Holiday season is here, and the question of nutrition is perhaps more relevant now than ever. Should your holiday fibroid diet be adjusted if you suffer from uterine fibroids, and if yes, then how? We will discuss the subject in detail in this article.
How Are Fibroids and Diet Related?
Uterine fibroids are benign tumors on the smooth muscles of the uterus. And we know that there are many factors for fibroid development. Hormonal disorders are at the top of the list; other factors like extra weight may contribute to the process. So can unhealthy fibroid diet (specifically, foods that boost estrogen).
Growth of fibroids is associated with estrogen dominance. This is why women who have fibroids often find that they shrink or disappear after menopause when estrogen levels are lowered. By paying attention to your diet (especially during the holiday season), you can influence your hormonal balance and tune up the internal ecosystem that is working with estrogen overload.
You can adjust your diet to support liver function, improve intestinal health, and reduce inflammation in your body. The
first step is to try to limit or eliminate foods that are hormone rich while increasing foods that can block estrogen. The second step is to enrich your daily diet with the right foods that will promote a healthy hormonal balance.
Fibroid Diet: 3 Key Foods to Minimize This Holiday Season
Dairy
Holiday cooking can include a lot of cream-based sauces, butter, sour cream, and other dairy products that can contain artificial hormones, including synthetic estrogen. It is sometimes used to speed up cattle growth and produce more milk. Antibiotics can also occur in ordinary dairy products. Some people are entirely lactose intolerant as dairy products can act as inflammatory foods causing unpleasant symptoms.
Tip: looking for safer dairy products? Try organic goat or sheep milk or nut (ex. almond) milk.
White Bread, Pasta, Potatoes
What is holiday season without an abundance of bread, pasta, and potatoes? All these are refined carbohydrates. They increase insulin levels, sometimes causing an imbalance in blood sugar which is a big factor in the hormonal imbalance. These foods [in large amounts] can also lead to a few extra pounds, and body fat is known to store excess estrogen. Women with higher BMI are at higher risk of faster fibroid growth.
Processed Red Meats
Processed red meats like salamis, sausages, and ham (often holiday favorites) are also the foods to watch out for if you have uterine fibroids. Such meats increase the chances of fibroid growth and are known to contain higher amounts of carcinogens.
Holiday Fibroid Diet: What Are Other Foods to Avoid?
Here is a short list of foods that also need to be limited or excluded from your holiday menu if possible:
- Alcoholic drinks
- Fatty meats
- Processed sugar
- Soy products
- Fatty cheeses
- Butter
- Smoked meats
What Can I Eat Then?
Generally, healthy female diet should contain a large number of foods with antioxidants. Women need to enrich their diet with foods that have the ability to lower cholesterol and promote healthy metabolism. You should eat home-cooked, fresh meals that do not contain preservatives and artificial flavors whenever possible. It is also recommended to eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits that are rich in flavonoids. Flavonoids are compounds that block estrogen production. They are most prevalent in colored fruits and vegetables, but are also found in dark chocolate and red wine.
Yum! Healthier Holiday Sides from Tasty
Women also need to enrich their bodies with vitamins on a daily basis, not just during the holiday season. The much needed B vitamins are found in citrus, nuts, fruits, asparagus, spinach, fish, meat, peas and parsley. Vitamins E, C, and A (tocopherol, ascorbic acid, and retinol) are found in spinach, broccoli, apricots, plums, kefir, lettuce leaves, sprouted grains, carrots, and eggs.
Orange and red foods contain lycopene that can slow down the development of fibroids. A large amount of lycopene is found in persimmons (that are in season in winter), carrots, apricots, grapefruit, watermelon, pumpkin, and tomatoes.
Remember, eating less sweets, flour, and unhealthy fats does not mean that you cannot enjoy the holidays. Today, there are so many recipes available online that almost any holiday dish can be made into a healthier version without sacrificing its special appeal and aroma. We hope that these tips will help you enjoy the holiday season without bloating, inflammation, and other unpleasant symptoms of uterine fibroids.
It’s also important to remember that while healthy, low estrogen diet can bring you symptom relief and slow down fibroid growth, it cannot eliminate fibroids entirely. If you want to get rid of fibroid symptoms without undergoing surgery, call the Atlanta Fibroid Center today at 770-953-2600 to find out more about UFE or click the button below to make an appointment online.
