Are you eating more fiber, taking the right probiotics, magnesium glycinate and still not going #2 everyday? Has your doctor told you that it is fine and that is just how your body is? Well, your doctor is wrong. Everyone should go #2 everyday...it is more important that you think. We are living in a sea of estrogens. When we aren't properly excreting those toxic levels of estrogens, they get stored in our fat cells which is detrimental for weight gain. Fat cells make estrogen and estrogen causes fatty tissue growth. This is a vicious cycle we’d like to avoid. Excess estrogen is excreted in the bowel. When stool remains in the bowel for a longer time, as in constipation, the estrogen is reabsorbed.
Some ways we get too much estrogen is exposure to chemicals that mimic estrogen such as many plastics (microwaving food in plastic dishes or using plastic wraps and containers...like they did in the schools on JAMIE OLIVER's FOOD REVOLUTION) or eating non-organic food. Beef and chickens are typically given potent estrogenic substances (‘super-estrogens’) to make them more productive. Our produce is often laced with these substances.
People develop estrogen dominance as a result of a high-carb low-fiber diet, consuming excess fructose, drinking alcohol, having a "Tired-Toxic Liver (see chapter in Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism), or environmental factors...all of which we have some power to control.
The liver is a filter of sorts. It detoxifies our body, protecting us from the harmful effects of chemicals, elements in food, environmental toxins, and even natural products of our metabolism, including excess estrogen. Anything that impairs liver function or ties up the detoxifying function will result in excess estrogen levels. If your liver is tired and toxic, a special diet plan would be in order to help.
Estrogen is produced not only internally but also produced in reaction to chemicals and other substances in our food. When it is not broken down adequately, higher levels of estrogen build up. This is true for both men and women, although the effects are more easily recognized in men. Alcoholic men with impaired liver function develop a condition called gynecomastia, with estrogenic characteristics including enlarged breasts, loss of male pubic hair, and belly fat.
Some signs of excess estrogen in MEN and WOMEN:
-Migraines
-Low back pain
-Weight gain secondary to insulin resistance
-Belly Fat Accumulation (A "Beer Belly" is really an "Estrogen Belly")
-Fibrocystic breast disease
-Excessive PMS
-Menstrual disturbances--irregular and heavy bleeding
-Endometriosis
-Fibroids
-Ovarian cysts
-Breast Cancer
Correcting Estrogen Dominance involves more than just correcting the estrogen-progesterone balance and supporting the adrenals. It is important to eliminate the factors as much as possible. Exposure to xenoestrogens , insufficient sleep, toxic exposure, poor nutrition (high carbohydrates, low fat/protein intake, low nutrient value), and stress are some common causes. I also have suggestions for supplements to help speed the process of healing.
So, do you feel like you are eating the right way, taking the right supplements and STILL aren't going #2? It is most likely a food allergy! Contact me if you need some individualized meal plans and supplement suggestions.
FYI: Even bar soaps leach estrogen's into our bloodstream. Click HERE to find one that doesn't!
For those of you who love Southern comfort food...here is a goodie!
4 chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes or coconut flour
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
2 eggs, beaten
8 PROTEIN WAFFLES
Cut chicken breasts into thin strips, about one inch wide. Longer sections can be cut in half to have uniform pieces. Place coconut flour and salt in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken pieces into egg mixture, then dredge in coconut flour. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F, for 10-12 minutes, until crispy on outside and lightly browned.
Meanwhile, make the PROTEIN WAFFLES.
Once the chicken is finished, place on top of crispy waffles and serve with Nature's Hollow Syrup!
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (1 piece of chicken, 1 waffle and 1/4 cup syrup)
Traditional Chicken and Waffles = 810 calories, 93 carbs, 2g fiber
"Healthified" Chicken and Waffles = 285 calories, 4.1 carbs, 2.9g fiber
