The Happy Hormone Guide Read online

  □ChocZero sugar-free syrup

  □Coconut sugar and maple syrup (I use these on special occasions for baking or desserts)

  White flour is refined, processed, and highly inflammatory. Because it is stripped of all nutritional value, it spikes your blood sugar. The vitamins and minerals they add to enriched white flour are not bioavailable to us, meaning our bodies can’t utilize them, so the added nutrients are pointless. Enriched or refined white flour is mostly used in junk foods like cookies, cakes, bread, cereals, pasta, donuts, pretzels, chips, muffins, and more.

  Instead of baking or eating foods with white flour, try experimenting with almond flour, chickpea flour, TigerNut flour, gluten-free oat flour, buckwheat flour, or coconut flour, as they are naturally gluten-free and make for great alternatives in your cooking or baking.

  Cinnamon

  Cinnamon helps to balance blood sugar and tastes delicious in all types of dishes. I sprinkle it on smoothies, coffee, energy balls, apples, roasted sweet potatoes, baked goods, and more.

  EAT WHEN YOU FEEL HUNGRY

  A general guideline is to eat your first meal within 90 minutes of waking, but because I eat intuitively, I like to recommend having your first meal when you feel hungry (instead of forcing down food). I typically eat my first meal around 10 a.m., sometimes earlier or later—it just depends on how I feel. I don’t beat myself up over when I’m hungry because every day is different. This doesn’t mean you should wait until 10 a.m. to eat. It means making the connection to when you feel hungry and then feeding your body a balanced meal instead of skipping it or holding off until you feel ravenous and ready to binge everything in sight. Listening is how to build trust and intuition with your body, and the more you practice, the louder those food and hunger cues become.

  Finding an eating routine that works intuitively for you is the only way you can tune into what your body needs. I won’t say you need to eat three large meals per day at a specific time with snacks every two hours in between, or six small meals spaced throughout the day with no snacking. Unless you’re an Olympic athlete on a strict diet plan, too many rules create a lot of food noise and make us constantly think about eating, even when we aren’t hungry. What I recommend is getting your calories in whatever way works for you, whether from three large meals, with or without snacks, or six small meals. I think you’ll find that when you start eating balanced meals with adequate fiber that won’t spike your blood sugar, you’ll experience fewer cravings and feel satisfied for longer periods. This may nudge you toward three larger meals each day, with or without snacks. This is how following the Happy Hormone Method unfolded for me.

  What I don’t recommend is starting your day with just coffee, as this will spike your blood sugar and set up your day to be full of cravings. Adding some fat and protein will alleviate a spike, but you’ll have to experiment because metabolism and hunger fluctuate throughout each phase. That’s why following your intuition is your best guiding light.

  Hydrate First

  It’s easy to confuse dehydration with hunger. To prevent this, drink 16-32 ounces of filtered water first thing in the morning (preferably room-temperature or warm—no ice), and then 30 minutes before each meal. This will help you gauge how hungry you are, and keep you hydrated throughout the day.

  HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WATER YOU NEED? You should be drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces per day. So, if you weigh 140 pounds, you should be drinking 70 ounces of water, spread throughout the day.

  To replenish electrolytes and mineral stores, see my “Sticky Water” recipe in the Happy Hormone Sips section.

  ELIMINATE SWEET BEVERAGES AND LIMIT ALCOHOL

  Drinking fruit juice is like drinking liquid sugar because there is nothing (like fiber, protein, or fat) to slow down its release into the bloodstream. Many “healthy” beverages have almost as much sugar as a can of cola, which contains 39 grams of sugar (that equates to about ten teaspoons of table sugar). An 8-ounce glass of orange juice has 18-24 grams of sugar, and a typical “energy” drink has 32 grams. Certain pasteurized green juices have upwards of 28 grams per serving. Always read labels and ingredient lists to check the sugar content. Stick with water, water infused with lemon, cucumber or mint, sparkling mineral water, or herbal tea.

  Alcohol can also spike your blood sugar. It’s also hard on your liver, and when balancing hormones, your liver needs to be healthy and functioning optimally. Try to cut back on your alcohol consumption as much as possible, limited to one or two times per week, or 2-3 drinks per week. Stick with low sugar options like vodka, tequila, dry red wine, or prosecco, and stay away from sugary mixers. Instead, mix with soda water, fresh lemon or lime, or kombucha.

  Better yet, consider a mocktail, like my Ginger Lime Mocktail recipe in the Happy Hormone Sips!

  LIMIT CAFFEINE

  Limit your caffeine as much as possible. If you must drink coffee, limit it to one cup per day. If drinking on an empty stomach, add one tablespoon of MCT oil or coconut oil to slow the release of caffeine and prevent a blood sugar rollercoaster. It’s best to pair caffeine with a balanced meal.

  EXERCISE 4-5 TIMES PER WEEK

  Exercising lowers blood sugar levels by improving glucose metabolism. It helps your body clear sugar out of the bloodstream and into your muscles and tissues for fuel, instead of being stored as fat. Use your intuition and follow the exercise recommendations for each cycle phase.

  MANAGE CORTISOL AND STRESS

  Cortisol helps manage internal and external stressors. This means it helps regulate blood sugar levels, but as you learned earlier, it also helps you manage stress from the external world. Managing blood sugar ties into regulating cortisol and stress because they are often intertwined. High cortisol can lead to binging on sugary, processed foods that may feel comforting for a short time but will ultimately spike your blood sugar. When you are on the high blood sugar rollercoaster, every little stressor or issue you encounter throughout the day is amplified, which can stress you out even more. It becomes a vicious cycle.

  To lower and flush cortisol levels, you may consider establishing new ways of managing day-to-day stress, on top of eating the right foods to keep your blood sugar in balance.

  STRESS REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

  □Say no more often without feeling guilty, or feeling like you have to explain yourself

  □Surround yourself with people who bring you up rather than put you down

  □Adopt a meditation practice

  □Practice deep breathing exercises

  □Seek therapy for an outside, unbiased perspective to manage your stress

  □Spend more time in nature

  □Do phase-appropriate exercises

  □Eliminate/limit caffeine and/or stimulant use

  □Turn your phone off or spend less time on it

  □Get enough high-quality rest

  □Take an Epsom salt bath

  □Diffuse relaxing essential oils

  □Get more facials or massages

  □Read for fun or to relax

  □Schedule self-care in your daily routine and do whatever self care means to you

  □Have regular orgasms

  □Snuggle with your pet or cuddle with your partner

  □Do nothing at all, and truly relax

  Many herbs and adaptogens can help your body adapt to stress better, lower cortisol levels, and help get you through stressful times. See my Anti-Stress and HPA Axis Supporting Supplements.

  2. REMOVING ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS

  The world is full of endocrine disruptors, and it takes conscious effort to avoid or minimize exposure to these chemicals. This is a critical part of the Happy Hormone Method because, as you learned earlier in chapter 2, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (also known as EDC’s) interfere with hormone action and mimic certain hormones, which trick your system into thinking
it has to pump out more of one hormone and less of another. They can lead to all kinds of symptoms, from estrogen-related hormonal conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, and cysts, to unexplained headaches and extreme fatigue.

  GUIDELINES FOR CREATING A NON-TOXIC HOME

  You don’t have to do it all at once, but over time, you can begin to replace your cleaning supplies, skin care, makeup, nail polish, and other products with non-toxic, healthier options. When your moisturizer or mascara runs out, try a new hormone-friendly, non-toxic brand. The point is to be more aware of what you are buying, using, cleaning with, and applying to your skin and hair.

  FOOD & WATER

  □Avoid pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides by choosing organic, locally-grown, and seasonal foods whenever possible. Helpful resources are the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists (refer to https://www.ewg.org/).

  □Wash all produce before eating. I recommend using a natural fruit and veggie wash.

  □Consider an activated carbon water filter, for your at-home drinking water to filter out contaminants like pathogenic bacteria, viruses, chloramine, trihalomethanes, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, heavy metals, etc.

  □Use a chlorine filter on shower heads.

  □Buy BPA-free packaged and canned goods.

  PLASTICS

  □Reduce plastic use as much as possible.

  □Bring reusable cloth bags for groceries and shopping to avoid plastic grocery bags. Also, consider reusable cloth produce bags.

  □Say no to plastic straws or consider bringing your own reusable straw when dining out.

  □Avoid microwaving food in plastic containers.

  □Avoid using plastic wrap and baggies when storing or wrapping food. Use reusable food wraps instead. I also love reusable, dishwasher-safe silicone bags in lieu of single use plastic bags.

  □Use glass or ceramic containers for food storage. I also love storing food in mason jars.

  □Drink out of glass containers only. Consider a reusable glass water bottle to bring out with you, instead of buying cases of plastic water bottles.

  DIY Fruit and Veggie Wash

  2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar + 2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1 cup tap water

  Combine in a spray bottle and shake well before using.

  Spray on your produce, scrub, and rinse.

  HOME AND CLEANING SUPPLIES

  □Use non-toxic, chemical-free, biodegradable, household cleaning products, laundry detergent, fabric softener, dish soap, dish detergent, and hand soap (I love the products from Seventh Generation, Branch Basics, Meyers, and Raw Sugar).

  □Clean with safe, common, household ingredients like baking soda, white vinegar, natural soap, lemons, and essential oils.

  □Use clean candle brands (like Element, Lite + Cycle or Keap), or use an essential oil diffuser instead. I love freshening up the kitchen after cooking by diffusing lemon essential oil.

  □Avoid nonstick pots and pans and consider carbon steel, stainless steel, ceramic, or copper. Or choose ceramic nonstick pans that are free of PFAS, PFOA, lead, and cadmium.

  □Add houseplants to a few rooms in your home. The soil bacteria helps to reduce the volatile organic compounds (like formaldehyde) in the air.

  □Consider switching to “green” dry cleaners that don’t use perchloroethylene or “perc” in their dry cleaning services.

  □Take off your shoes at the front door to avoid tracking in lead, dust, pesticides, and bacteria.

  □Vacuum your house regularly using a HEPA filter. This filters out many of the chemicals from the dust in your home, like fire retardants, phthalates, and pesticides.

  Top Ingredients to Avoid in Cleaning Products

  2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol

  Alkyl Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride

  Alkyl Dimethyl Ethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride

  Didecyldimethylammonium Chloride

  Diethanolamine

  Dioctyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride

  Distearyldimonium Chloride

  DMDM Hydantoin

  Ethanolamine

  Formaldehyde

  Glutaral

  Monoethanolamine Citrate

  Quaternium-15

  Quaternium-24

  Sodium Hypochlorite (Bleach)

  Sulfuric Acid

  Triethanolamine

  BEAUTY AND COSMETIC PRODUCTS

  □ Read your cosmetic ingredient labels and avoid harmful ingredients (see below).

  □ Check products (I like using EWG’s Skin Deep website or Think Dirty app) to see where brands and products rank and their toxicity score.

  □ Choose clean beauty brands (see a list of my favorite brands for skin care, hair care, makeup, toothpaste, deodorant, sunscreen, nail polish, and all things beauty on this page).

  □ Shop the clean beauty online stores like Credo Beauty, CAP Beauty, The Detox Market, and Beauty Counter.

  □ Switch to a more natural spa or salon for your beauty, hair, and skin treatments.

  □ Use naturally-derived fragrances from plants or essential oils, instead of artificial fragrances.

  □ Avoid toxic menstrual products and tampons (see my natural menstrual product recommendations).

  □ Avoid hand sanitizers (or opt for natural options from Dr. Bronner’s, Meyers, or EO).

  Top Ingredients to Avoid in Beauty Products

  Benzalkonium Chloride

  BHA/BHT

  Butyl Alcohol

  Butylatedhydroxy Anisole

  Butylated Hydroxytoluene

  Diazolidinyl Urea

  Disodium EDTA

  DMDM Hydantoin

  Ethanol

  Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)

  Ethylene Glycol

  Ethanolamines (MEA/DEA/TEA)

  Formaldehyde

  Fragrance

  Hydroquinone

  Imidazolidinyl Urea

  Lithium Chloride

  Methylisothiazolinone

  Methylene Chloride

  Oxybenzone

  PABA (Para-aminobenzoic acid)

  Parabens (methyl-, isobutyl-, propyl-)

  PEG (and anything containing ceteareth, xynol and oleth)

  Petrochemicals (like mineral oil, petroleum jelly, propylene glycol, paraffin)

  Phthalates (DBP, DEHP, DEP)

  Phenoxyethanol

  Polyethylene glycol

  Poly Quaternium (7, 10, 11, 15)

  Retinyl palmitate

  Retinol

  Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

  Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS and SLES)

  Stearalkonium chloride

  Talc

  Toulene

  Triclosan

  Triclocarban

  Urea

  VOC’s (volatile organic compounds)

  AT WORK AND PUBLIC PLACES

  □ Salons, housekeeping services, and golf courses are some of the highest endocrine-disrupting occupations, due to the products used and chemicals sprayed.

  □ Say no to paper receipts as they are full of highly absorbable phenol chemicals like BPA and BPS (Bisphenol A and Bisphenol S), and they waste paper.

  □ Be aware of toxic fumes from copiers, printers, carpets, construction sites, and building materials.

  □ Avoid drinking fountain water and bring filtered water in a reusable bottle.

  □ Avoid heating your work lunch in plastic in the microwave. Use glass instead and bring your own silverware.

  3. SUPPORTING DIGESTION AND ELIMINATION

  Many things can overburden the liver and slow down elimination pathways. These include environmental toxins, endocrine disruptors, physical and emotio
nal stress, travel, lack of sleep, poor diet, and unhealthy gut bacteria. All of these can make it hard for your liver to metabolize estrogen. This build-up of estrogen can interrupt your natural hormonal ecosystem and produce various signs and symptoms of estrogen dominance. You can’t have healthy periods with an unhealthy microbiome, so the key is to establish regular bowel movements and maintain healthy intestinal flora. There are a few ways to do this.

  DETOX & NOURISH YOUR LIVER

  □ Consume at least 25 grams of fiber per day (see my High Fiber Happy Hormone Foods).

  □ Eat 1–2 brazil nuts per day for selenium.

  □ Take liver-supporting herbs and supplements.

  □ Drink herbal detox-supporting teas such as dandelion, burdock root, fennel, licorice, or ginger.

  □ Always drink and cook with filtered water instead of tap.

  TREAT YOUR MICROBIOME

  Optimizing your gut flora is essential for hormone health and a well-functioning immune system, which in turn helps fight chronic inflammation and promotes elimination of estrogen. After taking all the steps to balance your blood sugar and care for your liver, work to nourish your gut. In addition to taking a daily probiotic, try the following.

  □ Eat fermented vegetables and traditionally cultured foods. These will help replenish your gut with beneficial bacteria and include non-dairy yogurt (unsweetened or plain), sauerkraut, kimchi, olives, miso, tempeh, natto, and pickles.

  □ Take a digestive enzyme before meals to assist with absorption of nutrients from your food (I prefer the Renew Life Plant Based Enzymes) or take a shot of apple cider vinegar before eating.

  □ Consider L-glutamine for healing your intestinal lining and supporting overall gut health, especially if you experience IBS symptoms. L-glutamine is an essential amino acid that works to protect the mucous membranes of your intestines and esophagus. It boosts immune cell activity and soothes intestinal lining.