Is your estrogen out of balance?

Are you bloated, moody or do you feel breast tenderness and headaches right before your period? Perhaps your flow is heavier now or lately your cycles have been less predictable.

These can be signs of estrogen dominance – when estrogen levels are high relative to progesterone.

Estrogen is an incredible hormone, it helps with your energy, mood, skin, bone health and fertility but when it’s unbalanced, it can make you feel utterly off.

When your body doesn't properly clear the excess estrogen, it can show up as:

• PMS (such as bloating or even mood swings) symptoms

• Fatigue

• Acne

• Headaches

• Heavier periods

• And in certain cases; fibroids or endometriosis.

But fortunately the body knows how to readjust and the best way to do that is with food. Here are some of my favourite foods that naturally help your body flush out extra estrogen and bring your hormones back into harmony.

1. Cruciferous Vegetables.

   Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and kale are both your hormone-balancing heroes. They have strong chemicals called DIM and indole-3-carbinol, which help your liver process estrogen. Their fiber also binds to estrogen in the gut, facilitating your body’s removal of the hormone instead of its reabsorption.

   Add a few spoonfuls of steamed broccoli or kale to your meals each day.

2. Bitter Greens

   Dandelion, arugula, mustard greens are good for your liver and bile circulation - both of which are vital to clearing accumulated estrogen. Bitter foods also help regulate cortisol (your main stress hormone), helping prop up progesterone (estrogen’s soothing counterpart).

   Throw bitter greens in a salad or sauté them for a simple side dish with olive oil, garlic and lemon.

3. Fiber-Rich Foods

   Your digestive system is a key player in estrogen detoxification. Fiber helps clear estrogen out of the body through healthy gut movements along with feeding your gut microbiome, which impacts hormone metabolism in a surprisingly favorable way. Foods like flaxseeds, chia, quinoa and whole grains are good choices.

   Add LSA and chia while at home to your smoothie or overnight oats for a hormone friendly beginning of your day.

4. Fermented Foods

   Your gut health plays a role in how efficiently your body metabolizes and clears estrogen, too. Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and kombucha foster the development of good bacteria and inhibit estrogen from being reabsorbed into your bloodstream.

   Add a spoonful of sauerkraut to your lunch or switch your afternoon coffee for kombucha.

5. Beets & Carrots

   These colourful root vegetables are filled with betaine and carotenoids, which support liver detoxification and assist the process of moving estrogen out of your body.

   Roasted or grated raw, you could stir them into salads (over olive oil and lemon).

   Adding these foods into your daily diet can really make a difference. They help you bring your hormones back into balance, reduce PMS, support fertility and help you feel like yourself. Remember that food is one of your most effective & inexpensive tools for hormonal health.