This is one of those dinners I make when I want something real but don’t have the energy for complicated. The chicken gets golden, then turns sticky and citrusy in the pan while the sauce thickens (aka it smells amazing and everyone suddenly appears in the kitchen). I throw together a simple romaine salad, slice the chicken on top, add everything bagel seasoning, and call it a win. It’s light but filling, gluten-free, and feels like a reset after a long, chaotic day.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)
- 5 ozs Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless)
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
- 1/2 cup Orange Juice
- 1 tbsp Tamari
- 2 tsps Raw Honey
- 1/3 Lemon (medium, juiced)
- 3 leaves Romaine (medium, chopped)
- 1 tbsp Everything Bagel Seasoning
Instructions:
- Heat half of the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Add it to the pan and cook for five minutes until golden brown, flipping halfway through.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, tamari, honey, salt, and pepper. Add the mixture to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook on medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through, flipping halfway.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add the romaine and toss well.
- Transfer the salad to a plate. Slice the chicken and place it on top of the salad. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning and enjoy!
1 serving
For a long time, I thought healing my hormones meant trying harder.
Eating cleaner.
Taking more supplements.
Pushing through workouts.
Powering through exhaustion like it was a personality trait.
And yet… I still felt off. Moody. Bloated. Tired but wired. Like a completely different person depending on the week of the month.
What finally changed everything wasn’t more discipline — it was doing the opposite of what I’d been taught.
Instead of obsessing over perfection, I started focusing on what my body actually responds to.
I calmed my nervous system.
I ate real, balanced meals instead of living on snacks and caffeine.
I swapped intense workouts for walking and strength training.
I supported my gut (yes, including regular bowel movements — because that matters).
I built simple daily rituals that made my body feel safe instead of stressed.
And that’s when things started to shift.
Why Nervous System Support Matters for Hormone Balance
Here’s the part no one explains clearly enough: you cannot balance hormones in a body that’s stuck in survival mode.
Chronic stress directly impacts the HPA axis, which plays a major role in hormone regulation. Research published in the Journal of Endocrinology shows that ongoing stress and HPA-axis dysregulation can interfere with ovulation, lower progesterone levels, and disrupt thyroid function. When stress is high, hormone balance becomes nearly impossible — no matter how “clean” your diet looks.
Further research from Frontiers in Physiology found that calming the nervous system through parasympathetic activation (think breathwork, gentle movement, and regulation practices) improves cortisol rhythms and hormone signaling overall.
In other words: your body needs to feel safe before it can heal.
You Don’t Need a Detox — You Need Stability
Most women aren’t struggling because they’re doing too little. They’re struggling because they’re doing too much — without supporting the foundations first.
Hormone balance isn’t about cutting more foods, pushing harder, or adding another supplement to the cabinet. It’s about:
- Blood sugar stability
- Nervous system regulation
- Gut health support
- Movement that works with your cycle
- Daily rhythms your body can rely on
When those pieces come together, your body stops fighting you.
A Simple Place to Start
If you want to begin supporting your hormones without overwhelm, I recommend starting with cycle syncing. Understanding the four phases of your cycle — and how your energy, metabolism, and needs shift each week — can completely change how you eat, move, and plan your days.
I created a free Cycle Syncing Guide that breaks this down in a simple, practical way so you can start working with your body instead of against it.
Because healing your hormones doesn’t require perfection.
It requires safety, consistency, and a plan your body actually understands.
And that’s where real balance begins.
This recipe is packed with plant-based goodness thanks to organic edamame and organic peanut butter, giving your body the protein it needs to feel satisfied and supported. The purple cabbage and carrots add a boost of antioxidants to help fight everyday stress in the body, while the fiber from brown rice, edamame, and veggies supports digestion and keeps blood sugar more stable. I loved the idea of matchstick carrots here, but honestly - if you can’t find them or just need to use the regular long carrots you already have at home, go for it. Real life cooking always wins.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Brown Rice (dry, rinsed)
- 1/4 cup All Natural Organic Peanut Butter
- 2 tbsps Tamari
- 2 tbsps Water
- 1 tsp Maple Syrup
- 1 1/2 cups Frozen Organic Edamame (thawed)
- 1 1/2 cups Purple Cabbage (shredded)
- 1 cup Matchstick Carrots
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
Instructions:
- Cook the rice according to the package directions. Set aside.
- Whisk together the peanut butter, tamari, water, and maple syrup.
- Divide the cooked rice, edamame, cabbage, and carrots evenly into bowls. Top with the peanut sauce.
- Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!
2 servings
The start of a new year often brings pressure to do more, eat less, and push harder. But when it comes to hormone health, extreme resolutions can backfire.
If you’re starting the year feeling exhausted, moody, bloated, or dependent on caffeine just to function, it’s not a lack of discipline. It’s your hormones responding to stress.
Why “New Year, New You” Can Worsen Hormone Imbalance
After months of holiday stress, disrupted sleep, and blood sugar swings, your nervous system is already taxed. Jumping into restrictive diets or intense workouts raises cortisol, your primary stress hormone.
Elevated cortisol can suppress progesterone, disrupt sleep, impair digestion, and worsen blood sugar instability. That’s why many women feel worse — not better — by mid-January.
A true reset doesn’t mean doing more. It means supporting your body first.
A Hormone-Supportive New Year Reset
1. Stabilize blood sugar before restricting food
Skipping meals or relying on caffeine keeps stress hormones elevated. Prioritize regular meals with protein, fiber, and healthy fats to support insulin sensitivity and steady energy.
2. Reset your circadian rhythm
Consistent sleep and wake times help regulate melatonin and cortisol. Morning sunlight and dim evenings are simple but powerful tools for hormone balance.
3. Choose gentle movement for hormone health
Walking, stretching, and low-intensity strength training reduce cortisol and improve metabolic health without overstressing the body.
4. Support your nervous system daily
Nervous system regulation is foundational for hormone healing. Even five minutes of breathwork, rest, or quiet time signals safety to the body.
5. Track your menstrual cycle
Cycle tracking provides insight into energy, mood, and hormonal patterns. Working with your cycle — not against it — supports long-term hormonal balance.
Your Hormone Health Goal This Year
This year doesn’t need to be about fixing yourself.
It can be about restoring balance, reducing stress, and building sustainable habits that support your hormones long-term. When your body feels safe and supported, energy improves, cravings stabilize, and sleep becomes more restful.
That’s the kind of reset that actually lasts.
This recipe is made with organic peanut butter, which provides healthy fats that support heart health and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. The combination of carbohydrates and fats delivers steady, sustained energy—perfect for a mid-day pick-me-up or a pre-workout snack that won’t leave you crashing later. Plus, the dark chocolate chips add antioxidants that help fight oxidative stress and support overall wellness.
Ingredients:
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 cup All Natural Peanut Butter (runny)
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 3/4 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
Instructions:
- Whisk the egg and brown sugar well in a large bowl until smooth. Add the salt, peanut butter, and baking soda and mix until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the cookie dough mixture to the fridge for ten minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop one tablespoon of dough per cookie and form it into a ball. Place the ball on the baking sheet and flatten it with a fork, leaving some space between cookies. Use another baking sheet or bake in batches if needed.
- Bake in the oven for 10 to 11 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack for another five minutes. Enjoy!
