Hormone Chaos? 5 Natural Steps to Get Back on Track

Are your hormones out of whack? Fatigue, brain fog, hot flashes, cravings, or mood swings can all be signs your body’s messengers are off balance. In this episode of This Is Me at 50, I’m breaking down what it really means to balance your hormones naturally—and why it’s not about a magic pill but about everyday habits that work.

I’ll walk you through five science-backed steps you can start today—like eating enough protein, lowering sugar, boosting fiber, supporting gut health, and adding healthy fats—plus share five herbal supports that may give you an extra boost during perimenopause or menopause.

If you’re ready to go from hormone chaos to harmony with practical, natural strategies, this episode is for you!

Transcript

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So what does it actually mean to balance your hormones naturally? Your hormones are basically your body's messengers. They're chemical signals that tell your cells what they're supposed to be doing, whether it's regulating your energy, your mood, your appetite, your sleep, or even your metabolism. And when your hormones are out of balance, it just means that some are too high, others are too low, or they're just not communicating effectively. And that's when you feel things like fatigue. brain fog, bloating, irregular cycles, hot flashes, and cravings. Balancing hormones naturally means supporting your body through lifestyle choices, proper nutrition, good sleep habits, stress management, movement, and sometimes herbs and supplements. So your body can fall into the rhythm that's balanced and working the way it should be. So today we're going to tackle the hottest topic in women's health, balancing your hormones naturally. I'm going to walk you through five science-backed actions that you can take right now to help your body and your hormones work together and find balance. And at the end, I'm sharing five herbal supports that may give you a little bit of an extra boost, especially if you're in perimenopause or menopause. across years. Hello friends, it's Missy and this is my podcast. This is me at 50. Let's chat about what it looks like and feels like to go from your best life in your 40s to an even better life in your 50s while navigating hormones, perimenopause and menopause. Let's talk about finding balance over perfection, nourishing your body in the role nutrition plays, healthy movement, who you should surround yourself with and why that matters. All the things. This is me at 50. Now, before I move on, I want to make sure you're getting all of the best information because I love sharing. As a professional health coach, I'm passionate about educating and providing quality information with the goal of creating a healthier community. So be sure to check out the show notes and sign up for my authentic wellness mailing list. This is an awesome resource for recipes, upcoming events, and more great information on ways that you can create that healthy lifestyle that you want. Just click on that link to sign up, or you can also sign up by visiting my website, AuthenticWellness.net. And as a nice bonus, I'll send you an awesome freebie just for joining my community of fun. Alrighty, so let's dive in. Five things that you can do to balance your hormones naturally. Number one, I want you to eat protein at every meal. Why does that matter? Protein isn't just fuel. It's raw material for hormone production. Your body uses amino acids to build peptide hormones that regulate metabolism, appetite, and stress, just to name a few. Protein is literally the building block for your body, your muscles, your skin, your immune system, and yes, your hormones. They are all built from protein. When you eat protein, consistently throughout the day, really important things happen. Number one, steady energy. Protein slows down how quickly food is digested. That means that your blood sugar stays more stable. And when you don't get that spike and crash effect you'd get from more carb-focused meals like toast or cereal, everything stays more steady and balanced throughout the day. you'll have fewer cravings. Protein helps lower ghrelin, which is your hunger hormone, and boosts hormones like GLP-1s that tell your brain, hey, I'm full. That's why a breakfast with eggs keeps you satisfied way longer than a muffin or a granola bar. Protein also supports muscle, And metabolism. So especially as women hit perimenopause and beyond, protein is key to preserving muscle. Muscle is metabolically active, which means it helps you burn more calories even when your body's at rest. So instead of thinking of protein as optional, think of it as an essential fuel that your body's messaging system needs to have all of the time. Every meal is a chance to keep your energy, your mood, and your hormones steady. So practical ways to get 20 to 30 grams of protein at a meal. Number one, don't skip breakfast and have more than just a cup of coffee. A protein-rich breakfast sets the tone for your blood sugar and appetite the entire day. Okay, so examples. What does 30 grams of protein look like? People ask me that all the time in client sessions. Missy, how do I get protein? Here's some really good examples, okay? So about four ounces of cooked chicken breast, four ounces of cooked ground turkey, a four-ounce filet of salmon, one can of tuna, Three large eggs and a half a cup of cottage cheese. One and a half cups of plain Greek yogurt and two tablespoons of a nut butter. One and a half cups of lentils and add in a half a cup of edamame. A block of tofu. One cup of quinoa and one cup of black beans and sprinkle that with some hemp seeds and it's like yum, right? Those are all really easy ways to to get 30 grams of protein in a meal. Those are doable. And none of them was a shake. All of those came from real foods. So let me share a quick client story with you. So I had a woman that came to see me and she was starting every morning with a bowl of cereal. Sometimes it was something like Cheerios. Other times it was like a granola mix. She thought she was making fairly healthy choices. But here's what would happen. By 10 o'clock in the morning, she was starving. Her energy would crash. So she'd go grab another cup of coffee. And by the afternoon, the sugar cravings that she was having were in full swing. She was literally riding the roller coaster of ups and downs all day long. So we made one simple swap. Instead of cereal for breakfast, she started her day with three scrambled eggs, half an avocado, and a little side of berries. That one change gave her about 25 to 30 grams of protein right out of the gate. The difference was night and day. Within a week, she's telling me she's not starving mid-morning anymore. Her afternoon slump has disappeared and she actually feels like she has steady energy throughout her entire workday. Plus those intense sugar cravings in the afternoon, pretty much gone. And that wasn't anything complicated. It was just giving her body the protein that it needed first thing in the morning. And then making sure her lunch included 30 grams of protein too. No more tiny little salads. We would load those bad boys up with turkey or chicken or tuna. I'm a super fan of quinoa bowls with salmon or shrimp, edamame and black beans. There are so many easy ways to hit those protein numbers consistently. throughout the day, once you know it's important to focus on them. Number two, another thing to look at when you want to balance your hormones naturally, you have got to look at your sugar intake. Excess sugar spikes insulin and contributes to insulin resistance, which is at the root of so many hormone imbalances, including PCOS and metabolic issues. Okay, let's talk about fructose for a minute. That's the type of sugar found in things like high fructose corn syrup, soda, candy, processed foods. One of the sneaky things that fructose does is it interferes with a hormone called leptin. Leptin is your fullness signal. It's the hormone that tells your brain, okay, I'm good. I've had enough. You can stop eating now. But when your diet is high in added sugars, especially fructose, your body can become resistant to leptin. That means your brain isn't getting the memo that you're full. You can eat plenty of calories, but still feel like you need to keep snacking. Over time, this constant override can contribute to overeating, weight gain, and more hormone imbalance. In simple terms, fructose dulls your body's I'm full signal, so you keep eating even when your body's had enough. Okay, so let's make this really practical. Let's imagine two different breakfast options. Okay, so one person... One person grabs a soda or a coffee and a muffin on the go. And their coffee isn't just coffee. It's like a latte or it's like, you know, coffee with like, actually it's like creamer with a splash of coffee, right? So there's tons of sugar, lots of fructose. What happens? Their blood sugar spikes quickly and because fructose blocks leptin, the fullness hormone, their brain never gets the message that they've had enough to eat. So by mid-morning, They're still hungry, even though they've already consumed several hundred calories. Compare that to someone who sits down to a plate of scrambled eggs, avocado, and some berries. Now that meal has protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Their leptin works like it should, sending clear signal to the brain, hey, I'm full, I'm good, I've got fuel, you can stop eating now. The person sails through to lunch with steady energy, no sugar crash, and way fewer cravings. Over long term, if sugar intake stays high and your hormones keep getting thrown off, it's not just a blood sugar issue. This can actually affect multiple hormone systems in your body. It can be a thyroid issue. Excess sugar can contribute to insulin resistance and inflammation, which can in turn affect thyroid hormone production. And when your thyroid slows down, your metabolism dips, your energy drops, and you can absolutely experience weight gain and brain fog. Over time, this can also impact estrogen dominance. Sugar and processed carbs can influence how your body metabolizes estrogen. When estrogen isn't broken down properly, it can build up relative to progesterone, creating what's called estrogen dominance. And this imbalance can show up as bloating, breast tenderness, mood swings, or really heavy periods. Another way this long-term sugar can impact hormones is adrenal fatigue. Eating lots of sugar repeatedly spikes insulin, and the resulting blood sugar swings can trigger the adrenals to pump out extra cortisol to keep you stable. Over time, your stress response system can feel taxed, leaving you feeling tired and wired or struggling to manage stress. So this isn't just about a little dessert issue now and then. Chronic sugar overload can quietly nudge your hormone systems way out of balance and create a cascade of symptoms that can affect energy, mood, weight, and overall health. keep your sugar to 25 grams total daily or less. Swap soda for sparkling water with fruit and check those labels. Sugar hides in so many ways in so many foods that we eat. Things like cane juice, malt syrup, agave, all of your osas, sucralose, glucose, all of those added sugars, they're just as bad, right? So Read those labels. So let's make this relatable. Imagine walking into your favorite coffee shop and ordering one of those trendy lattes, maybe a 16-ounce Carbo Frappuccino or a vanilla latte with syrup. That single drink to start your day can have 50 to 60 grams of sugar, sometimes more depending on how it's made. So to put that in perspective, your recommended daily allowance is 25 grams per day. That means that coffee drink that you just had has already blown way past your daily sugar limits and your hormones are now scrambling to manage the spike in blood sugar. your fullness signals are getting muted, your cravings are kicking in, and your energy starts swinging like a roller coaster, sometimes before you've even finished that cup of coffee. Third thing, let's talk about fiber. Because this one, it's more than just keeping things moving in your digestive system, right? Fiber actually plays a huge role in your hormones and your overall health. And here's why it matters. So first of all, Fiber helps regulate blood sugar. So when you eat fiber-rich foods, they slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, which keeps your blood sugar from spiking and then crashing. And that's really important for hormone balance because frequent blood sugar swings trigger insulin, cortisol, and other hormones that can throw your body off rhythm. Second, Fiber feeds your gut microbiome, that community of bacteria living in your intestines. And a healthy gut helps regulate hormones like estrogen and your fullness hormones like the GLP-1s. So when your gut bacteria are happy, your hormones can communicate properly with your brain, which helps the appetite, energy, and mood. Now, there are two kinds of fiber that you want to focus on. One is soluble fiber. So that's found in things like beans, oats, apples, and sweet potatoes. This type dissolves in water, slows digestion, stabilizes blood sugar, and boosts your fullness hormones, which help control cravings. Insoluble fiber is found in whole grain bran, nuts, the skins of fruits and vegetables. This fiber, it doesn't dissolve in water. But it helps move food through your system, which helps prevent constipation and helps your body properly eliminate estrogen instead of reabsorbing it. So for most people, a good target is around 30 grams of fiber a day with a mixture of soluble and insoluble sources. So here's a tip, when possible, just don't peel your fruits or vegetables. Those skins are where a lot of the fiber lives. So other examples of high fiber foods, like how do you get 30 grams? Examples of soluble fibers. This is the one that slows digestion, stabilizes blood sugar, and increases that fullness hormone. Beans and lentils. One cup of cooked black beans is 15 grams of fiber. Oats, you could do one cup of cooked oatmeal, four grams of fiber. Sweet potato with the skin, four grams of fiber. An apple with the skin, four grams of fiber. Avocado, one medium avocado, which I happen to believe that the world is just better with everything avocado. One medium avocado, 10 grams of fiber. Insoluble fiber, so that supports bowel regularity and prevents that estrogen reabsorption. So examples of insoluble fiber, one piece of whole grain bread, one slice is two grams. Whole grain pasta, one cup of whole grain pasta is six grams of fiber. A brand cereal, half a cup, seven grams of fiber. A quarter cup of almonds, three grams of fiber. Vegetables with their skin on, one cup of broccoli or one cup of carrots. Those are between three to five grams of fiber. It's actually not that hard to hit those 30 grams of fiber. Here's like if you were eating in a day. So for breakfast, maybe you have a half a cup of oatmeal and you throw in there one tablespoon of chia seeds and half a cup of berries. Right there, you have 10 grams of fiber. Then for snack, you have an apple. You keep that skin on and you dip it in two tablespoons of almond butter. That's five grams of fiber. For lunch, maybe you have a lentil salad with some vegetables. 12 grams of fiber. And then you have another snack, quarter cup of nuts, three more grams of fiber. Let me share a quick story about fiber. So I had a client, we'll call her Sarah, who was constantly dealing with bloating after meals. She would eat and her belly would bloat up. She was crashing, energy crashes mid-afternoon. And even her face, she was kind of breaking out. She had some acne and some breakouts on her face and her skin. She thought that was just normal for her. But we took a closer look at her diet. We had her meal journal for a little bit and we realized she was only getting about 10 grams of fiber a day. Well below that 30 grams that we want. So we just made some simple changes because I am all about just simple changes. We added a cup of cooked lentils or beans as part of her lunch. We added in a piece of fruit with the skin on for breakfast. And then we just had her start incorporating roasted vegetables with dinner. Within a couple weeks, she noticed a huge difference. Her bloating, like she came in and she said, Missy, she said, I have a belly like it's like kind of flat. I feel like I'm not bloating. Her energy started to be more steady and consistent throughout the afternoon and her skin started clearing up. We gave her body the tools it needed to digest the food properly and communicate with her hormones efficiently. It was a simple change but the impact was huge. All right, number four, you got to take care of your gut. Okay, so why does this matter? Your gut is your second brain and it's a hormone factory. The gut microbiome influences estrogen metabolism, insulin resistance, and satiety. An imbalanced gut increases inflammation, which can drive up cortisol, worsen PMS symptoms, and fatigue. Think of your gut as your body's control center. When it's calm and nourished, your hormones find their rhythm too. Your gut is the control center of your body. It's not just about digestion. It's where a lot of the hormone magic happens. When your gut is healthy, it helps regulate insulin, estrogen, and your fullness hormones that tell your brain you've eaten enough. But if your gut is inflamed, stressed, or lacking the right bacteria, it's like the control center sending out mixed signals. Your hormones get out of rhythm, which can show up as bloating, sugar cravings, fatigue, and even mood swings. But on the flip side, when you nourish your gut with fiber... fermented foods and healthy fats, it's like turning that control center back on and giving it a well-organized dashboard. Your hormones can communicate clearly, energy stabilizes, cravings calm down, digestion flows smoothly, and your body just feels balanced. So in other words, like a happy gut equals happy hormone rhythm. So foods that support a healthy gut. Number one, those high fiber foods that we just talked about. Feed your gut bacteria and help regulate your hormones with soluble and insoluble fiber. 30 grams a day. Also, fermented foods. Fermented foods introduce that beneficial bacteria that your gut microbiome needs. It's like food for your gut. So unsweetened yogurts, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, all of those are fabulous. Prebiotic foods feed the good gut bacteria that's already in your gut. So foods like garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus. bananas, artichokes. Those are all fabulous prebiotic foods. Anti-inflammatory foods. They help reduce gut irritation and support hormone balance. Things like fatty fish. Those are rich in omega-3s. Olive oil, nuts and seeds, colorful vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and peppers. Spices like turmeric and ginger and cinnamon. The last thing, hydration. Water. Water supports digestion and helps that fiber do its job. So you gotta hydrate. You need to have half your body weight in ounces of water every day. And if you're like, Missy, I struggle to drink that much water. Okay, well, I really want you to get that. But maybe some of that water is an herbal tea, like a ginger or peppermint tea, which also support digestion. If you want your gut and your hormones to thrive, focus on feeding it fiber, adding in those fermented foods and keeping inflammation down with anti-inflammatory fats and colorful vegetables. Think of it as giving your gut a balanced diet that keeps that control center running smoothly. Number five, hormones are literally built from fats, especially cholesterol and fatty acids. Without enough, your body struggles to make estrogen, progesterone and cortisol. You need to prioritize healthy fats. Healthy fats would be considered omega-3s. Omega-3s help reduce inflammation and keep insulin sensitivity strong. They also blunt cortisol spikes during stress. So some really great examples of omega-3 rich foods would be fatty fish like salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies. Plant-based omega-3s could be chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts. Oils. Oh, flaxseed oil, walnut oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil. All of those are fabulous. Okay. So including omega-3s is one of the simplest ways to support hormone balance. Just a small serving of salmon a few times a week or a tablespoon of chia or flaxseed sprinkled on your morning oatmeal. That simple little addition can help reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and calm cortisol levels during stressful days. I just want to share a quick story. This is a story about healthy fats. Here's a client. I'm going to call her Jessica. So she came to me and she was really struggling with inflammation. She had really, really stiff joints in the morning. Like she would wake up and go to get out of bed and like her whole body like hurt. She had some bloating and really, really low energy. And she noticed that she was feeling more stress than usual. She just felt like she wasn't able to manage the stress. Like just daily stress was just hitting her differently where she was struggling. struggling to really kind of manage all of it. So we looked at her diet, right? I had her food journal for a little bit and realized that she rarely was ever eating good sources of omega-3s. We added in a few simple changes. We added in some salmon as part of her dinner once a week. We threw in a tablespoon of chia seeds in her morning smoothie. And in the afternoon, we had her snack on just a small handful of walnuts. Within a few weeks, she started noticing changes. Her joint stiffness in the morning had eased. Her energy levels were more consistent throughout the day. And she started feeling less anxious. During stressful moments, she started feeling like she was just a little more even and she just felt like she was handling life a little bit differently. She even said she noticed her skin was calmer and felt less inflamed. The changes again were small, but just adding some little omega-3s into her nutrition helped her body reduce inflammation, support her hormone balance, and improve her overall energy and well-being. My little add-in, five herbs for menopause and perimenopause support. So these are all really easy to find. You don't really have to go to some super crazy specialty store. Most of these herbs can be found online or at your local natural food store. But always a quick note, herbs are very powerful. So please always check with your healthcare provider, especially if you are on medications or have medical conditions before you introduce these just to make sure that you're all on the same page and there aren't any counterintuitive effects. But here's five for you. So ashwagandha. Ashwagandha helps balance stress hormones, can help in reducing hot flashes, and supports estradiol production. Black cohosh helps with hot flashes, joint aches, and muscle pain. St. John's wort is wonderful as a mood support, especially for irritability or low motivation. Hops. Hops is a phytoestrogen that mimics estrogen gently in your body, helping with night sweats, dryness, and brain fog. And donkey is known as the female ginseng. So it helps reducing hot flashes, supports circulation, and balances hormones. So let's bring it all together. Today, we talked about what it really, really means to balance your hormones naturally. Remember, hormones are your body's chemical messengers. They regulate everything from energy and mood to appetite, sleep, and metabolism. And when they're out of balance, you notice it in the form of fatigue, brain fog, bloating, cravings, hot flashes, and irregular cycles. Balancing hormones naturally isn't about taking a magic pill. It's about supporting your body with smart lifestyle choices, eating enough protein, managing your sugar, getting plenty of fiber, nourishing your gut, including healthy fats, and using herbs thoughtfully if needed. Each of these actions helps your body communicate clearly and work efficiently. Small, consistent changes really do add up. Swapping cereal for a protein-packed breakfast, lowering added sugar, prioritizing fiber, supporting your gut, adding omega-3s, and considering herbal supports can transform how you feel day to day. You can feel more energized, calmer, less bloated, and more in control of your body and your hormones. If you remember just this one thing, Your body already has the tools it needs to balance your hormones. You just need to give it the right fuel, the right habits, and the right care. Think of it like tuning up your car. You're not replacing the engine. You're just giving it the fuel, the oil, and the attention it needs to run smoothly. Thanks so much for tuning in today. If you try one of these strategies this week, whether it's upping your protein at breakfast or adding a handful of nuts or sneaking in an extra cup of vegetables, notice, notice how your body responds. Your hormones and your overall wellbeing will thank you. And that's a wrap, my friends. I hope this was a helpful episode for you. Do me a favor. Take a quick moment and leave a positive review for this podcast. It helps me tremendously. Reviews help my podcast ratings and helps push This Is Me at 50 into more people's podcast feeds. Or share this on your social media or send it to a friend if you think there's a message or something in here that will help someone you know. Be sure you've clicked the subscribe button so you never miss an episode. Until next time, my friend, I wish you all the best that life has to offer. Make it a great day.