Balancing the Hormones: Protecting Our Reproductive Selves from Estrogen Dominance

by Corinna Wood

So much of women’s health revolves around our reproductive cycles and the corresponding hormonal cycles. I get countless questions about the estrogen/progesterone balance. Women want to understand more about their PMS, endometriosis, fibroids–or to how to support their fertility, a healthy pregnancy, or menopause.

In these times, many girls and women tend to have high levels of estrogen, or what’s being called “estrogen dominance,” in large part to the xenoestrogens found in pollutants such as plastics, pesticides, and bovine growth hormones, which find their way into our food and water supplies. This estrogen dominance is being found to contribute to many of women’s chronic reproductive system health issues.

Taking steps to balance the hormones is helpful for many reproductive illnesses as well as easing common issues such as PMS or the menopausal transition. Some ideas:

• Healthy fats not only help the liver process toxins but also support cholesterol, which is one of the most important compounds in the body and plays a huge role. Medically, it is considered the mother of all hormones as the body uses it as a building block to make all other hormones as needed. Healthy fats include raw organic butter, cheese, and raw coconut oil.
• Try to reduce toxins in your life in all forms. Eat as much organic food as possible, get good drinking water, don’t use a microwave, avoid plastics, x-rays, and all harmful chemicals (e.g., nail polish, synthetic perfumes, off-gassing from carpets).
• Support natural progesterone in your life to balance your hormones. Nettle infusion supports our bodies with phytosterols (plant hormones) and vitex extract supports the pituitary gland which helps regulate estrogen and progesterone.

May our children someday live on a planet that is creating more balance than we seem to be. Until then we must protect ourselves from illness and nourish ourselves deeply so we have energy to continue creating the world we want to inhabit.