276: Balancing Hormones

Balancing Hormones For Optimal Health

Balancing hormones is an essential component to boost one's energy and mood.  It can also lower inflammation and gain strength. Balancing hormones can also help you restore healthy weight.  But most people fail to realize this because balancing hormones seem complicated but it's not. And my guest, Magdalena Wszelaki who's a Holistic Nutrition Coach tells us why.

Looking Back

Magdalena Wszelaki believes her condition traces back to the time when her mother was continued smoking during pregnancy. Magdalena Wszelaki was not breastfed because she was born in an era when formula milk became popular.

The first month she was born, Magdalena Wszelaki had pneumonia and had to undergo frequent ear drainage as a child.  Eventually, she learned that she was sensitive to foods with gluten, dairy, and eggs.  In other words, her digestive system was messed up.

It became worse in her 20s when Magdalena Wszelaki's food sensitivities were manifesting in another way, which was through horrible acne. It was also because of stress from her career, smoking, no food control and relying on alcohol.

Diagnosed with Hashimoto's

Magdalena Wszelaki's life made a significant turn in her late 30s.  She was 36 years years old in 2008 when she was diagnosed with Hashimoto's and living in Shanghai.

That time, there wasn't any information on the internet, and no doctor could explain what autoimmune disease is.

Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system stops. It makes you feel sluggish, have brain fog, lose hair and feeling fatigued all the time. It also causes depression and anxiety.

“My body gave in one day, that's when I was diagnosed in Shanghai. It doesn't just happen because it's years of stuff that we do consciously or unconsciously to ourselves. But eventually, the body speaks up and says it has had enough,” shares Magdalena Wszelaki.

Changing Her Life

In 2009, Magdalena Wszelaki went to nutrition school. She changed things around for herself and helped dozens of women along the way. She eventually learned about the importance of balancing hormones and all of that has been a big inspiration when she put together her protocol cookbook.

“As a 45-year-old today, I feel good. My Hashimoto's is in remission. I had things with estrogen dominance, and I had all the genes for being a bad estrogen detoxifier,” Magdalena Wszelaki said. “That means I'm much more prone to developing estrogenic problems such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and many more.”

Magdalena Wszelaki could develop lumpy breasts if she didn't take good care of herself. And because her body responds quickly, she makes it a point to take care of her adrenals.

Health Coaching

Magdalena Wszelaki dabbled in health coaching during the first six years in private practice. Now, she offers online educational programs, online cooking programs, and kitchen detox programs to help more people.

“The thing with private coaching is that it costs money to work one on one with someone. So, we refer out people to practitioners that I truly believe in,” said Magdalena Wszelaki.

Estrogen Dominance

Estrogen dominance is when a woman has a deficient, normal or excessive estrogen. But there is nothing to balance the effects on her body because there is a little or no progesterone present.

“It's one of the reasons why we have thyroid problems. We have thyroid issues when we fail to converge a T4 hormone which the thyroid produces and convert it to T3,” explains Magdalena Wszelaki. “T3 is the working horse. That's what gives you beautiful hair, healthy weight, good mental functions, and energy.”

Common Symptoms

Some common symptoms of estrogen dominance are PMS, irregular periods, cellulite, fibroids, miscarriages, breast cancers and thyroid cancers. Magdalena Wszelaki says the prostate problem in men is also due to estrogen dominance.

“In estrogen dominance, it's just the way you are breaking down those estrogens is not in the most beneficial way,” said Magdalena Wszelaki. “It is also due to low progesterone. And it also applies especially for women who have periods for 20 days, spotting, and unable to hold on to pregnancy for more than three months.”

Magdalena Wszelaki also says that balancing hormones is also needed for women with PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome, as well as women who tend to store a lot of fat around their belly. And what happens when we have high testosterone levels.

“This is a metabolic, hormonal imbalance because that happens when we have high blood sugar levels. Blood sugar control is the first step in managing that body shape or hormonal imbalance,” says Magdalena Wszelaki.

Birth Control Pills

Magdalena Wszelaki also cautions women against the use of birth control bills. Because basically, the glands need fuel to function. And vitamins and minerals are food for the glands.

“Birth control pills mess around with your natural cycle of producing hormones. Your glands get signals,” Magdalena Wszelaki said. “A lot of women who are on birth control pills for a long time are not able to conceive. But when they get off it, glands are producing their hormones.”

She adds. “So, if you are reacting badly to birth control pills, it's an early sign of estrogen dominance. Or you are just not breaking down estrogen and progesterone because they are both synthetic.”

Ways of Balancing Hormones

According to Magdalena Wszelaki, hormones are connected with each other. And diet plays a significant role in balancing hormones. Clean up your digestion first.  Because apparently, we usually don't even need to use bioidentical hormones.

“When you have high-stress levels, cortisol robs you of progesterone. It can result in anxiety and poor sleep. So, have herbs often, supplements sometimes, and bioidentical hormones only when needed,” Magdalena Wszelaki advises.

Furthermore, she also reveals that you can manage hot flashes and night sweats via blood sugar control. Magdalena Wszelaki also says to be wary of face creams because most products contain toxic chemicals that can havoc thyroid and cause infertility.

Recommended Foods

There are a lot of food choices that help in balancing hormones. Magdalena Wszelaki says that one way is changing your breakfast and be conscious with gluten and dairy.

Some of the food Magdalena Wszelaki recommends are pomegranate, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds.  She has a wonderful article about seed rotation on her website, explaining how and why you should switch eating different types of seeds. So, I highly recommend to check it out on her website.

“Other things like cabbage, cilantro, parsley, cinnamon, and bone broth are good. But some people cannot eat raw cabbage. So lightly steam it, and you still get a lot of benefits,” advises Magdalena Wszelaki. “A lot of probiotic-rich foods can cause people with IBS a lot of bloating. It is also beneficial to eat food that is in season.”

I particularly like cabbage which heals the gut and bone broth.  A veggie dip tastes delicious with purple cabbage cut into squares to substitute crackers. For bone broth, select only premium ingredients to get the maximum health benefits and whip up a large batch which you can chill and reheat through the week.

Farmer's Wife Breakfast

Since Magdalena Wszelaki mentioned earlier that changing your breakfast can help balance hormones, she high recommends her Farmer's Wife Breakfast, which is packed with protein, fiber, and fat.

You take fresh leafy greens, steam or eat them raw. Sprinkle the greens with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and some protein on top like a lamb patty, healthy burger patty or any piece of meat.

Top off the breakfast with something fermented like sauerkraut, avocados for good fats and pomegranate seeds for a touch of color.

“Have a balanced diet without just eating one food excessively. A lot of times women don't have just one hormonal imbalance. So set the foundation right,” said Magdalena Wszelaki.

She adds, “There are early signs that we are struggling with our hormones and health. Listen to those signs. Clear out your digestion, balance blood sugar, avoid caffeine and sugar.”

Additional Resources

To know more recipes that promote balancing hormones, check out Magdalena Wszelaki's protocol cookbook, Cooking for Hormone Balance which is available on her website. 

Not only does it have a lot of healthy recipes, but the book also contains a lot of science about the food you should eat. It's a practical program with over 125 recipes that are easy to do.

Her website also has a quiz to help you figure out if you do have a hormone imbalance.  The quiz assesses thyroid, estrogen, progesterone and cortisol levels.

Bio

Founder of the popular Hormones Balance online community, holistic nutrition coach Magdalena Wszelaki knows the value of cooking for hormone balance firsthand. Developing hyperthyroidism and then Hashimoto's, adrenal fatigue and estrogen dominance propelled her to leave a high-pressured advertising career and develop a new way of eating that would repair and keep her hormones working smoothly. 

Now symptom-free, Magdalena Wszelaki shares her practical, proven knowledge so other women may benefit. In Cooking for Hormone Balance, she draws on current research to explain the essential role food plays in keeping our hormones in harmony and offers easy, flavorful recipes to help us eat our way to good health. She also offers clear, concise action plans for what to remove and add to our daily diet to regain hormonal balance, including guides for specific conditions.

Get Connected With Magdalena Wszelaki!

Official Website

Seed Rotation

Hormone Imbalance Quiz

Farmer's Wife Sunday Breakfast

Cooking For Hormone Balance

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Balancing Hormones – Magdalena Wszelaki & Ashley James – #276

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