Female Specific Food for Fantastic Health by Ben Pratt
Men and women are very different on the outside, but there are many differences on the inside, both anatomically and functionally.
Female specific nutrient requirements are driven by their ability to conceive, carry a baby to full term and feed the newborn for the first months of its life. Whether or not a woman wishes to have children, she will feel healthiest when she has regular, smooth, pain-free monthly cycles. This is a clear indication that a woman's body is working in accordance with natural laws that govern life on planet earth. It is truly fascinating to learn that the word menses originates from the word ‘month' from a time when the months were not governed by the number of days, but by the lunar cycle. A full lunar cycle takes 28 days to complete the same as a well balanced menstrual cycle. Many women report that they menstruate at the new moon or full moon and then ovulate on the opposite phase. This is becoming less common with many elements of Western life interfering with natural hormonal controls. The closeness of the moon to the earth creates the ebb and flow of the tides of the sea. If the moon can control such a great mass of water it seems no less plausible that it can affect the accumulation and loss of fluid within the womb.
In order for a woman to experience optimal health her body needs to be producing the right balance of hormones at the right time in relation to these lunar cycles. Oestrogen levels continually rise from the first day of the menstrual cycle and then drop sharply between days 12 - 14 in preparation for ovulation. Following ovulation, often on day 15, oestrogen remains low whilst the other reproductive hormone, progesterone, rises rapidly during the second half, subsequently dropping towards the end of the 28 day cycle to allow for the release and removal of the uterine lining.
This delicate cycle needs to be nurtured and supported in order to remain healthy. Unfortunately this undulating balance can be easily upset in our modern world where external sources of oestrogen are sneaking into the body undetected. Our food, especially industrially produced fruits and vegetables, are laden with herbicides and pesticides routinely sprayed on crops and petrochemical residues, called xenoestrogens, from the plastics they are packed in. These compounds have oestrogen mimicking effects and disrupt the fragile balance of our hormones, abnormally boosting oestrogen levels.
Many women today take the contraceptive pill, some without a full understanding of how it prevents pregnancy. The most commonly used types function by elevating oestrogen levels for the first 21 days of the menstrual cycle. This assures oestrogen remains elevated particularly during the 3rd week of the cycle, the crucial time when fertilisation can take place. Without the drop in oestrogen and elevation of progesterone following conception the egg will not become implanted in the uterus and is flushed out.
Some studies have shown that plant sources of phytoestrogens, the most potent coming from soy, can cause hormonal disruption and have the potential to cause infertility, hypothyroidism and even breast cancer. Chronic high levels of oestrogen in the blood may go unnoticed as symptoms are not always recognised as being related. Symptoms include:
• Pre-menstrual tension
• Heavy or irregular bleeding
• Fluid retention
• Weight gain particularly around the hips, buttock and thighs
• Aggravation of asthma and allergies
• Mood swings and bouts of depression
A woman's nutrient needs should focus around balancing oestrogen levels, reducing pre-menstrual tension (PMT), optimising essential fatty acid (EFA) balance and settling at a desirable body fat level. The body has two systems to regulate and detoxify excess oestrogen using enzymes in the liver. One system, called the 2-OH pathway, is non-toxic and even beneficial, but the other system, called the 16-OH pathway, is carcinogenic and has been linked to cancers of the breast, uterus and cervix. Many of these oestrogen mimicking compounds push the body towards the more toxic 16-OH pathway. Food intake needs to support oestrogen balance by pushing excess hormones towards the beneficial 2-OH detoxifying pathway. This will promote good health, alleviate PMT, reduce fluid retention and allow for mobilisation of body fat particularly around the buttocks, hips, and thighs.
A successful dietary approach would encourage the removal of typical craving foods that create further imbalance, such as coffee, tea, alcohol, chocolate and refined sugars. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts contain nutrients that help to block the damaging oestrogen detoxification pathway and support the beneficial pathway. These should become a weekly part of every woman's diet. These should be supported by the inclusion of foods that provide adequate amounts of vitamins A, E and B6, calcium, magnesium and essential fatty acids. It is best that food be obtained from reliable, naturally grown or reared, organic produce where possible so as to guarantee no detrimental pesticides or petrochemical residues. These natural foods will support the body to correctly regulate oestrogen and allow the ebb and flow of a 28 day reproductive cycle from new moon to full moon. Fluid retention will ease and an appropriate body fat level will more easily be obtained. Daily moods will also become more stable across the month, which will lead to happier women and in turn happier men!
