Ways to Avoid Manmade Estrogens
d Choose organic milk and dairy products.
d Eat organic meats and wild-caught fish.
d Avoid canned foods and plastic water and soda bottles.
d Do not use lawn or garden chemical pesticides or herbicides.
d Shed outdoor shoes before entering the house.
d Avoid furniture made from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and synthetic carpeting; these materials outgas toxic chemicals.
d Use natural household-cleaning products, including baking soda and vinegar.
d 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 exercise they once did. The body is quite forgiv- ing 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
hormone imbalances follow. “Excess blood sugar changes the way estro- gen, progesterone and testosterone are metabolized,” Northrup explains. “PMS and other problems of the reproduc- tive 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 stressors 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 increasingly afflicted by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition characterized by overproduction of testosterone and other male hormones. Insulite Laboratories, in Louisville, Colorado, reports that infer- tility 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.
To find a local compounding pharmacy for customized, bioidentical hormone blends, as prescribed by a medical practitioner, visit
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These range from hot flashes, night 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 intensity of peri- menopausal symp- toms that Western women report. So
does that make perimenopause a life- style disease, as well?
Emphatically yes, says Holly Lucille, a doctor of naturopathy, registered nurse
natural awakenings May 2012 37
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