It’s that time again when we reflect on the year that’s coming to an end and look forward to the one ahead and how we can get the most out of it.
Health-oriented resolutions are popular, but most people fall by the wayside by February or March. I don’t think that means we need to give those up altogether, but if we stack them, for instance, connecting them also to support our hormones, it may help motivate us to stick to them.
Hormones affect our health on all levels, so ensuring they’re balanced and working the way they’re supposed to means we’re working on our whole body’s health.
Here’s my list of New Year’s Resolutions to optimize hormone health and help me feel my best all year long.
- Prioritize sleep. This is my number one because sleep is genuinely so important for the human body. It’s the only time your body can repair itself, so if you’re not sleeping, your body isn’t repairing and rebuilding itself. It’s also tied to hormone health in the form of the circadian rhythm. If your melatonin and cortisol are out of whack, you likely don’t fall asleep and wake up around the same time the sun does. There’s a lot you can do that won’t cost you anything to help optimize those hormones and in turn your sleep schedule.
- Get outside for at least 15 minutes so your eyes can take in the light information and get your cortisol up—you want it to peak in the morning and continuously drop the rest of the day.
- Get outside around sunset to take that light information in to help you become less sensitive to overhead lighting after the sun goes down—overhead lighting inhibits our production of melatonin, and the sunset light information helps to neutralize our body’s reaction to the overhead lighting inside our homes so our bodies can still produce melatonin.
- Get some movement in. I am one of those freaks who loves exercising, but I don’t believe exercise is one-size-fits-all. Find movement you enjoy, and it’s okay if that changes week to week, month to month, or even day to day! I recently paired my workouts with where I was in my cycle, which made a massive difference in my energy levels. I did lower-intensity and lower-impact workouts right during my luteal phase and switched to just walking on my period—a brisk walk counts as movement, so don’t downplay that! I save the higher-intensity and impact workouts for when I’m in my follicular and ovulatory phases, so I’m optimizing what my hormones are already doing.
- Menstrual phase workouts – walks, yoga, stretching, etc.
- Follicular phase workouts – barre, low-impact strength training, etc.
- Ovulatory phase workouts – HIIT, high-impact strength training, power-lifting, etc.
- Luteal phase workouts – barre, pilates, yoga, etc.
- Cook more meals from scratch. Eating already-prepared foods means eating more preservatives, chemicals, and straight-up unknowns—I’m looking at you, “natural flavors.” These chemicals can be endocrine disrupters (aka they throw your hormones out of whack), good gut bacteria killers, and, in the worst-case scenario, lead to things like cancer and heart disease. I find meal prepping to be a great way to avoid eating processed garbage a lot, and I know real food helps keep my hormones balanced. I love using a crock pot because once you have the ingredients in there, you can set it and forget it. It’s great for things like
- Soups/stews/chilis
- Single pot meals—pot roast, lasagna, casseroles, etc.
- Drink less alcohol. It’s pretty easy to pour myself a glass of wine while making dinner to wind down after a long day, but I know alcohol isn’t great for my hormones. It can disrupt your sleep cycle, thyroid function, and even reproductive hormones. Luckily, there are a ton of alternatives, and they contain things like Ashwagandha, L-Theanine, and more that don’t negatively impact your hormones. I’ve become a big fan of Hop Water, probably because I love sparkling water and enjoy a good beer, but there’s something for every palate out there!
- Recess makes some great mocktails—”margarita,” “paloma,” “ginger mule,” etc.
- Hop Water—range from classic to lime, mango, peach, etc.
- Ritual Zero Proof—non alcoholic versions of tequila, rum, whiskey, gin, etc.
- Take a quality multivitamin that works harder. If we’re honest with ourselves, getting all the necessary nutrients from our food can be challenging. I rely on supplements for this reason, especially for the crucial vitamins and minerals for our hormone health. I personally take (and love) Semaine’s Daily Hormone Balance. It’s not your average multivitamin and does so much for you. Let me break down the ingredients.
- Includes Berberine Phytosome (aka Nature’s Ozempic) to curb cravings and support metabolic health—which in turn supports hormone health
- Has B3, B6, B9 and B12 to support cellular energy levels
- Contains essential minerals that support healthy blood sugar (Magnesium and Zinc)
- A little mood-boosting passionflower to reduce cortisol and stress levels
- Grapeseed Extract to support heart health, enhanced skin quality, and complexion
It’s doctor-formulated, science-backed, and created by women with PCOS, so it’s perfect for women who have PCOS or those looking to reduce insulin resistance. They also have clinical trials that speak for themselves.
- After 1 week
- 49% Better moods
- 53% Had fewer cravings
- After 1 month
- 70% Better moods
- 73% Had more energy
- After 2 months
- 76% Had fewer cravings
- 46 Point decrease in cholesterol
Try it today and save 20% when you use code METABOLISM at checkout.
Try these five things to make 2025 your best, healthiest hormone year yet!