When we think of our hormones, we usually just think about testosterone and estrogen and sometimes progesterone (our main sex hormones), but we often forget that we have an entire endocrine system that’s intricately linked and affecting every organ and function in our body all the time! From cortisol to insulin to melatonin and beyond, we depend on these mighty hormones to keep us functioning properly.
This summer I got certified in Hormone Health at my nutrition school (IIN). I learned so much good stuff, including how women can support themselves during perimenopause, what are the best diet and lifestyle habits to support hormone balance, and how to address an overtaxed adrenal system.
But a few things I learned really blew my mind, and so I wanted to share them with you! Ready? 
Three Surprising Things I Learned About Hormone Health That I Didn’t Know Before I Took This Course:
#1- Stress STEALS the precursor to estrogen, testosterone and progesterone! What?! I thought I knew everything there was to know about stress: how it increases inflammation, causes imbalances in your gut microbiome, lowers your immune function, and slows your metabolism, making it harder to lose weight- but it steals your sex hormones, too?! Yep, that’s right.
Pregnenolone is a precursor hormone to both cortisol (our stress hormone) AND our sex hormones. When our body requires more cortisol (due to extra stress, or chronic stress), our body converts pregnenolone into more cortisol INSTEAD OF progesterone or DHEA (which is the precursor to estrogen and testosterone). Anyone notice they have a lower libido when they’re stressed out? This is why! For women in perimenopause who are already dealing with fluctuating hormones, stress can wreak havoc. Your stress is stealing your sex hormones! If that’s not a good reason to start finding ways to relax your body, I don’t know what is! Deep breathing and meditation, anyone? And by the way- women who are post-menopausal or without ovaries- even though your ovaries aren’t producing estrogens, your adrenal glands still can!
#2- Women are affected by a DIFFERENT clock than the circadian clock! What?? Our circadian clock, which affects everyone no matter what your gender, follows a 24 hour cycle and is affected by light and dark. You want to promote melatonin at night by avoiding artificial light or wearing blue light blocking glasses if you look at your screen, and you want to get sunlight in the morning so your body can increase cortisol so you can wake up.
But women who are menstruating have a SECOND clock called the Infradian clock, which does NOT coincide with a 24-hour cycle, it coincides with our menstrual cycle. And it affects EVERYTHING- our brain, immune system, metabolism, stress response, etc., as well as how much rest we need. Most productivity biohacking conversations are geared towards the 24-hour circadian rhythm, like waking up early to exercise, which tends to be more male oriented because between 6 and 9am is when testosterone and cortisol is at their peak in males. It’s also a great idea to wake up every morning at the same time to support your circadian rhythm… unless you have an Infradian rhythm that changes throughout the month!
This was the most exciting thing I’ve learned in a long time! After years of trying to conform to a functional and consistent early morning rise, and failing miserably over and over again, it was beyond comforting to learn that there wasn’t something wrong with me or my willpower, it’s just that the circadian rhythm we have subscribed to may not be serving all of us all the time. What a whole new world! Some weeks I may need to sleep a little longer or go to sleep earlier based on my natural hormonal fluctuations and body’s needs. I have always taught my clients to listen to their body’s signals, and although I do, I could not help the shame I felt for not being a morning person, and not waking up at the same time every day, especially since that’s what sleep and productivity experts say you should do. Furthermore, when you go against your Infradian rhythm, it increases cortisol, which disrupts hormones. “Women have a different biological clock, and since we don’t know about it, we are actively disrupting it.” says Alisa Vitti, Functional Nutrition and Women’s Hormone Expert. Sometimes knowledge can just help you to stop beating yourself up! Phew.
#3- Our entire Endocrine system is inextricably linked! When it comes to hormones, everything affects everything. Your estrogen levels impact how much melatonin you make, your cortisol levels impact your blood sugar and your insulin, high insulin causes increased testosterone, low thyroid hormones can cause irregular periods, and your liver and gut enzymes impact how you metabolize hormones and whether or not they get recirculated in your body or get excreted like they should! What an intricate, delicate, but powerful system! It’s like this big, beautiful symphony with the hypothalamus as the conductor, and if any of the players are out of tune, it throws the whole harmony off. Hormone balance is a full body affair; it requires the entire endocrine system working together to achieve harmony. And most of the time it does this without us even knowing it. The more I learn about our bodies, the more in awe I am.
As amazing as this system is, sometimes, with enough disrupting factors, like stressors, toxins, or entering perimenopause, our body and hormones get thrown out of balance. The good thing is, as I learned this summer, there’s so much we can do to support our hormones with diet and lifestyle.
If you’d like support in this area, especially if you’re a woman in your late 30’s through 50’s who’s experiencing perimenopause or menopause. I have a 3-month program just for you! Email me at jaimesaginor@gmail.com to schedule a free consultation.
Photo by Shubham Dhage at Unsplash
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