The PBCS Protocol: Diet
You’ve made it through to the fun part—our hormone-balancing and PCBS-specific protocol! Yay!
As mentioned in the previous section, this protocol is largely based on rebalancing the gut and replenishing some of the important nutrients your endocrine system needs to begin balancing hormones either post-birth-control-pill, or if you’re currently on it today.
The birth control pill is also known to wreak havoc in several other body systems: specifically, in the endocrine system with the thyroid and adrenal glands and the nervous system by contributing to mental health disorders. So this protocol will also feature specific foods, nutrients, lifestyle practices, and supplements to help rebalance those areas as well.
Diet is always the first place to start when taking a holistic approach to health and wellness. In the PCBS Protocol PDF below, you’ll find an easy-to-follow meal plan and approved foods list that focuses largely on the following:
Anti-inflammatory foods to help address leaky gut syndrome, rebalance estrogen levels, and improve brain health
High fibre foods to improve digestion and elimination, and rebalance pill-induced estrogen dominance
Good quality proteins to build required hormones and neurotransmitters
Healthy, good quality fats to increase fat-soluble vitamin absorption and strengthen the adrenals and nervous system
Fermented foods to shift gut populations towards beneficial bacteria, which reduces overall inflammation and improves general gut health
Foods rich in zinc and other important hormone-balancing minerals that the birth control pill depletes
Click here to download the PBCS Meal Plan and Approved Foods List.
Seed Cycling
Seed cycling can be a great way to balance hormones naturally and gently, whether you’re on hormonal birth control, or not.
It works by incorporating specific seeds that are rich sources of specific nutrients needed by the two different hormonal phases of the menstrual cycle: the follicular and luteal phases. Seed cycling is super simple and something I recommend all my clients do because it’s easy, cheap, and effective.
Click here to download my Seed Cycling Infographic.
Before we move onto lifestyle, it’s important to assess your current diet and see where you might have nutritional gaps that need filling. Please download the fillable self-reflection document below!
Click here to download the Diet Self-Reflection and Key Takeaway PDF
PS—A complete overview of the protocol is included in the final lesson of this Thinkbook, (along with some recommended reading)!
