Is It My Hormones or Am I Just Tired?

Health Hacks for Women Over 35

Let’s be honest.

If you’re a woman over 35 and you’re wondering why you’re dragging yourself out of bed, craving sugar, snapping at your family, or gaining weight despite eating pretty clean—you’re not alone.

One of the most common questions we hear from women in our clinic is:“Is it just stress and age… or are my hormones out of balance?”

And the honest answer? It’s probably both.

In our recent Health Hacks podcast, we unpacked this exact question. So today, we’re going to walk you through the connection between hormone imbalance and fatigue—and give you five science-backed health hacks you can start right now to feel more like yourself again.

What Hormones Are We Talking About?

Hormones are chemical messengers that influence everything—from your energy to your mood to how well you sleep.

By the time women hit their mid-30s and 40s, it’s common to see shifts in:

• Cortisol (your stress hormone)

• Progesterone (calming and mood-balancing)

• Estrogen (regulates cycles, brain function, and fat storage)

• Thyroid hormones (control metabolism and temperature)

• Insulin (blood sugar and fat storage)

When one of these is off, even slightly, it causes a ripple effect. That’s why so many women feel “off” but get told their labs are normal.

Signs It’s Hormones—Not Just Fatigue

If you’re noticing these symptoms, hormone imbalance may be the root:

• You're tired but wired at night

• Trouble falling asleep or waking up at 2–3 AM

• Cravings for sugar or salt

• Irregular or painful periods

• Anxiety, brain fog, or mood swings

• Weight gain, especially around the belly

Sound familiar?

Let’s explore five ways to balance your hormones naturally.

Five Functional Medicine Hacks to Support Your Hormones

1. Balance Your Blood Sugar

Blood sugar swings are one of the fastest ways to throw your hormones off. Every time your blood sugar spikes, insulin follows—and over time, that can disrupt estrogen, cortisol, and thyroid function.

Health Hack: Eat a protein-rich breakfast within 60 to 90 minutes of waking. Think: pasture-raised eggs, avocado, and leafy greens. Avoid the coffee-on-an-empty-stomach trap—it spikes cortisol and drains your adrenals.

2. Support Your Adrenals

If your stress hormone (cortisol) is stuck on high or completely bottomed out, fatigue and mood issues follow fast.

Health Hack: Build in a 10-minute morning walk or a sunlight break each day. This helps reset your circadian rhythm and lowers cortisol naturally.

We also love adaptogenic herbs like Rhodiola or Ashwagandha to support adrenal balance (ask us if they’re right for you).

3. Optimize Sleep Hygiene

Hormone production—especially melatonin, growth hormone, and cortisol—is deeply tied to your sleep patterns.

Health Hack:

• Turn off screens one hour before bed

• Use blue-light glasses after sunset if needed

• Magnesium glycinate and chamomile tea before bed can help your body and brain wind down

4. Eat for Hormone Health

Nutrients like magnesium, B vitamins, zinc, and omega-3s are critical for hormone detox and balance—yet most women are deficient.

Health Hack: Aim for at least five servings of colorful, fiber-rich vegetables per day. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts help the liver clear excess estrogen, which contributes to PMS, anxiety, and weight gain when it builds up.

5. Know Your Labs—and Dig Deeper

In conventional medicine, you might get your TSH or estrogen checked, if anything at all. But it’s rarely enough to tell the full story.

Health Hack: Ask for a comprehensive hormone panel that includes:

• Estradiol, progesterone, testosterone

• DHEA and cortisol (ideally as a four-point saliva or urine test)

• Full thyroid panel (TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, TPO antibodies)

• Insulin and fasting glucose

We run these full panels in our clinic to uncover what’s really going on and create a personalized plan just for you.

Encouragement: Your Body Isn’t Broken

If you’ve been told your fatigue is “just life” or “just getting older,” we want to encourage you:

Your body was designed to heal, balance, and thrive. You may feel frustrated or stuck right now, but there is hope. You don’t have to settle for being exhausted, moody, or inflamed.

At Thrive Functional Health, we help women uncover the root cause of their hormone and energy issues every day. We’ve seen women regain their clarity, peace, and purpose once they get real answers.

We believe in a God who designed our bodies with incredible resilience, and we believe in a healthcare model that honors that design.

Ready for the Next Step?

Start by listening to our full podcast episode: “Is It My Hormones or Am I Just Tired?” on Health Hacks—available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

Then take the next step: Book a free 15-minute health consultation. Let’s talk about your symptoms and help you get the labs, answers, and plan you deserve.

You were made for more than just getting through the day. Let’s help you Thrive!

Schedule Your Free Health Consultation

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be made through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.