When I was diagnosed with breast cancer and was told I was hormone positive, I had no idea what that meant at first. And since my diagnosis I have been on a mission to learn as much as I can about the type of cancer I have and want to educate people so they have a better understanding of things that they can look out for.
Being estrogen receptor positive (ER+) means that the cells of this type of breast cancer have receptors that allow them to use the hormone estrogen to grow.
As you know, estrogen is a growth hormone responsible for the development and maintenance of the female reproductive system. Estrogen is released in high amounts during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle which is the first two weeks leading up to ovulation.
If you experience any or all of the following in the weeks leading up to your cycle, you may have high estrogen:
~irregular periods
~period pain
~period cramps
~tender breasts
~PMS
~bloating
~constipation
~anxiety
~mood swings
~headaches
Now many of these are quite common and may not mean you have high estrogen levels, so in order to metabolize estrogen it is best to limit/avoid fatty foods, alcohol, caffeine and salty foods during this time and consume more sprouted or fermented foods.
I’ll be sharing more about keeping your hormones happy during each phase and what might be some root causes for high estrogen levels.
Stay tuned.
xo
D
