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
If you’re dragging by mid-morning, snapping by mid-afternoon, and wondering why your energy feels nonexistent even though you’re “eating healthy,” I want you to hear this clearly:
You’re not lazy.
You’re not broken.
And you definitely don’t need more willpower.
Most women I work with are underfed, overloaded, and running on fumes—trying to do it all with a smile and a metabolism that’s honestly confused as hell.
Let’s zoom out for a second and talk about what’s actually happening in your body.
Why You’re Exhausted After Breakfast (Even When You’re Eating “Healthy”)
A granola bar and iced coffee might feel like breakfast… but to your body, it often registers as stress.
Here’s why.
Blood Sugar Swings Trigger Cortisol
When you eat a low-protein, low-fiber breakfast (or skip breakfast altogether), your blood sugar spikes and crashes quickly. Your body responds by releasing cortisol, your primary stress hormone.
Research shows that:
- Irregular blood sugar patterns increase cortisol production and worsen hormonal imbalances, especially in women
- Cortisol dysregulation is linked to fatigue, mood swings, poor sleep, and increased cravings—particularly during the luteal phase of your cycle
So when that “healthy” breakfast leaves you shaky, tired, or ravenous an hour later, your body isn’t failing you. It’s protecting you.
What High Cortisol Actually Feels Like Day to Day
When blood sugar crashes and cortisol rises, it can look like:
⚠️ Sudden energy dips
⚠️ Intense cravings (especially for sugar or carbs)
⚠️ Brain fog and poor focus
⚠️ Irritability and mood swings
⚠️ Feeling wired but exhausted
⚠️ Disrupted sleep
⚠️ A cycle that feels unpredictable or harder than usual
And then - because we’ve been taught to - we blame ourselves.
“Maybe I just need more discipline.”
“Maybe I should eat less.”
“Maybe my body just doesn’t work right.”
But the truth is simpler (and kinder).
You probably just need breakfast.
And protein.
And fiber.
And honestly? Maybe a good cry too.
The Real Fix for Steady Energy (Without Another Rigid Food Plan)
This is the part most women are shocked by:
The solution isn’t cutting more food.
It isn’t tracking every bite.
And it definitely isn’t adding 47 new food rules to an already full mental load.
The fix is learning how to feed your body like it actually matters.
Because it does.
Start Here (Keep It Simple)
You don’t need to overhaul your entire diet today. Just do this:
✅ Add protein to your next meal
✅ Add fiber (fruit, veggies, seeds, or whole foods)
✅ Eat within a reasonable window after waking
✅ Notice how your energy shifts
That’s it. Let that be enough for today.
This one change alone can:
- Stabilize blood sugar
- Reduce cortisol output
- Improve focus and mood
- Support hormone balance
- Help you feel like yourself again
If You’ve Been Googling These Questions… Read This
- If you’ve ever searched:
- “Why am I always tired after breakfast?”
- “How to balance hormones with food”
- “What to eat for steady energy”
- “Why am I exhausted even though I eat healthy?”
Please know this: you’re not imagining it, and you’re not failing.
Your body is responding exactly how it was designed to respond when it’s underfed, overstimulated, and asked to keep pushing anyway.
This isn’t a willpower issue.
It’s a nourishment issue.
And the most powerful place to start doesn’t require perfection, restriction, or a total overhaul.
Start with one meal.
Add protein.
Add fiber.
Eat earlier than you think you “need” to.
Then notice how your energy shifts, how your focus steadies, how your mood softens just a bit.
That matters. And so do you.
You don’t need to do everything today.
You just need to give your body what it’s been quietly asking for.
One steady step at a time.
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.
