Hormones quietly influence how you feel, sleep, eat, and live. When they’re out of balance, you might feel off, tired, moody, or just not like yourself.
Understanding your hormones is the first step toward feeling better, aging with grace, and giving your body the care it truly needs.
Hormones are natural messengers in your body that help regulate sleep, mood, skin, weight, menstrual cycles, and energy.
After age 40, levels of key hormones like estrogen and progesterone begin to drop, which can lead to changes like hot flashes, sleep troubles, and mood swings.
Understanding hormones is the first step toward supporting your body with care and confidence.
As you move through your 40s and beyond, your hormones begin to shift, and that shift can
affect everything from mood to metabolism. Here are key hormones every woman should get to know:
Of course, your body also works with other hormones like thyroid hormones, insulin, and oxytocin - each playing their own part in your overall balance.
What is Hormone Health?
Common Signs of Hormonal Imbalance
What Causes Hormonal Imbalance?
Hormone health refers to the balance and proper function of the body’s hormones.
When your hormones are in harmony, you tend to sleep well, feel emotionally stable, have steady energy, and maintain a healthy weight.
But when they’re out of balance - due to stress, age, or lifestyle, you might experience fatigue, mood swings, weight changes, or irregular cycles.
Supporting hormone health means caring for your body in a way that helps it stay steady, strong, and in sync.
As hormone levels shift, and your body may start sending signals that something feels “off.”
● Fatigue that lingers, even with enough rest
● Trouble sleeping through the night
● Mood swings or feeling more anxious than usual
● Irregular periods or heavier bleeding
● Hot flashes or unexpected night sweats
If these signs sound familiar, you're not alone, and it may be time to check in with your hormones.
Hormones are sensitive messengers, and even small shifts in your daily habits can throw them off balance without you realizing it.
● Chronic stress – Keeps cortisol high and disrupts other hormones.
● Poor sleep – Makes it harder for your body to restore hormonal rhythms.
● Unbalanced diet – Lacking healthy fats or key nutrients can affect hormone production.
● Inconsistent movement – Too little or too much exercise can stress your system.
● Everyday toxins – Found in plastics, pesticides, and some personal care products.
The body speaks through symptoms, and once we understand the root causes, we can support it with care, not control.
Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause when your hormones, especially estrogen and progesterone begin to fluctuate.
This shift can lead to symptoms like irregular periods, hot flashes, mood swings, sleep issues, or brain fog.
It’s not a disease, it’s a natural stage of life, but it can feel confusing or overwhelming if you don’t know what’s happening.
Perimenopause can last anywhere from a few years to over a decade.
Understanding what your body is going through can help you support it with care, clarity, and confidence.
Menopause marks a clear milestone: it’s when a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a period, signaling that ovulation has stopped and natural fertility has ended.
While perimenopause is the transitional rollercoaster, menopause is the arrival point where hormone levels like estrogen and progesterone have settled into a consistently lower range.
Some symptoms like hot flashes or sleep issues may continue, but hormonally, the body is no longer fluctuating; it's now adjusting to a new, steady phase.
Claire Montgomery, CNHP.
Claire is a women’s wellness expert and a leading voice in integrative health for women over 40. With over a decade of experience in personal health consulting and a deep passion for natural solutions, she takes a holistic approach to empower women on their wellness journey. A fierce advocate for patient-centered care, she is dedicated to helping women worldwide take control of their health and hormones.
She is the best-selling author of "Beyond 40: A Holistic Guide to Health and Happiness." Claire is also a highly sought-after international speaker, clinical educator, and serves as a medical advisor within the tech community. She is considered a leading authority on women's midlife health. She is an active member of the Global Women’s Health Collective and a faculty member for the Institute of Holistic Anti-Aging Medicine. Her work has been featured across numerous wellness publications, where she shares her insights to help women live vibrant lives.
