Estrogen dominance is often the cause of the perimenopause symptoms many women experience. Estrogen dominance is when your hormones are imbalanced and your body produces too much estrogen and not enough progesterone. My perimenopause program corrects estrogen dominance by reducing estrogen levels and promoting progesterone production. In this post, I will give you my diet recommendations to reduce your perimenopause symptoms, including estrogen dominance:
- Eat soy foods, buckwheat, citrus fruit rind and pulp (not the juice), and ground flax meal in shakes and cereals. They help to reduce estrogen production and prevent the hormone from binding to tissue receptors.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, sugar, soft drinks, fruit juices, fried or fatty foods, and saltall of which hamper the process that metabolizes estrogens and eliminates them from your body.
- Eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet to help your intestines eliminate estrogens so they are not reabsorbed into your body. Include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes (beans, peas).
- Reduce or eliminate red meats. They not only elevate estrogen levels but they also contain the type of fats that cause menstrual cramps and worsen the inflammation of endometriosis. Instead, eat fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, and tuna which are high in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids that reduce the pain of menstrual cramps and endometriosis. Range-fed chicken or poultry are also good dietary options. In addition, instead of hamburgers and hotdogs, buy vegetarian Gardenburgers or Boca Burgers to prepare at home.
- Avoid dairy products since they have a negative effect on reproductive health similar to that of red meat. Use soy or rice substitutes, including soy and rice milk, cream cheese, sour cream and soy yogurt.
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