One of the best ways to start improving your hormone health is with your morning routine!
It’s easy to fall into the habit of sleeping until the last minute, skipping breakfast and going straight for the coffee, and rushing to get out the door or start your day. But even just giving yourself an extra 20-30 minutes in the morning can make all the difference as far as your hormones are concerned! (Trust me, after incorporating even a few of these tips they will thank you!)
1. Take your BBT (Basal Body Temperature)
If you currently use the Fertility Awareness Method, you know what I’m talking about!
Taking your basal body temp the first thing after you wake up is an amazing tool to get a better look at your hormone and metabolic health! Our basal body temp can tell us what phase of our cycle were in, if/when we ovulate, when we’re going to get our period, and is a tool I use with all of my clients. Understanding your cycle is the first step in starting the path to balanced hormones. If you’re receiving this email then you received my free Beginner’s Guide to FAM ebook where I talk all about how to take your BBT. You can use a standard thermometer or something like Tempdrop that takes your BBT for you!
2. Start your day with the sun, not a screen
Okay, I know how easy it is for your to wake up and immediately reach for your phone, start responding to texts, emails, check social media, etc.
Your cortisol level (aka your stress hormone) is already at it’s highest right when you wake up, so jolting your eyes open with blue light and the entire world at your finger tips can cause cortisol to skyrocket. And if your body is busy ramping up cortisol, it’s pressing snooze on sex hormone production. Hello, imbalances! Try and wait as long as possible before reaching for your phone, but I would say at least 20-30 mins after you wake up. Instead crank open those curtains and let that sunshine in! Even if it’s not sunny, just exposing yourself to daylight is equally as good. This helps to support our circadian rhythm and therefore our hormones!
3. Start your day with movement, not sitting
Now I’m not saying you should immediately wake up and go for a 5 mile run. What I mean is easing your body into the day while supporting your lymphatic system! What I recommend is after getting out of bed do a light stretching routine, like the one pictured below by @wabisabimish on Instagram! Starting your day with gentle movement can help support your lymphatic system, digestion, and metabolism, all of which are important to hormonal balance!
4. Try a glass of warm lemon water before breakfast
This simple habit is one of the kindest routines you can implement for your liver and colon. The lemon water, containing 200+ enzymes in addition to vitamin C and potassium, helps your body to gently detoxify at the start of each day by supporting your liver and relaxing your bowels to promote elimination. Proper digestion and daily poops are SO important to maintaining hormone balance. There is a direct relationship between poor gut health and hormone imbalance!
How to include this: First thing upon waking, fill your favorite mug with filtered hot water and squeeze in the juice of ½ lemon, then add the rind to your mug. You don’t want boiling water, as this will negatively impact the lemon’s valuable enzymes and vitamins. Drink it as you are getting ready for the day, about 15-30 minutes before breakfast for maximum benefit. For extra digestive support, add in a piece of ginger, and for added hydration and minerals add in a pinch of unrefined sea salt.
5. Breakfast before coffee, ALWAYS
If there is one thing you take away from this, for the love of your hormones please let it be this one!
Jolting your body awake with caffeine on an empty stomach is doing your hormones and your body 0 favors. While you think you’re just enjoying your fav beverage, your body thinks you’re gearing up to fight a bear. No matter how much we love our coffee, it’s still perceived as a stressor! Eating a nice balanced breakfast ensures that the caffeine is able to be steadily absorbed over time, rather than all at once, meaning is much less of a stressor. Not to mention eating within an hour of waking also helps keep your blood sugar nice and balanced! My fav balanced breakfast is scrambled eggs with parmesan cheese, spinach, and tomatoes along with a nice organic grapefruit. I also have a coffee recipe I shared on my insta to make your fav drank a little more hormone friendly.
6. Start a journaling practice
I know many people are hesitant to journal. But it has been one of the most important aspects of my own healing journey.
I like to think of journaling as a form of mental grounding. It brings you into the moment, gives you time to reflect and process, and can help you make connections between your emotions. Our mental health is equally as important as our physical health, and has a direct impact on the success of our healing. Emotions are stored in our bodies and themselves can create imbalances and energy blockages, hindering progress. Past traumas can also be root causes of your physical symptoms!
Also by keeping track of which cycle day you’re on (I personally write mine down right next to the date), journaling can also help you start to recognize patterns of your symptoms based on where you’re at in your cycle (which is also very helpful for your practitioner *wink wink*)
Just start by journaling how you feel in that moment, any dreams you had, what you’re grateful for, anything! The beauty of journaling is there’s no right way to do it.
Is it absolutely necessary to incorporate all of these things every single day? Not at all! Starting with just one or two can definitely be beneficial! It’s just important for us to remember that our healing journey isn’t just all diet and supplements. It also takes lifestyle changes! We can’t heal in the same environment and doing the same habits that got us sick.
I love hearing from you guys, so leave a comment and let me know which one of these habits you’re going to start incorporating!