Consuming a whole food nutrient dense diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, wild caught fish, organic grass-fed meat, dark leafy green vegetables and herbs has been found to be very beneficial for keeping estrogen levels in balance. And we We know that great digestion and elimination are key factors in getting your hormones in balance, and therefore reducing breast pain.

Eat Organic
Many of the chemicals, hormones, pesticides and insecticides used in conventional farming are estrogen-based. Always choose organic animal products, as animals accumulate toxicity much more than plants do. And at least choose to purchase the Dirty Dozen fruits and vegetables organic.

Eat Enough Fiber
Fiber helps remove excess estrogen from the body. Fiber also helps keep blood sugar levels balanced which is critical for optimal hormone balance. Examples of great sources of fiber include:

• Brussels Sprouts
• Turnips
• Peas
• Starchy Vegetables: sweet potatoes, winter squash, plantains, taro
• Avocados
• Berries
• Coconut
• Lentils, Beans & Legumes
• Seeds (especially flax, chia and sesame)
• Nuts

Include Flax Seeds
Flax seeds are an excellent source of phytoestrogens – they replace strong estrogens with weaker ones that don’t stimulate your breast tissue negatively and flax seeds also help with constipation. I recommend including 2 Tbsp of freshly ground flax seeds in your diet every day if you’re suffering from breast tenderness. Flax seeds can be ground in your blender, a week’s worth at a time, and stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Add to smoothies, salads, roasted vegetables, basically sprinkled on any food! They taste nutty and delicious. But please don’t cook your flax seeds.

Avoid Excess Estrogen Exposure in Food
Our highest exposure to estrogen often comes from the foods we eat. The top foods to AVOID include:

• Non-organic meat from conventionally raised livestock
• Non-organic dairy products (I generally recommend avoiding dairy in general when you are experiencing breast tenderness as eliminating dairy is often very helpful)
• Farm-raised fish
• Soy products
• Coffee

Increase Your Water Intake
Drink ½ your body weight in ounces of clean, filtered water per day out of glass or other non-plastic reusable water bottles. Do not drink out of plastic bottles. Water is one of the best ways to help flush toxins out of your body! It’s important to always filter your water – tap water contains a high amount of residual estrogens from all the millions of women on hormonal birth control, so it’s important to make sure you’re using a high quality water filter that gets rid of fluoride, estrogens, dioxins (chemicals that act as xenoestrogens in the body increasing your overall estrogen levels), heavy metals and pesticides.

Keep Your Digestive System in Tip Top Shape
This means having 1-2 healthy BMs daily—not too hard, not too soft—and keeping your gut flora healthy with beneficial probiotics. Excess estrogen is eliminated through your digestive system—that is, you poop out the extra. Specific bacteria and enzymes in your gut help make this happen, which is why probiotics are so important. Women who eliminate daily have much less breast tenderness than those who only go a few times or less per week.

• Take a daily dose of freshly ground flaxseed as described above – flax contains lignans that help with hormone elimination.
• Eat your greens – kale, collards, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, broccoli sprouts. These are great sources of fiber and contain chemical compounds that help to detoxify estrogen before it can be reabsorbed (yup, this can happen).
• Take 300-450 mg of magnesium daily to achieve a soft but firm bowel movement daily.
• Take a probiotic daily and eat fermented foods such as sauerkraut, pickles, kombucha and miso to keep gut flora healthy.