Let’s talk carrots & hormones.
I took a deep dive into something called “estrogen dominance” and I am convinced most women are dealing with this.
For women, being prescribed birth control once menstruation starts has become a healthcare standard: used as a contraceptive, to reduce risk of dis-ease, or simply to “treat” hormonal acne.
Birth control pills are hormones (typically estrogen / progestin), that interfere with the natural cycles of releasing hormones. Years ago, I chose to stop taking these pills and my body, interests, and personality shifted – I am not being dramatic here. It altered me.
It’s important to note that Estrogen is a naturally produced hormone in both women & men – but in high doses, can be quite dangerous. In studies, we’ve seen that estrogen duplicates the stress reaction in the body, interferes with circulation, energy metabolism, suppresses the thyroid function, and stimulates the pituitary glands secretion of prolactin. Estrogen dominance can cause polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), fibroids, irritability, anxiety, aggressiveness, forgetfulness, etc.
Wow, literally just wanted to talk about the benefits of this carrot salad on hormones. Not realizing how much context is needed on a loaded topic like this – it’s massively overlooked & under-studied.
This brings me to discovering the late Ray Peat (PhD) & his legacy of the raw carrot salad, along with many many many other facets of his incredible research of metabolic & hormonal function.
According to the work of Dr. Peat, consuming raw carrots daily helps the body “sweep up” excess estrogen & toxins from the body, getting rid of it through the elimination system.
As someone who likes to try all of the healing modalities I can get my hands on, this one sparked so much excitement in me bc just about anyone has access to carrots. The ingredients listed are recommended by Ray Peat, as they work well together metabolically – otherwise, snacking on a raw carrot is always a good choice. I promise, overtime your body will crave the carrot salad!
Carrot salad recipe:
1 raw carrot, (peeled with potato peeler)
1 tsp of coconut oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
Happy hormone balancing!