THE 2 secrets to hormone balance.

You’re forgiven for thinking I’m a hypocrite.  One minute I’m talking about why you can’t stop eating meat and how in fact your hormones pretty much depend on it and then in the next breath I’m banging on about my almost vegan, Gentle Body Cleanse which finished on Friday (stay tuned for the next date coming soon).  I don’t like being the source of your confusion – there are so many conflicting ideas before us, it’s not any wonder you can’t sleep at night because your mind is doing cartwheels trying to decide whether green juice is a good breakfast idea or should you be switching that for a pork chop.

Let’s put an end to the confusion today.  It’s high time things were made clearer and I helped you to understand things on the the next level when it comes to that complex but oh so beautiful body you have.  You see, in my experience for your body to be rocking gangnam style there are a couple of key players.  And then of course, you must come back and remember that we are all unique and sometimes a little trial and error thrown in is going to be that icing on the gluten free cake.  So let’s break it down.

Your Liver is the bomb

Literally – it controls much more than you are probably giving it credit for.  If it’s sluggish, and failing to cleanse your body because it’s so clogged and backed up nothing else will function well.  Think of a sponge that’s full of grease and grime and toss in a bit of mould in for good measure and now go on washing your virtual dishes – start with the glasses first… you getting the picture?  If your liver can’t break down the toxins, it literally redistributes them around your body, much like that sponge would be doing to your glasses and dinner plates, leading to hormone imbalance in several ways.  It will tuck toxins our of harms way (in adipose tissue) which makes you gain weight. This then becomes a vicious cycle since this leads to higher levels of oestrogen which in a round about way results in more weight gain – since fat cells feed oestrogen.  And we’ve talked about why too much oestrogen is a huge issue here.  Your liver will do a fine job of cleansing if we take good care of it.  And in a perfect world, free from harmful toxins, chemical filled water, refined foods, over indulgence and STRESS, there may not be the need for ‘cleansing.’  That said, fasting and cleansing goes back to biblical times – I’m pretty sure it’s part of the plan that’s been lost in translation somewhere in time.

So now you understand that your liver really must be in check, there’s another key player in fixing your hormones.

Your gut needs to be awesome

You know, your gut is the master controller.  It’s your second brain, it shapes your immunity and it ensures that your body is well nourished on almost every level.  You see, 3kg of essential bacteria call it home.  The pill, much like antibiotics and stress (and poor diet and lifestyle) all act like a demolition ball on your gut – they strip away this essential bacteria and upset the intricate balance that is absolutely necessary for digestion.  This bacteria also lines your gut like a force shield preventing food from leaking into your body.  The actual gut wall and your food aren’t supposed to communicate – they shouldn’t really know one another exists – it is this gut lining & presence of bacteria that does the job of protection, assimilation and digestion.  If the gut lining isn’t present or the bacteria balance is upset, you can’t adequately absorb nutrients, assimilate food, nourish your body and essentially you can’t make hormones.  This is the key to wellness and hormone balance.  The secret lies within your gut.  Because of course if you can absorb nutrients, your body can be fuelled on every level (lets not stop at hormones. Think weight gain *hello more oestrogen!*, irritable bowel, bloating, anxiety, depression, stomach pain, poor immunity, skin problems… need I keep going?).  And the best way to heal your gut is via probiotic and fermented foods as well as some nurturing – leaving food that doesn’t serve you on the ‘not now’ list and including foods in your diet that heal.

Now the quickest way to rev up healing is by way of maximising liver function which is why I created my Gentle Body Cleanse.  I get emails from women telling me how they know the cleanse assisted in the process of rebalancing their hormones and for some (and those that wanted, and only then) how they attribute that to their successful pregnancy or healing PCOS.  This is why 5 days of vegan cleansing and giving your body a well deserved break is in fact essential in paving the way to hormone balance.  But for most, it isn’t ideal as a long term way of eating.  As you see in Fertilise Yourself, hormones are made up of fats and proteins.  We need to include meat in the diet to provide the body with essential amino acids that are key players in hormone health. These amino acids aren’t found anywhere else.  It doesn’t mean you need to sit down to a cow every other night – in fact far from it.  I’m a huge advocate for plenty of plants on your plate.  But it is important that you work out just how much your own body needs in order to support hormone health.  For some (like me) that may mean sitting down to some grass fed, organic meat once every 2-3 weeks and for others this may need to be more.  The point is, that there are some basic principles that need to be considered to keep your body happy.  The amount of which you require will differ.  But the health of the gut is the vital player here, because you can eat all the meat in the world to balance your hormones, but if your gut can’t assimilate, then there is just no way it’s going to have a healing effect.

You might like to do a little more research into gut health and how to heal your gut.  Check out these healthtalksTV clips – not only do we talk the heck out of gut health but we show you how to make foods that help heal your gut too!

Healthtalks loves your guts

How to make probiotics and heal your gut

Did you take part in my Gentle Body Cleanse this month?  Did you enjoy it?  I’d love to hear.  Stay tuned for the next date. I will be running another round of the cleanse in March – it is without doubt one of the best things you will do for your health this year.

 

Image found here

26 Comments

  • February 10, 2014 By Danica 9:35 am

    I would love to know when your next cleanse starts, and more about it! I’m dealing with serious hormone imbalance right now – I have no cycle and my complexion is terrible with acne, ugh – I’m feeling so lost on how to deal with it.

    • February 10, 2014 By mnfadmin 9:44 am

      Stay tuned Danica, it will be in the next 3 weeks or so. x

  • February 10, 2014 By Lauren 3:29 pm

    Nat, I’ve just finished the gentle body cleanse and wanted to say a big thank you! I came off the pill 7 months ago after reading an article you wrote, and I’ve been on a hormone-balancing mission ever since! Since doing the cleanse my skin is MUCH clearer, I have elevated energy levels and I’m generally in a better mood. I will definitely be keeping some of the recipes on regular rotation and cleansing more often this year! Thanks again x

    • February 10, 2014 By mnfadmin 11:02 pm

      So kind. So glad you loved it! It’s a ripper!!

  • February 10, 2014 By Amanda 5:22 pm

    Hi! I just did the gentle body cleanse and it was great!! It coincided with me coming off the pill last week so was the perfect opportunity to clean up my diet and get toxins out of my body. I felt quite dizzy and had a headache on the Wednesday but felt awesome by Friday and was able to do some moderate exercise.

    I plan to keep implementing these recipes now into my diet as I loved them!

    Thank you!

  • February 10, 2014 By S.Miller 6:49 pm

    I’m really keen to participate in your next ‘Gentle Body Cleanse”… I have been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and am taking medication, yet still feel sluggish, tired and really bloated at times.

    • February 10, 2014 By mnfadmin 11:02 pm

      Stay tuned. Probably in around 3 weeks.

  • February 10, 2014 By Sarah Kate 8:23 pm

    What a fantastic article, Nat. I was diagnosed with Leaky Gut in mid 2013 and it wreaked havoc on my hormones! I’m in the process of healing and wish I’d known about your cleanse ages ago! You’re so right that the gut is the second brain. If my gut is ‘off’ it affects my mood and personality. Thank you for such insight. xx

  • February 10, 2014 By Dorota 10:59 pm

    Hi Nat, I’ve been following and admiring your work for a while now. You’re amazing! Although I generally understand what you say regarding the amino acids and fats being critical for healthy hormonal balance but still cannot understand why we couldn’t get these from a plant-based diet? Plants are built from amino acids and can provide your body with all the essential ones; I think lysine may be a little bit tricky but still found in plants too! So I guess my question would be, is vegan lifestyle still harmful if you carefully plan it out and include for a variety of plant aminos and fats? D

    • February 10, 2014 By mnfadmin 11:04 pm

      Hi Dorota,

      Excellent question.

      I find it extremely difficult to balance hormones of vegans who don’t have menstrual cycles. It doesn’t mean that some people shouldn’t be vegan – but if you are vegan and you find you have imbalanced hormones, the diet must be considered since it is the bodies fuel and life-force – the energies and properties in meat just can’t be found in plants. x

      • February 10, 2014 By Dorota 11:19 pm

        Thank you for your prompt reply Nat. I do have imbalanced hormones and multicystic ovaries so generally you would advise to include meat? If I wanted to limit it though, would including eggs only and occasional fish be sufficient? D

        • February 10, 2014 By mnfadmin 11:39 pm

          No problem. Eggs are good but what I finds works best is bone broth. It really get’s things going! x

  • February 11, 2014 By Amanda 12:48 am

    Hi Nat,

    I enjoyed reading your article and agree with what you are saying. I have a question or two. I have been on the pill for about 15 years (the initial reasoning being I suffered from a low bone density at age 16. I was a ballet student so struggled to keep weight on. Taking the pill seems to have helped to increase my bone density and it now falls with the normal range for my age. However, i now suffer with facial pigmentation and I have been advised it’s likely from years of taking the pill along with a little sun exposure. I had fraxel laser last year and my face looked fabulous for about three months but once again the pigmentation started to appear. It’s on my cheek bones and across a section of my forehead. The majority of people say it’s not noticeable until I mention it but I am very self conscious of it and am constantly covering it up with makeup and I am booked in for laser again in September as I cannot bare to look at it, I almost feel like crying, I have a pigment fading gel but it causes my skin to peel for a number of days post initial use. I was wondering if you have any suggestions as to what I could do to help or what other options there are other than just taking the pill? I don’t have a lot of faith I’m Dr’s, years of taking microgynon has not been wholly to my benefit to be honest. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you Nat 🙂 xoxo

    • February 15, 2014 By mnfadmin 8:57 am

      Hi Amanda,

      Unfortunately this is a side effect of the pill and there isn’t too much that can be done whilst taking the pill 🙁 I’d encourage you to seek alternatives – if the gut is functioning well, you’ll find the reason you went on the pill in the first place will also be healed.

  • February 18, 2014 By Bridgette 3:40 pm

    I’m the same as Danica, must get my hormones under control. Went off the pill 5 months ago, I’m 29 years old and my skin is worse than when I was a teen. I must try this cleanse. Thank you!

  • March 10, 2014 By Nat 4:21 pm

    What is your advice to someone who likes being on the NuvaRing as pregnancy is 100% not an option, but wants to be healthy and happy in the long term. What would your advice be? Thanks!! Nat

  • March 17, 2014 By Chloe 8:36 am

    Hi nat

    I want to stop taking the pill but I don’t want babies, where can I find the video To help me find out when I can fall pregnant

    Thanks

    Chloe

    • March 17, 2014 By mnfadmin 10:11 am

      Hi Chloe!

      You’re going to love my debunking ovulation ecourse – it’s a downloadable tutorial that teaches you exactly what you need to know to NOT fall pregnant.

      http://www.debunkingovulation.com

      x

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  • April 25, 2014 By Megan 9:47 pm

    Try drinking dandelion root tea. Its a liver cleanser and I swear that it calms me and has helped in regulating my cycle.

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  • October 30, 2014 By Kate 8:45 am

    Do you have any specific advice for someone with low oestrogen levels? I have struggled for 5 years with painful intercourse and using tampons and I was recently told by a GP that low oestrogen could be the cause. I was prescribed a topical oestrogen cream but I do not want to use it as I am breastfeeding and have heard it can interfere with your milk supply. Can you recommend any natural treatments or diet changes which may assist? I have done your body cleanse which left me feeling fantastic but unfortunately did not help this specific problem.

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