proven to immediately reduce stress levels and normalize hormonal imbalances. Exercise and other physical activity produces endorphins, which improve our ability to enter into deep relaxation and sleep, which in turn reduces stress. Meditation, acupuncture, massage therapy, even breathing deeply can cause your body to produce endorphins, but physical exercise is the best overall for your cardiovascular health.
3. Avoid sugar and refined flour.
Studies have shown that sugar and white flower have a negative impact on hormone regulation, so it's best to consume at or under the recommended daily allowance of 6 added teaspoons of sugar per day. Although many myths exist that sugar will cause cancer to spread, that's not technically true. All cells in the body use sugar to grow, including cancer cells. The most important reason not to eat sugar is because it can lead to irregular sugar balances and weight gain, and cancer fueling hormones are released by fat cells.
4. Consume healthy fats.
Fatty fish, avocado, nuts and seeds can help reduce insulin resistance and stimulate the production of hormones that control appetite. These healthy fats help you to digest other nutrients in fruits and vegetables more efficiently, and also help you feel more satisfied after a meal and keeps you feeling full for longer. This will help combat weight gain and keep your immune system fueled with the right nutrition to maintain optimum functionality.
5. Take probiotics!
If you don't regularly consume fermented items, you should take a daily probiotic. An increase in "bad" gut bacteria can negatively affect hormone levels and increase stress hormones in the body and has been linked to several cancers. As you may or may not be aware, the average human has about 10 pounds of microorganisms in their intestines. Seeding this vast microbiome with healthy probiotics helps keep your immune system running at its best so it can quickly detect and kill off cancer cells.
6. Get consistent, high quality sleep.
A lack of sleep has been proven to decrease the hormones that make us feel full, increase appetite and stress hormones, and increase insulin resistance. Make sure to practice good sleep hygiene while you're doing hormone therapy! Sticking to a regular bedtime, keeping screen time to a minimum before and after you get into bed, and making sure you are getting movement in daily will all help to regulate your sleep.
Interested to learn more? Watch this short and informative video by nutrition expert, radiation oncology therapist, and OneVillage contributor Sarah Kown!
