There’s no getting around it: alcohol does a number on our bodies — including exacerbating hormonal issues like fibroids and endometriosis and increasing our risk for breast cancer. But we’re not here to make you feel guilty for having a glass of wine. Really! Rather, we want to make sure you’re aware of the impact it has on your health and how to get your body back up to speed.
Limiting alcohol is one of our very important 7 Steps to Stomp out Breast Cancer. Regular and modest amounts of alcohol can raise your estrogen levels. Since some breast tumors are estrogen-sensitive, alcohol can increase the risk that the cells in that tissue will become cancerous. By limiting your intake, you can lower your risk.
HOW ALCOHOL IMPACTS YOUR HORMONES
Women retain fluids longer than men, and metabolize the chemicals in alcohol at a slower rate. That means that in general, the impact of alcohol is much stronger on women. At the same time, alcohol forces the liver to dip into your store of antioxidants and vitamin C to break it down — leaving you vitamin and mineral deficient. It’s also dehydrating, and you lose hormone-balancing magnesium and B vitamins.
Plus, alcohol raises your estrogen levels, which can worsen symptoms of estrogen-dominant health issues like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, fibroids and endometriosis and increase your breast cancer risk. Although we tend to reach for a drink when we want to feel happy or sexy, alcohol is actually a depressant — it drains the adrenals and causes you to feel tired and down.
Lastly, alcohol disrupts your blood sugar function. And when we drink, we also tend to make unhealthy food choices, which further exacerbates the problem. But this time around, skip the greasy hangover diner bit and give this protocol a try instead. You’ll feel up to speed sooner, and you won’t give yourself a serious case of PMS later on.
YOUR POST-DRINKING 1-DAY HORMONE RECOVERY PROTOCOL:
First Thing in the Morning:
- Take a B vitamin complex, and have a glass of warm water with lemon to flush your liver.
- Drink a 16 oz glass of my favorite liver support juice. Combine a handful of spinach, one carrot, four stalks of celery, half a cucumber, half a bunch of cilantro, one-third a bunch of parsley, half a lemon with rind and half a green apple in a blender or juicer.
- Enjoy a breakfast of two poached eggs, a half cup of quinoa, half an avocado and two tablespoons of sauerkraut.
Middle of the Day:
- Eat a big lunch — brown rice, miso glazed salmon and kale or bok choy in soy sauce — to replenish the micronutrients you have lost and balance sodium levels.
- Drink coconut water to replenish your electrolytes, and take a magnesium and calcium supplement.
- Step out into the sun for 15 minutes, with no sunscreen, to boost lost vitamin D3 stores.
In the Evening:
- Drink bone broth or have chicken soup to soothe the inflammation from the booze.
- Do yoga twists. These moves will help to detoxify your internal organs and prevent a backup of estrogen.
- Head to bed early to detoxify your brain’s immune system.
Remember: Once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that work for you.
Source: Mind Body Green
