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Another probable contributing factor to estrogen dominance is the quantity of soy isolate foods like soy milk, soy cheese, soy protein powders and bars, soy oil, soy lecithin, MSG, etc. that people are consuming these days, believing them to be healthier alternatives to dairy or other real food. If you suffer from PMS, do not consume soy isolate products. Dealing with the xenoestrogens, those synthetic chemicals used in plastics is tougher - don't use those hard plastic lexan waterbottles with the recycling symbol #7, as the BPA (Bisphenol A) in them is a xenoestrogen that can leach into the water, and then bind with your estrogen receptors. Choose waterbottles made of #2, #4 or #5 instead. Store your food in glass or ceramic rather than plastic, and if you insist on microwaving your food, do not microwave in plastic or use plastic wrap. Xenoestrogens are frequently also put in the hormones fed to cattle to fatten them up for slaughter (guess what - too much estrogen makes cattle fat, just like it makes women fat!), so choose organic meats and poultry to be certain you are not consuming extra xenoestrogens in your food. Exercise and careful sauna use can help eliminate xenoestrogens via sweating, although fully removing these toxins may take years.
Glycemic control (blood sugar control) is very
important in hormone regulation, because insulin, which controls our blood-sugar, is a master-regulator hormone, and if there is a problem with
insulin, it will throw off the balance of all the hormones including estrogen.
Chronically high insulin levels leads to insulin resistance which leads to
estrogen dominance. So, reduce your intake of sugar and flour products,
and instead choose above-ground vegetables, and whole grains and legumes as your
carbohydrate, and consume them with quality protein and fat in order to slow the
sugar absorption into the bloodstream.
Related tips:
How hormones, neurotransmitters and steroids work
The soy controversy
Plastic waterbottles
Blood-sugar regulation
Saturated fat - the misunderstood nutrient
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Copyright 2005-2007 Vreni Gurd
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