Dealing with Estrogen Dominance? Learn How To Eliminate Excess Estrogen Naturally
One of the most common hormone imbalance that women experience is excess estrogen, also refered to as "estrogen dominance". This describes a condition where a woman can have deficient, normal or excessive estrogen, but has little or no progesterone to balance its effects in the body.
The body makes three main estrogens:
- Estrone (E1)
- Estradiol (E2)
- Estriol (E3)
Estrone (E1), which is made primarily in the adrenal glands and adipose tissue, is the main type of estrogen that a woman's body keeps making naturally after menopause. Estradiol (E2) is the strongest estrogen, made by the ovaries and present in the body for most of women's lives before menopause. Estriol (E3) is the weakest estrogen, present in the body primarily during pregnancy.
What are the signs and symptoms of estrogen dominance?
Some signs and symptoms of high estrogen to progesterone ratio is:
- Cyclical headaches & migraines
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
- Painful period
- Clots in period blood
- Irregular and prolonged cycles
- Low progesterone levels in pregnancy
- Breast tenderness
- Bloating & inflammation
- Severe PMS or PMDD
- Mood swings
- Anxiety & depression
- PCOS
- Uterine fibroids
- Endometriosis
- Ovarian cyst
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Hot flashes & night sweats
- Water retention
- Fibrocystic breast
- Sluggish metabolism
- Stubborn weight issues
- Gallbladder issues
- Yeast infections & BV
- Skin issues (acne, eczema, etc)
- High blood pressure
- Insulin resistance
- Insomnia
Keep reading to learn about my top lifestyle and nutrition recommendations and changes to improve your excess estrogen levels and help naturally reverse your estrogen dominance symptoms and conditions.
1. Improve your liver and gastrointestinal health.
Poor liver and gut health can inhibit the elimination of excess estrogen from the body and promote its reabsorption. High levels of synthetic estrogen like those found in birth control, and beauty, skincare and household products and even packaged and inflammatory foods require additional work by your liver and gut to process out. Avoid unnecessary medication and prescription drugs. Use herbs and herbal medicine instead. Address parasites, gut pathogens and dysbiosis (bacterial or yeast overgrowth) and support your microbiome.
For improved liver and gut health, and proper excretion of excess estrogen purchase the 30-Day Cleanse Health Program. This is my herbal, nutrition and lifestyle protocol that has helped women eliminate their estrogen dominance symptoms and improve their overall health. If you can't do the full program right now, shop the "Cleanse Health" tab for your individual cleansing supplements.
2. Avoid sources of xenoestrogens and toxic products as much as you can.
Xenoestrogens, also known as “fake or synthetic estrogen” are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that mimic estrogen. As I mentioned above, these can be found in our personal care and cosmetic products, household cleaning products, plastic, canned food, and dental sealants, flame retardants, non-stick cookware and stain resistant clothing.
Instead opt for safe, natural eco-friendly skincare and household products, and glass storage containers as often as you can. Because truth is, we can't avoid ALL toxins in our environment. It's impossible! This is why periodically throughout the year I recommend taking blood and liver cleansing herbs!
3. Identify and address your sources of stress.
Stress, whether it's physical, mental, emotional or environmetal can and often will contribute to estrogen hormone imbalance. Stress causes your cortisol hormone levels to rise, and cortisol can decrease progesterone production and can also block your progesterone receptors. Over time, this can lead to lower levels of progesterone, and too much estrogen circulating in the body.
This is why tending to the areas in our lives that are causing extra stress or causing us to stretch ourselves too thin needs to be addressed. You have to deal with and contront your uncomfortable and dis-ease promoting lifestyle.
Meanwhile, my Adrenal Support supplement in the apothecary can help support healthy cortisol balance while you work on addressing things in your every day life thats contributing to your stress levels -- your work, school, home life, kids, extra-curricular activities, poor boundaries and time management. Sometimes our body really does need a little extra support!
4. Avoid restrictive diets that can lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Specific nutritional deficiencies can lead to excess estrogen. Poor nutrition and restrictive diets increases your risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Instead load up on nutrients by eating a traditional nutrient-dense diet (pasture raised meat, organ meats, wild fish, root vegetables, butter, eggs, bone broth, fruit, leafy greens…) and balance your blood sugar by eating balanced meals throughout the day.
5. Move your body, get active.
Exercise can lower levels of circulating estrogens and increase levels of a protien called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) that binds up free-estrogen in your blood serum. Physical activity can also help detoxify estrogen through perspiration and sweating.
So get active. Start moving your body in a way that feels good to you.
In Summary...
Estrogen dominance is a condition that can affect your body in many different ways. From skin issues to period issues, and from mood swings to gallbladder, blood pressure and weight concerns. The way that excess estrogen manifests in each woman depends on the individual woman's body constitution and underlying health issues. The good news here is that it can be addressed naturally, but your approach MUST be a holistic one.
As always, if you want to work 1:1 or have questions book a FREE Health Discovery Call to get started!
Love and health,
- Shavonne