post by Casandra Everett BA Hons, LCHE
Do you find that no matter how good your diet is or how much exercise you do, you just can’t lose the weight around your middle?
Well it could actually be hormonal imbalance that’s to blame.
This excess weight is often a result of too little progesterone and too much oestrogen, and the problem with too much oestrogen is that it acts a little like a magnet for fat, locking it inside the body.
Our endocrine system works really hard to finely tune a balance between the three sex hormones: oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
But when men and woman reach their mid 30’s progesterone levels naturally drop. As a result there is no longer a finely tuned balance between the hormones causing ‘oestrogen dominance’. This is then compounded by the raised levels of oestrogen (in the form of xeno-oestrogens) found in our food, water and environment.
Oestrogen causes other health concerns, in women symptoms like headaches and in men symptoms like reduced libido.
To balance your hormones I recommend avoiding oestrogen-stimulating foods and increasing your intake of foods that release excess oestrogen.
See my daily guideline below:
- Eat 2-3 portions of either broccoli, spring greens, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, brussel sprouts, celery, beetroot, kale, cabbage, radish (all these vegetables help to reduce oestrogen)
- Eat 1 serving of citrus fruit as they contain d-limonene which help the body to detoxify oestrogens
- Eat 2 servings of insoluble fibre. ie, wholemeal bread, brown rice, wholegrain cereal and wheat bran, seeds, carrots, cucumbers, courgettes, celery and tomatoes. Insoluble fibres bind to the oestrogens in the digestive tract and help carry them out of the body.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or sesame seeds to smoothies, salads or sprinkle over steamed vegetables. The friendly bacteria in our intestines convert these foods into substances with weak oestrogen-like activity.
- Avoid any saturated fats which contain high oestrogen levels ie, bacon, sausages, ham, chips, crisps, butter, biscuits and pastries
- Avoid any processed foods containing white sugar, flour and rice as they stimulate the release of insulin and this negatively impacts hormone balance.
- Avoid caffeine as 2 cups a day can increases oestrogen levels
- Avoid soya products as they compound an underlying hormone imbalance
If you would like more info on this subject, Cassie will be giving a 1hr workshop ‘how to avoid hormone havoc easily and simply’ at evolve on Wednesday 9th November at 7pm, where she will discuss natural herbs and remedies that also balance hormones. Please click here for more info.
Cassie has practiced homeopathy and natural health professionally for 5 years, she also lectures, provides practical courses and supervises students. Cassie specialises in natural hormonal health and the treatment of infertility. Her client base is wide reaching around the world from the US to Australia. Cassandra’s philosophy is focus on the small things that make a real difference and restore balance.
photo by puuikibeach