PMS, UTERINE FIBROIDS OR CYSTS, ENDOMETRIOSIS, INFERTILITY, MOOD SWINGS, BRAIN FOG, FATIGUE, AND PREMATURE AGING – ARE THEY THE OTHER NAMES OF ESTROGEN DOMINANCE?
Stop feeling unwell because of your imbalanced hormones! Regain your quality of life.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF ESTROGEN DOMINANCE?
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When this seesaw is tipped, it can affect your entire body. The common problems include:
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√ Weight gain
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Gaining weight easily, especially around your belly, hips, and thighs. Having a slow metabolism and feeling bloated (water retention).
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√ Physical symptoms
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Sore or tender breasts (often called fibrocystic breasts), headaches, muscle/joint pain, hair loss, and being prone to allergies and autoimmune issues.
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√ Menstrual symptoms
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Periods that are irregular or heavy, bad PMS, and the growth of things like uterine fibroids or cysts. Endometriosis and infertility are also can be caused by estrogen dominance.
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√ Mental problems
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Feeling depressed, having strong mood swings, foggy thinking (can't concentrate), memory loss, and trouble sleeping (insomnia).
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√ Other
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Feeling fatigued (tired all the time), lower sex drive, and making the aging process seem to speed up.
WHAT IS ESTROGEN?
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√ Estrogen is not just one thing. It's a whole family of hormones (and hormone-like chemicals) that work in your body.
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√ The three main estrogens humans make are estradiol, estrone, and estriol.
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√ Estrogens can also come from other places: animals, man-made drugs (synthetic estrogens), plants (phytoestrogens), and environmental chemicals (xenoestrogens).
WHAT IS ESTROGEN?
WHAT IS "ESTROGEN DOMINANCE"?
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√ This is a term for when you have too much estrogen compared to another hormone called Progesterone.
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√ Think of it like a seesaw: Estrogen is heavy, and Progesterone is light. The estrogen side is weighed down, and the two hormones are out of balance.
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√ This can happen even if your estrogen level is "normal," because your Progesterone level is too low to balance it out.
WHY DOES ESTROGEN DOMINANCE HAPPEN?
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Estrogen Dominance is when you have too much estrogen compared to progesterone. Besides the natural hormonal changes of aging, this problem is mainly caused by three things:
1. Overloading Your Liver
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The Liver's Job: Your liver acts like a filter for your body. One of its most important jobs is to break down and get rid of excess estrogen and other toxins.
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The Problem: Anything that slows down or overworks your liver will cause extra estrogen to build up in your body.
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What Overloads It? Too much alcohol, certain drugs, environmental chemicals, and even some substances in the food you eat can all overwhelm the liver and keep it from cleaning out that extra estrogen.
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2. The Environment
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We Live in an "Estrogenic" World: Many things in our modern environment and food act like estrogen in the body. This is a major reason why Estrogen Dominance is so common.
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Examples of Exposure:
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Chemicals: Things like DDT (even though it was banned, it's still around) and other industrial chemicals (xenobiotics) mimic estrogen.
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Food: Hormone residues in meat and dairy products, plus chlorine, can all have an estrogen-like effect.
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Poor Diet: Diets common in developed countries—full of dairy, sugar, and processed foods—make this problem worse.
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3. Progesterone Deficiency (The Real Issue)
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It's Not Usually a Lack of Estrogen: For most women, the problem isn't that they have no estrogen (even after menopause, their fat cells still make it). The body has enough estrogen for basic functions.
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It's a Lack of Progesterone: The key issue is that they become deficient in progesterone.
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The Balance: Progesterone is the hormone that balances and calms the effects of estrogen. When there's too little progesterone, the estrogen is left "unopposed" and becomes toxic—leading to the wide range of symptoms you read about earlier.
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In short, Estrogen Dominance is often a story of too many estrogen-like substances coming in (from food and the environment) and not enough of the balancing hormone (progesterone) being made, with the liver struggling to clean up the mess.
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WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO ESTROGEN DOMINANCE?
Balancing progesterone and estrogen levels involves addressing the root causes of the imbalance: liver overload, environmental toxins, and progesterone deficiency. You can approach this by making targeted diet and lifestyle changes.
1. Support Your Liver
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A healthy liver is crucial for filtering out excess estrogen. To support your liver's detoxification process:
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Eat cruciferous vegetables: Foods like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale contain compounds (like DIM and I3C) that help the liver metabolize and excrete estrogen.
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Increase your fiber intake: Fiber binds to excess estrogen in the gut and helps remove it from the body through waste. Good sources include beans, nuts, seeds, and leafy greens.
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Reduce alcohol consumption: Alcohol overworks the liver, making it less effective at processing and eliminating estrogen. Limiting or eliminating alcohol can significantly improve liver function and hormone balance.
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2. Avoid Environmental Toxins (Xenoestrogens)
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The modern world is full of chemicals that mimic estrogen. To reduce your exposure:
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Avoid plastics: Use glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers for food and drinks. Avoid heating food in plastic, as this can cause chemicals like BPA to leach into your food.
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Choose organic: Opt for organic meat and dairy to avoid hormones given to conventionally raised animals. Buying organic produce can also help you avoid pesticides that act as xenoestrogens.
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Filter your water: Many water sources contain environmental estrogens. Using a high-quality water filter can help reduce your exposure.
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Use natural products: Choose personal care and cleaning products that are free of parabens, phthalates, and other chemicals listed as "fragrance," which can disrupt hormones.
3. Boost Progesterone Naturally
Since most estrogen dominance is really a lack of progesterone, focusing on increasing this hormone is key.
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Eat nutrient-rich foods: Your body needs certain vitamins and minerals to produce progesterone. Include foods rich in:
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Zinc: Found in shellfish, pumpkin seeds, and lentils.
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Magnesium: Found in dark chocolate, avocados, nuts, and leafy greens.
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Vitamin B6: Found in salmon, eggs, and sweet potatoes.
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Manage stress: When you're stressed, your body produces the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is made from the same building blocks as progesterone, so high stress can "steal" the resources needed to make progesterone, leading to a deficiency.
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Maintain a healthy weight: Both being overweight and having too little body fat can disrupt hormone production. Aim for a moderate, healthy weight to support hormonal balance.
There are many natural supplements containing the right vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, probiotics, and plant extracts that will help you balance your hormones quickly.
If you suffer from ailments related to hormonal imbalances, I invite you to schedule a consultation. I will prepare personalized recommendations tailored to your individual needs.
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As a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, I have access to protocols developed by leading specialists in the United States and around the world to help you balance your hormones.
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Read this testimonial from one of my clients:
I consulted Kasia after a gynecologist appointment regarding fibroids and an endometrial polyp. She gave me lots of advice, recommended appropriate supplements, and thoroughly explained the implications. I also reported the issue to my GP, who referred me for a hysteroscopy to remove the polyp (the doctor claimed there was no way to eliminate it without surgery). After three months of supplementation, I received a date for the procedure. Despite my mentioning the supplements and dietary therapy, the doctor said there was no need for another ultrasound to check whether the polyp and fibroids were still present.
I was very surprised when, after waking up from anesthesia, the doctor informed me that everything was fine—there were no polyps or fibroids.
So, thank you so much for your support! If you're facing a similar issue, I highly recommend seeking Kasia’s help."
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