The large majority of individuals probably don’t need to worry about their hormonal health. If you are struggling with your hormonal health, that is absolutely an indicator to see an endocrinologist - not a trainer, nutritionist, or wellness influencer! What supports our hormonal health most are the basics that support our overall health: exercising sensibly, giving ourselves time to recover, managing stress levels, eating a balanced and high quality diet and not chronically dieting. Hormonal health is incredibly important, so this is not about minimizing that importants; rather, it’s a reminder that the “boring stuff” is often what we overlook when it should be our first priority.

Of the adults who overeat unhealthy foods when stressed, 33% say they do it to distract themselves from the stress. The survey finds that these behaviors are higher in women, who are more likely to report unhealthy eating behaviors as a result of stress. The percentage of those skipping meals due to stress is also higher in women, in teen girls, and in millennials.  When referring to stress here, we’re not just talking about a hard day at work. Stress encompasses feeling lonely or emotional turmoil, and then also work stress, relationship stress or caretaking, etc. There’s nothing wrong with eating foods that are less nourishing sometimes, but it can become problematic -- to our health, to our relationship with food, to our trust around food --  if we consistently use junk food as the way to regulate our emotions.

In the episode of the How to: Fitness podcast, Dr. Alyssa Olenick delves into her research on sex differences and metabolic response to exercise and shares her knowledge on menstrual cycle importance and its impact on training and nutrition. Alyssa also addresses misconceptions about 'cycle syncing' and offers practical advice for fitness and nutrition based on individual needs, urging against a 'one size fits all' approach.