Going Off Birth Control? 5 Ways to Balance Hormones with Diet
So, you’ve finally decided to quit taking the birth control pill, congratulations! Except, you’re not feeling as good as you were hoping for. After years of being a slave to that tiny daily pill, you have decided you are at a point in your life where you don’t want or need to take it anymore. It’s as simple as throwing those pills in the trash and never looking back.... or is it?
Many women get on the birth control pill to prevent pregnancy, but there are countless women who are prescribed the pill for other reasons such as acne, irregular periods, heavy bleeding, PCOS, and other hormone imbalances.
The pill does not solve these problems, rather it acts as a temporary solution that leaves the root cause of the issue unaddressed. The problem is, sometimes the pill may end up doing more harm than good and when you finally decide to quit taking it, all hell can break loose.
Even women who never experienced any kind of hormone imbalance before taking the pill suddenly experience symptoms like missing periods, hair loss and hormonal acne once they stop taking it. So, what’s going on? And how do we fix it?
The truth is, there is no one definitive answer or solution, rather there are several factors at play. Here are some ways you can help bring your body back into balance using diet and lifestyle tips alone:
1. Cut Out Inflammatory Foods
Food is medicine, straight up. Most doctors won’t admit it, but diet has a huge role to play in your health and coming off the pill is no exception. There are certain inflammatory foods that can create chaos in the body and should be avoided at this time. Dairy, soy and gluten are the main three I recommend kicking to the curb.
Dairy can be full of hormones and toxins that act as endocrine disruptors and create inflammation in the body. Not to mention lactose, casein, and whey are notorious food allergies for many people and tax the body’s digestive system and gut health.
Soy is controversial, but there is evidence showing soy can act as an endocrine disruptor due to its estrogenic properties. Soy is also the largest GMO crop in the world, which means finding a clean source is near impossible.
Gluten. It’s everyone’s favorite nutritional buzzword, but that is for a reason. Many people cannot digest gluten properly and even if you can, it still loosens the tight junctions in your intestinal wall that keeps invaders from entering your bloodstream. And once they do, boom, inflammation.
2. Balance Your Blood Sugar
Blood sugar is tied directly to hormones. If your blood sugar is off, your hormones will be too. Birth control has been linked to causing insulin resistance and its effects can really make themselves known once you come off it.
It’s important to stay away from processed sugar and refined carbohydrates and increase vegetables and fiber in your diet. Low glycemic fruit like berries and apples are good as well.
Make sure every meal of your day is balanced with quality protein and healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, coconut oil, nuts and seeds so that your body gets the fuel it needs to power you throughout the day.
And if you’re feeling the need to reach for the caffeine to keep you going, you should really think twice. Cortisol is produced by your adrenal glands and raises when you consume caffeine, which then raises your blood sugar. In order to get off the energy roller coaster, try to keep caffeine to a minimum.
3. Love Your Liver
Your liver is responsible for processing your hormones and a million other things in your body. When it is overwhelmed or not supported properly, those hormones can be recycled back into the body instead of being processed for evacuation. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, bok choy and cabbage can help the liver produce detoxifying enzymes.
And what else do we think of when we bring up the liver? Alcohol! I know, it’s a tough one, but alcohol burdens the liver and messes with the balance of estrogen in the body. The less you drink while trying to find hormone balance, the better.
4. Replenish Nutrients
Birth Control depletes a ton of important nutrients in your body. B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, selenium and zinc are just a few of the key players. Eating dark leafy greens, bananas, avocados, and properly prepared nuts and seeds can help replenish those nutrient stores.
5. Boost Your Gut Health
The birth control pill can mess with the health of your gut. It alters the balance of bacteria in your gut microbiome and you need that good bacteria to help break down and eliminate estrogen. You also need them to prevent leaky gut and inflammation.
Coming off the pill can be tricky, and it can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to bring your hormones and health back into balance. These 5 steps will help your body create the right foundation to get you to your goals. Want even more support? My 12-week Nutritional Therapy Program offers a customized protocol with 1-on-1 support to help you make a smooth transition and balance your hormones naturally. Click here to book a free 20 minute consultation with me to learn more!