One of the most common questions I get is this: with keto and fasting, how do I balance my hormones? It’s a good question.

The hormones that most women want to balance are estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. When these hormones are out of balance, many women experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, weight loss resistance, hot flashes, insomnia, and chronic fatigue. No bueno.

And while it seems like you should be able to take a magic pill that would instantly bring these hormones into balance, our hormonal system is not that simple. That said, there are three major hormones I recommend you focus on if you want to keep your sex hormones in balance: insulin, cortisol, and oxytocin.

For those of you that are living a ketobiotic and fasting lifestyle, you know the power of balancing insulin. And for those of you that follow Dr. Libby Weaver’s work and her book The Rushing Woman Syndrome, you know the power of balancing cortisol. But did you know the most important hormone to balance is oxytocin?

What is oxytocin and how do you get it?

Oxytocin is a powerful hormone that acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. It gives us feeling of love and connection. If you haven’t seen my interview on Resetter TV with Dr. Anna Cabeca, I highly recommend you watch it. This interview will give you a perspective on your hormones that I guarantee you have never heard. In this episode, Dr. Anna talks about the power of oxytocin and we dive into some of the simple things that you can do to raise your oxytocin levels.

The really cool thing about oxytocin is that it costs nothing and takes very little time to get a surge of this powerful hormone! Here are my favorite ways of raising oxytocin:

  • Get eight hugs a day
  • Do activities that bring you joy
  • Socialize with friends
  • Laugh
  • Give to others
  • Snuggle with your loved ones
  • Cuddle with your pet
  • Focus on the things you are grateful for in your life

Here’s the magic: if you do the enjoyable things listed above, you will raise your level of oxytocin. And by raising your levels of oxytocin, you will bring down your levels of cortisol. By bringing down levels of cortisol you also bring up your levels of progesterone. Why is this important?

Because progesterone is your anti-anxiety hormone. When progesterone goes up, you are going to feel more grateful, you are going to laugh more, you are going to want to hang out with people that bring you joy– all of which are activities that bring up your oxytocin. It’s an incredible, virtuous circle.

For perimenopausal and menopausal women, it’s a game changer!

I hope this excites you as much as it did me! Please take the time to watch my interview with Dr. Anna. It will change the way you look at your hormonal health. If you know any women that are struggling with hormonal balance, raising oxytocin is truly an important piece of the hormonal puzzle, so please share this Resetter TV episode with them.

As always, I hope this helps!

From the bottom of my heart, I am cheering you on to live your best life possible.