In my previous blog post, I discussed how when estrogen goes up, cortisol goes up and how this can be hard on our hormone balance.

Let’s dig into 5 ways that your food can lead to excess estrogen (relative to progesterone).

1. Not eating enough bio-available proteins that are found in animal foods. Without adequate protein, the liver cannot properly detoxify estrogen. This does NOT mean only eating animal foods. It means including a mix of animal and plant foods.

2. Low carb diets—increase cortisol, which lowers progesterone and raises estrogen. This increase in estrogen leads to an increase in a binding protein that binds to thyroid hormone, which also impacts our hormone health.

3. Vegan diets* that lack animal protein and are high in nuts, seeds, grains, and raw veggies. These foods lack adequate protein and fat-soluble vitamins, and contain anti-nutrients that often lead to low stomach acid and digestive distress. (We poop out estrogen and need our digestive system to be working properly to balance our hormones.) They also lack cholesterol, which is the backbone of our hormones. I have clients that prefer more plant based eating or that is what they can afford. How do they make it work? They add in some animal proteins like eggs, bone broth, and often times dairy or seafood in order to get more bioavailable protein into their diets. Experiment and find what works best for you.

4. Vegetable oils such as soybean oil, canola oil, and corn oil are all very inflammatory and lead to a sluggish metabolism in excess. These are probably the hardest to avoid but can make a huge difference in how you feel. Swapping these for coconut oil, butter, ghee, tallow/lard, or pure avocado oil are great alternatives for cooking.

5. Alcohol raises estrogen levels and taxes the liver. The amount that works for each person is unique. I recommend taking a break during the healing process. Alcohol greatly impacts how our bodies recover and will make healing difficult.

If you are looking for recipe ideas to make sure you are eating balanced meals check out my free nourishing meal guide!

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