This is such a helpful breakdown! I know estrogen can be pretty low due to breastfeeding. Do the side effects of low estrogen (esp things like bone loss) persist with breastfeeding for 6+ months?
Great question. Yes — my bone density when down (a little) from breastfeeding but I was able to get it back up through resistance training. Low estrogen may also be why many women feel extra emotional PP, have hair changes, mood swings, fatigue, brain fog…it’s a long list of familiar symptoms!
Thank you for posting this!!! So many women just think estrogen is for our monthly cycle but it’s so much more than that, and levels too high or too low aren’t optimal and have their own consequences! And great tangible tips 🫶🏼
Thank you for highlighting this! As a ps- Estrogen actually helps your esophagus stay toned, and declining levels can cause increased sensitivity to foods you could tolerate before and a higher proclivity toward acid reflux (e.g., can’t do coffee on an empty stomach). This surprised me so I thought I’d share!
Falling estrogen tends to lower your tolerance threshold for a lot of things, food and otherwise - I would say to anyone facing this, don’t be afraid to prioritize your mental health and boundaries going into it (as well as banking muscle!) xo
Love this! I love that you brought up soy bc I feel like a lot of nutritionists aren’t for it and I love tofu but have always been a little hesitate bc of family history. In full transparency my mom and grandmother both passed from breast cancer (they also both had the gene and I do not- I realize there is also a whole convo on you can have the gene or not and whether it gets “activated” is a whole other thing) so estrogen has always been a little bit of a topic I don’t love bc it’s so highly linked.
The conventional wisdom with respect to soy and breast cancer has changed. Soy found in foods is protective because of the phytoestrogens, which can help deactivate estrogen receptor cells that could otherwise form tumors. Soy isolates and supplements are still best to avoid!
It’s important to get organic soy (and talk to your doctor as there could be nuance here!) but research shows that countries with higher soy consumption don’t have higher breast cancer rates. And as with anything, it’s important to have variety in your diet and not eat too much of anything.
This is such a helpful breakdown! I know estrogen can be pretty low due to breastfeeding. Do the side effects of low estrogen (esp things like bone loss) persist with breastfeeding for 6+ months?
Great question. Yes — my bone density when down (a little) from breastfeeding but I was able to get it back up through resistance training. Low estrogen may also be why many women feel extra emotional PP, have hair changes, mood swings, fatigue, brain fog…it’s a long list of familiar symptoms!
Thank you for posting this!!! So many women just think estrogen is for our monthly cycle but it’s so much more than that, and levels too high or too low aren’t optimal and have their own consequences! And great tangible tips 🫶🏼
Thank you for highlighting this! As a ps- Estrogen actually helps your esophagus stay toned, and declining levels can cause increased sensitivity to foods you could tolerate before and a higher proclivity toward acid reflux (e.g., can’t do coffee on an empty stomach). This surprised me so I thought I’d share!
Falling estrogen tends to lower your tolerance threshold for a lot of things, food and otherwise - I would say to anyone facing this, don’t be afraid to prioritize your mental health and boundaries going into it (as well as banking muscle!) xo
It just blows my mind how much of an impact it has (and isn’t really discussed).
Love this! I love that you brought up soy bc I feel like a lot of nutritionists aren’t for it and I love tofu but have always been a little hesitate bc of family history. In full transparency my mom and grandmother both passed from breast cancer (they also both had the gene and I do not- I realize there is also a whole convo on you can have the gene or not and whether it gets “activated” is a whole other thing) so estrogen has always been a little bit of a topic I don’t love bc it’s so highly linked.
The conventional wisdom with respect to soy and breast cancer has changed. Soy found in foods is protective because of the phytoestrogens, which can help deactivate estrogen receptor cells that could otherwise form tumors. Soy isolates and supplements are still best to avoid!
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/soy-breast-cancer-risk/faq-20120377
It’s important to get organic soy (and talk to your doctor as there could be nuance here!) but research shows that countries with higher soy consumption don’t have higher breast cancer rates. And as with anything, it’s important to have variety in your diet and not eat too much of anything.