June 26, 2025 • 27 mins
Your hormonal symptoms like acne, bloating, PMS, and irregular periods are all interconnected rather than separate issues. Understanding the connections between these symptoms can help you identify underlying imbalances and address multiple concerns at once. In today's episode, Bridget responds to questions and DMs that she got this week.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here's the thing that I need you to know about your
hormones and digestion, and it'sthat none of these things, like
acne, bloating or PMS, arehappening separately.
They are all related.
In today's episode, I'm goingto be talking you through some
of the questions that I got thisweek during my live class and
also through the DMs, so you canunderstand what is the main
(00:24):
through line that you should bekeeping your eye on.
Welcome to I'm Hormonal, yoursource of information about
women's hormone health and howto support your body.
Naturally, I'm your host,bridget Walton, and I'm a
certified functional hormonespecialist and menstrual cycle
coach.
I am on a mission to hold thesehormone conversations with as
(00:44):
many menstruators as possible,because you deserve easier
access to accurate informationabout what's up with your unruly
menstrual cycle and with yourfertility mysteries.
Don't you think it's time thatwe figure this out once and for
all?
Alrighty team, welcome totoday's episode of I'm Hormonal.
(01:04):
This is episode number 115, andI'm so excited that you're here
with me.
Thank you for listening Today.
What I want to walk throughwith you is an extension of
conversations that maybe you'veheard before here on the podcast
about the foundations of health, of wellness, and what are some
(01:25):
of these foundations that applyand impact like I mentioned in
the intro your bloating, yourPMS, your period regularity.
They impact your skin, theyimpact your bowel movement
regularity.
All of these things and theseare this is a topic that I got
questions around during the liveclass that I did this week, so
(01:48):
if you missed it, then we aregoing to walk through that here.
My hope for you is that thisepisode gives you at least one
little nugget to walk away withof.
Okay, how can I in myday-to-day life, in my real life
, observe a bit more about whatmy body is trying to tell me?
(02:08):
How can I make sense of thesesignals that my cycle or my
digestion is trying to tell me?
If you've listened to the podbefore, you know that that's
really the mission here.
That's what I'm all about ishelping to equip you with that
information and context.
You need to make sense of whatthe heck is going on and why are
(02:31):
you feeling the way that you'refeeling?
So, with that all out of theway, why don't we just go ahead
and dive in?
Because this first question Ihad was about blood sugar
regulation.
If you are newer to learningabout blood sugar regulation,
then you should know thatwhatever is going on with your
blood sugar, that is going to beimpacting your energy levels,
(02:53):
your mood.
That can impact your hormonebalance itself, because if your
blood sugar levels are onaverage, maybe higher, therefore
, your body is releasing moreinsulin as a response to that.
That will impact your levels oftestosterone.
That can impact your stresshormone, cortisol.
That can impact your levels ofestrogen.
(03:16):
So just a quick snapshot.
For what can your blood sugarimpact, which is like basically
everything right.
Do a quick goog for it and youwill find a list that goes on
and on.
After I said that, I realized Icould just go ahead and do that
Google search for you.
So let me run through a coupleof things just to really help
(03:38):
paint the picture for howimpactful regulating your blood
sugar levels, keeping your bloodsugar stable, can be on not
just your hormones but manyother aspects of your health.
So stick with me, let me runthrough this, because balancing
your glucose levels can help.
Cravings, hunger, fatigue,brain fog, hormonal infertility
(04:00):
issues, skin conditions,wrinkles, poor sleep we're not
even halfway done.
Menopause symptoms, mentalhealth symptoms, your immune
system.
It can also impact your chanceof landing Alzheimer's disease,
fatty liver disease, cancer.
It also can impact your riskfor heart disease and, overall,
(04:25):
avoiding spikes will help you toreduce inflammation in your
body.
Honorable final mention, did Isay diabetes, which, of course,
maybe that is the one that wouldbe most top of mind for you.
That can be really closelyconnected with what's going on
with your blood sugar and yourinsulin responses.
So now that we have thatcontext out of the way, let's
(04:48):
come back to the question that Igot during the live class,
which is what does it look liketo understand what your blood
sugar is doing?
How can I tell, without doing atest, without using a
continuous glucose monitor,what's going on with my blood
sugar?
So let's walk through it.
When your blood sugar levelsare high so maybe this is after
(05:10):
you had a really carb-forwardmeal, maybe this is after you,
you know, just crushed somedessert, whatever that looks
like for you Sometimes, whenblood sugar levels are high,
that can result in a little bitof feelings of anxiousness,
increased stress.
Maybe you feel like you havemore energy, right?
(05:32):
Because when your blood sugarlevels are higher, that can also
pull up your stress hormone,cortisol, and cortisol is what's
going to bring those feelingsof anxiety, of stress to you,
however minor or however youknow, front of mind, that might
look for your specific body.
Now, on the other hand, whenyour blood sugar levels are low,
(05:56):
that's when you are more likelyto feel really tired and
drained, that's when you'relikely to feel hangry, when
you're likely to feel reallycranky, when you have these
cravings.
That's because, when your bloodsugar is low, your body is
trying to tell you hey, girl, weneed to get a snack over here,
because our blood sugar is goingdown into the danger zone and
that's why you crave sugar,that's why you crave these other
(06:21):
foods.
Is that why you crave thosethings or feel those ways 100%
of the time?
No, perhaps not.
There are certainly otherreasons why you might feel like
you crave something, or likeyou're not in a great mood, or
like you're anxious.
So don't get me wrong on that.
But those are a couple ofthings you can keep an eye out
(06:43):
for.
To say, huh, you know, after Iate my insert name of tasty
sweet, after I ate my Frenchtoast or my lemon poppy seed
pancakes for breakfast, I wasfeeling kind of anxious, and
then, maybe an hour later, I wasfeeling so tired.
Huh, could that be what's goingon with my blood sugar, or
(07:06):
insert whatever those meals are,whatever that looks like for
you.
So just a couple of clues onhow you can have a sense for
what's going on.
My last thought here is that,if you're noticing that your
energy levels are really erratic, that is what is most present
for most of the clients that Iwork with, most of the gals,
(07:27):
most of the folks that I talk to, is when you are really
dragging in the afternoon.
Sometimes that's because ofwhat's going on with your blood
sugar.
So a little food for thoughtthere, all right.
So the next thing that I want tofocus on as it relates to this
question, is this question offor whom is blood sugar
(07:48):
regulation or stabilizing bloodsugars particularly important to
focus on?
And so there are a couple ofgroups of folks that come to
mind, the first of which wouldbe folks with PCOS.
Now, pcos is a very common name, some portion of people who
have PCOS.
This syndrome can beexacerbated or driven by insulin
(08:11):
resistance.
What is insulin resistance?
Well, if you have dysregulatedblood sugar levels for long
enough, your cells, they startto respond differently to
insulin.
They're like, okay, this is,you know, the boy who cried wolf
, kind of thing.
So then your body starts toneed more insulin in order to
(08:33):
have that same response ofbringing that glucose into your
cells.
So that's all to say that after, for example, you know, years
of dysregulated blood sugarlevels, of these spikes and
drops, for some people thatturns into insulin resistance,
and insulin resistance can be adriver for some folks with PCOS
(08:58):
polycystic ovary syndrome.
This is also going to beimportant, as I alluded to
earlier, for those of you whoare really struggling with your
energy levels.
If you're trying to figure outhow you can get through the day
without caffeine or without asmuch caffeine, then this could
be really helpful for you.
Don't worry, I'll talk througha couple of my tips.
(09:20):
As far as what really moves theneedle, what can you do,
starting today or tomorrow, tohelp stabilize your blood sugar
levels?
And then, the last thing I wantto mention here would be for
those of you who have acne andyou're trying to figure out
what's going on, what'sworsening it, then this might
also be something that you wantto focus on.
First, because sometimes acneis exacerbated by stress, by
(09:44):
inflammation, and when yourblood sugar is on the fritz,
that's only going to exacerbatethat stress and inflammation in
your body Now.
With that being said, this isalso something that I focus on
in my life basically everysingle day, and this is
something that.
So what's today?
I'm recording this on Thursdaymorning, yesterday, I had a call
(10:06):
with one of the gals who joinedthe live class on Tuesday and
she was like, yeah, I alreadyimplemented the changes that you
mentioned during the class tomy breakfast.
I had breakfast before I had mycoffee.
She said that she had a moresubstantial breakfast, savory
breakfast, and she's like, likeI already noticed in this one
(10:27):
first day, that I have moreenergy, that I'm feeling better
by the afternoon.
I think we talked at 3 pmyesterday.
So that's just to say that thisis something you know.
There's no reason why you can'timplement this, and I would
love to shout this from therooftops because it's all around
(10:49):
going to be helpful for you,going to help you to feel more
satiated, longer between meals.
It's kind of built around thisidea of okay, well, how do we
build your meals in a way thatsupport your blood sugar levels?
How do you move your body in away that also benefits these
stable levels and, of course,managing your sleep and stress.
(11:13):
I'll get more granular on thatin just a momentito here.
When I'm working with clientsone-on-one, one of the first
things that we will do in mostcases is take a look at your
food and mood journal.
So we'll take a look at threeor more days of what are you
eating, when are you eating, howare you eating it, in what
order are you eating it, and wewill use that to start making a
(11:36):
couple of clear and specificrecommendations for you and that
can fit in with your lifestyle,your preference, your workouts
schedule, all of those differentvariables.
So, aside from thatpersonalization that you can get
within the rooted method,within my one-on-one coaching,
here are a couple of things thatI want you to consider that can
(11:57):
move the needle.
One, starting off with a savorybreakfast.
If you've been here before,you've probably heard me say
that I would love for you toshoot for 30 grams of protein If
you fall short of 30 grams.
Great, you got 25, you got 20.
Starting off your day with aprotein forward, a fat forward
breakfast, is going to set yourblood sugar levels up for
(12:21):
success, as opposed to startingoff with frosted flakes.
That will shoot your bloodsugar up then bring it crashing
down.
You're going to be hangry,you're going to have a snack.
You're going to just repeatthis cycle over and over again.
That's going to be a greatstart for you in the day.
The next thing that I want youto focus on is really
(12:41):
prioritizing your sleep and yourquality of sleep, because when
you get less sleep, the next dayyour cortisol levels are going
to be higher, which means thatyour blood sugar will be more
erratic.
So, by going to bed 30 minutesearlier, or maybe by setting
your alarm for the actual timeyou need to get up, instead of
(13:04):
setting it, hoping you'll get upearly and snoozing it for an
hour, get that quality sleepthat will help to support your
blood sugar stabilization andthat consistent consistency in
those levels.
The third and final thing that Iwant you to focus on today or
tomorrow, as soon as possible,just eliminate or avoid some of
(13:29):
those processed sugars thatmight be sneaking into your diet
, and this doesn't have to be a100% thing.
We should all be living ourlives.
I love to have a sweet treat,go out for a dessert, of course,
but as much as you can,eliminating those processed
sugars, those added sugars,right, because those are the
(13:50):
sources of spikes in your bloodsugar much of the time.
So that's one recommendationthat I would have for you.
And then, well, I said that wasthe last one, but actually I
can't help myself During timesor on occasions when you do have
.
You know, what did I haverecently?
(14:10):
I had this lemon poppy seedcake.
It was like a layered cake.
It had a carnation on top.
Just so beautiful, so tasty.
Anyway, when you have your nextlemon poppy seed cake or
whatever you've got going on,what you can do to help prevent
a blood sugar spike would be togo for a walk, like, take a lap
(14:33):
around the block, just getmoving for 10 minutes afterwards
, which helps you to absorb thatblood sugar into your cells.
Before having the dessert, justlike have a regular,
well-balanced meal, get somefiber in, get some protein, get
some fat in, maybe incorporatesome apple cider vinegar, and
(14:59):
that's going to set you up forsuccess as well.
If you feel like I've only justscratched the surface here with
this topic, check out some ofthe other episodes that I've
done that are fully about bloodsugar stabilization, because
they're going to do a better jobof deep diving, giving you more
examples how to make itspecific for your life and, of
course, if you ever have anyquestions on this or anything
else, I would love to hearwhat's on your mind.
(15:19):
You can always DM me onInstagram at I'm underscore
hormonal.
Or if you take a look at theshow notes, there'll be a little
cute button there that saystext us, and you can actually
just send me a message directlythrough there.
So just some options for you,gals.
The second topic that I want totouch on today is about your
(15:42):
gallbladder, and if you have agallbladder, great, I love this
for you.
But if you are a girlielistening who has had her
gallbladder removed, then thisis for you, because, while, yes,
our bodies can function withouta gallbladder, they actually do
some like pretty helpful stuffin supporting your digestion.
Specifically, your gallbladderis holding on to this bile
(16:06):
that's produced originally inyour liver, and so your body
releases that bile, or yourgallbladder releases some of
that bile when you eat fattyfoods.
Now, if you don't have agallbladder, then it's just a
more consistent kind of dripinstead of being held until you
actually consume this fatty food.
(16:27):
So, naturally, if you don'thave a gallbladder, if you're
not squeezing out those enzymesthat your system needs in order
to properly break down the fatsin your food, then that can
result in loose stools or otherinterruptions in your normal
digestive process.
So this is just a real shortytip, but I think an important
(16:50):
one, because this is a questionI got from someone in my DMs and
so I would just encourage youif you don't have a gallbladder
these days, then just check outbile salts.
Learn about bile salts, becausethose are going to be helping
to replace those enzymes thatyou are missing by not having a
(17:11):
gallbladder and that should helpto make things a little bit
smoother for you when it comesto overall digestion ability to
absorb the nutrients that are inyour food and help you to feel
a little bit better.
So, bile salts, check it out.
The next thing I want to touchon with you, or share with you
(17:32):
really, because this actuallywasn't a question that I got in
my DMs, but a comment that I gotfrom somebody and I thought,
yes, she's got it.
I want to share it with therest of the gang.
But this gal was sharing withme that she just has a lot going
on with her body right now andshe says I'm starting to make.
Well, can I read she says I'mstarting to realize that it's
(17:54):
all connected.
And she says that she hasbloating, acne, weight gain, low
energy.
She says is this just a part ofgetting older?
Maybe, but what can I do tohelp myself feel more
comfortable?
I need to adapt to my new body,apparently, and this really
made me feel like damn.
This is what I said a couple ofyears ago when I was like, oh
(18:16):
man, everything is connected.
And what I was saying at thetop of the episode too
everything is connected.
And is it just a part ofgetting older?
This is something I love totalk about.
Think about challenge, becauseoftentimes we say, hey, this is
just a part of getting older.
But is it that you're gettingolder or is it that you, your
(18:39):
body, has gone through years andyears of blood sugar spikes and
drops and so your cells justaren't as resilient to it
anymore?
Because if that's the case,that's different than just
getting older.
Right, you can work on thosethings, you can make changes to
feel better in those areas, withregards to your fatigue, to
(19:02):
your energy levels.
So, while I don't mean to soundlike supporting your blood
sugar is going to solveeverything in your life, no,
there are other factors toconsider, for sure, but it is
one of the through lines that Ithink can be so impactful, be so
(19:23):
empowering, give you quick winsto keep you motivated, keep you
going on your journey.
And also, yes, it has a bigimpact on your ovulation, on
your stress levels, likequantifiably it impacts those
things.
So that was just my thoughtthere Before we move on to this
(19:45):
last question for the day.
This is a question that I gotduring a strategy call after the
class, and it's about PMS andmood swings.
What causes these?
And I know that a lot of galsout there, myself included, we
all experience these mood wings.
Mood wings what is going ontoday?
We all experience mood swingsfrom time to time, but how can
(20:10):
we manage them?
What is my body trying to tellme when this is happening?
So, blood sugar aside, theimpacts of your blood sugar and
your mood aside, a lot of thetimes when we're looking at PMS,
we're looking at these thingslike mood swings, bloating
breast tenderness, all of thatthat comes in those seven to
(20:32):
maybe 10 days before your period.
A lot of those things happenbecause, or when estrogen levels
are elevated.
And when we say that, when Isay that, I mean estrogen levels
being relatively high incomparison to your progesterone
levels.
That's when there's a littlebit of something that we can
(20:53):
work on.
Now, what causes estrogenlevels to be elevated?
That could be a couple ofthings.
This is not an exhaustive list,but here are some things for you
to consider, questions to askyourself if you notice that you
are a PMS kind of gal.
So first could be about poorelimination of the hormones.
(21:15):
So are you having daily bowelmovements?
Are you supporting your liver'shealth and function by eating
cruciferous veggies, by eating,maybe, organic produce, by
avoiding extra chemicals ortoxins, maybe through alcohol or
(21:36):
through other chemicals thatyou use like cleaning products
in your home?
Are you putting a lot offragrance or products on your
skin that have endocrinedisrupting chemicals in them?
Because all of those things areeither adding to the load that
your liver needs to work on or,in the example of a lack of
(21:57):
daily bowel movements, you'renot giving your body the chance
to eliminate those estrogenmetabolites and they just get
recirculated back into yoursystem, as that stool, you know,
hangs out in your body.
So not my favorite way that Isaid that, but you guys know
what I mean, right?
So that's kind of part one ofthis.
Is it a poor elimination due toany one of those circumstances
(22:21):
that I just mentioned?
Now, on the other side of thiscoin, or another option to
consider is are estrogen levelselevated because I'm not
ovulating?
So the first example, or thatfirst set of examples we were
talking about estrogen beinghigh, and this one, if you're
not ovulating is more aboutprogesterone levels being low.
(22:44):
So when it's all about thesetwo hormones being in relation
to each other, balanced witheach other, okay, well, how
would you know if you're notovulating?
So the way that you would checkthis, the way that you could
check this maybe most easily,would be through taking your
basal body temperature.
I talked about this a bit onlast week's episode with Nat
(23:07):
from the Fertility AwarenessProject, because after you
ovulate, your temperature willgo up by a part of a degree for
the rest of the cycle until yourperiod starts again.
So that's one good way toconfirm ovulation.
You can also, for anotherexample, maybe try taking
ovulation tests using ovulationtest strips to at least see if
(23:31):
your body is signaling throughthose hormonal changes that the
strips measure.
Like hey girl, yes, looks likewe're in good shape to ovulate.
It doesn't confirm that you didovulate.
It's just a predictor kit tosay, okay, well, at least
hormones are in the right shapeto well, ideally ovulate.
(23:52):
If you're not ovulating, thenthat would be a great place to
start focusing on to understandwhy aren't you.
That is something that mightrequire an extra level of detail
and personalization, becausecould it be related to how well
or how much you're nourishingyour body?
(24:13):
Could there be an imbalance ofanother hormone, like maybe a
prolactin or your thyroidhormone, that's preventing you
from ovulating?
Could it be related to stress?
I know for me and for many galsout there, if I'm going through
a stressful time or in the pastwhen I've been traveling and
(24:33):
just really on the go for thatweek of my ovulation, sometimes
my ovulation will be delayed ormaybe I didn't ovulate at all
that cycle.
So there are more variables toconsider there than what we can
get into in this conversation.
But just the main takeaway foryou there is okay.
If I'm having these mood swings, if I'm having this PMS, is it
(24:56):
on the one hand because of poorelimination or, on the other
hand, maybe a lack of ovulation?
Start investigating one ofthose two routes.
We are getting ready to wrap upthis episode, but I wanted to
close it out by sharing with youa couple of recommendations
here to start out with.
Sharing with you a couple ofrecommendations here to start
(25:17):
out with.
Of course, without knowing theroot cause, what is causing your
PMS or mood swings?
These are just a couple ofstarting places, but here we go.
So start by upping yourcruciferous veggie intake.
Those are supportive of yourliver.
You could also try a liverdetox tea or another supplement
that will provide some of thosenutrients or botanicals that
(25:38):
support your liver function.
Third, you could do an audit ofany self-care products that you
use on your skin that havescents, any other fragrances
like candles or plugins or Idon't know anything else that
you can smell, because do someof those things have chemicals
in them that are going to bebogging down your liver?
So a couple of places to start.
(26:01):
Would love to hear what yourthoughts are on this episode and
if you have any more questionsonce you're done listening.
But that's it for today.
Thanks for sticking through itwith me.
I know I did the episodesflip-flop this week, where this
is your longer form episode onthe Thursday and we had the
shorty on Tuesday, but next weekI will be back to my normal
(26:23):
schedule, normal pattern ofthings, and I can't wait to see
you then.
Alrighty gang, have a goodweekend.
If you loved today's episode andgot something good out of it,
make sure you subscribe so thatthese episodes show up
automatically in your feed.
No work needed on your side,let's put it on autopilot.
(26:44):
As always, I need to give youmy reminder that the information
I share with you here is foreducational purposes only, and
it should not be used as areplacement for medical advice
or diagnosis.
Now, if you are, on the otherhand, in the market for some
one-on-one support, then I wouldlove for you to take me up on
my offer for a free strategycall.
You can find these links andmore in the show notes.
(27:07):
All right, we'll see you on thenext one.
Here's the thing that I need you to know about your
hormones and digestion, and it'sthat none of these things, like
acne, bloating or PMS, arehappening separately.
They are all related.
In today's episode, I'm goingto be talking you through some
of the questions that I got thisweek during my live class and
also through the DMs, so you canunderstand what is the main
(00:24):
through line that you should bekeeping your eye on.
Welcome to I'm Hormonal, yoursource of information about
women's hormone health and howto support your body.
Naturally, I'm your host,bridget Walton, and I'm a
certified functional hormonespecialist and menstrual cycle
coach.
I am on a mission to hold thesehormone conversations with as
(00:44):
many menstruators as possible,because you deserve easier
access to accurate informationabout what's up with your unruly
menstrual cycle and with yourfertility mysteries.
Don't you think it's time thatwe figure this out once and for
all?
Alrighty team, welcome totoday's episode of I'm Hormonal.
(01:04):
This is episode number 115, andI'm so excited that you're here
with me.
Thank you for listening Today.
What I want to walk throughwith you is an extension of
conversations that maybe you'veheard before here on the podcast
about the foundations of health, of wellness, and what are some
(01:25):
of these foundations that applyand impact like I mentioned in
the intro your bloating, yourPMS, your period regularity.
They impact your skin, theyimpact your bowel movement
regularity.
All of these things and theseare this is a topic that I got
questions around during the liveclass that I did this week, so
(01:48):
if you missed it, then we aregoing to walk through that here.
My hope for you is that thisepisode gives you at least one
little nugget to walk away withof.
Okay, how can I in myday-to-day life, in my real life
, observe a bit more about whatmy body is trying to tell me?
(02:08):
How can I make sense of thesesignals that my cycle or my
digestion is trying to tell me?
If you've listened to the podbefore, you know that that's
really the mission here.
That's what I'm all about ishelping to equip you with that
information and context.
You need to make sense of whatthe heck is going on and why are
(02:31):
you feeling the way that you'refeeling?
So, with that all out of theway, why don't we just go ahead
and dive in?
Because this first question Ihad was about blood sugar
regulation.
If you are newer to learningabout blood sugar regulation,
then you should know thatwhatever is going on with your
blood sugar, that is going to beimpacting your energy levels,
(02:53):
your mood.
That can impact your hormonebalance itself, because if your
blood sugar levels are onaverage, maybe higher, therefore
, your body is releasing moreinsulin as a response to that.
That will impact your levels oftestosterone.
That can impact your stresshormone, cortisol.
That can impact your levels ofestrogen.
(03:16):
So just a quick snapshot.
For what can your blood sugarimpact, which is like basically
everything right.
Do a quick goog for it and youwill find a list that goes on
and on.
After I said that, I realized Icould just go ahead and do that
Google search for you.
So let me run through a coupleof things just to really help
(03:38):
paint the picture for howimpactful regulating your blood
sugar levels, keeping your bloodsugar stable, can be on not
just your hormones but manyother aspects of your health.
So stick with me, let me runthrough this, because balancing
your glucose levels can help.
Cravings, hunger, fatigue,brain fog, hormonal infertility
(04:00):
issues, skin conditions,wrinkles, poor sleep we're not
even halfway done.
Menopause symptoms, mentalhealth symptoms, your immune
system.
It can also impact your chanceof landing Alzheimer's disease,
fatty liver disease, cancer.
It also can impact your riskfor heart disease and, overall,
(04:25):
avoiding spikes will help you toreduce inflammation in your
body.
Honorable final mention, did Isay diabetes, which, of course,
maybe that is the one that wouldbe most top of mind for you.
That can be really closelyconnected with what's going on
with your blood sugar and yourinsulin responses.
So now that we have thatcontext out of the way, let's
(04:48):
come back to the question that Igot during the live class,
which is what does it look liketo understand what your blood
sugar is doing?
How can I tell, without doing atest, without using a
continuous glucose monitor,what's going on with my blood
sugar?
So let's walk through it.
When your blood sugar levelsare high so maybe this is after
(05:10):
you had a really carb-forwardmeal, maybe this is after you,
you know, just crushed somedessert, whatever that looks
like for you Sometimes, whenblood sugar levels are high,
that can result in a little bitof feelings of anxiousness,
increased stress.
Maybe you feel like you havemore energy, right?
(05:32):
Because when your blood sugarlevels are higher, that can also
pull up your stress hormone,cortisol, and cortisol is what's
going to bring those feelingsof anxiety, of stress to you,
however minor or however youknow, front of mind, that might
look for your specific body.
Now, on the other hand, whenyour blood sugar levels are low,
(05:56):
that's when you are more likelyto feel really tired and
drained, that's when you'relikely to feel hangry, when
you're likely to feel reallycranky, when you have these
cravings.
That's because, when your bloodsugar is low, your body is
trying to tell you hey, girl, weneed to get a snack over here,
because our blood sugar is goingdown into the danger zone and
that's why you crave sugar,that's why you crave these other
(06:21):
foods.
Is that why you crave thosethings or feel those ways 100%
of the time?
No, perhaps not.
There are certainly otherreasons why you might feel like
you crave something, or likeyou're not in a great mood, or
like you're anxious.
So don't get me wrong on that.
But those are a couple ofthings you can keep an eye out
(06:43):
for.
To say, huh, you know, after Iate my insert name of tasty
sweet, after I ate my Frenchtoast or my lemon poppy seed
pancakes for breakfast, I wasfeeling kind of anxious, and
then, maybe an hour later, I wasfeeling so tired.
Huh, could that be what's goingon with my blood sugar, or
(07:06):
insert whatever those meals are,whatever that looks like for
you.
So just a couple of clues onhow you can have a sense for
what's going on.
My last thought here is that,if you're noticing that your
energy levels are really erratic, that is what is most present
for most of the clients that Iwork with, most of the gals,
(07:27):
most of the folks that I talk to, is when you are really
dragging in the afternoon.
Sometimes that's because ofwhat's going on with your blood
sugar.
So a little food for thoughtthere, all right.
So the next thing that I want tofocus on as it relates to this
question, is this question offor whom is blood sugar
(07:48):
regulation or stabilizing bloodsugars particularly important to
focus on?
And so there are a couple ofgroups of folks that come to
mind, the first of which wouldbe folks with PCOS.
Now, pcos is a very common name, some portion of people who
have PCOS.
This syndrome can beexacerbated or driven by insulin
(08:11):
resistance.
What is insulin resistance?
Well, if you have dysregulatedblood sugar levels for long
enough, your cells, they startto respond differently to
insulin.
They're like, okay, this is,you know, the boy who cried wolf
, kind of thing.
So then your body starts toneed more insulin in order to
(08:33):
have that same response ofbringing that glucose into your
cells.
So that's all to say that after, for example, you know, years
of dysregulated blood sugarlevels, of these spikes and
drops, for some people thatturns into insulin resistance,
and insulin resistance can be adriver for some folks with PCOS
(08:58):
polycystic ovary syndrome.
This is also going to beimportant, as I alluded to
earlier, for those of you whoare really struggling with your
energy levels.
If you're trying to figure outhow you can get through the day
without caffeine or without asmuch caffeine, then this could
be really helpful for you.
Don't worry, I'll talk througha couple of my tips.
(09:20):
As far as what really moves theneedle, what can you do,
starting today or tomorrow, tohelp stabilize your blood sugar
levels?
And then, the last thing I wantto mention here would be for
those of you who have acne andyou're trying to figure out
what's going on, what'sworsening it, then this might
also be something that you wantto focus on.
First, because sometimes acneis exacerbated by stress, by
(09:44):
inflammation, and when yourblood sugar is on the fritz,
that's only going to exacerbatethat stress and inflammation in
your body Now.
With that being said, this isalso something that I focus on
in my life basically everysingle day, and this is
something that.
So what's today?
I'm recording this on Thursdaymorning, yesterday, I had a call
(10:06):
with one of the gals who joinedthe live class on Tuesday and
she was like, yeah, I alreadyimplemented the changes that you
mentioned during the class tomy breakfast.
I had breakfast before I had mycoffee.
She said that she had a moresubstantial breakfast, savory
breakfast, and she's like, likeI already noticed in this one
(10:27):
first day, that I have moreenergy, that I'm feeling better
by the afternoon.
I think we talked at 3 pmyesterday.
So that's just to say that thisis something you know.
There's no reason why you can'timplement this, and I would
love to shout this from therooftops because it's all around
(10:49):
going to be helpful for you,going to help you to feel more
satiated, longer between meals.
It's kind of built around thisidea of okay, well, how do we
build your meals in a way thatsupport your blood sugar levels?
How do you move your body in away that also benefits these
stable levels and, of course,managing your sleep and stress.
(11:13):
I'll get more granular on thatin just a momentito here.
When I'm working with clientsone-on-one, one of the first
things that we will do in mostcases is take a look at your
food and mood journal.
So we'll take a look at threeor more days of what are you
eating, when are you eating, howare you eating it, in what
order are you eating it, and wewill use that to start making a
(11:36):
couple of clear and specificrecommendations for you and that
can fit in with your lifestyle,your preference, your workouts
schedule, all of those differentvariables.
So, aside from thatpersonalization that you can get
within the rooted method,within my one-on-one coaching,
here are a couple of things thatI want you to consider that can
(11:57):
move the needle.
One, starting off with a savorybreakfast.
If you've been here before,you've probably heard me say
that I would love for you toshoot for 30 grams of protein If
you fall short of 30 grams.
Great, you got 25, you got 20.
Starting off your day with aprotein forward, a fat forward
breakfast, is going to set yourblood sugar levels up for
(12:21):
success, as opposed to startingoff with frosted flakes.
That will shoot your bloodsugar up then bring it crashing
down.
You're going to be hangry,you're going to have a snack.
You're going to just repeatthis cycle over and over again.
That's going to be a greatstart for you in the day.
The next thing that I want youto focus on is really
(12:41):
prioritizing your sleep and yourquality of sleep, because when
you get less sleep, the next dayyour cortisol levels are going
to be higher, which means thatyour blood sugar will be more
erratic.
So, by going to bed 30 minutesearlier, or maybe by setting
your alarm for the actual timeyou need to get up, instead of
(13:04):
setting it, hoping you'll get upearly and snoozing it for an
hour, get that quality sleepthat will help to support your
blood sugar stabilization andthat consistent consistency in
those levels.
The third and final thing that Iwant you to focus on today or
tomorrow, as soon as possible,just eliminate or avoid some of
(13:29):
those processed sugars thatmight be sneaking into your diet
, and this doesn't have to be a100% thing.
We should all be living ourlives.
I love to have a sweet treat,go out for a dessert, of course,
but as much as you can,eliminating those processed
sugars, those added sugars,right, because those are the
(13:50):
sources of spikes in your bloodsugar much of the time.
So that's one recommendationthat I would have for you.
And then, well, I said that wasthe last one, but actually I
can't help myself During timesor on occasions when you do have
.
You know, what did I haverecently?
(14:10):
I had this lemon poppy seedcake.
It was like a layered cake.
It had a carnation on top.
Just so beautiful, so tasty.
Anyway, when you have your nextlemon poppy seed cake or
whatever you've got going on,what you can do to help prevent
a blood sugar spike would be togo for a walk, like, take a lap
(14:33):
around the block, just getmoving for 10 minutes afterwards
, which helps you to absorb thatblood sugar into your cells.
Before having the dessert, justlike have a regular,
well-balanced meal, get somefiber in, get some protein, get
some fat in, maybe incorporatesome apple cider vinegar, and
(14:59):
that's going to set you up forsuccess as well.
If you feel like I've only justscratched the surface here with
this topic, check out some ofthe other episodes that I've
done that are fully about bloodsugar stabilization, because
they're going to do a better jobof deep diving, giving you more
examples how to make itspecific for your life and, of
course, if you ever have anyquestions on this or anything
else, I would love to hearwhat's on your mind.
(15:19):
You can always DM me onInstagram at I'm underscore
hormonal.
Or if you take a look at theshow notes, there'll be a little
cute button there that saystext us, and you can actually
just send me a message directlythrough there.
So just some options for you,gals.
The second topic that I want totouch on today is about your
(15:42):
gallbladder, and if you have agallbladder, great, I love this
for you.
But if you are a girlielistening who has had her
gallbladder removed, then thisis for you, because, while, yes,
our bodies can function withouta gallbladder, they actually do
some like pretty helpful stuffin supporting your digestion.
Specifically, your gallbladderis holding on to this bile
(16:06):
that's produced originally inyour liver, and so your body
releases that bile, or yourgallbladder releases some of
that bile when you eat fattyfoods.
Now, if you don't have agallbladder, then it's just a
more consistent kind of dripinstead of being held until you
actually consume this fatty food.
(16:27):
So, naturally, if you don'thave a gallbladder, if you're
not squeezing out those enzymesthat your system needs in order
to properly break down the fatsin your food, then that can
result in loose stools or otherinterruptions in your normal
digestive process.
So this is just a real shortytip, but I think an important
(16:50):
one, because this is a questionI got from someone in my DMs and
so I would just encourage youif you don't have a gallbladder
these days, then just check outbile salts.
Learn about bile salts, becausethose are going to be helping
to replace those enzymes thatyou are missing by not having a
(17:11):
gallbladder and that should helpto make things a little bit
smoother for you when it comesto overall digestion ability to
absorb the nutrients that are inyour food and help you to feel
a little bit better.
So, bile salts, check it out.
The next thing I want to touchon with you, or share with you
(17:32):
really, because this actuallywasn't a question that I got in
my DMs, but a comment that I gotfrom somebody and I thought,
yes, she's got it.
I want to share it with therest of the gang.
But this gal was sharing withme that she just has a lot going
on with her body right now andshe says I'm starting to make.
Well, can I read she says I'mstarting to realize that it's
(17:54):
all connected.
And she says that she hasbloating, acne, weight gain, low
energy.
She says is this just a part ofgetting older?
Maybe, but what can I do tohelp myself feel more
comfortable?
I need to adapt to my new body,apparently, and this really
made me feel like damn.
This is what I said a couple ofyears ago when I was like, oh
(18:16):
man, everything is connected.
And what I was saying at thetop of the episode too
everything is connected.
And is it just a part ofgetting older?
This is something I love totalk about.
Think about challenge, becauseoftentimes we say, hey, this is
just a part of getting older.
But is it that you're gettingolder or is it that you, your
(18:39):
body, has gone through years andyears of blood sugar spikes and
drops and so your cells justaren't as resilient to it
anymore?
Because if that's the case,that's different than just
getting older.
Right, you can work on thosethings, you can make changes to
feel better in those areas, withregards to your fatigue, to
(19:02):
your energy levels.
So, while I don't mean to soundlike supporting your blood
sugar is going to solveeverything in your life, no,
there are other factors toconsider, for sure, but it is
one of the through lines that Ithink can be so impactful, be so
(19:23):
empowering, give you quick winsto keep you motivated, keep you
going on your journey.
And also, yes, it has a bigimpact on your ovulation, on
your stress levels, likequantifiably it impacts those
things.
So that was just my thoughtthere Before we move on to this
(19:45):
last question for the day.
This is a question that I gotduring a strategy call after the
class, and it's about PMS andmood swings.
What causes these?
And I know that a lot of galsout there, myself included, we
all experience these mood wings.
Mood wings what is going ontoday?
We all experience mood swingsfrom time to time, but how can
(20:10):
we manage them?
What is my body trying to tellme when this is happening?
So, blood sugar aside, theimpacts of your blood sugar and
your mood aside, a lot of thetimes when we're looking at PMS,
we're looking at these thingslike mood swings, bloating
breast tenderness, all of thatthat comes in those seven to
(20:32):
maybe 10 days before your period.
A lot of those things happenbecause, or when estrogen levels
are elevated.
And when we say that, when Isay that, I mean estrogen levels
being relatively high incomparison to your progesterone
levels.
That's when there's a littlebit of something that we can
(20:53):
work on.
Now, what causes estrogenlevels to be elevated?
That could be a couple ofthings.
This is not an exhaustive list,but here are some things for you
to consider, questions to askyourself if you notice that you
are a PMS kind of gal.
So first could be about poorelimination of the hormones.
(21:15):
So are you having daily bowelmovements?
Are you supporting your liver'shealth and function by eating
cruciferous veggies, by eating,maybe, organic produce, by
avoiding extra chemicals ortoxins, maybe through alcohol or
(21:36):
through other chemicals thatyou use like cleaning products
in your home?
Are you putting a lot offragrance or products on your
skin that have endocrinedisrupting chemicals in them?
Because all of those things areeither adding to the load that
your liver needs to work on or,in the example of a lack of
(21:57):
daily bowel movements, you'renot giving your body the chance
to eliminate those estrogenmetabolites and they just get
recirculated back into yoursystem, as that stool, you know,
hangs out in your body.
So not my favorite way that Isaid that, but you guys know
what I mean, right?
So that's kind of part one ofthis.
Is it a poor elimination due toany one of those circumstances
(22:21):
that I just mentioned?
Now, on the other side of thiscoin, or another option to
consider is are estrogen levelselevated because I'm not
ovulating?
So the first example, or thatfirst set of examples we were
talking about estrogen beinghigh, and this one, if you're
not ovulating is more aboutprogesterone levels being low.
(22:44):
So when it's all about thesetwo hormones being in relation
to each other, balanced witheach other, okay, well, how
would you know if you're notovulating?
So the way that you would checkthis, the way that you could
check this maybe most easily,would be through taking your
basal body temperature.
I talked about this a bit onlast week's episode with Nat
(23:07):
from the Fertility AwarenessProject, because after you
ovulate, your temperature willgo up by a part of a degree for
the rest of the cycle until yourperiod starts again.
So that's one good way toconfirm ovulation.
You can also, for anotherexample, maybe try taking
ovulation tests using ovulationtest strips to at least see if
(23:31):
your body is signaling throughthose hormonal changes that the
strips measure.
Like hey girl, yes, looks likewe're in good shape to ovulate.
It doesn't confirm that you didovulate.
It's just a predictor kit tosay, okay, well, at least
hormones are in the right shapeto well, ideally ovulate.
(23:52):
If you're not ovulating, thenthat would be a great place to
start focusing on to understandwhy aren't you.
That is something that mightrequire an extra level of detail
and personalization, becausecould it be related to how well
or how much you're nourishingyour body?
(24:13):
Could there be an imbalance ofanother hormone, like maybe a
prolactin or your thyroidhormone, that's preventing you
from ovulating?
Could it be related to stress?
I know for me and for many galsout there, if I'm going through
a stressful time or in the pastwhen I've been traveling and
(24:33):
just really on the go for thatweek of my ovulation, sometimes
my ovulation will be delayed ormaybe I didn't ovulate at all
that cycle.
So there are more variables toconsider there than what we can
get into in this conversation.
But just the main takeaway foryou there is okay.
If I'm having these mood swings, if I'm having this PMS, is it
(24:56):
on the one hand because of poorelimination or, on the other
hand, maybe a lack of ovulation?
Start investigating one ofthose two routes.
We are getting ready to wrap upthis episode, but I wanted to
close it out by sharing with youa couple of recommendations
here to start out with.
Sharing with you a couple ofrecommendations here to start
(25:17):
out with.
Of course, without knowing theroot cause, what is causing your
PMS or mood swings?
These are just a couple ofstarting places, but here we go.
So start by upping yourcruciferous veggie intake.
Those are supportive of yourliver.
You could also try a liverdetox tea or another supplement
that will provide some of thosenutrients or botanicals that
(25:38):
support your liver function.
Third, you could do an audit ofany self-care products that you
use on your skin that havescents, any other fragrances
like candles or plugins or Idon't know anything else that
you can smell, because do someof those things have chemicals
in them that are going to bebogging down your liver?
So a couple of places to start.
(26:01):
Would love to hear what yourthoughts are on this episode and
if you have any more questionsonce you're done listening.
But that's it for today.
Thanks for sticking through itwith me.
I know I did the episodesflip-flop this week, where this
is your longer form episode onthe Thursday and we had the
shorty on Tuesday, but next weekI will be back to my normal
(26:23):
schedule, normal pattern ofthings, and I can't wait to see
you then.
Alrighty gang, have a goodweekend.
If you loved today's episode andgot something good out of it,
make sure you subscribe so thatthese episodes show up
automatically in your feed.
No work needed on your side,let's put it on autopilot.
(26:44):
As always, I need to give youmy reminder that the information
I share with you here is foreducational purposes only, and
it should not be used as areplacement for medical advice
or diagnosis.
Now, if you are, on the otherhand, in the market for some
one-on-one support, then I wouldlove for you to take me up on
my offer for a free strategycall.
You can find these links andmore in the show notes.
(27:07):
All right, we'll see you on thenext one.
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