Sure, we can heal scar tissue and adhesions with the therapies and intense, focused plan in my FTF System. But what if the scar tissue has other forces behind it? If it’s not caused by surgery or a prior infection (that has since been resolved), it can be caused by Endometriosis. This result of scar tissue and adhesions (endometriosis) is one that can be insidious and a bit more difficult to manage and treat. But it CAN be treated and healed successfully. It will, however, take a holistic whole-body approach. And in order to fully heal blocked fallopian tubes due to Endometriosis with a permanent healing, it will involve addressing the root causes. So, let’s discuss now one of the root causes of Endometriosis, Estrogen Dominance.
Estrogen Dominance - This is an excess of estrogen relative to progesterone. Estrogen dominance is behind many women's health conditions including PMS. Symptoms such as bloating, weight gain, headaches, and backache are common with excess estrogen. Estrogen dominance can be created by eating foods high in estrogen (commercial animal products - meat, dairy, eggs). Also herbicides, pesticides, and the byproducts of plastics can mimic estrogen once they enter the body. Chronic constipation or toxic buildup in the intestines cause excess estrogen to be reabsorbed by the body instead of being eliminated. Chronic stress, underactive thyroid gland and perimenopause (the 10 to 15 years before menopause) can all create estrogen dominance.
So, let’s address the first cause of estrogen dominance -- your diet. The best possible thing for estrogen dominance is a natural, paleo-type diet. Cooling inflammation, supporting organ – and particularly liver – function and maximizing nutrient status are excellent, estrogen-managing aspects of paleo.
A paleo-template type diet includes healthy, grass-fed or wild-caught animal products (with both the protein and the fat), seafood, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, coconut products, starchy vegetables, and to some extent seeds and nuts.
However, in an estrogen dominant system, seeds and nuts can act as phytoestrogens and tip the hormonal balance in favor of estrogen, so they should be carefully stepped around.
Foods to emphasize for estrogen clearing are those that boost B vitamin levels, omega 3 levels (fermented cod liver oil is an excellent way to meet the body’s need for omega 3 while also getting the rare but crucial vitamins A, D, and K), choline (for the liver!), zinc, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D.
For that reason, eggs (choline), fish (omega 3 fats, iodine, selenium, and vitamin D), liver and other organ meats (vitamin A, vitamin K, B vitamins, and iron, zinc, manganese, etc), and high quality animal protein may be your best companions in this journey.
Foods to be avoided are all processed sugars, grains, omega 6 seed oils, phytoestrogens which include soy, flax, legumes, seeds, and some herbs, and alcohol.
Consume more fiber to avoid constipation. Also, if you suffer from chronic constipation, you may want to try an awesome magnesium supplement that I use myself, called Natural Calm. It’s a drink and it’s not delicious, LOL, but it definitely does the job!
It’s best to eat or drink from glass containers. When you must eat or drink from plastics, always use BPA-free plastics. Others have xenoestrogens in them which can seep into our systems when we eat or drink from them. And NEVER heat up plastic in the microwave! Also, try to eat organic fruit and vegetables as much as possible to avoid the herbicides and pesticides. We will delve deeper into this aspect in a later post.
Exercise is incredibly important, as it can speed up the liver’s detox processes, sharpen insulin sensitivity, boost weight loss, help mitigate mood swing problems associated with estrogen dominance, and reduce levels of stress hormones in the body.
Chronic stress, underactive thyroid gland and perimenopause (the 10 to 15 years before menopause) will all be discussed separately in much more detail in later posts.
Stay tuned for this holistic Endometriosis Root Cause Series. Remember, you CAN heal yourself. Your body knows what to do -- You just have to give it the proper tools and environment!