I'm Hormonal | functional hormone insight + advice

How summer & sunshine support your hormones | Ep. 36

• Bridget Walton, Functional Hormone Specialist & Menstrual Cycle Coach • Episode 36

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Have you ever wondered how the change of seasons may be influencing your hormones? Join me, Bridget Walton, as we explore the interplay between summertime and your hormones.  Sunlight, social connection, and time in nature are all good for your hormone balance. Plus, get practical tips for maintaining hormonal balance while traveling and socializing—think hydration, smart snacking, and mindful consumption. 

TLDR: Sun exposure allows our body to produce more vitamin D which can support healthy blood sugar levels. Wonky blood sugar levels can be problematic for your menstrual cycle, so this is important to refine and be aware of. 

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to I'm Hormonal, your source of information about women's hormone health and how to support your body. Naturally, I'm your host, bridget Walton, and I'm a certified functional hormone specialist and menstrual cycle coach. I am on a mission to hold these hormone conversations with as many menstruators as possible, because you deserve easier access to accurate information about what's up with your unruly menstrual cycle and with your fertility mysteries. Don't you think it's time that we figure this out once and for all? Hey everybody, welcome to I'm Hormonal. I'm Bridget Walton. On this week's episode, we are going to be talking about how the summertime impacts your hormones. In the summertime and at least here in the Northern Hemisphere, we're in June now, so full-fledged summer, and let's talk today about what does the sunshine do with your hormones. How do the social connections and social gatherings that we get into in the summertime, and movement and travel all of that good stuff how does that impact our body? Our conversation today would be to well, a just as I said, understand how the summer impacts our hormones, but, b be able to take some of these same ideas or, I guess, factors and say, okay, well, how can I apply this through the rest of the year or other times, and just generally understand how our environment and how our surroundings impact us. So we'll get into that in just a moment. Here I want to say welcome again and welcome to those of you who are listening for the first time. I started this podcast almost a year ago now. We're creeping up on it, but anyway, I started this podcast so that I could share the information that I know about women's hormone health with you, because I think that you deserve to understand how your body works, what your symptoms and what the signals of your body are really meaning to say to you. One quick reminder on that same note our hormones actually are not out to just make us unhappy and make life harder, even though sometimes in some phases of life or some months, it may seem that way. But I say this because when we are experiencing these adverse symptoms from different parts of our cycle or other hormonal imbalances, we should take that as a signal from our bodies that they just need a little bit more loving. They're just asking us to do some investigating into what's going on in order to make some changes to better support how we feel. So let's get into it here shortly. One quick reminder as always, I'm a functional hormone specialist and a women's hormone coach, but I'm not your hormone specialist or coach, not yet at least. So the information that I share with you today and always here on the podcast is for educational purposes only. It shouldn't be used as a replacement for any sort of one-on-one support from a certified practitioner or from your healthcare provider. If you do have any questions or any recommendations, any topics that you want me to talk about here on the podcast in the future, you can always connect with me on Instagram.

Speaker 1:

When it comes to the summertime, I know that I am always looking forward to spending as much time outside as possible. I live near San Diego, so not too far from the beach, and I love putting my body on the sand over there, whether it's during the daytime or at sunset, but that's all to say. How does the sun and sunshine exposure impact our hormones? So when we are exposed to the sun and this is, you know, without SPF or, of course, our skin being covered up by clothes we get that UVB exposure from the sun, and what our body does with that is it converts UVB into vitamin D. Of course, we can get vitamin D through food sources as well, but getting exposure to the sun is one of the major ways that our bodies get that vitamin D that we need, which is essential for so many functions of our body. So what does vitamin do? Why is this important? Well, vitamin D is helpful for us because it does things like reduce inflammation. It helps support processes including cell growth and some neuromuscular and immune function, but the main function that I want to focus on right now is its support of glucose metabolism.

Speaker 1:

If you've been here before, then you've heard me talk about insulin, insulin resistance and glucose and how they all relate. If you're new, just as a quick recap, insulin is the hormone that our body creates in response to elevated levels of glucose in our blood. So you eat watermelon in the summertime and our blood sugar goes up naturally totally normal that's what it should be doing and then our body releases insulin to bring our blood sugars back down to their normal levels, and what that insulin does is it helps our cells to actually bring that glucose in. When I say glucose and blood sugar, I use those terms synonymously, and it's helping our cells to bring that glucose in. We need insulin, but we don't want to have too much insulin just floating around, basically, and so it's important that we don't overproduce it. Now this is again bringing it back to vitamin D. Vitamin D is important because it helps us to run that whole process more efficiently. Our cells, our tissues, become more sensitive to insulin, which is good news all around.

Speaker 1:

Now why, though, is insulin important? You're thinking, bridget, I'm here to hear about how my sex hormones can be impacted by the summer and generally, how to understand and have some impact on my cycle and those hormones. Well, let's take a look at that. So, while no, insulin is not a sex hormone, it is really important because, when insulin levels are too high, for example, that can lead to increased levels of testosterone production in our ovaries. So there aren't any silos keeping the hormones away from each other, if that makes sense. But anyway, high levels of insulin can lead to higher levels of testosterone, which is an androgenic hormone, and sometimes, when testosterone levels are too high, that can lead to situations like inovulatory cycles, so a month when you're not actually releasing an egg. So that'll be important if you are trying to conceive. But even if you're not trying to conceive, it's really important to support an environment within your body where you can ovulate, because once you ovulate and release that egg. That's what enables your body to produce progesterone for the second half of your cycle, and we love progesterone because it is soothing, it helps to calm the mind, helps you to feel relaxed. So it's important to have both the estrogen in the first half of our cycle, or that's the predominant hormone in the first half, as well as progesterone in the second half.

Speaker 1:

Coming back to high levels of insulin, though, and what to consider there, it's interesting or important to note that insulin resistance is oftentimes a contributing factor to PCOS. About 65 to 70% of PCOS diagnoses have a tie to high insulin. So understanding how you can again support that process of taking the glucose in your blood into your cells is important. If you are interested to hear more about PCOS if your ears, you know, kind of perked up when I said that, check out episode 18. It's called what is PCOS, where I talk more about PCOS and the four different drivers that can perpetuate it, and hopefully that'll be helpful for you over there.

Speaker 1:

The long story short, though, is that insulin levels that are too high can impact our ovulation. It can cloud up our communication pathways for hormones, so vitamin D can be a part of correcting that and making sure that things are running smoothly. Now that's not to say that you should stay in the sun all day, because that's going to correct your insulin resistance. Don't get me wrong, that's not exactly how it works, but it is an important factor in helping your body's systems to function properly. So don't use it as the solution as a whole, but use it as something to support your goals and whatever regimen or other actions you're already taking, if you know that insulin resistance is a factor for you.

Speaker 1:

I have one final tidbit about insulin that I want to share with you, because I was leading a workshop earlier this week you, because I was leading a workshop earlier this week and a question that I got from one of the gals in the workshop. You know she says hey, bridget, I have been craving sugar and for my whole life I've never been that into sugar. But now that I'm in perimenopause, I'm craving sugar. Do you think that there is a correlation there, like, why is that happening? And this is really interesting because perhaps you, if you are going through perimenopause now or have gone through that in the past, perhaps you've noticed that your relationship with sugar has changed. Also, if you're not yet to that point in your life, then you'll just maybe recall that towards the end of your period, or rather towards the end of your cycle, just before your period starts, you're craving more sugar. During those times of our cycle or times in our lives our estrogen levels are lower than you know than other times in the cycle or earlier in our lives, and when estrogen levels are lower we are less sensitive to insulin and that can result in more volatile changes ups and downs of our blood sugar and insulin levels. So this is just to say that if you are noticing you have more sugar cravings when you are going through perimenopause or while you're in your luteal phase, those seven to 10 days before your period begins, then that can be totally normal. And at the end of the episode today I'll walk through a couple of things you can do to just kind of try to keep that in check and understand how you can have more consistent blood sugar levels and therefore less sugar cravings. So we'll come back to that at the end.

Speaker 1:

To wrap up, in addition to sunshine, another reason why it's good to be outside and in nature is because being in nature itself, in green spaces, hearing the birdsong, that is good for your nervous system and overall supporting lower cortisol levels. Of course we need cortisol. We shouldn't be just trying to make it lower. There's a balance. If cortisol is too low, then we don't have the energy to get up in the morning. Studies have shown that increased views of blue space is associated with lower levels of psychological stress. So if you needed a sign, this is your sign to coordinate a beach day with your friends for this weekend. Increased views of blue space is associated with lower levels of psychological stress. Text your group. Get everybody to the beach. I wonder. I don't know. The research or the article that I looked at did not indicate whether a pool view was large enough to provide the same benefit. But regardless, being out in nature, being by the ocean, they do have a measurable positive effect on your stress levels.

Speaker 1:

The impact that our cortisol can have, when too high, on our cycle and our sex hormones is similar to that of insulin in that if cortisol levels are too high, it's clouding the pathways for our sex hormones, is similar to that of insulin in that if cortisol levels are too high, it's clouding the pathways for our sex hormones I mean for all of our hormones. But stress levels being too high can interrupt ovulation and can cause some other kinks and hiccups in your cycle. So, of course, for the purposes of feeling good, not feeling anxious all the time, having the energy levels that you want, regulating your stress is important, but also for these reasons, as overdoing it with your stress can have negative impacts on your cycle. Moving on from sunshine and insulin, another good thing about the summers, and something that I always look forward to, is time with friends, social gatherings and just that extra time building connections, building on my friendships when you're spending time with the people that you enjoy spending time with and the people that you love. Also, meeting new people and just generally building those connections is good for your nervous system. Right, it helps to calm and soothe your nervous system. It's helpful for you when you're going through stress later on in life. It's like you know you're putting some money in the piggy bank now so that later on, when you're going through stress, of course you have those people, those connections, to lean on in order to help you manage that stress. So I don't think it should be understated the benefit of social connections, whether that's you with a large group, you with your whole family or you building, you know, your friendship, one-on-one with somebody grabbing coffee. If you're somebody who wants to be building more social connections in your life, then the summer is also a great time to do it. Don't be afraid to check out what networking events or happy hours are going on in your area. Every time I'm looking on Eventbrite or Meetup for networking events, I'm just amazed by truly all of the great fun events that are out there. I know at least in my area, there are ones like you can just get together to go for a walk. They organize walks each month. Which big, big walk girl right here, I'm not trying to do that much stuff, but I do like to go for walks. Walk girl right here. I'm not trying to do that much stuff, but I do like to go for walks. Anyway, social connections are so important for your mental health and overall well-being, but also have benefits for your hormone health. So if those aren't enough good reasons, then I don't know what we can do for you, but invest some time into building your friendships. No-transcript.

Speaker 1:

Now that we've talked about some of the positives of summer, let's take a quick look at some of the dark sides of summer, but really what we can do to make it work for us. So a couple of thoughts here. Of course, in the summer the days are going to be longer, but we don't necessarily need less sleep in the summer just because the days are longer and there are more hours of daylight, of sunlight rather. So, even though you may be staying up later, getting up earlier, I mean, really prioritize and think about how can you make sure that you're getting the amount of sleep that you need, whatever that amount is for you. So make sure that you're getting adequate rest. So make sure that you're getting adequate rest. Sometimes or I know this happens for myself certainly I'm looking forward to doing so many social events, getting together with my friends, going to other dinners and things, and then I just really overwhelm myself with what I get into. So be careful, like pump the brakes. If you're in the middle of your cycle, when you're feeling more social and you're booking yourself out for two weeks later, when you're going to be on your period and maybe you're like I know I'm not going to want to do all this stuff that I'm committing myself to now, then just a friendly reminder to keep that in mind.

Speaker 1:

On another note if you are traveling this summer, what can you do to support your hormones. While you're traveling, I always like to take element packets. They're electrolyte drink mixes. I'll take element packets with me when I'm traveling so I can have one either while I'm in the airports or once I get to my destination. But staying properly hydrated helps me to feel good.

Speaker 1:

Also and this may be an unpopular opinion, but when I'm traveling to a different time zone, I do my best to avoid caffeine, because I'm trying to just say to my body hey, body, we're going somewhere new, the sunrise and the sunset is going to be different, but I try to let my body adjust by itself as much as it can, instead of aiding with caffeine. Do whatever best suits you, do whatever you need to do. Of course, if you're traveling for a wedding, you have to stay up late, then that would be a great opportunity to use caffeine, but I try. If you're traveling for a wedding, you have to stay up late, then that would be a great opportunity to use caffeine, but I try to use caffeine just as a tool, truly when I need it, and so that's why when I'm traveling to a new time zone, I will lay off the caffeine for a little bit. I'll do that this summer. I'm going to head to Michigan later in June and that's how I'll roll.

Speaker 1:

Also, before I pack for my trip, I'm going to be sure to pack my multivitamins because I know that when I'm home I'll be visiting my parents and my family and I'm maybe not eating the same types of foods that I'm eating here when I'm at home and I have full control over my kitchen. So types of foods that I'm eating here when I'm at home and I have, like, full control over my kitchen. So I'll make sure to pack my vitamins, pack all my supplements. I definitely I don't know, I wouldn't say that it's bougie, but what is it. I like to certainly pack all of the small nice to haves. That's a priority for me. I make sure to pack my sleepy time tea because I still like to have my sleepy time tea, especially when I'm on the other coast of the United States, things like that. Don't be afraid to prioritize those comforts and nice to haves over. You know, the seventh dress or pair of shorts that you actually know that you won't be able to wear, but also easy for me to say because I'm not a big style gal.

Speaker 1:

Let's wrap up today with a couple of practical takeaways that you can think about when you're at your next potluck or social gathering, picnic, whatever you've got on your calendar, and these tips will be in regards to keeping your blood sugar levels stable and keeping insulin relatively low as well. So here we go. When you get to the pool and snacks are out, go for the savory items first. Go for the protein and fat forward items first, and fat forward items first. If you're like, hey man, my friend group, all we have when we get together are fruit plates and chips and desserts and whatever other tasty snacks, but maybe those that are not super protein or fat forward, be the friend who brings a plate of veggies and hummus. That's my go-to. Bring veggies and hummus, go for that first, something vegetable or protein forward, and that will help to set your blood sugar levels up for success. I love to snack on watermelon and fruit plates as much as the next person, but what I try to do is keep that until the end, keeping dessert truly as dessert at the end of my meal, and that's better for your blood sugar levels. Also, if this summer you are traveling with your family, you go out to eat for dinner, ask your family if they want to go for a walk after you're done eating. It doesn't have to be a super long walk, just a short walk. If you are in this practice, then you know that you feel so good after you just like get out, get a couple steps in. But that movement and use of your muscles post meal is helpful in bringing that glucose into your tissues so your tissues can actually use them and it's not just floating around.

Speaker 1:

I already mentioned staying hydrated, avoiding caffeine while traveling to a new time zone at least. But another thing to note while summertime activities oftentimes lend to alcohol consumption, if that's something that you like to dabble in, then I would just recommend or you know at least consider avoiding alcohol during the second half of your cycle, during your luteal phase. During our luteal phase, our body is trying to process out a bunch of our hormones. Trying to process out a bunch of our hormones. I mean specifically our estrogen. And you know, when we are slamming my ties at the pool, our liver is certainly going to prioritize getting that alcohol, those toxins, out of our system over the estrogen metabolites. So if you're somebody who has symptoms like PMS and mood swings or tender breasts, anything like that, at the end of your cycle, during your luteal phase. I would recommend avoiding alcohol really all the time, but especially during your luteal phase, and that should help your symptoms.

Speaker 1:

As one final honorable mention, when you are lathering on the sunscreen this summer, just consider whether your sunscreen is clean or not. You can use an app like Yuka, y-u-k-a or Think Dirty to scan the barcodes of your sunscreen or whatever else it may be, as you are in the store, and it'll give you a scoring to say, hey, this looks good to go. And it'll give you a scoring to say, hey, this looks good to go. Or this has X, y and Z chemicals in it that are known to correlate with A, b or C health conditions. You may want to avoid it. So that's something. If you haven't been using clean kind of sunscreens, then when you need to refill, consider going for something cleaner.

Speaker 1:

I think that's it for today, though. Gang, get out there, go to the beach, play some beach volleyball, have a good time, send me some pictures. I really appreciate you listening to the episode today. I would be so grateful if you would share this episode with a friend or a sister, somebody who you know would benefit from it. Don't forget, if you're interested, to subscribe to the podcast so that these episodes show up regularly in your feed. You can also rate and review the podcast if you like it. Thanks again, and especially for you if you made it all the way to the end here. Enjoy this first bit of your summer and I will see you here again next week.