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You are what you eat
How the food you eat builds your cells, hormones and brain chemicals, and why a few missing nutrients can affect your digestion, mood, sleep and hormones.
Everything you eat, drink, breathe and put on your skin is absorbed into your body. Your body then either uses it, for fuel and building blocks, or works to clear it out. It's very good at this, but when there's more to clear than nutrients coming in, things can get out of balance. That can show up in your hormones, skin, energy, digestion, sleep, mood, weight and blood sugar.
Why fats matter
Healthy fats do a lot of work in your body:
• They form the outer layer of every cell, which controls what moves in and out, such as nutrients, hormones and waste. Trans fats can take the place of healthy fats there, and cells don't work as well with them.
• They make up the myelin sheath, a protective layer around your nerves that helps messages travel quickly.
• They help you absorb vitamins A, D, E and K, which are absorbed best when you eat them with some fat.
• Cholesterol, a type of fat, is the building block for hormones like oestrogen, progesterone and cortisol.
Nutrients run your body's pathways
Thousands of chemical pathways in your body depend on vitamins and minerals. For example:
• Stomach acid. Making it relies on zinc and vitamins B1 and B6, and you then need that acid to absorb magnesium, iron and calcium. So poor digestion can lead to low nutrients, which affects other pathways.
• Hormones. Each step in making oestrogen, progesterone and cortisol needs certain nutrients. If one is missing, that step can slow down.
• Brain chemicals. Serotonin, which helps lift your mood, relies on nutrients like zinc, iron, magnesium and B vitamins. Your body then turns serotonin into melatonin, your sleep hormone, which is one reason magnesium matters for sleep. Noradrenaline, which gives you get-up-and-go, and GABA, which helps you feel calm, also depend on the right nutrients.
• Clearing used hormones. Your liver needs nutrients to break down and clear hormones and chemicals. If it can't keep up, they can build up. For example, oestrogen can become too high compared with progesterone, not because you're making too much, but because it isn't being cleared well. That can show up as acne, period problems, tiredness, anxiety, weight gain or mood swings.
That's why what you eat, and supporting your digestion and liver, can make such a difference, especially for your hormones. If you'd like help working out what your body needs, one of our Naturopaths, Nutritionists or Dieticians can look at your diet and lifestyle with you.
Why fats matter
Healthy fats do a lot of work in your body:
• They form the outer layer of every cell, which controls what moves in and out, such as nutrients, hormones and waste. Trans fats can take the place of healthy fats there, and cells don't work as well with them.
• They make up the myelin sheath, a protective layer around your nerves that helps messages travel quickly.
• They help you absorb vitamins A, D, E and K, which are absorbed best when you eat them with some fat.
• Cholesterol, a type of fat, is the building block for hormones like oestrogen, progesterone and cortisol.
Nutrients run your body's pathways
Thousands of chemical pathways in your body depend on vitamins and minerals. For example:
• Stomach acid. Making it relies on zinc and vitamins B1 and B6, and you then need that acid to absorb magnesium, iron and calcium. So poor digestion can lead to low nutrients, which affects other pathways.
• Hormones. Each step in making oestrogen, progesterone and cortisol needs certain nutrients. If one is missing, that step can slow down.
• Brain chemicals. Serotonin, which helps lift your mood, relies on nutrients like zinc, iron, magnesium and B vitamins. Your body then turns serotonin into melatonin, your sleep hormone, which is one reason magnesium matters for sleep. Noradrenaline, which gives you get-up-and-go, and GABA, which helps you feel calm, also depend on the right nutrients.
• Clearing used hormones. Your liver needs nutrients to break down and clear hormones and chemicals. If it can't keep up, they can build up. For example, oestrogen can become too high compared with progesterone, not because you're making too much, but because it isn't being cleared well. That can show up as acne, period problems, tiredness, anxiety, weight gain or mood swings.
That's why what you eat, and supporting your digestion and liver, can make such a difference, especially for your hormones. If you'd like help working out what your body needs, one of our Naturopaths, Nutritionists or Dieticians can look at your diet and lifestyle with you.
This video is general information, not advice about your own health. A practitioner can talk you through what it means for you.
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