Women can begin having perimenopausal symptoms in their early 40’s that can persist for 5-10 years. These symptoms can include fatigue, weight gain, difficulty sleeping, anxiety and irregular menstrual patterns. The most common reason for these symptoms is estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance can be caused by either too much estrogen and or too little progesterone. There are many reasons women can have too much estrogen including chemicals in our food, water, and skin products, animal products with hormones, soy and any exposure to plastics (think plastic water bottles, storage containers, zip lock bags). Progesterone levels begin to taper for many women in their 30’s and for women in their 40’s, progesterone deficiency is common. This can be accelerated by chronic stress whether job or family related, or chronic lack of sleep as high cortisol can deplete our progesterone stores. Progesterone is the “feel good hormone”, the counterbalance to estrogen. Women feel best when these two hormones are balanced - not too high and not too low.
Eliminate foods from your diet that contain hidden estrogens such as soy and conventional meat and dairy products. Choose grass-fed, pasture raised, and organic foods whenever possible. Filter your water, buy clean, non-toxic skin products, and replace plastic water bottles and storage containers with glass or stainless-steel alternatives.
DIMis a holistic supplement that can improve estrogen dominance symptoms. DIM stands for di-indolyl-methane. Itcomes from indole-3-carbinol, which is a compound naturally found incruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts,cabbage, and collards. DIM helps with healthy estrogen metabolism so thebody can properly process and get rid of excess and harmful forms ofestrogen. There are three differenttypes of estrogen- estriol, the primary estrogen of pregnancy, estradiol – theprimary estrogen of our youth, and estrone-the estrogen of menopause. Estrone when broken down into its metabolitesis an unhealthy form of estrogen that produces most of the unfavorable riskfactors associated with estrogen. Women in menopause continue to make someestrogen, mainly in the adipose tissue primarily in the form of estrone.
This is a form of progesterone that is very similar to what our bodies naturally produce. This NOT the progesterone found in many forms of birth control. These are progestins which are synthetic in every way. They suppress natural progesterone production and create many unfavorable side effects. Micronized progesterone is incredibly safe, and when taken in the evenings, can promote sleep, improve mood, lighten periods, and protect against uterine and breast cancers.
Combating estrogen dominance in perimenopause is essential for women to regain energy and vitality, lower inflammation, reduce anxiety, depression, and brain fog, and to feel strong and fit in their bodies.
Contact us today at Alpine Health & Wellness to schedule a thorough lab and symptom evaluation, and we can formulate a plan of care customized to your unique needs.
