Hormone Harmony Fun Facts!

If you feel like your hormones are off but refuse to just take a pill, check these things out.

💥Female hormones start with estrogen & progesterone BUT ⬇️⬇️

They 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 blog 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 I see most often in my practice:

1️⃣ Detoxification (estrogen is metabolized in the liver)

2️⃣ Gut Health (estrogen metabolites are eliminated in everyday healthy 💩)

3️⃣ Stress (stress causes the body to favor cortisol production over progesterone)

4️⃣ Blood Sugar (spikes in blood sugar and insulin lower the levels of SHBG, increasing free estrogen and testosterone)

5️⃣ Nutrient Depletion (magnesium and B6 are especially important for hormone metabolism)

6️⃣ Xenoestrogens (everyday chemicals can mimic our hormones)

Don’t worry. It’s not your job to make sense of all this.

That’s my job.

If you want to stay informed and empowered in your health and prefer a root-cause approach, you’re in the right place.

Read to the end for my top hormone health tips ⬇️⬇️

The definition of hormone balance depends on your age

(here’s what you need to know 👇)

But 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

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to healthy hormones!

What your body is trying to tell you:

Bloating, breast tenderness, heavy periods → high estrogen

Hot flashes, night sweats, dryness → low estrogen

But wait! Let me finish ⬇️

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 I have an extensive toolbox to support healthy hormones and ease the transition with lifestyle, nutrition, and supplementation.

I wish more women knew that not all estrogens are equal.

💥 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)

The best approach is one that is personalized to YOU.

If you are looking to strike the perfect balance of hormonal health today and disease risk reduction down the road, I am here to help.

Fun Fact:

People in Asian countries consume 10x the soy isoflavones as people in Western countries.

(what you need to know 👇)

OR

Phytoestrogens:

👍 or 👎?

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 60 mg 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.

If you don’t want to make sense of all this by yourself and want a personalized assessment and plan for hormonal health, I am here to help!

Wondering if seed cycling might help your periods?

Read this 👇

Period problems? I got you.

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:

1️⃣ 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.

2️⃣ 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 we can support healthier hormones and easier cycles.

6 things I do to release stress from my 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 we 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 my hormone health:

Receipts

Plastic Bottles

Fragrances

Food Dyes

(here’s why 👇)

Can you guess it?

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

As well as 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 2x 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 those areas listed.

(PMID 38709129)

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:

1️⃣ Strength training (free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, squats, push-ups, etc.)

2️⃣ High-intensity interval training (HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise)

3️⃣ Aerobic exercise (walking, running, biking, etc.)

4️⃣ Balance & flexibility training (yoga, tai chi, pilates)

What’s your favorite way to move?

Rachel Oppitz, ND