Boosting Progesterone

Progesterone is the yin to estrogen’s yang. Its main job is to nourish and maintain a healthy pregnancy (progestation… progesterone, get it?) but when simply having regular, pain-free periods is your goal then progesterone is your best friend!

Progesterone has so many benefits including: 

• Thinning the uterine lining

• Preventing breast cancer

• Increasing thyroid hormone 

• Reducing inflammation

• Building muscle

• Promoting sleep

• Calming the nervous system

• Preventing PMS

So yeah, it’s kind of a big deal!

The tricky thing about progesterone is that your body can only produce it after you ovulate so if you’re taking hormonal birth control, your body is not producing any progesterone. 

The other tricky thing is that progesterone production is highly dependent on stress so irregular eating habits, illness, travel, and chronic stress all negatively affect progesterone production.

Signs that you’re low in progesterone include:

• Heavy periods

• PMS symptoms 

• Acne

• Breast tenderness

• Cramps

• Mood swings

• Fatigue

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Anovulatory cycles

Luckily, food is a powerful tool in boosting your progesterone levels and ultimately, enjoying regular, pain-free periods. 

Nutrients that support healthy progesterone production include: 

• Calcium

• Magnesium

• Omega fatty acids

• Vitamin B6

• Zinc

You can find these nutrients in foods like:

• Citrus fruits

• Pasture-raised poultry

• Dark leafy greens

• Grass-fed beef

• Wild-caught salmon

• Sesame and sunflower seeds (seed cycling*)

• Orange, red, and yellow bell peppers

• Wild-caught shrimp

• Dark chocolate

Including these foods in your diet will fuel your body with the micronutrients it needs to produce progesterone each cycle.

however, no matter how well we eat, the reality is that our fruits and vegetables are not as nutrient dense as they were, say, fifty years ago. Due to monocrop agriculture and factory farming practices, soil has been severely depleted of nutrients. For that reason, some supplementation can be incredibly beneficial. I recommend adding a magnesium and vitamin B supplement to your regimen to enhance your whole food diet. 

Magnesium:

• Ned’s Mellö Magnesium because it contains three types of bioavailable magnesium (gluconate, citrate, and glycinate) plus l-theanine and GABA to support a healthy stress response. Use the code SPRINGTOLIFE for 15% off all single purchases or 20% off your first subscription order.

Vitamin B:

• Marea PMS Elixir provides over 1,400% DV for vitamin B6 and over 800% DV for vitamin B12 along with all the other micronutrients your body needs to thrive sans PMS. Save 15% off your order with the code SPRINGTOLIFE. 

*Seed cycling is a simple addition to your diet that can help support hormone balance by helping produce, detox and metabolize estrogen and progesterone. Become more in sync with your cycle and give your hormones some love through seed cycling! Simply consume 2 tablespoons daily of the corresponding seed cycling blend with food. Manski’s Wellness makes seed cycling even more simple with pre ground seed packs and M Body Bars! Use the code HAPPYHORMONES10 for 10% off your first purchase.