PART TWO: 5 tips for hormone balance

1. Balance your blood sugar

Because of the hormone hierarchy (flick back a couple of posts), we need to address insulin before attempting to balance reproductive hormones. 

Support healthy blood sugar balance by reducing refined sugar intake, consuming protein and fibre at every meal, eating in a relaxed state, changing the order in which we eat our foods and using our muscles after meals. 

Symptoms of poor blood sugar balance include feeling “hangry”, headaches, dizziness, bursts of energy and then the 3pm slump, poor skin quality including acne, feeling sleepy after meals, fatigue and irritability. Blood sugar imbalances can also contribute to PMS, PCOS, hypothalamic amenorrhea or missing periods.



2. Evaluate your relationship with caffeine 

Caffeine consumption tells our adrenal glands to increase cortisol production. Abnormally elevated cortisol can disrupt the way our brain communicates with our adrenal glands and ovaries, affecting reproductive hormones. Elevated cortisol sends the message to our brain that we are not safe, and impairs progesterone production, causing missing or irregular periods. 


Caffeine also depletes vital nutrients and vitamins needed for hormonal and overall health, and contributes to imbalanced blood sugar and insulin resistance. 


Some people are fine drinking coffee; you might be one of the lucky ones. However if you experience symptoms of hormonal imbalance, you might benefit from taking a break/eliminating for two menstrual cycles to see if your symptoms improve.  

So what are some alternatives to coffee (lower caffeine or caffeine free)?

  • Green tea

  • Matcha tea

  • Mushroom lattes 

  • Dandelion tea (provides the bitter taste of coffee)



3. Manage your stress 

I’m a broken record at this point. As per point 2, elevated cortisol negatively impacts hormone balance. While it may be impossible to eliminate stress, take whatever steps you can to reduce stress levels or process in a healthy way. 

  • Breath based exercises including meditation, yoga, tai chi and mindfulness. 

  • Re-evaluating priorities and reaffirming boundaries. 

  • Asking for help and delegating where possible. 

  • Scheduling time for relaxation and spending time in nature or with loved ones. 

  • Scheduling and time management techniques to prioritise those tasks that really do require our attention. 

  • Seeing a counsellor or psychologist to process trauma and become equipped with personalised coping strategies. 



4. Prioritise your mental health

As per point 3, do whatever you need to to prioritise mental health and reduce stress.

Did you know that oestrogen and progesterone also have a profound impact on our brain chemicals, impacting mood and mental health? Progesterone metabolites bind to GABA receptors, promoting calmness, good mood and sleep. Oestrogen is our happy hormone, as it increases levels of dopamine (motivation and pleasure) and serotonin (wellness and happiness).

As per part 1, living according to your menstrual season can be vital here to support mental health. This may look like resting and reducing self pressure in the autumn phase when progesterone is high and motivation is low. 

5. Ensure exercise is rejuvenating, not exhausting 

Regular exercise is good for hormonal health. A balance of weight bearing, cardiovascular and stretching/flexibility training helps to: 

  • Metabolise and balance reproductive hormones

  • Process stress and reduces cortisol 

  • Improves our sensitivity to insulin, so can help with insulin resistant hormone problems like PCOS

  • Can reduce chronic inflammation

  • Increases our happy hormones like dopamine, serotonin and encourages the release of endorphins to boost mood and reduce anxiety/depression

As always, moderation is key.  Too much exercise, particularly high intensity interval training (HIIT),  can actually be harmful for our hormones, because HIIT causes a spike in cortisol. See point 3 for how cortisol affects reproductive hormones. 

Restorative exercises that reduces cortisol levels and stimulates the “rest and digest” arm of our nervous system, include breathing and stretching based exercises like yoga, tai chi and pilates.


Reach out if you need help balancing your hormones!

Hayley Brass