Four natural ways to have a healthier, happier period (or decrease your man boobs)

Hello, I have been busy working on the new website and would love to introduce our first guest blogger, Dr. Tonia Winchester. I personally relate to this topic and brought in another expert to enlighten us. Thank you so much Doc! Enjoy.

My patients often say, “My hormones are all out of wack.”

“Okay, back up,” I say. “Tell me more about what you’re experiencing.”

Very typically her response includes the following symptoms:

• Tender, swollen breasts
• Low mood
• Low energy
• Poor sleep
• Bloating
• Anxiety
• Weight gain
• Headaches, and
• Heavy periods

Her symptom story, in combination with blood or saliva hormone testing, usually leads us to a diagnosis of a particular hormone imbalance called, “Estrogen Dominance.” This occurs when certain estrogens in the body exist in relative higher proportions to progesterone.

This can occur for several reasons including:

• Lack of exercise
• High meat, dairy & sugar consumption
• Birth control pill use
• Stress
• Toxicity exposure

What do all of these lifestyle factors have in common? They all prevent Lady Liver from doing her job to process and eliminate the stronger and extra estrogens from the body.

I have been catering this article for the ladies, but I should clarify that estrogen dominance is also possible for the fellas in the audience. Men can become estrogen dominant when they consume too much alcohol, don’t exercise enough, don’t drink enough water, are exposed to toxins in the environment called xenoestrogens (these nasty chemicals mimic estrogen in the body and are found everywhere from pesticides to cleaning products to plastics to personal care products). Symptoms for the fellas include low sex drive, man boobs (gynecomastia in medical lingo), infertility, erectile dysfunction, and even higher risk for prostate or testicular cancer. OUCH!

So how do we get the hormones back in wack? (If the hormones were initially out of wack… then we want the opposite of that right?)

I teach her (or him) the following tricks:

1. GO GREEN: add, include, incorporate organic, dark, green, leafie veggies like kale, cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Make these the focus of ALL your meals (yep, even breakfast). Lady or Lord Liver will love you for it!
2. START SPRINKLING:  freshly,organic ground flaxseeds on your organic, dark green leafie veggies. This will elbow out the strong and extra estrogens.
3. SNOBILY STORE: all food in glass, ceramic, or stainless. Avoid plastics at all costs. These buggers mimic estrogen adding to the estrogen dominance. That’s wack!
4. KEEP KELP: handy and available. Include a variety of sea vegetables to provide iodine and precious other minerals. This is particularly important for those tender, swollen, and cystic breasts.

If you’re ready to try some of those suggestions, always allow three months to see if it is working for you.

There are tons of supplements that can support the proper balance. I recommend finding a qualified Naturopathic doctor who can help you get on a personalized program.

About Tonia
Dr. Tonia Winchester is a Naturopathic Physician practicing in Nanaimo, Canada. A self proclaimed, “goofy lover of nature and all things natural,” she loves talking about the delicate balance of how food can either harm us or heal us. She is passionate about helping people get healthy so they can do what they love. You can track her down at http://drtoniawinchester.com and sign up for her Weekly Tonic newsletter where you’ll get FREE tips to help you towards your jivin’ health and thrivin’ life