□Eliminate Sugar: I owe my clear skin to quitting sugar. I did a sugar detox for four weeks, and my skin has never looked better. I now avoid sugar at all costs (except for fruit and the occasional medjool date). Yes, it was hard at first, and I experienced intense cravings, but I would do it all over again to eliminate blemishes for good. I’ve noticed a decrease in wrinkles and fine lines, a smoother complexion, and a more even skin tone plus an overall decrease in inflammation (see this page for natural sugar alternatives).
□Milk Thistle: This promotes liver detoxification by drawing toxins out of the body and protecting you from liver damage. Silymarin (derived from the milk thistle plant) has been used in traditional medicine as a natural remedy for liver disease due to its antioxidant and enzyme-promoting activity, increase in bile production, and ability to decrease inflammation. Milk thistle is beneficial after heavy alcohol consumption or long-term prescription drug use. I recommend the HealthForce Superfoods Liver Rescue Supplement.
□Exfoliate: Be sure to gently exfoliate and slough away dead skin, which prevents future blemishes. Using an enzyme cleanser and wet washcloth, remove any impurities. When my skin is feeling extra oily, I turn to the OSEA Cleansing Mudd because it soaks up excess oil and exfoliates without rough ingredients.
CRAVINGS
Intense cravings are all too familiar for me. First, it’s chocolate, then salt, and then anything sweet. It feels like a rollercoaster that doesn’t stop. Cravings stem from blood sugar imbalance or micronutrient deficiencies and are usually trying to tell you something. Follow these guidelines to address your cravings without going overboard:
□If you crave chocolate, you may be low in magnesium, which is why I always keep chocolate on hand because it’s full of it. My favorite is ChocZero Dark Chocolate Almond Bark. It’s sugar-free and vegan. Lily’s also makes vegan stevia-sweetened chocolate bars and chocolate chips, and Addictive Wellness makes suberb high-quality adaptogenic chocolate squares.
□If you’re craving carbs, it likely stems from a blood sugar imbalance or a vitamin deficiency, which is why I recommend a daily B-complex. It helps curb carb cravings.
□If you’re craving carbonated drinks, it’s possible you are dehydrated. Skip the soda and drink more water.
□If you’re craving salty foods, you may need to replenish lost mineral stores. Refined salt is stripped of minerals, so it’s important you choose the right kind of salt. Start adding sea salt, sea vegetables (like kelp, dulse, or nori) and water-rich vegetables and fruits to your diet (grapes, watermelon, cucumber, celery). They are high on the full spectrum of minerals your cells need. Try my Sticky Water recipe.
□If you’re craving something sour, it is likely that your stomach is low in acid. Take a shot of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar.
MOOD SWINGS
Keeping your blood sugar balanced with meals that contain high fiber, protein, and fat, and are low in sugar will keep your mood balanced and steady. Roasted root vegetables help as well, as they contain natural sugars that may alleviate the after effects of your estrogen dip which can bring on feelings of anxiousness or irritability. To keep your mood balanced in the luteal phase, I recommend adding more cinnamon to your diet (smoothies, teas, energy balls) as well as making sure to take your vitamin B-complex and magnesium glycinate supplements (see Plant-based Essentials).
If you experience fatigue or debilitating brain fog, the first thing to do is get a good night’s sleep. Manage your stress, limit caffeine and be sure to eat high quality, balanced meals. See Plant-based Essentials for recommended supplements for improved focus and concentration.
Do You Have Estrogen Excess?
Estrogen excess is the most common hormonal imbalance and is often the main culprit of your pesky PMS symptoms. Long-term estrogen excess (over years or decades), increases your risk of breast cancer and other female cancers, dementia, high blood sugar, and diabetes. Getting your hormone levels tested is preferred to guesswork, but here are some symptoms/conditions that stem from excess estrogen:
□Fibroids
□PCOS
□Endometriosis
□Ovarian cysts
□Acne
□Oily skin and hair
□Breast tenderness
□Mood swings
□Hair loss
□Feeling puffy/bloated
□Weight gain before your period
□Heavy periods
□Irregular periods
□Painful cramping
How to Treat Estrogen Excess:
The Happy Hormone Method is the best long-term treatment option for naturally detoxing excess estrogen and balancing your hormonal ecosystem overall, but here are some specific treatment options:
Detox and nourish your liver with fiber rich foods and liver-supporting nutrients
Remove endocrine-distrupting chemicals
Nourish and treat your microbiome health
Incorporate the Plant-based Essentials and liver-supporting supplements
Do You Have Low Progesterone?
Getting your hormone levels tested using a blood and saliva test is better than guessing whether or not you are low in progesterone, but here are some clues:
Premenstrual spotting: If you experience brown spotting before your first heavy day of bright red colored blood, it may be old blood. from your previous cycle that has oxidized; this often indicates low progesterone.
Luteal Phase Defect: If your luteal phase is shorter than 11 days (it should be 12-14 days) this means your corpus luteum did not properly form that cycle, which can cause a progesterone deficiency.
PMS symptoms in Luteal Phase: If you experience mood swings, irritability, anxiety, bloating, breast tenderness, painful cramps, food cravings, or headaches before your period, you may have low progesterone or estrogen excess.
No rise in BBT mid-luteal phase: If you did not record an increase in temperature in the middle of this phase, it might indicate that you did not ovulate this cycle which means your body will not produce progesterone.
How to Increase Progesterone Naturally
Balance your blood sugar (see Lifestyle Action Steps)
Reduce inflammation (remove sugar, wheat, gluten, dairy, processed vegetable oils, endocrine disruptors)
Optimize elimination pathways for estrogen detoxification (see this page)
Limit or quit alcohol
Address possibility of HPA Axis Dysregulation by reducing stress (for more information on HPA Axis Dysregulation and stress reduction techniques)
Incorporate the Plant-based Essentials and Boost Fertility supplements
Try a natural progesterone cream (made from wild yams) or wild yam extract. It helps bring progesterone levels up but be very careful about your dosage and always talk with your naturopath or doctor before using.
MOOD & ENERGY
Since your natural energy is not as abundant in this phase, you’ll feel more drawn to getting your life in order and feeling productive than going out and socializing. Autumn is the transitional season from summer into winter and a time to prepare for hibernation. Aside from checking things off your to-do list, you may feel like taking the time to dive deeper and reorganize what’s going on internally with your emotions, intuition, and life. If you sense some internal conflict, don’t ignore your inner voice. That is your intuition guiding you to look more closely at something that may need to change, whether it relates to work, relationships, or your social life. You have a heightened sense of awareness and ability to notice things you might have otherwise overlooked earlier in your cycle. These are the superpowers of progesterone. Don’t forget to treat yourself to a relaxing bath or curl up with a good book—you deserve it after all of your hard work and productivity in the previous phases.
EXERCISE
This
phase lasts for two weeks (10-14 days). During the first week, you might have high energy so continue strenuous workouts from the ovulation phase (hot yoga, strength training, and high-intensity cardio), then start to scale it back with more core-focused workouts like pilates, vinyasa yoga, mat work, and body resistance exercises. You may prefer to workout at home rather than going to the gym. As energy decreases in the second week and you feel more fatigued, choose lower-resistance cardio like the elliptical, bike, walking, or gentle yoga classes. This is my favorite phase to start streaming the p.volve videos from their website for fine-toning, functional movement training to bring out the natural lines in my legs, stomach, arms, and entire body.
SEX
You may still feel in the mood during the first week of your luteal phase, but it could take a little longer to get aroused and eventually climax. Work in some extra foreplay and makeout sessions to get you there. Setting up a romantic scene with candles and music can help, too. The same applies during the second week, but you may be more in the mood to snuggle with your partner instead.
LUBRICATION
Following the lubricating fertile mucus in the ovulatory phase, cervical mucus will begin a drying pattern, thanks to progesterone. You may notice it becomes thick, sticky, milky, or even stretchy, but it won’t feel slippery anymore. This type of mucus prevents sperm from entering the uterus. It is still considered a wet phase though, so you probably won’t need extra lubricant.
SKIN
Estrogen levels drop after ovulation, but then slightly rise with progesterone and fall again before menstruation. Sometimes the fluctuations between estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in this phase can cause the skin to break out if your body is not detoxing excess hormones properly. Lower levels of estrogen mean less collagen, which can cause the skin to feel less plump and a bit dull. Also, the slight rise in testosterone can lead to thicker sebum (an oily secretion from the sebaceous glands), which can ramp up the oiliness on your skin. A product that works to gently exfoliate, purify, and detox would be beneficial. I like to do face masks 2-3 times per week in the luteal phase, exfoliating to make sure the excess sebum and oil won’t clog my pores. This is also the phase when I’m stricter with my morning and night skin care routine, to further prevent breakouts.
DIY AUTUMN FACE MASK
Balancing Banana Mask
1 tablespoon mashed banana
½ tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon coconut milk
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until well-combined. Apply to clean, dry skin and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.
DIY AUTUMN HAIR MASK
Clarifying Baking Soda Hair Scrub
1 ½ tablespoons baking soda (aluminum-free)
1–2 tablespoons shampoo (your regular kind)
3-4 drops tea tree oil (optional)
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Wet hair and work the mixture into your scalp and roots, giving yourself a mini scalp massage for 4-5 minutes to slough away product residue and dead skin cells. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and follow with conditioner. Note: this scrub isn’t recommended for color-treated hair.
FALL ESSENTIAL OIL BLENDS
1–2 drops each, or more as desired
COZY SWEATER: Frankincense, Orange, Nutmeg
FALL MORNINGS: Tangerine and Cinnamon
ANXIETY RELIEF: Lemongrass, Sweet Orange, Ylang Ylang
CRISP FALL AIR: Thyme, Eucalyptus, Lime
PMS-EASE: Lavender, Clary Sage, Ylang Ylang, Cedarwood, Chamomile, Geranium
NUTRITION
□Metabolism speeds up which increases your appetite and cravings.
□Grounding, warming foods like roasted root vegetables and complex carbohydrates can help stabilize the estrogen dip and deter moodiness. They also help curb sugar cravings due to their high amounts of B-vitamins, which help manufacture progesterone.
□Focus on lightly steamed leafy greens or cruciferous vegetables to help the liver flush out excess estrogen.
□Eat foods rich in B-vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and fiber like brown rice, millet, roasted cauliflower, parsnips, squash, or sweet potatoes.
□Choose fiber-rich fruits like apples, pears, peaches, dates, and raisins. Add fresh mint, spirulina, or raw cacao to your smoothies.
□Dandelion tea, fennel tea, and licorice tea help the kidneys flush out excess water to relieve bloat.
□Also, reduce alcohol and caffeine (if you consume it) at this time to decrease inflammation.
Autumn Food Chart
FRUITS OTHER
apples
bananas
dates
jackfruits
peaches
pears
persimmons
raisins
cacao (raw/powdered form)
cinnamon
dandelion tea
fennel tea
licorice tea
mint
peppermint tea
spirulina
NUTS AND SEEDS LEGUMES
hickory
peanut (peanut butter)
pine nuts
sesame seeds
sunflower seeds
sunflower seed butter
tahini
walnuts
chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
cannellini beans
great northern beans
navy beans
GRAINS VEGETABLES
brown rice
millet
brussels sprouts
cabbage
cauliflower
celery
cilantro
collard greens
cucumber
daikon
garlic
ginger
jicama
leeks
mustard greens
onion
parsnips
pumpkin
radishes
rutabagas
shallots
squash (all varieties)
sweet potatoes
watercress
yams
AUTUMN RECIPES
Happy Hormone Detox Smoothie
Moody Mermaid Mint Chip Shake
Sweet Potato Toast—Two Ways
Creamy Pumpkin Overnight Oats
Mashed Chickpea Salad
Spicy Sweet Potato Stew
Mashed Veggie “Potatoes” with Cheesy Brussel Sprouts
Roasted Cauliflower “Steak” with Kale Pesto
Edible Cookie Dough
Breakfast
HAPPY HORMONE DETOX SMOOTHIE
(makes 1 serving)
2 cups kale, de-stemmed (about 2 large leaves)
2 stalks celery, chopped (or ½ cup chopped cucumber)
1 pear, any variety (can sub an apple)
1-inch chunk fresh ginger, peeled
Handful of fresh cilantro
½ lemon, juiced
1-½ cups coconut water or filtered water.
Handful of ice (optional)
Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
Moody Mermaid Mint Chip Shake
MOODY MERMAID MINT CHIP SHAKE
(makes 1 serving)
2 handfuls kale leaves
½ frozen banana
1–2 medjool dates, pitted
2 tablespoons cacao nibs
½ teaspoon spirulina
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
1 scoop vegan chocolate protein powder
1 tablespoon tahini (can substitute raw sunflower seed butter)
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk + ½ cup filtered water
Handful of ice (optional)
Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
Sweet Potato Toast—Two Ways
SWEET POTATO TOAST—TWO WAYS
(makes 1 serving)
OPTION ONE
½ sweet potato, sliced thin and lengthwise (¼ inch thick)
1 tablespoon tahini
⅓ banana, sliced
1 tablespoon walnuts
Sprinkle of cinnamon
OPTION TWO
½ sweet potato, sliced thin and lengthwise (¼ inch thick)
1 tablespoon raw sunflower seed butter
3–4 slices of either peach, pear or apple
1 tablespoon raisins
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Place two sweet potato slices in a toaster oven (or regular toaster) and toast on high for five minutes (or longer, depending on your toaster) until soft and cooked through. Add your choice of toppings and serve.
Lunch
Creamy Pumpkin Overnight Oats
CREAMY PUMPKIN OVERNIGHT OATS
(makes 1–2 servings)
¼ cup gluten-free rolled oats
2 tablespoons chia seeds
The Happy Hormone Guide Page 16