Women's hormones, gut + metabolism

Breast Cancer Is The Most Common Cancer Among American Women

I spent most of my 20’s with what felt like lumpy, fibrocystic breasts. I remember going into the gyno and they told me it was completely normal for my age and nothing to worry about. So i went about my life thinking all women had lumpy tits.

Of course I was never told that the birth control pill I was on, my estrogen riddled body, mineral depletions, PUFA filled diet, my toxin/ EMF/ stress filled lifestyle and blocked detox pathways were actually the culprit.

I wore underwire pushup bras, toxic deodorant, the more antiperspirant the better, prescription deodorant, why not? (I would have sweat through a shirt in a matter of seconds otherwise), and I’d lather toxic lotion and perfumes right on my chest.

Dang, I even contemplated getting implants at one point in my life because hey, they had to feel better than the fibrocystic ones I’ve got now right? Can you even imagine? Just adding more toxic fuel to the fire.

This is where western medicine fails us, there is no such thing as preventative care. It’s simply sick care.

We as women were never taught some of the basics things we need to be doing to take care of ourselves, our health and especially one of our most important assets – our boobs!

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women. Women have a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime. Men, listen up. This doesn’t exclude you, breast cancer in men is on the rise.

Scroll down to learn about some of the ways you can support your girls!

A self-paced program designed to help you overcome your uncomfortable digestive symptoms without restrictive diets and stressful protocols so you can enjoy food again and live a happier, healthier life.Click here to learn more + enroll.

This program is designed to educate you to understand your body better, ditch the diet confusion, optimize your metabolism, and balance your hormones (for real this time) by providing the foundations necessary for you to thrive in a world of diet culture and confusion. Click here to learn more + enroll. 

Got Estrogen Dominance? Your Gut Could Be To Blame!

I know. You are looking at this thinking Laura, what in the actual F is this?

Let me explain.

This is for the women that are doing ALL THE THINGS but are still struggling with estrogen dominance symptoms:

PMS
Irregular/heavy periods
Acne
Swelling/ water retention
Breast tenderness/ fibroids
Bloating
Weight gain
Digestive issues
Headaches/migraines
Sleep probs
Mood issues/ anxiety
Endometriosis
PCOS…

You get the gist. Literally every female problem can be brought back to estrogen dominance whether it be relative (in comparison to progesterone) or true.

I don’t care if your digestion seems great. I can guarantee your gut is to blame for your hormonal issues. Like I’ve said before and I will say again. We always work on minerals (hello copper) and gut health first. 9x out of 10 your hormones will balance as a result.

This stupidly detailed graph 👆🏻is simply just a representation of what goes wrong when your microbiome is not functioning optimally.

You have an entire microbiome dedicated to regulating estrogen levels. It’s called the estrobolome.

After estrogen circulates throughout the body doing what it needs to do it ends up in the liver where it’s broken down and packaged for elimination or reabsorption, then sent to your intestines. When in the intestines, estrogen will either be eliminated through your poop or reabsorbed and recirculated in the body by an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase, which breaks down estrogen to be excreted or reabsorbed.

When the system of estrogen metabolism is working the way it’s supposed to, you absorb and excrete the right balance of estrogen, creating happy hormone balance.

Recirculating estrogen in an already estrogen dominant body is the last thing we need!

Your estrobolome can only function well if your gut is healthy, there are so many of us walking around these days unbeknownst to us with a wrecked gut.

There is a constant conversation taking place between your gut and endocrine system. I will say it again, it ALWAYS comes back to your gut (and minerals) but hey, if you’re not absorbing your minerals due to poor digestion you’ll just end up in shits creek without a paddle. Get yo’ gut checked girlfriend.

Estrogen In Balance vs. Estrogen In Excess

Listen up, estrogen is not a dirty word. Altho it tends to get a bad rep, it is actually necessary + wonderful.

But when out of balance she can be a real bitch.

Causing bloating, heavy/ irregular periods, PMS, breast tenderness, acne, mood swings, endometriosis, PCOS, weight gain, allergies/asthma, blood sugar swings, depression/anxiety, dry skin, infertility, fatigue, breast + uterine cancer, water retention, fibroids, cysts, hypothyroidism, + GI Issues.

Girl, is this you? 👀

Estrogen must be in a balance with progesterone. This balance can get disturbed by stress, exposure to environmental toxins, poor diet, birth control, poor sleep, poor digestion + elimination of excess hormones.

Estrogen accumulates in two ways.

Endogenously: making too much + not able to eliminate appropriately.

Exogenously: from food + your enviornment.

You’re thinking “Laura, what the F do I do about it?”

First address where this estrogen is coming from + why it is not being eliminated.

+ Stress is #1, excess stress depletes progesterone production to make more cortisol.

+ Dysbiosis: more bad bacteria in the gut can cause estrogen to re-circulate back into your blood stream.

+ Low stomach acid will prevent you from assimilating minerals and nutrients that are needed to detox excess estrogen appropriatly. You need energy to actually produce + eliminate hormones.

+ Gallbladder probs? Bile is needed to escort estrogen out of the body.

+ The liver is responsible in the removal of excess hormones and like 300 other functions in the body. Give your liver some love with all the nutrients it needs to do it’s job.

+ Do yourself a favor + drop all that toxic shit mimicking estrogen in your life #nontoxicselfcare

+ Are you over-consuming alcohol? Are you sleep deprived? Are you stressed the F out?

It is rare to find a woman deficient in estrogen. Estrogen is stored in the fat tissues. You may have all the symptoms of estrogen dominance but your labs come back “normal.” This is why working with someone to do detective work is key.

With proper nourishment, good gut health + lifestyle changes YOU CAN overcome this dirty side of estrogen.

The Cellulite + Estrogen Connection

93% of women have cellulite. Women are dropping money like it’s HOT on treatments like creams and lasers to get rid of cellulite, I’m talking upwards $4,000 per treatment. 😳

The increase in cellulite comes to no surprise considering the extremely estrogenic, stressed out, mineral depleted world we live in.

The cause for your cellulite? Any stressor that creates excess estrogen in your body. Low thyroid function, low progesterone, PUFAs, and nutrient and mineral deficiencies.

A sluggish thyroid causes a sluggish metabolism leading to poor circulation and less oxygen creating cellulite. And what do we need to have a robust metabolism and well functioning thyroid? Lots and lots of nutrients.

PUFAs (you know those vegetable oils, nuts and seeds) act like estrogen in the body by increasing cellular growth driving cells to take in water.

There needs to a be a happy balance between estrogen and progesterone. If progesterone is too low then estrogen will become dominant.

Let’s be clear estrogen is not a bad thing. It only becomes a bad thing when we are not able to detox excess out of the body due to a sluggish metabolism, blocked detox pathways, poor digestion and an overburdened liver.

Estrogen has to go through phase 1 and 2 detox, then get escorted out of the body through your bile (why having a gallbladder is so important ladies!), binding to excess in the digestive tract, and then gets eliminated through your poop.

What to do?

+ Limit PUFAs

+ Switch to non toxic skincare, makeup and cleaning products

+ Stop drinking tap water and get a water filter

+ Make sure you are pooping everyday to eliminate excess estrogen

+ Raw carrots, beets, cooked mushrooms for bile support and to bind to excess estrogen

+ Consider vitamin E, milk thistle, + bitters

+ Copper + zinc rich foods like beef liver + oysters

+ Dry brushing

+ Get sunlight everyday to bring down stress hormones

+ Estrogen accumulates in fat tissues so it can be helpful to strength train + lose weight if necessary. Reminder, it’s not your weight, it’s the estrogen

Women of all sizes have cellulite.

Remember, cellulite does not determine your worth as a human.