4 mistakes most Women make when working on hormonal balance

4 mistakes most women make with hormonal imbalances.

Having worked as a Nutritionist for almost 20 years I have seen a lot!. But there is absolutely no judgement here because I would have made the same mistakes myself. The industry has changed and continues to change as new studies and information becomes available to us. This is the reason I am constantly updating my qualifications and learning from experts in the field of hormones, menstrual health and  fertility(For now or the future). At the moment I am doing my hormone certification with Nicole Jardim who have been learning from over the last 7 years and it blows my mind how incredible our bodies are as Women. So let’s dive into the 4 mistakes most Women make with hormonal imbalances. 

Mistake no 1..Undereating

4 mistakes most Women make when working on hormonal balance. Undereating is one of the biggest red flags I see weekly in my practise. 99% of my female clients are under eating and therefore  SERIOUSLY LACKING in vital nutrients such as Zinc, magnesium, B vitamins, Iron, and copper to name just a few of the key nutrients we need to have good hormone balance, happy periods, optimised fertility and a easy perimenopause transition . This is why my Menstrual cycle syncing programme is effective in correcting these nutrient deficiency’s which have been lost through undereating, the pill, stress, over exercising to name a few reasons. You can read more about how that works here . 

Mistake no 2.. Fasting

Long Fasting ..be detrimental for Women with hormonal imbalances, period issues , anxiety, fertility challenges to name a few the problems I see in my practise . When we are experiencing symptoms of hormonal imbalances there is some serious stress going on in the body.  The last thing we want is to add in long intermittent fasting windows. That is not to say we cant do a little fasting which is fantastic for our gut, blood sugar and mood. I teach my clients how to do this safely and get the results without sacrificing their poor hormones in the process. Based on their health questionnaires I give them my recommendations on their fasting windows so they are healing not adding to their root causes.

Mistake no 3..Lack of macronutrients

These is a biggie. The lack of macro nutrients comes from the lack of calories from quality food which we saw as reason number 1.  We need protein, fats, and carbohydrates to survive and thrive. Most Women are walking around malnourished meaning our body shuts down the non essential roles of survival..AKA PERIODS, OVULATION, FERTILITY, GUT FUNCTION. Basically we are walking around in a cloud most of the time. Low energy, low moods, no sex drive, poor hair and skin health, high anxiety, low confidence, lack of motivation and basically just existing. Sound familiar? In the Align & Thrive academy we learn all about the hormonal superfoods you can easily be adding in daily without sacrificing the food you enjoy. 

Mistake no 4..Over exercising

Shocking you think? Unfortunately I believe were in a bit of a biology mismatch when its comes to Women and the world of today. We have this belief that we need to do the same that a man does in order to get results. Which is such BULL.. Men work on a 24 hour cycle. Women on a 28-35 day ish cycle. Logically that would mean we get results differently. As amazing as exercise is, it also acts as a stressor on the body. Working with what your hormones are doing weekly and by being clever with your exercise routine can be the biggest game changer for MY clients.  In my personal trainer programmes I teach my clients how to fit what movement in during each phase so she can get results without compromising energy, time, results. Working SMARTER NOT HARDER.

 

Finale..

So my lovely hopefully these 4   mistakes most women make with hormonal imbalances are enough to get you thinking about how you can start prioritising your hormonal health.

me in a health store

Remember to keep it simple and stay consistent and leave stress ful  time restraints at the door. If it takes 6 months that what it takes. I mean what is the alternative to stay stuck in a life of just existing instead of living life to the full..

Would like more support around hormonal imbalances, period chaos, and hormones basically ruining your life ? They may be common but are not NORMAL.

Get in touch and book a  FREE 1-1 hormone Mot call here

Ps. be sure to head over to the healing Hormones podcast where I drop a quick and snappy weekly episode. I talk Hormones, periods, moon magic and basically  the simple strategies to get you from Surviving to thriving.

Listen on Spotify here

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M x

 

A Happy Hormones sign with a bowl of cereal in front

The 3 worst foods you can eat for imbalanced Hormones

Do you know what the 3 worst foods you can eat for imbalanced hormones?

 

You might be thinking why should I care about my hormones Michelle.  I just wanna feel happy, have clothes that fit and stop the bloating.  It’s not too much to ask is it? Absolutely not and you deserve all those things and more. Firstly, as a women you should absolutely understand your hormones and the role they play in helping you feel energised, confident, healthy and happy.  Moreover, did you know hormones help control every physiological process in your body.  Starting with  a strong healthy metabolism, your menstrual cycle to reproductive health, your immune response, and mental health. So if we think about it our Hormone balance is vital to feeling confident, happy and being healthy. To start with I am going to be sharing the 3 worst foods you can eat for imbalanced Hormones

 

What you eat  can help and hinder hormone balance.

It really isn’t that complicated, but it takes dedication and a little time to plan ahead at first. But once you get the hang of it you will never go back. Because you will feel like the women you deserve to feel like, you, but a better happier version of you.  Starting with eating a well-balanced diet, not restrictive nutrient deprived diets. And also by consciously looking at  reducing stress- all kinds of stress is key to happy healthy hormones. I am not talking extreme restrictive diets that lets be honest just don’t work for busy working mums.  I wanted to share my top three foods to avoid if you are struggling with hormonal weight gain, anxiety and overwhelm,  You may be surprised by what makes the list. Let’s look at 3 of the naughty offenders that you can eat for imbalanced Hormones:

1.Sugar

Sugar is an obvious first ladies. It can wreck your health and hormone balance. It raises insulin, which puts stress on the pancreas.  I would like you to think of insulin as the housekeeper of your body. If you were a fan of father Ted, I am Irish,  then think about Mrs doyle the housekeeper. She is  running around all day mopping up the sugar in your bloodstream and moving it into the cells to be used as energy. The majority of times our muscles are full so off it goes to the liver as stored energy. Unfortunately if there is still sugar left  it’s off to our fat stores which for most women is around the midsection or hips and thighs.

2. Gluten

Gluten is a big problem, Ladies. Because it is known as a hormone disruptor, driving  inflammation up in our body. inflammation means one thing, stress!! Therefore it will react the same way to gluten or stress from your boss roaring at you. So the idea behind balancing our hormones is to reduce the stress load on the body. This helps to bring inflammation down which can be contributing to bloating, weight gain, anxiety, messed up periods. Gluten is also known to increase intestinal permeability (leaky gut), inhibit thyroid function, stress the adrenal glands, and also affects immunity. So you can start to see a picture emerging here right?

3.Mass-Produced/Factory Farmed Animal protein

Sadly Ladies we no longer live in a generation like our grandparents. In short the quality of our food has quickly gone down hill and unfortunately animals raised in factory farms are a lot of times unfit for human consumption.  If we look at some of the issue to start with there are a host of problems. Ranging from improper sanitation to use of antibiotics (an attempt to prevent overcrowded animals from getting too sick to be harvested).  Even  hormones are thrown in the mix (designed to make animals bigger for more meat yield or to produce more milk for the dairy industry). Making better decisions around the quality of your meat is a great way to start. Meat is an important source of quality complete protein.  Of course it’s role is crucial in Hormonal Health.

Conclusion

Look my lovely the world of health and Hormones is a lonely and confusing time. But it does not have to be. Strive for  progress not perfection. Always ask for help its a sign of strength not weakness. Begin with one area such as one of the three worst foods above for your hormonal health. This is a change for life not just a quick fix and I would love to support you on this journey.

Connect with me on instagram  as Id love to connect and  I share some great tips  on how to make better choices on your budget for your particular goals.

If you would like a little more help be sure to book a free call and lets have a chat. Hundreds of women have gone on to achieving happier more confident lives by making that first step. To hear more about some real women’s stories  and their amazing results pop here and meet some fab ladies just like you who got meaningful results that mattered to them.

Hugs & Moon magic

Michelle x