10 Everyday Foods That Help Balance Hormones During Perimenopause (And Why They Actually Work)

Eat the rainbow!

Hormones Got You Feeling Off? Let’s Fix That - Starting with What’s on Your Plate

When I first started noticing the early whispers of perimenopause - irregular sleep, mood swings, fatigue that no amount of coffee could fix (actually coffee made it much worse because it trigged my anxiety!), I felt like a stranger in my own body. And like many women in midlife, I assumed it was just stress or lack of sleep. But underneath it all, my hormones were waving a big, red flag.

What I didn’t realise then is how much what you eat can either support or sabotage your hormones - especially during perimenopause.

And no, I’m not talking about an extreme diet or cutting out all the fun stuff. I’m talking about everyday, bioavailable, hormone-friendly foods that work with your body (not against it). The goal? To help you feel more like you again.

Let’s dive into 10 foods that support hormonal harmony, why they work, and how to make them part of your daily rhythm.

1. Cooked Leafy Greens: Magnesium + Detox = Mood Stability

You’ve probably heard that leafy greens like spinach and kale are great for your health - but did you know they can help with anxiety, poor sleep, and stress?

These greens are loaded with magnesium, a mineral that supports over 300 bodily functions - many of which are directly related to hormone regulation. Magnesium helps calm your nervous system, supports adrenal function, and can reduce the cortisol (stress hormone) spikes that wreak havoc during perimenopause.

🧠 Biohack Tip: Always cook your leafy greens. Raw spinach and kale contain oxalates, which can block nutrient absorption and irritate your gut. Lightly steaming or sautéing makes them easier to digest and enhances their hormone-balancing benefits. The book The Bulletproof Diet is loaded with biohack tips to support you.

📊 Stat: Around 75% of adults don’t meet their daily magnesium needs. This is one simple way to shift the odds in your favour.

2. Omega-3-Rich Fats: For Brain Fog, Inflammation + Mood

Healthy fats aren’t just trendy-  they’re essential. Omega-3s, found in salmon, sardines, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds, are building blocks for hormone production. They help your body produce estrogen and progesterone naturally, while also reducing inflammation and balancing cortisol.

💬 Women with higher omega-3 intake report fewer mood swings, less anxiety, and better cognitive function during midlife.

🧠 Biohack Tip: Add ground flaxseeds to your smoothie, top your salad with walnuts, or aim for fatty fish 2–3 times per week.

3. Cruciferous Veggies: For Detox + Estrogen Balance

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts contain compounds like indole-3-carbinol that help your liver break down and eliminate excess estrogen - a hormone that tends to spike and dip unpredictably during perimenopause.

This matters because estrogen dominance (too much estrogen relative to progesterone) can lead to bloating, mood swings, breast tenderness, and irregular periods.

🥦 Eat them cooked or lightly steamed, and if you’re brave enough to put them in a smoothie, soak them in lemon water first to break down potential gut irritants.

What I eat to detoxify watch it on YouTube

4. Avocados: The All-Round Hormone Helper

Man I love AVOCADOS!! Avocados are like nature’s multivitamin. They’re rich in potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and healthy fats - all of which support your adrenal glands (which regulate cortisol), help make progesterone, and stabilise your blood sugar.

👀 Why does this matter? Because blood sugar spikes and crashes are directly linked to hot flashes, energy dips, and irritability.

🥑 Add half an avocado to your breakfast or blend into a smoothie to stay full and balanced.

5. Fermented Foods: Heal the Gut, Help the Hormones

Here’s something not enough women are told: your gut health directly affects your hormones.

Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and unsweetened Greek yogurt introduce beneficial probiotics into your system, supporting a healthy microbiome. And a healthy gut helps with everything from estrogen metabolism to reducing inflammation, which makes managing perimenopause symptoms way easier.

🧠 Biohack Tip: Try a tablespoon of sauerkraut with meals or sip kefir as a snack. If you're dairy-sensitive, coconut yogurt is a great alternative.

📊 Stat: Up to 90% of serotonin (the feel-good hormone) is produced in the gut.

6. Seeds: Gentle Support for Shifting Hormones

Seed cycling might sound a bit woo-woo, but it’s based on science. Different seeds provide nutrients that support estrogen and progesterone production during different phases of your cycle.

• Flax + pumpkin seeds (days 1–14): support estrogen

• Sesame + sunflower seeds (days 15–28): support progesterone

🌻 These seeds contain lignans, zinc, selenium, and vitamin E—all of which are involved in healthy hormone creation and regulation.

🧠 Biohack Tip: Use a seed grinder and sprinkle on oats, smoothies, or salads daily.

7. Berries: Antioxidants for Stress + Estrogen Metabolism

Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries are loaded with antioxidants, which help fight oxidative stress - a major contributor to hormone disruption, fatigue, and even aging skin.

They’re also high in fiber, which supports gut health and helps with estrogen elimination via the bowels (yes, bowel movements are part of hormone balance!).

🍓 Frozen berries are just as potent as fresh and are perfect in smoothies or as a natural dessert.

8. Cinnamon: Blood Sugar + Cravings Control

Cinnamon isn’t just for your morning latte. It’s a powerful insulin-sensitising spice that helps reduce insulin resistance, one of the key contributors to hormone imbalance, especially in women with PCOS or blood sugar issues.

Stable blood sugar = stable estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol.

🧠 Biohack Tip: Add a teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon to your oats, smoothie, or herbal tea.

9. Turmeric: Liver Love + Inflammation Control

Curcumin, the star compound in turmeric, is a powerhouse for lowering inflammation, improving liver detoxification (goodbye, excess estrogen), and even modulating cortisol levels.

This bright yellow spice supports the liver in processing used-up hormones and flushing them out efficiently, preventing hormone buildup.

🧠 Biohack Tip: Pair turmeric with black pepper (which contains piperine) to boost absorption. A turmeric latte is a great hormone-friendly swap for coffee.

10. Quinoa: The Carb That Supports Your Hormones

Not all carbs are created equal. Quinoa is a complex carb with a high protein and fiber content, which helps stabilise blood sugar and supports steady energy and mood.

It’s also naturally rich in B vitamins, zinc, and magnesium - nutrients essential for hormone synthesis and stress resilience.

🍽 Use quinoa as the base for your lunch bowl or swap it in for rice in stir-fries.

Here's a simple formula:

✅ More color
✅ More fiber
✅ More healthy fats
✅ Fewer processed foods
✅ Cook with intention, not perfection

Try This: A One-Day Hormone-Friendly Meal Snapshot

Breakfast
Oats with ground flax, blueberries, a dollop of almond butter, and cinnamon

Lunch
Grilled salmon over a bed of quinoa, leafy greens, sauerkraut, and avocado

Snack
Chia pudding with raspberries + pumpkin seeds

Dinner
Stir-fried broccoli + cauliflower with turmeric chicken, served on brown rice

Drink
Herbal tea with a pinch of cinnamon or golden turmeric milk before bed

Start Small. Stay Curious. Feel the Shift.

Perimenopause doesn’t have to feel like a never-ending rollercoaster. Small, consistent changes to your plate can dramatically change how you feel—physically, emotionally, and mentally.

You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. Start with one food. One swap. One step back toward feeling like you again.

✅ Want more easy strategies like this?

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Which food are you most curious to try first? Tell me in the comments below!