May 22, 2025 • 19 mins
You’re eating clean, avoiding gluten, and loading up on salads… but your period is still painful, your mood’s all over the place, and you’re feeling stuck — literally and hormonally. Sound familiar?
In this episode, I’m breaking down the fiber-hormone connection that no one’s talking about: how constipation impacts estrogen clearance, what your gut has to do with PMS and painful periods, and why clean eating isn’t always hormone-friendly.
We’re getting into:
- Why you can’t skip fiber and expect smooth cycles
- How the liver + gut tag-team to clear out estrogen
- The role of beta-glucuronidase (and what your stool test might be saying)
- The real reason your paleo or gluten-free diet might be making things worse
- What the estrobolome is — and why it matters for every woman
Mentioned in this episode:
→ Bio.me Chocolate Fiber – My go-to morning fiber that supports motility, estrogen clearance, and tastes like mocha dessert in my coffee
→ Episode with Dr. Jolene Brighten: – A must-listen if you want to dive deeper into the gut-hormone connection.
Other Links & Resources:
→ Ready to get to the root of your GI issues for good? Apply for gutTogether® here: www.guttogetherprogram.com
→ Follow me on Instagram: @drheatherfinley
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr. Heather Finley (00:03):
When you're not eliminating daily and fully,
your body can't clear outestrogen the way it's supposed
to, so that backup will lead toheavier periods.
Smooth swings, bloating, andmore.
And fiber is not just aboutstaying regular, it's the MVP
for detox Welcome to the LoveYour Gut Podcast.
(00:23):
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, registereddietitian and gut health
specialist.
I understand the frustration ofdealing with GI issues because
I've been there and I spent overtwo decades searching for
answers for my own gut issues ofconstipation, bloating, and
stomach pain.
I've dedicated my life tounderstanding and solving my own
gut issues.
(00:44):
And now I'm here to guide you.
On this podcast, I'll help youidentify the true root causes of
your discomfort.
So you can finally ditch yoursymptoms for good.
My goal is to empower you withthe knowledge and tools you need
so that you can love your gutand it will love you right back.
So if you're ready to learn alot, gain a deeper understanding
(01:05):
of your gut and find lastingrelief.
You are in the right place.
Welcome to the love your gutpodcast.
Hello, hello, and welcome backto the next episode of the Love
Your Gut podcast.
I am so glad to be here today tobe diving into something that
you might not expect to beconnected, which is your gut
constipation, fiber, and yourhormones.
(01:27):
So I thought I would start outwith just a personal story.
This goes way back to kind ofthe thick of my gut issues when
I really decided that somethinghad to change because I felt
like I was doing all the rightthings.
It was my first Thanksgiving asa newlywed, and I honestly felt
worse than I ever had.
(01:48):
I was eating, quote unquote,super clean tons of veggies.
No grains, no legumes, all thethings that I was told to do,
but I felt awful.
I remember we were actuallydriving to a football game on
Thanksgiving Day because my almamater and my husband's alma
mater, I.
(02:08):
TCU and University of Texas wereplaying each other, so we
decided to go to the game forThanksgiving, which was super
fun, but I felt terrible.
I was having horrible, painfulcramps on the drive there,
bloating.
I couldn't go to the bathroom,and I was super worried that
this was gonna ruin.
I.
The trip, and the hardest partabout this was that I thought I
(02:29):
was doing everything right, butI was completely missing the
mark when it came to fiber andgut motility.
So constipation doesn't justmake you uncomfortable.
It really affects how you clearhormones, especially estrogen.
And if you've ever dealt withPMS, mood swings, heavy periods,
your gut might just be playing abigger role than you think.
(02:53):
So I wanna rewind a little bitand talk about how I got there.
So if I were to backtrack fromthat moment at Thanksgiving,
driving to that football game,about eight months before that,
I was diagnosed withHashimoto's, and that was a
multiple month process initself.
I had gone to my doctor, I hadtold her.
(03:14):
You know, I think I'm havinghypothyroidism.
Can you run some labs?
I asked her, she said, you arenot overweight.
You don't need to run thyroidlabs.
And I said, I, my hair isfalling out.
I can't concentrate.
My skin is dry.
I have all the symptoms.
Can you please just run thelabs?
And she said, you're probablyjust depressed because your dad
(03:34):
passed away.
And I said, that might be true.
However, I really think there'ssomething physi physiologically
going.
On.
She did not run a thyroid panel,so then it took a while to find
another provider who would, bythe time I got the labs drawn, I
not only had hypothyroidism, butI had Hashimoto's, so the
full-blown autoimmune process.
(03:56):
So of course, being the Type Aperfectionist that I am, I went
down this crazy rabbit hole ofresearch and decided that I was
going to try to fix this.
Everything that I was reading atthe time.
Especially this was, a littleover 10 years ago, everything
was about being grain free.
(04:17):
And so I bought the book AgainstAll Grain, and I do actually
love her recipes.
I have nothing against DanielleWalker at all.
I love her stuff, but I read thebook and I cut out all the
grains and proceeded to then cutout all legumes, pretty much
like tons of nuts, all thethings, and.
That is what actually catapultedme into this hormonal storm that
(04:43):
I had never been in.
So my diet looked so differentthan it had at the time.
I thought I was doing everythingright because everything I was
reading said cut out grains.
So I wasn't eating grains, Iwasn't eating legumes.
My plate was piled high with allthese veggies, especially.
Raw leafy greens, and on paperit looked quote unquote super
(05:07):
clean.
There were no processed foods,no gluten, no sugar.
It looked like what you wouldsee on a wellness influencer's
Instagram, which didn't reallyeven exist at that time.
But underneath all that cleaneating, I was totally missing
the mark when it came to fiber.
So here's the thing that nobodytells you when you go grain
free.
(05:28):
Or even paleo or gluten-free inthe name of quote unquote gut
health, you're often cutting outyour biggest sources of fiber.
So whole grains like oats, brownrice, rye bread.
These are all fiber rich,legumes, lentils, chickpeas.
These are fiber powerhouses.
And when these go away, you'releft with a bunch of leafy
greens and fruits, and honestly,they aren't pulling.
(05:52):
They're full weight.
And don't get me wrong, I love abig salad as much as ne the next
person, especially this time ofyear.
But the truth is you would needan entire mixing bowl of spinach
to get the same amount of fiberthat you would get from a small
amount of oats or beans orlentils or whatever it might be.
So.
(06:12):
Here I was eating clean and alsoaccidentally underfeeding my gut
microbiome, slowing down mydigestive system and actually
contributing to some of thehormonal symptoms that seemed to
quote unquote come out ofnowhere.
I started dealing with reallybad hormonal breakouts, all
those period symptoms that I wastalking about.
(06:34):
So if you're listening andthinking, wait, this is kind of
my diet right now.
You are not alone.
So many women go gluten-free orsuper low carb, trying to feel
better because that's what theyread online and they end up with
more bloating, moreconstipation, and more.
Pmms and even hormonalbreakouts.
So if this has been your story,this could actually be the
(06:55):
missing piece.
It's not that doing this iswrong, there's a way to
strategically do this and makesure you do get enough fiber.
You just have to really thinkabout it.
So we have to make sure that youare getting enough.
Fiber in your diet to supportthe growth of beneficial
bacteria in your gut support,estrogen, detox, and all the
(07:16):
things.
So you can be eating all theorganic kale in the world, but
if you are not getting enoughfiber, your gut and your
hormones are going to struggle.
So the bottom line is a hormonefriendly diet isn't about what
you take out, it's about whatyou put in.
And fiber is one of those musthaves that most people are
overlooking.
(07:36):
Also side note, my dog justwalked into my office and it's
so funny she, I saw this coming.
She is on her period right now.
So I feel like this episodefeels very timely because we've
got hormones I.
Circulating all over this house.
We're all just trying to stayregular and keep it together.
But anyways, so let's talk aboutsomething that doesn't get
(08:01):
enough airtime and that isestrogen clearance.
So this might sound kind ofsciencey, but I promise that
it's super important and I'mgonna break it down in a way
that is easy to understand andhow you can actually fix it,
especially if you deal withheavy periods or mood swings or
bloating.
So here's the deal.
Once your body is done usingestrogen, like the kind that
(08:22):
your ovaries make or exposed tofrom the environment, it has to
get rid of it, and your body hasa system for that.
So first estrogen is sent to theliver.
You can think of the liver likethe processing plant.
It packages up those estrogen orthat estrogen so it can be
safely sent out of the body.
Then it gets passed to the gutwhere it's supposed to exit
(08:43):
stage left AKA by having a bowelmovement.
So here's the problem.
If you're not pooping daily oryou're not pooping completely
daily, that estrogen doesn'tjust vanish.
It actually gets reabsorbed backinto the bloodstream, and now
your body's dealing with it allover again.
So it's kind of like puttingyour trash out on the curb.
(09:05):
But the garbage truck nevercomes.
So the bag is just sittingthere.
Eventually things start to rotand smell, and it gets gross.
So the same thing happens inyour body when estrogen isn't
cleared and it starts to causesymptoms.
So enter.
Beta glucuronidase.
This is something that wemeasure in our clients on stool
testing, and we see this off allthe time.
(09:27):
There's an enzyme called betaglucuronidase, and when this is
high, it's like the gut bacteriaare basically untying the little
packages that your liver worksso hard to wrap up.
It's like when you're toddlergoes.
Under your Christmas tree andunwraps the presents before
Christmas.
So it's freeing the estrogen tofloat around again.
(09:48):
And it's like your liver issaying, Hey, you know, I dealt
with that already, and your gutbugs are like, nah, we're good.
Let's put it back intocirculation.
So this usually happens whenyour microbiome is out of
balance.
Maybe you have too much of thewrong bacteria.
Maybe you're not eating enoughfiber, maybe sometimes sluggish
bile flow.
(10:08):
And this is where it gets reallyreal because when estrogen is
being recycled instead ofcleared, we see it show up in
symptoms like painful and heavyperiods, mood swings before your
period, bloating, breasttenderness, just feeling off
kind of during that premenstrualwindow.
So for me.
This all hit home.
When I started experiencing allthese hormonal symptoms, the
(10:32):
bloating, the painful periods,the acne that I had never had in
my.
Entire life before, and now I'min my mid twenties wondering why
it looks like I'm going throughpuberty again.
So I had really low bile flow orreally poor bile flow.
My liver detox markers were notgreat.
(10:53):
When I ran my first stool testand my bi, my microbiome was
super depleted from being onthis really restricted diet.
I.
Was kind of like a walkingestrogen traffic jam.
And honestly, that was just sucha huge turning point for me.
I finally understood that my gutwasn't just about digestion, it
(11:13):
was driving my period symptomstoo.
So if you're doing all thehormone balancing things, seed
cycling and the like, cleaneating and the supplements, but
you're still not pooping daily,you might be missing the most
important piece of the puzzle.
So quick pause.
I have to tell you aboutsomething that has made a huge
(11:34):
difference in my gut health andmy hormone health, and honestly,
something that I just reallylook forward to and enjoy.
So lately, I have been enjoyingadding a.
Scoop of the biome chocolatefiber to my morning coffee.
It makes my coffee taste like adelicious mocha, and it also
gives me seven grams of fiber tostart the morning.
(11:57):
It has a resistant starch fiber.
It's this blend of sono, and itis really helpful for keeping
things moving, for feeding mymicrobiome, supporting estrogen
clearance, and.
Making my coffee delicious.
So if you're painful, if yourperiods are painful or
unpredictable, you may not wantto just look at your hormones.
(12:20):
Your gut might be the root ofit.
So I'll link it in the shownotes if you wanna try it.
Now, back to the e episode.
All right.
Now that we've talked about howestrogen is supposed to leave
the body, let's talk about theactual real hero of the process,
which is fiber.
So fiber does not get enoughlove.
Everyone is obsessed withprotein right now, and I think
(12:44):
fiber often gets a bad wrapbecause we think of it like this
gritty, disgusting powder thatpeople put in orange juice, but
fiber is actually a major playerwhen it comes to hormone health
and.
There are two types that we'regonna talk about today.
Both are important and mostfoods have both.
So first is soluble fiber.
(13:05):
You can think of this like asponge.
It basically soap soaks up waterin your gut and binds to things
like ES excess, estrogen,toxins, and even cholesterol.
And then carries them out like alittle cleanup crew.
So if you're not getting enoughsoluble fiber.
You might miss a key chance tograb excess estrogen before it
gets recycled.
(13:26):
Then we have insoluble fiber.
This is like the broom fiber, soit doesn't dissolve.
Instead, it just adds bulk toyour stool and it kind of sweeps
everything through yourdigestive track.
You need this one for speed, soit keeps your gut motility
strong, so waist.
It doesn't just sit there andstagnate.
So you really need both.
And like I said, a lot of foodshave both.
(13:49):
You can't just have the spongeor the broom.
It's like cleaning your house.
You need both.
One helps collect the waste.
The other gets it out the door,so when you're low on fiber, the
whole system shuts down andestrogen will just hang out
longer.
Your poop moves slower andthings start to back up
literally, and hormonally.
So there's even research showingthat women who eat more fiber
(14:10):
have lower circulating estrogenlevels, meaning that their
bodies are doing a better job ofclearing what they don't need,
which is really cool.
And it's simple, but superpowerful.
Let's talk about another pieceof the puzzle, which is little
known, but super importantcalled the Estrobolome.
So this is a collection ofbacteria in the gut that is
(14:33):
responsible for metabolizingestrogen and when this system is
working well.
It supports estrogen balance andelimination when it's out of
whack.
Perhaps because of a low fiberdiet, antibiotics, processed
food, any other gut imbalances,these bacteria can actually
(14:54):
reactivate estrogen.
I.
That was meant to be excreted.
So instead of leaving the body,it gets thrown back into
circulation, and that's when youmight get some estrogen dominant
symptoms.
So it's like your ex tro, yourestrobolome is the mail room,
just sorting out what needs togo where, but maybe it's under
staffed.
(15:14):
Overwhelmed stuff is gettinglost, recent backed up.
Your hormones are all suffering.
So yes.
Fiber helps you poop, but italso helps to regulate your
hormones by binding andeliminating estrogen, feeding
your gut bacteria, supportingthe estrobolome, and then just
moving things out efficiently.
(15:34):
So if you've been focusing on.
All these hormone things.
One simple shift that you mightmake is maybe it's not just
always about more products ormore things.
Sometimes it's about gettingback to the basics.
So let's just pause for a secondand make this a little bit
personal.
I.
Because information is great,but what we really want is a
(15:57):
trans for transformation andsomething that you can actually
focus on.
So I wanna ask you just a fewquestions.
No judgment.
You can even jot these down,open your notes up maybe if
you're on a walk.
First question is, are youpooping daily?
And I mean fully, not just likea little bit here and there, but
full satisfying, complete bowelmovements.
(16:19):
Second question is, do younotice more bloating,
irritability, or that kind ofsluggish feeling in the days
before your period?
Then last question is, are youactually getting anywhere near
25 to 35 grams of fiber a day?
And the spoiler here is thatmost people aren't.
The average intake of anAmerican is around 15 grams.
(16:40):
I've seen things as low as 10grams.
And when we are under fibered.
I don't think that's a word, butwhen you're under eating fiber,
our gut, our hormones, our mood,all take a hit.
So my challenge for you is forjust a couple days, just track
how much fiber you're getting.
Not with guilt or pressure.
This is not about like countingcalories or anything like that,
(17:02):
but just look at.
What fiber rich foods are yougetting in your diet?
And then you can track how yourbowel movements are going on
from there, frequency,consistency, even how you feel
after.
And then pay attention to whereyou are in your cycle.
How your hormones might shiftduring that time, like bloating
(17:24):
or cramping, mood changes,constipation, creeping in.
You don't necessarily need somefancy app.
Of course there are many appsthat you can use.
But just taking some littlenotes and know that this might
just take some time.
It can take a little bit of timefor hormones to shift, but the
sooner you can get your bowelscompletely and fully emptying
and.
(17:44):
Up that fiber intake, you aregonna make a big difference on
your hormones.
So the more you notice, the morepatterns start to pop up, and
that's when you can start tomake really targeted, effective
changes.
So if you're feeling like yourperiod symptoms might be
unpredictable or frustrating.
This check-in might just kind ofbe a starting point that your
body's been asking for.
(18:05):
So let's just kind of bring ithome here.
If you take one thing from thisepisode, let it be this.
Constipation isn't just a gutissue, it is a hormone issue as
well.
When you're not eliminatingdaily and fully, your body can't
clear out estrogen the way it'ssupposed to, so that backup will
(18:25):
lead to heavier periods.
Smooth swings, bloating, andmore.
And fiber is not just aboutstaying regular, it's the MVP
for detox.
Gut health, it's for helping youhave smoother, more predictable
cycles.
So if you've been doing all theright things.
Eating clean, avoidinginflammatory foods, taking your
(18:45):
supplements, but you still feelstuck.
It's time to look at your fiberintake and your poop schedule.
So don't just assume your dietis hormone friendly.
Just because you're eliminatingall these things.
Maybe you're actuallyeliminating too many things.
So if this episode gave you anaha moment, I would love for you
to share it.
Send it to a friend who also hasperiod problems.
(19:08):
Post it on Instagram.
Let's help make women moreconnected to their cycles and
connect the dots between guthealth and hormone health.
And don't forget to hitsubscribe, so you never miss an
episode.
I've got some good ones comingup.
And I know that you don't wannamiss them, so I'll drop the
links in the show notes to someof the things that I mentioned,
(19:32):
including the Biome chocolatefiber, and some information
about working with our team.
But until next time,, tosmoother cycles and better
digestion.
I'll see you on the next episodeof the Love Your Gut podcast.
When you're not eliminating daily and fully,
your body can't clear outestrogen the way it's supposed
to, so that backup will lead toheavier periods.
Smooth swings, bloating, andmore.
And fiber is not just aboutstaying regular, it's the MVP
for detox Welcome to the LoveYour Gut Podcast.
(00:23):
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, registereddietitian and gut health
specialist.
I understand the frustration ofdealing with GI issues because
I've been there and I spent overtwo decades searching for
answers for my own gut issues ofconstipation, bloating, and
stomach pain.
I've dedicated my life tounderstanding and solving my own
gut issues.
(00:44):
And now I'm here to guide you.
On this podcast, I'll help youidentify the true root causes of
your discomfort.
So you can finally ditch yoursymptoms for good.
My goal is to empower you withthe knowledge and tools you need
so that you can love your gutand it will love you right back.
So if you're ready to learn alot, gain a deeper understanding
(01:05):
of your gut and find lastingrelief.
You are in the right place.
Welcome to the love your gutpodcast.
Hello, hello, and welcome backto the next episode of the Love
Your Gut podcast.
I am so glad to be here today tobe diving into something that
you might not expect to beconnected, which is your gut
constipation, fiber, and yourhormones.
(01:27):
So I thought I would start outwith just a personal story.
This goes way back to kind ofthe thick of my gut issues when
I really decided that somethinghad to change because I felt
like I was doing all the rightthings.
It was my first Thanksgiving asa newlywed, and I honestly felt
worse than I ever had.
(01:48):
I was eating, quote unquote,super clean tons of veggies.
No grains, no legumes, all thethings that I was told to do,
but I felt awful.
I remember we were actuallydriving to a football game on
Thanksgiving Day because my almamater and my husband's alma
mater, I.
(02:08):
TCU and University of Texas wereplaying each other, so we
decided to go to the game forThanksgiving, which was super
fun, but I felt terrible.
I was having horrible, painfulcramps on the drive there,
bloating.
I couldn't go to the bathroom,and I was super worried that
this was gonna ruin.
I.
The trip, and the hardest partabout this was that I thought I
(02:29):
was doing everything right, butI was completely missing the
mark when it came to fiber andgut motility.
So constipation doesn't justmake you uncomfortable.
It really affects how you clearhormones, especially estrogen.
And if you've ever dealt withPMS, mood swings, heavy periods,
your gut might just be playing abigger role than you think.
(02:53):
So I wanna rewind a little bitand talk about how I got there.
So if I were to backtrack fromthat moment at Thanksgiving,
driving to that football game,about eight months before that,
I was diagnosed withHashimoto's, and that was a
multiple month process initself.
I had gone to my doctor, I hadtold her.
(03:14):
You know, I think I'm havinghypothyroidism.
Can you run some labs?
I asked her, she said, you arenot overweight.
You don't need to run thyroidlabs.
And I said, I, my hair isfalling out.
I can't concentrate.
My skin is dry.
I have all the symptoms.
Can you please just run thelabs?
And she said, you're probablyjust depressed because your dad
(03:34):
passed away.
And I said, that might be true.
However, I really think there'ssomething physi physiologically
going.
On.
She did not run a thyroid panel,so then it took a while to find
another provider who would, bythe time I got the labs drawn, I
not only had hypothyroidism, butI had Hashimoto's, so the
full-blown autoimmune process.
(03:56):
So of course, being the Type Aperfectionist that I am, I went
down this crazy rabbit hole ofresearch and decided that I was
going to try to fix this.
Everything that I was reading atthe time.
Especially this was, a littleover 10 years ago, everything
was about being grain free.
(04:17):
And so I bought the book AgainstAll Grain, and I do actually
love her recipes.
I have nothing against DanielleWalker at all.
I love her stuff, but I read thebook and I cut out all the
grains and proceeded to then cutout all legumes, pretty much
like tons of nuts, all thethings, and.
That is what actually catapultedme into this hormonal storm that
(04:43):
I had never been in.
So my diet looked so differentthan it had at the time.
I thought I was doing everythingright because everything I was
reading said cut out grains.
So I wasn't eating grains, Iwasn't eating legumes.
My plate was piled high with allthese veggies, especially.
Raw leafy greens, and on paperit looked quote unquote super
(05:07):
clean.
There were no processed foods,no gluten, no sugar.
It looked like what you wouldsee on a wellness influencer's
Instagram, which didn't reallyeven exist at that time.
But underneath all that cleaneating, I was totally missing
the mark when it came to fiber.
So here's the thing that nobodytells you when you go grain
free.
(05:28):
Or even paleo or gluten-free inthe name of quote unquote gut
health, you're often cutting outyour biggest sources of fiber.
So whole grains like oats, brownrice, rye bread.
These are all fiber rich,legumes, lentils, chickpeas.
These are fiber powerhouses.
And when these go away, you'releft with a bunch of leafy
greens and fruits, and honestly,they aren't pulling.
(05:52):
They're full weight.
And don't get me wrong, I love abig salad as much as ne the next
person, especially this time ofyear.
But the truth is you would needan entire mixing bowl of spinach
to get the same amount of fiberthat you would get from a small
amount of oats or beans orlentils or whatever it might be.
So.
(06:12):
Here I was eating clean and alsoaccidentally underfeeding my gut
microbiome, slowing down mydigestive system and actually
contributing to some of thehormonal symptoms that seemed to
quote unquote come out ofnowhere.
I started dealing with reallybad hormonal breakouts, all
those period symptoms that I wastalking about.
(06:34):
So if you're listening andthinking, wait, this is kind of
my diet right now.
You are not alone.
So many women go gluten-free orsuper low carb, trying to feel
better because that's what theyread online and they end up with
more bloating, moreconstipation, and more.
Pmms and even hormonalbreakouts.
So if this has been your story,this could actually be the
(06:55):
missing piece.
It's not that doing this iswrong, there's a way to
strategically do this and makesure you do get enough fiber.
You just have to really thinkabout it.
So we have to make sure that youare getting enough.
Fiber in your diet to supportthe growth of beneficial
bacteria in your gut support,estrogen, detox, and all the
(07:16):
things.
So you can be eating all theorganic kale in the world, but
if you are not getting enoughfiber, your gut and your
hormones are going to struggle.
So the bottom line is a hormonefriendly diet isn't about what
you take out, it's about whatyou put in.
And fiber is one of those musthaves that most people are
overlooking.
(07:36):
Also side note, my dog justwalked into my office and it's
so funny she, I saw this coming.
She is on her period right now.
So I feel like this episodefeels very timely because we've
got hormones I.
Circulating all over this house.
We're all just trying to stayregular and keep it together.
But anyways, so let's talk aboutsomething that doesn't get
(08:01):
enough airtime and that isestrogen clearance.
So this might sound kind ofsciencey, but I promise that
it's super important and I'mgonna break it down in a way
that is easy to understand andhow you can actually fix it,
especially if you deal withheavy periods or mood swings or
bloating.
So here's the deal.
Once your body is done usingestrogen, like the kind that
(08:22):
your ovaries make or exposed tofrom the environment, it has to
get rid of it, and your body hasa system for that.
So first estrogen is sent to theliver.
You can think of the liver likethe processing plant.
It packages up those estrogen orthat estrogen so it can be
safely sent out of the body.
Then it gets passed to the gutwhere it's supposed to exit
(08:43):
stage left AKA by having a bowelmovement.
So here's the problem.
If you're not pooping daily oryou're not pooping completely
daily, that estrogen doesn'tjust vanish.
It actually gets reabsorbed backinto the bloodstream, and now
your body's dealing with it allover again.
So it's kind of like puttingyour trash out on the curb.
(09:05):
But the garbage truck nevercomes.
So the bag is just sittingthere.
Eventually things start to rotand smell, and it gets gross.
So the same thing happens inyour body when estrogen isn't
cleared and it starts to causesymptoms.
So enter.
Beta glucuronidase.
This is something that wemeasure in our clients on stool
testing, and we see this off allthe time.
(09:27):
There's an enzyme called betaglucuronidase, and when this is
high, it's like the gut bacteriaare basically untying the little
packages that your liver worksso hard to wrap up.
It's like when you're toddlergoes.
Under your Christmas tree andunwraps the presents before
Christmas.
So it's freeing the estrogen tofloat around again.
(09:48):
And it's like your liver issaying, Hey, you know, I dealt
with that already, and your gutbugs are like, nah, we're good.
Let's put it back intocirculation.
So this usually happens whenyour microbiome is out of
balance.
Maybe you have too much of thewrong bacteria.
Maybe you're not eating enoughfiber, maybe sometimes sluggish
bile flow.
(10:08):
And this is where it gets reallyreal because when estrogen is
being recycled instead ofcleared, we see it show up in
symptoms like painful and heavyperiods, mood swings before your
period, bloating, breasttenderness, just feeling off
kind of during that premenstrualwindow.
So for me.
This all hit home.
When I started experiencing allthese hormonal symptoms, the
(10:32):
bloating, the painful periods,the acne that I had never had in
my.
Entire life before, and now I'min my mid twenties wondering why
it looks like I'm going throughpuberty again.
So I had really low bile flow orreally poor bile flow.
My liver detox markers were notgreat.
(10:53):
When I ran my first stool testand my bi, my microbiome was
super depleted from being onthis really restricted diet.
I.
Was kind of like a walkingestrogen traffic jam.
And honestly, that was just sucha huge turning point for me.
I finally understood that my gutwasn't just about digestion, it
(11:13):
was driving my period symptomstoo.
So if you're doing all thehormone balancing things, seed
cycling and the like, cleaneating and the supplements, but
you're still not pooping daily,you might be missing the most
important piece of the puzzle.
So quick pause.
I have to tell you aboutsomething that has made a huge
(11:34):
difference in my gut health andmy hormone health, and honestly,
something that I just reallylook forward to and enjoy.
So lately, I have been enjoyingadding a.
Scoop of the biome chocolatefiber to my morning coffee.
It makes my coffee taste like adelicious mocha, and it also
gives me seven grams of fiber tostart the morning.
(11:57):
It has a resistant starch fiber.
It's this blend of sono, and itis really helpful for keeping
things moving, for feeding mymicrobiome, supporting estrogen
clearance, and.
Making my coffee delicious.
So if you're painful, if yourperiods are painful or
unpredictable, you may not wantto just look at your hormones.
(12:20):
Your gut might be the root ofit.
So I'll link it in the shownotes if you wanna try it.
Now, back to the e episode.
All right.
Now that we've talked about howestrogen is supposed to leave
the body, let's talk about theactual real hero of the process,
which is fiber.
So fiber does not get enoughlove.
Everyone is obsessed withprotein right now, and I think
(12:44):
fiber often gets a bad wrapbecause we think of it like this
gritty, disgusting powder thatpeople put in orange juice, but
fiber is actually a major playerwhen it comes to hormone health
and.
There are two types that we'regonna talk about today.
Both are important and mostfoods have both.
So first is soluble fiber.
(13:05):
You can think of this like asponge.
It basically soap soaks up waterin your gut and binds to things
like ES excess, estrogen,toxins, and even cholesterol.
And then carries them out like alittle cleanup crew.
So if you're not getting enoughsoluble fiber.
You might miss a key chance tograb excess estrogen before it
gets recycled.
(13:26):
Then we have insoluble fiber.
This is like the broom fiber, soit doesn't dissolve.
Instead, it just adds bulk toyour stool and it kind of sweeps
everything through yourdigestive track.
You need this one for speed, soit keeps your gut motility
strong, so waist.
It doesn't just sit there andstagnate.
So you really need both.
And like I said, a lot of foodshave both.
(13:49):
You can't just have the spongeor the broom.
It's like cleaning your house.
You need both.
One helps collect the waste.
The other gets it out the door,so when you're low on fiber, the
whole system shuts down andestrogen will just hang out
longer.
Your poop moves slower andthings start to back up
literally, and hormonally.
So there's even research showingthat women who eat more fiber
(14:10):
have lower circulating estrogenlevels, meaning that their
bodies are doing a better job ofclearing what they don't need,
which is really cool.
And it's simple, but superpowerful.
Let's talk about another pieceof the puzzle, which is little
known, but super importantcalled the Estrobolome.
So this is a collection ofbacteria in the gut that is
(14:33):
responsible for metabolizingestrogen and when this system is
working well.
It supports estrogen balance andelimination when it's out of
whack.
Perhaps because of a low fiberdiet, antibiotics, processed
food, any other gut imbalances,these bacteria can actually
(14:54):
reactivate estrogen.
I.
That was meant to be excreted.
So instead of leaving the body,it gets thrown back into
circulation, and that's when youmight get some estrogen dominant
symptoms.
So it's like your ex tro, yourestrobolome is the mail room,
just sorting out what needs togo where, but maybe it's under
staffed.
(15:14):
Overwhelmed stuff is gettinglost, recent backed up.
Your hormones are all suffering.
So yes.
Fiber helps you poop, but italso helps to regulate your
hormones by binding andeliminating estrogen, feeding
your gut bacteria, supportingthe estrobolome, and then just
moving things out efficiently.
(15:34):
So if you've been focusing on.
All these hormone things.
One simple shift that you mightmake is maybe it's not just
always about more products ormore things.
Sometimes it's about gettingback to the basics.
So let's just pause for a secondand make this a little bit
personal.
I.
Because information is great,but what we really want is a
(15:57):
trans for transformation andsomething that you can actually
focus on.
So I wanna ask you just a fewquestions.
No judgment.
You can even jot these down,open your notes up maybe if
you're on a walk.
First question is, are youpooping daily?
And I mean fully, not just likea little bit here and there, but
full satisfying, complete bowelmovements.
(16:19):
Second question is, do younotice more bloating,
irritability, or that kind ofsluggish feeling in the days
before your period?
Then last question is, are youactually getting anywhere near
25 to 35 grams of fiber a day?
And the spoiler here is thatmost people aren't.
The average intake of anAmerican is around 15 grams.
(16:40):
I've seen things as low as 10grams.
And when we are under fibered.
I don't think that's a word, butwhen you're under eating fiber,
our gut, our hormones, our mood,all take a hit.
So my challenge for you is forjust a couple days, just track
how much fiber you're getting.
Not with guilt or pressure.
This is not about like countingcalories or anything like that,
(17:02):
but just look at.
What fiber rich foods are yougetting in your diet?
And then you can track how yourbowel movements are going on
from there, frequency,consistency, even how you feel
after.
And then pay attention to whereyou are in your cycle.
How your hormones might shiftduring that time, like bloating
(17:24):
or cramping, mood changes,constipation, creeping in.
You don't necessarily need somefancy app.
Of course there are many appsthat you can use.
But just taking some littlenotes and know that this might
just take some time.
It can take a little bit of timefor hormones to shift, but the
sooner you can get your bowelscompletely and fully emptying
and.
(17:44):
Up that fiber intake, you aregonna make a big difference on
your hormones.
So the more you notice, the morepatterns start to pop up, and
that's when you can start tomake really targeted, effective
changes.
So if you're feeling like yourperiod symptoms might be
unpredictable or frustrating.
This check-in might just kind ofbe a starting point that your
body's been asking for.
(18:05):
So let's just kind of bring ithome here.
If you take one thing from thisepisode, let it be this.
Constipation isn't just a gutissue, it is a hormone issue as
well.
When you're not eliminatingdaily and fully, your body can't
clear out estrogen the way it'ssupposed to, so that backup will
(18:25):
lead to heavier periods.
Smooth swings, bloating, andmore.
And fiber is not just aboutstaying regular, it's the MVP
for detox.
Gut health, it's for helping youhave smoother, more predictable
cycles.
So if you've been doing all theright things.
Eating clean, avoidinginflammatory foods, taking your
(18:45):
supplements, but you still feelstuck.
It's time to look at your fiberintake and your poop schedule.
So don't just assume your dietis hormone friendly.
Just because you're eliminatingall these things.
Maybe you're actuallyeliminating too many things.
So if this episode gave you anaha moment, I would love for you
to share it.
Send it to a friend who also hasperiod problems.
(19:08):
Post it on Instagram.
Let's help make women moreconnected to their cycles and
connect the dots between guthealth and hormone health.
And don't forget to hitsubscribe, so you never miss an
episode.
I've got some good ones comingup.
And I know that you don't wannamiss them, so I'll drop the
links in the show notes to someof the things that I mentioned,
(19:32):
including the Biome chocolatefiber, and some information
about working with our team.
But until next time,, tosmoother cycles and better
digestion.
I'll see you on the next episodeof the Love Your Gut podcast.
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