Robert’s note: You’re invited to a free online seminar titled, Inflammation, Insulin, and Estrogen: The Trio Behind Hormonal Imbalance. Click here to register | Saturday, May 17th at 10 AM PST, 11 AM MST, 12 PM CST, and 1 PM EST.
My mom’s health journey is one many women can relate to—even if they don’t always talk about it.
It began around the time she turned 40. She started experiencing hot flashes, restless sleep, mood swings, low energy, and heavier periods. At the time, she thought it was just part of getting older. What she didn’t realize was that she had entered perimenopause—the transition phase when hormones like estrogen and progesterone begin to shift in the years leading up to menopause.
Understanding the Stages of Menopause
-
- Premenopause: This is the stage from puberty to the beginning of perimenopause. Hormones are relatively stable, and most women have regular menstrual cycles and are fully fertile.
- Perimenopause: The time before menopause when hormone levels begin to fluctuate. Symptoms like irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and disrupted sleep often appear. This stage can last several years.
- Menopause: Officially defined as going 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. It marks the natural end of fertility.
- Postmenopause: The stage after menopause. Hormone levels remain low, and although some symptoms may ease, others—like vaginal dryness, hot flashes, or bone loss—may continue.
Over time, her symptoms intensified. Her periods became more painful, she lacked interest in having sex, her fatigue deepened, and her emotional ups and downs became harder to manage. Doctors eventually discovered tumors on her thyroid. At age 42, as her menstrual symptoms worsened, and at her doctor’s recommendation, she underwent a hysterectomy. Her uterus was removed—and in her case, so were her ovaries—causing an abrupt transition into surgical menopause, a more intense hormonal shift than natural menopause. It was like going from summer to winter overnight.
To manage her symptoms, her doctor prescribed what was considered a high dose of estrogen—which at that time often meant 1.25 mg or more of conjugated estrogens (like Premarin), taken daily. This was in the early 1980s—a time when hormone testing was limited. Doctors weren’t checking progesterone levels, which help balance estrogen. And, as you will learn in this article, they weren’t testing omega-3 fatty acid levels at that time—and still, not even today. It’s like baking a cake with too much sugar and no flour—things go wrong. The result: estrogen dominance.
What Is Estrogen Dominance?
Estrogen dominance happens when:
-
- There’s too much estrogen compared to progesterone, or
- The body can’t properly eliminate excess estrogen, so it builds up.
But here’s the challenge: if a woman has had a hysterectomy—especially if her ovaries have been removed—doctors can’t compare estrogen to progesterone in the traditional way. Without a uterus, there’s no menstrual cycle to track symptoms, and if progesterone levels aren’t being tested, there’s no reference point for balance. That’s why many cases of estrogen dominance go undetected or unaddressed—because there’s no clear signal without the right testing.
Adding more estrogen without understanding this balance can lead to:
-
- Mood swings, bloating, sore breasts, or heavy periods
- Growths like fibroids
- Higher risk of breast or uterine cancer
- Weight gain, especially around the hips and belly
- Increased risk of blood clots (especially from oral estrogen)
What Happened Next
At first, my mom’s estrogen therapy helped. Her mood improved, and her libido returned. But after a few years, her doctor reduced her dose due to concerns about breast cancer risks.
Ten years after being prescribed estrogen, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.
What Went Wrong?
No one tested my mother’s omega-3 levels.
No one talked to her about inflammation, detoxification, or how metabolic health affects hormone balance.
No one discussed the role of diet, liver function, or gut health.
She was given estrogen without examining the bigger picture.
And I still wonder…
What if doctors had looked deeper first?
Could her outcome have been different?
What Hormone Therapy Could Look Like
Hormone therapy can be beneficial—but only when it’s personalized and supported by a strong foundation of health. That includes:
-
- Balancing the omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio (like keeping the right oil mix in your engine)
- Improving insulin sensitivity and metabolic function
- Reducing systemic inflammation
- Supporting detox pathways—especially through the liver
- Prioritizing gut health and managing stress
What Every Woman Deserves
My mom’s story is more than a memory. It’s a message.
Too many women go from symptoms → surgery → hormones without ever receiving real answers. Nobody explains how food, nutrient status, and hormone metabolism matter. But simple tests—like checking omega-3 levels or fasting insulin—can offer life-changing insight.
We owe it to our mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends to do better.
Hormones don’t just happen to us.
We can learn about them, support them, and take control of our health.
What Was Missing in My Mom’s Care
In the 1980s and 1990s, doctors rarely:
-
- Tested omega-3 levels or fatty acid ratios
- Measured estrogen and progesterone together
- Assessed how estrogen was being metabolized
- Personalized care based on inflammation, nutrition, or metabolic health
If a woman had hot flashes or low libido, the solution was usually “more estrogen.” But if no one looked at progesterone—or at how estrogen was processed—the treatment was incomplete.
Estrogen dominance wasn’t yet recognized in mainstream medicine, and there were no standard tools to guide treatment decisions beyond symptoms.
Why Omega-3 Testing Wasn’t—and Still Isn’t—Standard Practice
One key reason omega-3 levels weren’t part of hormone care is simple: the testing didn’t exist the way it does now.
It wasn’t until 2004 that dried blood spot (DBS) testing was developed. And it wasn’t until 2009 that this convenient and accurate test became available to the public.
Today, anyone can test their omega-3 levels and omega-6 to omega-3 ratio from the comfort of home. These tests are processed by world-class labs specializing in fatty acid science.
And yet… this kind of testing is still not standard in routine care—not because it lacks value, but because clinical guidelines haven’t caught up.
That’s why awareness and proactive testing matter more than ever.
Summary: Get to the Root Before Jumping to Hormones
Before starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or bioidentical hormone therapy (BHRT), take a step back and assess the foundation of your hormonal health.
That starts with:
-
- Testing your omega-3 levels
- Balancing your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio
Why? Because the science shows that this balance supports the optimal function of major hormones, including:
-
- Estrogen
- Progesterone
- Testosterone
- Cortisol
- Insulin
- Thyroid hormones (T3, T4, TSH)
- DHEA, FSH, and LH
If your cells are inflamed or out of balance, hormone therapy won’t work as well. Hormones need a healthy environment to do their job.
So before anything else:
👉 Get tested. Get balanced. Then decide.
That’s how you take charge of your health—from the inside out.
Want to Learn More?
If you’d like to learn more about getting your omega-3 levels tested, contact the person who shared this article or email me directly at robert@dietfreelife.com. You can also schedule a free consultation with me to explore how test-based nutrition and hormonal balance can support your health.
And for the record—as I write this—my mom is doing well. Her omega-3 levels and omega-6 to omega-3 ratio are in balance!
References
-
- Writing Group for the Women’s Health Initiative Investigators. (2002). Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women. JAMA, 288(3), 321–33.
- Michels, K. A., & Pfeiffer, R. M. (2015). Hormone therapy and risk of breast cancer: An overview of the evidence. The Lancet Oncology, 16(9), e389–e398.
- Simopoulos, A. P. (2002). The importance of the omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio in cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. Experimental Biology and Medicine, 226(6), 674–688.
- Harris, W. S., Tintle, N. L., Etherton, M. R., & Vasan, R. S. (2021). Erythrocyte long-chain omega-3 fatty acid levels are inversely associated with mortality and incident cardiovascular disease: The Framingham Heart Study. Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 15(6), 746–754.
- Fasching, P. A., et al. (2008). Estrogen metabolism and breast cancer risk. Endocrine-Related Cancer, 15(3), 579–596.
_______________
Robert Ferguson is a California- and Florida-based single father of two daughters, nutritionist, researcher, best-selling author, speaker, podcast and television host, health advisor, NAACP Image Award Nominee, creator of the Diet Free Life methodology, and Chief Nutrition Officer for iCoura Health. He also serves on the Presidential Task Force on Obesity for the National Medical Association and the Health and Product Advisory Board for Zinzino, Inc.
You can reach Robert via email at robert@dietfreelife.com.
🗓️ Schedule a FREE consultation with Robert Ferguson about becoming a client: SCHEDULE FREE CONSULTATION
👉🏽 To order ONLY the BalanceOil+, > CLICK HERE
👉🏽 To order the BalanceOil+ with the BalanceTEST, > CLICK HERE
👉🏽 Watch a free online presentation on the BalanceOil+ and the BalanceTEST: WATCH NOW.
0 Comments