My life-changing experience with food can empower women
Guest post from Alicia Mazari-Andersen
Have you noticed that over the past few years, there has been an increase in abnormal hormonal changes in women of all ages? Any time you open a women’s magazine there are articles on how to cope with the devastating effects of menopause and focus on symptoms from hot flashes to sleeplessness to brain fog.
And it seems that this age group is not the only one with some type of hormonal imbalance. Other examples include 9-year-old girls getting their period much earlier than traditionally, teens suffering with heavy and painful periods, young women that cannot get pregnant, and a high worldwide incidence of breast cancer. Are any of these symptoms interrelated? Is it possible that there are common factors in the way women of all ages are experiencing symptoms and conditions that have not, in the past, been typical?
What is happening? Because I experienced, firsthand, hormonal issues, I have pondered this topic for years. That, in turn, led me to explore what is causing these problems. Yes, I am one of these women…
It was a new adventure
I was born and brought up in Mexico. When I was 25 years old, I was accepted in grad school at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. At the beginning it was an adventure. I had no idea where I was going, and what to expect. I sold my car, paid for my ticket, and moved to a new country. It was fun to meet all kinds of people at the University from all over the world.
After a few months of settling into my new life, I noticed my clothes were getting tighter. In four short months I had gone from being a small dress size to a large size. I was grateful to wear my jacket, which allowed me to loosen my belt until I could get home and wear my baggy sweatpants. At the time, I could not figure out what was wrong. I was gaining weight and my period had stopped, and I for sure was not pregnant.
The Quality of Food was making a Difference to Me
As far as I could determine, I wasn’t doing anything different… but, in fact, the food was different from what I was used to eating in Mexico. And here I mean, not the type or quantity of food, but the quality. I was eating meat and dairy products, just as I had consumed at home, but the items purchased in my new home contained higher amounts of hormones. And of course, I was unaware and blind about the effect this had on my body. Not only was I noticing the weight gain, and absence of periods, but despite my happiness at living on my own, getting to know me and realizing, how amazing it can be when you wake up one day and find yourself, I was experiencing a lot of moodiness and irritation.
The Root cause was Estrogen Dominance
But, why am I telling you this story? And what does this have to do with all the hot flashes, sleeplessness and brain fog mentioned earlier? To understand the connection, let’s talk about hormonal disruption. Where is the estrogen coming from? It is found in meat and fed to cattle so they grow bigger and is found in dairy products. In fact, estrogen is dominant in our environment, and comes from a multitude of sources. Estrogen is found in pesticides and transferred to crops, and it leaches from plastic containers.
“It’s all in your head!” “Women are so moody!”
These are the kind of comments that are often said to women suffering from estrogen dominance. And it can be easy to doubt yourself. However, the facts are that worldwide breast cancer rates are rising, in both women and men, and the proportion of viable sperm is dropping.
My decision to empower women’s health
I decided, as a direct result of my experience, to train in nutrition and health and educate women around the globe. I wanted to help them understand how to prevent themselves from falling into the trap that I fell into, years before. The trouble is that so many of the factors contributing to the issue of excess estrogen levels worldwide are outside of our control.
Are there steps that are within our reach to help resolve this problem? Luckily the short answer is Yes! We may not be able to control all the issues in the environment, but we can make other vital decisions for our health. We can decide what we put in our mouths, what we drink, and, to some degree, what we expose our bodies to.
What to do to reduce estrogen dominance
Here are three simple but effective and empowering steps you can take right now.
- Consume real food that is as natural as possible.
- Drink plenty of clean water.
- Avoid the use of plastics, and whenever possible, use glass containers.
I want to respect and honor every single woman who, no matter age or season of life, has experienced the effects of too much estrogen. Unknowingly she has been exposed to a molecule that is now an insidious part of our environment. I want to reassure you that it is possible to improve your health. My first recommendations are to eat “real food” that is not processed or packaged, drink clean water, and choose personal care and household products which ideally avoid the use of plastics.
It is not in your head! Much of what you are experiencing could be within your physiology and due to environmental exposure. And yes, it’s possible to empower yourself with the knowledge you need to take control of this issue and gain relief from the effects of estrogen dominance!
Guest contribution from Alicia Mazari-Andersen for International Women’s Day.
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licia is a biologist and holistic nutritionist and has made her life mission to educate and empower women to create a healthy lifestyle. She is passionate about supporting families to avoid environmental threats and be healthy and happy. To know about more ways on how to decrease estrogen dominance and its side effects click on the link: https://inbalancelm.kartra.com/page/estrogen
You can follow Alicia on social media at: https://www.facebook.com/KidsinBalanceWellness/ or https://www.facebook.com/inbalancelmwellness/
Images courtesy of Pixabay and Alicia Mazari-Andersen
