HOW TO TREAT EXCESS ESTROGEN + A REFRESHING ESTROGEN DETOX SMOOTHIE 

Excess estrogen is an excessive amount of estrogen in comparison to progesterone. It is by far the most common hormonal imbalance in women.

Too much estrogen is the most common cause of multiple PMS symptoms that can leave you feeling really lousy in the days or even weeks leading up to your period. It fluctuates the entire month. Estrogen is important for healthy ovulation and menstruation but we could run into big problems when the ratio of estrogen to progesterone isn’t within the optimal, balanced ranges.

FOLLICULAR PHASE

In your follicular phase, it’s totally normal to posses more estrogen in comparison to progesterone. This is because your follicles are maturing and your ovaries are producing estrogen to plump up the uterine lining.

This is healthy. It’s the 10-14 days after ovulation, when progesterone should be shining but is outnumbered by estrogen.

If you’re not too phased about ovulation because you’re not considering kids yet (or ever) you need to realise that this is more a matter of healthy balanced hormones for longevity and general wellness, so you’ll feel your best, sleep in hormone harmony and alleviate painful PMS symptoms. Each phase of your cycle builds on each other and your reproductive health is about so much more than just making babies.

Think of it this way: We need estrogen for healthy follicles. We need healthy follicles to ovulate. We need to ovulate because that’s how the endocrine gland is made, which is the only way our bodies can make progesterone (the calming, mood-stabilizing hormone). It’s also the best way to make sure that 2 weeks post-ovulation, we will have a proper period. Each of these parts is connected and they rely on the other!

WHY WE LOVE ESTROGEN

We love estrogen for the beautiful skin glow and plumpness. It builds bone and muscle, slows the aging process, raises your libido and boosts serotonin (incredibly essential for mood and sleep), but we don’t want too much of it as long-term estrogen excess (over years or decades) increases your risk of carcinoma , other female cancers, fibroids and lack of ovulation which may cause PCOS and infertility.

You should never ignore any symptoms of excess estrogen. Think of them as internal clues, signalling that something is off and needs attention!

HOW AND WHY DOES EXCESS ESTROGEN HAPPEN?

Well for one, we live in a world with crazy amounts of chemicals that we’re exposed to on the daily.

Chemicals in our skincare, beauty products, household products, our food supply and even from something as simple as the air that we breathe when outside.

• Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (beauty and skincare as well as household cleaning products)
• ETE Environmental Toxin Exposure (found in pesticides, hormones and antibiotics in animal products)
• Stress (emotional, physical, mental, work-related, etc.)
• Poor diet (inflammatory, processed foods, refined sugar)
• Too much plastic usage (water bottles, packaged foods, BPA-laden cans)

SYMPTOMS OF ESTROGEN EXCESS:

Estrogen excess is the most typical hormonal imbalance and is mostly the biggest factor of your PMS symptoms. If you have any signs or worries of excess estrogen, then instead of playing the guessing game, go get your hormones tested.. See below for a few symptoms/conditions that stem from too much estrogen

•  Headaches/Migraines
• Bloating and water retention
• Weight gain on the hip area, buttocks and thighs (estrogen stimulates fat cells to store more fat)
• Fibroids
• Endometriosis
• Ovarian cysts
• Acne
• Oily skin and hair
• Breast tenderness and pain, fibrocystic breasts
• Mood swings
• Hair loss
• Heavy periods
• Irregular periods
• Painful cramping

HOW TO TREAT ESTROGEN EXCESS:

• Detox and spoil your liver with fiber rich foods, and try go to the loo for a number 2 everyday, at least once, but the more you go, the better (2 – 3 times)! Aim for a minimum of 25 grams of fiber each day to assist you to go. Add nutrients that your liver will love (cruciferous vegetables, sulfur-rich foods, vitamin C rich foods and legumes). You can also add a DIM supplement to assist move estrogen out of the body.

• Remove endocrine-disrupting chemicals from all products (cleaning and beauty products) and switch to products that are plant based and really natural – read the ingredients even if the label says “natural” because that actually means jack these days!
• Nourish and treat your microbiome health by getting rid of inflammatory, junk foods and foods that may trigger you, buy organic produce as often as possible , eat fermented foods,include probiotic-rich foods and a high-quality probiotic supplements, add a digestive enzyme after your main meals
• Try Seed Cycling
• Make sleep a priority and have at least 7-8 hours of high-quality sleep
• Stress less, for real. Find ways to manage stress and reduce cortisol (meditation, exercise, mindfulness, relaxation activities, gratitude, sleep, journaling, walking, getting into nature)
• Drink my green smoothie everyday (Recipe below) AKA the Estrogen Detox Smoothie! I drink one most days, but I especially enjoy it in the ovulatory and luteal phases!

ESTROGEN DETOX SMOOTHIE 

RECIPE

A liver and hormone-loving detoxifying green smoothie to help rid the body of excess estrogen!

INGREDIENTS

3 cups of spinach or kale
2 stalks celery
1/2 peeled cucumber
A small knob of peeled fresh ginger
1/2 lemon
2 cups frozen mango
2 small handfuls fresh cilantro/coriander
4 tablespoons ground flaxseed
3 cups filtered water