Diet in Addition to Hormone Replacement Therapy
When beginning a hormone replacement regimen, it’s not only important to follow your doctor’s directions for the hormones and medications. There are also many changes in your daily life that your doctor will usually tell you to alter. One of the first, and most important, is your diet.
Some people have said that they feel the best if they eat a low carbohydrate diet, while others feel best on a high fiber, high complex-carbohydrate diet. Some people have discovered that one of the best diets is the Zone Diet, created by Dr. Barry Sears, while others feel best on the Blood Type Diet, a vegan diet, or macrobiotic diet. Some will obviously work better than others depending on your body type. The best way to start is by consulting your physician or a nutritionist since some people have food allergies, and find out the best diet for you. How you feel is the first and most important thing in this type of therapy. “Biochemical individuality” is the term used to find out exactly what is best for you and your needs. Just as each of us have a different face and body type, each of us also have unique biochemical needs which are represented by the foods and supplements which help us reach optimum nutrition and make our bodies reach their health potential. It’s best not to try to find this out on your own, because a physician or nutritionist will be able to help lead you in the direction that will be most beneficial for your body.
Most Americans eat poorly, so the next step is to find out the “goods” and the “bads” of what you eat from day to day. A start to healthy eating is to clean out your cabinets. Get rid of all the highly fattening, sugary foods, and food that are re-structured “trans” fats such as hydrogenated vegetable oil, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, or vegetable shortening. They’ve also been associated with atherosclerosis, some types of cancer and all inflammatory illnesses, like, arthritis, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome and more. These fats play at least as large a role in heart disease as do saturated fats. You’ll find them in most crackers, cookies, and packaged foods. Foods with lots of preservatives and additives are no good either. These are just empty calories and deplete the actual vitamins you should be getting.
An easy start to eating healthier is just by eating local foods that are in season. That way you know that they haven’t been ridden with preservatives to be shipped from another state or country. Another easy way to know if a food has a lot of preservative in it is whether or not you know it will spoil. If it will, you know that it’s natural and still containing the vitamins and minerals it’s supposed to. An array of fruits and vegetables are great, as well as food with high fiber. Fruits and vegetables also provide us with fiber and each month we find out more and more about the positive effects they have on protecting us from heart disease as well as cancer. Water is another important basic in keeping our bodies hydrated, as well as cleansing our body naturally of toxins and other terrible stuff we encounter naturally daily.
This is just a brief start to the basics of eating healthier. Look into what diet you think might be the best one for you before making any dramatic changes in your diet. And always, consult with your physician first!
