Supporting your hormones whilst on contraception

Because I see so many patients with acne, this naturally comes with more hormone related education with the majority of my demographic being females. Some are still on some type of contraception, some are not. Some women find their acne worsened after starting or stopping a type of hormonal contraception, or it randomly decides to be an issues a year or 2 in all of a sudden. This is so common, and I find there can be some really simple things to target how your body detoxes efficiently to assist with your skin. However, if you don’t have skin issues… it’s still so important for our body to detox effectively. So what’s it all about?

Our ‘elimination/detox’ organs include the skin, liver, intestines, kidneys to produce urine, bowel movements and sweat. Everyone’s genetic ability to be able to detox and metabolise the synthetic hormones in contraception’s is different. Key signs to look out for some of these being compromised: - Bowel movements less than once/day. - Sedentary lifestyle. - Histamine issues/hives. - Poor tolerance with medications and alcohol. - Low appetite or nausea in the mornings. - Extreme PMS symptoms. - Frequent headaches/migraines. Dietary and lifestyle factors to contribute to sluggish detox: - High alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, medication or recreational drug use. - High pesticide and pollutant exposure. - High sugar and fat intake. - Too little water intake. - High intake of processed, packaged foods. - Genetics can also play a large roll. So if you’re on some type of contraception and not quite ready to transition to come off it just yet, here some simple tips to incorporate for a healthy detox system. 1. Exercise! It doesn’t always need to be inducing sweat (although that’s great), but simply moving your body gets more blood flow around and will assist with lymph movement. 2. Drinking filtered water, and enough of it. The recommended amount is 30ml per kg of body weight. 3. Addressing your gut health. If you experience frequent digestive symptoms or have long standing issues with bowel movements <1/day, I’d highly recommend seeking help from your health practitioner. We need adequate stomach acid and a great variety of beneficial gut bacteria for a happy tummy. 4. Up your green veg. ANY green veg, but particularly ones in the cruciferous family; cabbage, kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts. These foods contain high amounts of sulfur, which is a key ingredient in lots of detox supplements at a concentrated amount. 5. Get some bloods done, specifically results for the MTHFR gene. The MTHFR gene in short is how effectively someone can metabolise folate, which is super important for many things but one I definitely think about for when there’s long term health issues or lots of family history of medical conditions. The degree of this mutation (if any found at all) tells me how much your detox capacity is compromised. 6. Lemon water/apple cider vinegar. Yes it’s true. Although these are acidic, in the body they have an alkaline effect – which is what we want. 1 tbsp in some warm water before meals can help release more stomach acid and prep your gut to digest food. 7. Detox your home. Now this can be a big overwhelming thing if you’re starting from scratch, so don’t complicate it, you can start bit by bit. Household cleaners, toiletries and cosmetics can contain some really harsh chemicals, that when we’re using daily can contribute to ending up in our blood stream via inhaling or putting them on topically. You can make things yourself by buying them in bulk or with simple things you probably already have at home like vinegar and bicarb soda. Still feel like you need more guidance? Book in online or call the clinic on 52982642 for an appointment with me!

Teresa is a degree qualified Naturopath and specialises in conditions of the immune system, skin and integrative oncology. She practices Mon-Fri at The Sana Co Clinic, offering both in person and online consultations. Book your appointment with Teresa