Fiber for Estrogen Detoxification

If you suffer from PMS, mood swings, lower body fat and other symptoms of excess estrogen, you may want to look at your digestive system. Fiber offers wonderful benefits for your hormonal balance. Keeping your bowels moving regularly is critical at all times, but especially during your detox to avoid accumulation and re-absorption of toxins. Aside from improving digestion and reducing tummy bloat, fiber binds to excess toxic estrogen in the digestive tract and helps to excrete it from the body. It beneficially affects the composition of intestinal bacteria and reduces the buildup of free floating estrogen. It is definitely your fat loss and hormonal health friend! Add one or two tablespoons daily to your smoothies, salads or water. I recommend that you can supplement with a non-irritating, psyllium-free fiber supplement such as Clear Fiber by Clear Medicine or Solufiber by AOR. 

Breast Tenderness and Estrogen Dominance

According to Jerilynn Prior, M.D., a Canadian clinician, researcher, and professor of endocrinology at the University of British Columbia, premenstrual breast tenderness that occurs at the sides of the breast under the armpits suggests that ovulation has occurred during that cycle. If the breasts are sore up front and over the nipples, it tends to suggest high estrogen, or estrogen dominance, which can indicate a lack of ovulation. Soreness on the sides and the front may indicate that ovulation occurred but that not much progesterone was produced three or four days after ovulation, and thus estrogen dominance is occurring. To reduce symptoms of PMS and eliminate excess "bad" estrogen we recommend Clear Detox - Hormonal Health. Take 1-2 packets daily for 1-3 months for symptoms of excess estrogen. If symptoms are a result of low progesterone you can try Clear Progesterone by Clear Medicine, Chasteberry Plus by Metagenics, Evening Primrose Oil or ask your Naturopath about about bioidentical progesterone cream.   

The Benefits of Ginger

Ginger has long been renowned for its use in cooking and for its aromatic smell, but did you know that there are also many health benefits of ginger root? It is a fabulous herb proven to prevent and treat nausea from motion sickness, pregnancy and even chemotherapy. It’s also a potent antioxidant that works by blocking the potentially nauseating effects of serotonin on the gut. Like turmeric, ginger also possesses natural anti-inflammatory benefits and may improve blood flow. A study conducted at the University of Miami showed ginger extract also had a significant effect on reducing the pain of osteoarthritis. Similarly encouraging results were found in a 2006 study at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. These researchers found powdered ginger killed ovarian cancer cells just as well or better than traditional chemotherapy. The herb is available in extracts, tinctures, capsules, and oils. Fresh ginger root can also be purchased and prepared as a tea. 

Add a Little Spice to Lower Insulin Levels

It turns out that your favourite spice mix not only helps your food taste better, it can also reduce your waistline. According to the Journal of Medicinal Food, a food seasoning spice mixture improves glucose metabolism and lipid profile in fructose-fed hyperinsulinemic rats. Treatment with these spices significantly reduced plasma glucose and insulin levels and brought about a favourable lipid profile. Additional research published in the Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences (2010) confirmed the anti-diabetic effect of various spices. Among the spices, fenugreek seeds, garlic, onion, and turmeric have been experimentally documented to possess anti-diabetic potential by either lowering blood sugar or reducing insulin. In a limited number of studies, cumin seeds, ginger, mustard, curry leaves and coriander have been reported to lower blood sugar levels. This is very promising for those who like a little spice in their life. I also recommend adding a Curcumin supplement (derived from Tumeric), such as the one by AOR, for its anti inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging and immune-enhancing benefits.

Drifting Off to Sleep: Quality Not Quantity

According to a recent study, the quality of sleep can be improved with supplementation of melatonin, magnesium and zinc. Melatonin is a hormone released from the pineal gland that plays a role in the regulation of circadian rhythms and sleep-wake cycles. Forty-three subjects living in a long-term care facility with difficulty sleeping received supplementation of melatonin, magnesium, and zinc. The results of the study indicated that the group receiving these three supplements showed significant improvement in sleep parameters based on the scores of the indicators and questionnaires. Improvements included ease of getting to sleep, quality of sleep, hangover on awakening from sleep, alertness and behavioural integrity the following morning, total sleep time and restorative quality of sleep. The researchers stated that the nightly administration of the combination of melatonin, magnesium and zinc appears to improve the quality of sleep and the quality of life of those who have difficulty sleeping. We recommend Magnesium Glycinate (2-6 capsules before bed) by Douglas Labs, Zinc by Pure Encaps and sublingual Melatonin by Douglas Labs.

Mid Afternoon Slump? Boost Your Energy

Welcome to The Hormone Diet Blog! Since I am writing this mid day I thought I would share a few energy boosting tips for when you can't squeeze in a nap? Apply them to boost your energy and productivity during the day:

1. Take a good quality multivitamin at breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. It may help prevent your afternoon energy lull.

2. Avoid eating too many carbohydrates such as breads or pastas at lunch and be sure to have some protein with your meal. Also, avoid sugary snacks-they will just cause you to crash later on. A salad with grilled chicken or shrimp is a good lunch choice.

3. Always have water at your desk. Dehydration is a very common cause of fatigue and headaches.

4. Taking a liquid vitamin B complex with your lunch may also give you a boost. This is a helpful supplement to keep at the office.

5. Adaptogenic herbs, like rhodiola, ginseng or licorice can increase vitality - especially if the cause of your fatigue is ongoing stress or overwork. These are available at your local health food store and are often in the section called adrenal gland supplements. Your adrenal glands are commonly referred to as your stress glands because they release adrenalin and cortisol when you are in stressful situations. Over long periods of stress or overwork, they can become strained or lead to burnout, which is why herbs to support their function can be beneficial to increase your energy reserves.

6. Ensure 7. 5 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Under sleeping is just as harmful as oversleeping. If you find that you consistently need more than 9 hours of sleep per night, a trip to your doctor's office for some simple blood tests to evaluate causes of fatigue may be worthwhile. Ask for an assessment of your thyroid to rule out hypothyroidism and your iron, folic acid, vitamin B12 and complete blood count to rule out anaemia, both of which can cause fatigue.