Girls! Raw food diet and low estrogen levels? Or any difference in Girly things? Also join my group RAW WOMEN

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sam Adkins on February 17, 2008 at 3:32pm

Hi Lydia, How long on raw did it take for your hoemone leves to balance out? And how Raw were you during that time?
I have some endocrine issues so that's why i am asking. Hope it's not a nosy question! :)
Sam

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lydia Rebekah on February 17, 2008 at 3:56pm

No not nosy at all!! dont worry

I was about 80% raw for the first 6 months, then since then I have been fruit mostly but 100% raw for nearly another 6 months now :)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Nursenancy on February 24, 2008 at 5:49pm

Google low estrogen diets...theres lots of information on it. Thats why I made the remark a while back about breaking down and eating the licorace...its very estrogenic....as is beer, especially the good beer, Guinness, d/t the hops, also mimics estrogen. Decreasing the amount of phytoestrogens you take in is a darned good idea. No soy! No vinegar. You can bring up a list of high and low estrogenic foods and foods that will help the liver to detoxify itself of the estrogens. (cruciferous veg and citrus fruits) None of that black cohosh malarky either....go just the opposite, decrease estrogen, increase reletive testosterone, feel better, leaner, waaaaaay less crabby.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sarah on February 24, 2008 at 8:12pm

hi! i have had low estrogen levels before i went raw and now that i'm eating a lot of nuts and oils i've got my period again. the best I think is coconut oil. Try adding a tablespoon to a green smoothie every morning and make sure to eat a few almonds or other nuts during the day. I also add coconut oil to soups in I make them. You should see results in a week to a month.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jef on February 24, 2008 at 9:17pm

Speaking of coconut oil, I don't know what flax does or doesn't do for estrogen levels, but dr cousens recommneds eating flax meal together with coconut oil. Together they form some sort of amazing long chain fatty acid.

i"ve been mixing 1T. coconut oil in warm water to melt, with a dash of cayenne, and 3 T. flax meal. Its great protein(flax meal has a lot), fiber, and fat, plus a warming quality of cayenne in my cold climate.
That would be another way to use coconut oil, and the flax has good fat in it too.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Stephanie on February 24, 2008 at 9:45pm

emmm yup that sounds good!
i have eaten it like that alot
soo good and depending on if i want something sweet or savory, ive mixed in green stevia, some cinnamon and a little celtic salt...or simply with cayanne and salt like you!......ill have to start using the coconut oil again cause lately i just add a little water as if i was making tahini

oh and another good idea is grinding the flax seeds, then make some kind of nut or seed milk (i usually do hemp milk) and i make it sweet and pour it over the flax meal and stir, and you have oatmeal!!! i like this too and you could blend the coco oli into the milk!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jef on February 24, 2008 at 10:46pm

Wow, so you EAT it like oatmeal, huh? I use a whole glass of water and just gulp it down. Hmmmmm now I 'm thinking, I should try this chewing thing. I could add some goji berries or sometihgn crunchy.....
thanks Stephanie!

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by aililiu on February 24, 2008 at 10:19pm

wow-- what a brilliant convo. i was diagnosed with pcos at 14/15 (im 20 now) -- i would go months and months without a bleed, &randomly theyd give me a dose of progesterone for a withdrawal bleed. i have low levels of estrogen & progesterone &high testosterone. a bit over a year ago my endocrinologist put me on the pill and on spironolactone which helped with the symptoms, but i never liked the idea of those foreign hormones and not long afterwards i went raw and wanted even more to go off the meds. recently i did, and started seeing a naturopath (who disapproves of raw but once i told her nope, im sticking to it, she hasnt said a word against it and is very supportive) -- shes put me on a chastetree & maca extract, and a capsule including saw palmetto to decrease testosterone. she recommends 2T flax a day & 1/2 avocado, as much maca as i want, &40-50 grams of protein (i use hemp, pollen, spirulina...)
im all nervous coming up to when id usually be having my bleed (with the help of the pill) and i know theres a good chance i wont get it the first month around but im wondering what will happen. i really, reallllly dont want to go back on meds.

thats so interesting about in a healthy female, the blood is recycled throughout the body-- doctors always told me that if i wasnt bleeding, there was a much bigger chance of me having uterine cancer because its not being c leaned out. scary! of course, ive had doctors say so many stupid things to me i could write a book on it, but i dont like to disregard any point of view on a bias like that!!

im thinking about doing a longterm juice feast, i think it would be sooo good for me BUT im worried about losing too much weight because that could contribute to infertility. im not trying for babies now but eventually i want some, definitely! it feels so funny with my boyfriend-- im trying to increase my fertility and not get pregnant at the same time, haha.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Erin on June 12, 2008 at 1:39pm

I just want to say that there's a big link between hypothyroidism and pcos. I found this out when I was researching my own thyroid and hormone symptoms. When thyroid hormones are low, Sex Hormone Binding Globulin drops and androgen levels go way up and you end up with things like facial hair and acne. There's also a big link between diabetes and hypothyroidism, which is interesting, because pcos involves insulin metabolism, like diabetes.

The tricky part is getting a proper thyroid diagnosis. Most doctors check your TSH levels (anything above 2 is bad) and T4. They also need to check T3, reverse T3 and thyroid antibodies. Even with "normal" test results, things can be off. You can do your own test by taking your morning basal temp.
To do this, shake down a regular thermometer and have it by your bedside. When you wake in the morning, put it in your armpit for 10 minutes while still in bed. Don't get up first, or you'll get a skewed reading. Your temp should be at least 97.8 or above. Anything less strongly suggests low thyroid, despite what blood tests say.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Wendi Dee on June 11, 2008 at 9:09am

My cycles have been coming on a regular cycle for the first time in my life without medicine! All because I've been eating raw foods! However, my cycles still aren't ideal. I start spotting around day 18, or so, and it continues on and off until my period starts. I see a holistic doctor and she said it looks like I may need some help with progesterone. She has recommended Vitex and ashwaganda every day, one pill, and the week before my period should start I am to take two pills.

Does anyone have any experience with either Vitex or ashwaganda?

Does anyone have any experience with spotting like I've been experiencing? If so, have you found a way to help your body get to a point where it isn't spotting anymore?

Part of me thinks that the longer I'm raw, the healthier I'll get and eventually my cycles will be completely "normal"--but, I don't see any harm trying the herbs, if they will help.

Lots of love to all of you,

Wendi
XOXOXO

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Breanna on June 11, 2008 at 10:26am

I used to take ashwaghanda for anxiety purposes while weaning myself of antidepressants/anti anxiety meds. I've never heard of it for hormonal reasons.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Wendi Dee on June 11, 2008 at 1:50pm

Yes, it seems to work for multiple purposes. :-)

XOXOXO

▶ Reply to This

• First
• Previous
• Next
• Last