Celebrate World Menopause Day by Balancing Your Hormones Naturally

Center © lynette sheppard

It’s World Menopause Day today – and we are celebrating by bringing you this terrific guest post by alternative medicine practitioner, Cathy Margolin. Cathy has a new book out called Stop Your Bitching, Naturally! You can download the companion workbook 30 Days of Tips to Stop Your Bitching FREE until midnight Sunday from Amazon. I read both and loved them! Although the books and workbook target women with PMS, hormone balance is critical at any age. They are entirely relevant to Menopause Goddesses. Here’s Cathy’s post - enjoy.

Three Chemicals to Avoid to Reduce Estrogen Dominance

As women, our hormonal cycles can make us an emotional mess! From our first period to our last, we are dominated by our hormones. These tricky little messengers can run around amuck in our bodies for years and are often never “on a short lease and house trained.” This is my motto and the way I like my hormones.

In other words, I want some predictability. I don’t want the unknown creeping into my day and then I blow a fuse without any warning. I think my family appreciates this too, especially my kids! But life is not always so predictable and neither are our hormones. If you agree, then it’s time to do something about them!

Hormonal balance is possible, in fact it’s absolutely essential to maintaining our good health. This has become harder to do with all the chemicals we find everywhere and so many products we take for granted our safe to us. The fact is our bodies absorb many chemicals through our skin that can throw our hormonal balance into a spiraling nose dive. As you probably know hormonal imbalance is the precursor to PMS, menstrual cramps, perimenopause and menopause symptoms. So keeping the balance is crucial no matter what your age.

Here are a couple chemicals you simply must avoid like the plague to keep the internal hormonal balance your body is always striving to find.

First Triclosan. Sounds harmless but if you’re washing your hands with this chemical you could be contributing to hormonal disruption including, PMS, hot flashes, low libido, weight gain and depression. Triclosan is a chemical found in antibacterial soap. Well, the truth is, it’s also an ingredient in lotions, deodorants, detergents and even socks. It is a well known endocrine-disrupting chemical. This means that it throws off the balance of our already sensitive hormones. It will even throw off your thyroid function. So steer clear. Wash your hands with warm water and regular plain old soap. Studies have shown your hands will be just as clean and they’ll be chemical free.

Second, BPA’s. Most of us have seen plastic products with labels stating that it’s BPA (Bisphenol A) Free. There has been tremendous pressure on manufacturers to stop using this toxic chemical that is banned in plenty of countries around the world but NOT in the USA. The research is overwhelming, BPA’s are disrupting your hormonal balance since they acts like estrogen in our body. The number one thing you can do to reduce your exposure to BPA’s (and also help the planet) is to stop buying plastic disposable water bottles. It is an easy habit to change and the most impactful! Buy a reusable stainless steel bottle fill it up at home with filtered water. You’ll save money, save the planet and save yourself from hormone imbalances.

Third, avoid Parabens! You have probably seen beauty products with labels that read “Paraben-Free because many consumers have demanded it. If you haven’t heard about Parabens these too are hormone disrupting chemicals. Also known as xeno-estrogens (fake estrogens). Parabens have been implicated as a major factor in breast cancer and can cause weight gain, depression and fatigue.

To learn more about your hormones and ways to keep your body in balance naturally check out my new book “Stop Your Bitching: The Step By Step Guide to Balance Hormones & End PMS & Menstrual Cramps…naturally!”