Hi Reader,
If eating clean alone could fix your hormones, you'd already be feeling better.
So either you're doing it wrong, or clean eating isn't the all-in-one solution you think it is. (Hint: it's the latter.)
Let me tell you about a gal I know. She's 29, has dealt with gut problems and irregular periods her entire adult life. She was on birth control for 10 years, came off, and basically never had a normal cycle.
She has made a TON of changes to clean up her diet. Organic food. No processed anything. No gluten. She even did carnivore for several months to see if she could get some relief.
Still? Crazy PMS. Food sensitivities when she reintroduced plants. Periods all over the place.
Here's what she - and maybe you - are missing:
Clean eating doesn't automatically stabilize your blood sugar.
You can eat whole foods and still tank your energy with a fruit smoothie and chia seeds for breakfast. Without adequate protein and fat, you're on a blood sugar roller coaster that stresses your body and disrupts your hormones.
Clean eating doesn't heal your gut lining.
Sure, eliminating trigger foods reduces inflammation and you feel better. But if you haven't actually repaired the intestinal barrier, the second you eat dairy or gluten - boom. Back to square one.
Clean eating may just be step one of a very necessary multi-step process.
Clean eating doesn't address chronic stress.
And here's the kicker: if you're eating TOO clean (skipping meals, under eating, over-restricting) you may actually ADDING stress to your body. Which elevates cortisol, may create estrogen dominance, and keeps your cycles irregular.
This is why I use functional testing with my clients. A GI-MAP shows what's actually happening in your gut. A DUTCH panel reveals your stress hormone patterns. Because guessing - even educated guessing - isn't a strategy.
I break all of this down in this week's podcast episode, including:
- How to eat for blood sugar stability (not just "clean")
- Specific nutrients that actually repair gut lining
- Why stress might be the thing holding you back
If you've been eating clean for months (or years) and still feel stuck, this episode is for you.
Talk soon,
Bridget
Bridget Walton, NTP, IC-FHS
Women's Hormone Coach
Founder of I'm Hormonal
P.S. If this email resonated, hit reply and tell me - have you been eating clean but still struggling? I read every response.
