Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Estrogen gets a real bad rep.
We always want to blame estrogen - for breast cancer or uterine cancer, for weight gain, for blood clots, for fibroids, for all the menopause symptoms, etc.
But estrogen also does some AMAZING things - it helps keep us insulin sensitive, it helps keep our collagen and tissues tight and youthful, it helps protect our cardiovascular system and our cognitive function.
So this guide will be all about how to identify low/high estrogen and how to work towards having HEALTHY levels of estrogen because estrogen can create some not so fun symptoms when it gets too high (and also when it gets too low).
It’s all about our diet, our detox, and our genetics. So let’s dive in!
What Does High or Low Estrogen Look Like?
Sometimes high and low estrogen symptoms can overlap, which can be tricky, especially during peri-menopause! But you may find you identify MORE with one or the other, and then that can help guide you on how to approach it with the tips below.
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Estrogen Dominant Symptoms
- Breast tenderness/fullness
- Irregular Periods
- Heavy periods and PMS symptoms are prominent
- Swelling/Bloating week before your period
- Decreased Sex drive
- Weight gain/Bloating in the belly
- Hair loss
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Major mood swings - irritability, anxiety, depression
- Shorter cycles/longer bleeding (i.e. getting periods every 2-3 weeks)
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Low Estrogen Symptoms
- Tender breasts
- Weak or brittle bones (osteoporosis)
- Brain Fog
- Low mood
- Vaginal dryness/atrophy
- Dry skin and eyes
- Hot flashes/Night sweats
- Loss of a period or irregular periods (longer time during periods)
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How to Support Healthy Estrogen Levels
I will ALWAYS include the foundations because they matter. You need these things in place or else it doesn’t matter what supplements or techniques you put into play, they won’t help as much.
😴 Lifestyle Tips
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XENOESTROGEN Exposure
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological and immune effects in humans. These are the main types we see, where we find them, and what to start with:
- BPA - Used to make plastics and receipts mainly.
- Atrazine - Toxic weedkiller that we see sprayed all over our corn and into our drinking waters.
- Phthalates - Used to make plastics softer, or to make fragrances/cosmetics stick to your body longer.
- PFC’s (Perfluorinated Chemicals) - Used is non-stick cookware and to coat the inside of popcorn bags/fast food containers.
- Glycol Ethers - Common solvent in paints, cleaning products, brake fluid, cosmetics.
TIPS:
- Choose organic, fresh (or frozen) over artificial, canned, or processed.
- Look into your water quality! (EWG is a great source for this! We utilize clearly filtered as a great filtration option.)
- Say no to receipts!
- Avoid Polycarbonate/Plastics (Tupperware, plastic wrap, etc.)
- Avoid ‘fragrances’ on personal care labels.
- Skip non-stick cookware and stain-resistant treatments.
- Make your own non-toxic cleaners, and avoid EGBE (2-butoxyethanol) and methoxqdiglycol
- Rethink your birth control.
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Proper Hydration + Electrolyte Balance 💦
This is so simple, yet so many people suffer from a variety of symptoms because they are not properly hydrated.
- Start your day with lemon water + pinch of salt to stimulate digestion and support your liver
- Drink ½ your bodyweight in ounces per day
- Add electrolytes to most drinks (this link will get you a free sample pack with any purchase - DrinkLMNT.com/FitMomLife)
- If you sweat a lot, go up to ⅔ your bodyweight in ounces per day
- Be consistent DAILY!
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Sleep 🛌
- Make sure your room/house is cooler at night (63-66 degrees is a good place to start)
- Keep the room as dark as possible (no TV’s or lights on)
- Avoid coffee/caffeine after 11 am
- Get sunlight as early as possible in your day, at lunch time, and at sunset - this can help reset your circadian rhythm and produce melatonin
- Exercise regularly - but not late at night if you can help it!
*Have the same bedtime/wake-time daily. Even on weekends. The ideal is in bed by 9-10 pm (or earlier!) and up between 5-6 am. The more sleep prior to 12pm we get, the more restful we will feel.
[I also have a full SLEEP download with more details to use! ](https://fitmom.notion.site/I-also-have-a-full-SLEEP-download-with-more-details-to-use-11c9c33d97b9804da849c5252f95a08c)
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