Could it be Estrogen Dominance?

You have dieted, gone without chocolate, biscuits and nearly killed yourself at the gym. You step on the scales only to find that you have either lost less than a kilo or even worse: you have stayed the same.

How is this possible? It certainly doesn't seem fair.

Let's be very clear here. This is not because you didn't do enough or lacked Will Power or all the other things that you fretted about. If you are over the age of 40 then it is far more likely to be something else. Something far more common and yet so few women seem to know about it. What is this phenomenon?

Estrogen Dominance, which is a very common issue for women during their perimenopause.

During our perimenopause our body starts to produce less of certain hormones, and two of these hormones are estrogen and progesterone. Many women are aware that they may not be producing as much estrogen but may not realise that they are producing even less progesterone.

Progesterone is produced in the second half of the cycle and as we go through the perimenopause we produce even less progesterone than estrogen because of the way the cycle occurs. We start to ovulate infrequently even though we are still having periods. We also have more erratic cycles and our periods could be light for several months and then really heavy. This is because of our fluctuating hormones as they decrease.

The signs and symptoms that you could be estrogen dominate are many and varied and you should always visit your health practitioner to rule out any other possibilities. If you are experiencing any or a combination of  the following as new symptoms or previous symptoms that have become worse then please see your health practitioner:

• ageing process has accelerated
• breast tenderness
• depression
• fat gain round the tummy, hips and bottom
• fatigue (as opposed to tiredness)
• fuzzy thinking
• headaches
• irritability
• memory loss
• lower libido
• increased PMS
• water retention and bloating

The good news is that estrogen dominance can be managed with a change in diet and various other techniques and changes. 

Good management of the signs and symptoms of estrogen dominance and other aspects of the perimenopause can help you to continue to enjoy a full and fun-filled life.

love
Sarah