How to Balance Estrogen and Progesterone

There are two hormones which, though present in both men and women, have more prominence in the body of a woman. They are estrogen and progesterone. During the time from when a woman begins her menses until menopause, and even after, these two hormones are responsible for a lot of changes within the woman's body. They both work in tandem, providing the body with necessary functions, balancing each other perfectly. It's when this balance is disturbed that there's a problem. The table given below will give you an idea about what a perfectly balanced estrogen and progesterone level facilitates.

Estrogen and Progesterone Functions
Estrogen Facilitates blood clotting Helps breast stimulation Reduces sex drive Increases the amount of body fat Magnifies the chances of breast cancer	Progesterone Controls blood clotting Safeguards against chances of cysts Helps to increase sex drive Helps to use the body fat by converting it into energy Reduces the chances of acquiring breast cancer

From this table, you can get a good idea of the possible ill effects of a hormonal imbalance. This imbalance is generally seen as a result of estrogen dominance. As a result, women suffer from a progesterone deficiency, which could lead to various problems. Hence, it becomes important to make sure that when a woman is reaching or experiencing menopause, she take care to maintain a balance between estrogen and progesterone levels. The following sections of this Buzzle article will tell you how you can do that.

Alter your Diet
As with many other health conditions, a woman's diet is very fundamental in the maintenance of a balance between estrogen and progesterone. Due to the chemical treatment in the manufacture of various food items, there are chances of the estrogen levels going very high in the dietary intake of a woman. Hence, you can follow the simple tips given below to have a diet that will help keep your estrogen level low and in sync with the progesterone level.

• Consume foods that contain a lot of dietary fiber and Vitamin B6 in them. These include whole grains, wheat germ, tofu, etc.
• Drink plenty of water. This also helps sustain a hormonal balance.
• Substitute meat with fish and eggs in your diet. This reduces the chances of the xenoestrogens (from chemical manufacturing) from being induced in your diet.
• As much as possible, try to eat organic foods.
• Cut down on your consumption of fatty foods. Excess weight acts as a perfect working condition for a hormonal imbalance.
• You may also want to cut down on your intake of sodas and aerated drinks.
• Your digestive system needs to be perfectly functional too. So take measures to see that it is healthy.
• Instead of using hydrogenated oils for cooking, use oils with lesser fat and cholesterol content, like olive oil.

Alter your Lifestyle
It's not just food that can help you cope with an imbalance. Bringing about a change in your lifestyle too will act as a perfect antidote for a hormonal imbalance. Consider taking the following steps in order to maintain a balance between the estrogen and progesterone levels in your body.

• If you have a smoking habit, quit it.
• Limit your consumption of alcohol to social occasions. Your liver plays an important role in hormonal balance. So, you need to take good care of it.
• Have a regular exercise routine in which you practice weight training every alternate day.
• Use tonics that contain herbal remedies for hormonal imbalance.

This was some info on balancing the level of estrogen and progesterone. As you can see, the repercussions of a hormonal balance between the two can be quite severe. However, the steps that you can take to maintain this balance between them are rather easy. So, nothing should stop you from taking them and preparing you to face the pangs of menopause head on.