Okay, coffee lovers, nobody panic. I am not here to take away your morning coffee. 😂 Because hello it's something I really enjoy too!
But one question that comes up a lot is whether coffee is “bad for your hormones,” and my answer is: coffee itself usually isn’t the whole story. How you’re drinking it matters (and eventually I'll get into how much the type of coffee you're drinking matter too, but one thing at a time)
If your morning looks like waking up already stressed, grabbing coffee on an empty stomach, running out the door, and then realizing at 11:30 that you haven’t actually eaten anything that’s where I want us to pay attention.
Caffeine can temporarily increase cortisol, one of the hormones involved in your stress response. That isn’t automatically a bad thing as cortisol naturally rises in the morning, and we actually need it to. The goal isn’t to avoid cortisol; it’s to support your body’s natural rhythm rather than constantly piling extra stimulation on top of it. If you’re waking up, immediately drinking coffee on an empty stomach, rushing out the door, and already feeling stressed, you may be adding another stress signal when your body is naturally experiencing its morning rise in cortisol.
But caffeine can also make some people feel more jittery, anxious, wired, or uncomfortable, especially when they haven't eaten.
Then there’s the bigger issue: coffee isn't breakfast.
If coffee is replacing food for hours, you’re missing an opportunity to give your body protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and actual energy. By afternoon, that can look like low energy, feeling ravenous, stronger cravings, irritability, or reaching for another coffee just to keep yourself going.
And suddenly we're blaming our “hormones” when our body may also be saying, Hi, could you please feed me? 😂
Instead of immediately giving up coffee, look at the routine around it:
✔️ Eat a real breakfast, or at least something with protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, and healthy fat.
✔️ Hydrate in the morning instead of making coffee your first and only fluid.
✔️ Pay attention to how caffeine makes you feel: energized and focused? Or anxious, shaky, nauseous, and wired?
✔️ Notice how much you're drinking and how late in the day you're having it. Caffeine too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep and sleep absolutely matters for metabolic and hormonal health.
You don't need to fear coffee or create another arbitrary wellness rule that says you can never drink it before exactly 9:37 a.m.
But if your current breakfast is coffee + stress + running out the door, that's a morning routine worth looking at.
Sometimes supporting your hormones isn't about removing another food or drink.
Sometimes it's about making sure you're actually nourishing your body first.
Crispy Tofu, Lentil & Quinoa Bowls with Tahini Dressing
A nourishing, plant-based bowl with crispy tofu, hearty lentils, fluffy quinoa, fresh vegetables, and a creamy lemon-tahini dressing. You know how much I love tahini - so this is beautiful and delicious!
This bowl is packed with plant-based protein, fiber, healthy fats, and slow-digesting carbohydrates which are all things that can help support steadier blood sugar and energy throughout the day. The tofu, lentils, and quinoa provide protein and minerals, while spinach and tomatoes add antioxidants and micronutrients. Tahini brings in healthy fats plus minerals like magnesium and calcium, making this a really balanced, nourishing meal that supports both hormone health and overall energy. 🌿
Serves 2
Ingredients:
* 10 oz extra-firm organic tofu, pressed and cubed
* Avocado oil spray (you can edit this with avocado oil, coconut oil or even olive oil (just watch the heat point)
* 2 tsp tamari (bonus for organic)
* 1 tbsp cornstarch (also bonus for organic)
* 1/4 cup dry green lentils, rinsed
* Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
* 1/3 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
* 2 cups baby spinach (definitely organic)
* 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
For the tahini dressing:
* 2 tsp tahini (SUPER bonus for buying this raw organic)
* 1 tbsp water
* 1/2 tsp lemon juice
* Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (won't lie, I buy the non-bleached, hoping this makes a difference in this crazy world we live in).
Add the tofu cubes to a bowl and gently toss with the tamari and a light spray of avocado oil. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and toss again until the tofu is evenly coated.
Arrange the tofu in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Meanwhile, cook the lentils according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain and rinse them under cold water, then season with sea salt and black pepper.
Cook the quinoa according to the package directions. Once it has finished cooking, add the baby spinach, cover, and let it sit for 2-3 minutes, just until the spinach has wilted. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
To make the dressing, whisk together the tahini, water, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper (i've done this with my fork if I can't manage to find my wisk)
Divide the quinoa and spinach between two bowls. Top with the lentils, crispy tofu, and cherry tomatoes, then drizzle with the tahini dressing.
Enjoy!
Per serving: approximately 1 1/4 cups tofu, 1/2 cup quinoa, 1/4 cup lentils, 1/3 cup spinach, 1/2 cup tomatoes, and 1 tablespoon tahini dressing.
Let’s talk about that little bottle of Progessence Plus.
Because if you’ve been around the wellness world for more than five minutes, you’ve probably heard:
“It has wild yam, and wild yam helps your body make progesterone.”
Wellllll, not exactly.
And this is where it gets interesting.
First: wild yam is NOT literally progesterone.
Wild yam contains a plant compound called diosgenin. And yes, diosgenin can be used to make progesterone.
BUT that conversion typically happens in a lab.
Your body does not appear to have its own tiny pharmaceutical factory saying, “Oh! Wild yam! Let me whip up some progesterone real quick.” (usually)
Research using wild yam cream by itself has not shown a meaningful increase in women’s progesterone levels.
But Progessence Plus is different.
Look at the ingredient list and you’ll see:
USP-grade progesterone (from wild yam extract)
Read that again.
It doesn't just contain wild yam and hope your body figures out what to do with it.
It contains actual progesterone.
The wild yam is used as a starting material to manufacture the progesterone. By the time it’s in that little bottle, your body isn't being asked to turn wild yam into progesterone.
That job has already been done.
So can progesterone be absorbed through your skin?
Researchers have studied topical progesterone, and there is evidence that progesterone can be absorbed through the skin.
But because hormones apparently LOVE making everything complicated, measuring that absorption isn't always straightforward. Blood, saliva and capillary measurements don't necessarily tell exactly the same story.
Translation?
Hormones are complicated little divas that we love so much!
And that's also why I'm not going to tell you that X number of drops will raise your progesterone by X amount. We don't have evidence that allows me to make that promise (however I will say that over the years of being around essential oils and using this one myself, women have mentioned that they have seen their usage of this raise their progesterone to levels that help your body run optimally)
Now THIS is where Hormone Harmony comes in.
I don't want you blindly throwing things at your hormones because somebody on Instagram told you progesterone was the answer to every problem you've had since 2007 (but maybe it is?🤣)
But let’s go back, your body gives you clues.
Your cycle. Your sleep. Your energy. Your cravings. Your mood. Your stress. Your digestion.
Clues and more clues.
Progesterone can be an important part of the hormone conversation but it isn't the *entire* hormone conversation.
And Progessence Plus isn't magical wild yam juice that somehow convinces your ovaries to start pumping out progesterone.
It contains USP-grade progesterone manufactured using wild yam as its source material.
That distinction matters.
Because Hormone Harmony isn't about hormone perfection or another 47-step wellness routine (but wouldn’t it be kind of fun if we had time for that?!).
It's about becoming a woman who understands her body a little better than she did yesterday.
Come join us in Hormone Harmony!
You’ve probably heard both sides of the breakfast debate.
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!”
Then five minutes later, someone on Instagram is telling you to skip breakfast and fast until noon. 😅
So, **do you actually need to eat breakfast?**
The answer isn’t as simple as yes or no.
You don’t have to eat breakfast the second you wake up just because it’s morning. But for many women, especially those struggling with **low energy, blood sugar crashes, intense cravings, stress, or hormone symptoms**, eating a balanced breakfast can be a really supportive habit.
How Breakfast Can Support Blood Sugar and Hormone Health
What you eat in the morning can help set the tone for how you feel throughout the rest of your day.
A balanced breakfast that includes **protein, healthy fats, fiber, and carbohydrates** can help you feel satisfied and provide more consistent energy. Instead of grabbing a coffee, running out the door, and suddenly realizing at 11 a.m. that you’re STARVING, you’re giving your body actual fuel to work with.
Try building breakfast around foods like:
* Eggs with avocado and whole grain toast
* Greek yogurt with berries, chia seeds, and granola
* Oatmeal with nut butter, berries, and seeds
* A breakfast hash with eggs, sweet potatoes, and veggies
It doesn’t have to be fancy. And it definitely doesn’t have to be another wellness routine that makes your mornings harder.
What If You’re Not Hungry in the Morning?
If you wake up with absolutely no appetite, you don’t need to force yourself to eat at 7 a.m.
But it’s worth paying attention to your patterns.
Consistently having no appetite in the morning may be something to consider alongside your **stress levels, sleep quality, meal timing, and overall nutrition**. Instead of following a blanket rule that says everyone should eat breakfast—or everyone should fast—start noticing what actually helps *you* feel your best.
So, Should Women Eat Breakfast?
There’s no perfect breakfast time that works for every woman.
But if you’re regularly experiencing **afternoon energy crashes, sugar cravings, constant hunger, or relying on coffee to get through your morning**, experimenting with a balanced breakfast may be a simple place to start.
Your body gets a vote. 💛
Want more simple ways to support your hormones throughout the month? Grab my free Cycle Syncing Guide to learn how to nourish and support your body during each phase of your menstrual cycle.
I LOVE using rice paper - truly I don't do it enough for all the fun things you an make with it. You an even make a very tasty vegan bacon with it too!
The key here is that the salmon is an Omega-3 powerhouse plus protein! Which for better or worse these days (think protein craze going on) we do need it in our lives (think building muscle and such). This recipe also has some yummy veggies snuck in there and you can edit these however you desire!
Ingredients:
- 6 Rice Paper Wraps
- 10 ozs Canned Wild Salmon (drained and broken into large chunks)
- 1/2 Cucumber (large, julienned)
- 2 Carrot (medium, julienned)
- 2 stalks Green Onion (cut in big pieces)
- 1/4 cup Tamari
- 1 tsp Honey
Directions:
- Soften a sheet of rice paper by submerging it in a shallow dish of water for five seconds. Transfer to a plate. Arrange the salmon, cucumber, carrot, and green onion on top.
- Fold the bottom of the rice paper over the filling, then fold in the sides. Roll tightly until completely wrapped. Transfer to a plate, and repeat until all ingredients are used.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari and honey. Enjoy!
2 servings
