Balancing Hormones: The Foundations

When women talk about “hormone balance,” what they often mean is feeling in sync with their bodies—having steady energy, predictable cycles, clear skin, and a mood they can count on. But underneath those surface experiences is a beautifully complex interplay of hormones that work like a symphony. When even one instrument is out of tune, the whole piece can be thrown off—and you feel it!

Understanding how to support your hormones starts with knowing the key players, how they interact, and what lifestyle factors help keep them in balance.

The Hormones at Play

Each month, your body coordinates a delicate dance between estrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

• Estrogen helps grow the uterine lining, supports ovulation, and impacts everything from mood to skin health. You don’t want too little or too much of it.

• Progesterone rises after ovulation and helps maintain the uterine lining—it’s also calming to the nervous system. Ideally, we want a healthy level of progesterone, typically above 10 ng/mL at its peak (about 7 days after ovulation).

  
  

These hormones don’t operate in a vacuum. Cortisol (your main stress hormone) and thyroid hormones (critical for metabolism and energy) play major supporting roles. When stress is high or thyroid function is low, your body often puts reproductive health on the back burner—leading to skipped or irregular periods, PMS, fatigue, or fertility challenges.

What Disrupts Hormonal Harmony—and What You Can Do About It

Many women experience hormonal symptoms without realizing the root cause is often lifestyle-based. While genetics do play a role—especially with conditions like PCOS and endometriosis—there are common disruptors that you can influence.

1. Chronic Stress

Long-term stress raises cortisol, which can suppress ovulation and lower progesterone. It also disrupts blood sugar regulation and sleep—two key pillars of hormone balance.

🌿 Tip: Build a daily stress management routine—think walks, breathwork, journaling, or therapy.

2. Blood Sugar Swings

Blood sugar spikes and crashes prompt extra cortisol and insulin, both of which interfere with estrogen and progesterone balance.

🥑 Eat balanced meals with protein, fiber, and healthy fats every 3–4 hours to stay steady.

3. Poor Sleep & Circadian Disruption

Getting 7–9 hours of restful, consistent sleep helps regulate cortisol and ovulation.

🌙 Dim lights in the evening, eliminate screens 30–60 minutes before bed, and get morning sunlight exposure.

4. Nutrient Deficiencies

Your body needs B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin D, zinc, and iodine to produce and metabolize hormones effectively.

🥦 Eat a nutrient-dense diet and consider supplementing where needed.

5. Environmental Toxins

We’re all exposed to xenoestrogens—chemicals that mimic estrogen—in plastics, cleaners, and personal care products. These can increase total estrogen load and throw off balance.

🚫 Avoid heating food in plastic, filter your water, and choose clean beauty products. EWG.org is a great resource.

Support Your Body’s Natural Detox Pathways

Estrogen is metabolized by the liver and eliminated through the colon and kidneys. If detox systems are sluggish or your gut flora is off, estrogen can recirculate—leading to PMS, heavy periods, or fibrocystic breasts.

To support healthy elimination:

• 💧 Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily

• 🌾 Eat 25–35g of fiber per day

• 🥦 Include cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cauliflower)

• 🧄 Add fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, or yogurt

• 🌱 Consider seed cycling, liver-supportive herbs, or targeted supplements—based on your unique needs

  
  

Testing Can Speed Up the Process

While there are some common deficiencies I see in practice—like low vitamin D or iron—individualized testing for nutrients, inflammation, blood sugar, and hormones (plus more!) can be very helpful in getting people feeling better on a faster timeline. It’s less guessing and more targeting the specific support your body needs.

Too often I see women trying to conceive, or struggling with irregular cycles, fatigue, or other hormonal symptoms, who haven’t been tested for markers that we can improve with lifestyle, nutrition, supplements, or medications if needed.

Testing helps us move from trial-and-error to precision—and that often makes all the difference in both how you feel and how fast you start seeing results.

Hormone Health Is a Whole-Body Conversation

Hormones are messengers—but they’re not the message itself. They respond to everything in your life: what you eat, how you move, the thoughts you think, and whether your body feels safe.

That’s why the path to true hormone balance involves a root-cause, whole-person approach.

Ready to Get to the Root of Your Hormone Concerns?

If you’re experiencing irregular periods, mood swings, fatigue, acne, or just feel “off,” you don’t have to guess at the cause—or go it alone.

👉 Book a hormone consult today and take the first step toward restoring balance and vitality in your body. I’d love to work with you to create a personalized plan that supports your health from the inside out.

Dr. Jessie Miller is a Naturopathic Doctor practicing functional and holistic medicine in the Denver area with a focus on Women's health, digestion, and pediatrics. She believes that we should not settle for "common" symptoms being "normal" and that women do not have to choose between suffering and birth control or medications they don't want, there is an in between! Bridging that gap is what she does best.