Are your hormones out of whack?
When clients come to me suspecting they have a hormonal imbalance they are always surprised when I question them on their digestive function as well as their bowel movements.
Why?
Because the breakdown and removal of substances, whether it is something we are taking in from the outside, such as environmental toxins or producing from the inside (such as hormones), is key for the maintenance of health and treatment of disease.
This process is done via the liver and gallbladder. The liver is the primary site for bile production and secretion to the gallbladder for storage. Bile is then released into the duodenum, which is the beginning of the small intestine, and this is where the digestion and absorption of nutrients start.
Oestrogen excess can be linked to the improper breakdown of oestrogen metabolites by the liver. Symptoms of oestrogen excess includes:
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Heavy Periods
- Irrational and aggressive mood swings
- Breast tenderness
- Bowel irregularities
- Difficulty losing weight despite appropriate nutrition and exercise
- Skin breakouts
Oestrogen excess can be caused by:
- An increased production of hormones from your ovaries
- Endocrine disrupting chemicals or Xenoestrogens
- Impaired metabolism and detoxification of oestrogen via the liver and gallbladder.
- Stress, causing an imbalance in the hypothalamic pituitary axis, which can affect the production of progesterone to counterbalance oestrogen.
It is important to find the underlying cause as to why you have oestrogen excess but supporting optimal liver function will be key in balancing your body.
How do we do this?
- Ensure you have adequate fibre in your diet. Include leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables and seeds.
- Stay hydrated with a minimum of 2 litres of water daily
- Ensure you have the key nutrients needed to support liver function. Folate, B6, B12, zinc, selenium and magnesium.
- Do you have symptoms of bloating, flatulence, excess belching or anything that presents as having a negative impact on your gut function?
- Are you going to the toilet daily? The amount of clients I see that think it is normal to go to the toilet once a week is astounding! It is not normal!
- Exercise. This increases the peristalsis of the bowel and increases circulation therefore facilitating elimination.
Any toxin that is not removed from your body whether it’s endogenous or exogenous will be reabsorbed into your bloodstream. Start putting simple steps into place and if things still aren’t moving, reach out to via email, [email protected].
Article written by Enterprise Fitness Naturopath, Kristine Ottobre
