How to support your estrogen & progesterone balance
My top 12 tips to optimize Estrogen and Progesterone balance.
1. Balance your blood sugar. Anytime your body cannot meet its metabolic demands (blood sugar drops), STRESS hormone will rise. ESTROGEN is one of these hormones. The #1 way to keep stress hormones at bay, is to make sure you consume enough (or stored) usable carbohydrates to meet your needs. STRESS hormones only elevate when you CANNOT meet these demands.
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Which means:
-Consume carbs, fats, proteins together in every meal
-Eat every 2-5 hours, depending or what feels best for you
-Eating enough for YOU.
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2. Reduce stress load. If you are in a constant state of stress (over worked, bad relationship, underfed, over exercising, toxic thoughts, eating hard to digest foods), it becomes more challenging to meet your metabolic/energetic needs. Reducing your total stress load decreases the energy demands on your body, allowing energy to be redirected toward healing vs. combating stress.
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As you become healthier and your ability to support your energetic needs increases, external "stressors" (exercise, family stress, work stress, etc.), will be better tolerated.
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3. Support your liver (which inactivates estrogen). Your liver needs adequate protein, glucose, A, E, B vitamins, zinc, copper, selenium to detox effectively. Consuming weekly beef liver, oysters, eggs, dairy and plenty of easy to digest, nutrient rich carbs (fruits, roots) should be the foundation of your diet. Daily coffee consumption can also be used to support liver detox.
*I use @Mitolife for vitamin E. Use CODE DEERING15 for 15% off
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4. Support your gut (which removes estrogen). A sluggish GI systems will allow estrogen to recirculate into the blood. Reducing stress and supporting your energy demands is ESSENTIAL for optimizing digestion. While you work on increasing your energy production, it will be helpful to reduce hard to digest foods like nuts, seeds, grains, and raw leaves, to ease the strain on your GI system. Eating a daily raw carrot salad, well cooked mushrooms, and/or cooked bamboo shoots will also help support estrogen removal.
5. Support thyroid function. The thyroid SLOWS in response to stress (demands exceeding needs). Therefore, eating enough fuel to support your energetic needs is essential. Optimal thyroid production increases your body's ability to use fuel, more available fuel = better digestion and detoxification.
*Increased thyroid=lower stress=less aromatase=Less estrogen
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6. Dump products with xenoestrogens. CHECK your detergents, nail polish, cleaning products, cosmetics, lotions, plastic, sunscreen, hair dyes, air fresheners, alcohol, etc. Products with BPA, parabens, phthalate, triclosan, benzophenone, PCBs, should be avoided.
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🔹I love @kossmabeauty for PUFA free skincare. Use "KateSentMe" for 10% off
🔸Branch Basics for cleaning products. See link in BIO for $10.00 off
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7. Reduce phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are plant estrogens found in soy, legumes, nuts, seeds, etc. Phytoestrogens can contribute to total estrogenic load.
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8. Reduce polyunsaturated fats. The polyunsaturated fats are known to increase estrogen AND they can also have estrogen-like effects. These include vegetable, seed and nut oils along with fish oil, omega 3 and omega 6 oils.
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9. Dump your birth control pills, ERT and HRT. In the context, of reducing estrogen load, getting off of hormone treatment can be beneficial. Supporting metabolic needs energetically and nutritionally is essential before trying to get off of any hormone treatment.
-Please consult your your health care provider before starting/stopping any hormone treatment.
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10. Add aromatase inhibiting foods and substances.
-Well cooked white buttons mushrooms are aromatase inhibitors.
-The chemicals aringenin and naringin, found in oranges (peels and fruit) and cherries, and apigenin found in guavas and celery are aromatase inhibitors.
-Aspirin and Vitamin E are powerful aromatase inhibitors.
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🔸I suggest @mitolife Vitamin E. Use DEERING15 for 15% off.
🔹I suggest Gericare non-coated aspirin
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👉Remember aromatase is the enzyme needed to convert androgens into estrogen.
🔹Support progesterone production.
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Progesterone, the PRO-gestation hormone, is also the PRO-tective hormone due to its protective qualities in both men and women. Progesterone is anti-stress, anti-cancer, anti-estrogen, anti-aromotase, anti-aging, pro-sleep and supports blood sugar and salt regulation.
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Progesterone is produced by:
👉The corpus luteum to prepare the endometrium for egg implantation.
👉The placenta to protect the baby during pregnancy.
👉The testes in men
👉The adrenals in both men and women to support androgens, estrogen, cortisol, and aldosterone production. Progesterone is produced from cholesterol, with the help of Vitamin A and active thyroid (T3).
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As men and women age and/or become stressed progesterone levels decrease, while the stress hormones, like estrogen (in tissue) and cortisol, increase.
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Therefore, if you want more progesterone, DECREASE your stress, increase cellular energy production (refer to part 1 and 2), support cholesterol production and converstion, and maybe, if need be, add some natural progesterone.
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11. Support Cholesterol production and conversion
👉-Most cholesterol is produced in the liver from adequate saturated fats and sugars. Consume fruits, roots, butter, coconut oil, tallow and/or ghee.
👉-Cholesterol needs active thyroid (T3) to convert into all your steroidal hormones. Making sure you have good thyroid function and liver function is essential for T3 production (see part 1 and 2)
👉-Vitamin A is also needed for cholesterol conversion. Beef liver, whole milk, and eggs are all great options. *It should be noted, beta carotene (aka. vegetable source vitamin A) can actually block the conversion of cholesterol into progesterone.
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12. Add a natural progesterone. If estrogen levels are low, small amount of progesterone can be added for benefit. If estrogen levels are extremely HIGH, even high amount of added progesterone can have NO affect OR make you feel worse. If this happens to you, work on TIPS 1-10 before adding additional progesterone. See my series on progesterone.
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Consult with your medical doctor before starting any hormone treatment. not medical advice