Do you Suffer with Tender Breasts

 
How to reduce estrogen

Do you find that your breasts become more tender leading up to your bleed? If so, this can be a sign that your oestrogen is on the higher end. You may also find that your tender breasts are accompanied by increased feelings of irritability, a heavy flow, bloating and decreased sex drive.

Can you relate?



It is important to understand that oestrogen comes in many forms, these include;⁠

- Oestrone (E1) created from our body fat and often referred to as the 'bad' oestrogen⁠

- Estradiol (E2) which is the main type of oestrogen, produced in our ovaries recognised as the 'good' oestrogen⁠⠀

- Estriol (E3) increases during pregnancy, where it is produced in the placenta⁠

- Oestrogen metabolites from our intestinal bacteria⁠

- Xenoestrogens or endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), that act like oestrogen (think plastics, toxic beauty products and the OCP⁠


In order to rebalance your hormones, reduce exposure to xenoestrogens and support your body to excrete excess oestrogen there are a number of things you can do. Swipe below for my top 5 tips when it comes to clearing excess oestrogen from your body;

ALCOHOL

Reduce your intake of alcohol. Here I suggest sticking to 4 standard drinks per week // cold turkey for at least a month if possible). Sorry not sorry

EAT YO GREENS

Load up on those glorious cruciferous vegetables, aiming to consume at least one serve at lunch and dinner (think broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, bok choy). Please note that 1 serve equates to 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw.

DITCH TOXIC BEAUTY

Make the switch to organic make up and skin care to reduce your exposure to xenoestrogens.  Here I suggesting purchasing your make up and skin care from stores like Clean Beauty Market or Conscious Kin as they have done the hard work for you in terms of stocking leading ethical brands.

BYE BYE PLASTIC

Avoid using plastic to store your food and beverages, choosing glass where possible. Oh and this will help serve our planet too!

DAIRY FREE LIFE

Remove dairy where possible, as it can increase histamine levels and cause digestive upset. See my top dairy swaps below;

MILK

YOGHURT

CHEESE

Please ensure that you up your intake of calcium from plant based sources, if opting for the dairy free life (think tahini, white beans, collard greens, flax seeds).


If you feel like you need some support to help balance your hormones, I invite you to work alongside a Clinical Nutritionist or Naturopath. Here we are able to dive into your pathology to see what your hormones are up to and how to support them accordingly. Click here to book in for a Nutritional Medicine consultation today.

REFERENCES

  • Cui, J., Shen, Y., & Li, R. (2013). Estrogen synthesis and signaling pathways during aging: from periphery to brain. Trends in molecular medicine, 19(3), 197–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2012.12.007

  • Fucic, A., Gamulin, M., Ferencic, Z., Katic, J., Krayer von Krauss, M., Bartonova, A., & Merlo, D. F. (2012). Environmental exposure to xenoestrogens and oestrogen related cancers: reproductive system, breast, lung, kidney, pancreas, and brain. Environmental health : a global access science source, 11 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), S8. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-11-S1-S8

  • Patisaul, H. B., & Jefferson, W. (2010). The pros and cons of phytoestrogens. Frontiers in neuroendocrinology, 31(4), 400–419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2010.03.003

  • Rachdaoui, N., & Sarkar, D. K. (2013). Effects of alcohol on the endocrine system. Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America, 42(3), 593–615. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecl.2013.05.008

  • Rajoria, S., Suriano, R., Parmar, P. S., Wilson, Y. L., Megwalu, U., Moscatello, A., Bradlow, H. L., Sepkovic, D. W., Geliebter, J., Schantz, S. P., & Tiwari, R. K. (2011). 3,3'-diindolylmethane modulates estrogen metabolism in patients with thyroid proliferative disease: a pilot study. Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association, 21(3), 299–304. https://doi.org/10.1089/thy.2010.0245

 
Laura Saunders