Raising Progesterone levels or improving the Estrogen: Progesterone ratio is the key to reducing symptoms in the early Peri-2-Post adventure. There is a couple of strategies that are key.
First among them is regulating your nervous system! Stress Management!! Higher cortisol levels can exacerbate symptoms (hot flashes, anxiety, and insomnia) experienced during the Peri-2-Post years. Women who are experiencing higher stress levels may experience more severe and persistent symptoms. In addition, higher cortisol levels can aggravate mental health issues and makes mood swings less predictable.
Prolong or chronic stress not only reduces available cortisol, which contributes to fatigue and poor energy levels, but it also lowers DHEA, the body’s principal hormone source after menopause. Peri-2-Post women with a compromised Brain to Adrenal (HPA Axis) communication tend to have abnormally low DHEA, estrogen, and progesterone levels.
The “Brain” (meaning your Hypothalamus and Pituitary) views many aspects of our daily life as stressful. Long gone are the days when a stress event was occasionally chasing down wild animals for food or running from it, so not to become its food. Now its argument with a coworker or loved one, being late for a meeting, computer issue when trying to work from home, or paying bills. Then there is getting busy and forgetting to eat or eating too many quick burning carbs. There are also physical stresses, pain and inflammation in our body from an injury or food sensitivity and toxic overload from environmental pollutants, lifestyle products or conventional foods that overwhelm the body with chemicals and pesticides.
Realize that in all these cases, the building blocks and energy that should normally go to produce the sex hormones will instead be directed to other glands which support the individual’s survival.
Positive lifestyle changes can have profound effect on decreasing stress on your body.
- Get your sleep!
- Yoga
- Avoid multi-tasking
- Meditation
- Time management
- Deep breathing!
- Stress mediating
- Being in nature
- Bookend your day with things that bring you joy! (Bonus points for the AM activity if you’re outside enjoying the morning light!)
The second major area to address is the higher levels of Estrogen.
Optimize your weight. The accumulation of fat is facilitated by blood sugar imbalances and insulin resistance. Being overweight can exacerbate estrogen-dominant conditions because fat cells produce and store estrogen.
Xenoestrogens are endocrine disrupting substances that imitate the action of estrogens within the body. They are present in food, personal care items, insecticides, and plastics. excessive or prolonged exposure to xenoestrogens can disrupt the body’s healthy hormone equilibrium.
Poor estrogen detoxification can result from nutritional deficiencies, stress, and genetics favoring unpreferred detox pathways, leading to the formation of estrogen metabolites with higher estrogenic and inflammatory properties.
Ways to reduce estrogen in your body.
- Minimize your use of plastic. Use metal or glass water bottles and food storage containers.
- Use natural cleaning and personal-care products.
- Reducing refined carbs and increasing healthy fats and fiber improves insulin resistance and lowers circulating estrogen.
- Cruciferous vegetables are naturally abundant in sulforaphanes, which aids with estrogen metabolism and liver function.