Let’s face it. Sometimes things need to get really bad before we are ready to change what we are doing. In my practice, I see that this is often the case with acne, PMS and painful periods. If a patient has the occasional break out, PMS only sometimes or the odd painful period it is not something that is front of mind. Sometimes people also need a concrete reason to do a detox beyond “it is good for you, and helps you feel better”. Today I am going to explain HOW doing a detox can help reduce Acne, PMS and Painful Periods.
First of all, I am going to talk about one of the main causes of acne, PMS and painful periods, estrogen dominance. Estrogen and progesterone work closely together to help regulate many of our hormonal processes from menstruation, to weight management, to moods. There is a lot of talk now a days about hormonal imbalances, but what does that even mean? In short, when we talk about hormonal balance we are talking about the ratio of estrogen and progesterone to each other. Due to the close relationship of estrogen and progesterone, it is possible to have 2 different causes of estrogen dominance.
- Estrogen is too high
- Estrogen levels are normal but progesterone is low, making estrogen appear high
I am going to address how a detox can help if you are suffering from your estrogen levels being too high.
Signs and Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance
- Spider and/or Varicose Veins
- Gall Stones
- Cellulite
- Breast tenderness and Water Retention during PMS
- Irritability, Mood Swings, Anxiety
- Headaches and Migraines
- Fat Gain Around Hips
- Thyroid Problems
Causes of Estrogen Dominance
- Xenoestrogens- Chemicals like parabens and phthalates that mimic estrogen in the body.
- Stress- When body is under stress it chooses to make cortisol over progesterone.
- Dairy- Stimulates the body’s production of estrogen.
- Impaired Liver Function- The liver breaks down estrogen for excretion.
- Constipation- Interferes with the elimination of estrogen via stool.
- Alcohol Consumption- Increases the body’s production of estrogen.
- Obesity- Increases production of “bad” estrogen and encourages the storage of estrogen in fat cells.
- Lack of Sleep- Causes a reduction in melatonin, which encourages estrogen dominance.
- Nutrient Deficiencies- Zinc, Magnesium and B6 help to break down estrogens.
Doing a detox can help to reduce or eliminate any of the causes of estrogen dominance. During a detox, you avoid dairy. Eating too much diary is a common cause of estrogen dominance in North America. One of the most important features of a detox is to eliminate or reduce your exposure to the harmful toxins that are causing the overload on your body in the first place. In my blog post “Getting Rid of Hidden Toxins”, I discussed how to reduce your exposure to these toxins that act as xenoestrogens in the body. Reducing your toxic exposure is the most important step in any detox. Doing this alone, helps to greatly reduce the work your liver needs to do on a daily basis, freeing up it up to be able to properly break down estrogen for elimination. Further support for optimal liver function while doing a detox comes from eating foods that contain the nutrients needed for the breakdown of xenoestrogens by the liver. The next step is to make sure that elimination is happening. When we are constipated, stool sits in the colon for longer than it should, giving these harmful estrogens more time to be reabsorbed into the body. Here is my under 5 minute trick to help elimination to work optimally during a detox.
As I hope you can see, acne, PMS and painful periods are often a symptom of an underlying estrogen dominance. Doing a detox can be the first step in the right direction to reducing this dominance.
I hope you found this explanation to be helpful in your understanding of the importance of detox.
Want to learn more? Grab your FREE GUIDE- 5 Ways to Reduce Toxins in Your Home
Talk Soon,
Dr Alexis
Dr Alexis practices in Kanata, and is accepting new patients. To book your appointment, click here.
