The Effectiveness of the Sattvic Diet on Hormonal Balance

Feeling like your hormones are on a roller coaster? You may not find your answer in the medicines but your plate! Enter the Sattvic diet, an Ayurvedic approach that focuses on fresh, pure foods believed to promote clarity, vitality, and yes, even hormonal harmony. 

Sattvic food items are assumed to boost energy, calm, and happiness. It promotes bodily wellness and a balanced diet. 

What is a Sattvic Food Diet? 

According to the Ayurvedic principles, the Sattvic diet promotes purity, balance, and harmony. It includes a high-fiber vegetarian diet which is also followed by most yoga enthusiasts.  

The word “Sattvic”, has been derived from Sanskrit, meaning “pure”. Hence, it calls for inner peace, calm and mental clarity. 

The diet includes unprocessed, whole-grain food items. Fresh fruits and vegetables, lightly cooked meals, nuts, seeds, dairy alternatives, etc., are the primary selection. This diet is considered the most nutritious due to the high consumption of micronutrients. This promotes longevity, physical strength, and mental stability. 

Food items to avoid maintaining a good Sattvic diet can be processed foods, frozen food, caffeinated items like coffee, salty items, fast food, meat, eggs, fish, etc.  

Non-vegetarian foods are generally avoided due to their impact on the mind and body. Additionally, they are usually harder to digest in comparison to plant-based foods. 

What are the Food Items in the Sattvic Diet?

Although we have established that vegetarian whole grain and high-fiber foods are the way to go, we can categorize them to maintain the balance. Following are the groups we can divide these food items into: 

• Fruits and vegetables: Mostly green vegetables like spinach, broccoli, pumpkin, etc. Fruits like apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, etc. 
• Grains and Legumes: Like oats, lentils, chickpeas, rice, peas etc.  
• Nuts and seeds: Dry fruits like cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, etc.  
• Oils: Ghee (clarified butter), coconut oil, etc.  

These items provide a variety of nutrients and a combination of all the necessary flavors.  

How is the Sattvic Food Diet Beneficial?

As the Sattvic diet includes high fiber and loads of vegetables, it helps in both digestion and boosting immunity. One can go through the benefits of following a healthy diet as such- 

1. Enhances Digestion: Sattvic foods are easily digestible, thanks to their high fiber content.
2. Less chances of heart diseases: Vegetarian diets comparatively have a lower chance of heart diseases than non-vegetarians because of less fatty and high-fiber food items.
3. Stroke: This diet will also reduce the high risks of strokes because of the leafy vegetables and whole grains. 
4. Boosts Immunity- This diet packs a powerful punch of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, keeping your immune system strong. 
5. Calms minds and gives clarity: The Sattvic philosophy discourages stimulants and emphasizes mindful eating, potentially leading to improved focus and reduced stress. 

Hormone Imbalance Test

Hormones are chemical messengers produced by glands in the endocrine system. They play a crucial role in many bodily functions, including metabolism, growth and development, reproduction, mood, and sleep.  

Hormone Imbalance Tests are medical examinations to assess the levels of hormones in the body. Both men and women can experience hormonal changes. There are multiple hormonal tests one can take for hormonal imbalance treatment- 

1. Sex Hormone Tests: These tests measure the levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and other sex hormones. The Luteinizing Hormone test checks hormones and reproductive health. The SHBG and DHEAS are prominent indicators for evaluating reproductive health 
2. Growth Hormone Test: This test measures the level of growth hormone, a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that helps regulate growth and development. 
3. Insulin Test: This test measures the level of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps regulate blood sugar levels. 
4. Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Test: This test measures the level of FSH, a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that stimulates the ovaries to produce eggs in females and sperm production in males. 

Conclusion

The sattvic diet not only provides a balanced diet but it overlooks the body’s health holistically by promoting a sense of calm and purity. However, it may be difficult to maintain a diet as particular as sattvic. One must remember that these nutrients are important for good health. 

A lot of people use supplements like multivitamins but it’s better to take the fruits and vegetables themselves rather than going for the alternatives. The sattvic diet has emerged from Ayurveda, which is an ancient Indian form of medicine. Therefore, one must also consult a doctor before changing their diet suddenly.