What Women Need to Know About Hormones: Part 1 of 4
This blog series is to educate you about female issues with hormones, and your alternatives to drug solutions. However, it should not be taken as medical advice. Please seek competent medical advice from a holistic practitioner.
But read this if you have two X chromosomes, or love someone who does! We women are loaded for risk, at every turn in the modern world, and our endocrine system is fragile. I believe that depression, fragile bones, reproductive cancers, and rapid aging are highly preventable, with a little education and a little good health care that deals with the whole organism. Hormones are never actually “corrected” with a synthetic chemical solution. Quite the opposite, in fact.
We have to be educated about what is happening to us, in an environment where thousands of chemicals have been approved for use by our government, and many of them damage our hormone balance.
(Men, too, are affected by hormone imbalances, and endocrine disruptors in our environment. Prostate cancer is heavily linked to testosterone imbalance, for instance. But this series focuses on female hormone issues.)
In the briefest possibly way, we’re going to talk about why women have more hormone issues than men. Why synthetic hormones are harmful and bioidentical hormones (and/or sometimes herbs, high-iodine plants or other natural substances) are not only helpful, but critical. We’re going to talk about what elements in our environment create hormone imbalance.
The vast majority of hormone imbalance in women is estrogen dominance. The ratio of estrogen to progesterone is critically important to maintain balance. Because of so many xenoestrogens (pronounced zeno-estrogens) in the S.A.D. and environment, most women have too much estrogen and too little progesterone.
Xenoestrogens are “foreign” estrogens that cause the body to overproduce estrogen. They are derived from petrochemicals, and they include pesticides, lawn and garden and insect sprays, soaps, plastics, meat and dairy products (since livestock is fed estrogenic drugs to fatten them), ground water, car exhaust, and smog.
These chemicals we’re all bombarded with bind to estrogen receptors in our bodies, and damage egg follicles, causing problems with ovarian function.
These xenohormones do not degrade over time. We are affected by the false hormones our mothers were exposed to when they were pregnant with us! Many species in our environment have been damaged or killed off by these chemicals, but they are reducing sperm count and reducing fertility in women.
Alcohol and prescription drugs also affect our estrogen dominance, because the liver is heavily taxed, which compromises the liver’s ability to filter out excess estrogens.
And guess what else causes to over-produce estrogen. Fat cells! They store the fake “xenoestrogens” as well, which continue to cause problems as long as they’re held there.
Tomorrow we talk about the kinds of foods known to protect against xenoestrogens!
Posted in: Health Concerns, Supplements
Please do share more! I have an estrogen dominant syndrome that is diagnosed as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Also was diagnosed with hypo-thyroid (low). Was rec. to go on synthetic hormones for life at the age of 33?!?!?! That was not the answer for me and at the risk of trying to recommend things for other women, I still feel compelled to share what has helped me and to encourage women that help and balance are possible!
My greatest success has come from doing my own research. I have had huge progress by taking a natural progesterone cream, balancing herbs, daily exercise. I keep my liver very clean by eating about 2-4 bunches of dandelions a week, and put milk thistle in my salads, etc…
I also eat dulse – a sea vegetable. I recommend going to Mt. Rose Herbs website (google search) for the highes quality, best price and order the dulse flakes and use as a condiment.
I am also dedicated to keeping my blood sugars balanced. I get why green smoothies can be helpful but for me it is way too much fruit and sugar. Insulin resistance can be at the core of some of these issues too so i would be interested to hear Robyns take on this.
I started going to bed early and getting up early to get in sync with the natural rhythms of the planet which runs on an electrical current. I get outside every chance I can for the same reason of balancing and charging my whole system.
I stopped coffee but not caffeine – now I drink mate and it serves my overall balance much better.
I feel like a new person. Changes came slowly.
Thanks for addressing this – We are here to do great things in the world and when our hormones are out of sync, simply put, life sucks and we can not do the full spectrum of work we are meant to do here in this wonderful world.
OK Ladies – let’s do it – we are here to shine! Your health is your wealth. Go for it!!!!!
You do not always have to know how you are going to get there, just that you want to. The world will show up to help you <3
@ Adrienne…. I’ve learned that mercury fillings being removed can help women get pregnant when they have had a difficult time doing so. Hope this helps!
I began to suffer with horrible hot flashes about 8 years ago. I tried several different prescription medications to relieve them, but each prescription caused me to experience bad reactions. For the past three years I’ve been using an herbal supplement called “Moon Phases Formula” I buy at a local “Health and Nutrition” store (look under “D” in the business listings in the phone directory). I rarely now have a hot flash (not flashes). I take 3 droppers full daily. The relief I receive with this supplement is absolutely wonderful. I can’t live without it!
@Heather I’ve also been diagnosed with POS and have been taking metmorfin to keep my periods regular for almost a year (I’ve been prescribed the medication back home in Europe). After a miscarriage, my hormones went wild and I started getting acne. After Robyn’s lecture, I began eating raw foods more and more, I realized there’s nothing in life worth upsetting about and I also started drinking herbal tea-Lady’s mantle and Yarrow. Now, things are finally getting back to normal. I absolutely understand what it is like to feel like a new person and yes, changes do come slowly but it feels awesome knowing that you’ve made them! Best wishes to you and all the other green ladies! 🙂
I recently had blood work done to determine why I havent had my cycle in 2 years. Besides being a runner and vegetarian I wanted to dig deeper into the issue. I went to a doctor who specializes in hormone therapy pellets. Whats your advice? My estrogen and testosterone are below 30. I am 31 and I’ve never had children. I am trying to decide on how I should go about balancing my hormones so I can feel great again! Thank you
heather, pellets?? I don’t know anything about that. I know many raw foodists have very light periods, but definitely get a bioidentical specialist on it!
I’m looking for a more natural & safer option than synthetic hormone filled birth control pills. Any ideas? B/C pills are scary to take but they do work.
What about women like me who have had an estrogen dependent Breast Cancer? I refuse to take the hormone blockers….I know green smoothies work for me….but is there a veggie combination that is best for me?
Dana, I don’t think anyone has ever studied “veggie combinations,” but there are many greens, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts and seeds that have been documented to have anti-cancer effects. Please read Cancer: Think Outside the Box and/or Outsmart Your Cancer….and you may wish to study and eat those food classes just listed in great abundance. I love juicing vegetables for cancer, as well as ELIMINATING (not reducing) sugar.
Robyn,
I need your help or actually someone I know needs your help. I work with a wonderful person who was just told her ovarian cancer has returned. Her Dr that she is going to is HORRIBLE in my eyes and hers, but she doesnt know where to go. Do you know of any Dr in the Chicago area that deals with cancer on many levels and not just with chemo and drugs? You can email me directly if you want. Didn’t know how else to get e message to you and since you had the topic of hormones????
Thanks Sue
Are these articles archived?
I noticed others commenting about green smoothies and gas. That is the biggest complaint I have about green smoothies. They give me horrible flatulence and since I work with the public all day long it is particularly embarrassing. I don’t want to give up the green smoothies but it seems that all the greens and whole foods have created a problem. Does anyone else have this issue and what can I do about it. Thanks for any advice!
Very common detox reaction, Ellen. It’s not that green smoothies are bad—it’s that lots of fiber and nutrition causes an unhealthy, inflamed gut to react. Do Step 8 in 12 Steps to Whole Foods to heal your gut, permanently. Also drink your green smoothie with other food, throughout the day, instead of all at once? Another idea is, add good fats either to the smoothie (coconut oil, avocado, flax oil) or eat a handful of high-fat food. But again, good fats—like nuts and seeds.
Robyn, I’m writing for my 37 yr old daughter who has a ‘beard problem’. After the birth of her only child 11 yrs ago she started to develop facial hair and it has increased considerably over the last 11 yrs. She has just started using the ‘nono’ hair remover with hopes this will work. Nothing else external will stop it. What is causing this and what can she do to stop it? She would be grateful for your help if there is anything other than creams, shaving, plucking or “nono”.
thanks for any help you can give
Hi…I have been recently diagnosed with colitis….I know you aren’t a medical dr. but is there a course of action for this? I will be getting my colonoscopy soon and have had polyps removed in the past…I am not feeling well at the moment and wondering if I can do something holistically to help..thank you
Daphne… Have you considered getting off all grains and processed sugars. Please check out the Specific Carbohydrate Diet designed to natually treat Colitis along with many other GI tract issues.