Ways to Avoid Manmade Estrogens


Choose organic milk and dairy products.


Eat organic meats and wild-caught fish.


Avoid canned foods and plastic water and soda bottles.


Do not use lawn or garden chemical pesticides or herbicides.


Shed outdoor shoes before entering the house.


Avoid furniture made from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and synthetic carpeting; these materials outgas toxic chemicals.


Use natural household-cleaning products, including baking soda and vinegar.


Choose natural personal care products, including shampoos, lotions and cosmetics.


stress of modern lifestyles for hormone disruptions in women in their child- bearing years. “The stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine can have long-term effects on all other hor- mones,” advises Northrup. Concurrently, many women sacri-


fice self-nurturance in order to nurture others. The first result is often premen- strual syndrome (PMS), which Northrup calls a “lifestyle disease.” “We know that this problem seems to worsen with each subsequent child. That made the connection for me,” she adds, “that with growing fami- lies and responsi- bilities, women no longer take care of themselves as well; no longer get the amount of exer- cise they once did. The body is quite forgiving in their 20s, much less so in their 30s.” Part of the result is the attempt to


reduce stress levels by eating high-fat and high-sugar comfort foods. Weight gain, blood sugar imbalances and sex


www.naturalawakenings-houston.com


hormone imbalances follow. “Excess blood sugar changes the way estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are metabolized,” Northrup explains. “PMS and other problems of the reproductive years often go away when you get your blood sugar balanced, but—here’s the rub—you won’t get it rebalanced unless you are addressing the very real stress- ors in your life.” Due to the presence of xenoestro-


gens and Americans’ general fondness for processed comfort foods, women in their childbearing years are also increas- ingly afflicted by polycystic ovary syn- drome (PCOS), a condition characterized by overproduction of testosterone and other male hormones. Insulite Laborato- ries, in Louisville, Colorado, reports that infertility and early onset Type 2 diabetes, another hormonal imbalance problem, are closely connected to PCOS. The first priority for every woman


at any age, counsels Northrup, is to get blood sugar (glucose) under control. “Get a glucometer. You don’t need a prescription. If your blood sugar level isn’t between 80 and 90 in the morn- ing, you need to look at your diet and lifestyle. Getting this under control will create hormonal balance in the vast majority of women. It’s so simple.”


Perimenopause The next hormonal shift overlaps with a woman’s reproductive years. Symp- toms of perimenopause, or the start of menopause and the end of childbearing years, typically show up between the early and late 30s. These range from hot flashes, night


To find a local compounding pharmacy for customized,


bioidentical hormone blends, as prescribed by a medical practitioner, visit iacprx.org.


sweats and insomnia to weight gain, fuzzy thinking and redistribution of hair on the body. Again, the presence of xenoestrogens and stress contribute. Women of


other cultures rarely experience the in- tensity of perimeno- pausal symptoms


that Western women report. So does that make perimenopause a lifestyle disease, as well? Emphatically yes, says Holly Lucille, a doctor of naturopathy, registered nurse


and liffestyl ar abs lu ly ss nti a to a health


Maintaining Balance: A Woman’’s Guide to Safe,to Safefe,Natura bi ch mistry


she explains in her boo Cre Maintaining Balance: ral,l,Horm


she explains in biochemistry of t th


vitamins andmin als ood and liffestyl ch ic getting h nutr nts health


book, From Belly Fat to Belly Flat, Dr. Rand lph and


cern during oo


mulating effects of excess estrogen. “In perimenopause, progesterone produc- tion usually declines rapidly, more than 120 times faster than estrogen or testosterone pr ducti n. aggr


usually


than 12 st st


aggravat ates t th clin tim fast


pause ar usually stil ththey think h ir


notes. “B caus paus


apidly than str


production. Tha ’hat’t s wh a he symp ms sympttoms,” Ran


s. “Because women inin perim are usually stilll menstruating think t their horm “The more body


rmones are oka dy fat you hav e,


un


imbalance,” says Lucille. “Those fat cells burd


hatt


Rand lphdol ph rimeno-


o-


nstruatin g, are okay.”


the more estrogen tips the hormonal imbalanc


s hold on to toxins and place more den on the liver, making it unabl to effffectively metabolize those e xtra estrogens,” which are stored in body fat and brought into the body


nable x


dy dy as xenoes -


trogens. “At “At the end of the day, e, estrogen is a messeng


nger, and its message is is to


tell cells to gro w and proliferat wha


hat at we don’t want.”


pancr ings


s. “It’s not a willpower problem,” Randolph assures. “Too muc caus


panc ings. Rand


hic


riggers sugar cr Too much es tr


p ses you to pack on the poun ds unds


“Whil chang board


th o “Wh


ns p


nantt, several things happen, incl uding a more rapid release of insulin from the creas, which tit trigg


When estrogen becomes domi - ral


including crav-


the belly area, and belly fat produces more estrogen. It’s a vicious cycle..” Lucille considers perimenopause e opposite of puberty and couns hile we are dealing with these n


un els,


hanges, bringing some hormones on ard for a short time can be a valuable tool.l.” However, she cautions, replac- ing an to loo


a ything isn’t th the issue. “Y o k at the big picture,” she av


“Putting natural awakenings May 2012


“You have avers.


“Puttting hormones into a toxic body dy is 21


strt ogen d in duc ”


rate. T hat’s


Institutitute, advocate a specific eating plan to override belly fat and related accu- mulating rim


co-founders of the Natural Horm Insti


Dr Randolph and Geni o-


r mone ating a


om Belly Fat to Belly Flat,t, nie JaJames,


ook, Creating and Wo


e, Natural, Hormone Health “T he body s bas


style choices, we ar


tting t the nutriients necessary althy end crin sys m Weight gain s rn during perim


ndocrine systtem..”


ight gain i is a par icular con- rimenopaus


particulart pause. I In h r n t the iir ssary to ha


rmone Health. “The dy i is based on


vitamins and minerals.. I Iff we compr mi s foo and li


have a


mpromise are not


Naturopathic Doct rs Ass ciat n “D and li


and past president of t the Calif rnia Natur pathic


and past pr sid nt he California


style are absoluttely essentiall althy horm na sys


ctors Associatiion.. “Diiet rmonall systtem,” whic oman’s


hi ch reating a nd s Guide de


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40