If you're a menstruating woman, you've likely noticed how your monthly cycle can affect everything from your energy levels and food cravings to your mood and sleep patterns. But did you know your cycle may also influence your cardiac autonomic nervous system?

A new study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, sheds light on the complex relationship between menstrual cycle phases and indicators of autonomic function like heart rate variability (HRV). The researchers tracked 15 female college students throughout their menstrual cycles.

What They Found During the luteal phase (after ovulation), the participants exhibited higher sympathetic nervous system activation compared to the follicular phase, as measured by an increased low-frequency to high-frequency HRV ratio.

However, this shift was mitigated when the researchers controlled for other menstrual cycle-related factors like:

• Diet: Protein and fat intake was higher in the luteal phase
• Sleep: Total sle
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It's no secret that hormones play a critical role in our overall health and well-being. However, many people are unaware of the direct correlation between sleep patterns and quality of sleep to hormone imbalances. Over the years, research has shown that there is an intimate connection between the gut-brain axis and hormonal balance. When the gut microbiome (collection of bacteria, viruses, and small organisms that live in the gut) becomes out of balance and populated with more hurtful than harmful microbes, it can cause disruption throughout the entire body.

Our hormones are one of the many facets to our wellbeing that become incredibly imbalanced with an imbalanced gut. While it may seem that the best place to start is looking at the microbes and gut function, we have actually determined that addressing sleep quality is the most important place to start when trying to resolve gut and hormone imbalances. Science reveals that after just one night of poor sleep, we experience a mi...

Toxins are a major threat to our hormone health, as they can act as endocrine disruptors in the body and interfere with the normal functioning of our hormones. These harmful substances can be found in many different places, including processed foods that are high in sugar, chemicals in the environment, and even certain personal care products. There are so many toxins we have the potential for being exposed to daily which are entirely out of our control. The air we breathe often has some level of pollution, each time we fill up our gas tank, we may work in a building that is cleaned with toxic chemicals, filled with toxic paint, or even has (hopefully mild) mold growth depending on the climate of your environment. Though we are exposed to toxins often, there are many things we can do, especially when it comes to protecting the balance and production of our hormones.

Some common signs of toxic buildup in the body include fatigue, hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain or loss, headach...