Female hormones start with estrogen and progesterone, but don’t end there

If you’re dealing with period problems, PMS, mood swings, painful breasts, no libido, hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, or anything else you suspect *might* be your hormones, this article is for you!

Yes, it might be your hormones. And, also, your hormones might be out of whack because of one of these 6 contributing causes:

1. Detoxification (estrogen is metabolized in the liver)
2. Gut Health (estrogen metabolites are eliminated in everyday healthy)
3. Stress (stress causes the body to favor cortisol production over progesterone)
4. Blood Sugar (spikes in blood sugar and insulin lower the levels of SHBG, increasing free estrogen and testosterone)
5. Nutrient Depletion (magnesium and B6 are especially important for hormone metabolism)
6. Xenoestrogens (everyday chemicals can mimic our hormones)

The definition of hormone balance depends on your age

Here’s what you need to know. Read to the end for some top hormone health tips.

First, what most women don’t know is that “hormone balance” changes over time. Here are the differences in a nutshell.

Premenopause (typically under age 40)

During this time, it’s normal to have a monthly period. It’s normal to notice cyclical changes in your body and emotions as your estrogen and progesterone levels rise and fall each month.

One hormonal imbalance to look out for at for at this stage is estrogen dominance. This is when estrogen levels are too high in comparison to progesterone. Signs can include heavy or painful periods, breast tenderness, mood swings, and bloating.

Perimenopause (can begin as early as age 35)

This is a transitional time that lasts an average of 4 years but can last up to 10! It’s normal for your hormones to fluctuate dramatically, making your menstrual cycles shorter, longer, or irregular.

One hormonal imbalance to look out for at this age is low progesterone. This happens if progesterone levels fall faster than estrogen levels. Signs of low progesterone include insomnia, headaches, and anxiety.

Postmenopause (average age of 51)

Once you’ve gone 12 months without a period, you are officially postmenopausal. This stage of life is naturally defined by low estrogen and progesterone.

Some of the best ways to support hormone health at ANY stage:

• Eat high-quality proteins and healthy fats
• Manage stress and support adrenals with nutrients and adaptogens
• Support liver health with antioxidants for healthy hormone metabolism
• Optimize gut and digestion with fiber, probiotics, and an anti-inflammatory diet
• Build muscle strength and a healthy metabolism with resistance training

But wait! There is more!

Hormonal changes are not the only possible causes for these issues. To fully understand, we need to look at the complete picture, including your health history and labs.

That being said, I believe you deserve to understand your body!

Here’s what more women need to know: Perimenopause can begin as early as age 35.

It’s common for progesterone to decline before estrogen, creating a picture of high estrogen. That means worsening PMS, bloating, and heavy periods rather than what you might be expecting from “menopause.”

The good news is that there is an extensive toolbox to support healthy hormones and ease the transition with lifestyle, nutrition, and supplementation.

Not all estrogens are equal

Maybe you’ve heard that estrogen fuels breast cancer risk. But did you know that there are many different estrogen metabolites and some present a greater risk than others?

Also, estrogen metabolites interact with genetics, liver enzymes, antioxidants, and other biochemical pathways to ultimately determine breast cancer risk.

Meaning estrogen is only part of the puzzle. Some things we can do for healthy estrogen metabolism include:

• Support estrogen elimination from the gut with fiber-rich foods, probiotics, and supplements like calcium-d-glucarate.
• Support estrogen metabolism in the liver with sulfur-rich foods (like onions, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts) and antioxidant supplements like resveratrol.
• Support production of more favorable estrogen metabolites with supplements like DIM (diindolylmethane) and I3C (indole-3-carbinol).

Our bodies naturally produce different types of estrogens and also convert them into many different metabolites. That means that how we metabolize estrogen can influence our risk for hormone-driven diseases like some cancers.

Holistic health tips

Fun fact: People in Asian countries consume ten times the soy isoflavones as people in Western countries. Have you read about phytoestrogens? If so are phytoestrogens good or bad?

What the research says

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds in foods that mimic estrogen. They include:

• Isoflavones in soy
• Lignans in flax seeds
• Resveratrol in wine

Research shows that eating more phytoestrogens is correlated with a lower risk of breast cancer in women before menopause and a lower risk of breast cancer recurrence in women after menopause (PMID 35241506 and 38070485).

How much? The most risk reduction was in women who ate about 60mg of soy isoflavones per day, or 2-3 servings of soy.

One caveat is that soy is a common allergen, often genetically engineered, and highly processed. So look for organic soy products that are minimally processed, like tofu, tempeh, miso, and edamame.

Do you have period problems?

Research shows that following a Mediterranean diet pattern and eating foods like olive oil and fruits can support easier periods. Another popular way to use foods to support the menstrual cycle is seed cycling.

There are no clinical trials on seed cycling, but seeds do contain nutrients known to support hormones, like:

• Lignan phytoestrogens
• Omega-3 essential fatty acids
• Zinc, magnesium, and vitamin E

With seed cycling, women eat:

1. One tablespoon each per day of ground flax seeds and pumpkin seeds on days 1-14 of the menstrual cycle (phase 1), when estrogen levels rise.
2. One tablespoon each per day of sesame seeds and sunflower seeds on days 15-28 of the menstrual cycle (phase 2), when progesterone levels rise.

If you’d like to give it a try, here are some easy ways to add seeds into your daily routine:

• Add a scoop to your smoothie
• Mix into yogurt
• Toss into salad
• Sprinkle over toast, nut butter, and fresh fruit

Nutrition is one of many ways you can support healthier hormones and easier cycles.

Six things to release stress from your body every day

In case you haven’t noticed, stress is not just an emotional experience. It can disrupt just about every aspect of our physical health as well, mainly because we have a physiologic response to stress no matter what the trigger. It can contribute to:

• belly fat
• trouble losing weight
• period problems
• blood sugar swings
• sleep struggles
• groggy mornings
• digestive issues

But you have the power to stop stress in its tracks, every day and all day, with tiny habits. Like:

• Pausing for 30 seconds to focus on your breath
• Getting up from your desk for a 2-minute stretch break
• Going for a walk around the block
• Shaking out your arms, legs, and whole body
• Snuggling or being intimate with a partner
• Tapping around the eyes or under your collar bone

Things I avoid for hormone health

• Receipts
• Plastic Bottles
• Fragrances
• Food Dyes

Here’s why: All of these things contain xenoestrogens. Xenoestrogens are chemicals in everyday products that have estrogen-like effects. Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to:

• Uterine fibroids
• Endometriosis
• Infertility
• PCOS
• Early menopause
• Early puberty
• Cancers
• Metabolic disorders
• Obesity
• And more

The point is not to fear everything we breathe, eat, smell, or touch. The point is to understand simple things we can do to minimize exposures to xenoestrogens and endocrine disruptors on an everyday basis over time.

Here are some things anyone can do:

• Carry a glass or stainless steel water bottle rather than plastic
• Opt to skip printed receipts
• Choose fragrance-free cleaning products
• Avoid synthetic food dyes
• Purchase organic foods
• Choose personal care products that are paraben-free
• Use air purifiers and/or house plants to keep indoor air clean

Think of your body as a bucket. Chemical toxins are always pouring into the bucket, and your natural detox pathways are always draining those toxins out. As long as you are clearing out toxins faster than they are building up, you’ll stay in a space of health.

60 minutes of yoga twice a week may reduce discomforts of menopause

A new study showed yoga helped with:

• psychological health
• physical concerns
• urogenital issues

This was a randomized controlled trial in women between the ages of 40 and 60. Compared to no intervention, practicing yoga significantly reduced self-reported concerns in all of those areas listed.

Because of declining hormones at menopause, exercise becomes more important than ever to support bone health, weight, mood, sleep, and more.

If you’re looking to freshen up your exercise routine, think about getting a mix of:

1. Strength training (free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, squats, push-ups, etc.)
2. High-intensity interval training (HIIT involves short bursts if intense exercise)
3. Aerobic exercise (walking, running, biking, etc.)
4. Balance and flexibility training (yoga, tai chi, pilates)

New study shows aging happens in bursts at age 44 and 60

This might explain a few things.

A new study tracking 108 Californians between the ages of 25 and 75 found that human aging is not linear! Instead, they found bursts of disruption in molecular markers of aging at two points in time:

• Around the age of 44, changes occur that affect the metabolism of lipids, caffeine, and alcohol
• Around the age of 60, changes occur that affect immune function, kidney function, and the metabolism of carbohydrates

The study used the words “waves” and “crests” to describe the moments across the lifespan when aging activities spike. At both the age 44 and age 60 crests, muscle and skin aging also accelerated.

New research

Curcumin supports metabolism through the gut microbiome.

What you need to know:

• Curcumin is the biologically active compound in turmeric (the yellow spice used in curry).
• It’s a polyphenol known for its beneficial effects on metabolic health—including blood sugar, insulin, inflammation, and weight.
• Curcumin is not well absorbed from the digestive tract, so there have always been questions about its bioavailability and whether it’s worth taking.

A new research review (PMID 39062953) reveals that curcumin may not need to be well absorbed to still have metabolic effects.

The reason is because curcumin acts directly in the gut to shift the gut microbiota in favor of beneficial bacterial strains, like Bifidobacteri, Lactobacilli, and butyrate-producing bacteria.

This shift in gut microbiomes translates into a cascade of events that influences metabolic health. The thing about natural compounds is that they always have multiple effects on many pathways in the human body. This is what makes them more challenging to study and to explain but so powerful for our health.

If you want to explore ways to add more turmeric into your diet, you can try out:

• Golden Milk (warm milk with turmeric and spices)
• Yellow Rice (add a dash of turmeric while cooking)
• Scrambled Eggs or Tofu (mix turmeric in when cooking)
• Smoothies (sprinkle into your smoothie)

The more flexible you are in middle age, the longer you’ll live (new study!)

The main finding was that having more flexibility between the ages of 46 and 65 lowered the odds of death over the next decade plus. We’re talking about physical flexibility here (although I would guess that mental flexibility helps, too!).

More than 3,100 men and women were evaluated with the “Flexindex,” which measures flexibility in multiple joints throughout the body. They were then followed from about 1994 until 2022.

• Men with the least flexibility were nearly twice as likely to die over the follow-up period than men with high flexibility.
• Women with the least flexibility were almost five times more likely to die than those with high flexibility.

These same researchers previously found that the ability to rise from a seated position on the floor and the ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds are also predictors of longevity.

Want to work on your flexibility? Check out a yoga class or take a break anytime from sitting to do some gentle stretching!