Wellness and ICF certified Life Coach Monica Yates shares her tips on how to overcome hormonal imbalances the natural way.
1. Detox your liver
It is so important for your liver to properly detoxify estrogen.
If your liver is not effectively detoxifying, then you are at risk of re-absorbing estrogen into your body, which is very bad for your health.
Up your intake of veggies from the brassica family (cauliflower, brussel sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage and kale) and start drinking bone broth.
You should also be eating healthy fats in every meal. Discover 3 ways to promote liver health here.
2. Reduce your sugar intake
Sugar, more importantly fructose, causes insulin resistance and this can impair ovulation (which is the key to a healthy cycle) and stimulate your ovaries to make testosterone.
This is the predominant reason why insulin resistance is a major driver for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Try our top tips for cutting sugar out of your diet here.
3. Fix your gut
If you don’t have good gut health, estrogen will stay in your system.
Instead of obeying the golden rule of estrogen, ‘use it and lose it,’ you will keep recycling it, causing fatigue, weight gain, headaches and even ovarian cancer.
Up your intake of collagen, bone broth and foods high in polyphenols (such as cloves, star anise, oregano, celery seeds and flaxseeds). Find out how you can enhance your gut health here.
4. Reduce your dairy intake
Along with gluten, sugar and vegetable oil, dairy produces a lot of inflammation in the body.
Reducing inflammation is vital for better ovulation and therefore more progesterone. Progesterone boosts your metabolism and helps lower PMS.
Reducing dairy has also received amazing results for people with acne and women with heavy periods. Discover the health benefits of non-dairy milk here.
5. Consume turmeric
Turmeric allows you to lower your estrogen and achieve hormonal balance by blocking an enzyme called aromatase.
High estrogen is often correlated with heavy periods and blood clotting or bleeding mid-cycle. Turmeric can also relieve period paid. Read about the healing powers of turmeric here.
6. Make sure you are getting enough magnesium
Magnesium improves pre-menstrual symptoms dramatically. It reduces inflammation, regulates the stress response and enhances GABA activity (which helps calm your nervous system).
It also aids in the production of progesterone. Find out how to add magnesium to your diet naturally here.
7. Stress less
When your body is in a constant state of ‘fight or flight’, thereby releasing cortisol, your reproductive system either shuts down and stops your period, or your period comes along with cramps, back pain, fatigue and other signs of hormonal imbalance.
If you don’t lose your period altogether, you can get high estrogen. High cortisol = high estrogen = PMS and hormonal imbalances.
To combat stress, I recommend meditating daily, getting extra sleep and eating sweet potato at night. Try our top tips for reducing stress naturally here.
Monica Yates is a Wellness and ICF certified Life Coach, as well as the co-founder of Healthie Hampers, a hamper delivery service providing the gift of health.
