For over a decade, I've been a women's health journalist whose health and lifestyle articles have appeared in dozens of major publications including CosmoGIRL, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Marie Claire and Woman's World.
In 2004, I developed Hormonology, the Hormone Horoscope. It all started with a study I read that revealed women feel more drawn toward masculine-looking men during the second week of their cycle due to peaking estrogen and they feel more drawn toward feminine-looking men during other weeks of their cycle due to lower levels of estrogen. As surprised as I was by this study, I had a hunch that there were probably more hormone studies like this one, so I set out out to find them—and I was right!
For over a year, I pored over hundreds of hormone studies conducted by noted scientists from around the globe and read dozens of books about hormones by leading researchers. Before long, I came to two stunning conclusions:
1. The hormones in a woman’s monthly cycle affect virtually every aspect of her day—brain skills, mood, energy, libido, cravings, shopping habits, chattiness, voice, tastebuds, extroversion, confidence, pain sensitivity, chronic illness flare-ups, skin health, and much, much more.
2. These hormonal affects change day-to-day—but these changes occur in roughly the same way every single cycle.
What these revelations meant: Healthy, naturally-cycling women can use their hormone cycle to predict what every single day will be like before it happens! And no one had put all this information together in one daily calendar before me. I created the first Hormone Horoscope!
Armed with this insight, I kept a daily journal for three months, detailing virtually every aspect of my life—my moods, foods I ate, products I purchased, how much I talked or how quiet I felt, my libido, how many invitations to social events I accepted or turned down, aches and pains, you name it. And I was shocked at how much my behavior mirrored the findings in these hormones studies.
I wondered, did this mean I was a slave to my hormones? And, was I only reinforcing the damaging stereotype that women are ruled by their wildly swinging hormones?
Well, I quickly dismissed the second question by examining male hormone research. Turns out, men have a 24-hour hormone cycle and are just as affected by hormonal highs and lows as women.
So, what about that first question? If I’m happy one day because of rising estrogen or sad another day because of plunging estrogen, does that mean I have no say in my own life?
I pondered this question for a long time. I kept it in the back of my mind while working, hanging out with friends, cleaning my house, picking meals, scheduling trips, everything. And, then I realized I was actually using the information about my hormones to make whatever I did better. I did intensive writing on my high estrogen days when I knew I’d have lots of energy and I incorporated more re-energizing breaks into low-hormone days when I knew pep would be low; I made a point of going out with pals on days when I knew estrogen would make me chatty and reminded myself to pipe up more often on days when rising progesterone made me quiet in front of people; I saved housecleaning for rising progesterone days when my desire to stay home and “nest” was higher; I chose lighter foods on rising estrogen days, homey foods on rising progesterone days and indulgent foods on plunging estrogen days when I knew those foods would appeal to me most because of my hormones; and so on.
To me, the truth became clear: knowing more about how your hormones affect you every day helps you take advantage of the benefits and overcome the challenges, making every day better.
The result of all my research is Hormonology, the Hormone Horoscope, which blends my over 10 years as a lifestyle and women’s health journalist for national magazines with hundreds of reliable hormone studies. I introduced the first Daily Hormone Horoscope in my book 28 Days: What Your Cycle Reveals about Your Love Life, Moods, and Potential (Adams Media, 2005), which has been translated into four languages and was named one of the top 10 women’s health books of 2005 by About.com. And, I’ve been interviewed about Hormonology on TV and radio and in print worldwide, including on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC and in Cosmopolitan, CosmoGIRL, Glamour, Ladies’ Home Journal, Marie Claire, Self and Women’s Health.
I’m currently writing a second edition of 28 Days, with new research and updates.
