Healing Fibroids Naturally

There are doctors around who will teach you how to shrink your fibroids naturally. But most of them just look for the easiest, most predictable treatments to get women out of pain and discomfort fast – such as surgery.
 
To shrink fibroids naturally takes time, effort and usually a holistic approach that involves several elements such as diet, hormone balancing, stress-relieving techniques and a cultivation of happiness. This is why most practitioners don't go down this road.  With hundreds of patients to see each week, what doctor has the time to work one-on-one like that? I understand it - but it's an unfortunate scenario.
 
So…the main cause of fibroids is too much estrogen - a condition called estrogen dominance.
 
Before we discuss estrogen dominance, let’s explore the natural roles of estrogen and progesterone:
 
Estrogen is produced in three different areas of the body: the ovaries (testicles in men), the adrenal glands, and fat cells.  That's right, estrogen is produced by fat cells. The more fat cells a person has, the greater chance he or she has of experiencing estrogen dominance.
 
From the onset of puberty to menopause, a woman's body is designed to have estrogen and progesterone work together to fuel and regulate her monthly cycle.
 
Most of the estrogen is released into a woman's blood circulation during the first half of her monthly cycle. Estrogen works to build the lining of a woman's uterus to prepare it for implantation of a fertilized egg should fertilization occur.
 
Most progesterone is released into a woman's blood stream during the second half of a healthy monthly cycle. During this time, progesterone acts to maintain the rich lining of the uterus that estrogen helped to build up during the first two weeks of her cycle.
 
If a fertilized egg successfully implants into the uterine wall (if a woman becomes pregnant in other words), her body must continue to produce a large amount of progesterone on a continuous basis to maintain a thick and well-vascularized uterine wall throughout the course of pregnancy. A healthy placenta handles this job of continuous progesterone production nicely.
 
If there is no implantation, i.e., pregnancy, a woman's body stops producing large amounts of progesterone, which results in sloughing off and elimination of the thickened uterine lining, also known as a menstruation.
 
This cycle repeats itself about once every month until a woman experiences menopause, with estrogen dominating the first half of each cycle, and progesterone dominating the second half.
 
Estrogen Dominance
 
Sadly, many women and even young girls in industrialized countries have too much estrogen and/or too little progesterone in their systems.
 
Why is estrogen dominance a problem?
 
There are many reasons, but the relevant answer for this article is that having estrogen dominance causes a woman's uterine lining to thicken far more than is healthy during her monthly cycles. This repeated, excessive thickening may result in localized growths in the muscle and connective tissue that line the uterus. We call these growths uterine fibroids.
 
All of these physiological facts have had me convinced for years that addressing estrogen dominance is essential to shrinking and preventing uterine fibroids.
 
What causes estrogen dominance?

1	Exposure to Xenoestrogens, which are estrogens that are produced outside of the body.
	Below is a list of significant sources of xenoestrogens:
		Birth control pills Hormone replacement drugs Condom spermicides Conventional personal care products, particularly cosmetics Plastic cookware Growth hormones found in factory-farmed animal products Pesticides and herbicides DDT PCBs - polychlorinated biphenyls Foaming agents in soaps and detergents Being Overweight
2	Chronic Stress
	When a person experiences chronic physical and/or emotional stress, his or her body will begin to convert progesterone into cortisol, the stress hormone. In fact, we now know that a woman who experiences significant stress during pregnancy can actually draw upon her baby's progesterone stores to manufacture enough cortisol for the mother to deal with her stress. The point is: stress can lead to a depletion of progesterone, which creates the same condition of estrogen dominance that a woman experiences when she has too much estrogen in her system.
3	Over-Burdened Liver
	The liver is the only organ in the body (or the planet for that matter) that can metabolize hormones. When your liver is sluggish, it may fail to detoxify the components of estrogen for excretion, causing symptoms of estrogen dominance to arise. I see this over and over in my practice, which is why I always recommend a liver cleanse to women with hormone imbalances. When women cleanse and support their livers, natural hormone balance occurs.
4	Spiritual-Emotional Issues
	The following is excerpted from Dr. Christiane Northrup’s web site: “Caroline Myss, Ph.D., teaches that fibroid tumors represent our creativity that has never been birthed. Fibroids may also result when we are flowing life energy into dead-end jobs or relationships we have outgrown. Fibroids are often associated with conflicts about creativity, reproduction, and relationships.” If you have fibroids, ask yourself the following questions: What are the creations within me that I want to put out in the world before I’m no longer here? If anything at all were possible, what would I want my life look like? If I had only six months to live, which relationships would I release from my life immediately? Which relationships would I give more of my time and attention to? Which relationships truly feed and nourish me? Which ones drain my energy? Write your answers in a journal. Discuss them with supportive friends. Deep within you, you have all the answers you need. You just need to open yourself to hearing them.” Wow, thank you Dr. Northrup and Carolyn Myss for such wonderful insights into the spiritual/emotional issues surrounding fibroid tumors!

 
The Simple Truth
 
So the first steps to shrinking fibroids is to balance your hormones, manage your stress levels, awaken your creativity and come into alignment with your truth.
 
Here is the Vibrant Way fibroid protocol in a nutshell:

• Get blood/saliva tests for:  estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol, insulin and thyroid levels.
• Based on your findings, work with your practitioner to balance hormones either with herbs and supplements, diet, bio-identical hormones or a combination of all three.
• Support your liver function.  As you now know, the liver metabolizes (balances) all hormones. Some women find that they need liver support for optimal results.
• Follow a low glycemic diet - for life.
• Avoid “white” foods such as white breads, pastas, dairy products and white sugar.
• Stay away from xenoestrogens and parabens in plastics and cosmetics.
• Eat organic and hormone-free foods
• Relax and practice stress-relieving techniques.

• Get creative and sexy - most women with fibroids have stifled their creativity and sexuality.  I have worked with several clients who began new careers or started doing their art and voilà - their fibroids disappeared! I have witnessed four women who renewed their sexual relationships with their hubbies and one woman who got a divorce - all of these women healed their fibroids.

I hope these suggestions help you to shrink your fibroids and enjoy a renewed sense of balance. I encourage you to print this page and take it to your health care provider to start a conversation and get professional advice.
 
If you are interested in more information on how to shrink fibroids naturally, please call my office to schedule a consultation or click here to email me and start your personal nutritional program.
 
With Love,
 
Michelle Corey