Lifestyle Habits that Can Affect Your Hormones

You've probably had moments where you felt something was off with your body. Perhaps your menstrual cycle was unpredictable, you had trouble sleeping, or your mood was off. It's entirely possible it's your hormones! These little chemical messengers have a major impact on your overall well-being. They regulate everything from your menstrual cycle and fertility to your mood and energy levels. And did you know that certain lifestyle habits can upset this delicate balance?

In this blog post, we'll examine habits that can affect your hormone levels and give you some practical tips to support your hormone balance and overall well-being.

To play sports

Exercise is one of the best ways to support your hormones. Exercise is not only good for your body, but it can also positively impact your hormone levels.

What are the benefits of exercise?

• Exercise helps increase the sensitivity of hormone receptors and can also improve the delivery of nutrients and signals throughout your body. Bliss.
• It can also help stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels, which is important for hormonal balance.
• In addition, exercise can boost levels of muscle-preserving hormones, which decline as you age. Yes!

The best part is, you don't have to be a professional athlete or fitness enthusiast to feel the benefits—all types of exercise count! Whether you enjoy yoga, dancing, or simply walking, find a way to move your body and do it regularly. Your hormones (and your whole body) will thank you!

Good to know : Excessive exercise can affect your menstrual cycle. Excessive exercise can increase stress hormones, including cortisol, which can disrupt your cycle. This can sometimes even lead to hypothalamic amenorrhea, a condition in which your periods stop due to physical stress.

Dr. Stacy Sims, a seasoned researcher in this field, has written extensively on this condition, so if you're interested in learning more, we recommend her work. Also, check out this study for more insights.

Want to learn more about how to train according to your menstrual cycle? Then read our blog post called Period Power: Train According to Your Cycle .

Refined sugars

We all know that eating too much sugar isn't a good idea. Because, as delicious as it is, sugar can throw your hormones off course. Studies have shown that eating added sugar can promote insulin resistance, even if you're not gaining weight or consuming too many calories. This can have major consequences for your hormone balance, as insulin plays a key role in regulating many bodily functions.

But that's not all – long-term fructose intake (found in many added sugars) has also been linked to disruptions in your gut microbiome, which can lead to even more hormonal imbalances.

In addition, sugar cannot trigger the production of the satiety hormone leptin , making it harder to burn calories and maintain a healthy weight.

So, if you want to optimize your hormone function and improve your overall health, it's a good idea to minimize your refined sugar intake.

Stress management

Stress can affect your hormones in several ways. This is because the hormone cortisol, which helps your body cope with stress, can have negative effects if it remains elevated for too long.

How does that work? When you're stressed, your body produces cortisol to help you cope, but once the stress is over, your hormone levels should return to normal. Chronic stress can disrupt this process and keep your cortisol levels elevated. This can lead to all sorts of problems, such as insulin resistance and other hormonal imbalances.

But don't worry – there are ways to manage your stress and improve your hormonal health. Research shows that stress-reduction techniques like meditation, yoga, and even listening to relaxing music can help lower your cortisol.

So try to set aside at least 10 to 15 minutes a day for this, even if you don't have time. You'll find it can make a huge difference.

Read more about How Stress Can Affect Your Period here .

Quality of your sleep

Never underestimate the importance of sleep. Poor quality sleep, or simply not getting enough sleep, is linked to numerous hormonal imbalances, such as insulin (the hormone responsible for sugar), cortisol (the hormone responsible for stress), leptin (the hormone responsible for satiety), ghrelin (the hunger hormone), and growth hormone. Studies consistently show that sleep deprivation leads to increased ghrelin (the hormone responsible for hunger) and decreased leptin (the hormone responsible for satiety).

Early to bed then? This isn't always the solution. Even if you stay in bed for a long time, the quality of your sleep may not be as good. Your brain needs uninterrupted sleep to go through all five stages of your sleep cycle. This is especially important for the release of growth hormone, which occurs primarily at night during deep sleep.

Ideally, you'd aim for at least seven hours of good sleep. We know this isn't always possible (especially if you have a baby or young children), but really try to get it.

It's important to know that alcohol affects the quality of your sleep. While a nightcap might seem like a good way to unwind, alcohol can negatively impact the quality of your sleep.

Initially, you might feel tired and fall asleep faster, but alcohol disrupts your sleep cycle and prevents you from sleeping straight through. It also shortens your REM phase and causes you to wake up more often.

But it's not just your sleep that's affected. Your menstrual health can also take a hit. Too much alcohol can disrupt your hormones, leading to irregular cycles or even no periods at all. If you'd like to learn more about alcohol's impact on your hormones, read our blog post about it.

Caffeine intake

Hate coffee? We get it. A cup of coffee in the morning can feel like an essential part of your routine. Don't worry, you don't have to quit completely, but too much caffeine can affect your hormones.

When you consume too much caffeine, you produce more stress hormones . This can lead to less sleep, a change in appetite, digestive issues, and ultimately lower energy levels—which is the opposite of what you were hoping for when you had that cup of coffee, right?

Therefore, don't drink more than one or two cups a day. And, we hate to break it to you, but if you're really sensitive to caffeine, it's best to avoid it altogether. Remember, balance is key when it comes to caffeine and hormonal health.

Alcohol consumption

We just briefly discussed alcohol and its effect on your sleep. But too much alcohol can also disrupt your hormone balance, which can lead to estrogen dominance .

This can increase your risk of all sorts of conditions. Alcohol can also lower your testosterone levels , which in turn can lower your libido – which can, in turn, affect the rest of your well-being .

Women are advised to have no more than one drink per day (seven or less per week).

However, it's good to keep in mind that the less alcohol you drink, the more balanced your body will be. So, if you want to keep your hormones in check, it's best to stick to one drink or not drink at all.

Want to know more about how alcohol affects your hormones and cycle? We wrote a whole blog post about it: Alcohol and Your Hormones .

Hormones and your health

Whether you've been following Guud for a while and already know this, or you're a new reader (welcome!), there's one thing you really need to remember from this blog post: hormones are incredibly important to your overall health. They need to be in balance to feel good.

Some factors that change our hormones, such as menopause, are beyond our control, but we can do something to keep our hormone levels under control: healthy living.

Regular exercise, managing your stress, and getting good sleep can go a long way toward balancing your hormones. Limit refined sugar, caffeine, and alcohol, as they can all contribute to hormonal imbalance. This will support healthy hormone levels and improve your overall health and well-being.

Another way to be the best version of yourself? Take supplements with essential vitamins and minerals like zinc, magnesium, omega-3, and folic acid, which can help support a healthy menstrual cycle and hormonal health.

Not sure which supplement is best for you? Talk to us . Our experts are here to help. Or answer a few questions in our quiz to find the right supplement for you.