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Copyright © 2026 by Lauren Chambers

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To my daughters, Eloise, Amelia, and Frances: May you feel in awe of, empowered by, and at peace with your bodies.

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Introduction

For over a decade I struggled with symptoms of hormonal imbalance, including heavy, painful, and irregular periods; mood swings; acne; depression; anxiety; digestive issues; hair loss/thinning; and stubborn weight gain around my midsection. I was resigned to the fact that this was all just a “normal” part of being a woman with a period every month—until I went back to school specifically to study women’s hormone health.

I’d always loved food, but I also grew up in the 1990s, when low-calorie and fat-free foods were all the rage, and spent much of my adolescence and 20s following a plethora of fad diets (Atkins, anyone?!) and consuming ultra-processed foods like Lean Cuisine, fat-free Jell-O with Cool Whip, and Kashi GoLean Crunch in an effort to keep up with the wafer-thin magazine models and sorority girls I envied in college.

And I did manage to stay skinny, at the cost of my health and happiness. First, I lost my period for two years, which at the time I considered a badge of honor: No PMS or period to deal with for one to two weeks every month? Amazing. But then, as a result, more symptoms cropped up, ranging from uncomfortable digestive issues (irritable bowel syndrome [IBS] and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth [SIBO]) to insomnia to mood swings to crippling anxiety.

But I kept on. And the more I white-knuckled it through each day, never feeling fully satiated or nourished, the worse my hormonal imbalance symptoms became. Of course, I had no idea the two were related at that time, so the more I struggled, the more I punished and deprived myself, pushing myself to train for grueling marathons and eating the same “safe” foods day in and day out (baked chicken breast, low-calorie protein bars, etc.) to regain some sort of control.

At the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I learned that while these uncomfortable symptoms are incredibly common, with 90 percent of menstruating women in the United States reporting they experience some sort of period pain or symptom each month, they aren’t, in fact, normal. Rather, they are your body’s way of telling you that your hormones are out of balance and need support.

I also learned that undernourishment (i.e., not eating enough or regularly, restricting food groups or certain nutrients, skipping meals, fasting, stress around foods, etc.) is one of the leading culprits of hormonal imbalances. Food is to our hormones what gas is to a car, driving our cells, giving us energy and the fuel our hormones need to function and do their jobs effectively, which in turn regulates our metabolism, weight, appetite, overall appearance, and so much more.

After getting my accreditation in hormone health, I began integrating my new knowledge into my daily life, especially as it related to my complex relationship with food.

For the first time in decades, instead of focusing on calorie counting, deprivation, restriction, and only eating a specific list of foods deemed “safe” or “healthy,” I started adding a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods to my meals, experimenting with rotating ingredients, and creating delicious recipes to support each phase of my menstrual cycle.

The results were surprising, in the best possible way:

I began having consistent, dependable menstrual cycles for the first time ever, and all of my symptoms gradually diminished over time.

I no longer needed Midol, a hot water bottle, and oversized sweatpants to accommodate the bloat and cramping I had previously experienced in the days leading up to and during my period.

As my mood stabilized, the fighting with my husband during “that time of the month” began to naturally subside.

I was also able to say goodbye to my zit cream and my Proactiv subscription once and for all.

My bouts of fatigue, intense sugar cravings, and erratic sleep behavior were eventually replaced with even energy throughout the day, a healthy appetite, and deep, restful sleep at night.

My hair became thick and full, my SIBO and IBS symptoms dissipated, and I began to get compliments on my “glowing skin.”

Last but certainly not least, when it came time to try to get pregnant, I was able to conceive naturally (three times, with three girls!), something I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to achieve due to my previously erratic cycles.

Before I learned how to balance my hormones, primarily through nourishing foods and recipes, I had no idea feeling this good was possible, especially without making major sacrifices. But I am living proof that balanced hormones are the key and can be achieved simply through eating more delicious food and integrating easy action steps into a daily routine.

I had discovered the secret sauce, and I want to share it with as many women as possible, making sure no female out there has to ever suffer or “just deal with” her uncomfortable symptoms again. So, ten years ago I opened my private practice, So Fresh N So Green, and dedicated my time to providing women with delicious recipes, simple tips, and natural remedies to help them optimize their hormones, health, and lives.

And after years of empowering women to nourish and take care of their bodies, but with the drive and determination to scale and help many more women than a 1:1 practice allows, I am so excited to share Hormone Healthy Eats, a cookbook designed to help you balance your hormones through food to live your best, most vibrant life.

Part One How Your Hormones and Menstrual Cycle Work

Hormones 101

Our hormones, and periods, aren’t out to get us—rather they exist to empower us. Their functionality isn’t just designed to keep us alive, it’s to help us thrive.

If you’re a woman in your reproductive years, defined as being from your first period until menopause, roughly 30 to 40 years, your hormones dictate almost every aspect of your life:

Appearance

Energy

Confidence

Mood

Metabolism

Sex drive

Cravings

Weight

Sleep

Focus

Digestion

Memory

Stress levels

Ability to conceive and carry a healthy baby to term

And let’s not forget: your period

With so much influence over how we look, feel, act, eat, and think every day, from our first period to our last, the lack of education most of us have received about hormones is mind-blowing. Instead, the cumulative message many of us were taught via the media, school, healthcare providers, and peers was that our hormones (and periods) were something unfortunate to simply be dealt with every month. The uncomfortable and downright debilitating symptoms we experienced were, and still are, dismissed as normal, conditioning us to become victims of our own bodies, rather than being empowered by them.

While this attitude is incredibly unfortunate and even damaging, especially for those of us who have been struggling with symptoms of hormonal imbalance for years, the amazing news is that we carry the ability to change the status quo.

Our hormones, and periods, aren’t out to get us—rather they exist to empower us. Their functionality isn’t just designed to keep us alive, it’s to help us thrive. And when they’re supported, balanced, nourished, and attended to, they’ll do everything they can to help us look and feel our best. They’ll enable us to tap into the unique skills that only women in our reproductive years have access to: going out and living our best, most vibrant lives and feeling capable, powerful, and inspiring as women unhindered by health problems, hormonal imbalances, or body issues and positively impacting everyone in our orbit as a result.

So no, our hormones themselves aren’t the problem. The problems are a lack of education around hormones combined with modern lifestyle factors that unwittingly throw them into chaos, particularly as related to mixed messaging around diet culture, “healthy” eating habits, and a plethora of “wellness” trends.

This is a huge reason why I created Hormone Healthy Eats, a guide to empower women to flip the script society has dealt us by utilizing nourishing recipes and supportive foods and lifestyle habits—helping us become the co-creators of our health, hormones, body, and life.

The first steps in this journey are education and awareness, beginning with an overview of the major hormones and the roles they play in our bodies. This will ultimately help you understand what’s really behind symptoms you’re experiencing—as well as how to reduce or reverse them in the long run.

Overview of the Endocrine System and Major Female Hormones

The Endocrine System

The endocrine system is a complex network of glands and organs. As humans, we simply could not survive without our endocrine system, which includes our:

Brain (most notably the hypothalamus, pineal gland, and pituitary gland)

Thyroid

Parathyroid

Thymus gland

Adrenal glands

Pancreas

Ovaries (in women) and testes (in men)

This extremely sophisticated system uses hormones as chemical messengers to provide signals to various organs and tissues in your body to control and coordinate super important functions such as your:

Metabolism

Energy production

Blood pressure

Blood sugar

Body temperature

Growth and development

Fluid and electrolyte balance

Sexual function

Reproduction and fertility

Sleep/wake cycle

Response to injury, stress, and mood

So yeah, pretty important stuff, right?

Major Female Hormones

While there are over fifty hormones identified in the human body, let’s look at some of the major players and how they specifically interact with our bodies.

Estrogen

Produced by the ovaries, this proliferative (growth-promoting) hormone is involved in our reproductive system and menstrual cycle, as well as regulating cholesterol levels, the urinary tract, heart and blood vessels, bones, breast health, skin, hair, mucous membranes, pelvic muscles, and brain health and function.

When in balance: Estrogen helps us feel happy, energetic, outgoing, and confident.

Progesterone

Also produced by our ovaries, this steroid hormone plays a key part in female reproduction and a healthy menstrual cycle. It’s best known for its role in preparing the endometrial lining to thicken to potentially house a fertilized egg after ovulation. It also helps to maintain a healthy pregnancy, reduce stress and anxiety, regulate mood, behavior, and cognitive function, stimulate weight gain and appetite, maintain fat tissue, and keep estrogen levels in check.

When in balance: Progesterone helps us feel cool, calm, and collected.

Testosterone

The primary function of testosterone, produced in our ovaries, is to maintain our reproductive tissues along with growth and development, bone mass, and sex drive.

When in balance: Testosterone makes us feel confident, bold, and sexy. However, when it is high it can lead to male-like characteristics, including acne, facial hair, and infrequent periods, often associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS for short.

The Female Endocrine System and Its Hormones

Estrogen

A proliferative (growth-promoting) hormone involved in your reproductive system and menstrual cycle.

Testosterone

Maintains our reproductive tissues along with growth and development.

Insulin

Helps maintain your blood sugar levels.

LSH + FSH

Stimulate follicular growth and ovulation.

Progesterone

Plays a key part in reproductive health and menstrual cycle. Thickens the uterine lining and keeps estrogen in check.

Thyroid Hormones

Regulate metabolism, heart function, digestion, muscle control, brain development, and bone maintenance.

Cortisol

Regulates the body’s response to stress.

Melatonin

Regulates the sleep/wake cycle.

Thyroid hormones

The thyroid hormones T3 (active form) and T4 (inactive form) are produced by the thyroid gland, which is shaped like a butterfly and sits at the base of your neck, right above the collarbone. T3’s main job is to regulate metabolism by converting the food consumed into usable energy. It also regulates heart function, digestion, muscle control, brain development, and bone maintenance.

When in balance: T3 helps us maintain a healthy weight, prevent brain fog, optimize digestion, and keep us feeling happy.

Cortisol

Cortisol is released by the adrenal glands, the triangular organs that sit above your kidneys, and is essential in regulating our body’s response to stress. It also helps control the body’s use of fat, carbohydrates, and protein. Cortisol tends to get a bad rap, but without adequate production, we would die, as it also regulates blood pressure and blood sugar, and suppresses inflammation.

When in balance: Cortisol releases cyclically, rising and peaking within the first 30 minutes we’re awake and then slowly declining throughout the day and night, helping us stay alert and regulating our sleep/wake cycle.

Insulin

Produced by your pancreas, which is not only a part of the endocrine system but the digestive system as well, insulin is responsible for releasing digestive enzymes that help to deliver glucose (which is what the meal you just ate turns into) from your bloodstream into the cells, where it is stored and used as energy. This helps to maintain blood sugar levels, which, just like hormones, need to be kept Goldilocks-style: not too little, not too much, just right. The pancreas also produces glucagon, which breaks down glucose stored in muscles and tissue to increase blood sugar.

When in balance: Insulin enables us to effortlessly maintain a healthy weight, muscle mass, and energy levels, and rarely experience cravings.

As you can see, hormones are a really big deal and a part of a complex system that impacts our bodies in so many important ways. Our endocrine system and hormones are so interconnected with a variety of important roles and functions within the body that when one hormone is out of balance it likely impacts the rest of the system in a myriad of ways, which we then experience as uncomfortable, embarrassing, and painful hormonal imbalance symptoms.

Common Hormone Disruptors

When I step back and think about it, it’s kind of crazy that 80 to 90 percent of menstruating women report experiencing symptoms related to PMS and underlying hormonal imbalances.¹

What’s at the root of all of these symptoms? Why do women seem to be hit so hard?

The short answer: Modern-day obstacles such as exposure to toxins and chemicals, processed foods, diet culture, and stress, just to name a few, are to blame. As you’ll soon learn, many of these disruptors were only introduced within the last century, and were most often designed out of convenience and with good intentions but, as we’re now learning, have disastrous effects on our hormones and endocrine system.

Let’s cover some of the more common hormone disruptors so that you can start to identify whether they may be contributing to your specific symptoms and, I hope, resolve them effectively.

Toxin Exposure

While our bodies were originally designed to detoxify naturally, today we’re exposed to a variety of toxins that didn’t even exist in our environment one hundred years ago. In fact, over 80,000 chemicals are in use today in the United States alone!² And the research is showing that toxic chemicals are taking a dramatic toll on our hormone health, with 1 in 10 women within their reproductive years being diagnosed with PCOS,³ 1 in 8 women developing a thyroid disorder within her lifetime,⁴ and 1 in 6 couples worldwide struggling with infertility.⁵

Most of these toxins wreak havoc on the endocrine system by disrupting its normal function. They act like copycats, mimicking hormones normally produced in the body, which causes major confusion and a disruption in the feedback system. Often our bodies then stop making these hormones naturally, leading to…you guessed it, a hormonal imbalance.

Processed and Conventional Foods

While we’re on the topic of toxins, let’s touch on the hormone-disrupting chemicals found in many processed and conventionally grown foods, including plants sprayed with pesticides and animal proteins injected with hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals. While not all, many processed foods (think chips, candy, baked goods, cereals, dressings, canned goods, etc.) as well as conventionally grown fruits, vegetables, and animal proteins contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals that have been found to be the culprit in not only hormone imbalances (especially impacting the thyroid, adrenals, and reproductive organs) but also heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. We’ll go over these later in more detail, but I always encourage clients to start by reading every single ingredient label before purchasing foods, even those marketed as “healthy.” If it contains a long list of ingredients you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce, chances are it’s going to negatively impact your hormones and health as a result.

Chronic Stress

We do need stress hormones to survive, and a little bit can often be a good thing, keeping us alert in high-risk situations or supplying us with a boost of energy during an intense workout. But chronic stress depletes our bodies of micronutrients needed to make hormones. Not only that, chronic stress instructs our adrenals to consistently pump out cortisol, keeping our bodies in a constant state of fight-or-flight. These elevated cortisol levels tell our ovaries to decrease estrogen and progesterone production, as the body must prioritize a stress response over other functions (because it thinks it must do so to survive). This means our body diverts resources from things not important in a life-or-death situation—including ovulation and a healthy menstrual cycle—so chronic stress is seen as a key culprit in many hormonal imbalances and fertility challenges.

Hormones are a part of a complex system that impacts our bodies in so many important ways.

Diet Culture

While we’re still thinking about stress, it’s worth noting that diet culture has had a profound impact on female hormones. Most diets, workout regimens, and “wellness plans” that target women are only scientifically backed by research done on men. This is because females were often considered too difficult or risky to include in health research due to fluctuating reproductive hormones. It was not even required that women be included in clinical trials until 1993, thanks to the NIH Revitalization Act. Because men only have one biological rhythm (their circadian rhythm) and women have two (circadian and infradian; see here), most things impact us very differently, especially when it comes to food and exercise. Specifically, when women in their reproductive years restrict food or calories, fast or eat infrequently, or engage in extreme exercise and dieting, it completely backfires on our hormones, driving up stress hormone production and inflammation, messing with our menstrual cycle, slowing down our metabolism (increasing fat storage as a result), and disrupting our gut microbiome, which is directly linked to our hormones.

Hormonal Birth Control and Medications

Birth control, antibiotics, antidepressants, and other common drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen (also known as NSAIDs) can disrupt the balance of bacteria in your digestive tract, an essential factor in menstrual cycle health and fertility (as the metabolism of estrogen happens in your gut).⁶

Recent research also shows that synthetic birth control shrinks your vulvar tissues (including your clitoris)⁷ and can reduce your ovarian volume (aka shrink your ovaries) by almost 50 percent.⁸ Not only that, but it’s been shown to disrupt a variety of metabolic processes that affect nutrient absorption (necessary for healthy hormone function),⁹ and puts you at an increased risk for developing autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.¹⁰

Gut Health Issues

All of the disruptors mentioned above can lead to gut health issues, and many hormone imbalances begin in the gut. This is because our gut is inextricably involved in hormone production and processes, ranging from thyroid hormone conversion to metabolizing and eliminating estrogen from the body. It also absorbs nutrients from our food to synthesize hormones, supports the elimination of toxins and chemicals that can lead to hormone imbalances, and houses 70 to 80 percent of our immune system, which if disrupted or inflamed can lead to autoimmune and hormone imbalance conditions. Keep in mind that if you’re experiencing any sort of digestive issue (including diarrhea, bloating, constipation, food sensitivities, or acne) it’s most likely in tandem with a hormonal imbalance.

Dysregulated Blood Sugar

These days there are many modern obstacles and habits (processed foods, added sugars, skipping meals, intense workouts, caffeine and alcohol consumption, sleep issues, chronic stress) that disrupt blood sugar, often driving up insulin production in the body, which is linked to hormonal imbalances and conditions such as PMS, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), low thyroid, and gestational diabetes. Too much insulin production can also cause a woman’s ovaries to produce more testosterone (preventing ovulation) or convert too much testosterone to estrogen, leading to estrogen dominance.

Alcohol, Caffeine, and Drugs

Don’t get me wrong, I love a latte or spicy marg as much as the next person, but I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up the negative impact these beverages, as well as drugs, can have on our hormones.

First, let’s touch on alcohol, which has been shown to alter and impair the functions of hormone-releasing glands, including the hypothalamus and pituitary in the brain (altering brain function). It’s also linked to a natural (and rather dramatic!) rise in estrogen, often leading to estrogen dominance over time, with each alcoholic beverage increasing estrogen levels by 5 percent, and four or more drinks per day increasing them by over 60 percent.¹¹ Moderate alcohol consumption has also been linked to decreased progesterone levels, increased testosterone levels, and a suppression of thyroid production.¹² It’s a known circadian disruptor and changes the composition and function of your gut microbiome, often leading to the gut dysbiosis linked to many hormone imbalances. It’s also considered an anti-nutrient, meaning it’s not only void of nutrients, but uses up critical ones, like B vitamins, in the detoxification process. It could be a culprit behind your symptoms if regularly consumed.

Moving on to caffeine, studies have shown that it increases cortisol and insulin secretion—which is why we often get a sudden jolt of energy after consuming a cup. However, that chronic cortisol and insulin output can often lead to dysregulated blood sugar and hormonal imbalances, such as adrenal dysfunction and estrogen dominance. Additionally, caffeine is an anti-nutrient that depletes the minerals and vitamins necessary for optimal hormone balance.

When referring to drugs, I mean SSRIs and antidepressants, marijuana, some anti-seizure drugs, opioids, beta blockers, and anti-anxiety medications. All of these have numerous effects on our bodies and can cause endocrine abnormalities via different mechanisms, including altering hormone production, transport, binding, and signaling. This can result in your experiencing symptoms ranging from a decrease in libido and ability to achieve orgasm, to fertility challenges and impaired pregnancies, to a decrease in metabolism and increase in weight.

Pregnancy and Birth

As you can imagine, or may have already experienced, your body and hormones go through a ton of changes during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. These vast fluctuations can result in symptoms ranging from initial baby blues and night sweats to decreased libido and increased emotional reactivity, as well as to hair loss, stubborn weight loss, anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue. Many times, these symptoms resolve themselves over the first six months postpartum. However, more and more women report ongoing symptoms and difficulty balancing hormones after birth, often due to nutrient deficiencies, lack of sleep, increased stress, and the toll having a new baby can take on their physical and mental health. Many hormonal imbalances can be traced back to pregnancy and birth and may go on for years until they are properly diagnosed and treated.

Medical Conditions

Pre-existing medical conditions, including diabetes, vascular disease, MTHFR gene mutation, and other gene mutations, are often linked to hormonal imbalances.

This information is intended to help you pinpoint any habits, exposures, or experiences that might be leading to your symptoms and hormonal imbalances. The better you get at identifying these root causes and triggers, the more aware you become, thereby making your own informed, conscious decisions to help your hormones achieve balance and your symptoms to go byeeee!