Ways to Support Your Hormone Health in 2024

Written by Audrey Hayward

The word “hormone” has been thrown around a lot all over TikTok and the internet recently, and honestly the only thing I used to associate hormones with was my period. That being said, I’m here to tell you that hormones actually have a huge impact on just about every aspect of our lives. 

Our bodies have tons of different hormones, from female hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin) to blood sugar hormones (insulin, glucagon, and blood sugar). Our hormones are all interconnected and work together as a team. So, when one is out of balance, it has a domino effect on every other hormone. Which in turn explains how important having balanced hormones is for our bodies. 

So to start off, what are hormones and what do they do? Hormones are chemicals that carry messages throughout our body telling it what to do and when to do it. They control many functions of our body including metabolism, blood sugar regulation, sleep, mood, growth, and more (Cleveland Clinic). When imbalanced hormone levels occur, they can trigger conditions such as PCOS, hypothyroidism, mood disorders, endometriosis, fibroids, and more (Piedmont). So, obviously keeping a balanced level of hormones is beneficial to not only our overall health, but daily health as well. 

So what can influence our hormone levels?

A wide variety of things impact and disrupt our hormone levels, from stress, genetics, and medication to blood sugar levels and food that we consume. But, something that influences blood sugar levels, stress and sleep is nutrition. Truly, food is medicine. 

Eating a balanced diet is incredibly crucial to balancing our hormone levels. Consuming a mix of healthy fats, cruciferous vegetables, fiber, protein, probiotics (fermented foods), will all help aid in hormone production and secretion. 

Protein

Now I know, protein is all anyone can talk about these days! But, protein provides our body with amino acids (the building blocks needed to make hormones), supports the liver in detoxifying excess hormones, and also helps balance blood sugar levels. Additionally, protein-rich foods help support a balanced gut microbiome (something we will talk about later) (Georgia State University, 2023).

Reducing consumption of added sugars

Now, I don’t want you to feel like you can’t have your sweet treats and dessert bowls (I can’t live without my nightly dessert), but monitor more of what is in them or the frequency that you eat them. It’s no surprise that added sugars aren’t good for our bodies on a daily basis, but something you might’ve not known is that they play a pretty big role in hormonal regulation. The hormone, insulin, aids our body in using sugar we consume as energy. However, when we present our bodies with large amounts of added sugar, the insulin hormone gets overworked, which could possibly lead to insulin resistance (mostly found in women with PCOS) (Georgia State University, 2023). 

Insulin resistance puts people at moderate to high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, something so serious that the CDC projected the number of Americans with diabetes to double or triple by 2050. Stating that as many as 1 in 3 Americans could have diabetes by 2050 (CDC). But, fortunately we are in a time where naturally sweetened products are readily available (I’m absolutely obsessed with date caramel and syrup) like honey, dates, bananas, etc. Either way, a bag of sour gummy worms or candy bar now and then won’t completely flip your hormones upside down– live and enjoy some pastries, cookies, or ready-to-eat meals. Balance is key.

Healthy Fats

I mean, who’s going to say no to adding more healthy fats in their diet? Adding nuts, nut butter, seeds, avocado, or olive oil in meals can help increase fertility and hormone production, specifically testosterone (improves mood, energy, libido, menstrual cycle, and muscle health) (​​Cleveland Clinic). Women’s reproductive health as a whole heavily depends on fat and is absolutely a vital nutrient in supporting healthy body functions (Mumford et al., 2016).

Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Fiber

My favorite of the bunch, truly! Maintaining a happy and healthy gut is not only essential to our hormone production, but actually can make us happier! In fact, 95% of the hormone serotonin (our happy hormone) is produced in the gut (Appleton, 2018). My favorite way to get my probiotics in are through yogurt and cottage cheese (I’m too ashamed to admit how many tubs I go through in a week), but you can get quality probiotics through other fermented foods like kefir, miso, tofu, olives, and cabbage. Prebiotics come from all different fruits and vegetables, all which you probably consume more than you think! Some prebiotic dense foods are garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, bananas, oats, apples, cocoa, flaxseeds, and more (Healthline Media). Similarly, fiber-rich foods are mostly all fruits and vegetables like avocados, blackberries, beans, potatoes, popcorn (my favorite), pears, strawberries, carrots, and more (Healthline Media). The more I learn about food as medicine, the more convinced I am to switch to nutrient packed oatmeal bowls for breakfast (...the TikTok oats community may have gotten to me). 

Cruciferous vegetables

These specific types of vegetables when chewed, cooked, or even cut release a phytochemical called diindolylmethane that helps to reduce high estrogen levels and support estrogen detox in the liver, aka balancing our estrogen levels overall. However, if you have pre existing thyroid issues, consuming more than two to three servings of cruciferous vegetables a day may produce excess gas or thyroid damage. If not, the benefits of these vegetables go beyond hormone production by lowering risk to many chronic diseases (specifically cancer) (Health Shots). Leafy greens, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and arugula are some examples of cruciferous vegetables that are easy to incorporate in your daily diet. 

Movement

Other than diet, daily movement and exercise have a huge impact in hormonal regulation. Movement can help improve insulin sensitivity, production of testosterone, production of serotonin and dopamine, and glucose and fat breakdown. Exercise also enhances the delivery of nutrients and hormone signals (Basile, 2020) (Lawrenson, 2022). I know, a lot! However, listening to your body is key here. Adjusting your workout to what feels right (moderate intensity may be better after mid cycle ovulation in the second half of the month), moving your body in any way whether it’s stretching, walking, pilates, HIIT, strength training, or yoga, whatever feels right to you. 

Sleep

Lastly, quality sleep–going to bed roughly at the same time each night for a proper duration–helps promote hormone balance. In fact, poor quality sleep will actually cause hormones to spike and can change hormone production. So that nighttime routine plays a bigger part in your hormone production than you would even think (Healthline Media)!

Overall, balancing your hormones isn’t as scary or excessive as it may sound! Learning more about how to improve our health truly shows us that self care goes hand and hand with a healthy balanced lifestyle. So I encourage you to make yourself a hormone balancing meal and see how you feel after and throughout the day! 

Be well,

Audrey

Resources

Appleton, J. (2018, August). The gut-brain axis: Influence of microbiota on Mood and Mental Health. Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6469458/

Basile, L. (2020, Sep 6) Exercises to balance hormones. (n.d.). https://www.healthcentral.com/fitness-and-exercise/the-best-exercise-for-hormonal-imbalance

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Press release. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r101022.html

Healthline Media. (n.d.). 22 high fiber foods you should eat. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/22-high-fiber-foods#22-high-fiber-foods

Lawrenson, A. (2022, May 17). How to balance your hormones with exercise. Byrdie. https://www.byrdie.com/exercise-to-balance-hormones

Mumford, S. L., Chavarro, J. E., Zhang, C., Perkins, N. J., Sjaarda, L. A., Pollack, A. Z., Schliep, K. C., Michels, K. A., Zarek, S. M., Plowden, T. C., Radin, R. G., Messer, L. C., Frankel, R. A., & Wactawski-Wende, J. (2016). Dietary fat intake and reproductive hormone concentrations and ovulation in regularly menstruating women. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103(3), 868–877. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.115.119321

Piedmont, Schedule your appointment online. What causes hormonal imbalances? (n.d.). https://www.piedmont.org/living-real-change/what-causes-hormonal-imbalances 

professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.-a). Hormones: What they are, Function & Types. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22464-hormones

professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.-b). Low testosterone in women: Causes, symptoms & treatment. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24897-low-testosterone-in-women

R221121. (2023, October 17). Cruciferous vegetables: Nutritious foods you need to balance hormones. Healthshots. https://www.healthshots.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/cruciferous-vegetables-nutritious-foods-you-need-to-balance-hormones/#:~:text=But%20cruciferous%20vegetables%20come%20under,levels%20overall%2C%20says%20the%20expert

Semeco, A. (2023, October 31). 19 prebiotic foods you should eat. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-best-prebiotic-foods

Vinall, M. (2021, September 1). Your hormones may be the key to getting a solid night’s sleep. here’s how. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep/how-sleep-can-affect-your-hormone-levels#takeaway

Ways to support female’s hormones through nutrition. Recreational Services. (2023a, September 28). https://recreation.gsu.edu/2023/09/28/ways-to-support-females-hormones-through-nutrition/

Ways to support female’s hormones through nutrition. Recreational Services. (2023b, September 28). https://recreation.gsu.edu/2023/09/28/ways-to-support-females-hormones-through-nutrition/