Do you suspect you have food sensitivities, but struggle to identify which foods trigger you? Sometimes you can eat a food and feel absolutely fine, whereas other times, you experience symptoms such as bloating, pain or even hot flushes!
It’s not all in your head. Your hormones can actually play a role in food sensitivities, which means you may not always react to certain foods.
Why are food sensitivities so difficult to pinpoint?
I see dozens of clients who have noticed they are reacting to certain foods, but not all the time. There is no real pattern, so they think that it can’t be that particular food type.
But this is actually the effect of two important compounds – glutamate and oestrogen.
Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that can cause many symptoms when it is too high, including:
- Hyperactivity
- Headaches and migraines
- Feeling wired but tired
- Rashes
Glutamate can lead to lower glutathione, an important antioxidant in the body. This means your symptoms may be worse if you have conditions affected by glutathione such as MTHFR. Another important effect of glutamate is that it can throw off the balance in your gut bacteria. It can increase potentially harmful bacteria types, which can further contribute to food sensitivities developing and worsening.
Glutamate is found in foods such as:
- Tomato
- Soy products
- Fermented foods
- Bone broth
- Peas
- Mature cheeses
- Products containing MSG
How is this linked to oestrogen? Oestrogen potentiates or boosts glutamate. So if you are struggling with something such as oestrogen dominance, it can make you more sensitive to high-glutamate foods and prone to food sensitivity symptoms.
Signs of hormonally linked food sensitivities
So how could you know if glutamate and oestrogen are playing a role in your symptoms? You could experience:
- Migraines or headaches when eating certain foods
- More wind (flatulence)
- Thrush and other signs of candida
- Bloating
- Digestive pain
- Reflux
- Burping
- Dandruff or an itchy scalp
- Insomnia
- Reactions linked to foods such as those higher in MSG
- Sweating
- Muscle weakness and muscle pain
- Facial flushing
The way to tell if this is the case is if these symptoms occur at certain times during your cycle. The most common is during the luteal phase. In a normal cycle, the luteal phase is when you are higher in progesterone. But if you have oestrogen dominance, low progesterone levels and higher oestrogen levels can trigger these types of symptoms.
How can you address these symptoms naturally?
There are three easy steps you can take:
- Track your symptoms along with your cycle. See if you can see a pattern – is it always towards the second half of your cycle that you experience symptoms? If so, you’re on the right track.
- Look at reducing your high oestrogen levels and supporting your progesterone levels.
- Keep you intake of glutamate-rich foods and MSG to a minimum during your luteal phase.
Not sure what to eat during your luteal phase?
That’s why I’ve created a meal plan that can:
- Balance blood sugars
- Support progesterone production
- Prevent bloating
- Improve your mood
Sound like what you need? Grab my Hormone Support Meal Plan here.