If you’ve talked to me sometime in the past six months, you know that my #1 goal right now is to balance my hormones (I’ve spent 15 years of my life at war with my energy levels, period symptoms, and anxiety, so it’s about time I figure out my shit, ya know). A major part of this is working on healing my gut (crucial for healthy hormones), but on a smaller scale, I’m sticking to a daily routine (as much as possible) to help keep my blood sugar and insulin levels balanced, my stress levels down (so my hormones are not in constant fight-or-flight mode), and adapting my diet so my hormones can function as they are meant to. The daily routine below is adapted from the amazing FloLiving protocol by Alisa Vitti, with a few of my own details from trial and error mixed in.

AM

Let light (natural light or a sunrise alarm clock) wake you up instead of sound (or a gentle sound that gradually gets louder–try the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock App)
drink a whole glass of water first thing upon waking
Meditation and deep breathing to help regulate the nervous system
Eat a protein-rich breakfast within 90 minutes of waking (for me, this is around 8am)
drink caffeine only after eating or opt for decaf for best results
Work out (if possible)–20 minutes of weight-lifting or cardio is enough (and i skip this if i’m feeling drained or am on my period–it would only do me damage if i forced my body to “push through”), and i don’t work out on an empty stomach anymore. Even if i don’t feel like eating yet, i’ll have a green juice or fruit for glucose and insulin regulation

PM

Eat lunch within 3-3.5 hours after finishing breakfast
Lunch should be the biggest meal of the day, with complex carbohydrates (rice, beans, sweet potatoes, etc.) and fats
take a digestive enzyme to help bopy absorb nutrients
go on an afternoon walk to release energy from the carbohydrates at lunch
Eat a snack within 2.5-3 hours after lunch that are a combination of protein and fiber (berries and yogurt, fruit and nut butter, flaxseed crackers with hummus, etc.)
Eat a lighter dinner 2.5-3 hours after snack (heavy on the protein and veggies!)
Nighttime meditation and blue light-free time
go to bed around 3 hours after eating (so the body has time to digest, but won’t get too hungry before bed)