761. How to Protect Your Hormones During the Holidays

Your hormones are not separate from your life. They're responding to it. And nothing reveals that more clearly than the holiday season.

Every year, women take on more—more planning, more emotional labor, more mental load, more pressure to make everything magical. And we tell ourselves it's "just busy," but physiologically, there's so much more happening beneath the surface.

When your schedule gets unpredictable, your meals get irregular, or your sleep gets pushed aside, your cortisol rises. When cortisol rises, progesterone dips. And when progesterone dips, you feel it: heavier PMS, shorter tempers, disrupted sleep, more cravings, more bloating, more mood swings.

This episode is about understanding why the holidays hit your body the way they do—and how to protect yourself without throwing out the joy of the season.

I'm sharing the simple shifts that matter most:

– Why boundaries are hormone regulation, not selfishness – How rest stabilizes cortisol faster than any supplement – Why simplifying meals reduces inflammation and digestive stress – How overstimulation impacts sleep cycles and adrenal function – And why ease—not perfection—is the most supportive thing for your hormones right now

This isn't about doing the holidays "right." It's about no longer abandoning yourself in the process.

Because when you understand what your body needs—especially during the most demanding season of the year—you don't just protect your hormones… you protect your experience, your energy, and the memories you actually want to be part of.

If you've ever wondered why you hit January feeling depleted, this episode will finally make it make sense.

And if you're listening and thinking, "I need deeper support than holiday tips," that's exactly what the 1:1 VIP program is for. It's the highest level of care I offer—personalized testing, custom protocols, and direct access to me so we can uncover what your body actually needs and help you rebuild from the inside out. If this season has you realizing it's time for a different level of support, you can learn more here: https://drbethwestie.com/jumpstart-program/