Could "Estrogen Dominance" Be Slowing Down Your Fat Loss & Causing Health Problems?
- Coach Lloyd
- Nov 23, 2018
- 5 min read
Do you feel bloated or fatigued? How about gaining weight, or increased cellulite? Symptoms like water retention, cellulite, weight gain, fatigue and breast tenderness may point to “Estrogen Dominance” – and addressing the issue with some simple dietary changes can have great benefits to the way you look and the way you feel.
What Is Estrogen? First, it’s good to understand what Estrogen is and how it works in the body. Estrogen is a sex hormone that both men and women and women produce. Whilst there are different types of estrogens, for the sake of simplicity they are all collectively called Estrogen.
Estrogen t is the most dominant sex hormone in women -- it’s the primary hormone that creates the secondary sexual characteristics that we consider inherently female. When men produce or somehow accumulate excessive quantities of Estrogen they will start to inhibit various female characteristics such as the development of breast tissue (the very undesirable ‘man-boobs’), lower levels of muscle density and even feminine curves.
Although Estrogen is the dominant female hormone, excess Estrogen (commonly referred to as “Estrogen Dominance”) can actually have very negative effects on women. If you have serious estrogen problems, you may need to seek advice from a physician. However, if you experience minor symptoms listed below, you should be able to see improvement just by changing your diet.
Women with Estrogen Dominance have problems with:
water retention
heavy or irregular periods
breast tenderness
mood swings
low thyroid symptoms
nervousness and anxiety
facial flushing
cellulite
loss of energy (fatigue)
decreased libido (sex drive)
headaches
weight gain (particularly around the back of the upper arm, the chest, hips, thighs and bottom)
muscle loss
skin conditions such as oily skin and blemishes
How Does Estrogen Dominance Develop & What Can You Do About It?
First, let’s understand how Estrogen Dominance develops. When a woman lacks Progesterone (the foundational hormone in all vertebrates) her body may begin to overproduce Estrogen to compensate.. Both Estrogen and Progesterone are vital to the health of every woman but these two hormones exist in such a delicate balance that when the balance is thrown off the body compensates, creating problems. .
Why Could You Have Estrogen Dominance?
Diet is a major contributor to Estrogen Dominance – and the causes from foods and sources you wouldn’t usually expect:
1. Xenoestrogens
One of the biggest contributors to Estrogen Dominance are Xenoestrogens (xeno literally means “foreign”). These man-made chemicals that mimic Estrogen pollute our food and water supplies and flood our bodies everyday with Estrogen-like substances. These chemicals include pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, exhaust fumes and hormones fed to non-organic livestock particularly cattle and chickens.
2. Phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens are plant compounds found in foods that create oestrogen-like activity in the body. You find these compounds in soy foods, artificial sweeteners, whole-wheat products including whole-wheat breads and pastas.
Did You Know That Dairy Products are full of Estrogen?
Next time you’re at the dairy section in the grocery, consider choosing rice milk or almond milk instead. Why? According to the Harvard School of Public Health, dairy milk is a leading source of estrogen. In fact, it may account for up to 80% of estrogens consume! One reason is because most cows are dosed with growth hormones and are ripe with Xenoestrogens. Another possible reason is that cows are often milked when they are pregnant, when estrogen levels are at their highest. Either way, it’s excess estrogen your body can do without!
Foods to Avoid to Balance Your Hormones
Estrogen imbalances can be caused by a surprising number of foods. You should not drink alcohol if you are estrogen dominant because estrogen must be metabolized in the liver and drinking alcohol can cause the liver to become overworked, allowing estrogen levels to build up in your body.
Other foods to avoid include sugar, processed, and fast foods. These foods have been linked to magnesium deficiencies, which in turn have been connected to high estrogen levels. Chocolate, tea, coffee and other sources of caffeine and foods high in fats also contribute to estrogen dominance. Too much unfermented soy in your diet can lead to high levels as estrogen as well.
Balance Your Hormones with Nutrition
There are ways to balance your estrogen with careful, informed diet choices. Here are some Dietary Solutions to Estrogen Dominance:
1. Limit Saturated & Hydrogenated Fats
Both saturated and hydrogenated fats compete for uptake against so called “good fats” called Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). This can be a major factor in determining Estrogen/Progesterone balance. A diet low in saturated and hydrogenated fats and high in EFAs will help reduce Estrogen Dominance.
2. Increase Fibre Intake
A diet high in fibre helps in eliminating excess Estrogen. Dietary fibre helps reduce excess Estrogen in the blood by influencing an enzyme called “beta-glucouronidase” produced by bacteria in the gut. Good examples of high fibre foods that help are wheat bran, psyllium husks, pectins (skins and rinds of fruit and vegetables) and lignans such as linseeds, also known as flaxseed.
3. Eat More Cultured Milk Products Like Yoghurt (when you do have dairy)
The bacteria in yoghurt, Lactobacillus acidophilus, reduces an enzyme called beta-glucouronidase which has a positive effect on oestrogen excretion. Fermented soy products such as tempeh, miso and tamari can also have the same effect.
4. Eat From The Cabbage Family
Natural chemicals found in the cabbage family -- such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts -- can increase the rate at which the liver changes oestrogen into water-soluble form for excretion. Indoles such as Di-indole methane (DIM) also competitively inhibit oestrogen, and also seem to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and is good for your all around health!
5. Increase Your Protein Intake
Adequate protein intake is necessary to metabolise oestrogen in the liver. Since many conditions are associated with excess protein intake, be aware of the protein you eat and choose grains, legumes, lean meat, fish, organic chicken and eggs, and that it constitutes not more than 60g of pure protein daily.
6. Ditch the Caffeine, Nicotine & Alcohol
Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol amongst other foods. Foods rich in sulphur such as garlic, onion, leek and cabbage aid liver detoxification. Also consume foods high in methionine assist with the methylation of oestrogen, the chemical reaction the liver uses to break down oestrogen (oestradiol) into a less potent form (estriol). Beans, legumes, onions and garlic are high in methionine.
7. Go Organic Where Possible When it Comes to Livestock Produce
As already mentioned non-organic livestock are commonly fed and injected with hormones to help them grow quicker and “healthier”. These hormones often end up as sources of Xenoestrogens in our bodies.
Make these simple, effective dietary changes and watch as your body changes for the better. You’ll see weight loss, increased energy, and feel and look better!
Estrogen Dominance is a real issue needing attention. I see many cases of it amongst both my face-to-face and online clients. Some people will have mild or moderate symptoms whilst others have severe symptoms. Either way it is something that I as a nutritionist and coach often come across and help my clients overcome. The tips in this article are really just the basics -- there are exercise, supplementation and at times medical protocols that I use along the nutritional guidelines in this article. If you would like more information and guidance; please be at liberty to drop me an email and I'll get in touch with you.
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