The more you age, the more your understanding of estrogen builds.
For many women, this begins during puberty as they get used to taking care of themselves during their cycle. As you get older, though, you start to notice how estrogen plays into other things – like intimacy, mood and energy levels, and more. This continues into menopause.
Still, somewhere along the way, your estrogen levels are sure to throw you a few curveballs. Estrogen plays into everything from cramps to mood swings to hot flashes.
As much as these can be a pain to deal with, having a lack of estrogen is even worse. Thankfully, there are natural estrogen replacements available to solve this issue.
Keep reading to determine how to get the best natural estrogen replacement for your body’s needs.
How to Know If You Need Estrogen Replacement
First things first. Identify your body’s needs!
Just as estrogen works differently for each woman as she progresses through life, it can vary in its effects when estrogen levels start to go down. Common signs of this are seen in menopause, but your sex drive and some other issues play into it, too.
Let’s take a closer look at the symptoms that may be a sign it’s time for natural estrogen replacement.
You’re Going Through Menopause
Menopause is the most obvious symptom that you need a natural estrogen replacement. This is when menstruation stops because your ovaries are no longer producing certain hormones – one of them being estrogen.
Sounds simple enough, right? For some women, it can be. For others, though, menopause is anything but a walk in the park.
Menopause may cause any of the following:
- hot flashes
- insomnia
- fatigue
- depression
- mood swings
- headaches
- muscle and joint pain
- issues with bladder control
Irregular periods are also a sign of menopause. These happen as the body releases the last of the reproductive hormones produced.
Although every woman experiences menopause, it doesn’t have to be as brutal as the symptoms make it sound. Just ask the lucky ones who don’t experience them much at all!
Or, talk to a woman who’s been in your shoes – she may recommend natural estrogen replacement. As with any other medical condition, talk to your doctor, too.
Your Sex Drive Has Dropped Significantly
You may be in need of an estrogen boost well before your time for menopause comes. Maybe, it’s what your sex life is missing.
If you’ve had an unexplainable drop in your intimate desires, a natural estrogen replacement could be what gets you back in the game. This goes for single and committed women alike. Sometimes, a drop in your sex drive isn’t about the lack of a partner – or the lack of interest between two partners – it’s a sign something has changed hormonally.
Look into this possibility. You may be surprised to find it’s your estrogen that’s behind this bump in the road of your sex life.
You’re Experiencing Some Combination of Minor Symptoms
While menopause or an inactive sex drive are pretty obvious signs there’s something up with your estrogen, other symptoms may occur, too. These tend to be more subtle, but if you’re experiencing a few of them together, natural estrogen replacement may be the answer.
Other symptoms to look out for include:
- acne
- fatigue
- trouble losing weight
- trouble falling asleep
These sound like menopause symptoms. But remember, although premature menopause is fairly common, a young woman could be experiencing a drop in her estrogen rather than a total stop to hormone production.
Our hormones are related to many body functions, and such small symptoms may actually be major indicators for certain conditions.
The Different Forms of Natural Estrogen Replacement
If you think you need a natural estrogen replacement, talk to your doctor and weigh your options. There are a few estrogen boosters to choose from.
Change Your Diet
The first thing women can do to increase their estrogen levels is to increase certain foods they eat.
Cruciferous vegetables are a great start. These include broccoli, cauliflower, broccolini, brussels sprouts, and bok choy. Such foods are rich in hormone-building nutrients, specifically those that support estrogen production.
Other foods to eat more of are plants that are rich in phytoestrogens. These include sunflower seeds, flax seeds, garbanzo beans, and bean sprouts.
Change Your Lifestyle
Sometimes, hormone production is not a matter of what you eat, but how you use your body’s fuel. You may need to improve your breathing and exercise habits in order to get estrogen levels back to normal.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to do this. Between running, cycling, yoga, weight training, playing a sport, or going for walks, there’s an exercise regime that is bound to speak to you. Find it and commit to it.
While you’re working on improving your heart rate, watch your breathing. The more mindful you become of the breath during times of peak activity, the better you breathe while the body is resting.
Try Herbal Remedies
To boost your eating and exercise efforts, look into herbal remedies for estrogen production. These are natural enhancers that can do wonders for the body.
To get the best results, contact an herbal specialist or an estrogen specialist. Such professionals can point you in the right direction of which herbs to try, and maybe even the stores to go to in order to get your hands on them!
Alternatives to Natural Estrogen Replacement
While natural estrogen replacement works for some women, others choose a different route. Additional estrogen boosting treatments include:
- estrogen pills
- skin patches
- topical lotions and gels
- vaginal rings and creams
It’s worth weighing the pros and cons of each method before deciding how to treat your body. Remember, every approach will have a handful of things to consider, like:
- cost and insurance
- the treatment timeline
- the frequency of applications/uses
- long-term versus short-term goals for your hormone levels
Ask yourself everything from how much does bioidentical hormone replacement therapy cost to where is an estrogen-boosting herb from in order to get the best results.
Estrogen and Wellbeing
Estrogen is a vital part of maintaining your body’s homeostasis. It supports important functions from sleep and happiness to reproduction and your overall wellbeing.
But, it’s not the only health factor women should think about. To be healthy is a lifestyle more than a set of treatments or solutions.
For more on how to live well naturally, read our collection of articles on health.
