Find Your Estrogenic Balance and Lose Weight with the Anti-Estrogenic Diet

The Anti-estrogen Diet is recommended for both women and men with symptoms of estrogen overload. The diet is purported to decrease the risk of metabolic disorders, weight gain, infertility and even prostate, uterine and breast cancer.

Estrogens are female sex hormones that are responsible with the growth and development of female sexual characteristics and reproduction. Even if it is a type of hormones specific for women, both men and women produce estrogens. In women, estrogens are produced by the ovaries, placenta (during pregnancy), the adrenal glands, and by the most types of tissues, especially fat and muscle. In men, small amounts of estrogens are produced by the adrenal and pituitary glands, testicles, and fat tissues.

Even if most of us assume that estrogen is a single hormonal substance, the term “estrogen” actually defines a group of hormones- estradiol, estrone, and estriol:

• Estradiol is the “active” type of estrogen, which actually gives the fullest range of estrogen effects. It is mainly produced by ovaries.
• Estrone is weaker form of estrogen, typically produced by special belly fat cells. Biochemists consider it an estradiol precursor.
• Estriol is a metabolic waste product of estradiol metabolism that can still have some effects upon a limited number of estrogen receptors. This type of estrogen can block the estrogen receptors for the stronger forms of estrogen.

What happens when there is too much estrogen in our bodies?

• In women: fatigue, headaches, weight gain (especially in the waist, mid-section and breasts zone), slow metabolism, water retention, joint pain, polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, high cholesterol, foggy thinking, memory loss, mood swings, depression, insomnia, sugar cravings, decreased libido; more serious effects of estrogen dominance: accelerated aging and infertility; increased risk of breast and uterine cancer; increased risk of blood clots; possible thyroid problems.
• In men: decreased libido, low sperm counts, prostate disorders, chronic fatigue, fat and weight gain, inability to lose abdominal fat and increased sensitivity to stress;
• In young girls: early periods and early breasts development.

The Anti-Estrogenic Diet

We end up with too much estrogen in our bodies either because we either produce too much of it, or because we eat too many foods which contain estrogen-like compounds (foods contaminated with toxic pesticides, herbicides, and filled with growth hormones). Pharmaceutical hormones (hormones used in hormone-replacement therapy -HRT) and the birth control pill can also increase estrogen levels in our bodies. The Anti-Estrogenic Diet is an excellent option when we are trying to take the estrogen to normal levels.

The Anti-Estrogenic Diet was consecrated by Ori Hofmekler, an exercise and nutrition researcher with a degree in Human Science, who also created the diet program called The Warrior Diet. The solution he proposed to fight the excess of estrogen is eating anti-estrogenic foods and taking anti-estrogenic supplements (plant estrogen inhibitors), while eliminating estrogen-promoting foods and chemicals.

Anti-estrogenic food is any food that either helps inhibit estrogen or beneficially modulates its metabolism.

The Anti-Estrogenic Diet was developed with three distinct phases:

Phase I: Liver Detox –  Week 1

Phase II:  High Fat – Week 2

Phase III:  Reintroduction of Foods – Week 3

Phase I – The Liver detox phase is centered on regaining the liver’s health. A healthy liver can grant a superior metabolic capacity to burn fat and resist toxicity. The liver is the site for estrogen metabolism, so the goal of this week is to remove the toxins from it, to ensure a better estrogen metabolism.

In this phase, the main meal of the day is dinner. During the day, you can have small portions of anti-estrogenic fruits and vegetables and small servings of light proteins, such as yogurt or fertile eggs. In the evening, you can choose from all kind of anti-estrogenic foods, such as cruciferous vegetables, onion, garlic, and omega-3 oils, beans, grains, fertile eggs, wild-catch fish or cheese.

Recommended anti-estrogen supplements (estrogen inhibitors): derived from passionflower,chamomile, and crucifers; milk thistle; dandelion root; vitamin C; Shilajit (essential acids and trace minerals; probiotics; multivitamins and minerals (not synthetic).

Phase II:  High Fat 

Just as in Phase I, the main meal is the evening meal. Incorporate all anti-estrogenic foods as in Phase I (greens, cruciferous vegetables, onion, garlic, and omega-3 oils), and add proteins from seafood and healthy fats from raw nuts or seeds (the best choices are almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin, flaxseed and freshly ground hemp seed. Fat fuels consist exclusively of raw nuts and seeds only. Avoid grains, bulbs (potatoes, yams, or any starchy root)and meat. Cheese can be used as a complementary protein.

Phase III:  Reintroduction of Foods

in this phase the foods which were previously restricted (bread, pasta, and meats) will be reintroduced in the daily diet plan. It is recommended to reintroduce one food at a time and no more than three times in a week, to see their effect on the body.

The main meal of the day remains the dinner.

Combine foods correctly:

• Do not mix carbs foods with fats.
• Protein can be combined with both carbs and fats (one at a time). For example, meats can be combined with either nuts or grains.

A critical part of the Anti-estrogen Diet is getting exercise.

When incorporated with anti-estrogenic foods and supplements, exercise can facilitate weight loss and lowers estrogen levels.

 

Read more:

• The Anti –Estrogenic Diet- How Estrogenic Foods and Chemicals Are Making You Fat and Sick”- Ori Hofmekler, Rick Osborn, North Atlantic Books, CA, USA;