Estrogen dominance is a real thing, and something we chat about often with our clients! Your body’s hormones are like a seesaw, when in balance life is grand. When they are unbalanced there are numerous problems that can arise. Weight loss resistance is almost always hormonally based in women and not about calories in / calories out or how hard you exercise.
Curious? Do you have any of these side effects?
- bloating
- difficulty losing weight
- swelling and tenderness in your breasts
- fibrocystic lumps in your breasts
- irregular menstrual periods
- increased symptoms of PMS
- mood swings
- headaches
- anxiety and panic attacks
If yes, you may suffer from Estrogen Dominance.
What exactly is it?
Estrogen dominance is when you have too much estrogen compared with its counter-hormone, progesterone. Seems simple, right? Not quite.
Elevated estrogen can be a result of:
- Peri-menopause
- Menopause
- Conventional beef / pork
Peri-Menopause and Menopause
This is when a females body naturally shifts as we age. We find many women coming to us saying – “I don’t get it – I eat the same and exercise the same but I am gaining weight – why?” The simple answer, your hormones changed, and thus your body needs you to eat differently in order to combat the stress and change on your body. Since estrogen levels higher than progesterone is the problem here, we need to reduce any additional outside factors that increase a woman’s exposure to estrogen, as this problem can extend if we don’t reduce our estrogen well into the years after our body has stopped making it.
Conventional Beef / Pork
Unfortunately, conventionally raised beef, is on average, pumped full of six different types of steroids to fatten them up, which will also fatten you up. Additionally, this same beef is fed a poor nutrient diet, of grain, which leaves the meat lacking in vitamins A, B, C, E and beneficial omega-3’s. This same beef is also higher in the omega-6 fats, the ones we don’t want to be consuming. Pork (ham/bacon) isn’t a better option, as it is traditionally full of nitrates and nitrites which are associated with cancer, increased aging and diabetes. Sadly, there are many studies that show, alcohol along with conventional meats can further increase your estrogen dominance problem.
If you are feeling many of these side effects, we suggest you consider giving up conventional meat and alcohol for at least 21 days to reset your estrogen levels and instead focusing on organic pastured chicken, turkey, eggs and fish. If/when you introduce beef and pork back into your diet, look for organic, grass fed / grass finished, pastured options. Read our blog here on why giving up alcohol is also key.
Where to Start?
Curious if it is your hormones? Take our free hormone quiz, to determine if it is your Estrogen Dominance causing issues, or one of your other hormones.