How To Flush Estrogen From Your Body

Jena is a 43-year-old woman with a buzzing career in management, 3 teenagers and an active partner at home.  She’s busy juggling her team members, client needs and her family’s busy, chaotic schedule. 

Just a few years ago, Jena began feeling more tired than usual, suddenly forgetting the chores she was in the middle of doing and struggling to hide her muffin top while wearing her favorite pair of jeans (even though nothing had changed in her health routine). 

Frustrated that her body seemed to be holding her back from feeling her best (and doing her best each day too), Jena started Googling her symptoms. Who can blame her, right? There’s a world of nutrition and health information right at our fingertips!

Unfortunately for Jena - and you - most of that information is bogus. Especially for a woman 40+.  

Because Jena - maybe like you too? - quickly stumbled upon the “detox” cleanses for hormones, from restrictive water fasts, to supplement-loaded liver cleanses, to juicing, to the dreaded “parasite” cleanse that’s suddenly very popular. 

Instead of feeling better, Jena only ended up with more health problems - headaches during her period, heavier than normal periods, PMS anxiety and depression, and acne. 

With a strong desire to actually fix her health problems, Jena opted to shift her focus to a more personalized nutrition protocol designed for her hormones. 

And that’s when she discovered that those so-called “health” cleanses were wrecking her hormonal health so much!

No wonder she felt stuck, defeated and confused!

Let’s get into the nitty gritty about why you don’t want to do a “cleanse” when your hormones are a hot mess (and what to choose instead)! 

The “Quick Fix” Hype (and why we’re drawn to Miracle Cures)

In our fast-paced world, we crave quick solutions, right? It's like the siren call of “Get fit in 10 days!” or “Detox your way out of burnout!” It’s all about instant gratification. But here’s the problem - our bodies don't operate on that timeline. 

Are we lazy for wanting quick fixes? Perhaps a tad, but honestly, who can blame us? Medicine has long sold us the idea that popping a pill can magically erase our problems. And now, the wellness industry is riding this wave, pushing the notion that health should be as simple as sipping a juice or downing a supplement.

Think of it this way: logically, if someone tells us our livers are "dirty" with toxins and chemicals, a cleanse seems like the perfect solution. Or if our doctors tell us our estrogen is too high (based on a one-time lab test 🙄), it logically makes sense to want to “flush” it. 

Applying mathematical logic to a complicated biological entity usually (okay, almost always) leads to more problems down the road.

My hormone balancing success didn’t involve much focus on my hormones.  Instead, I found the root causes of my unexplained weight gain, insomnia, acne, and mood swings, and shifted my diet to fuel the root problem.  

Quick fixes don’t ever work because they’re created based on logic, not the complex ecosystem of a woman’s body and hormones. 

Words to Be Wary Of In Health Marketing

I recently read a social media post by a health-conscious (but not expert) woman who said eating carnivore “cured” her autoimmunity.  I’ve also seen other non-experts say that drinking hormone elixirs “healed” their burnout and anxiety.  

This is health misinformation because there is no way to cure autoimmunity, nor is a simple elixir ever going to heal a complex health problem like anxiety.  I’ll give them that the change in their diet likely resulted in some immediate improvements - but their lack of understanding in the factors that most likely refueled or removed triggers is more likely the reason they felt better. (Ask them how they feel 6 months from now and I bet you’ll get a different answer.)

Here’s a list of just some of the follow-up questions to ask people when they say simple diet changes “cured” or “healed” them:

- Were they eating lots of processed foods?

- Getting enough fiber and protein?

- Still fearing fat like it’s the 1980s?

- Chugging coffee or alcohol?

- Living on carbs?

- Ignoring digestive issues?

- Inflammation lurking without their knowledge? (yes, the answer is yes...)

Detox Trend to Avoid #1 - Celery Juice

A glass or two of celery juice - if that’s your thing - isn’t harmful. There’s not a lot of nutritional value in it, but it will help you stay hydrated, which is always a positive!

However, the celery juice cleanse and “it’ll fix all your health problems” fad is a problem.

The claims made about celery juice fixing health problems comes with zero scientific, authentic nutrition studies backing them up.  The creator of the celery juice detox has less than a Grade 9 level of understanding of biology or how the human body processed nutrients.  

After reviewing the Epstein Barr Virus, hormone balance and digestive health protocols claiming celery juice is the “magic elixir” (along with a few basic foods), the elimination of very nutrient-dense foods that multiple studies - clinical and experimental - support as healing is a huge problem.  

Because the reason for your health problems - including hormonal imbalances - is a nutrient gap issue. By eliminating healthy, nutrient-dense foods, you make these gaps worse.  Sure, depending on what “bad” foods you’re eliminating at the same time, you’ll probably feel better first.  But not too far down the road, you’ll start to notice more and more problems. 

If you want to know how to flush estrogen from your body, there are much healthier, sustainable ways to do that. 

Detox Trend to Avoid #2 - Liver Cleanses

If the liver cleanses the body of toxins, and we become more toxic, logically it makes sense to support the liver by “cleaning” it, right?

Your liver doesn’t get “dirty”. Nor does it “clog” up with toxins.  

It does, however, slow down because it doesn’t receive enough of the right nutrients to support its 500+ functions. 

And liver “cleanses” proffer a dangerous problem: Because the curators of these cleanses don’t focus on the right nutrients and, instead, typically sell a supplement collection or a strict type of diet devoid of nutrients, Phase 1 of liver detoxification gets a boost, while Phase 2 gets nothing. (And Phase 3? Completely ignored.)

A little physiology lesson here:  

Phase 1 detox is the “oxidation” phase, taking in toxins and converting them from Fat-Soluable to Water-Soluable molecules (this makes them easier for your body to get rid of).  At the end of this oxidation phase, we have a LOT of Reactive Oxidative Species, otherwise known as “free radicals” (ya know, those cancer- and disease-causing molecules?).  

Phase 2 takes the ROS toxins and neutralizes them into non-toxic molecules ready for elimination.  

If Phase 1 is boosted and Phase 2 is not, guess what happens? Our toxic load increases and our oxidative stress rises.  This causes inflammation, cortisol spikes and hormonal imbalances.  

I mentioned Phase 3 - elimination.  This happens outside the liver - the skin, kidneys, bladder, gut and bowels - so if these body systems aren’t also supported, neutralized toxins just stay stagnant in the body, reverting back to toxic molecules your liver has to deal with again.

Most liver cleanses do NOT support refueling of the 30+ nutrients needed to support all 3 phases of detoxification.  So, if you’re looking to flush estrogen from your body, I recommend not wasting your money on detox kits, cleanses or supplement packs.

What About Heavy Metal Detoxes?

Heavy metals are stored in fat cells - remember, toxins are fat-soluble until the liver converts them. 

Two common “health” practices that boost your heavy metal load?

Rapid weight loss and heavy metal detox cleanses.

Why?

Well, rapid weight loss frees those heavy metals from fat cells so they circulate throughout your entire body looking for a way out.  If your liver and detox organs aren’t up for this load, heavy metals end up in other fat cells, typically the brain and nervous system. (They’re very hard to get rid of from there!)

And, hopefully you can see where this is going, but using potent herbs and chelation agents to remove heavy metals BEFORE your detoxification systems are ready for them shunts them to your central nervou system too.

Chelation agents work well to bind free heavy metals inside your gut…but they also bind to minerals your body needs too.  This deprives your liver of important minerals it needs, primarily for Phase 2. 

Detox Trend to Avoid #3 - Parasite Cleanse

Let’s clear something up…Your digestive tract has parasites.  You need some of them - they’re called “helminths” and they’ve got anti-cancer and anti-bacterial properties to rid you of disease-causing compounds.  

Unless you live in a tropical country AND your symptoms (fatigue, digestive upset, aches and pains, diarrhea) come on fast and furious, you probably don’t have a parasite.

The symptoms of many, many other health problems - including inflammation, insulin resistance, cortisol dysregulation, and nutrient deficiencies of the liver - are the same ones you’ll see listed on the parasite cleanse promotions. 

Incorrect use, or overuse, of parasite cleanses can flush out beneficial organisms and burden your liver and kidneys.

Natural, Holistic Ways to Flush Estrogen From Your Body

Before jumping into any holistic hormone balancing solution, make sure you know the real deal about your hormones.  We can work together to identify your hormonal imbalances and the coinciding root problems behind your symptoms on a Holistic Health Assessment consultation. (Book Yours Here)

This is a non-invasive assessment of your entire health situation that’s not reliant on a single, point-in-time blood or saliva test. 

Once you’re sure you need to flush estrogen from your body, there are a lot of natural, safe ways to do this quickly.

Start with real, whole foods.

Ground flaxseeds act as an amazing “chelation” agent to flush estrogen.  Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, give your liver the perfect combination of nutrients it needs for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 estrogen detoxification.  

Apples, garlic, onions, dark green leafy vegetables, berries, and fresh lemon juice promote faster estrogen detox and removal as well.

Supplement with care and caution.

Hormone balance is a delicate act because it’s easy to flush estrogen from your body too quickly.  Then other health problems come up!

My favorite supplements for this are milk thistle, DIM, and Indole-3-carbinol. Oversupplementing or taking the wrong ones can impair estrogen detoxification. 

I also suggest a high-quality greens powder because the high-density of the nutrients really help fuel every system responsible for healthy hormone regulation. 

Exercise Daily

You don’t need to join a gym, but getting out for a walk or doing something you enjoy that moves your body helps flush excess estrogen faster too.

Support Your Body

Get outside in the sunshine more often. Drink your water and stay hydrated (now might be a good time to add some extra salt, potassium and magnesium to your diet).

Manage stress in a way that feels right for you. Eat enough food, including protein, healthy fats and low-carb fibre at most meals. 

Your Fastest Way to Flush Estrogen From Your Body

Remember Jena from the beginning? 

Her estrogen levels finally regulated and she ditched her fatigue, hot flashes and excess weight within 4 months of starting her personalized nutrition protocol.

Every woman’s hormones and underlying root problems are different. So you may find that following the general guidelines aren’t quite enough to get YOU over the hump and back into your best, healthiest, most energized and balanced state.

This is where personalized nutrition combined with a deep dive evaluation of your entire body -  hormones, digestion, detox and more - becomes your secret weapon to regulating your hormones.

If you’re ready to take a deeper dive and find out what your body needs to get your hormones back on track, flush estrogen from your body, and feel amazing as you sail through perimenopause, book your Holistic Health Assessment consultation today.