Hormone imbalance can cause everything from bloating and breakouts to missed periods and terrible cramps. Given the large number of processed foods that are readily available in our environment today, imbalances most often manifest as an overabundance of estrogen and/or low progesterone.

5 Common Signs of Hormone Imbalance

• Irregular cycles & PMS
• Infertility
• Bloating & digestive issues
• Acne
• Pelvic pain (cramps)

What Causes Hormonal Imbalance?

While many factors play a part, there are two leading causes of hormonal imbalance to look out for:

1. Nutrient Deficiency

• Due to the number of processed foods in our modern diet and depletion of nutrients in the soil, nutrient deficiency has become a leading cause of hormonal imbalance for women in the US.

• When your body is short on micronutrients, it begins cutting corners. This nutrient deficiency often results in an inability to produce and release enough progesterone to effectively end your cycle and bring on your period without significant side effects like PMS, bloating & acne.

• Due to the lack of incoming nutrients, your body uses the little iron, magnesium, zinc, and Vitamin D it does receive for essential survival functions — meaning fewer nutrients (if any) for your endocrine system.

2. Environmental Toxins

• Environmental toxins have increased 23 fold since 1947, and according to several studies, “growing outspread exposure to a number of different chemicals has caused multiple abnormalities in the reproductive system of women […]. Tens of millions of these chemicals are available in the global market, and even when administered in minimal doses, they have been described as endocrine disrupting chemicals or potential conditioners. Exposure to EDCs is extremely toxic and harmful to the reproductive system.”

• Without sufficient nutrients, our bodies are not able to eliminate environmental toxins as effectively as they usually would (if at all). This causes toxins to build up in our system, which often leads to symptoms like PMS, acne, stomach pains, and at times infertility — all indications that your body needs to rebalance.

How To Naturally Eliminate Toxins and Balance Your Hormones

Eating a nutrient-dense diet is key!

Enjoying a wide range of whole foods and increasing your intake of dark leafy greens, fiber-rich grains and seeds, and probiotics can help balance your estrogen and progesterone levels.

However, sometimes we want to indulge our sweet tooth, even though many of the foods we often turn to can push our hormones even further out of balance. That’s why Agni’s Medical Advisory Board identified the nutrients that women are most often depleted in and worked with food scientists and top chefs to turn them into foods that replenish those nutrients while also satisfying our cravings!

By replenishing these essential nutrients, you are not only supporting optimal hormone balance but also restful sleep, a strong immune system, healthy digestion, and ultimately — the healthiest version of you!

Food is an amazing way to get these nutrients in their most bioavailable (and tastiest!) form. All products are made with 100% whole ingredients and are free of gluten, soy, dairy, and processed ingredients to provide maximum healing benefits for your body.

Why These Foods Are Key to Hormone Balance

• Agni Double Chocolate Chip Cookies are rich in the most important nutrients women commonly lack, like magnesium, iron, selenium, and omega 3, which are essential for achieving optimal hormone balance and replenishing the nutrients and red blood cells lost during menstruation. Full of flax to support healthy digestion, these cookies also promote proper, regular elimination, which is essential for removing excess estrogen and toxins from the body — the cause of many painful period symptoms. These cookies also contain Shatavari, known in Ayurveda as the “queen of herbs” because of its powerful impact on hormone health.

•  Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies:  Full of flax and psyllium to support healthy digestion, these cookies promote proper, regular elimination, which is essential for removing excess estrogen and toxins from the body — the cause of many painful period symptoms.

• Peppermint Chasteberry Tea: In this tea, Chasteberry, brahmi, and red clover provide isoflavones and flavonoids that support cognitive health. Shatavari contains anti-inflammatory properties and is traditionally used to balance hormones. Peppermint and amalaki help to regulate excess heat in the body which can imbalance hormones.

• Sesame Nori Seasoning + Cinnamon Maca Seasoning: Independently, these two seasonings are nutritional powerhouses as they include magnesium, selenium, iodine, choline, and omega 3s. Together, they provide a powerful hormone-balancing practice called seed cycling, which involves eating ground pumpkin and flax seeds daily for the first half of your cycle and sesame and sunflower seeds for the second half. Seed cycling helps decrease PMS symptoms, triggers a period (for those with amenorrhea), and combat hormonal acne, abnormal bleeding, fatigue, infertility, sleep issues, and irregular periods associated with imbalanced hormones.

How Seed Cycling Works

• Menstrual + Follicular Phases (Day 1 – ovulation): Flax contains a type of phytoestrogen called lignans, which support the healthy production of estrogen needed to build the endometrial lining. Conveniently, these lignans also help protect the body from too much estrogen, which is vital in today’s world, given the ever-increasing exposure to environmental estrogen. Pumpkin seeds boost iron and zinc, which are critical for overall hormone health. These seeds are high in Omega 3, which is shown to further support hormonal balance and help reduce cramping during menstruation.

• Ovulatory + Luteal Phases (Ovulation – end of cycle): Sesame and sunflower seeds are abundant in vitamin E and zinc that promote progesterone production, critical during the luteal and ovulation phases. The lignans in sesame will continue to balance estrogen levels and ensure it is not too high relative to progesterone.

• For best bioavailability and absorption, we blend these seeds with additional healing ingredients to provide all of the nourishment your endocrine system needs to hum in health and happiness. In each box, you’ll find enough seasoning for two weeks of continuous one tbs/day use. Together, the two boxes have you covered for one month.

This article has been repurposed with permission from Agni