Episode 13: Root Causes: Your Hormones Aren’t the Problem—They’re Your Superpower

Chavah Wellness provides general educational information on various topics on this website as a public service, which should not be construed as health care advice. These are my personal opinions only. See my full disclaimer here.

Listen on your favorite platform:

Hormones: Curse of the Earth or God’s Brilliant Design?

Okay, real talk. Have you ever gone on a diet with your husband—same meals, same workouts, same goals—only to watch him drop ten pounds overnight while you gain three, cry over laundry, and suddenly hate everyone?

Yeah, girl. That’s the stuff hilarious (and painfully relatable) commercials are made of. We’ve all been there. And if you’ve ever found yourself thinking, What is wrong with me? Why is my body so difficult?—you’re not alone.

But here’s the truth: it’s not that your body is broken. It’s that your body is different.

Women aren’t designed to function like men—and thank God, right? As much as I wish my husband understood what I go through every month, let’s be real: if both of us were dealing with hormonal swings… chaos. Somebody’s gotta be steady while the other has the miraculous ability to grow life.

Yes, we got the second job. It’s a blessing. And some days, it feels like a bit of a curse. But it doesn’t have to.

Today, I want to talk about something you’ve probably felt but haven’t had words for: your hormones. Those moody little messengers we love to blame for everything from breakouts to breakdowns. But here’s the twist…

Your hormones aren’t the villain. They’re your superpower.

Wait—don’t cancel me yet. Stick with me.

The only reason they feel like the enemy is because no one ever taught us how to work with them. We’ve been trained to suppress, ignore, or “fix” them. But what happens when you try to shut down a system God intentionally designed to cycle and shift?

You feel crazy. Exhausted. Frustrated. Stuck.

But what if your hormones were never the problem… just the misunderstood hero of your health story?

Your Husband’s Hormones Aren’t Playing the Same Game

Let’s go back to your husband for a second.

His hormones reset every 24 hours—like clockwork. He can eat the same, train the same, perform the same… day after day. Why? Because his design is simple and steady. He’s wired to protect and provide.

Now think back to the days of survival—if a man were out of commission for a whole week every month, that’d be a serious problem for a tribe depending on him to fend off wild animals or hunt for food. He needs to be “on” all the time. And that’s how his body is designed to operate.

But you, friend? You were designed differently.

You carry the capacity for life—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. That kind of design requires shifts. Rhythms. Monthly cycles of energy, mood, and needs.

You were made to be cyclical. But we live in a culture that expects women to operate like machines.

So when your body doesn’t respond to that “one-size-fits-all” diet, workout, or supplement stack the same way your husband’s does—or even the way your best friend’s does—you might think you’re failing.

But you’re not. You just need a different approach—one that honors your God-given design.

Meet Your Hormones: The Seesaw, the Drama, and the Sweet Tooth

Let’s take a peek inside your body—it’s kind of like a hormonal playground, and not every hormone plays nicely.

At the center, we’ve got two main players on the seesaw: estrogen and progesterone. They take turns rising and falling throughout your monthly cycle.

In the first half of your cycle, estrogen steps up. When she’s high and happy, you tend to feel more energized, confident, and emotionally resilient. You might even feel unstoppable! But here’s the catch—estrogen only plays nice when insulin (your blood sugar hormone) stays low. If you’re skipping meals, living on snacks, or swimming in stress, insulin spikes—and estrogen taps out early. Party’s over.

Then comes cortisol—the drama king of the hormone playground. If cortisol gets too loud, he throws everything off. But when estrogen is strong, she can keep him in check.

Now we move into the second half of your cycle—progesterone’s time to shine. She’s your calming, nurturing, anti-anxiety hormone. The chill friend you want around when life gets crazy. But here’s the thing: she’s sensitive. If cortisol starts acting up again, she dips out fast. That’s when PMS hits, mood swings rise, cravings spike, and suddenly you hate everyone (again).

The bright side? During this phase, your body is less sensitive to insulin. Translation: if you’re craving a cozy pasta dish or a sweet treat… this is your moment, girl. Enjoy it—your body’s already ahead of the game.

Why Your Diet Works… Until It Doesn’t

Your body actually can handle carbs better during the second half of your cycle. Have you ever had one of those moments where you haven’t eaten bread in weeks and think, “You know what? I’m going to treat myself today. I deserve this.” So you eat the bread… and you feel great.

No bloating. No crash. You’re golden.

So the next day, you go for it again. And the day after that. And then… the crash hits. Suddenly your energy tanks, your digestion’s a mess, and you’re asking yourself, “What happened?!”

That, my friend, is your hormones at work.

There’s a time in your cycle when your body loves good, healthy carbs—and a time when it really doesn’t. When you align with that rhythm, carbs can support you. But when you push past it, your body will let you know.

This is also why strict diets like keto or carnivore can feel amazing… until they don’t. You might feel like a rockstar for most of the month, then suddenly crash into PMS, exhaustion, and painful periods. That’s not failure—it’s feedback.

Your hormones are waving a white flag, saying, “Hey! You’re not a machine. We need something different now.”

The more you understand that rhythm, the more you can nourish your body in a way that actually works—with it, not against it.

It’s Not “Just Part of Being a Woman”

So why does all of this matter?

Because we’ve normalized hormone chaos. Painful periods, wild mood swings, hormonal acne, PCOS, infertility—we’re told it’s all just “part of being a woman.” But friend, it’s not supposed to be this way.

Yes, your hormones were designed to shift. But they were also designed to work in harmony.

When we support those rhythms—instead of trying to suppress or override them with things like birth control, hormone replacement therapy, or other quick fixes—something powerful happens.

We begin to heal.

We start to feel like ourselves again. We start to understand the wisdom, beauty, and power behind our design.

Now, I know what you might be thinking… How in the world am I supposed to support my hormones without losing my mind?

Let me say this loud and clear: Yes, your hormones are complex. Yes, they fluctuate. Yes, there are a lot of moving parts.

But no—it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

You don’t need a medical degree or a spreadsheet to feel better. You just need to know the foundations.

So let’s break down what matters most.

Start Here: Sleep Is Your Hormone Reset Button

The first (and maybe most powerful) way to support your hormones is sleep.

Your hormones literally reset while you sleep. If your sleep is off, your whole hormonal rhythm can spiral out of sync. At night, your body kicks into a beautiful, behind-the-scenes process—a full ecosystem of hormone balancing, detoxifying, and restoring functions working in your favor.

It’s like the night shift setting the stage for a better tomorrow.

So if you’re waking up every morning feeling like you got hit by a bus—before your feet even touch the floor—there’s a good chance your sleep is suffering… and your hormones are, too.

The biggest gift you can give your body is a consistent, restorative night’s sleep.

If that’s been a struggle, start here: set a bedtime and actually get in bed earlier. Yes, I know, easier said than done—but it matters.

And if falling (or staying) asleep is the hard part, go check out my podcast episode on working out. Trust me, it’s a sleep game-changer.

Next Up: Tame the Stress

Number two is stress.

Cortisol—the hormonal party crasher—throws everything off when left unchecked. But when you keep it in balance, your whole system runs smoother.

Take just a few minutes each day to calm your nervous system. Deep belly breaths, a slow count to 10, or stepping outside for 10 minutes of stillness can make a huge difference.

It doesn’t have to be elaborate. Even small moments of peace throughout your day add up—and those moments can work wonders for your stress and your hormones.

Balance Your Blood Sugar, Balance Your Hormones

Number three is insulin.

When your blood sugar is stable, your mood, energy, and hormones stay more stable too. But when insulin spikes? Hormonal chaos.

So let’s get practical: stop skipping meals, and please stop living on granola bars and toddler leftovers. (I see you, Mama—I’ve done it too!)

Balanced meals are key. Insulin and estrogen work like a seesaw—when estrogen is high, it needs insulin to stay low. But if you spike insulin at the wrong time in your cycle, everything gets thrown off.

Start by cutting back on sugar, especially in the morning and before bed. And if you are going to enjoy something sweet, do it after a good, balanced meal. That one small habit can make a big difference in how your body responds.

Support Daily Detox (No Juice Cleanse Required)

Number four is detox.

Your liver is in charge of hormone cleanup—it converts, activates, and clears out used hormones. But if it gets overwhelmed, your system backs up—like a clogged sink.

Thankfully, daily detox doesn’t have to be complicated.

One of the best things you can do? Move your body. Your lymphatic system needs movement to stay active. Gentle exercise helps flush out toxins and keeps your hormones flowing the way they were designed to.

Fasting—But Make It Hormone-Smart

Number five is fasting—with wisdom.

Intermittent fasting can support hormone balance and promote healing, but only when it’s done in sync with your cycle.

When estrogen is high (typically in the first half of your cycle), your body handles fasting better. Estrogen encourages low insulin levels and boosts your tolerance for stress, making it an ideal time to fast.

But once progesterone takes the lead, your body needs the opposite. Progesterone thrives when cortisol—your stress hormone—is low. And fasting, while helpful at times, is a form of stress. Done at the wrong point in your cycle, it can backfire.

So during the second half of your cycle, ease up on fasting. Nourish your body with a bit more food, especially healthy, nutrient-rich carbs that support progesterone and reduce stress.

It’s not about doing more—it’s about doing what’s right for your body in each phase.

Cycle-Based Eating: Nourish the Way You Were Designed

Number six is cycle-based eating—and here’s the fun part: eating in sync with your cycle can actually feel less restrictive than any diet you’ve tried before.

No more one-size-fits-all plans. No more cutting out everything you love. Just learning how to nourish your body based on what it actually needs each week.

As women, we’re taught that if our diet isn’t working, we just need to cut out more. But that’s not always true. Sometimes, you’re eating the right foods… just at the wrong time of the month.

When you learn how to eat, move, and live with your hormones instead of against them, everything begins to line up. You might even realize, Wait, I can eat that! It’s actually good for me—I just needed to time it better.

This way of eating is not only effective, it’s freeing.

And honestly? This is information we should have gotten when we first got our periods. It should have been part of our initiation into womanhood: Here’s how your body works. Here’s how to eat, move, and thrive as a woman.

But most of us missed that. And that’s okay.

Because it’s not too late to learn now.

You can still step into your design, steward your health in a powerful way, and live in alignment with how God uniquely created you—not some cookie-cutter formula that was never meant for your body in the first place.

You Were Made for More Than Hormonal Chaos

Here’s the good news: you weren’t made to feel exhausted, confused, and out of sync every month.

You were created with a rhythm—a divine design. And when you learn to live in step with that rhythm, you don’t just feel better… you feel aligned.

If your head’s spinning right now, I get it. But it doesn’t have to be complicated.

This is exactly what I walk you through in my Live Healthy Mama course—step by step. How to balance your hormones, boost your energy, and build life-giving rhythms that actually work for a busy, beautiful, tired-but-determined mama like you.

You don’t need more noise. You need a clear, sustainable path forward.

And I’ve got you, Mama.

Up Next: The Organ No One Talks About (But Should)

Speaking of sustainable healing—next week, we’re diving into your liver. Yep, we’re going there.

Because this unsung hero doesn’t just handle toxins. It’s the command center for hormone metabolism, blood sugar regulation, and even thyroid and adrenal function.

If something’s felt off with your hormones, we’re going to unpack why starting with your liver makes all the difference.

I promise—it’s more fascinating (and freeing!) than you’d expect.

So stick with me, Mama. You were created for wellness, and we are just getting started.

I hope today’s conversation encouraged you—and I’ll see you next time!

Until next time, remember—you are beautifully designed by God to live with energy, clarity, and joy. You’re not just surviving, Mama—you’re stepping into the vibrant life you were created for. I’m cheering you on!

Blessings & Wellness,

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest

WORK WITH ME TO RESTORE YOUR ENERGY + DISCOVER YOUR DESIGN FOR HEALTH AS A BUSY MAMA:

Option 1) Join the Live Healthy, Mama coaching program today!

Option 2) Work 1:1 with me to reach your wellness goals – without the overwhelm – and get total clarity  on living the healthy and energetic life you were created for! (Pay-in-full and payment plan options available).

• Want to make sure coaching is right for you? Book a FREE 60 minute Discovery Call here!

RESOURCES:

Download the FREE Guide: Tired Mama? 5 Simple Steps to Get Your Energy Back!

Ask a Question for the Podcast!

Want to be a Guest on the Show?

See all the Episodes

About the Host: