May is ‘Women’s Health Month’ and in honour of all the amazing women out there, I’d like to share some tips on how you can improve your hormonal health naturally.
Hormone imbalances can cause a host of unpleasant symptoms. Irregular/absent menstrual cycles, severe cramping, excessive bleeding, mood swings that take you on an emotional roller-coaster every month, sneaky weight gain, brain fog, headaches, low libido, and fertility struggles can make your period anxiety-inducing. But despite what you’ve been told, these problems are not normal. Your menstrual cycle acts as an important indicator of your overall health a nd when your hormones are balanced, your periods should be symptom-free.
So what can you do to improve your hormonal health?
Support your detox pathways. Eat vegetables from the Brassicae family (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy etc.). These vegetables promote the conversion of estrogens into weaker/less harmful estrogen metabolites, increases efficient estrogen metabolism, prevents estrogens from building-up in the body and reduces free-radical production. Indol-3-carbinol, and its parent chemical DIM, are found in relatively high amounts of these vegetables and supports liver detoxification of estrogen.
Improve your digestion. Constipation can cause estrogen levels in the bloodstream to be higher. Why? Excess estrogen is excreted in the bowel. When stool remains in the bowel for a longer time, as in constipation, the estrogen is reabsorbed and can lead to estrogen dominance. Studies have shown that women on a high fibre diet have lower levels of circulating estrogen. Taking digestive enzymes or apple cider vinegar before meals, taking probiotics and increasing fibre (as well as water) intake can all increase the frequency of healthy bowel movements.
Decrease your exposure to xenoestrogens by choosing organic, ton-toxic products. Xenoestrogens are synthetic chemicals that act like estrogen in the body. They are found in many personal hygiene products, cleaning products, scented candles, perfumes, plastics, meat and dairy products, and pesticides on fruit and vegetables. Check out these two links for specific cosmetic ingredients to avoid and foods you should be buying organic:
https://davidsuzuki.org/queen-of-green/dirty-dozen-cosmetic-chemicals-avoid/
https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php
Build better hormonal health with herbs. Adding medicinal herbs to your health routine is one of the easiest ways to balance your hormones. Vitex is an example of a herb that has natural hormone-balancing properties. One study found that after being treated with Vitex for three menstrual cycles, 93 percent of patients reported a decrease in the number of PMS symptoms or a complete end of PMS complaints. It is also helpful in treating menopause and hormonal acne. Adaptogenic herbs such as Ashwagandha and Schisandra can relieve the stress and mood changes associated with PMS. Dandelion roots and leaves can support the liver in detoxification, as well ease bloating due to water retention because of its diuretic effect on the body.
Use seed cycling. Seed cycling is an effective way to improve your hormones and regulate your menstrual cycle. It supports estrogen levels in the first part of your cycle (called the follicular phase) and progesterone levels in the second part (called the luteal phase).
Seed cycling involves eating 1 tablespoon each of ground flax and pumpkin seeds on days 1(first day of bleeding)-14 of your menstrual cycle, and 1 tablespoon of ground sunflower and sesame seeds on days 15-28 of your cycle, if your cycle is regular. If your cycle is irregular or absent, it should be done according to the phases of the moon cycle - start phase 1 of the protocol with the new moon and begin phase 2 of the protocol with the full moon.
Flax seeds contain lignans which can bind to excess estrogen in the body allowing for more efficient elimination. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc which supports progesterone production for the second part of your cycle. Sunflower seeds provide the body with selenium, a trace mineral that assists the liver in it’s detoxification. Sesame seeds are high linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that helps with the balance between progesterone and estrogen.
Check out the “No Bake Energy Bites” recipe for an easy way to incorporate these seeds into your diet!
No Bake Energy Bites
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup nut butter (or can use pumpkin, sunflower or tahini butter)
1/2 cup ground seeds (flax, pumpkin, sunflower or sesame)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed.
- Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. (This step isn’t necessary but makes it easier to roll the dough into balls)
- Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like.
- Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week, or store in the freezer.
References
Auborn KJ. et al. 2003. Indole-3-carbinol is a negative regulator of estrogen. J Nutr. 133:2470S-2475S.
Michnovicz JJ, Adlercreutz H, Bradlow HL 1997. Changes in levels of urinary estrogen metabolites after oral indole-3-carbinol treatment in humans. J Natl Cancer Inst. 89(10):718-23.
Gaskins AJ. et al. 2009. Effect of daily fiber intake on reproductive function: the BioCycle Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 90(4):1061–1069.
Loch EG, Selle H, Boblitz N. 2000. Treatment of premenstrual syndrome with a phytopharmaceutical formulation containing Vitex agnus castus. J Womens Health Gend Based Med. 9(3):315-20.