Last week I talked about the common issue of estrogen dominance in women with endometriosis. In this column, I’ll talk about how you can stabilize and balance your hormones while reducing your estrogen levels.

Diet

Food is not just fuel or energy. Vitamins and minerals benefit specific cells, organs, and functions in the body — especially your hormones. The foods humans eat these days, and the way we eat them, is causing hormone issues. Our endocrine system is the system in your body responsible for regulating and releasing hormones. It can be thrown off by the foods you eat and changes in your body such as low and high blood sugar. Continuous disruption can develop into more serious hormonal disorders.

I’m currently working on my blood sugar levels. I have been told that I have unstable blood sugar, but I didn’t really understand how it affected my hormones and endometriosis. The book “Womancode: Perfect Your Cycle, Amplify Your Fertility, Supercharge Your Sex Drive and Become a Power Source” does a brilliant job of explaining the havoc unstable blood sugar can wreak on your body, and the knock-on effect it has on hormones. I’ve been referring to this book to help stabilize my levels, and the difference in sustained energy I’ve experienced so far is incredible. You could follow the advice from the book, or you could talk to a nutritionist to get a plan together, or visit a medical practitioner to discuss your blood sugar.

Another way you can support your body is by eating foods that will help the body to balance the hormones and remove old ones efficiently. A simple way to support your hormones could be understanding and implementing seed syncing. You can do seed cycling by yourself quite easily. Or if you’d rather have a bit more support, Food Period is a new company offering seed syncing energy balls.

Additionally, you could also help your body’s elimination process. The body needs to be able to get rid of excess estrogen, and quite often, people with endometriosis can have problems with this process, whether that’s due to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) issues or a compromised liver. To aid the liver, nutritionist and women’s health expert Henrietta Norton suggests adding the following foods to your diet: garlic, turmeric, lemon, beetroot, rocket, kale, sweet potatoes, parsley, carrots, and cabbage (see her book “Take Control of Your Endometriosis” for further information). You can also support the digestive system with fennel/fennel seeds, mint, dill, ginger, pineapple, onions, bok choy, and artichokes. Again, there are many other foods which can help the elimination process, so pick up some good books on the subject or speak to an expert for a more comprehensive list.

Elimination process

Estrogen leaves your body just as other unwanted chemicals and waste do — through bowel movements, urine, and the skin.

If one of your endometriosis symptoms is constipation, soluble fiber such as oats and high fiber fruits and vegetables are crucial to ensuring healthy bowel movements. If you’re struggling even with these foods, you may want to look at taking a supplement or using a natural treatment such as flax or psyllium husk. Drinking a good glass of water or a hot tea can also help get the bowels functioning properly in the morning.

Another way to support the elimination process is through skincare rituals. Dry brushing can help the skin with its elimination process, and also encourage circulation, aiding the removal of old hormones and toxins that have built up in the body. This is a great excuse for a leisurely bath; a salt scrub or Epsom salt bath can help draw out waste through the skin.

Toxins

Your everyday environments sadly contain many endocrine disruptors, and many of these mimic estrogen, which are thought to then add to estrogen dominance. To reduce your exposure to these, try changing your brands to natural companies. The market for natural well-being, beauty, and household products is booming, so there is a huge selection to choose from to suit every budget.

Stress

Many of us forget that adrenaline and cortisol are in fact hormones, and our hormones are all interconnected. If you’re chronically stressed, your body releases more cortisol and adrenaline than is healthy, and not only does that have other implications for your health, but it also disrupts your other hormones. If challenging your big life stressors feels too much right now, try adding in some small moments of calm by way of short breathing exercises or meditations, calming teas or even stretching at your desk.

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Note: Endometriosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Endometriosis News or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to endometriosis.