Ep 70: Can’t “Fix” Your Hormones? This Might Be Why (Hint: It’s Your Gut)

You’re eating clean, avoiding gluten, and loading up on salads… but your period is still painful, your mood’s all over the place, and you’re feeling stuck — literally and hormonally. Sound familiar?

In this episode, I’m breaking down the fiber-hormone connection that no one’s talking about: how constipation impacts estrogen clearance, what your gut has to do with PMS and painful periods, and why clean eating isn’t always hormone-friendly.

We’re getting into:

• Why you can’t skip fiber and expect smooth cycles
• How the liver + gut tag-team to clear out estrogen
• The role of beta-glucuronidase (and what your stool test might be saying)
• The real reason your paleo or gluten-free diet might be making things worse
• What the estrobolome is — and why it matters for every woman

Mentioned in this episode:

→ Bio.me Chocolate Fiber – My go-to morning fiber that supports motility, estrogen clearance, and tastes like mocha dessert in my coffee

→ Episode with Dr. Jolene Brighten: – A must-listen if you want to dive deeper into the gut-hormone connection.

Other Links & Resources:

→ Ready to get to the root of your GI issues for good? Apply for gutTogether® here: www.guttogetherprogram.com

→ Follow me on Instagram: @drheatherfinley

Transcript

Dr. Heather Finley: 0:03

When you're not eliminating daily and fully, your body can't clear out estrogen the way it's supposed to, so that backup will lead to heavier periods. Smooth swings, bloating, and more. And fiber is not just about staying regular, it's the MVP for detox Welcome to the Love Your Gut Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Heather Finley, registered dietitian and gut health specialist. I understand the frustration of dealing with GI issues because I've been there and I spent over two decades searching for answers for my own gut issues of constipation, bloating, and stomach pain. I've dedicated my life to understanding and solving my own gut issues. And now I'm here to guide you. On this podcast, I'll help you identify the true root causes of your discomfort. So you can finally ditch your symptoms for good. My goal is to empower you with the knowledge and tools you need so that you can love your gut and it will love you right back. So if you're ready to learn a lot, gain a deeper understanding of your gut and find lasting relief. You are in the right place. Welcome to the love your gut podcast. Hello, hello, and welcome back to the next episode of the Love Your Gut podcast. I am so glad to be here today to be diving into something that you might not expect to be connected, which is your gut constipation, fiber, and your hormones. So I thought I would start out with just a personal story. This goes way back to kind of the thick of my gut issues when I really decided that something had to change because I felt like I was doing all the right things. It was my first Thanksgiving as a newlywed, and I honestly felt worse than I ever had. I was eating, quote unquote, super clean tons of veggies. No grains, no legumes, all the things that I was told to do, but I felt awful. I remember we were actually driving to a football game on Thanksgiving Day because my alma mater and my husband's alma mater, I. TCU and University of Texas were playing each other, so we decided to go to the game for Thanksgiving, which was super fun, but I felt terrible. I was having horrible, painful cramps on the drive there, bloating. I couldn't go to the bathroom, and I was super worried that this was gonna ruin. I. The trip, and the hardest part about this was that I thought I was doing everything right, but I was completely missing the mark when it came to fiber and gut motility. So constipation doesn't just make you uncomfortable. It really affects how you clear hormones, especially estrogen. And if you've ever dealt with PMS, mood swings, heavy periods, your gut might just be playing a bigger role than you think. So I wanna rewind a little bit and talk about how I got there. So if I were to backtrack from that moment at Thanksgiving, driving to that football game, about eight months before that, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's, and that was a multiple month process in itself. I had gone to my doctor, I had told her. You know, I think I'm having hypothyroidism. Can you run some labs? I asked her, she said, you are not overweight. You don't need to run thyroid labs. And I said, I, my hair is falling out. I can't concentrate. My skin is dry. I have all the symptoms. Can you please just run the labs? And she said, you're probably just depressed because your dad passed away. And I said, that might be true. However, I really think there's something physi physiologically going. On. She did not run a thyroid panel, so then it took a while to find another provider who would, by the time I got the labs drawn, I not only had hypothyroidism, but I had Hashimoto's, so the full-blown autoimmune process. So of course, being the Type A perfectionist that I am, I went down this crazy rabbit hole of research and decided that I was going to try to fix this. Everything that I was reading at the time. Especially this was, a little over 10 years ago, everything was about being grain free. And so I bought the book Against All Grain, and I do actually love her recipes. I have nothing against Danielle Walker at all. I love her stuff, but I read the book and I cut out all the grains and proceeded to then cut out all legumes, pretty much like tons of nuts, all the things, and. That is what actually catapulted me into this hormonal storm that I had never been in. So my diet looked so different than it had at the time. I thought I was doing everything right because everything I was reading said cut out grains. So I wasn't eating grains, I wasn't eating legumes. My plate was piled high with all these veggies, especially. Raw leafy greens, and on paper it looked quote unquote super clean. There were no processed foods, no gluten, no sugar. It looked like what you would see on a wellness influencer's Instagram, which didn't really even exist at that time. But underneath all that clean eating, I was totally missing the mark when it came to fiber. So here's the thing that nobody tells you when you go grain free. Or even paleo or gluten-free in the name of quote unquote gut health, you're often cutting out your biggest sources of fiber. So whole grains like oats, brown rice, rye bread. These are all fiber rich, legumes, lentils, chickpeas. These are fiber powerhouses. And when these go away, you're left with a bunch of leafy greens and fruits, and honestly, they aren't pulling. They're full weight. And don't get me wrong, I love a big salad as much as ne the next person, especially this time of year. But the truth is you would need an entire mixing bowl of spinach to get the same amount of fiber that you would get from a small amount of oats or beans or lentils or whatever it might be. So. Here I was eating clean and also accidentally underfeeding my gut microbiome, slowing down my digestive system and actually contributing to some of the hormonal symptoms that seemed to quote unquote come out of nowhere. I started dealing with really bad hormonal breakouts, all those period symptoms that I was talking about. So if you're listening and thinking, wait, this is kind of my diet right now. You are not alone. So many women go gluten-free or super low carb, trying to feel better because that's what they read online and they end up with more bloating, more constipation, and more. Pmms and even hormonal breakouts. So if this has been your story, this could actually be the missing piece. It's not that doing this is wrong, there's a way to strategically do this and make sure you do get enough fiber. You just have to really think about it. So we have to make sure that you are getting enough. Fiber in your diet to support the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut support, estrogen, detox, and all the things. So you can be eating all the organic kale in the world, but if you are not getting enough fiber, your gut and your hormones are going to struggle. So the bottom line is a hormone friendly diet isn't about what you take out, it's about what you put in. And fiber is one of those must haves that most people are overlooking. Also side note, my dog just walked into my office and it's so funny she, I saw this coming. She is on her period right now. So I feel like this episode feels very timely because we've got hormones I. Circulating all over this house. We're all just trying to stay regular and keep it together. But anyways, so let's talk about something that doesn't get enough airtime and that is estrogen clearance. So this might sound kind of sciencey, but I promise that it's super important and I'm gonna break it down in a way that is easy to understand and how you can actually fix it, especially if you deal with heavy periods or mood swings or bloating. So here's the deal. Once your body is done using estrogen, like the kind that your ovaries make or exposed to from the environment, it has to get rid of it, and your body has a system for that. So first estrogen is sent to the liver. You can think of the liver like the processing plant. It packages up those estrogen or that estrogen so it can be safely sent out of the body. Then it gets passed to the gut where it's supposed to exit stage left AKA by having a bowel movement. So here's the problem. If you're not pooping daily or you're not pooping completely daily, that estrogen doesn't just vanish. It actually gets reabsorbed back into the bloodstream, and now your body's dealing with it all over again. So it's kind of like putting your trash out on the curb. But the garbage truck never comes. So the bag is just sitting there. Eventually things start to rot and smell, and it gets gross. So the same thing happens in your body when estrogen isn't cleared and it starts to cause symptoms. So enter. Beta glucuronidase. This is something that we measure in our clients on stool testing, and we see this off all the time. There's an enzyme called beta glucuronidase, and when this is high, it's like the gut bacteria are basically untying the little packages that your liver works so hard to wrap up. It's like when you're toddler goes. Under your Christmas tree and unwraps the presents before Christmas. So it's freeing the estrogen to float around again. And it's like your liver is saying, Hey, you know, I dealt with that already, and your gut bugs are like, nah, we're good. Let's put it back into circulation. So this usually happens when your microbiome is out of balance. Maybe you have too much of the wrong bacteria. Maybe you're not eating enough fiber, maybe sometimes sluggish bile flow. And this is where it gets really real because when estrogen is being recycled instead of cleared, we see it show up in symptoms like painful and heavy periods, mood swings before your period, bloating, breast tenderness, just feeling off kind of during that premenstrual window. So for me. This all hit home. When I started experiencing all these hormonal symptoms, the bloating, the painful periods, the acne that I had never had in my. Entire life before, and now I'm in my mid twenties wondering why it looks like I'm going through puberty again. So I had really low bile flow or really poor bile flow. My liver detox markers were not great. When I ran my first stool test and my bi, my microbiome was super depleted from being on this really restricted diet. I. Was kind of like a walking estrogen traffic jam. And honestly, that was just such a huge turning point for me. I finally understood that my gut wasn't just about digestion, it was driving my period symptoms too. So if you're doing all the hormone balancing things, seed cycling and the like, clean eating and the supplements, but you're still not pooping daily, you might be missing the most important piece of the puzzle. So quick pause. I have to tell you about something that has made a huge difference in my gut health and my hormone health, and honestly, something that I just really look forward to and enjoy. So lately, I have been enjoying adding a. Scoop of the biome chocolate fiber to my morning coffee. It makes my coffee taste like a delicious mocha, and it also gives me seven grams of fiber to start the morning. It has a resistant starch fiber. It's this blend of sono, and it is really helpful for keeping things moving, for feeding my microbiome, supporting estrogen clearance, and. Making my coffee delicious. So if you're painful, if your periods are painful or unpredictable, you may not want to just look at your hormones. Your gut might be the root of it. So I'll link it in the show notes if you wanna try it. Now, back to the e episode. All right. Now that we've talked about how estrogen is supposed to leave the body, let's talk about the actual real hero of the process, which is fiber. So fiber does not get enough love. Everyone is obsessed with protein right now, and I think fiber often gets a bad wrap because we think of it like this gritty, disgusting powder that people put in orange juice, but fiber is actually a major player when it comes to hormone health and. There are two types that we're gonna talk about today. Both are important and most foods have both. So first is soluble fiber. You can think of this like a sponge. It basically soap soaks up water in your gut and binds to things like ES excess, estrogen, toxins, and even cholesterol. And then carries them out like a little cleanup crew. So if you're not getting enough soluble fiber. You might miss a key chance to grab excess estrogen before it gets recycled. Then we have insoluble fiber. This is like the broom fiber, so it doesn't dissolve. Instead, it just adds bulk to your stool and it kind of sweeps everything through your digestive track. You need this one for speed, so it keeps your gut motility strong, so waist. It doesn't just sit there and stagnate. So you really need both. And like I said, a lot of foods have both. You can't just have the sponge or the broom. It's like cleaning your house. You need both. One helps collect the waste. The other gets it out the door, so when you're low on fiber, the whole system shuts down and estrogen will just hang out longer. Your poop moves slower and things start to back up literally, and hormonally. So there's even research showing that women who eat more fiber have lower circulating estrogen levels, meaning that their bodies are doing a better job of clearing what they don't need, which is really cool. And it's simple, but super powerful. Let's talk about another piece of the puzzle, which is little known, but super important called the Estrobolome. So this is a collection of bacteria in the gut that is responsible for metabolizing estrogen and when this system is working well. It supports estrogen balance and elimination when it's out of whack. Perhaps because of a low fiber diet, antibiotics, processed food, any other gut imbalances, these bacteria can actually reactivate estrogen. I. That was meant to be excreted. So instead of leaving the body, it gets thrown back into circulation, and that's when you might get some estrogen dominant symptoms. So it's like your ex tro, your estrobolome is the mail room, just sorting out what needs to go where, but maybe it's under staffed. Overwhelmed stuff is getting lost, recent backed up. Your hormones are all suffering. So yes. Fiber helps you poop, but it also helps to regulate your hormones by binding and eliminating estrogen, feeding your gut bacteria, supporting the estrobolome, and then just moving things out efficiently. So if you've been focusing on. All these hormone things. One simple shift that you might make is maybe it's not just always about more products or more things. Sometimes it's about getting back to the basics. So let's just pause for a second and make this a little bit personal. I. Because information is great, but what we really want is a trans for transformation and something that you can actually focus on. So I wanna ask you just a few questions. No judgment. You can even jot these down, open your notes up maybe if you're on a walk. First question is, are you pooping daily? And I mean fully, not just like a little bit here and there, but full satisfying, complete bowel movements. Second question is, do you notice more bloating, irritability, or that kind of sluggish feeling in the days before your period? Then last question is, are you actually getting anywhere near 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day? And the spoiler here is that most people aren't. The average intake of an American is around 15 grams. I've seen things as low as 10 grams. And when we are under fibered. I don't think that's a word, but when you're under eating fiber, our gut, our hormones, our mood, all take a hit. So my challenge for you is for just a couple days, just track how much fiber you're getting. Not with guilt or pressure. This is not about like counting calories or anything like that, but just look at. What fiber rich foods are you getting in your diet? And then you can track how your bowel movements are going on from there, frequency, consistency, even how you feel after. And then pay attention to where you are in your cycle. How your hormones might shift during that time, like bloating or cramping, mood changes, constipation, creeping in. You don't necessarily need some fancy app. Of course there are many apps that you can use. But just taking some little notes and know that this might just take some time. It can take a little bit of time for hormones to shift, but the sooner you can get your bowels completely and fully emptying and. Up that fiber intake, you are gonna make a big difference on your hormones. So the more you notice, the more patterns start to pop up, and that's when you can start to make really targeted, effective changes. So if you're feeling like your period symptoms might be unpredictable or frustrating. This check-in might just kind of be a starting point that your body's been asking for. So let's just kind of bring it home here. If you take one thing from this episode, let it be this. Constipation isn't just a gut issue, it is a hormone issue as well. When you're not eliminating daily and fully, your body can't clear out estrogen the way it's supposed to, so that backup will lead to heavier periods. Smooth swings, bloating, and more. And fiber is not just about staying regular, it's the MVP for detox. Gut health, it's for helping you have smoother, more predictable cycles. So if you've been doing all the right things. Eating clean, avoiding inflammatory foods, taking your supplements, but you still feel stuck. It's time to look at your fiber intake and your poop schedule. So don't just assume your diet is hormone friendly. Just because you're eliminating all these things. Maybe you're actually eliminating too many things. So if this episode gave you an aha moment, I would love for you to share it. Send it to a friend who also has period problems. Post it on Instagram. Let's help make women more connected to their cycles and connect the dots between gut health and hormone health. And don't forget to hit subscribe, so you never miss an episode. I've got some good ones coming up. And I know that you don't wanna miss them, so I'll drop the links in the show notes to some of the things that I mentioned, including the Biome chocolate fiber, and some information about working with our team. But until next time,, to smoother cycles and better digestion. I'll see you on the next episode of the Love Your Gut podcast.