12 Signs Your Hormones Could Use a Reset (That Have Nothing to Do with Your Period)

By Nutritionist and Hormone Expert Sarah Gale

Hormones are often associated with periods or menopause, but they play a much bigger role in our overall health and well-being. They are like the conductors of an orchestra, ensuring every section plays in harmony. When they’re out of balance, the music of our body can become discordant. 

If you've been feeling a bit off lately but can’t quite pinpoint why, it might be time to consider your hormones. These little chemical messengers influence nearly every aspect of our health, and when they go awry, they can cause a symphony of symptoms that are easy to overlook or misinterpret. Here are some signs that your hormones might need a reset.

 

 

1.  You Crave Something Sweet After Meals.

Ever finished a meal only to find yourself immediately longing for something sugary? This might be due to an imbalance in insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. When insulin isn’t working efficiently, your body can become resistant, leading to higher blood sugar levels and increased cravings for sweets.

 

2.  You Are Tired All Day and Then Wired at Night.

Feeling sluggish all day only to be wide awake at bedtime can be a sign of cortisol dysregulation. Cortisol, known as the stress hormone, follows a natural rhythm: high in the morning to wake you up and low in the evening to help you wind down. When this rhythm is disrupted—often due to chronic stress—it can leave you tired during the day and restless at night.

 

3.  You Are Never Satisfied After Meals.

Constant hunger or a lack of satiety can be linked to imbalances in leptin and ghrelin, the hormones responsible for regulating hunger and fullness. When these hormones are out of sync, you might feel hungry even after a substantial meal, leading to overeating and weight gain. Additionally, insulin can contribute to this by not efficiently regulating blood sugar, causing persistent hunger.

 

4.  You Have Frequent Mood Swings.

Frequent mood swings and irritability can often be traced back to imbalances in oestrogen and progesterone, especially in women. These hormones play a crucial role in mood regulation, and when they’re not in balance, it can lead to emotional ups and downs.

 

5.  Your Old Methods Don’t Reap the Same Weight Loss Results.

Struggling to shed pounds despite following your usual diet and exercise routine? This could be due to thyroid hormone imbalances. The thyroid gland regulates metabolism, and when it’s underactive (a condition known as hypothyroidism), it can slow down your metabolism, making weight loss more challenging. Changes in oestrogen and progesterone levels, along with imbalances in cortisol and insulin, can also impact your ability to lose weight as effectively as before, making weight loss feel like a frustrating uphill battle.

 

 

6.  You Suffer With Brain Fog.

Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, or thinking clearly—often described as "brain fog"—can be a sign of low thyroid function. Blood sugar imbalances and low progesterone levels can also contribute to this mental sluggishness, affecting your energy levels and cognitive function on the regular. 

 

7.  You Are Frequently Anxious or Prone to Overthinking.

Persistent anxiety or an inability to stop overthinking can be related to imbalances in cortisol and serotonin. Cortisol, the stress hormone, can exacerbate feelings of anxiety when chronically elevated, while serotonin, the feel-good hormone, when low, can contribute to anxiety and depression.

 

8.  You Struggle With Adult Acne.

Experiencing breakouts well past your teenage years? Adult acne is often linked to hormonal imbalances, particularly in androgens like testosterone. High levels of these hormones can increase oil production in the skin, leading to clogged pores and acne. Blood sugar imbalances can also exacerbate this by influencing androgen levels.

 

9.  You Can’t Survive Without a Coffee First Thing in the Morning.

If you can’t start your day without a strong cup of coffee, it might indicate an imbalance between cortisol and melatonin. While it might just be a habit, hormones are likely to blame too. Cortisol should be high in the morning to naturally wake you up, but if it’s low and melatonin remains high, you might rely on caffeine to kick-start your day.

 

10.  You Feel Puffy and Inflamed.

Waking up feeling puffy or dealing with fluid retention can be a sign of hormonal imbalance, particularly with cortisol. Chronic stress can keep cortisol levels high, leading to fluid retention and inflammation. Imbalances in progesterone and thyroid hormones can also contribute to this puffy and inflamed feeling.

 

 

11.  You Suffer With Frequent Headaches.

Frequent headaches or migraines can be related to fluctuations in oestrogen levels. Many women notice these headaches around their menstrual cycle, but hormonal imbalances can cause them to occur more frequently or at other times as well. High oestrogen levels are often a culprit.

 

12.  You Often Feel Bloated.

Feeling bloated and uncomfortable can be a result of imbalances in gut hormones like ghrelin and leptin, or due to cortisol. High cortisol levels can affect digestion and cause bloating by disrupting the balance of bacteria in the gut. Low progesterone levels can also contribute to a bloated feeling by causing water retention in the belly. 

 

 

Meet Sarah...

Sarah is our local go-to nutrition and hormone expert. She helps women understand what's actually going on with their hormones and make small, doable food and lifestyle tweaks so they can stop feeling rubbish in their body and dreading their period every month.

After years of being told her symptoms were "normal" (and before finally being diagnosed with PCOS and Hashimoto's) Sarah trained as a Registered Nutritional Therapist and got her health back for good. She's now passionate about helping women get to the root of their symptoms and feel like themselves again, without restriction or overwhelm.

We are delighted to share Sarah's expert knowledge with you through regular articles, which shine a light on everyday issues and offer accessible ways to tackle them.

Sarah is a Registered Nutritional Therapist (MSc), DipION, mBANT, CNHC and founder of Sarah Gale Nutrition. You can find out more about Sarah and the services she offers over at Sarah Gale Nutrition or follow her on Instagram @the_hormone_nutrition.