Estrogen excess can be described as too much estrogen in relation to progesterone, mainly in your luteal phase (the phase before your period and after ovulation). It is the most common hormonal imbalance in women.
Excess estrogen is the number one cause of numerous PMS symptoms that make you feel lousy in the days/weeks leading up to your period. It fluctuates the whole month so it’s not to be considered as a “bad” hormone. Estrogen is essential for healthy ovulation and menstruation but we can run into problems when the ratio of estrogen to progesterone is not in the optimal, balanced ranges.
In your follicular phase, it is normal to have more estrogen in relation to progesterone. This is because your follicles are maturing and your ovaries are producing estrogen to plump up your uterine lining (should your egg become fertilized). That is healthy and to be expected. It’s the 10-14 days after ovulation, when progesterone should be the shining star but is outnumbered by estrogen.
You may be thinking well I don’t care, I don’t want kids yet (or ever). I totally get that, but this is a matter of healthy balanced hormones for ovulation, longevity and overall wellness. So you can feel your best, live in hormone harmony and alleviate pesky or painful PMS symptoms. Each phase of your cycle builds upon one other and your reproductive health is about so much more than just making babies. We really dive into this in my book, The Happy Hormone Guide!
Think of it this way: You need estrogen for healthy follicles. You need healthy follicles in order to ovulate. You need to ovulate because that is how the corpus luteum is formed which is the only way your body can make progesterone (the calming, mood-stabilizing hormone). It’s also the only way to ensure that 2 weeks post-ovulation, you will have a REAL period. Each part is connected and reliant on one another!
We love estrogen because makes it your skin glowy and plump. It builds bone and muscle. It slows the aging process. It raises your libido and boosts serotonin (so essential for mood and sleep), but we don’t want too much of it because long-term estrogen excess (over years or decades) increases your risk of breast cancer, other female cancers, fibroids and lack of ovulation which can lead to PCOS and infertility. Symptoms of estrogen excess are not something to ignore. Think of them as internal clues from within that something is not right or could be improved.
How and why does excess estrogen happen?
We live in a world where the amount of chemicals we’re exposed to on a daily basis is in amounts that our bodies have never been exposed to before. Chemicals in our personal care products, household cleaning products, our food supply and from something as simple as the air we breathe when walking outside. This isn’t to scare you, but it is something you need to be aware of because these chemicals make it very difficult for your hormones to be happy, which makes it hard for you to feel happy and healthy.
- Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (personal care and household cleaning products)
- Environmental Toxin Exposure (pesticides, hormones and antibiotics in animal products)
- Stress (emotional, physical, mental, work-related, etc.)
- Poor diet (inflammatory, processed foods, refined sugar)
- Excessive plastic usage (water bottles, packaged foods, BPA-laden cans, cooking in teflon pans)
Symptoms of Estrogen Excess:
Estrogen excess is the most common hormonal imbalance and is often the main culprit of your pesky PMS symptoms. Getting your hormone levels tested is preferred to guesswork, but here are some symptoms/conditions that stem from excess estrogen:
- Headaches/Migraines
- Bloating and water retention
- Weight gain in hips, butt and thighs (estrogen stimulates fat cells to store more fat)
- Fibroids
- Endometriosis
- Ovarian cysts
- Acne
- Oily skin and hair
- Breast tenderness and pain, fibrocystic breasts
- Mood swings
- Hair loss
- Heavy periods
- Irregular periods
- Painful cramping
How to Treat Estrogen Excess:
- Detox and love your your liver with fiber rich foods, and by pooping everyday, at least once, but more is ideal! Aim for at least 25 grams of fiber per day to help you go. Add liver-supporting nutrients to your diet (cruciferous vegetables, sulfur-rich foods, vitamin C rich foods and legumes). You can also add a DIM supplement to help move estrogen out of the body.
- Remove endocrine-disrupting chemicals from all products (cleaning and beauty products) and switch to products that are plant based and actually natural – read the ingredients even if the label says “natural” because that truly means nothing! Use the Think Dirty app or the EWG Skin Deep database to check what score your products receive.
- Nourish and treat your microbiome health by eliminating inflammatory, processed foods or foods you are sensitive to, buy organic produce as often as you can, eat raw sauerkraut and kimchi, include probiotic-rich foods and a high-quality probiotic supplements, add a digestive enzyme before meals).
- Incorporate these essential hormone-balancing supplements, especially if you are plant-based.
- Try the naturopathic method of Seed Cycling (recipe linked for my Seed Cycling Energy Balls)
- 7-8 hours of high-quality sleep (see this post on CALM magnesium tea)
- Stress less, for real. Find ways to manage stress and reduce cortisol (meditation, exercise, mindfulness, relaxation activities, gratitude, sleep, etc.
- Drink my green drink recipe below (everyday)! Also called my Estrogen Detox Smoothie! I try to drink one everyday, but enjoy it in the ovulatory and luteal phases, especially 🙂
Estrogen Detox Smoothie
- Prep Time: 5
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Smoothie
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Healthy
Description
A liver-loving and hormone-loving detoxifying green drink smoothie to help move the excess estrogen down the right detox pathway and promptly out of your body!
Ingredients
3 cups kale (or spinach)
2 stalks celery
1/2 peeled cucumber
2-inch peeled knob of fresh ginger
1/2 lemon (remove peel if not organic)
2 cups frozen mango (mango is especially tasty with the fresh lemon)
2 small handfuls fresh cilantro
4 tablespoons ground flaxseed
3 cups filtered water
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a high speed blender.
Blend until smooth and creamy!
Serve immediately. Enjoy.
Notes
*Choose organic produce as much as possible to avoid pesticides and chemicals. Refer to the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen for more info on what to buy organic, and what to buy conventional. The list changes year to year on the EWG website.
Keywords: estrogen detox smoothie, estrogen detoxification, estrogen detox recipe, estrogen dominance smoothie, estrogen, detoxifying, green, lemon, smoothie, liver cleansing, detox, estrogen excess,
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I’ve been reading up on foods that produce estrogen and I have found flax seeds at the top of every list. Being the first item. I would like to know if you know that to be false.?
Thanks so much for this article. I would love to have this recipe so I can get back my balance.
Hi – Just found your website and am LOVING the info! What about estrogen dominance and irregular/no cycles? How do I know which foods/seeds to focus on when I have zero idea where I am in my cycle?
I make this often. It’s a refreshing and tasty green drink!
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Hi can I make the smoothie with oat milk instead of water?
I am currently experiencing estrogen dominance. Do you have any advice you can give me. I cant seem to stop having a menstrual cycle and I’m getting concerned that it will cause depletion and imbalances elsewhere if I dont address the problem
Thank you for your advice. This is really great information. Thank you for your studies to learn and your heart to share such vital information
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Thank you for the apps to see how healthy our products actually are. You are incredibly knowledgeable. Its hard to find accurate information when it comes to microbiology. And health. Thank you for being you
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I tried this smoothie to help breast tenderness and other pms symptoms. I haven’t felt relief from those yet BUT it has made my skin GLOWW, and eliminated all my acne, so safe to say I am still very happy. I’ve had it every day for 2 weeks and hope to see relief of the other symptoms soon. So thank you! If you have any more suggestions I’m all ears…
Hello. I am confused as to how many servings we are to drink? It says it makes 2 servings and then you have a 1x next to it. Do we drink the whole thing or just one serving a day??
I really wish this type of information was given to us years ago by our doctors. Instead I was just handed birth control pills for balance and had to push to get off of them after 15 years. Just as you said being exposed to high levels of estrogen led to PCOS and eventually breast cancer. Take care of yourselves ladies and be your own healthcare advocate to avoid poor health out of ignorance.
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I really wish this type of information was given to is years ago by our doctors. Instead I was just handed birth control pills for balance and had to push to get off of them after 15 years. Just as you said being exposed to high levels of estrogen led to PCOS and eventually breast cancer. Take care of yourselves ladies and be your own healthcare advocate to avoid poor health put of ignorance.
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I’m allergic to Mango, is there something I can substitute for it or should I just leave it out?
Hi Shelley, you could do frozen pineapple, peach, banana, any kind of fruit!
Hoping you will address the flax/estrogen questions posted at some point as it’s very conflicting after other things you’ve published.
I only add flax in the menstrual and follicular phases! Sorry for any confusion!
Thank you for your advice. This is really great information. Thank you for your studies to learn and your heart to share such vital information
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Thanks for the recipe! I’m drinking this this week in hopes of eliminating or reducing pre-menstrual acne. One question- according to Woman Code and other resources on seed cycling, flax should be part of the menstrual/follicular phases, and the luteal phase (which this recipe says it’s for) should be sesame and sunflower seeds. So just wondering why the recipe includes flax? I’m sure there’s a reason, I’m just curious. 🙂 Thanks!
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What can we put in the smoothie to replace the flaxseed? I have been told by my doc to stay away from Flax as it can mimic estrogen in the body.
Hi Shannon,
Thanks so much for sharing these amazing recipes with us. I do have a question though….In doing a bunch of research, flax seed is apparently high in phytoestrogen which can mimic estrogen? Is there a suitable replacement you recommend for this?
Did you every find an alternative to the Flaxseed? I have been told aswell to stay away from Flax.
I Love this recipe. It has definitely done an outstanding job on my cycle since I’ve been taking it daily for the past 2 weeks. Thank the Lord, this cycle has lasted only 4 days without heavy bleeding from these pesky Fibroids that i’m eliminating from my system.
✝️ Kristy Collins
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Wow that’s amazing Kristy and so great to hear!! It really does wonders for the body 🙂
Is it possible to have these symptoms and be low in estrogen or allergic to your hormones? Ive been on a vitamin to get rid of excess estrogen and it didn’t seem to help by issues. I break out in hives just before and right after my cycle on my eyes and jaw. Hot flashes at night and wakes me in the morning ?
Thank you for talking about estrogen dominance. I get chronic yeast infections and started tracking them with my hormone cycle. Sure enough the luteal phase gets me every time. Estrogen is high and so I’m trying something new where I try and reduce my estrogen levels/sugar intake during this time of the month.
Thank you for the recipe!!
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Hi Shannon,
Do you know if I can make this at night and leave it in the fridge for the morning?
Just started taking this and trying to get my life back from my hormone inbalance.
Can’t wait for the results!
Thanks for sharing!
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