Hello! It's been a hot minute since I've posted, but welcome to my blog. I'm glad you're here. What started out as a social media post quickly turned into a blog because I can’t for the life of me stay under the 2,200 character limit on Instagram. So without further ado, here are my top five tips for how to support your hormones in this brand new year of 2023.
1. eat enough food
Many women are undereating without knowing it. In order to meet our body’s energy needs, including the energy-intensive process of a healthy menstrual cycle, we need a consistent supply of calories to avoid blood sugar swings, encourage a health metabolism, and help our bodies manufacture enough hormones. Not sure what eating “enough food” looks like for you? You can do this through both mindful eating or tracking options, depending on which works best for you. Book a free call with me for more detailed support. But here’s the quick and dirty: eat within 1 hour of waking and eat every 3-4 hours during the day with combined macros (fat/protein/carb). Keep it simple and don't worry about making every meal fancy. Sloooooowwww down and enjoy your food, listen to your body, and eat until you feel satisfied. If food overwhelms you, you're not alone! For simple, straightforward, and practical food advice, my favorite book to start with is Gentle Nutrition, by Rachel Hartley.
2. don’t over-exercise
Sorry ladies, but I gotta be blunt: those hours and hours at the gym or pounding the pavement may not be in your best interest if you are looking to optimize hormone health. Don’t get me wrong here: I am ALL FOR movement in all of its forms. But too many times I see women overriding their bodies' cues in order to stick to a strict workout regime that can lead to excessive stress on the body and potential burnout and/or symptoms of hormone imbalance. Unlike men, who have a 24-hr hormone cycle, women typically have a 24-35 day hormone cycle, during which we can experience normal fluctuations of energy and exercise tolerance. No two women are identical and movement will look different for every person. But please follow your body’s cues and enjoy movement in moderation. Breaks are OK. My current favorite types of movement are walks, stretching or yoga routines, and bodyweight exercise like pushups, chin ups, dead hangs, and planks.
3. sleep when you’re tired
I’ve found that my body often craves extra sleep in the dark winter months. I feel better when honoring those cues and going to bed early. Especially coming off the busyness of the holidays, give your body the gift of plenty of sleep. You can help facilitate a healthy sleep (circadian) rhythm by getting daily outdoor light exposure on walks and wearing blue blocker glasses and/or turning off screens when it gets dark outside. Following the sun’s cues and incorporating an evening “wind down” practice before bed can help with more nourishing sleep. For more sleep tips, check out this post.
4. remineralize with minerals
This can be an absolute game-changer for vitality and stress resilience, as minerals are the spark plugs that help create energy and run the many processes in our body, including hormone production. Start with the big four: sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and find ways to incorporate whole foods sources of these minerals in your diet. For example, I like including plenty of high-quality sea salt in my diet (sodium), coconut water (potassium), full fat organic dairy products (calcium), and a magnesium supplement. Sound intriguing and want to learn more? Check out the Hormone Healing RD for high quality education on minerals, including her instagram, podcast, blog, and course to assess your own mineral status.
5. PLAY!!!
Ah yes, my personal favorite. There’s a lot of hard and heavy things going on in this world right now. As adults, it’s easy to forget this one, but we still need to laugh, not take ourselves too seriously, be inspired, and have a creative outlet for fun. Stress on the body can directly impact our body’s ability to produce adequate female hormones, and play can be a great stress relief. Need some ideas? Here you go: personal home dance party, dance lessons, play on a playground or swing set (kids optional), hike a new trail, find a hobby you enjoy, picnic - indoor or outdoor depending on weather, singing karaoke, sing in the shower, explore a new museum or local attraction, or take a weekend trip somewhere fun with your honey or with friends. If you need more inspiration, read the book That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs. It’s a fun read, pun intended. :)
So there are some ways to support your hormones! Remember that starting with the basics and often straightforward foundations of health will create the biggest impact over time. If you found this helpful, share with a friend. As always, please reach out if you have any questions or would like further support from me.
Until next time, loves!
XOXO,
Brooke
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash