Hormone imbalance from Perimenopause is especially frustrating. As a Female Hormone Specialist I refer to Perimenopause as permanent PMS. Whenever I say this to my new perimenopausal hormone imbalance patient they nod their head in complete agreement. So there you go.... I finally have said it out loud and now confirmed exactly why women prior to menopause feel permanently agitated, angry, bloated, moody, sad, achy, inflamed tired and blah. Welcome to permanent PMS!
Fear not there is Naturopathic Help for your Perimenopause!
Perimenopause is defined as the 10 years prior to menopause. With the average age of menopause being 51, many women will enter perimenopause around the average age of 41. Some women will enter perimenopause as early as 30 and some women will begin perimenopause in their late 40’s.
Regardless of when perimenopause begins it never goes very well because women are in a constant state of estrogen dominance during menopause that appears on paper very similar to PMS. Instead of having PMS a few days each month women begin to report to me that they are only experiencing a few good days each month on the "Hormone Rollercoaster" as the hormone imbalance continues and their symptoms of estrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency continue to persist until a hormone doctor trained in Naturopathy such as myself can artfully intervene with herbal medicine and bioidentical hormones.
Hormones are not always required to treat perimenopause or menopause although some women do truly need them and feel a strong benefit. When women choose to avoid hormones in menopause they can work with a skilled Women's Health Naturopath using herbs, nutrition, vitamins and supplements as a natural alternative to bioidentical hormones. I am happy to support women on their preference either way and understand many women do not want to take hormones or cannot due to certain health conditions especially, Breast Cysts and Breast Cancer.
Because the treatment of perimenopause does not always require bioidentical hormones, women are often better served by a Naturopathic or herbal medicine approach to balance their hormones. Around age 35 testosterone levels will naturally decline and women will notice more fatigue and joint pain after exercise and that it takes longer to recover from their work outs as testosterone’s role in the body is to help heal and repair muscles and joints. Therefore women are left feeling more stiff, achy and fatigued as they struggle to accomplish as much with their workouts and daily functioning due to declining testosterone levels.
Progesterone levels also begin to decline around age 35. A young fertile women of age 20 would have an average testosterone level of 20, whereas perimenopausal and menopausal women tend to have levels around 1 or even in the decimal points. This is “Nature’s Birth Control” and serves as somewhat of a protective function for women with declining ovarian reserves and advancing age as they naturally become less likely to become pregnant with a child with Down’s Syndrome. But as the progesterone naturally becomes deficient in perimenopause, women are left severely “Estrogen Dominant” for their entire cycle and not just the few days before their period starts.
Perimenopausal hormone imbalance is also the culprit behind all of the annoying uterine, breast and ovarian conditions that women develop in their 40’s and 50’s. Perimenopausal hormone imbalance causes breast cysts, Fibroids forming, uterine polyps, heavy bleeding, endometriosis and even breast cancer can result from severe hormone imbalance. My #1 pet peeve as a Female Hormone Specialist is when women have surgeries for these estrogen dominant states and nobody ever bothers to correct the hormone imbalance. Leaving women with chronic mental health symptoms, joint aches and pains, lethargy, insomnia and an overall lack of vitality.
The best thing women experiencing perimenopausal changes can do is schedule an appointment with a holistic hormone doctor. Let's discuss your symptoms and then order Naturopathic Hormone and Nutrition labs.
Just correcting the deficient progesterone and testosterone is never sufficient until we address the estrogen dominance which requires herbs and supplements. A well seasoned Naturopathic Female Hormone Doctor should be able to help provide you relief from these frustrating female symptoms.
It is important you find someone well versed in both prescription bioidentical hormone therapy and herbal medicine, naturopathy and alternative medicine because it is going to “Take a Village” to get many of my perimenopausal women back on track. I love being an integrated women’s health doctor because that means I have all of the tools in my tool box from my eight years of work in traditional family medicine and hormones and over fifteen years of experience as a Women’s Health Naturopathic Doctor.
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
"I have been taking Evening Primrose oil for night sweats and it was working well and then suddenly stopped working, what else can I try to naturally help my night sweats?"
~Pam J Scottsdale, AZ
Night sweats or nighttime “hot flashes” can be a very frustrating problem for women in menopause or perimenopause. If the Primrose oil is not working, it may be a sign of transitioning from perimenopause to official menopause.
Typically a hot flash is an experience of intense heat with sweating and increased heartbeat. The hot flash can last for a few minutes or up to 30 minutes.
Usually, the hallmark sign it is a hormonally triggered night sweat or hot flash is when the sensation of heat begins on the face or chest, or back of the neck and then spreads throughout the entire body. The skin will feel hot to the touch as all of the capillaries are in vasodilation to help cool the body down. Because of this women often end up feeling too cold, and bounce back and forth between hot flashes and cold flashes until we correct hormone imbalance.
Much more can be done for night sweats in addition to a good source of oils in the diet, such as evening primrose oil. If EPO is no longer working, I would try adding or switching to flaxseeds as they are a good source of phytoestrogens and lignans which are shown to be helpful in menopause, and contain beneficial omega-3 oils.
Freshly grind whole flaxseeds with a coffee grinder and consume about 1-3 tablespoons once to twice daily especially before bed. You can mix them in with yogurt, applesauce, or juice and consume one hour before expected bedtime.
Many of my patients have found immediate relief and “sleep like babies” just from this tip, which is simple, healthy and inexpensive "Food as Medicine." However, not everyone has the same biochemistry so let's talk about why these night sweats are happening first to understand them, and what other natural treatments for night sweats are shown to be clinically beneficial.
First of all, as women age, the ovaries are making less and less estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone. Estrogen naturally keeps us “cool” in both the temperature and attitude aspects as it not only affects our thermostat, but our neurotransmitter production, and thus mood swings occur along with other symptoms of menopause such as night sweats. Anxiety, agitation, depression, and ADHD symptoms can become worse at this time for women that already struggle with them or present themselves as completely new symptoms that women have never experienced before.
When women suddenly develop anxiety or depression in their 40's or 50's we should look at their hormones as the most likely underlying root cause of the mental health issue. If you are also struggling with your mental health, I recommend reading my article about hormones and mental health here: "Naturopathic Psychiatry: Hormones, Nutrition, and Neurotransmitters."
If you are having hot flashes all day and all night then the hormone imbalance is generally from deficient estrogen. If you are primarily too hot only at night and cannot sleep this is a hallmark sign of progesterone deficiency as is seen in perimenopause.
Men have less estrogen in their system, but don’t get hot flashes typically because they have some hormones in their system, are not usually at zero with their hormone tank, and are not having hormonal fluctuations from their menstrual cycle.
For men even with low testosterone, a steady state of testosterone is still burning off into a constant steady state of estrogen or at least 30-40 points for most men I have tested, which is why they don't get night sweats or hot flashes. They still have a small amount of estrogen in their tank, unlike most menopausal women I test are at zero. Therefore, the main treatment goal is to keep estrogen levels consistent so that estrogen levels don’t suddenly drop to zero and cause hot flashes and night sweats.
When the ovaries stop making hormones, the adrenals and body fat become the sole source of estrogen production which is why I see women that are very thin and very obese struggling with perimenopause and menopause the most. Having a little bit of body fat is a good thing for menopausal hormone balance. Working on weight loss is important for women in perimenopause and menopause yet often difficult to achieve without a Holistic Hormone Doctor such as myself helping them to be successful.
Natural Treatments for Night Sweats & Hot Flashes in Menopause:
First, please see your Naturopathic Hormone Doctor to ensure you are entering menopause and are not suffering from a different problem before implementing any self-help or natural protocols. There is always the rare possibility that hot flashes are being caused by diabetes, infection, or cancer. A skilled Women's Health Doctor will be able to confirm your diagnosis.
Labs for FSH, estrogen, testosterone and progesterone levels should be drawn, as well as testing of your thyroid, A1c, Basic Metabolic Panel, and CBC- Complete Blood Count (to rule out cancer and other causes of night sweats.) I commonly see women becoming diabetic and pre-diabetic with menopause so it is imperative your doctor checks your A1c.
Also, this transition period can be EXTREMELY stressful for some women so having the support of your physician, friends, and maybe even an online support group should ease the transition.
BHRT: Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy is the most common treatment for menopause I provide, however not all women can take hormones due to family history of breast cancer. When needed, I recommend bioidentical hormones or estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone that have been made from yams by a compounding pharmacy and are the same natural molecule your body would make.
Premarin=Poison Whatever you do, please make sure you are not given premarin or prempro as premarin is made from “Pregnant Mare Urine” and is thus collected in a manor abusive to animals….and dangerous! Horsey Hormones are dangerous for women as they were shown in 2002 to increase breast cancer and stroke and therefore should never be prescribed anymore.
If a doctor is prescribing this, they are trapped in a 1990's model of medicine and should be put out to pasture with the pregnant horses that are kept locked in pens that collect their urine. Lets all just please be free of this Premarin nonsense. I hate to say that I actually have patients STILL on premarin come to me 20 years after the Women's Health Initiative in 2002 found Premarin dangerous garbage. I actually worked for multiple doctors at this time and we had to make hundreds of phone calls to stop all patients from taking this dangerous garbage.
That is when everything in my career became the Herbal Medicine and Bioidentical Hormones that I prescribe now. That is actually when MD's gave me FULL permission to put their hot flash patients on herbs out of desperation. I made them a self-help handout with many of these tips I still use today. Even the doctors that hated Naturopaths passed out my menopause tips! That was how dangerous Premarin was in their minds.
So I really don't know why any doctors still prescribe these, but if you check your hormone prescription and it says Premarin or Prempro you need to fire your doctor that is completely clueless about hormones and actually dangerous to your health. I would actually argue in this case they are seriously endangering your health. No hot flash is worth risking cancer or strokes!
For minor night sweats, start with natural treatments and work your way up to BHRT if need be. Some women need hormones temporarily as they transition to lower hormone levels and many of my patients opt to just use a light low dose hormone cocktail cream of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. For severe symptoms, that are disrupting your sleep, mood or quality of life....pop over to my SCHEDULE page to book a visit ASAP!
Herbs for Menopause, Nightsweats and Hot flashes
Nettles: Research shows stinging nettles at 450mg a night helped women with menopausal hot flashes. This is about 1-2 capsules of leaf not root depending on brand. Nettles are also excellent for Female Hair Loss!
Isoflavones: Molecules that weakly mimic estrogen found in nature such as soy, red clover, hops, and so forth can be helpful in establishing a more consistent estrogen level. Be sure to take these supplements regularly for optimal effect. As stability is key.
Flaxseed: 1-3 tablespoons freshly ground as mentioned above in your Bedtime Snack.
Ginseng: and other adrenal adaptogens are helpful as the liver and adrenal glands take over the sole production of hormones as the ovaries cease estrogen production. The ”Siberian” form of Ginseng is best for women. I also like Ashwaganda and Schisandra for women with stress accompanied by low sex drive.
Black Cohosh: Can be helpful for many women, if it doesn't work you need an appointment with me!
Diet and Nutritional Factors for Menopause, Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
Liver Support: The liver is metabolizing estrogen, so ensuring it’s proper functioning is prudent. Try increasing liver support foods such as kale, beets, artichokes, milk thistle, greens, apples, pears, carrots and lemons to balance hormones. Read: "Detox Diet"
Avoid the Hot Flash Trifecta: Caffeine, Spicy Foods, and Alcohol. This is one of the main problems women endure with natural treatments. If you aren’t willing to give these foods/beverages up….try having them earlier in the day. At the very least do an elimination period for a week so you can experience what life is like without them, then have them all at once and see if they induce a hot flash. Knowledge is powerful motivation.
Avoid sugar and heavy carbs before bedtime. A light dinner of veggies, brown rice or other complex carbs, and light protein is best for dinner. Skip the dessert before bed and follow my "Diabetes Diet" to balance your blood sugar and avoid hyperglycemia triggering your hot flashes.
Consider an herbal sedative in the evening as the main issue with night sweats is losing sleep and resulting sanity! If you aren’t sleeping well you likely aren’t coping well with the menopause transition. Proper sleep is imperative to good health. Read: "10 Best Herbal Sedatives."
Lifestyle Factors for Menopause, Hot Flashes & Night sweats
Keep a fan by your bed, workstation, etc. Keep your bedroom around 68F. A sleep study found women sleep the best at this temperature. A 77-78F bedroom in Arizona will not be compatible with sound sleep and you will end up spending more money on supplements to sleep soundly than you will if you just plan to turn the AC down every night.
I would tell a husband or partner that is not happy with the AC bill that the female hormone doctor has done a cost-benefit analysis after 23 years and concluded it will save him money. How do I know this? I have only worked in Women's Health and Hormones for 23 years and I see the same menopause challenges every day.
I know the consequences of insomnia for women and what supplements and hormones cost to get menopausal women comfortable in stuffy hot bedrooms vs a small bump in an AC bill. It will save you money in supplements for brain fog, chronic fatigue, and depression that occurs from hormonal insomnia. You can read my blog all about how I got randomly selected to become a Hormone Doctor or take my word for it.
Try a cooling mist spritz of water & essential oils Clary Sage and Lavender (add a few drops of each per ounce of H2O) and spritz on your face, neck, chest. Always test on your inner arm before first applying to your face, chest or neck. Start with 1-2 drops per ounce and increase as needed. I generally use about 5-10 drops in a mist but it will also depend on the patient's skin sensitivity. You can keep the bottle in the fridge by day, or on ice near your bed at night for added cooling benefit.
Osteoporosis and menopause go hand in hand, as estrogen drives calcium in to our bones. If you are reading this your hot flashes are a warning sign that it is time to get a DEXA to check your bones! Both of my Grandma's had terrible osteoporosis that caused them miserable pain at the end of their lives. They developed fractures that would never heal. I never want any patient under my care to suffer from this highly preventable disease!
Keep in mind that you should be taking 500mg of calcium with food twice daily, combined with 250mg of magnesium and 2000-5000 IU of vitamin D, along with weight bearing exercise to prevent your bones from becoming brittle and susceptible to fractures now that your body has less estrogen. Women should do 20 minutes of "Weight Bearing Exercise" with weights like a Body Pump class, walking with hand weights, wrist weights and ankle weights. Some patients fill up a gallon jug of water and hike or walk with it in their backpack. If you hike uphill you can dump the water out at the top of your hike to save your knees on the way down. WARNING: If you do walking, cycling, and swimming for your exercise you are at high risk of Osteoporosis and not driving calcium in to your bones!
Proper Colon Elimination: If you are not having 1-2 bowel movements daily, you should increase water and fiber in your diet. Along with the liver, the colon plays a role in estrogen elimination, and consistency is key since your body will become adjusted to whatever level of hormones you are at and it is fluctuation of the hormone levels that can trigger hot flashes.
Wicking Fabrics: Try sleeping in pajamas and bedding that are designed to wick sweat away. Work out clothes designed to “breathe” can make for great pajamas for those with night sweats. They have cooling pillows, and bedding designed for menopausal night sweats on Amazon.
Exercise in the morning. By exercising in the AM you should sleep better and exercise is also beneficial for menopause.
How do I know if my Herbs for Night Sweat Treatment is working?
I know this problem is frustrating, because most women want an IMMEDIATE and quick fix….for good reason. I am very impatient myself so I will not make any empty promises with herbs and diet for menopause and night sweats. You need to allow 2-6 weeks for herbs to work! They are not a quick fix.
Bioidentical Hormones are THE quick fix for women with severe symptoms, and we can wean women off of them later. The great thing about using natural or "bioidentical hormones" is that we can gradually taper the dose down as your body adjusts to its new normal rather than suddenly crash after a very high state of estrogen as is common in perimenopause to extreme estrogen deficiency.
Hormone imbalance in a woman's 40's is much different than in their 50's and estrogen levels are at complete opposite extremes. So for my patients that don't want to use bioidentical hormones long-term, we simply use them to restore sleep and mental health and then gradually taper their hormone cream down to a light dose they can eventually just stop.
Factors that Make Menopause and Night Sweats Worse:
Remember menopause is a normal and natural transition of life for women, and a healthy body should go through it relatively smoothly when expecting a few bumps in the road. I commonly see women that are poorly conditioned aka they do not exercise enough struggle the most with their hot flashes.
Inflammation and a poorly toned cardiovascular system are thought to also be a cause of hot flashes and night sweats. Exercise for 30-60 minutes daily in the cardio zone per your fitness level to help tonify your cardiovascular system and help it become less reactive to low estrogen.
Never suddenly stop your hormone cream or menopause herbs. Plan to taper them at a time that is convenient such as in the cooler winter months, and well after the holidays.
Be gentle with yourself and patient with your body. Ask people to be nice to you to avoid hormonal agitation.
To monitor treatment efficacy for your menopause doctor, please keep account of the duration and frequency of your night sweats and hot flashes. The goal is to head in a diminishing direction. If after 6-12 weeks you are finding no effect with your natural herbal treatments for night sweats, then you need an appointment with me.
If you are receiving some relief then keep the current treatment on board and add something new into the mix. A diet diary may also be helpful. Rate your hot flashes on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most severe each day along with what you ate and drank. Note the duration in minutes as well. This may help sort out dietary causes such as alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods and encourage you to decrease consumption.
It is very important for women to check in with their doctor around perimenopause and menopause. New changes to hormones can impact the thyroid, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Therefore women should always see their doctor for a check-up and labs when experiencing signs of hormone imbalance in their 40's and 50's. The average age of menopause is 51, and perimenopausal changes for most women begin 10 years prior to official menopause. While some women will experience changes earlier such as around 35, some women will not feel the impact in their hormones until their late 40's.
There are many great bioidentical hormones and natural products specifically for hot flashes, be sure your brand is high quality and independently laboratory tested and/or prescription-grade or it will not work. If you are using poor-quality supplements or herbs, keep in mind that none of my treatment plans will work because in the USA you can put anything you want in a bottle and label it without regulation. All herbs should be certified organic or they may contain pesticides and heavy metals.
The aforementioned tips are some of my favorites, but there are also many options available to women including Bioidentical Hormones.
If you need my help with your hormones or hot flashes, simply pop over to my SCHEDULE page!
~Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Hot flash symptoms can be truly miserable for women. Some women require immediate treatment for their hot flashes, while some are fine with a few of my simple home remedies for hot flashes.
We cannot treat hot flashes in women without first addressing diet and exercise. Let me explain the diet that will actually trigger hot flash symptoms for women today.
A little while back I was hanging out with a friend drinking coffee before we headed to our favorite Thai Food restaurant. I ordered a glass of red wine (because the polyphenols are going to prevent me from having a heart attack someday), and my favorite spicy curry (because turmeric in curry is a fabulous superfood.) Then we split a piece of chocolate cake...
I suddenly broke out in a TERRIBLE embarrassing sweaty hot flash!
I was unbearably hot!!!
I could not stop sweating. I thought "No wonder women hire me as their Naturopathic Doctor to fix hot flashes, this is truly miserable!"
Almost as hot as my friend when he accidentally mistook the entire chunk of green wasabi for a piece of sushi! Being a big fan of Chinese Medicine I immediately began to analyze the energetic properties of the foods that I had just consumed.
Everything I ate was heating. Coffee, red wine, curry, red pepper, onions, garlic, sugar.
Worse yet I realized I had just consumed everything on the “NO NO” list for the menopausal diet.
No wonder caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods are so forbidden for those with hot flashes! While I don't normally have hot flashes, I managed to give myself a hot flash from this poor choice combo!
The next day I patient was complaining her hormone cream was not strong enough for her hot flashes. Upon checking her hormone labs, her estradiol and progesterone were high enough that she should not have been having hot flashes. I gave her my typical spiel on the “Naturopathic Approach to Menopause” and “Natural Remedies for Nightsweats” along with some individualized recommendations. When I got to the spicy foods, caffeine, sugar, and alcohol part she rolled her eyes and said…
“Well that is my entire diet! How can I NOT eat those things?”
Busting out the tough love, I responded “Well maybe that is why you have been suffering from these horrible hot flashes for five-plus some odd years that appear to be refractory to most common treatments including hormone replacement therapy."
Instead of asking her to take my word on it, I simply said “Go eat all of those things in one meal and come back and tell me how you felt.”
The hot flashes that she had that night and over the next 24 hour period were some of the worst EVER. She text me about her “menopausal showcase showdown” that involved a bottle of red wine, spicy spaghetti (which she added extra red pepper flakes to), tiramisu and a double espresso for dessert. Enough to make just about anyone break into a sweat.
Five years of treating her hot flashes cured in one meal. She learned to eat more cooling foods and manage her temperature with flaxseeds in applesauce and cooling iced teas of nettles and red clover before bed.
Oftentimes whatever food we are attached to in life is EXACTLY what makes us sick.
My patient with high cholesterol says she can't live without red meat, cheese and fried foods, the high blood pressure patient shakes salt liberally on every meal, my diabetic patient reports sitting in the grocery store parking lot and frantically binge eating a box of doughnuts after a stressful day.
I could go on and on all day with these examples that I hear and see as a Naturopathic Doctor, but my point is that food should be nourishment and nothing else. Once we identify the issue we need to work to correct it. Why wouldn't we want to eat the best diet for our body?
Often something is off with the nutrition when a patient is running too hot or even too cold as is common with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's.
What we should enjoy about food is how it makes us feel. Recognizing food as nourishment is the key to keeping our health in balance. If we are going to eat indulgences, we should enjoy them in moderation and not mix them all together all into one meal like I did!
The body forgives moderation better than it does an entire meal that promotes disease or uncomfortable symptoms. You should be able to cheat a little bit and still enjoy your favorite foods on the weekend as a treat. Try not to combine too many hot flash trigger foods right before bed to avoid hot flashes and night sweats.
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
By Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Holistic Female Hormone Specialist
Hormone imbalance can cause hot flashes, night sweats and heat intolerance as is common in menopause. While at the Phoenix Zoo with my daughter I came across the scene of Mama Bess-hot and exhausted napping in the heat wave while her baby is bouncing around with tons of energy in my Instagram video! I laughed as I watched Baby Jiwa, full of energy, busy toddling around the yard with his blankie. Building a tent, eating bugs, chewing on pipes, and playing peek-a-boo with me. I love how his Mom tenderly reaches out in her sleep. Is there an Arizona Mom that cannot relate to this scene?
While it is definitely normal for women to feel too hot, fatigued, tired, blah, unmotivated, or depressed on occasion, it's not normal if it is happening all the time. If the weather goes back to normal and you are still overheated, having night sweats, hot flashes, trouble sleeping or even the other extreme of feeling constantly too cold please schedule an appointment to get your hormones tested. When my female patients are experiencing chronic fatigue, we need to check their hormones, vitamins, iron levels and basic blood chemistry. Being constantly tired, sweaty or overheated can be related to hormone imbalance common in menopause, perimenopause and thyroid disease. Temperature issues can also be related to nutrition, anemia and vitamin deficiency, such as low B-12.
Hormone imbalance, like low estrogen and/or progesterone can cause hot flashes and heat intolerance. Thyroid conditions can also disrupt temperature, causing women to feel constantly too hot or too cold. Constant insomnia, anxiety, or depression can also cause chronic fatigue. Adrenal hormones and thyroid hormones can play a role in this. Low thyroid function can cause depression.
As a women’s health doctor I have never seen the Mom's I care for more unhealthy. Many are overweight, and have been depressed, frustrated, stressed out and anxious this past year. Mom’s are drinking too much, eating too much, not sleeping and lacking adequate support. Mom’s have had to take major stress hits amidst lockdowns. Cancelled sports, and other activities, lack of help from older immunosuppressed relatives, and even online school. I know some Mom’s that have been forced to put their careers on hold for their children’s well-being, all of this can take its toll, mentally, physically, and emotionally.
The best part of back to school week is that some Mom’s can breathe a sigh of relief, and have some extra time to focus on their own physical and mental health. Now that our kids are back to school it is a very important time for every exhausted Mom to get their check up. It's important for each and every mom to put their health first and get hormone labs scheduled to make sure they are healthy and have optimal hormones.
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
Palpitations and hormones go hand in hand especially when women are in perimenopause or menopause in their forties and fifties. While many of my patients refer to me as their "Natural Cardiologist," really what I am doing is working to perfect hormones and nutrition which then results in better Cardiology numbers. Too many times I have seen women prescribed a variety of cardiac drugs for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, palpitations, and heart issues when the real underlying “Root Cause” is female hormone imbalance, hypothyroidism, or Hashimoto’s.
So today I am blogging for those women with sudden onset palpitations, high blood pressure, and cholesterol that previously were healthy before forty and are suddenly shocked that I have found something "off." Some women in my practice begin to experience these heart symptoms in their twenties and thirties. Women can quickly be prescribed high blood pressure medication like propranolol for racing heart, when the real problem is their racing or fluctuating hormones.
The reason for this, is that a variety of hormones that we will discuss today impact the heart. Hormones are part of our emergency and reproductive systems and therefore will impact a wide array of bodily systems.
When hormones are fluctuating, then heart rate fluctuates as well, so it is imperative that we do not ignore women’s hormones and only focus on heart function.
Perimenopausal women and those with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis often report to me going to the ER multiple times for terrifying chest pain and palpitations only for the ER doc to tell them they are totally fine, and to go see me to get their hormones checked.
The irony in my Holistic Women's Health practice, is that ER doctors are often my #1 referral source because they have either A) Done a full work up and found nothing wrong or B) Know the consequences of patients not properly taking care of their health. Once one of my ER doctor friends has run a full cardiac panel of labs, CT, EKG, Echocardiogram, Stress Test, and so forth that all come back normal….that is when they send them to the hormone doctor. They don't know exactly what the problem is, but they know it may be a woman nearing menopause with hormones that are suddenly changing and thus impacting cardiac function.
Menopause causes increased inflammation and decreased thyroid function.
As I discuss further in my High Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure blogs, thyroid hormone stimulates the heart to contract. Without sufficient thyroid hormone we have lazy contractions or a fluttering heart rate. These lazy rapid flutters are not efficient and women get either palpitations, high blood pressure, or PVC’s “Preventricular contractions.”
While nutritional supplements and herbs can help these symptoms we also need to address what is going on at the “Root Cause,” the fact my patient is likely entering perimenopause, or menopause, or experiencing hypothyroidism, Hashimotos, or another autoimmune disease, such as Grave’s disease that can impact the heart.
Whether estrogen is too high or too low inflammation spikes. Both estrogen deficiency in menopause and estrogen excess in perimenopause and PMS trigger inflammation.
This is why women feel the worst during their PMS phase, and also why I call Perimenopause “Permanent PMS.”
When inflammation is higher our body functions less optimally and annoying PVC’s and palpitations can occur.
Hypoglycemia especially from insulin resistance is another common cause of palpitations I find in my patients. When blood sugar drops it triggers cortisol which is a stress response that causes our hearts to pound as our body thinks it is “Running From a Bear” with stress.
Correcting and stabilizing blood sugar in women with palpitations is imperative for proper cardiac function and prevention of terrifying palpitations that have sent many women to the ER thinking they are having a heart attack.
While iron is not an actual hormone, iron deficiency anemia from heavy perimenopausal bleeding is another cause of palpitations that I regularly find. So I cannot post about palpitations without a brief reminder to women to take their iron! No you are not getting enough from food if you are having your period. I disagree!! Especially with heavy bleeding, if you bleed more than five days you absolutely must be on iron or your heart cannot function properly. Annoying palpitations, hair loss, depression, and scary levels of dizziness occur in this group of my patients.
This is why I tell every woman to take a multivitamin with iron in the form of ferrous bisglycinate at around 28mg daily at minimum to correct anemia from perimenopausal heavy bleeding. Your heart should not have to overwork because there is not enough hemoglobin to carry oxygen around to your organs and brain. This is dangerous! And also really bad for your hair. No women are going bald under my strict watch! That multivitamin is like putting money in the bank. You must do it!
Hashimotos and thyroid issues are the #1 most common hormonal issue I find causing palpitations. Oftentimes womens thyroids are not even truly hypothyroid but just functioning in a suboptimal low range. This is when the family doc says “Thyroid is fine” but they have just checked the TSH and not properly evaluated the free T3 and free T4 which have dropped to the bottom of the normal range.
Oftentimes borderline low Free T3 is what I find with my women with palpitations. Their T3 may be in the normal range but I often find it at 2.0 which is the very bottom of the normal range.
While this is considered “normal” it may not be optimal if you are exhibiting symptoms. Especially scary palpitations causing expensive trips to the emergency room to no avail, and nothing is found actually wrong with the heart or cardiovascular system.
While a car can drive on both a full tank of gas and an empty tank of gas, nobody likes to drive around all day on an empty tank of gas because we all know that inevitably the car will stop running. This is what often happens to my patients that hover in the bottom of the normal thyroid range. Certain days they are fine, and other days they are having symptoms.
With using natural medicines to improve thyroid function and/or natural thyroid hormones we can correct these thyroid palpitations that occur from the thyroid functioning too low.
Too high of thyroid function from autoimmune disease like Grave’s, Hashimotos, or with inappropriate dosing can result in painful crushing palpitations that can cause sweating and make many women convinced they are having a heart attack.
The majority of my autoimmune patients have gone to the ER at some point for these terrifying palpitations. The reason for this is that an immune system that is attacking is also causing a lot of inflammation and the heart does not like inflammation.
Cortisol stress hormones trigger palpitations when under physical, emotional stress, at times of low blood sugar, and in women with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) that have excessively high production of adrenal gland hormones such as DHEA and Cortisol.
CAH is often misdiagnosed as PCOS, and appears very similar to PCOS although the hormone imbalance is not caused by insulin resistance triggering the DHEA, the DHEA is simply too high due to increased adrenal gland production. These patients often have abnormal facial hair, acne, anxiety, rage, blood sugar issues, weight loss or gain issues, nausea, and vomiting.
The moral of the story with hormones and heart issues is to get your hormones checked by a skilled holistic hormone doctor... preferably me 😉
Female hormones naturally change and fluctuate throughout a woman’s monthly cycle as well as during her thirties, forties and fifties thanks to perimenopause and menopause. Hormones absolutely impact the cardiovascular system and should be checked especially when women were previously healthy and suddenly started to have palpitations or heart symptoms.
Other hormonal conditions such as diabetes, insulin resistance, PCOS, adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s and autoimmune disease can also impact the heart.
Need my help getting to the “Root Cause” of what is off with your cardiovascular system? Solving the cause of women’s palpitations is one of my favorite joys as a Women’s Health and Hormone Doctor! I would be happy to help. Simply visit my schedule page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is considered a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology , Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 22 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones she presents to women the best integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease. She has been an Herbalist for over 27 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
Naturopathic Cardiology and Female Hormones
Cardiology is one of my favorite subjects! Especially because hormones and the heart go hand in hand. What don't hormones impact? Check out my blog on Hormones and High Blood Pressure if you are curious about the potential connections. As a women's health Doctor, I take my patient's cardiology symptoms very seriously, and I am not posting this as a substitute recipe for your heart so you can skip seeing an actual Cardiologist! That is horrifying. No. No. No.
All of my patients with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, palpitations, chest pain, heartburn and even anxiety related chest pain are ALL sent to a board certified MD Cardiologist, and oftentimes prescribed medication.
Sometimes there is a "Grey zone" in blood pressure, my patient is tracking their blood pressure, they are hovering around 140/90 and occasionally go above the number, which is when I instead send them for baseline Cardiology testing that most women should have conducted anyways around fifty (also the age I see the heart go haywire thanks to menopause.) But we need to rule out any big bad nasty diagnostic issues before I prescribe my patients "flowers" for their high blood pressure, otherwise I would be super incompetent, and I share this if you are looking for a good someone with experience in Holistic Cardiology and Women's Health they should not be making any false promises.
I have used this tea recipe in hundreds of high blood pressure patients over the years, have found it to be efficacious, delicious, and easy for my patients to add to their routine. The most important thing with with using Natural Medicine in place of or in conjunction with Cardiology drugs (do not do this without a seasoned Naturopathic Doctor such as myself that knows how to combine these safely, my experience is most MD's do not know the proper safety measures and will tell you simply to "avoid all herbs and supplements" which is quite a grave disservice to my poor heart patients!
Enter stage left we have Hibiscus to help bring blood pressure down, and it also works as a mild anti-anxiety herb. I recommend starting with a low dose and monitoring blood pressure with an Omron BP machine twice daily to confirm the dose is correct as perfect blood pressure is 120/70. Too much higher or lower than that can have consequences. Some of my anxiety patients in my "Holistic Psychiatry" practice have had stop using Hibiscus because it made them feel dizzy from too low of blood pressure. So we know it certainly works. Now what?
Hibiscus High Blood Pressure tea or "Hibiscus BP Tea" as my patients call it is simple, delicious, and effective. The funny thing to me as a Women's Health Doctor, is that of all the things I blog about this tea recipe constantly gets some of the most random traffic to my blog! Only second to Pomegranates and PCOS.
This also makes me happy because this recipe for blood pressure tea is easy, delicious, AND beautiful! Women deserve something indulgent at the end of the day and this rosy tea can be the perfect treat!
My Scottsdale Naturopathic patients are always shocked they have a blood pressure and anxiety remedy growing naturally in their yard! Hibiscus grows very well in Arizona and can totally take over an entire fence as it loves to climb! I pick the flowers one at a time and dry them for tea. Once my newest hibiscus flower does not open and bloom that makes her perfect for harvest and an excellent Cardiology herb for the heart!
Hibiscus has been found just as beneficial as the common blood pressure medications, Captopril and hydrochlorthiazide. Hibiscus also did not disrupt electrolyte levels while lowering BP as HCTZ did, and is effective and safe for blood pressure, and even aids weight loss per the research studies listed below.
Hibiscus was combined with olive leaf to provide benefits similar to the medication Captopril.
Hibiscus is not curative for BP though as the blood pressure lowering benefits quickly wear off when patients stopped using it in the research study.
Many patients have high blood pressure because they are overweight, so a BP treatment that addresses both at the same time is something doctors should consider using on their patients. Especially since many high blood pressure patients have anxiety driving their blood pressure up and Hibiscus is also a nervine or calming herb.
The polyphenols or red pigments found in the hibiscus flower are what have been studied by research so I am not sure whether or not white, yellow, or pink varieties of hibiscus will be as powerful. These same polyphenols are in pomegranate juice which is why I recommend adding a splash for added color and flavor.
This easy high blood pressure tea recipe generally resolves blood pressure in a mild to moderate range over time. Keep in mind that herbs work more slowly than medications, so if you need something to quickly stop your blood pressure you should use medication or work with a Naturopathic Doctor with stronger blood pressure herbs and a holistic approach that investigates the "Root Cause" of the high blood pressure.
In my Holistic Women's Health practice the root cause of high blood pressure is often Insulin Resistance, Estrogen Dominance, Diabetes, Anxiety, Insomnia, Hashimotos, Hypothyroidism, Thyroid Disease, Graves, Hyperthyroidism, Weight Gain, and/or lack of daily exercise in the cardio zone as I discuss in my blogs on High Blood Pressure and Seasonal Depression.
Patients with severe or malignant hypertension should be on medications and should be working with a skilled Naturopathic Doctor, such as myself, that knows how to safely combine blood pressure herbs and cardiac medications.
My patients with mild high blood pressure report improvement in their numbers when in a mild state of high blood pressure ie numbers running around~ 140/90.
Women should never ignore high blood pressure simply because they refuse to take blood pressure medications. I have seen this too many times in my twenty three year career in Women's Health, and this can result in kidney failure, eye damage, and really damage to every organ as the pressure the organs are receiving is very important and too high of blood pressure is like watering your garden with a hose spraying on HIGH.
So I do recommend that women check their BP twice daily at 6am and 6pm, and also whenever they feel stressed. Oftentimes we ignore "White Coat Hypertension" thinking that its just happening at the doctor's office. But recent research is demonstrating that patients are having this severe high blood pressure at other times of the day when they are stressed and that we should no longer assume it just happens 1-2 times per year as it may be happening several times a day with chronic anxiety and stress.
Those with higher blood pressure numbers, or on blood pressure lowering medications should always work with a skilled Naturopathic Doctor when combining herbs with cardiac medications.
If not working with me as your Naturopathic Doctor, I recommend calling the new Naturopathic Doctor's office first to confirm they are comfortable working with you on your blood pressure, as I know many Docs that constantly are texting me what to do about blood pressure medications. Many Naturopathic Doctors are not comfortable on this subject and prefer to defer to Cardiology or Primary Care.
Many ND's I know simply do not have the Integrated Medicine background I have from the eight years I worked in prescription Family Medicine and blood pressure matters are not something they are comfortable managing.
Whatever you do with your blood pressure don't do it alone. Please get expert help and never ever self-treat your own blood pressure!
Since I commonly prescribe this Hibiscus Blood Pressure recipe, I wanted to share it today as it is delicious, easy, and efficacious. Especially for women that love to drink tea! You can drink this hot or iced.
First, go to your local herb shop or an organic herb retailer such as Mountainroseherbs.com or Starwest Botanicals. Be sure to only purchase organic herbs from a reputable source when treating something as serious as blood pressure. I would not trust random herb companies on Amazon, you need to purchase from a local herb shop or the above trusted sites or just don't even bother making this recipe as poor quality herbs may be dangerous or not work.
Hibiscus Blood Pressure Tea
#1 Combine equal parts of Hibiscus Flowers, Hawthorne Berries, and Cinnamon pieces
#2 Add about 1 Tbl of heaping herbal tea blend per 8 oz H2O
#3 Bring to a low simmer and then turn off the heat and cover
#4 Let steep 45 minutes.
#5 Add ⅛-¼ cup of pomegranate juice per 8 oz cup of tea for Polyphenols
#6 Add stevia for sweetener (optional) not honey or agave syrup
#7 Drink 2-3 times daily hot or iced.
#8 Monitor BP twice daily to watch for any changes
To make a big batch at once use 1/4 cup of herb mix with 4 cups of hot water. This will make 2 cups per day. Discard herbal infusions after 48 hours in the refrigerator. To learn more about natural remedies for high blood pressure check out my blog on 21 natural remedies, foods, and treatments for High Blood Pressure.
Please do not self-treat your blood pressure, especially if you are already taking prescription medications as this is the #1 most dangerous Naturopathic scenario that can occur between prescription drugs and natural medicines I have observed after twenty-eight years as an herbalist!
While Hibiscus Tea is generally safe, and helps work as a nervine or calming herb for those with anxiety, and cinnamon is basically just a food.... I still don't recommend doing this alone. Hawthorne berries can be pretty powerful and you need to be working with a Naturopathic Doctor and/or a Cardiologist that knows how to taper the blood pressure medications down as the Hibiscus Tea gradually takes effect.
If you need my help treating your blood pressure with natural remedies simply pop over to my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic Cardiology visit. I would be happy to help!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
References:
Dr. Nicole Sundene
"What is the best herb for my hormones to grow in my garden in Phoenix?" Amy
Nasturtium flowers are an edible, powerful, delicious "food as medicine" #1 favorite natural remedy for Women's Health and Hormones! Did you know the Nasturtium is actually part of the cabbage family and therefore has many similar magical powers along with a few of its own?
Scottsdale and Phoenix women should all know that these seeds grow easily on a drip line in Arizona, and are the perfect pretty garnish to meals and salads.
Today we will discuss the latest Nasturtium research I didn't even know about in the works such as potentially benefiting pulmonary fibrosis and lung damage!
I love to decorate my food with fresh edible flowers because it makes it indulgent and pretty without the calories. The best thing about nasturtiums is they grow easily on a drip line, need little maintenance, and look indulgent so your inner child will be happy eating less junk food and more pretty flowers!
Whenever I feel blah and tired I love to pick some fresh nasturtium flowers and leaves and eat them for an instant energy boost.
The rich orange pigment in the flowers and greens has a mild peppery flavor that pairs well with most salads and dinner dishes or serves as beautiful edible decor to make teas, drinks, and desserts fun and beautiful. Indulging in beautiful flowers is healthy and disease and inflammation reducing per my recent research we will discuss today.
Nasturtium is not only nutritious food but a rich source of glucosinolates which become the estrogen-lowering molecule sulforaphane once chewed. Eating as many plants as possible that reduce estrogen is important for women with estrogen-dominant conditions such as PMS, PCOS, Hashimoto's, Thyroid disease, and Perimenopause.
Herbalists have traditionally used Nasturtium officinale or “watercress” as we commonly know it to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, liver detox, and kidney disease.
The research studies below demonstrate that nasturtium is a cruciferous vegetable with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits similar to the rest of the cabbage family. The phenylpropanoids are most concentrated in the flowers, second to the leaves, and least in the stems.
No wonder I always feel so amazing when I eat some fresh nasturtium flowers as their magical healing components are in a higher concentration in the flowers, although the leaves are delicious in salads and an easy green leafy veggie to grow!
The anti-inflammatory benefits of nasturtium are shown to be beneficial when applied topically and taken internally.
Nasturtium contains flavonoids, anthocyanins, glutathione, SOD (super oxide dismutase), and isoflavones that are also helpful for women against breast cancer, weight loss, chronic bladder problems, and anti-aging.
Scientists are currently studying how some of the properties of Nasturtium may have neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties that are specifically helpful to the nervous system and brain. The antioxidant properties in nasturtiums may be protective towards the liver and helpful against decreasing high LDL or “bad cholesterol” that causes heart disease as well as helpful for reducing post exercise induced inflammation in athletes.
Preliminary studies show the antioxidants in nasturtium improved collagen deposits in the lung condition pulmonary fibrosis, and while more studies are warranted to understand the mechanism and dosing it is generally a safe and harmless “food as medicine,” for patients with pulmonary fibrosis. Since many efficacious treatments are lacking for pulmonary fibrosis this warrants a full randomized control trial to determine dose, safety, and efficacy.
Patients that are physically disabled benefited from taking nasturtium in a research study and consumption resulted in fewer markers of inflammation including oxidative stress and c-reactive protein. Therefore nasturtium may also be beneficial for chronic pain via blocking COX pathways and demonstrates also antimicrobial properties against gram-positive bacteria in vitro. The isothiocyanates in nasturtium have been shown to be beneficial against UTI- Urinary Track Infections.
Nasturtium was found to be protective against gentamycin induced kidney damage and may have a future role in how we treat cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
While cancer patients and kidney patients deserve more research on nasturtium to understand the most efficacious dose, since nasturtium is essentially a food it should be fine to add more to the diet but as with any new herbal medicine always check with your Naturopathic Doctor!
If you need my help with your nutrition, hormones, women's health, or any of the aforementioned conditions simply pop over to my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit.
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
References:
Dr. Nicole Sundene
Estrogen dominance symptoms caused by high estrogen and/or low progesterone are various and therefore often missed in women’s health. Women with high estrogen are commonly treated with a medication to suppress each individual symptom without addressing the "Root Cause." Many doctors often fail to identify and properly diagnose the estrogen dominance. A skilled women’s health doctor can identify the cluster of symptoms relating to estrogen dominance and order the proper hormone testing to diagnose the estrogen dominance.
ESTROGEN DOMINANCE SYMPTOMS
High estrogen symptoms include weight gain, bloating, fatigue, anger, agitation, rage, moodiness, dark mood, mood swings, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, acne, cystic acne, oily skin, constipation, nausea, PMS, fluid retention, swelling, headaches, and a generalized feeling of unwellness.
Women struggling with high estrogen levels often have heavy periods, painful menstrual cramps, light or absent periods, irregular periods, decreased sex drive, endometriosis, endometriosis pain, uterine polyps, adenomysosis, uterine fibroids, breast cysts, fibrocystic breasts, dense breasts, breast pain, and insulin resistance. Women with heavy bleeding from estrogen dominance often end up with anemia which worsens the fatigue and weight gain from high estrogen.
High estrogen levels tend to worsen if not cause many of these common women’s health conditions. Insulin resistance results from estrogen dominance and estrogen dominance then further worsens insulin resistance creating a vicious cycle of weight gain for PCOS and diabetic women with high estrogen levels. It is nearly impossible for these women to lose weight when they are battling estrogen dominance and insulin resistance with herbal medicine and dietary changes.
With this many common women’s health conditions being adversely impacted by high estrogen levels it is imperative that women are educated about estrogen dominance for prevention and proper treatment.
HIGH ESTROGEN LEVELS: LONG TERM DANGER
High estrogen symptoms or “estrogen dominance” when left untreated can result in high blood pressure, increased risk of stroke, heart attack, blood clots, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. High estrogen levels will worsen patients prone to these conditions and increase their risk of developing them. Alternatively, having low estrogen can also increase a woman’s cardiac risk. So estrogen can be the hero or the villain in women’s health. It is all about the levels being at optimal levels and in proper balance with the other female hormones.
HIGH ESTROGEN VS LOW ESTROGEN
Neither extreme high estrogen nor low estrogen is healthy for women. Low estrogen such as in menopause can cause a whole host of problems such as Osteoporosis, Hot Flashes, Insomnia, Anxiety, and Depression. We need to think of estrogen as if its water. Too much water can be just as dangerous as too little water. Just like with estrogen, women also need an individualized level of water as they metabolize it uniquely. Just like with water we need to hit “the sweet spot” with estrogen where the levels are not too high nor too low. Menopausal women suffer without any estrogen just as much as my estrogen dominant patients. Both high estrogen and low estrogen states cause insulin resistance causing weight gain so it is imperative women increase the fiber, good fat, and protein in their diets as otherwise the will gain weight when their estrogen level is not optimal.
ESTROGEN DOMINANCE DIAGNOSIS
Estrogen dominance diagnosis involves proper Hormone Testing with emphasis on the estradiol, progesterone, and total estrogen to determine if the estrogen to progesterone ratio is healthy. A healthy estrogen to progesterone ratio is under <60-100. When women have an estrogen ratio higher than this they are at high risk for disorders and diseases caused by estrogen dominance.
When the estrogen to progesterone ratio is above >60-100 women have estrogen dominance. This can be caused by a few different scenarios I will explain with the math I use to calculate the "E:P Ratio" or Estrogen to Progesterone Ratio:
Total Estrogen 600/ Progesterone 20= 30 Normal
Total Estrogen 600/Progesterone 10=60 Normal
Total Estrogen 600/Progesterone 0.5=1200 High
Total Estrogen 300/Progesterone 0.5= 600 High
So we can see in the last calculation that the estrogen can be in the normal range yet if the progesterone is deficient then we can still have estrogen dominance despite a “normal estrogen level.” The first scenario is generally the progesterone level of a woman in their teens or twenties and as the progesterone level progressively deteriorates the high estrogen begins to cause symptoms. The last two calculations I commonly see in women in their 40's and 50's. Women that are overweight will maintain a high estrogen level at menopause produced by their body fat yet have very little progesterone to balance it out.
I hear every day from women how their doctor tested their hormones and said they were “normal,” yet often I receive incomplete labs that are not properly ordered. Many important hormone tests are missing, and there is a 99.99% failure rate their previous doctor calculated the ratios of the hormones to each other to ensure they are all in balance with each other.
ESTROGEN DOMINANCE TREATMENT
Treating estrogen dominance involves a multifactorial approach between eliminating xenoestrogens from beauty products, plastic water bottles, and environmental sources as well as helping the liver detoxify estrogen, in addition to understanding why the estrogen levels are so high in the first place.
Often in a woman's 40's this is somewhat "normal" as women that are Perimenopausal are experiencing often permanent PMS symptoms from constant estrogen dominance. Rather than having a few days each month that they feel "PMSy" they are now feeling PMS symptoms every day of the month with a few breaks from it as their hormones begin to shift towards menopause. Around 35 years of age a woman's progesterone and testosterone levels begin to decline while estrogen remains high or becomes even more elevated.
Estrogen dominance can be corrected with a solid long term nutrition and herbal medicine approach. The good news with estrogen dominance is that it can be easily treated naturally by a women's health Naturopathic Doctor that specializes in bioidentical hormone therapy, nutrition, and herbal medicine. While bioidentical hormones are not always required to correct the estrogen dominance, they can be helpful for correcting a scenario of low progesterone that is out of balance with a high or normal estrogen level.
WHY DO WOMEN HAVE ESTROGEN DOMINANCE?
When women are in their teens and twenties their progesterone levels are generally around 20. Around 35 these levels begin to dwindle down to zero causing the symptoms of estrogen dominance to become more unbearable each year. The impact of this hormone imbalance can significantly impair the mental health of women and cause their psychiatric issues to worsen. Some women develop depression or anxiety during this time of severe hormone imbalance.
When women suddenly develop mental health disorders in their 40's or 50's it is more likely related to their hormones impacting their neurotransmitter levels. Did you know that estrogen dominance, estrogen deficiency, testosterone deficiency, and progesterone deficiency can all impair a woman’s mental health? Around 35 most women begin to notice this decline in their natural hormones with various odd new symptoms they never experienced before.
WHAT DISEASES ARE CAUSED BY ESTROGEN DOMINANCE?
Many women's health conditions cause high estrogen such as hypothyroidism, Hashimotos thyroiditis, obesity, perimenopause, oral birth control, synthetic hormones, and bioidentical hormones. When bioidentical hormones are not properly tested to match a woman’s individual hormone metabolism they can also cause estrogen dominance. On rare occasions, tumors secreting estrogen on the ovaries and adrenal glands can also cause estrogen dominance.
Alcoholism causes estrogen to pool in the system as the liver fails to detoxify both the estrogen and the alcohol. PCOS, excess body fat, liver problems and even stress all cause estrogen dominance. Stress lowers progesterone levels referred to as “The Progesterone Steal” in biochemistry, causing estrogen dominance symptoms to worsen when there is not sufficient progesterone to balance the high estrogen levels.
Some women do not excrete or metabolize estrogen due to genetic mutations such as COMT, MAO, and MTHFR, and therefore will need estrogen metabolizers and liver support in addition to bioidentical hormones. Bioidentical hormones such as progesterone and testosterone can be helpful in balancing high estrogen levels. When women are younger all three hormones are high. With the aging process, the progesterone and testosterone decline and the estrogen remains high until menopause officially sets in.
ESTROGEN DOMINANCE CAUSES WEIGHT GAIN WHICH ELEVATES ESTROGEN
Estrogen dominance causes weight gain and weight gain then ironically causes more estrogen dominance as the higher a woman’s body fat level the higher their estrogen level. Body fat constantly secretes estrogen independently of the ovaries.
Conversely, the less body fat a woman has the lower their estrogen. When women are estrogen dominant and they are losing weight even more estrogen is being released from the fat cells and this can actually slow if not stop weight loss completely until properly addressed with the appropriate estrogen detox measures.
Women with estrogen dominance often end up stuck in a vicious weight loss cycle where they cannot lose the weight because when they start to lose weight their estrogen dominance worsens and causes more weight gain. High estrogen levels also smother thyroid function and therefore lower and suppress the metabolism even further. It is important to work with a skilled hormone doctor that understands all the other hormones that need to be tested for to properly identify and treat the high estrogen levels, and treat the thyroid and estrogen.
Just treating one hormone in the “web” will not be effective when we do not address the other imbalanced hormones in the web impacted by estrogen.
ESTROGEN DOMINANCE AND LIVER DETOX
The liver is important in breaking estrogen down into an almost totally impotent form. It also converts estrogen into compounds that can be excreted from the body through urine and bile. The purpose of an estrogen lowering diet is to support the liver, to reduce sources of estrogen found in foods, and to support other glands such as the adrenal glands and the thyroid gland that influence estrogen.
Women with Hashimotos Thyroiditis, Thyroid Disease, and Hypothyroidism will suffer from estrogen dominance until the thyroid levels are properly regulated. The thyroid is the "Mother of the Endocrine System," and in this case the estrogen dominance is caused by thyroid disease. A holistic women's health Naturopathic approach can work to balance the estrogen levels over time.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LOWER HIGH ESTROGEN LEVELS?
Estrogen dominance requires patience and reasonable expectations. It generally can take three to six months for menstruating women to correct their estrogen dominance as the eggs that are being made today have not yet undergone Naturopathic hormone balancing treatment and will be released in three months. These unhealthy eggs will also then secrete imbalanced hormones along with them.
Therefore it is important for women to understand this takes time, and it is important we never ignore estrogen dominance. Many of my estrogen-dominant patients that were unable to follow their estrogen lowering program and remember to take their supplements have ended up with breast cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer due to the high uncontrolled estrogen levels in their systems. Therefore working on your high estrogen levels for mood or weight loss now may save your life someday in the future!
The following estrogen dominance diet and lifestyle recommendations should be implemented as soon as possible to prevent stroke, blood clots, breast cancer, uterine, and ovarian cancer in estrogen-dominant women.
ESTROGEN DOMINANCE DIET
• Eliminate sugar, white flour, and refined foods. Sugar increases estrogen. Having insulin resistance or diabetes also increases estrogen. Body fat makes estrogen, therefore losing weight will also naturally lower estrogen levels. Keep in mind that while losing weight your estrogen levels may suddenly shoot up as I discussed above. However, over the long term fat loss will lower high estrogen naturally.
• Eliminate alcohol and methyl xanthines that increase estrogen such as coffee, tea, chocolate, colas, and other foods or beverages that contain caffeine. The liver is too busy metabolizing these chemicals to eliminate high estrogen levels.
• Eliminate red meat, lamb and pork. Organic chicken, turkey, and safe seafood such as Alaskan wild salmon, shrimp, and scallops (not Tuna or Swordfish) are acceptable alternatives. Many women eat Vegan to reduce estrogen consumption from meat. Most animal protein naturally contains some hormones. Non-organic meats are injected with estrogen to help increase the sale per pound of meat in the meat industry. If you suffer with estrogen dominance the first most important diet change you should make is to invest in high quality organic meats that are low fat. The saturated fat content in animal fats should be counted daily and women with estrogen dominance should be under <10g of saturated fat daily. This is why many Naturopathic Doctors recommend a Vegan diet for estrogen dominance. But eating low-fat meat choices free of hormones can also be helpful, especially for those with insulin resistance that need to be on a higher protein diet.
• Decrease fats, especially animal fats and trans fats from fried foods. Use instead unsaturated fats such as those in cold-pressed vegetable oils raw nuts like walnuts, and flax or fish oil. Total fat consumption should be <50g of fat for estrogen-dominant women as fats increase estrogen in biochemistry pathways.
• Increase foods found in the cabbage family such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc. As the sulforaphane and Indole-3 Carbinole helps aid in the detoxification of estrogen to a less active form. Increase fruits and veggies that aid liver support and liver detoxification in my Liver Foods blog.
• Decrease dairy products such as milk, cheese, cream, etc. Saturated fat from dairy is a top contributor to female hormone imbalance. Only consume organic low-fat dairy if any.
• Increase fiber from vegetables to naturally detoxify estrogen. Fiber binds estrogen for elimination in the digestive tract. Without sufficient fiber the estrogen continue to circulate and worsen the estrogen dominance. Women with estrogen dominance should consume at least 30g of fiber daily. I recommend using a macro tracker such as Myfitness pal to understand where the excess fat and carbs are coming from and to reach dietary fiber intake goals.
• Increase garlic and onions as sulfur is needed to detoxify estrogen.
• Be sure you are taking adequate amounts of selenium, iodine, beta-carotene, and vitamins A, C and E. Consult your Naturopathic Doctor to determine this.
ESTROGEN DOMINANCE LIFESTYLE FACTORS
Chemicals and Xenoestrogen or “estrogen mimickers” increase estrogen levels. Chemicals like pesticides and insecticides impede liver detox pathways causing elevated estrogen. Plastic and other chemicals such as BPA, phthalates, and parabens also contribute to high estrogen.
#1 MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR WOMEN WITH HIGH ESTROGEN: BPA from plastic water bottles, and lining aluminum cans are a significant source of xenoestrogens or estrogen mimickers that contribute to the estrogen dominance when seen in the total estrogen pool. Do not eat canned food, do not use plastic water bottles, do not cook or freeze anything in plastic and work to eliminate as much plastic from your world as possible as it is the #1 issue causing hormone imbalance for women.
There is no point in me prescribing expensive herbs and supplements to detoxify high estrogen when we are not paying attention to the front loading of synthetic estrogen poison entering a woman’s body in the form of plastics and BPA. This is why I buy food in glass jars and support companies that also are willing to pay a little extra for glass jars to save our environment from the loads of plastic poisoning women, sea creatures, and wildlife. This is not only a better choice for our health as women, but also the environment.
#2 Eliminate all beauty products with parabens, fragrance and phthalates. Switch to clean beauty products as your beauty products run out. This is especially important for lotions, creams and moisturizers you regularly use as well as makeup that is regularly used. Most makeup is complete poison for women and causing their estrogen dominance. Any “natural fragrance” should be listed with the source, or should be assumed as toxic otherwise. Perfume is 100% hormone poison and should be thrown straight into the garbage can if you have been diagnosed with estrogen dominance.
#3 Decrease stress as it depletes progesterone. Stress causes cortisol our main stress hormone to be made from progesterone. This lowers our progesterone and raises our estrogen to progesterone ratio. Stress also tells the body it is “Running From a Bear” and it is not a good time to reproduce and hence less progesterone that is needed to maintain a pregnancy is produced under stress. The body does not care about making a baby when it is running from a bear. Women with high estrogen and also low progesterone will feel the worst with their estrogen dominance symptoms. Read my blog on tips for Anxiety to learn more about managing your stress naturally.
If you need my help with diagnosing your estrogen dominance or treating high estrogen levels or the conditions related to estrogen dominance simply pop over to my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit.
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD
Scottsdale Naturopathic Doctor
Happy St. Patrick's Day! I thought I would share my favorite Naturopathic green foods for women today. As a Women's Health Doctor and hormone specialist, it is imperative that women eat healthy and incorporate hormone balancing herbs and nutrition into their daily diets. By relying on food as medicine women can work to avoid using prescription drugs, or at least keep them to a minimal level.
#1 Cabbage: Of course, since we are celebrating St. Patties Day we MUST celebrate cabbage! Recently I went to an Irish Pub and ordered corned beef and cabbage, and was horrified to find out that the beef is “corned” because it is brined with corn sized pieces of salt! No wonder it was too salty for me to eat.
Hold the corned beef, but keep the cabbage because it is a powerful cancer fighter thanks to the indole-3-carbinol content. This is also a great breast cancer preventative for women as it decreases estrone the “bad estrogen” while maintaining healthy levels of estradiol or the “good estrogen.” Cabbage is also full of sulforaphane which also prevents cancer via this estrogen detox mechanism and other anti-cancer properties. As a Women's Health Naturopath, I always have to remind women of what an important superfood cabbage is, and how important eating daily cruciferous vegetables are to protect their breasts, uterus, and ovaries from cancer.
When estrogen pools and is not detoxified it remains high as bad estrogen or estrone which increases breast cancer risk. Estrogen is like water. Too much is just as bad as not enough. Being overweight causes an increase in bad estrogen which then furthers insulin resistance which causes more weight gain. That is the estrogen dominant loop many women get stuck in when they cannot lose weight.
Women often seek me out as a Hormone Doctor because they think they have hypothyroidism or Hashimotos causing weight gain, but oftentimes it is this elevated bad estrogen situation happening.
In the meat industry, they give shots of estrogen to cattle to fatten them up so they can sell the meat for more dollars per pound. So having high levels of estrogen is the last thing women want to have if they are overweight and cannot figure out why.
While lack of estrogen is a problem in menopause, estrogen dominant conditions such as PMS, PCOS, Insulin Resistance, Weight Gain, will improve with cabbage.
#2 Olive Oil: I cannot speak highly enough for the virtues of using olive oil as your primary cooking oil in your kitchen. My basic cooking rule of thumb as a Naturopathic Doctor and Biochemist is to simply use olive oil when cooking for ALL recipes unless the flavor will not work. That is only when I deviate to a different oil because olive oil is true antioxidant magic at its finest! Otherwise, olive oil is a RICH antioxidant source as I stated in my article, “Olive Oil Prevents DNA Damage.” If olive oil is NOT green, is yellow, and has no flavor or tastes bitter….it is...FAKE!
There are many fake olive oils out there, be sure to purchase organic olive oil that is certified from a reputable source or you may be getting overpriced canola oil with food coloring!
#3 Kale: Just like cabbage, kale falls in the cruciferous vegetable category, and all these veggies are super cancer fighters. In addition, kale is rich in magnesium, and trace minerals. To wilt kale, chop it finely, heat a pan to medium heat, add some olive oil and garlic, and when the garlic is soft add the kale, cover, stir occasionally until tender.
#4 Spinach: Whether served up in a salad, soup, or tucked away in an omelet, spinach is one of the most versatile and easy to hide green foods. I always keep a bag of organic frozen spinach in my freezer. This is the easiest way to pump up your recipes with the least amount of effort. Some patients react to the oxalates in spinach which is why you should eat your spinach slightly wilted as I instruct above with Kale.
#5 Chlorella: This blue green algae is great for chelating heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and so forth. Chlorella is a rich protein and magnesium source. Start with a small quantity and work your way up to the manufacturer’s recommendation if you are using it for detox. ALWAYS buy a certified organic brand when it comes to this chlorella or spirulina.
#6 Celery: The dieter’s best friend, celery is an excellent snack that also lowers High Blood Pressure. If you have hypertension try bringing a snack of celery with you every day. My favorite dip for celery is raw almond butter. Although high in fat, it is high in the good fats.
Good Fat + Fiber=Appetite Control=Weight Loss.
#7 Cilantro: An imperative part of salsa, cilantro also chelates heavy metals out of our system, as I discuss in my article "How to Detox After Mercury Fillings." This herb should definitely be included in your herb garden. I mix it in with fajita’s, salsa, guacamole, and stir fry.
#8 Mint: A wonderful cooling, uplifting herb that is highly versatile. You can chew a sprig from your garden, make my ADHD Tea, or make Mojito’s. Mint helps clear your sinuses, lifts depression, soothes migraine headaches when applied to the the temples, and is a powerful antioxidant that will preserve women against aging. There is Chocolate Mint, Pineapple Mint, Spearmint and many forms of mint so you can pop over to your favorite nursery and sample the flavor of each one!
#9 Basil: Basil is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-aging herb of the mint family traditionally used for headaches, arthritis, reducing stress and fevers, as well as making Pesto delicious! The mixture of raw pine nuts, basil, olive oil, and cheese make for a fabulous “superfood feast.” Pesto is a high fat food, but usually used in small quantities. I make mine in the summertime when the basil is on sale. Mass-produce pesto, and freeze in silicone containers, or ice cube trays. Then just add the frozen pesto cubes to hot gluten free noodles and wait for the magic to happen.
#10 Fennel: Did you know you can chew on fennel seeds to help release painful gas and bloating? This is a common traditional herbal remedy. Women don't need Gas-X for bloating, they can just munch on whole fennel seeds! No need to even make them into a tea. While the seeds are a fabulous carminative for gas, the fennel bulb is delicious alone or in salads.
#11 Nasturtiums: I love growing these in my garden because they grow like CRAZY on a dripline in Arizona and thus make me feel like an awesome gardener. There is no happier feeling than watching their beautiful orange, yellow and red blooms pop up while I have done little work to help.
Nasturtium leaves add spice to your salad, and the flowers provide a beautiful garnish. You can buy several types of nasturtiums and let them hang down a wall in a sunny location if you are in a moist environment. If in Scottsdale desert I would keep them low to the ground on a dripline and add extra water when you remember. The tendrils love to dangle down. Harvest simply by pinching back the latest leaves. They help with liver detox, and anger, moodiness, anxiety, and rage with PMS.
#12 Nettles: Seasonal Allergies happen TWICE a year in Phoenix, which is why you really need to make best friends with Stingle Nettles as I discuss in my Nettles blog. Nettles are so fabulous they also made it on my list of "Favorite Naturopathic Herbs for Women." What medication helps your allergies AND helps with Female Hair Loss? If you want thick, long, shiny hair you need to read my articles on how to use nettles!
Women can easily cook with nettles, make tea with nettles or take capsules of the leaves to reduce histamine levels, puffy, itchy watery eyes. I can't have any of my beautiful patients going around with puffy eyes and dark circles under their eyes from allergies. That is the last thing women need right now! Life has been challenging enough! New research recently found nettles to be helpful for night sweats, and hot flashes in menopause which is why they are in my "Menopause Milkshake Recipe." I love to have a cup of nettles tea before bed.
#13 Rosemary: One of my favorite herbs because it has so many different herbal talents. Ultimately rosemary is an amazing antioxidant, great for menopause, circulation and mental functioning. Read: “Rosemary for Memory & ADHD” and “Rosemary Salmon Recipe.”
As you can see in my above photo I like to pick a little sprig of rosemary off my plant and nibble on it as I drive to work in the morning. The essential oil of rosemary is uplifting, helps with depression, ADHD, brain fog, and concentration as I discuss in my ADHD Diet.
#14 Green Apple: Great for the “sour” flavor we are often missing in the Basic American Diet (BAD.) According to Chinese Medicine, we need all five flavors: Salty, Sour, Sweet, Bitter, and Pungent. In America we are out of balance because we eat mainly only salty and sweet. Did you know apples are protective against diabetes, insulin resistance, and a host of other health issues and can help women lose weight? Check out my article on Apples for more info!
#15 Honeydew: I LOVE HONEYDEW! It is nature’s Gatorade and perfect for an outdoor outing where you need electrolyte replacement. Pack some along next time you go hiking, skiing, rock climbing, mountain biking, etc. Honeydew also quenches the thirst better than most drinks. Honeydew is great for cancer patients suffering from “radiation burn” to the throat. Singers, public speakers, and those prone to laryngitis can also benefit from using Honeydew as herbal medicine.
#16 Alfalfa: Alfalfa sprouts, along with other sprouted foods contain vital nutrients and enzymes that should make women feel amazing and youthful. Sprouts contain the enzyme Superoxide Dismutase which is anti-aging and helps protect joints from painful arthritis and autoimmune attacks for those women with chronic pain.
#17 Dandelion Leaves: Spring is the perfect time to harvest dandelion leaves and flowers. Use only the baby leaves in salads as the larger ones are too tough and bitter. The leaves in large quantities have been shown to reduce blood pressure through a diuretic mechanism, and the root detoxifies the liver. The root should be harvested in autumn. Be sure your dandelions are pesticide and herbicide free! Read: “Dandelions: Detox Your Liver”
Green foods are GREAT because they aid with detoxification. Anytime we see a green food we know it is rich in chlorophyll. The cholophyll molecule is very similar in structure to the hemoglobin in our blood, except it contains magnesium in the center instead of iron like hemoglobin. This is why we refer to green veggies and herbs as "Blood Building" in Naturopathic medicine, and why your Natuorpathic Doctor is prescribing greens to boost patients with anemia, chronic fatigue, and weakness.
Magnesium is responsible for over 400+ biochemical pathways in the body, and since most Americans don’t eat enough greens, the top nutrient deficiency in America is likely magnesium.
If you need a Naturopathic Doctor to help you with your nutrition, hormones, or Women's Health issues simply pop over to my SCHEDULE page and treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit. I would be happy to help you feel awesome!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
Dr. Sundene is a Naturopathic Doctor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Female Hormone Expert in Women's Health and Bioidentical Hormones. She specializes in Holistic Women's Health for Menopause, Thyroid, Hashimotos, PMS, Perimenopause, Autoimmune, Postpartum, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Food Allergies, Digestion, Dermatology, Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, and Adrenal Hormonal Conditions. In 1999 she began working for a Hormone Doctor prior to starting Naturopathic Medical School. With over 23 years of experience in both Prescription and Natural women's health and hormones, she presents to women the best-integrated health solutions for their Chronic Disease.
She has been an Herbalist for over 28 years and enjoys teaching women how to use herbs to balance their hormones, nutrition and optimize their health. Dr. Sundene relies on blood testing for her hormone metrics. The hormone testing is covered per the patient's insurance plan (not Medicaid) and conducted at certain points in the woman's menstrual cycle. To learn more about Hormone Testing for Women Visit: Bioidentical Hormones. Follow Dr. Sundene on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more tips on Women's Health, Female Hormones, and Naturopathy!
Dr. Nicole Sundene
PCOS patients with imbalanced hormones should probably throw some pomegranate juice along with apples, aloe, ginger, curcumin, and cinnamon in their “PCOS Smoothie” recipe. The research is pretty consistent that pomegranate is beneficial for women with PCOS! As well as many of the other symptoms that impact women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
Recent research also demonstrates pomegranate is effective against Chronic Fatigue, Poor Memory, Poor Concentration, Weight Loss, High Cortisol Stress Hormone, High Blood Pressure, Inflammation, Aging Skin, Hyperpigmentation, Type 2 Diabetes, Insulin Resistance, Liver Disease, Fatty Liver: NAFLD, Heartburn, Bloating, High Cholesterol and Triglycerides which women with PCOS often struggle with. Pomegranate also protects against skin damage from UVB rays, helps with Stroke Recovery, and provided an anti-inflammatory benefit during hospitalization for a viral infection. [1-27]
PCOS, MENOPAUSE, HORMONES + POMEGRANATE
Pomegranate is not just for women with PCOS, but also for menopausal women. The researchers made me laugh out loud when they concluded pomegranate “significantly ameliorates the irritating symptoms of menopause.” I had to laugh at the description of "Irritating Symptoms" and had to wonder if the researchers were male or female. Because most women with menopause would describe their symptoms as far more disruptive than "irritating." Irritating symptoms are when we miss a few hours of sleep, or feel tired, sad or blah or blue for a few hours.
I listen to my menopause patients complain about symptoms that are far beyond irritating every day at work. They are severely fatigued from lack of sleep, they have brain fog and poor concentration, they are angry, irritable, over heated, on edge from feeling uncertain when the next hot flash will hit, or if they are going to be able to find a bathroom every thirty minutes because now they constantly have to pee all the time thanks to their new menopausal bladder.
Menopausal and perimenopausal women have Insomnia, and are waking up with night sweats because they are sweating and feel like they are internally boiling to death which then causes a horrible chronic Insomnia and they cannot sleep past 1-3am, and just start their day now at 2am! Or they cannot sleep at all and the insomnia is causing chronic fatigue and depression they never had before.
They are exhausted from lack of sleep, and the hormone shifts have now caused hypothyroidism or low thyroid function. Heavy bleeding in perimenopause prior to menopause also can leave many patients with severe anemia. Which is why women should have their iron levels and thyroid checked along with their female hormones.
Meanwhile the new hormone imbalance is causing Weight Gain, Anxiety, Depression, Bladder issues, Blood Pressure Issues, and Chronic Yeast Infections that they never had before. Most of my patients would actually describe their symptoms as "Moderately to severely disruptive to their quality of life."
Furthermore, I don't think women as a societal whole should tolerate having their menopausal symptoms minimized by researchers. Other doctors will then believe from reading conclusions of this type of research that menopausal symptoms are simply a little bit "irritating" or "annoying" when they actually can be life altering for many women and lead to divorce if not addressed properly. Losing your family to divorce, and splitting up children is beyond "irritating." Many menopausal women come to me in the midst of a divorce, separated, or just at wit's end with their partners. Menopausal hormone changes have caused both a lack of libido, and a lack of compassion from their partner as to what they are going through.
I have actually saved several marriages by sending a woman home with a set of horribly abnormal hormone labs I have scribbled all over and marked up with pen like an English teacher. The husband looks at the labs and sighs with relief that there is something wrong, that this situation is temporary, and his wife can be fixed. Then instead of fighting, the couple works as a team to help the wife get through this challenging time. Many husbands have learned to just quietly leave, go golfing, go to the gym, go on a walk and just give women time and space to deal with their hormone imbalance. Many women come back in tears and thank me for saving their marriage.
Women with menopausal hormone imbalance can end up divorced during this time in their lives because the symptoms are disruptive to their mental health, disrupting their sleep, causing them to feel fatigued and irritable, all while also causing low libido, which is now causing marital strain that never existed before... However, I will leave it up to the women to decide if their symptoms are life altering or simply irritating and am overall grateful to any researchers conducting research for women's health... So I will digress from my rant.... In another study pomegranate also improved women’s menopausal hot flashes, libido and quality of life. [12,15]
So pomegranate is officially the most perfect Herbal Medicine hormone food in my mind as it is providing fertility support to women of reproductive age, improves PCOS by lowering testosterone that can cause Hormonal Acne and infertility, and also is hormone modulating with estrogen and testosterone for women as they transition to perimenopause, and eventually menopause. Whether hormones are too high or too low pomegranate works to correct Hormone Imbalance!
So there you have it ladies, a pomegranate a day keeps the women’s health doctor away!
Basically pomegranate is a one stop shop women's health supplement that not only regulates female hormones but provides a myriad of other super food benefits. In my Instagram video, you can see how the groups of seeds somewhat look like eggs budding from our ovaries!
RED OR WHITE POMEGRANATE FOR HORMONES?
Being from Seattle, the first time I was walking down the street in Scottsdale and saw a pomegranate tree naturally growing I will admit, I actually stopped and freaked out as a Naturopathic Doctor and had to pick one and take a bunch of pictures!
So, if you live in Phoenix, you can grow your own pomegranates! If you do buy a pomegranate tree, buy a red pomegranate tree. As there are generally more flavonoids in deeply pigmented fruits than white ones.
I believe the red pomegranates are most likely more medicinal than the white ones, as it is the flavonoids that is the medicine here and those same flavonoids are much lower in white wine versus red wine. So it is safe to assume until proven otherwise we should eat the red pomegranates for the best benefits.
If research proves me wrong... I will let you know!
However, if we are intending to use pomegranate flavonoids for weight loss, and lipid metabolism, the red pomegranates were studied. Another study on pomegranates and fat metabolism concluded, “Short-term consumption of dietary doses of Pomegranate Juice exerts beneficial effects and affects lipid metabolism in overweight patients with dyslipidemia.” [17]
In another recent PCOS hormone study conducted in June 2023, they found testosterone levels were lowered for women with PCOS. Researchers concluded, “Serum testosterone levels were significantly decreased in overweight and obese women with PCOS who supplemented with concentrated pomegranate.” [2]
I found this very interesting as a Women’s Health Doctor because most of the research done on Pomegranate is for men's cardiovascular health, and "AMS" Aging Male Symptoms such as male erectile dysfunction. Interestingly my male patients with low tesosterone seem to find the most benefit from the Testosterone boosting formula “Testosterzone” by Progressive Labs in Fullscript, comprised of mainly pomegranate, along with ashwagandha, astaxanthin, and phosphitdyl serine.
Researchers found pomegranate beneficial for testosterone in men as it was modulating androgen production in prostate cancer patients, and was also helpful against AMS or “Aging Male Symptoms" when combined with chocolate! So my patients should be buying their husband’s some chocolate covered pomegranate seeds for Valentine’s Day! [9]
Another hormone study with pomegranate looked at cortisol, thyroid, and blood sugar levels in patients with Type 2 Diabetes and concluded that pomegranate improved blood sugar, lowered the stress hormone, cortisol in both men and women, but did not impact thyroid levels. This is good news for my diabetic patients that have been told to never ever ever drink juice…the exception to the rule is pomegranate juice! [21]
Okay back to Women’s Health….
My experience using pomegranate to boost testosterone in men leads me to hypothesize that pomegranate does not always raise testosterone, nor does it lower testosterone, it is likely more of a hormone “modulator” to the male and female reproductive system as was concluded in the prostate study. So whether testosterone is too low or too high, eating pomegranates, taking a pomegranate supplement or drinking pomegranate juice will likely help even things out.
IS POMEGRANATE JUICE SAFE?
Pomegranate juice is the only time I allow my patients to have fruit juice! I am a big enough person to admit when I am wrong and there is a research study combined chokeberry, cranberry, and pomegranate juice versus placebo, and concluded:
"Beneficial effects on lipid metabolism by reduced energy intake, modulation of biomarkers such as Phosphodiesterase activity and improved DNA integrity associated with Pomegranate consumption.” [4]
So in layman’s terms that means that pomegranate is anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, improves immune function, cholesterol metabolism, relaxes arteries, helping to open them up and increase blood flow, which is the primary mechanism as to why it helps lower high blood pressure and has been touted as a treatment for male erectile dysfunction for years.
BUT... every rule was made to be broken? Right? ?
Pomegranate juice for Women’s Health and Hormones is pretty much the ONLY TIME you will ever see me prescribing juice to my patients. Pure blueberry, blackberry, and cranberry are also the exceptions. As I generally think we should be eating the whole fruit or whole pomegranate seeds to get the fiber along with the sugar.
But I know many of you love to drink juice or add it to your smoothies and recipes, so as long as it is a pure form of Pomegranate juice then it can be used. Only 4-8 oz of juice is needed to receive medicinal properties which is nice to know for hormone patients as it can be one of the most expensive juices out there, just as Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice!
But because Pomegranate is such a tremendous anti-inflammatory, hormone balancing agent I wanted to share some of the exciting Dermatology studies I stumbled upon. Women should not only drink pomegranate juice for their hormones, but also for glowing skin, perfect hormones, and decreased weight and inflammation.
POMEGRANATE FOR DERMATOLOGY: ANTI-AGING, DARK PIGMENTATION + COLLAGEN
In an eight week Dermatology research study on skin aging and pomegranate, researchers concluded that pomegranate, “improved the moisture, brightness, elasticity, and collagen density of the skin of most subjects,” and improved the “moisture, brightness, elasticity, spots, UV spots, and collagen density of skin.” [15]
So this is great news because when I tell my patients that something I need to have them take for their hormone imbalance is actually anti-aging and will plump their collagen, smooth their wrinkles, and help fight dark spots…they suddenly become a million times more compliant with following their treatment plan!
Also for my patients that frequently sunburn or have history of skin cancer, we can increase Pomegranate in their diet to add an extra layer of protection against UVB rays (of course in Arizona and most areas you will still need to use a nontoxic sunscreen, like the Alba 50 SPF spray is my favorite since it gives your skin an added shine, goes on clear, smells like coconuts and is coral reef safe.)
Women can safely use Pomegranate juice to help balance female hormones. Everyone knows I ban juice as a mom and am very anti juice because of the high fructose corn syrup. I believe children should be fed fruit and not fruit juice, as the juice is generally missing the fiber.
But pomegranate juice, blackberry juice, and blueberry juice are exceptions to that rule because they contain one of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet, “proanthocyanidins” that help reduce inflammation, reduce chronic pain, reduce blood pressure, protect the skin from UVB radiation, and are generally anti-aging.
So there is the vanity...er... Dermatology motivation to stay consistent with pomegranate as medicine! 😉
Pomegranate helps our skin, helps balance hormones for Hormonal Acne and other female hormone conditions such as PMS, PCOS, Perimenopause, Diabetes, Estrogen Dominance, and Menopause.
In Herbal Medicine, pomegranate is a key reproductive herb that aids hormone balance, detoxification, reduces inflammation which then reduces insulin resistance and estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance is the enemy of women because it is the very hormone imbalance we experience every month with PMS or Premenstrual Syndrome.
So when I tell women in perimenopause that it is basically now "Permanent PMS," unless we use herbal medicine to reduce the estrogen dominance, speed up liver detox pathways to eliminate this estrogen, address constipation that also causes estrogen dominance, and add a light progesterone cream or pill in a Bioidentical Hormone or BHRT form....women will feel much better!
Estrogen Dominance causes women to feel bloated, angry, agitated, annoyed, depressed, anxious, can be responsible for panic attacks, headaches, migraines, fibroids, high blood pressure, blood clots, endometriosis, crying, and severe chronic fatigue when estrogen is elevated. PCOS is oftentimes the culprit of estrogen dominance.
Did you know women have three forms of estrogen? Estradiol, the one your doctor frequently tests for is not the only estrogen and can cause the hormone test to be erroneously wrong. This is the medical equivalent of mammogramming one breast to assume the other breast is just fine.
Estradiol, estrone, and Total Estrogen should be tracked for women with symptoms of hormone imbalance. If the amount of estradiol and estrone do not closely mimic the Total Estrogen, then this is a common sign the woman is suffering from excess of Xenoestrogens from beauty products.
This is where shampoos, makeup, creams, and lotions with pthalates and parabens can actually screw up hormones and help to cause hormonal acne, and other disease of estrogen dominance.
Pomegranate juice and seeds primarily work via potent antioxidants to reduce inflammation. Inflammation is shown in multiple research studies to increase estrogen dominance and is therefore the "Elephant in the Room," many times causing women to have PCOS, Insulin Resistance, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Autoimmunity, Perimenopause, and the infamous PMS.
We need to work on both cleaning up the diet, AND cleaning up beauty products. If the beauty product is allowed per European guidelines, that is one of the easiest ways to know that it is clean. Or if it is made with certified organic ingredients. You have to be careful though, because just one of the ingredients can be organic and above that seal it says "With Organic Lavender," and the lavender is the only organic ingredient.
POMEGRANATE FOR BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART + CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
The pomegranate, when transformed into juice, does some amazing things for the body, and in particular, the cardiovascular system.
First and foremost it has been shown to lower blood pressure, and inhibit the formation of plaque along artery walls (aka atherosclerosis). Not only has it been shown to inhibit new plaque formation, but it also can reverse the atherosclerosis that has already occurred!
This last result is pretty amazing. Patients drank pomegranate juice daily, and then a Doppler ultrasound of the carotid artery showed up to a 30% decrease in the thickness of the artery. Patients who did not take the pomegranate juice showed a 9% increase in the thickness of their carotid arteries. [27]
Pomegranate has also been shown to help diabetic patients lower their LDL and total cholesterol, while having no significant effect on their blood glucose levels. Yep, you read that right, a juice that does not significantly increase blood glucose levels, but actually works to improve them!
You can find the juice at most supermarkets and health food stores. However, make sure it is 100% pomegranate juice with no added sweeteners or other types of juice as they will only add calories and reduce the positive effects you have just been reading about!
My favorite is of course the Pomwonderful brand. I have been a fan of Pomwonderful ever since it came out many years ago when they mailed me a case of it and I started reading pomegranate research.
I love that the juice is 100% pure pomegranate with no added sweeteners. Some of my patients find the flavor a bit too tart so I recommend they mix it with half of the PomBlueberry juice, or add stevia and dilute it with water. To make my fun non-alcoholic "Happy Hour Pom Pom" just add 1-2 packets of stevia to your pomegranate juice and then top off with lime or plain club soda (not tonic water as that is poison for PCOS.) If you add the club soda first you can float the pomegranate juice on top for a pretty effect.
Pomegranate is delicious in your PCOS Smoothie Recipe, or I add a few splashes to each cup of herbal tea I drink to give it a pleasant flavor and fun color.
So please enjoy the only juice I allow women to drink as a hormone doctor! ?
If you need my help with hormone imbalance, PCOS, perimenopause, menopause, or other Women’s Health matters simply give us a call or visit my SCHEDULE page to treat yourself to a Naturopathic visit! I would be happy to help.
Dr. Nicole Sundene
(480) 837-0900
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