MyKitchen - Issue 36 - October 2017

20 OCTOBER 2017

health check

ormones are chemical

messengers that signal

to the organs when it’s

time for certain actions to kick

off. Think of processes such as

hunger, growth spurts, sexual

development, ovulation and

breast-feeding. In the human

body, hormones are produced

by various organs, such as the

ovaries in women, the testes in

men, the adrenal and pituitary

glands, thyroid, and pancreas.

Together, this whole network

of organs is called the endocrine

system. ‘The endocrine and the

nervous systems are integrated

at multiple levels and regulate

all bodily functions,’ explains

Dr Tanya Kinvig, a Cape Town

endocrinologist. ‘If the glands

do not function well or if your

organs do not respond to the

hormones effectively, you will

experience problems.’ Thus, it

is essential that this system is

functioning correctly.

INFLUENCING FACTORS

Dr Kinvig says there are many

factors that influence the health

of your endocrine system. These

may include stress, disease and

ageing. ‘However, there’s a strong

correlation between all of these

conditions and the food that we

eat. “Let food be thy medicine

and medicine be thy food” is a

quote attributed to Hippocrates

and it is as true now as it was

more than 2 400 years ago.

‘Eating a healthy, balanced

diet that includes foods with a

variety of colours and textures

(such as fruits and vegetables

in their most natural forms) and

reducing processed foods and

refined sugar has an impact, not

only on maintaining a balanced

endocrine system, but also on

cardiovascular health and the

risk of cancer,’ says Dr Kinvig.

EATING FOR HORMONAL HEALTH

Since your endocrine system is

a dynamic, integrated network,

keeping it in tip-top condition

and making the most of your

genetic heritage means that you

should take a holistic approach

to your diet and lifestyle. That

said, there are a few specifics

to look at.

Cut down on alcohol

Your liver and your kidneys are

important for the metabolism of

hormones, says Dr Kinvig. Once

your body has what it needs, the

excess is processed by the liver

and makes its way out of the

body as waste. But, when liver

functioning is impaired, these

hormones build up in the body.

Oestrogen dominance is a

good example of this. Weight

gain around the hips and thighs,

menstrual problems or intense

H

FOOD

& your

HORMONES

When your body’s chemical balance

is out of whack, so are you

words LENA SOTHERIN

pg20 Health Check Hormones.indd 20 2017/08/25 11:16 AM