OESTROGEN DOMINANCE - ARE YOU STRUGGLING WITH WEIGHT-GAIN?
posted 22nd July 2020
Oestrogen can cause mayhem in your body if it is not balanced with progesterone and you may find yourself facing issues such as fatigue, anxiety, headaches, infertility, PMS, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS, depression, bloating and puffiness, thyroid, hot flushes/night sweats, heavy periods and gall-bladder issues. Weight-gain around your hips, waist and thighs is a typical example.
What causes oestrogen dominance? Soya, dairy, meat, wheat, cosmetics in your body from chemicals and phthalates, tap water, The Birth Pill, HRT, chronic stress, adrenal fatigue, poor diet, BPA's, plastics, heavy metals and scented candles. Xenoestrogens are industrial chemicals that mimic the behaviour of oestrogens and we are constantly exposed to them in our environment, foods, furniture, clothes, growth hormones in commercially bred animals, pesticides and herbicides.
Sugar can disrupt the hormone insulin in the body and insulin is closely connected to all of the other hormones in your body, including oestrogen and testosterone. Tap water also contains pesticides, fertilisers and synthetic and natural oestrogens from drug medications and livestock, chemicals, arsenic and other metals. Scented candles burn phthalates which are released into the air where they may be inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Once they enter the bloodstream, they can aggravate allergy and asthma symptoms in some people, and have been found to alter hormone levels. A 100% soya candle will release small amounts of the carcinogens and toxins found in paraffin. Again, most soya candles on the market are not 100% soya and contain a high percentage of paraffin.
Cosmetics, body products and toothpastes are directly absorbed through the bloodstream and contain parabens, phthalates and other disruptive chemicals, many of which interfere with hormones. Look out also for plastics and 'Bisphenol A' which is a hormone disruptor. Oestrogen is inflammatory and weakens the intestinal lining, worsens Hashimotos Thyroid and autoimmune conditions, making you feel extremely tired, but there are a number of ways to address this inflammation.
Supporting gut healing with appropriate foods and supplements is a starting point. Look at your diet, environment and lifestyle factors as these are important to balance your oestrogen and progesterone levels, rather than one dominating the other.