Liver and PMS: How to support your liver and beat PMS

 

Do you have PMS symptoms that begin mid-cycle that cause PMS issues such as insomnia, bloating, moodiness, constipation, weight gain around the hips, thighs, and more? An overworked liver may be causing the PMS symptoms you’re stuck dealing with each month. In this post, I will teach you exactly how to the liver and PMS are connected and how to beat PMS once and for all…

Do these describe you?

• moodiness, irritability, depression
• breast tenderness
• bad cramps
• insomnia
• irregular cycles
• bloating
• GI distress (nausea, constipation)
• headaches
• inability to concentrate
• acne

Why PMS symptoms occur?

Food: pesticides on crops and hormones used in conventionally raised animals affects our metabolism and disrupts hormonal balance.

Water: is polluted with hormone-disrupting compounds including pesticides and fertilizers, estrogens from livestock and prescription medications, and an unknown number of industrial chemicals from chemical plant runoff or the disposal of plastics and chemicals in landfills. Coal burning plants also emit mercury into the air, which contaminates our water tables as well.

Personal Care Products: are loaded with phthalates and parabens which are estrogenic. Xenoestrogens in skin care products are especially harmful because they are absorbed directly into your tissues, and so never have the chance to be detoxified through your liver, but are directly absorbed into the bloodstream.

Impaired Digestion: our gut microbiome regulates circulating estrogen using an enzyme known as beta-glucuronidase. When our microbiome is out of balance, these enzyme cannot properly metabolize estrogens.

BPA and other plastics: contain hormone mimicking xenoestrogens which leach into what we eat and drink and negatively impact health.

Birth control and other hormone replacements: often contain toxic, synthetic hormones that are not easily metabolized by the liver, leading to DNA damage and an increased risk for breast and endometrial cancer.

Chronic Stress: steals the sex hormone progesterone and instead makes cortisol which lead to estrogen dominance.

What do these all have to do with the liver and PMS?

Hormones are messengers in the body, but once they deliver their message, it’s the livers job to remove them. When your liver is overworked and overloaded, those messages are not removed and continue circulating in the body and causing imbalances that affect the thyroid gland and estrogen levels, which mean you end up with PMS.

Liver issue symptoms:

• PMS
• Feeling lethargic after drinking
• Itchy skin
• Acne
• dark circles under the eyes
• nausea, particularly in the morning

Can liver damage be reversed?

The liver is a regenerative organ that can healed with the right foods, supplements and lifestyle choices.

 

PMS and liver how to treat it for good…

Foods to incorporate:

Eggs yolks- high in vitamin A and choline

Liver – high in B vitamins and vitamin A (I use this supplement)

Oysters- high in zinc and helps the immune system and hormones

Leafy greens- such as spinach, chard, kale, and mustard greens and aid in detoxification.

Raw carrots- 2 daily to aid digestion and rid of excess estrogen

Collagen– contain the amino acids glycine, glutamic acid, proline, and alanine, all medicinal to the liver and missing in our modern diet.

Herbs to include:

Turmeric -a powerful anti-inflammatory food. Full of antioxidants to help regenerate a healthy liver.  It detoxify’s the liver and enhances function by thinning bile.

Milk thistle– rebuilds liver cells while removing toxins

Dandelion root  tea-helps flush the liver to keep it running efficiently. 

Blend of herbs- contains the herbs above and artichokes, which help stimulate bile and phytonutrients which boost liver health.

Lifestyle factors to consider:

Manage stress: exercise, use essential oils like stress away and lavender, EFT for emotional support, meditation or prayer and other tools.

Work to get plastic out of your home: swap plastic for glass wherever you can. There’s actually a surprising amount of things we can do. This post outlines some practical swaps.

Administer coffee enemas: These will detox and restore the liver, which has been so busy filtering out all those hormones after having a baby. This is going to again help hormones regulate by strengthening the liver so it can do it’s job optimally. Enemas will also help with energy levels and provide some insomnia relief as well.

Which liver detox is best?

Some people like to embark on a yearly or seasonal detox. Seasonal and daily detoxification are both ideal. That means you are eating organic and sweating daily, as well as incorporating the above tips daily. I recommend a seasonal detox (like the one found here) to really keep the liver and your hormones working optimally.  Please do not go on starvation plans which do not include food or severely restrict calories. This is dangerous and could harm your health and will not cure your liver and pms.

Special Note: These tips are all given assuming you’re already eating a well-rounded diet and properly hydrated. If you’re unsure that’s the case or need a tune-up, I’m here to help. Simply click the ‘Work with Me’ tab above.

Have you ever considered your liver and PMS symptoms to be related? Comment below with which tip you will try first!