In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, I talked about why your hormones are the key to looking and feeling great after 40 and introduced your Feisty 4 hormones that are pretty much in control of how you look, feel, think and behave.

In this part, I'm covering the 4 big hormone disruptors that we face daily but may not be aware of their influence;

1. Diet

Hormones need a steady stream of nutrients for them to work efficiently. But many of us are eating the wrong foods and not supplying our hormones with the building blocks they need to work properly

Too many refined carbohydrates, sugar, processed foods, bad fats, alcohol, can be a huge stress on your body, increasing cortisol (your stress hormone), disrupting your blood sugar balance, stimulating inflammation and increasing insulin, contributing to weight gain (especially round the middle!), mood swings, fatigue, brain fog and hormone havoc.

The great news is that it a few easy tweaks to your diet can make a huge difference to your hormones (more about that in Part 4!).

2. Stress

Cortisol is released when you are stressed, and too much of it can really mess with your weight (increasing belly fat!), mood, brain function, energy levels, digestion and monthly cycle. Too much cortisol also uses up many of your nutrient stores. It rapidly depletes B vitamins and Vitamin C, as well as magnesium, all nutrients required for good hormone function and energy production. Which is why stress can be so exhausting!

Lack of sleep also increases cortisol. Which is ironically a cause of poor sleep - a vicious cycle!

3. Environment

Our lives today are much more toxic than ever before - in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the products we use. Toxins cause untold damage. They increase inflammation in the body – and when this happens, hormones have a hard time getting in and out of damaged cells. Toxins can also mimic your own oestrogen, upsetting your natural hormone balance.

The good news is that you can reduce this toxic burden so that your hormones can do their thing without interruption!

4. Lifestyle

Exercise is a no-brainer for hormone health – without activity, your muscles waste away, your fat stores go up, your circulation stagnates and you are at much higher risk of serious disease.

But it’s the quality and amount that’s really important. Too little or too much can be a stress on the body and wipe out some of the benefits. You need to find that sweet spot of ‘just right’ to make your hormones happy.

In Part 4, I'll be talking solutions! I'll be sharing my simple 4 step nutrition and lifestyle solution designed to get your hormones working for you, not against you.

Because when your Feisty 4 are nicely balanced, you will feel great. You will be at your Ideal weight, full of energy, with balanced moods, a clear head and be able to handle stress with ease. Sound impossible? It's not I promise! See you in Part 4.