From Bloat to Brain Fog: Your Hormone Imbalance Checklist

28 Days of Decoding Your Body: The Hormone Balance Challenge 🕯️🍵🕊️ Day 4-5

When I started tracking my cycle, I pretty quickly realized that high estrogen was at the root of it my issues

• painful periods + breakouts + PMS = high estrogen picture

but the question then became, well….why is estrogen high?

and that’s where the deeper unravelling began

You see, hormones are messengers - not the root cause.

The symptoms we experience are simply the body’s way of responding to the messages those hormones are delivering.

So instead of blaming the hormone itself, we need to ask: what’s causing that message in the first place?

don’t underestimate the role of your nervous system on your hormones…oftentimes, a lack of play, laughter, safety and fun are the real “root cause”

For me, that meant taking a closer look at the factors that drive up estrogen levels…

#1: stress - busy gal, 10+ years of up and downs left my nervous system a bit of a wreck (which means higher DHEA which becomes estrogen)

#2: poor liver function - born with jaundice, years of medications and alcohol, meant my liver needed some TLC (which means difficulty detoxing estrogen)

This is what we meant by a root cause approach - actually understanding our INDIVIDUAL body’s context, environment, inputs, etc. so that we can truly move the needle on how it function

Today’s Hormone Balance Action Steps:

💪🏼 Action Step:

• Start your morning with room temperature water + lemon (yes, before your coffee)

✍🏼 Reflection: journal prompt to help you truly identify your “root cause”

Meet Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone

the main players in the hormone symphony that governs your mood, energy, cycle, skin, and more

Your job? To go through the below and mark down

1. which symptoms you have

2. what might be your root cause behind it

Estrogen: The Queen Bee 🐝

Estrogen is center stage with our hormones - she’s responsible for our curves, lubrication, period, and even confidence. She rises in the first half of your cycle to help you feel magnetic, social, and energized.

But when estrogen gets too high (or doesn’t clear properly), she can turn from queen bee to drama queen. Quick checklist for high estrogen:

If you have….

• Painful, heavy periods

• PMS symptoms (especially mood swings and sore breasts)

• Histamine reactivity (think rashes, allergies, and period migraines or “flu”)

• Hormonal acne (especially around ovulation)

• Fibroids and endo

root cause could be…

• constipation or poor gut health (hx of antibiotics)

• poor liver function

• heavy drinker

• higher % body fat

• exposure to lots of EDCs (plastics, smoker, etc)

Take a look and based on what lines up, that’s what you want to consider for ongoing support for your body.

Hormone Spotlight: Estrogen

Progesterone: The Calming Girlie 😴

If estrogen is the queen bee, progesterone is the chill best friend. Produced after ovulation, she helps you sleep well, feel calm, and maintain a regular cycle. She’s anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, and absolutely needed for fertility.

The issue is that low progesterone is so common. Quick checklist for low progesterone:

if you have….

• Spotting before your period

• Anxiety or insomnia before your period

• Breast tenderness

• Bloating

• Difficulty getting or staying pregnant

root cause could be…

• high stress

• dieting or under-eating

• over exercising

Since progesterone is built from the same building blocks as cortisol, we have to look at our stress levels

Hormone Spotlight: Progesterone

Testosterone: The Fire Starter 🔥

Though often thought of as a “male hormone,” women need testosterone too…just in smaller amounts. It supports muscle mass, metabolism, libido, motivation, and even a sense of drive and clarity. It stays relatively consistent throughout our cycle.

But when it’s out of balance, this go askew. Quick checklist for high testosterone:

if you have…

• Thinning hair or hair loss on the scalp

• Acne (especially jawline and chin)

• Hair growth in “unwanted places”

• Irregular periods

• Difficulty losing weight

root cause could be..

• high stress (notice a theme here?)

• high blood sugar

• PCOS

Often a combo of genetic predispositions and an importance around blood sugar.

Put It Into Practice:

Okay, so as you can see, our nourishment, nervous system and detox are all driving our hormonal imbalances

which means, THOSE become the areas of focus when supporting our menstrual cycle and hormones

So, we’re going to start implementing some steps to support those areas, starting with

#1 Start your day with a room temperature glass of water with lemon

It’s a small shift that can make a big difference for your hormones, digestion, and energy levels.

why it works:

• Water before caffeine = nervous system and adrenals wake up gently. Instead of jolting your system with coffee first thing, you’re supporting a smoother hormone ride.

• Morning rehydration = activates your digestive system. Bowel movements are one of your body’s key ways of clearing out excess estrogen. No elimination = hormone recirculation.

• Lemon, citrus, or digestive bitters = gentle nudge for your liver. They help stimulate bile flow and support detox pathways that keep hormones moving and metabolized efficiently.

Bonus points: if you take a deep breath for your nervous system before drinking

How to do it

1. Fill a 12 oz glass with room-temperature filtered water.

2. Squeeze ½ fresh lemon or lime.

3. Sip mindfully within 10 minutes of waking.

4. Wait 15–30 minutes before your first coffee or matcha to let the magic happen.

Pro tips

• Sensitive teeth? Use a reusable straw and rinse with plain water afterward.

• Want extra liver love? Swap lemon for a splash of apple-cider vinegar or add fresh ginger slices.

Do this for 3 days, and notice how you feel. We’ll build from there

Time to Reflect:

Alright gals, pop open the notebook. You only need 5–10 minutes, but give yourself the gift of presence here.

Today (or tomorrow), it’s all about getting curious about the why behind your symptoms…

this is true root cause wellness

Take a deep breath. Let’s dive in.