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I'm Hormonal | Hormone balance, gut health & nutrition insights
Welcome to I’m Hormonal — the podcast where we make sense of your bloating, brutal PMS, and missing periods… without blaming it all on “just stress” or “being a woman.”
Hosted by Bridget Walton, Women’s Hormone Coach, this show is your no-BS guide to decoding your cycle, calming your gut, and actually balancing your hormones (not just crossing your fingers and hoping for the best).
Each week, we break down what no one taught you about hormones, nutrition, and gut health in your 30s — especially if you're tired of guessing what your body is trying to tell you.
Expect solo episodes packed with real talk and root-cause tools, plus the occasional expert guest to help you feel less confused and more in control.
Because you deserve better periods, better digestion, and a better shot at getting pregnant — without burning out trying to figure it all out alone.
I'm Hormonal | Hormone balance, gut health & nutrition insights
It's All Connected: Answers to Your Questions | Ep. 115
Your hormonal symptoms like acne, bloating, PMS, and irregular periods are all interconnected rather than separate issues. Understanding the connections between these symptoms can help you identify underlying imbalances and address multiple concerns at once. In today's episode, Bridget responds to questions and DMs that she got this week.
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Here's the thing that I need you to know about your hormones and digestion, and it's that none of these things, like acne, bloating or PMS, are happening separately. They are all related. In today's episode, I'm going to be talking you through some of the questions that I got this week during my live class and also through the DMs, so you can understand what is the main through line that you should be keeping your eye on. 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? Alrighty team, welcome to today's episode of I'm Hormonal. This is episode number 115, and I'm so excited that you're here with me. Thank you for listening Today. What I want to walk through with you is an extension of conversations that maybe you've heard before here on the podcast about the foundations of health, of wellness, and what are some of these foundations that apply and impact like I mentioned in the intro your bloating, your PMS, your period regularity. They impact your skin, they impact your bowel movement regularity. All of these things and these are this is a topic that I got questions around during the live class that I did this week, so if you missed it, then we are going to walk through that here.
Speaker 1:My hope for you is that this episode gives you at least one little nugget to walk away with of. Okay, how can I in my day-to-day life, in my real life, observe a bit more about what my body is trying to tell me? How can I make sense of these signals that my cycle or my digestion is trying to tell me? If you've listened to the pod before, you know that that's really the mission here. That's what I'm all about is helping to equip you with that information and context. You need to make sense of what the heck is going on and why are you feeling the way that you're feeling? So, with that all out of the way, why don't we just go ahead and dive in?
Speaker 1:Because this first question I had was about blood sugar regulation. If you are newer to learning about blood sugar regulation, then you should know that whatever is going on with your blood sugar, that is going to be impacting your energy levels, your mood. That can impact your hormone balance itself, because if your blood sugar levels are on average, maybe higher, therefore, your body is releasing more insulin as a response to that. That will impact your levels of testosterone. That can impact your stress hormone, cortisol. That can impact your levels of estrogen. So just a quick snapshot. For what can your blood sugar impact, which is like basically everything right. Do a quick goog for it and you will find a list that goes on and on.
Speaker 1:After I said that, I realized I could just go ahead and do that Google search for you. So let me run through a couple of things just to really help paint the picture for how impactful regulating your blood sugar levels, keeping your blood sugar stable, can be on not just your hormones but many other aspects of your health. So stick with me, let me run through this, because balancing your glucose levels can help. Cravings, hunger, fatigue, brain fog, hormonal infertility issues, skin conditions, wrinkles, poor sleep we're not even halfway done. Menopause symptoms, mental health symptoms, your immune system. It can also impact your chance of landing Alzheimer's disease, fatty liver disease, cancer. It also can impact your risk for heart disease and, overall, avoiding spikes will help you to reduce inflammation in your body. Honorable final mention, did I say diabetes, which, of course, maybe that is the one that would be most top of mind for you. That can be really closely connected with what's going on with your blood sugar and your insulin responses. So now that we have that context out of the way, let's come back to the question that I got during the live class, which is what does it look like to understand what your blood sugar is doing? How can I tell, without doing a test, without using a continuous glucose monitor, what's going on with my blood sugar? So let's walk through it. When your blood sugar levels are high so maybe this is after you had a really carb-forward meal, maybe this is after you, you know, just crushed some dessert, whatever that looks like for you Sometimes, when blood sugar levels are high, that can result in a little bit of feelings of anxiousness, increased stress.
Speaker 1:Maybe you feel like you have more energy, right? Because when your blood sugar levels are higher, that can also pull up your stress hormone, cortisol, and cortisol is what's going to bring those feelings of anxiety, of stress to you, however minor or however you know, front of mind, that might look for your specific body. Now, on the other hand, when your blood sugar levels are low, that's when you are more likely to feel really tired and drained, that's when you're likely to feel hangry, when you're likely to feel really cranky, when you have these cravings. That's because, when your blood sugar is low, your body is trying to tell you hey, girl, we need to get a snack over here, because our blood sugar is going down into the danger zone and that's why you crave sugar, that's why you crave these other foods. Is that why you crave those things or feel those ways 100% of the time? No, perhaps not.
Speaker 1:There are certainly other reasons why you might feel like you crave something, or like you're not in a great mood, or like you're anxious. So don't get me wrong on that. But those are a couple of things you can keep an eye out for. To say, huh, you know, after I ate my insert name of tasty sweet, after I ate my French toast or my lemon poppy seed pancakes for breakfast, I was feeling kind of anxious, and then, maybe an hour later, I was feeling so tired. Huh, could that be what's going on with my blood sugar, or insert whatever those meals are, whatever that looks like for you. So just a couple of clues on how you can have a sense for what's going on. My last thought here is that, if you're noticing that your energy levels are really erratic, that is what is most present for most of the clients that I work with, most of the gals, most of the folks that I talk to, is when you are really dragging in the afternoon. Sometimes that's because of what's going on with your blood sugar. So a little food for thought there, all right.
Speaker 1:So the next thing that I want to focus on as it relates to this question, is this question of for whom is blood sugar regulation or stabilizing blood sugars particularly important to focus on? And so there are a couple of groups of folks that come to mind, the first of which would be folks with PCOS. Now, pcos is a very common name, some portion of people who have PCOS. This syndrome can be exacerbated or driven by insulin resistance. What is insulin resistance? Well, if you have dysregulated blood sugar levels for long enough, your cells, they start to respond differently to insulin. They're like, okay, this is, you know, the boy who cried wolf, kind of thing. So then your body starts to need more insulin in order to have that same response of bringing that glucose into your cells. So that's all to say that after, for example, you know, years of dysregulated blood sugar levels, of these spikes and drops, for some people that turns into insulin resistance, and insulin resistance can be a driver for some folks with PCOS polycystic ovary syndrome.
Speaker 1:This is also going to be important, as I alluded to earlier, for those of you who are really struggling with your energy levels. If you're trying to figure out how you can get through the day without caffeine or without as much caffeine, then this could be really helpful for you. Don't worry, I'll talk through a couple of my tips. As far as what really moves the needle, what can you do, starting today or tomorrow, to help stabilize your blood sugar levels? And then, the last thing I want to mention here would be for those of you who have acne and you're trying to figure out what's going on, what's worsening it, then this might also be something that you want to focus on. First, because sometimes acne is exacerbated by stress, by inflammation, and when your blood sugar is on the fritz, that's only going to exacerbate that stress and inflammation in your body Now. With that being said, this is also something that I focus on in my life basically every single day, and this is something that. So what's today? I'm recording this on Thursday morning, yesterday, I had a call with one of the gals who joined the live class on Tuesday and she was like, yeah, I already implemented the changes that you mentioned during the class to my breakfast.
Speaker 1:I had breakfast before I had my coffee. She said that she had a more substantial breakfast, savory breakfast, and she's like, like I already noticed in this one first day, that I have more energy, that I'm feeling better by the afternoon. I think we talked at 3 pm yesterday. So that's just to say that this is something you know. There's no reason why you can't implement this, and I would love to shout this from the rooftops because it's all around going to be helpful for you, going to help you to feel more satiated, longer between meals. It's kind of built around this idea of okay, well, how do we build your meals in a way that support your blood sugar levels? How do you move your body in a way that also benefits these stable levels and, of course, managing your sleep and stress. I'll get more granular on that in just a momentito here.
Speaker 1:When I'm working with clients one-on-one, one of the first things that we will do in most cases is take a look at your food and mood journal. So we'll take a look at three or more days of what are you eating, when are you eating, how are you eating it, in what order are you eating it, and we will use that to start making a couple of clear and specific recommendations for you and that can fit in with your lifestyle, your preference, your workouts schedule, all of those different variables. So, aside from that personalization that you can get within the rooted method, within my one-on-one coaching, here are a couple of things that I want you to consider that can move the needle. One, starting off with a savory breakfast. If you've been here before, you've probably heard me say that I would love for you to shoot for 30 grams of protein If you fall short of 30 grams. Great, you got 25, you got 20.
Speaker 1:Starting off your day with a protein forward, a fat forward breakfast, is going to set your blood sugar levels up for success, as opposed to starting off with frosted flakes. That will shoot your blood sugar up then bring it crashing down. You're going to be hangry, you're going to have a snack. You're going to just repeat this cycle over and over again. That's going to be a great start for you in the day. The next thing that I want you to focus on is really prioritizing your sleep and your quality of sleep, because when you get less sleep, the next day your cortisol levels are going to be higher, which means that your blood sugar will be more erratic. So, by going to bed 30 minutes earlier, or maybe by setting your alarm for the actual time you need to get up, instead of setting it, hoping you'll get up early and snoozing it for an hour, get that quality sleep that will help to support your blood sugar stabilization and that consistent consistency in those levels.
Speaker 1:The third and final thing that I want you to focus on today or tomorrow, as soon as possible, just eliminate or avoid some of those processed sugars that might be sneaking into your diet, and this doesn't have to be a 100% thing. We should all be living our lives. I love to have a sweet treat, go out for a dessert, of course, but as much as you can, eliminating those processed sugars, those added sugars, right, because those are the sources of spikes in your blood sugar much of the time. So that's one recommendation that I would have for you. And then, well, I said that was the last one, but actually I can't help myself During times or on occasions when you do have. You know, what did I have recently? I had this lemon poppy seed cake. It was like a layered cake. It had a carnation on top. Just so beautiful, so tasty.
Speaker 1:Anyway, when you have your next lemon poppy seed cake or whatever you've got going on, what you can do to help prevent a blood sugar spike would be to go for a walk, like, take a lap around the block, just get moving for 10 minutes afterwards, which helps you to absorb that blood sugar into your cells. Before having the dessert, just like have a regular, well-balanced meal, get some fiber in, get some protein, get some fat in, maybe incorporate some apple cider vinegar, and that's going to set you up for success as well. If you feel like I've only just scratched the surface here with this topic, check out some of the other episodes that I've done that are fully about blood sugar stabilization, because they're going to do a better job of deep diving, giving you more examples how to make it specific for your life and, of course, if you ever have any questions on this or anything else, I would love to hear what's on your mind. You can always DM me on Instagram at I'm underscore hormonal. Or if you take a look at the show notes, there'll be a little cute button there that says text us, and you can actually just send me a message directly through there. So just some options for you, gals.
Speaker 1:The second topic that I want to touch on today is about your gallbladder, and if you have a gallbladder, great, I love this for you. But if you are a girlie listening who has had her gallbladder removed, then this is for you, because, while, yes, our bodies can function without a gallbladder, they actually do some like pretty helpful stuff in supporting your digestion. Specifically, your gallbladder is holding on to this bile that's produced originally in your liver, and so your body releases that bile, or your gallbladder releases some of that bile when you eat fatty foods. Now, if you don't have a gallbladder, then it's just a more consistent kind of drip instead of being held until you actually consume this fatty food. So, naturally, if you don't have a gallbladder, if you're not squeezing out those enzymes that your system needs in order to properly break down the fats in your food, then that can result in loose stools or other interruptions in your normal digestive process. So this is just a real shorty tip, but I think an important one, because this is a question I got from someone in my DMs and so I would just encourage you if you don't have a gallbladder these days, then just check out bile salts. Learn about bile salts, because those are going to be helping to replace those enzymes that you are missing by not having a gallbladder and that should help to make things a little bit smoother for you when it comes to overall digestion ability to absorb the nutrients that are in your food and help you to feel a little bit better. So, bile salts, check it out.
Speaker 1:The next thing I want to touch on with you, or share with you really, because this actually wasn't a question that I got in my DMs, but a comment that I got from somebody and I thought, yes, she's got it. I want to share it with the rest of the gang. But this gal was sharing with me that she just has a lot going on with her body right now and she says I'm starting to make. Well, can I read she says I'm starting to realize that it's all connected. And she says that she has bloating, acne, weight gain, low energy. She says is this just a part of getting older? Maybe, but what can I do to help myself feel more comfortable? I need to adapt to my new body, apparently, and this really made me feel like damn. This is what I said a couple of years ago when I was like, oh man, everything is connected. And what I was saying at the top of the episode too everything is connected. And is it just a part of getting older? This is something I love to talk about.
Speaker 1:Think about challenge, because oftentimes we say, hey, this is just a part of getting older. But is it that you're getting older or is it that you, your body, has gone through years and years of blood sugar spikes and drops and so your cells just aren't as resilient to it anymore? Because if that's the case, that's different than just getting older. Right, you can work on those things, you can make changes to feel better in those areas, with regards to your fatigue, to your energy levels. So, while I don't mean to sound like supporting your blood sugar is going to solve everything in your life, no, there are other factors to consider, for sure, but it is one of the through lines that I think can be so impactful, be so empowering, give you quick wins to keep you motivated, keep you going on your journey. And also, yes, it has a big impact on your ovulation, on your stress levels, like quantifiably it impacts those things. So that was just my thought there Before we move on to this last question for the day.
Speaker 1:This is a question that I got during a strategy call after the class, and it's about PMS and mood swings. What causes these? And I know that a lot of gals out there, myself included, we all experience these mood wings. Mood wings what is going on today? We all experience mood swings from time to time, but how can we manage them? What is my body trying to tell me when this is happening? So, blood sugar aside, the impacts of your blood sugar and your mood aside, a lot of the times when we're looking at PMS, we're looking at these things like mood swings, bloating breast tenderness, all of that that comes in those seven to maybe 10 days before your period. A lot of those things happen because, or when estrogen levels are elevated. And when we say that, when I say that, I mean estrogen levels being relatively high in comparison to your progesterone levels. That's when there's a little bit of something that we can work on. Now, what causes estrogen levels to be elevated? That could be a couple of things.
Speaker 1:This is not an exhaustive list, but here are some things for you to consider, questions to ask yourself if you notice that you are a PMS kind of gal. So first could be about poor elimination of the hormones. So are you having daily bowel movements? Are you supporting your liver's health and function by eating cruciferous veggies, by eating, maybe, organic produce, by avoiding extra chemicals or toxins, maybe through alcohol or through other chemicals that you use like cleaning products in your home? Are you putting a lot of fragrance or products on your skin that have endocrine disrupting chemicals in them? Because all of those things are either adding to the load that your liver needs to work on or, in the example of a lack of daily bowel movements, you're not giving your body the chance to eliminate those estrogen metabolites and they just get recirculated back into your system, as that stool, you know, hangs out in your body. So not my favorite way that I said that, but you guys know what I mean, right? So that's kind of part one of this. Is it a poor elimination due to any one of those circumstances that I just mentioned?
Speaker 1:Now, on the other side of this coin, or another option to consider is are estrogen levels elevated because I'm not ovulating? So the first example, or that first set of examples we were talking about estrogen being high, and this one, if you're not ovulating is more about progesterone levels being low. So when it's all about these two hormones being in relation to each other, balanced with each other, okay, well, how would you know if you're not ovulating? So the way that you would check this, the way that you could check this maybe most easily, would be through taking your basal body temperature. I talked about this a bit on last week's episode with Nat from the Fertility Awareness Project, because after you ovulate, your temperature will go up by a part of a degree for the rest of the cycle until your period starts again. So that's one good way to confirm ovulation.
Speaker 1:You can also, for another example, maybe try taking ovulation tests using ovulation test strips to at least see if your body is signaling through those hormonal changes that the strips measure. Like hey girl, yes, looks like we're in good shape to ovulate. It doesn't confirm that you did ovulate. It's just a predictor kit to say, okay, well, at least hormones are in the right shape to well, ideally ovulate. If you're not ovulating, then that would be a great place to start focusing on to understand why aren't you.
Speaker 1:That is something that might require an extra level of detail and personalization, because could it be related to how well or how much you're nourishing your body? Could there be an imbalance of another hormone, like maybe a prolactin or your thyroid hormone, that's preventing you from ovulating? Could it be related to stress? I know for me and for many gals out there, if I'm going through a stressful time or in the past when I've been traveling and just really on the go for that week of my ovulation, sometimes my ovulation will be delayed or maybe I didn't ovulate at all that cycle. So there are more variables to consider there than what we can get into in this conversation. But just the main takeaway for you there is okay. If I'm having these mood swings, if I'm having this PMS, is it on the one hand because of poor elimination or, on the other hand, maybe a lack of ovulation? Start investigating one of those two routes.
Speaker 1:We are getting ready to wrap up this episode, but I wanted to close it out by sharing with you a couple of recommendations here to start out with. Sharing with you a couple of recommendations here to start out with. Of course, without knowing the root cause, what is causing your PMS or mood swings? These are just a couple of starting places, but here we go. So start by upping your cruciferous veggie intake. Those are supportive of your liver. You could also try a liver detox tea or another supplement that will provide some of those nutrients or botanicals that support your liver function. Third, you could do an audit of any self-care products that you use on your skin that have scents, any other fragrances like candles or plugins or I don't know anything else that you can smell, because do some of those things have chemicals in them that are going to be bogging down your liver? So a couple of places to start.
Speaker 1:Would love to hear what your thoughts are on this episode and if you have any more questions once you're done listening. But that's it for today. Thanks for sticking through it with me. I know I did the episodes flip-flop this week, where this is your longer form episode on the Thursday and we had the shorty on Tuesday, but next week I will be back to my normal schedule, normal pattern of things, and I can't wait to see you then. Alrighty gang, have a good weekend.
Speaker 1:If you loved today's episode and got something good out of it, make sure you subscribe so that these episodes show up automatically in your feed. No work needed on your side, let's put it on autopilot. As always, I need to give you my reminder that the information I share with you here is for educational purposes only, and it should not be used as a replacement for medical advice or diagnosis. Now, if you are, on the other hand, in the market for some one-on-one support, then I would love for you to take me up on my offer for a free strategy call. You can find these links and more in the show notes. All right, we'll see you on the next one.