When we talk about taking care of our bodies and hormones, it's easy to focus on the usual suspects: cutting down on sugar, getting more sleep, and finding time to exercise. But there's one crucial piece of the puzzle that often gets overlooked, especially for women: protein.
Protein is an essential nutrient that plays a primary role in maintaining balanced hormones. Find out why you should prioritize protein on your plate and how it can support your hormones to help you feel more balanced and energized throughout the day.
What is protein?
People often call protein the building block of life—and for a good reason. Every cell in your body contains protein, which is essential for building and repairing tissues, making hormones, and supporting your cell’s functions.
Unlike primary energy sources, like carbohydrates and fats, protein plays a role in almost every one of your body’s processes and is made up of smaller units called amino acids.
Your body can produce some of these amino acids on its own, while others—known as essential amino acids—must come from your diet. All of these amino acids work together to keep your muscles strong, your skin and hair healthy, and your hormones functioning properly.
Why is protein essential for hormone balance?
When it comes to your hormones, proteins are indispensable. For example, many hormones, like your thyroid hormones, are made from amino acids and help control your metabolism. So, eating enough protein gives your body what it needs to keep your metabolism running smoothly.
Maintaining hormonal balance becomes even more critical for women during certain life stages, like menstruation, pregnancy, and perimenopause. And protein plays a key role in supporting your hormones throughout these stages by producing sufficient estrogen and progesterone, which helps regulate your menstrual cycle, mood, and reproductive health.
So, when you eat enough protein, your body has what it needs to produce these hormones in the right amounts and at the right times. Plus, protein helps stabilize your blood sugar levels by slowing down how fast carbs are absorbed into your bloodstream, which helps prevent hormone imbalances and can reduce blood sugar spikes and crashes.
What happens when you don’t eat enough protein?
If you don’t eat enough protein, you might experience irregular periods, mood swings, and even weight gain as your body’s metabolic processes become less efficient. Low protein can also lead to muscle loss, which can worsen hormonal imbalances by reducing your body’s ability to manage your blood sugar.
Why do women tend not to eat enough protein?
Despite its importance, I’ve noticed that many women don’t get enough protein in their diets. More often than not, women are encouraged to focus on low-calorie meals and diets, which may lead to prioritizing carbohydrates and fats over protein. Or, our busy lifestyles can make it a challenge to plan and prepare protein-rich meals, leading us to rely on convenient foods that are often low in protein. There’s also a common misconception that protein is only necessary for highly active women who want to build more muscle.
How to Eat More Protein to Help Balance Your Hormones
Incorporating more protein into your diet doesn’t have to be complicated. Start by making simple swaps, like adding a handful of nuts to your morning oatmeal, choosing Greek yogurt over regular yogurt, or including lean meats, fish, or plant-based protein sources like beans and lentils to your lunch and dinner.
To make sure you’re eating enough protein, aim for a full serving at every meal. This could look like two eggs at breakfast, a piece of grilled chicken or tofu in your salad at lunch, and a full portion of salmon or beans at dinner. Keep protein-rich snacks like almonds, cheese, or yogurt on hand to maintain steady energy levels and satisfy any hunger you feel throughout the day.
At Neeshi, we understand how challenging it can be to meet your daily protein needs, especially when juggling a busy work schedule, family, friends—the list goes on. That’s why we created our products with women like you in mind, incorporating high-quality protein sources into foods that are nutritious and taste good.
Our products are packed with protein from ingredients like nuts and seeds, making them a perfect snack or breakfast to nourish your body and provide the hormone-balancing nutrients your body needs.
Find the right Neeshi products for you and gain initial hormone support.
Are you entering or in the midst of perimenopause? You may benefit from our Dark Cacao Spread.