You scream, we scream, we all scream for ice cream!!! Who doesn’t love ice cream any day of the week? Or better yet, “how about you buy the wings and I buy the pizza?”, I would often tell my friends before opening a bottle of wine. Most of our daily, nightly, weekly or even monthly pleasures as far as food is concerned can be more harmful than we know. And YES, I do mean that sip of freshly brewed coffee, a couple of wings at a party, that cheese dip you love oh so much and most definitely that burger from your favorite burger spot! I believe Hippocrates said it best “ Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food”, but have you ever heard of a slice of pizza curing anything or anybody? In order to be deliberate with your food choices, let’s evaluate alcohol/caffeine, meats/dairy, fiber, and fruits and veggies and I believe you will develop an intimate relationship with food and your healing.
By a show of hands who would order a cocktail with dinner when out with friends and family? ME!!! And did it matter to me whether I went to dinner once a week or five times a week? NOPE, GIVE ME MY COCKTAIL!!! Or better yet TGIT on ABC with a great line up Greys Anatomy, Scandal, and more recently How To Get Away With Murder and a group of your closest girlfriends a couple of bottles of wine didn’t stand a chance!!! Yes, I am aware that this is not a blog for AA (alcoholics anonymous), but I think you get my point. I would drink alcohol often and then drink coffee in the am in order to get a jump-start for the day. There is nothing like waking up to a freshly brewed pot of coffee in the morning or how it tastes when it first touches your lips with just the right amount of sugar and cream…HMMMM. Well lets say that all things in moderation and even though alcohol and caffeine should be AVOIDED, I partake occasionally. Although, the cause of fibroids may not be “known”, it is known that excessive estrogen makes fibroids grow and the goal is to decrease unnecessary estrogen in the body. What does that have to do with coffee and alcohol? I’m glad you asked. Alcohol and caffeine causes a lot of stress on the liver, preventing the liver from breaking down excessive estrogen. When the liver doesn’t have to filter excessive toxins such as alcohol or caffeine it’s free to process estrogen. So now I have one cup a coffee per week and limit my cocktails to only weekend outings.
Now for the meat and potatoes, meat is a staple in many homes across America and worldwide, however some of the hormones injected into meat is causing fibroid growth. Due to the growing population, meat especially chicken is in higher demand, but who has time to wait for a chicken to actually fully mature in 70 days? No one, so chickens are injected with growth hormones and antibiotics so that they will be ready for slaughter every 42 days. The current process of gathering chickens to be butchered causes an increase in hormones released into their meat before slaughter with a fast delivery to our breakfast, lunch, and dinner tables. Chicken injected with GH + cortisol+ antibiotics and other hormones released before slaughter = Fibroid growth. As far as red meat is concerned, they contain higher saturated fat that is strongly correlated to high estrogen levels. Pork “ the other white meat” and turkey have the same issues as chicken, but not produced, managed and slaughtered as much as chicken. I am a lover of seafood, but with that being said the same applies to fish. By all means everyone is not going to be a vegan or vegetarian, but please be deliberate with your meat choices, EAT Organic chicken, Organic poultry, Organic red meat and wild caught fish.
A good milkshake especially with a burger hits the spot every now then or an ice cream cone on a nice sunny day, but dairy is not your friend, especially if you trying to treat your fibroids naturally. Dairy products to include milk, yogurt, and cheese are high in saturated fats that contain estrogen, sugar components and sometimes antibiotics if the cow producing milk had mastitis and required treatment. A combination of estrogen, sugar, antibiotics and protein ingredients can increase hormonal load on a female= Fibroid Growth. Ladies even though that milkshake or a scoop of ice cream is great, please search for non-dairy options. i.e dairy products made from almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, but limit SOY. Limit soy because research isn’t exactly clear of it’s affects on fibroids.
Fiber is thought of as an aide to assist with bowel movements in the elderly and that is partly true but it also assist in regulating hormones by carrying excess estrogen out of the body via bowel movements. Sound like women of all ages could benefit, RIGHT! Fiber rich diets provide bulk to your stool and decreases bloating and constipation that is often a symptom of fibroids. Whole grains assists the liver in converting estrogen to estriol and ladies, let’s be honest, our liver needs all the help that it can get! Fiber can be found in several fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and what a better way for your body to heal, than through eating.
Ladies if you are truly interested in shrinking your fibroids that will ultimately lead to a better quality of life, be intentional, be DELIBERATE in your food choices. So a quick review shall we, eat foods that will aid in healing the body to include, but not limited to organic foods to decease exposure to phytoestrogens, green leafy and cruciferous vegetables which helps detox the liver and balance hormones, foods rich in Beta- carotene, flaxseed to balance estrogen in the body, and foods high in fiber and iron in order to combat anemia. That about sums it up… always remember, “ Our food should be our medicine and our Medicine should be our food”~ Hippocrates. Happy Healing… chewing one bite at a time!
This is a very informative article! Eat to live not live to eat! We should always be selective in what Foods we put in our body.
This was an awesome read. Remembering why we eat and what we want to get out of our food. I want healing and have been making better choices for sure. Always good to have a reminder that we are eating to live not for enjoyment. Keep up these informative posts.
Awesome article! Be intentional about what you put in your body.
Great post! Something everyone can get out of!
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