Hormone imbalance due to perimenopause comes with a long list of physical and emotional ailments. Some more embarrassing than others.
If you’re dealing with constipation, diarrhea, bloating and excessive belching, you may be wondering: “Can hormone imbalance cause digestive problems?”
The answer is, yes. Fluctuating hormones due to perimenopause can absolutely cause digestive issues.
Take belching, for example.
Many perimenopausal women experience increased discomfort after eating. They may even experience an allergic reaction to certain foods and have difficulty breathing after. Other times, eating comes with excessive amounts of gas and belching.
And I when I say belching, I mean lots.
So much so that it can be hard to control. All that belching can make dinners out with friends embarrassing to say the least…
So what do you do?
Well, one option is to stop going out to dinner with friends all together. Just avoid the situation entirely and save yourself the embarrassment.
But that’s not what I would recommend. We need our friends and community to stay healthy and sane after all. Many functional medicine practitioners actually prescribe social contact to their ailing patients because they understand the benefits it provides. This need for family and friends becomes more crucial than ever during a woman’s perimenopause years.
A better solution to your digestive woes would be to get your diet and your hormones back on track. You may even want to do an elimination diet to see if you have any food sensitivities contributing to your digestive issues.
You would be surprised by how small changes to your diet can create lasting transformation in your health. The same quality foods that you put in your body will work double time to not only aid your digestion but to also to help stabilize fluctuating hormones during your perimenopause years.
So what kinds of food are good for your hormones and your stomach?
A good hormone boosting diet is not as complicated as you might think. A whole food, plant-based diet, rich in nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables is a good start.
But you don’t have to settle for eating salads all day long. Healthy fats like butter, eggs, ghee, coconut, avocado, olive and flax seed oils are all great for your health. You can even indulge in rich, yummy nuts and nut butters.
Meats and fish are also OK as long as they are organic and not filled with antibiotics and synthetic hormones. Try to eat some protein, plant-based or otherwise, at every meal.
So what foods should you avoid?
Almost anything packaged in a box. Sugar is your enemy, as is processed foods in general. Cheap refined carbs wreak havoc on your hormones so steer clear of those as well.
Sure, convenience foods make life easier but you pay a price with your health.
Eating a whole food diet may feel like more work in the beginning, but you quickly get used to it. And the pay off of lasting, vibrant health and reduced digestive problems make the little bit of effort, well worth it.
