Is the Hormone Reset Diet a Good Option for You?

There is never a lack of diet and fitness trends claiming to hold the key to simple, long-term weight loss. The ketogenic diet (low carbohydrate, high fat), the carnivore diet (only consuming meat and other animal products), and intermittent fasting (eating only within a timeframe or on certain days). are some of the most recent prominent diet fads. On the other hand, the hormone reset diet claims to restore people’s malfunctioning hormones.

Sara Gottfried, MD, a gynaecologist, developed the hormone reset diet to help people lose weight by resetting their metabolic hormones. Its primary focus is hormone variations that can negatively affect a person’s weight, and it also looks at other factors that can lead to obesity and other chronic disorders.

The hormone reset diet is a 21-days, three-step program that combines diet, exercise, nutritional supplements, and cleansing to promote hormonal balance and a healthier body. The diet controls what you eat and when to eat to get the most out of your hormones.

The Mechanism of a Hormone Reset Diet

Phase one starts by detoxifying the body by eliminating numerous dietary groups. These foods include gluten, cow dairy, various oils, peanuts, sugar, artificial sweeteners, red meat, citrus, alcohol, and caffeine. Throughout this phase, you must also take anti-inflammatory foods and supplements such as omega fatty acids and probiotics.

In phase two, you’ll reintroduce various foods while monitoring your body’s reaction to each one. This phase is still limiting, requiring you to avoid “hormone-disrupting” foods. These items include fish with high mercury levels, non-organic meat and coffee, dried fruit such as raisins and dates, peanuts, and high fructose corn syrup. Processed foods, artificial sweeteners, nitrates, and refined grains are also off-limits during this time.

Phase three includes more physical activity, such as cardiovascular and strength training, while maintaining the same diet as phase two.

Foods That You Can Eat on a Hormone Reset Diet

Vegetable

Vegetables are the most vital foods to eat for a hormone reset diet. People on the hormone reset diet should consume at least one pound of vegetables daily. These vegetables should be organic, seasonal, and grown locally if possible.

These include celery, carrots, spinach, kale, broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, cauliflower, lettuce, bell peppers, bok choy, radishes, squash, cucumber, turnip, and other vegetables will be plentiful. If you use frozen vegetables in a soup or another recipe, ensure they’re free of sugar and chemicals.

Low Fructose Fruit

Throughout the hormone reset diet, avoiding fruits with a lot of sugar will be necessary. On the other hand, you can enjoy fruits with a low fructose content, such as lemons, limes, coconut, avocado, olives, and berries are a few examples.

These vegetables should preferably be organic, in season, and farmed as close to home as possible. Also, you can buy lemons in bulk if you plan to drink lemon water daily as part of your diet.

Eggs

Eating organic, free-range eggs can be an excellent source of protein and healthy fats. Free-range chickens permitted to roam freely are healthier than hens kept in confined cages, and their eggs are more nutritious.

They are higher in vitamin A and omega-3 fats and are bacteria-free. You should only eat organic free-range eggs while on the hormone reset diet.

Poultry Food

This diet forbids the consumption of red meat. On the other hand, you can consume poultry such as chicken and turkey as long as it is organic and free-range.

Chickens and turkeys are healthier when they are free to wander and forage for their food, and their meat is more flavorful and of more excellent quality because it is free of antibiotics.

Cold Water Fish

Include cold-water fish, particularly wild-caught rather than farmed, in your diet. These fishes are lower in mercury and higher in omega-3 fatty acids, which benefit your health.

Cod, Alaskan salmon, mackerel, trout, sardines, anchovies, herring, sturgeon, crab, clams, oysters, and scallops, are all excellent choices. Organic fish bone broth is also a healthy addition to your diet and may be used to make delectable soups.

Stevia Leaves or Pure Stevia Sweeteners

If you enjoy dark chocolate, you’ll be happy to learn that it’s allowed and that there is a wide range of dessert ideas to keep you satisfied. However, according to this diet, sweeteners such as stevia leaves or pure stevia sweeteners are better substitutes for sugar.

Foods to Avoid in a Hormone Reset Diet

Dairy Products

Milk and its derivatives are considered one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. Many people think dairy products are superfoods that can help them lose weight. They can, however, upset your hormonal balance. Milk can cause gastrointestinal irritation and hormone disruption.

Excessive consumption of milk boosts triglyceride levels, which can affect your health. Also, to meet the excessive demand for milk and its products, animals are injected with hormones and antibiotics, which disturbs our hormonal balance. If you’re having trouble with your hormones, it’s best to avoid dairy products.

Red Meat 

Saturated and hydrogenated fats in red meat are dangerous, and you should avoid them. In addition, consuming red meat increases oestrogen production, which can increase hormonal imbalances.

Caffeine

Caffeine stimulates the production of cortisol in the body. Having caffeine raises cortisol levels in the body, putting the body on high alert. On the other hand, too many energy drinks (which include caffeine) or too many cups of coffee might cause hormonal imbalances.

Sugary Confections

It is possibly one of the worst foods for hormone disruption. The presence of sugar in the body causes an increase in insulin levels, and insulin is in charge of metabolising the sugar you eat.

Overeating sweet foods cause leptin and ghrelin sensitivity that gradually decreases over time, and both of these hormones affect appetite and signal satisfaction.

Processed And Refined Food

Gluten and sugar are the worst of all possible pairings, and they enhance vulnerability to autoimmune illnesses by increasing inflammation and stressing the adrenal glands.

Cookies, crackers, and bread are all unhealthy, and they gain weight, which causes a severe hormonal imbalance, and affects testosterone levels. Processed foods also mess up hormones.

Sausages, ready-to-eat meals, and instant foods are high in sodium and preservatives, causing an electrolyte imbalance in the body and disrupting hormonal health.

Alcohol

When attempting to correct a hormonal imbalance, alcohol is one of the primary things to be eliminated from the diet. It interferes with manufacturing insulin and harms the body’s sex hormones. In men, it lowers testosterone production, whereas, in women, it disturbs the menstrual cycle. Alcohol also affects stress hormones. 

Alcohol initially makes you happy due to the production of serotonin, but when serotonin gets depleted, you may experience a negative slump. It also affects the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, two of the brain’s most significant hormone-producing areas. If a person goes a month without alcohol, their hormone levels will return to normal.

The HealthifyMe Note

The 21-day hormone reset diet aims to reset metabolic hormones and encourage weight reduction by cutting out meat, alcohol, fruit, refined flour/carbs and dairy in favour of an elimination diet. Its focus is on eating healthy foods like vegetables and protein. However, this diet plan is often low in calories and will probably leave you feeling hungry. Furthermore, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim. Before switching to a hormone reset diet, consult your doctor or dietician. 

Pros of The Hormone Reset Diet

Motivates Physical Activity

According to research, encouraging exercise is a crucial component of overall health and weight loss success. This diet emphasises activity and involves activities you enjoy, making it more likely that you’ll stick with it in the long run. On the other hand, those who do not routinely exercise should get medical advice and begin slowly to avoid injury.

Emphasises Whole Foods

The hormone reset diet emphasises whole foods, plenty of veggies, and lean proteins, all of which are essential components of a healthy diet. However, many other processed foods and added sugars have no place in the diet.

Mental Health

Focusing on mental health, stress management, and getting enough sleep are all critical components that can help you improve your health. They may also affect body weight-regulating hormones by lowering cortisol levels, which rise with stress. A study shows high hormone cortisol levels are associated with increased abdominal obesity.

Motivates Healthier Choice

The hormone reset diet allows you to eat a variety of healthful foods. For example, people can receive the appropriate amount of healthy produce by focusing on veggies. In addition, beans and legumes help with weight loss and offer many other health advantages.

Cons of The Hormone Reset Diet

The hormone reset diet, however, has certain drawbacks. Its emphasis on scheduling and testing may be excessively stressful for some individuals. Some people may find it challenging to stick to a plan of eating regularly and monitoring their hormones regularly. Hormone testing is time-consuming, including medical visits, blood draws, and saliva tests, and is time-intensive.

There is little scientific evidence to support the hormone diet’s claims of a 12-pound weight loss in two weeks, which is unrealistic and unsustainable for most people. Furthermore, any weight loss achieved on this diet might be long-term unmanageable.

The HealthifyMe Note

The diet encourages natural, healthy foods and regular exercise as crucial components of weight loss and overall wellness. Additionally, emphasising your mental health, managing your stress, and getting enough sleep are all essential elements that can help you improve your health and may also impact the hormones that control your body weight.

However, individuals may find it too restricted because this diet cuts out few foods, and eating disorders may result from excessively restricted diets.

Is it a Good Choice for You?

Choosing healthy, whole foods for most of your diet is brilliant for overall health and weight loss. On the other hand, excluding food groups such as dairy, few fruits, and grains is unnecessary for weight loss and may harm your health and long-term weight loss success.

According to the National Health Service, to reduce weight, one must stick to a diet that restricts you to 1,000 to 1,200 calories daily. This calorie goal is far below the suggested limit, which varies depending on your gender, age, and degree of activity.

Weight loss should occur at one to two pounds per week, emphasising a mix of food adjustments and activity. The hormone reset diet claims to help people lose 12 pounds in two weeks, which is far faster than what is considered safe and sustainable. Furthermore, because the activity component incorporates phase three, the weight loss in phase one is attributed solely to food changes.

Much weight loss during the first phase is most likely attributable to water weight. However, it is not a long-term weight loss solution, and it is likely to reappear after the initial period or when you resume your regular eating habits.

Summary

The hormone reset diet is a 21-day diet that forbids certain foods or dietary groups. As a result, growth and development, metabolism, digestion, fertility, stress, mood, energy, hunger, weight, and other factors are all affected.

It may help you lose weight since it emphasises eating healthy, minimally processed foods and getting enough sleep, physical activity, and mental health care. It may even have some beneficial impacts on your hormones, though you’d have to test them before and after the diet to be sure.

You may include the most delicate components of this diet — such as focusing on healthy foods, moving more, getting enough sleep, and working on your mental health and stress management — in a sustainable approach that works for your optimal health.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. What does the hormone reset diet consist of?

A. The hormone diet eliminates meat, alcohol, high fructose fruit, gluten grains, and dairy to restore hormonal imbalances. Organic eggs, lean meats, gluten-free grains, cold-water fish, and some vegetables are permitted.

Q. Does the hormone reset diet work?

A. Particular meals can influence hormone production. However, there is no scientific evidence that a diet that removes foods from your eating plan in a specific order will “reset” hormones. However, any future weight reduction will undoubtedly be due to a change in calorie intake rather than a hormonal effect (if any). Finally, anyone looking to lose weight or body fat should concentrate on establishing a calorie deficit. How a person achieves this calorie deficit differs from person to person.

Q. How can I reset my hormones naturally?

A. There are a variety of natural techniques to help you reset your hormones, including consuming adequate protein. Eating enough protein causes the creation of peptide hormones, some of which decrease hunger and make you feel full. Other ways to reset hormones include regular exercise, reducing sugar consumption, minimising stress, and getting enough sleep.

Q. Does avocado boost oestrogen?

A. Avocados are one of the world’s healthiest fruits and are high in fibre and healthy fats. In addition, avocados include plant sterols that regulate oestrogen and progesterone, the hormones that control ovulation and menstrual periods. Avocado, according to studies, lowers oestrogen absorption while increasing testosterone levels.

Q. What are the six fat-burning hormones?

A. The 6 fat-burning hormones include thyroid hormones, adrenaline, glucagon, adiponectin, androgenic hormones, and growth and rejuvenation hormones. These help to become lean and muscular in two ways: They promote fat loss by encouraging the formation of metabolically active muscle and directly boost metabolism or the breakdown of body fat stores for energy.

Q. How long does it take to reset hormones?

A. The hormone reset diet balances hormone levels in 6 weeks, but this varies since everyone is unique. According to research, you may balance your hormones in less than four months if you take a holistic, well-rounded strategy.

Q. How can I fix my hormonal weight gain?

A. Dietary and lifestyle changes, such as exercise and stress reduction, if required, medications with doctors consultation that target hormone excess or resistance to normalise levels. 

Q. What is the female fat-burning hormone?

A.  In females, the hormones leptin, insulin, oestrogens, androgens, and growth hormones affect fat burning. Among these, leptin plays a vital role in the body’s energy balance and regulates appetite, body weight and metabolism. You can trigger these hormones by changing your dietary pattern— including more nutritional foods, sleeping well, and regular exercise.

Q. Can a woman reset her hormones?

A. There are numerous techniques to assist our bodies in naturally resetting their hormones to a healthy condition. However, to rebalance your hormones, you must first treat the underlying source of your problems. It all starts with a hormone-balancing diet, way of life, and exercise routine.

Q. How can I flush excess oestrogen?

A. Nutrition, sleep, eating more fibre, losing excess body fat, reducing stress, and avoiding caffeine are some lifestyle modifications that can help lower oestrogen levels. Additionally, cardio exercise can help in the breakdown of oestrogen and the removal of any excess.