4 Science-Backed Habits to Balance Hormones Naturally After 50 [Ep 46]

Are you tired of feeling fatigued, struggling with sleep, or battling changes in weight that feel out of your control? In this episode, Lisa DuPree dives into the essentials of hormonal health for women in midlife. Backed by years of experience as a certified exercise physiologist and health coach, Lisa shares four simple yet science-backed habits to help you naturally balance your hormones.

You’ll also discover how small, intentional lifestyle tweaks can lead to meaningful results—without the overwhelm. By the end of this episode, you’ll have practical tips to boost your energy, improve sleep, and reclaim your mojo.

What You'll Learn In This Episode:
 
[02:18] Understanding Hormonal Health - Why these chemical messengers are the key to unlocking your energy, sleep, and metabolism

[03:51] Habit #1: Blood Sugar Balance - How structuring your meals can get you off the energy roller coaster

[07:46] Habit #2: Stress Management - The surprising connection between stress and stubborn belly fat, plus practical solutions

[13:07] Habit #3: Restorative Sleep - The hidden hormones that make sleep your secret weapon for controlling cravings

[17:10] Habit #4: Strategic Movement - Why exercise isn't just about burning calories and how to move for hormonal harmony

Mentioned in this episode:
More on sleep and hunger hormones: Fat Loss Solutions for Women Over 50: 6 Simple Lifestyle Changes That Deliver Big Results—No Cardio Required [Ep 45]

National Sleep Foundation

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Hello friends. Have you ever wondered why you're feeling more tired, struggling to sleep, or noticing changes in your weight that seem impossible to manage? Or perhaps you've been trying all the advice out there, but you still feel stuck, frustrated, and unsure what actually works to feel balanced and energized again?

[00:00:19] You're listening to Midlife Mojo, the podcast that helps women over 50 get fit and flourish in menopause. I'm Lisa DuPree, a certified exercise physiologist and health coach, and I've been helping people transform their health and fitness for over 20 years. My mission is to make fitness and fat loss simple, sustainable, and achievable for women like you.

[00:00:39] Today, we're going to be diving into a topic that's often overcomplicated by buzzwords and misinformation, and that is hormonal health. Now let me be upfront, just going to get it out of the way. I am not a doctor. I'm not a clinician. I do have degrees in biology and exercise science. I taught health for almost 15 years at a private university, and I've spent years as a health coach helping women simplify their health and fitness.

[00:01:07] So today, what I'm sharing is what I've learned from trusted evidence based sources and my personal and professional experience to help you feel more balanced and energized without all the hype. It is not meant to be prescriptive or clinical advice though. All right. So today I'm going to highlight these four powerful science backed habits that are going to help you take control of your energy, sleep, and mood.

[00:01:33] And it is going to be without gimmicks or like buzzwords or overwhelming rules. We're going to also talk about some common myths surrounding hormonal health and how small intentional changes make big difference because nobody wants to go ahead and overhaul their whole life. We want to make sustainable changes and see meaningful results from it.

[00:01:58] So by the end of this episode, you're going to walk away with practical tips to naturally support your hormones and feel more like yourself again. So if you're ready to feel more balanced, energized, and in control of your health, let's dive in. First let's talk about why hormones and hormone health is such a big deal.

[00:02:18] So hormones are chemical messengers that are in our body and they regulate just about everything. They affect your sleep, your metabolism, your overall energy, your mood, and even how you process stress. And as women as we go through midlife, hormonal changes are a natural part of aging. So our estrogen.

[00:02:41] It begins reducing or it fluctuates and then eventually when we're menopause, past menopause, we're not making estrogen anymore. And then we have fluctuating cortisol. Now we have to have cortisol. It's a stress hormone and we need some of that, but it, it also, you know, when it gets out of control, there's chronic stress, uh, you're going to have that fluctuating cortisol and that can cause some issues as well.

[00:03:10] You know, even imbalances in other hormones like insulin can start to show up as we age in really sneaky ways. So, you might feel more fatigued, you might have trouble sleeping, you might experience cravings and you may notice changes in your weight. So all these can be due to hormonal changes.

[00:03:33] The good news here is that, you know, we're not powerless. Some of these changes are going to be inevitable if we are, you know, going about the normal aging process. However, lifestyle choices can make a big, big impact on how we feel.

[00:03:51] All right, so let's get in to some of these lifestyle habits. So habit one, that is going to be eating for your balancing your blood sugar. And I want to start there because it's one of the most important ways that you can support your hormones and It matters because when you eat, your body is going to break it down into components for energy.

[00:04:16] Now, that energy is going to be in the form of blood glucose, and that is something that your body uses for energy. And then it's going to cause your blood sugar to go up. So your blood sugar is going to rise after a meal. This is natural. This is expected. This is what we want. Your body is going to release a hormone insulin in response to that.

[00:04:40] That's going to go. It's going to be able to, to corral that glucose. It's going to take it into your cells and that's going to bring your blood sugar back down. So if you are eating a lot of simple sugars, a lot of simple carbohydrates, Things like that. You're not balancing it out with other macronutrients, then what's going to be happening is when you're eating You're going to constantly be getting this spike of your blood sugar and then lots of insulin And then it's going to pull it all out and it's going to come down So you're going to be on this roller coaster and overall it really can lead to elevated cortisol Which is that stress hormone?

[00:05:20] So we want to kind of more even it out a little bit, you know, there's going to be fluctuations. This is normal We just don't want to get on that big roller coaster of high blood sugar, you know, low blood sugar, high blood sugar, low blood sugar so one of the simplest ways to prevent this is by focusing on balanced meals that include all the macronutrients and fiber so lean protein healthy fats and Fiber rich carbohydrates at every meal.

[00:05:51] So if you're thinking of like if you think of your plate Harvard healthy eating plate is a really good visual example So let me describe that so if you have your plate if you divide that plate in half Then half of your plate you want to be the, those fiber rich carbohydrates. That is going to be in the form of vegetables.

[00:06:14] So vegetables, um, non starchy carbohydrates. So that's going to be greens, any kind of leafy greens. It's going to be cruciferous vegetables, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, things like that. Asparagus is great. Squashes are great as well. And so you're gonna make up the bulk of your plate with that and then on the other half of the plate You're gonna to kind of take that and divide that just about in half and then think of like that one Quarter is going to be protein.

[00:06:51] So that is going to be like a a grilled chicken breast. It is going to be lean fish or maybe, a fish that is a little bit more fatty, like salmon that has some healthy fats in it. And then in the bottom quarter of that half of the plate is where you're going to put in your more starchy carbs.

[00:07:13] So that could be like a roasted white potato, roasted potatoes quinoa can fit in there as well, brown rice, sweet potatoes. And so you want to think about kind of this, you know, really satiating and hunger crushing combination for every meal. So about half veggies, about a quarter lean protein and a quarter of kind of starchy vegetables, but you're really getting the bulk from fiber, rich carbs, and then adding in those healthy fats as well.

[00:07:46] So that's going to help stabilize that blood sugar, keep you from getting on that roller coaster, even out your energy, and it won't lead to more elevated cortisol. All right, so second habit. Speaking of cortisol, that stress hormone, managing your stress effectively. So stress management is going to be key.

[00:08:09] Chronic stress is a major disruptor of hormones. High cortisol levels mess with your sleep. It causes sugar cravings and it can even contribute to weight gain particularly around the midsection. So this is a double whammy for women as we are getting into perimenopause and menopause because when our estrogen goes down Our bodies tend to want to put on fat around our midsection, visceral fat around our abdomen and around all of our internal organs.

[00:08:47] And so this is, it's kind of that double whammy as well. Because we're gaining fat around our middle and then with our sleep, our sleep tends to get disrupted by things like hot flashes, things like that, or if they happen at night, they're hot flashes. Night sweats.

[00:09:06] Yeah, and so we want to manage that stress effectively. And so the research is really clear on this and it's really interesting that over the past I would say probably 15 years there has been so much more research on mindfulness practices to help really Ramp up our parasympathetic nervous system.

[00:09:28] And that is our rest and digest system versus like our stress, fight or flight systems. And so mindfulness practices. incorporating those, begin practicing them on a regular basis. So it doesn't have to be like a whole thing. Now practices like meditation can definitely help. So sitting down really, you know, taking that time, becoming into the present moment, noticing what's happening in your body doing some breathing exercises, things like that can really help significantly reduce overall cortisol levels.

[00:10:05] So even just sitting there for a couple of minutes and doing like deep belly breaths significantly reduce cortisol levels because it really ramps up that parasympathetic nervous system. So if you think like one of the best ones I like to do to really quickly kind of break up that stress response and, and, you know kind of get that relaxation response is breathing where, you know, if you have your hand on your chest and one on your belly, take a deep breath in for like four counts, pause for about four counts, and then exhale for about seven or eight.

[00:10:48] So inhaling four, pause.

[00:10:57] And then exhaling. So your inhale is a full deep inhale filling up kind of into the belly, pausing for just a couple of counts, and then exhaling longer. So that is gonna to bring on that feeling of relaxation really quick. So if this kind of breathing or Or even if meditation, it starts feeling intimidating.

[00:11:20] You've tried it before. You just, it's hard to kind of get into the groove. Start small. There's many different apps out there. I like Calm and Headspace because they have short guided exercises that are quick to access and easy to follow. Other things that really help manage stress, and this is something for me that I've noticed is getting outside.

[00:11:45] Getting outside just for a few minutes, especially if you are having something that is triggering stress, or you're just feeling like, you know, you can't relax. So I've been getting outside more and more and doing walks. So. Journaling, journaling just for a few minutes. Taking a few minutes at the end of the day to just sit down, jot down your thoughts, get it out of your head.

[00:12:08] If there's something that's you've been ruminating on or something that you are, you know, trying to figure out or something that's coming up that you know that is gonna be stressful, kind of just journal that out for a couple of minutes. Don't judge, don't try to change what is. Just get it out on the paper and and that can actually help with you know alleviating some of that stress also doing something creative you know being able to write if that's something creative being able to try new recipes.

[00:12:41] That's my go to I kind of look at recipes and then I write I use them as guidelines and then I make up my own stuff. So it's really creative in that respect. Um, and whatever hobbies you have, those things can actually lower stress over time. All right. So habit three. Prioritize restorative sleep, cannot underestimate the impact of sleep.

[00:13:07] Sleep impacts hormones more than most people realize. So when you don't get enough sleep, there are two key hormones, ghrelin and leptin. That, that go kind of out of whack. And in my last episode, I think it was episode 45 , I went into kind of what the effects of restricted sleep and lack of sleep and poor quality sleep.

[00:13:31] What it actually does to leptin and ghrelin. So I went into that a little bit deeper. I'll put a link to that episode in the show notes if you want to check that part out. But just in short, ghrelin is the hormone that makes you feel hungry and leptin is the hormone that Kind of triggers when you are full or when you've, you know, feel satisfied.

[00:13:53] So when you have disruptive sleep or shortened sleep, which is more like not getting as many hours, then it can lead to cravings, overeating, and overall feeling drained, just not having enough energy. Because your ghrelin is going to ramp up and your leptin, which makes you feel full, don't produce enough of it or you're not as sensitive to it.

[00:14:17] One tip to really improve your sleep is to create a calming evening routine. One of the things that has been a game changer, I know for my students when I taught undergraduate health and also for my clients is to turn off all their screens. 30 minutes before they want to go to bed.

[00:14:39] So that blue light on the screen disrupts your hormone production of melatonin. So melatonin is produced naturally in, in sync with your overall circadian rhythm. But that blue light from our screens disrupts that so if you can get into the habit of turning off all of your screens, putting away your phone if you have if you're reading on an iPad or being able to put that away, maybe read an actual physical book.

[00:15:13] I know that's hard. I'm an iPad reader myself. I prefer to do that instead of actually turning the pages on a book now, which I never thought I'd get to that point, but yep, here I am. So I have glasses that I read with at night that take away that blue light.

[00:15:27] That can really help because then your body's going to naturally begin to produce that melatonin, which helps you feel sleepy and fall asleep.

[00:15:36] Another thing that you can do to help with sleep is adding magnesium rich foods to your evening meal. So magnesium helps promote relaxation and it helps you kind of get into that calming evening routine and transition into bedtime. And so my favorite go to magnesium rich evening snack is, some almonds and dark chocolate.

[00:16:02] So I found these chocolate bars because I'm in, I'm in training for a physique competition. And so I'm really very, very regimented at this point with my meal plan. But there are these chocolate bars that are, they're made by a company called Gatsby and they have really dark chocolate, which is great because I'm dairy free and gluten free that fits in there.

[00:16:27] It fits in my calories, but they also have almonds in it. So, you know, one or two squares fits into my diet. I get chocolate in the evening as a treat and it's magnesium rich. So it, it's a, it is a trifecta of goodness there that I've really been leaning into. And so thinking about, you know, sleep, being able to get the quality sleep and also the hours of sleep.

[00:16:52] So, you know, if you're struggling with sleep, try some of these things. And then, you know, there are a lot of really good resources out there like the National Sleep Foundation. They have great resources for sleep hygiene. And you can check that out, National Sleep Foundation, I'll put a link to that in the show notes as well.

[00:17:10] And so, those, there's definitely, there's definitely good evidence based information out there that you can take advantage of. Alright, that brings us to habit four, which is movement. you know, as an exercise physiologist and a health coach and someone who taught health for 15 years, I am going to talk about movement.

[00:17:31] I think maybe every episode in some way or another. So physical activity, regular exercise is going to be for fantastic for regulating your hormones, especially cortisol and insulin. So it doesn't have to mean that you are doing hardcore, hard workouts every day, gentle movements like Yoga, stretching, walking, it's going to be beneficial overall, just for overall health, strength training in particular is going to be beneficial for women in midlife because it helps you maintain your muscle mass. And that is something that we want to, we want to still, you know, build muscle, keep up our metabolism, maintain our muscle mass and not let that kind of natural muscle loss happen with age.

[00:18:19] So we do have the ability to control some of that, but you really have to continue moving. You need to aim for about 30 minutes of movement most days of the week. So you don't have to overdo it, you know, too much intense exercise. actually increases cortisol, especially if you're not being careful about your recovery.

[00:18:42] And so this is something that I work with my clients on a lot. It's like starting from where they are and figuring out, okay, how am I going to be able to incorporate this movement into my day in a way that is going to work for me for what my overall goals are? 

[00:18:57] Some people's goals are you know, to, to go in and do an event or do a competition. Some people, they just want to be able to move pain free throughout the day, you know, and whatever it is, there is a type of movement and there is a process that works. Like our bodies were made to move and then So no matter what kind of, you know, injuries, restrictions, time you have available, there's something that'll fit.

[00:19:26] So it's really about kind of finding what works for you and finding that balance, but definitely incorporating movement overall. All right. So before we wrap up, I wanted to remind you that you again, do not need to overhaul your life overnight.  I would not recommend that at all.

[00:19:45] It's not sustainable. Thinking about of these four habits - blood sugar balancing, managing stress, prioritizing restorative sleep, incorporating activity up to about 30 minutes a day, of those four pick one habit to start with, or if you've already doing really well in one, you really being consistent with that and adding another one in when it feels like you can make that fit.

[00:20:14] Whether it's balancing your meals, adding a few minutes of mindfulness, committing to a consistent bedtime, you know, small intentional changes are going to add up over time. So if you're ready to dive deeper into feeling leaner, stronger and more energized in midlife, I would love to support you.

[00:20:33] You can join my midlife mojo jumpstart, which is a free five day mini course is designed to give you some of the tools that you need to change up your eating, exercise, sleep, and mindset in ways that are going to help you optimize your health and feel amazing in menopause. I will put the link in the show notes for you and you can sign up. Again, it's completely free.

[00:20:58]  Thank you so much for tuning into Midlife Mojo. If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend and take a couple of seconds to leave a review.

[00:21:08] It really helps more women like you discover the show and take back their health and confidence and really rock their fitness in midlife. Until next time get out there and keep your mojo rising.