In my thirties, I prided myself on staying fit and healthy. I regularly followed the Body Coach’s 90-day plan, I was a devoted fan of HIIT and strength workouts, and I believed in a balanced approach to nutrition. My approach to health and fitness seemed to work well for me – and helped carry me through life’s challenges, including the physically and emotionally demanding IVF process I went through in 2017 and the birth of my first son in 2018.
But, then came lockdown, and things started to change. My husband and I decided to embark on another round of IVF to try and have a second child. I thought I was ready: I was feeling in great shape, I was staying active despite being cooped up at home and we already had frozen embryos from the first round of IVF. It felt like, this time, the process would be slightly simpler. I just needed to start taking medication to prepare my body for the embryo implantation.
Yet, our attempt for a second child proved to be less straightforward. The summer of 2020 brought hope, heartbreak and perseverance as our first two attempts ended in loss. Thankfully, after a third try, I became pregnant in the winter of 2020 and gave birth to a very healthy 9-pound-11 baby boy in August 2021.
What followed, though, was a struggle I hadn’t anticipated. The rounds of IVF, plus pregnancy, had, unsurprisingly, put my body under a lot of strain and I was the heaviest I’d ever been. Not only did my body look very different, but after months of breastfeeding and sleepless nights, I hadn’t recovered anywhere near as well as I did after my first pregnancy.
I tried hard to regain my strength: I started exercising after getting my six-week postnatal check by a midwife and hit it hard with HIIT workouts and weighted exercises. But I ended up spraining my ankle quite badly. A physio told me that to avoid further injury, I needed to get used to the capabilities of my post-pregnancy body and go a little steadier than before. I felt incredibly frustrated.
Two years later, despite my best efforts, I still wasn’t feeling a hundred per cent. I was wrestling with exhaustion, napping every afternoon, struggling to keep up in spin class, suffering from low mood and headaches, and holding on to extra weight. My hormones were all over the place. I didn’t recognise my own body.
This is how I began to rebuild – not just my fitness, but my relationship with my body, my health, and myself.
What does ‘hormone imbalance’ mean?
Simply put a ‘hormone imbalance’ is when you have either too much or too little of a hormone. Our bodies are designed to maintain a balance of hormones, but sometimes, even a small imbalance can cause issues. Our hormone balance is influenced by the food we eat, the exercise we get (or don’t get), the quality of our sleep and our stress levels. Any of these factors can throw your hormones out of balance.
How I balanced my hormones…
1. I sought the advice of a nutritionist
I decided that if the old ways weren’t working, I needed to try something different and make some pretty significant changes.
My first port of call was contacting a local nutritionist, Sandrine Olmi. After filling out a detailed food diary and discussing my lifestyle, Sandrine quickly zeroed in on what might be going on beneath the surface.
Based on my symptoms, Sandrine suspected that my hormones were out of balance – my oestrogen levels were too high (this means high oestrogen compared to progesterone) and my magnesium levels were too low. These initial suspicions were later confirmed through a Dutchie test – which measures hormone levels and metabolites via a series of urine samples.
Sandrine explained that my hormone levels were likely to be affected by the IVF treatment – something she says isn’t often talked about. ‘The hormones used in IVF are similar to those used in oral contraceptives, but in higher doses,’ she said. ‘This can impair glucose and fat metabolism, and promote insulin resistance and inflammation.’ The body also uses up its reserve of magnesium when under a lot of stress, and oestrogen stimulates the utilisation of magnesium. It was no wonder that I was feeling so out of sync.
As such, Sandrine advised that my main nutrition goal should be to help my body release any excess oestrogen and replenish my body with vital nutrients to boost energy, metabolism and mood. Although my diet was already quite good, Sandrine gave me recipes and tips to add hormone-supporting and energy-balancing foods to my diet such as legumes, protein, and healthy fats. The key, she said, was balance.
2. I started taking supplements
Aside from my diet, Sandrine advised that to address the oestrogen dominance in my body, I should focus on lifestyle changes such as reducing stress and adding gentle exercise. She also suggested adding high-quality magnesium and oestrogen-balancing supplements. The supplements started to make me feel better quite quickly and I was curious to understand the role they were playing.
‘Research does show that magnesium deficiency is associated with hormone-related conditions,’ Sandrine explains. ‘This relaxing mineral acts as a cofactor for more than 300 enzymes, regulating a number of fundamental functions in the body including hormone balance (clearance of oestrogen from the liver), energy production and glucose metabolism.
‘Oestrogen is detoxified in three steps through the liver, before it can finally undergo excretion. It requires adequate levels of magnesium for this step to happen,’ Sandrine continues.
‘So I recommended scientifically-backed supplements with high-quality ingredients known to support the liver and hormone balance.
‘These included ingredients such as non-soy phyto-oestrogens from kudzu and flaxseed to support healthy oestrogen levels, as well as a range of specifically selected vitamins, minerals and antioxidants including vitamin B6, magnesium glycinate, broccoli extract and curcumin, to support the metabolic processes in the liver.’
3. I started eating more protein and whole foods
With Sandrine’s advice in mind, I put greater focus on prioritising whole foods to help balance my hormones and boost my metabolism. I started snacking on more savoury foods such as boiled eggs, avocados and tomatoes to help avoid that late-afternoon crash. Adding more legumes to my diet also left me feeling fuller for longer – something I had struggled with before.
Jess Shand, qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist and Wellness Coach and author of The Hormone Balance Handbook, agrees that committing to eating a predominantly whole food balanced diet and using each meal time as an opportunity to nourish our bodies with the nutrition our hormones need to thrive, is integral to rebalancing hormones.
‘To do this, we should be paying close attention to ensuring we are eating enough real high-fibre phytochemical-rich whole foods and plant varieties and ensuring we are making a quarter of our plate a complete protein source (if eating animal-based protein) and a third of the plate mixed plant protein sources to help us meet our protein requirements,’ Jess explains.
‘Protein is essential for hormone balance. Without adequate protein you cannot keep your hormones in check or give your body what it needs to be healthy,’ she continues. ‘Never underestimate the importance of protein on your plate if you want to balance your hormones – and keep them balanced.’
This, she says, is because protein is made of amino acids, the building blocks for female hormones that maintain reproductive health and regulate our cycles, mood, and neurotransmitters for mental health and fertility. ‘Protein also keeps your blood sugar levels steady, which means you will feel more balanced physically and mentally.’
To maintain overall hormone balance you should aim to reduce or eliminate your alcohol intake
4. I ditched alcohol and started eating six times a day
As I began to focus on protein, whole foods, and supplements, I did start to feel better, but I struggled to stick to a consistent routine. I was also still indulging in a glass or two of red wine several times a week – something that Sandrine had told me would impact the rebalance of my hormonal health. I needed a goal.
A friend recommended Six Pack Revolution, a fitness and nutrition program renowned for helping people with health challenges like hormone imbalances, diabetes, and thyroid issues. Drawn to its focus on high-protein, whole-food eating, I decided to give it a try.
What surprised me the most upon signing up, was that I was to be eating six times a day —three whole-food meals and three snacks — with minimal caffeine and no alcohol. Exercise was limited to three workouts a week and five-minute ab challenges every other day. Surprisingly, it involved more food and less exercise than I was doing, but I was eager to see the results.
Scott Harrison, founder of Six Pack Revolution explains the science behind the method. ‘Eating six times a day helps maintain steady energy levels throughout the day and prevents blood sugar spikes and crashes,’ explains Scott.
‘It’s really important what is on the plate – making sure there is a balance of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats, from both animal and plant-based sources. This will ensure the body gets essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and botanicals for muscle repair, hormonal balance, and overall health. Regular eating also supports metabolism,’ he continues.
‘We include chickpeas, beans and lentils along with a huge variety of other protein sources,’ Scott says. ‘These are packed with fibre, complex carbohydrates and iron too. Variety is key as different foods give us different nutrition and these types of legumes also provide a good alternative to meat along with tofu, tempeh, Quorn and seitan.’
Within weeks, I saw real changes. What surprised me the most was that with just three short workouts a week including battle ropes, weights and cardio, I was finally starting to feel like myself again. I was losing weight and feeling more energised, and my mood was improving. As Scott explains, when you pay close attention to your nutrition, you really can start to make big differences in your health without overtraining in the gym.
‘We don’t need to train for hours to achieve amazing results. 90% of results are reliant on nutrition,’ Scott says.
Writer Cat Hufton embracing balance in the gym with smarter, slower workouts
5. I added yoga to my fitness routine
A year after beginning this journey and having just turned 40, I feel happier than ever.
I’ve now completed three of the Six Pack Revolution programmes and maintain my results by following the plan five days a week while enjoying two days off. This means I can enjoy a night out with friends, eat whatever I’m craving and relax while knowing I’m still giving my body all of the nutritional goodness it needs to keep me feeling good. I’ve shifted my mindset to focus on what I can add to my meals to make them more balanced and nutrient-rich, rather than what I need to cut out.
I’ve also embraced slower, restorative forms of exercise like hot yoga — something, to my shame, I used to dismiss as ‘a waste’ because it didn’t burn enough calories. But my mindset is different now. It feels good to nourish my body in an emotional and physical way, helping to heal some of the tension caused by carrying and birthing two babies.
For the first time, I finally feel like I understand what my body needs and it is repaying me in ways I thought were no longer possible. I never thought my forties would be my fittest, but it turns out that’s exactly what they are.
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