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You’ve approached or surpassed that certain age when your body is beginning to prepare for the next phase of life.  Certain symptoms may have begun to appear and we are discussing some hormone tweaks to implement that will make major differences in how you feel, sleep, and live. 

Do You Suffer From These Symptoms?

1. Skin: If you hit an age and suddenly notice that all your makeup and skincare products dry out your skin like the treacherous traitors they are, you may be experiencing hormonal changes. (This also means your maturing skin needs a better option).
2. Sleep: You wake up between 2 and 4 a.m., your mind racing with thoughts, feel wide awake but not refreshed, and cannot return to sleep. Yep, those wretched hormones are sending you a message.
3. Weight Gain: No matter what you eat, or don’t, the scale keeps inching up or you’re noticing your torso is getting thicker regardless of fitness program and diet.
4. Libido: Skin, weight, and sleep are just part of the reasons you may no longer feel “in the mood” Estrogen and progesterone are beginning to decrease and that definitely impacts your feelings for some intimate time.
5. Brain: You lose track of time, your phone, your schedule, why you walked into a room, and cannot focus like you did in your twenties. All signs of hormone imbalance.
6. Cravings: You get strong cravings for foods that cannot be satiated until you consume them. Estrogen imbalance affects insulin(blood sugar swings) as does cortisol (from stress and lack of sleep)

These are just a few of the signs that your hormones are taking a trip down chaos lane. It’s important to note that even woman in their 20s and 30s can feel these symptoms, the symptoms will have different reasons but the same tips apply to all. Below we discuss the the hormone tweaks to implement in your daily activities.

1) Balancing Your Plate with Hormone-Healthy Foods

Introducing hormone-healthy foods into your diet stands as a crucial “Hormone Tweak to Implement” for balanced well-being. These nutrient-rich choices actively support your body’s hormonal functions.

Start by focusing on adequate protein consumption. While the body can live in the absence of carbs or fats, it absolutely must have adequate protein to keep all systems in balance. A goal should be .8 times your lean body mass. Your lean body mass (LBM) Can be calculated HERE. However, if you have any metabolic or auto-immune conditions or are in the “pre” stage for those issues, strive for 1-1.1 x LBM.

Adding the proper amount of protein isn’t the only hormone tweak to implement. Reducing carbohydrate intake. This amount will depend on whether you already have or are in the “pre” stages of insulin resistance, PCOS, type 2 diabetes, M.S., Crohn’s, IBS, or IBD. If you are suffering from any of these issues, reducing the carb and sugar intake will be a tweak with noticeable improvements in how you feel.

The amount of carbs to reduce depends on your level of activity. The goal is to only consume the amount of carbs that your body will utilize throughout the day. This prevents your body from storing excess sugar. For those with high activity levels, 100g carbs per day may be best. For those in a sedentary or infrequent exercise schedule, under 100g and eliminating most to all sugar will be best to achieve hormone homeostasis.

Foods To Eat

You will want to focus on your protein goal when developing meals. Look for quality protein within your budget like lean red meat, chicken, and wild-caught fish. After protein, incorporate vegetables that are low on the glycemic list and will enhance your meal. This chart from Very Well Health is a solid list but not complete. Vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, and zucchini squash are excellent examples. Fruit should be limited to 2 servings a week until you feel the difference in your overall feeling of wellness.

Sugar Elimination

Most of us think of refined white sugar when we hear advice to exclude it from the diet. Foods like processed grains have a greater impact on blood sugar than sugar itself. Not only are these grains processed and refined, but they typically break down the grain into a form that our body digests quite rapidly sending blood sugar soaring which in turn, impacts estrogen and cortisol hormones.

When you begin to eliminate sugar and processed foods, there can be withdrawal symptoms that you should be ready to counter. Have a few non-food-related ways to counter cravings. Have a few low-carb, protein-focused snacks that you can grab to prevent yourself from binging.

Having a plan will help you succeed in battling the hormone imbalance dance.

2) Strength Training Over Cardio

While cardio workouts are excellent for health and endurance, they place stress on your hormones. Extended periods of intense cardio can spike cortisol levels—your body’s stress hormone—which, if chronically elevated, will lead to hormonal imbalances affecting everything from your mood to your metabolism.

If you’re like me, walking or running 5-6 miles a day felt like the cheapest therapy but when hormones and other life stress interfere, it can mean hormonal imbalance and weight gain.

Strength Exercise As A Hormone Tweak to Implement

Having to give up long therapeutic walks was not a welcome change but within 2 weeks of doing yoga daily upon waking (it’s more strength than cardio…way more) and focusing on weight resistance a few times per week, I saw drops on the scale and my sleep was improving.

Building muscles is another benefit to strength that encourages hormonal balance. As we age, taking a week off from the gym could mean several weeks before we regain the muscle lost. There’s that aging thing again that is super annoying to deal with but necessary for lasting health.

3) Prioritize Sleep

Sleep quality training as I call it, did not come easy and might not be for you either. As a long-time sufferer of insomnia, sleep quality had to become a priority. I know that after a long day, the last thing my body needs is a new TV series or movie to watch. Save those for the weekend whenever possible. Let the last hours before you head to sleep be as device-free as possible. This was great for me as I suddenly had time to organize a closet or spare room which took several nights to accomplish. I also had time to read again. Don’t worry, I still keep up with certain shows through their synopsis and my sleep doesn’t suffer. The following are ideas for improving sleep:

• No phone, texts, messages, or social media 1 hour prior to bed. Use this time to tidy up, take a relaxing cool to-cold shower (Trust me, it helps you fall asleep quickly), meal prep, or plan out the next day.
• If you tend to overthink at bedtime, try making a to-do list even if you know it won’t be completed.
• Block out any outside lights that may come through the windows.
• Cool the room, a temperature of 65°F is the best for improving sleep
• No tv to sleep. This was the hardest for me to overcome as I would frequently throw on a movie I’d seen 1000 times before to fall asleep to. Not anymore.
• Research techniques to fall asleep. These techniques can involve relaxation techniques and military sleep training. The Sleep Foundation is an excellent source for sleep from which mattress you should buy their fall asleep techniques and will have you counting sheep quickly.
• Supplements that can help you fall asleep and stay asleep:
  • Magnesium Glycinate chelated like Dr’s Best – take 1 hour prior to sleep time
  • Evening Primrose Oil – 1 capsule with dinner
  • Valerian Root – Take 30 min prior to sleep. If you have gut issues, take 2 hours before bed.

Sleep is like a muscle that takes time to strengthen but when you achieve it, magic happens. Quality sleep also reduces hunger cravings.

Sleep Duration

I cannot begin to emphasize to you that the duration of sleep is greatly more than the majority of adults are achieving. 8-10 hours is optimal for hormones, weight loss, mental function and wellness, and healing our body. Most adults achieve 5-6 hours most nights according to a recent survey. Saatva has a great chart to reference here but I personally need to hit the 8-9 hour mark to feel best most days.

4) Manage Stress

Stress, in moderation, can fuel our survival instincts, but when it lingers, it disrupts our hormonal balance, elevating cortisol levels which can derail our metabolic balance. Reducing stress is not just beneficial; it’s essential—an important hormone tweak to implement ASAP.

You may be laughing out loud right now, most of society is chasing stress reductions or running in survival mode from stress. It is the driving factor in disease, cancer, chronic pain, and of course, hormonal health.

• Gut health: Start with whole foods, reduction of processed foods and sugar, prioritize protein, and take a quality probiotic while avoiding dairy can change your anxiety levels in just days.
• Reducing commitments until you have a better balance of hormones can be beneficial. Taking a season to pause on some activities and commitments allows you to focus on your hormonal health while finding peace in the downtime.
• Regular movement. You don’t have to change into workout clothes to get regular movement. If you work for long hours at a computer, make a point to get up and move every hour for a few minutes. After a meal, take a short 5-minute walk or do a household deep clean for 5-10 minutes post-meal to aid digestion and help reduce cortisol and insulin.
• Environmental stressors are a bit harder to eliminate but can be accomplished. If your morning commute is filled with distracted drivers and heavy traffic. Opt for leaving sooner to avoid the rush or listen to classical music and remind yourself that you will arrive at your destination, eventually.
• Personal care products. Your shampoo, deodorant, and lotion can be filled with hormone-disrupting chemicals that can increase stress on the body. Opt for natural products free of hormone disruptors like parabens, benzophenones, bisphenols, and phthalates. Your body will thank you.

While this list is far from complete, it touches on various areas of our bodies experience stress. Reducing stress means reducing the amount of cortisol that we have pumping in our body. Another way to hormone tweak is to do 5 minutes of stretches or light exercise after waking up. This reduces the amount of cortisol that might find its way into fat storage.

5) Supplements That Work

Black Cohosh

Navigating the world of hormonal health can lead to the discovery of nature’s own remedies, and among these, black cohosh stands out, especially for women navigating the ebb and flow of menopausal symptoms. This herb will ease hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. Its natural compounds act on estrogen receptors, helping to balance hormone levels without the harsh side effects often associated with synthetic treatments.

Evening Primrose Oil

Evening primrose oil, rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), is another supplement that’s for its hormonal balancing acts. Women across the globe take it to manage premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and breast tenderness, conditions often tied to sensitive hormonal shifts. The GLA in evening primrose oil is a fatty acid that plays a role in reducing inflammation and could potentially assist in the production of healthy hormone levels.  It can also help with sleep quality.

Chasteberry

In addition to these, chasteberry, also known as Vitex, is a supplement with a long history of use in hormonal health. It’s known for its potential ability to regulate the menstrual cycle and improve symptoms of PMS. If you’re just beginning to see hormonal symptoms, this may be all you need.

Incorporating these supplements as “Hormone Tweaks to Implement” into your daily routine could support and promote a more balanced hormonal state. However, it’s crucial to approach them with the same caution as any health intervention. Always consult with a healthcare professional before beginning any new supplement, particularly if you have existing health conditions or are taking other medications. Personalized medical advice is essential because even natural remedies can interact with other treatments and affect individual health conditions differently.

Making All The Tweaks Work For You

Remember, the goal is to achieve a symphony of well-tuned hormonal interactions that support your body’s natural rhythms and well-being. If you are interested in learning an easy way to incorporate these tweaks all together with meals and recipes, I highly recommend downloading the Kickstart 7-day program. It has all the tools provided to show your hormones who is boss.

Right now, when you download the Kickstart, your name will be entered into a product giveaway valued at over $750 and it includes a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Drawing will be held on January 2, 2024, and is open to USA and Canada entries.