I work with a lot of pregnant women and new moms. Hormones are talked about every day in the office. So I started studying more about the female hormones. During my research I learned a lot of my previous health complaints could probably be related to my hormones.
Let’s start from the beginning. I think I was 15 years old when I began taking birth control. Did I need it? No not really. I didn’t have irregular periods. I didn’t get bad cramps or other PMS symptoms. I didn’t struggle with acne. So why did I decide to mess up my hormones? Because that’s what all my friends were doing. Fast forward 3 years, I got really sick. No one knew what was wrong with me. Multiple doctors visits and tests took place but there were still no answers. Then I struggled with some anxiety and panic attacks. Fast forward another 3 or 4 years, and I started having digestive complaints. I could do a cleanse and it would help a little. I could stay away from foods that I thought were causing my cramps and bloating but the next week other foods was be irritating my gut. Another 2 years go by, I have most of my symptoms managed but they still flare up once in a while. Not to mention I don’t feel comfortable in my skin. I just felt fluffy.
So here we are today. I’ve done a ton of research on female hormones. I’ve been off my birth control for 2 months now. And my body is far from being balanced again. My anxiety is under control. My digestive complaints have been minimal for the most part. I get the worst cramps right before my period. And at 27 years old, I have been battling acne. I know this isn’t a forever thing and that I just need to balance my hormones so everything can work properly again.
Now you’re probably wondering what I’m doing to balance my hormones. I am very careful about what I’m eating. I have eliminated gluten (bread, pasta, rice, cookies, flour, cake, etc.), dairy (cheese, milk yogurt), pork, bacon, ham, caffeine, alcohol and any processed foods. You’re probably thinking wow what do you eat? It’s not that bad I promise. Yes, it took some time getting used to it. The first week was rough. I just wanted to eat an entire container of ice cream. But I didn’t. For breakfast I have fresh fruit normally mango and berries with a cup of tea. Then I make smoothies. My favorite smoothie right now is a mint chocolate smoothie (spinach, avocado, mint leaves, cocoa nibs, chocolate protein powder and almond milk). Lunch is packed with veggies and a little fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth. Afternoon snacks are almonds. Dinner is an organic, non-hormone meat with a vegetable or some kind of soup. Let’s not forget I drink a ton of water during the day (normally 80-100oz). Eating this way has made me try new foods, cook foods in a different way and learn what my taste buds actually like.
Aside from eating, I am taking some supplements. I take Chaste Tree and Hypothalmex to support my progesterone production. (Birth control inhibits the production of progesterone. The body needs progesterone to counterbalance estrogen. If you have really bad PMS symptoms, you are probably progesterone deficient.) I take turmeric and fish oil for inflammation. I take vitamin D because it’s winter and we don’t get sun in New York. I also take Cataplex F to help my liver flush out the excess estrogen in my body and decrease my acne.
Taking my supplements and eating right has made a huge impact on my hormones. But I have also been supporting my body with essential oils. I apply Clary Sage to the lower abdomen and my wrists to help with progesterone production. I apply lemon, grapefruit and bergamot to my ribs over my liver to support detoxification.
In my previous post, I talked about my night routine, because getting sleep is very important for helping the hormones balance themselves out.
Some signs you need hormone support are: PMS symptoms, irritability, irregular periods, infertility, menopause, hot flashes, trouble sleeping at night, digestive complaints, anxiety/panic attacks and acne.
You don’t have to let your hormones control your life. Let’s balance out your hormones so you can live your best life!