How to Support Your Health and Well-Being in College
By: Sophia Berryhill
Our identity as women can often feel confusing and discouraging. In the flurry of social pressures, comparison, and self-deprecation, our bodies seem like they are out to work against us. Culture calls us to control our bodies by suppressing what makes us women.
We constantly hear messages like …
“Want to live without a period? Get on birth control!” “Want to get rid of your squishy tummy? Eat under 1,200 calories a day!”
“Tired all the time? Drink more coffee and better yet, zero calorie energy drinks! “
Afraid of getting wrinkles? Botox is an easy fix!”
To the contrary, our identity as women calls for us to nourish, protect, and honor our bodies. God calls us to embrace, not reject, what He has made us to be. It is a biblical principle that Jesus has not only redeemed our souls, but our bodies, which are to be honored as temples of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 16:19-20, Romans 12:1-2). Our female bodies, in particular, are delicately and purposefully knit together in a magical dance of hormones, uniquely capable of nurturing and supporting new life. Regardless if you’re focusing on fertility/conception anytime soon, taking care of our hormonal balance supports all other areas of your health including not only your blood pressure, blood sugar, and thyroid function, but also your mood and energy levels.
So, how do we support our hormones? Nowadays, you need only go on Instagram for more than a few minutes before you’re bombarded with multiple hormone gurus and influencers, unfortunately usually promoting their specific supplement formulation. While I’m not an expert, I want to give five encouraging ideas on how you can support your hormonal health as a college student. These ideas are not only rooted in data and research but also aimed towards helping you cultivate a healthy relationship and connection to support your body’s cyclic nature.
1) Cut Down on Caffeine
Not going to lie, this one is tough for me. I’ve been drinking coffee for over a decade and if you knew me at Hillsdale, I was at Rough Draft 75% of the time. Further, I remember most mornings waking up, bleary-eyed, watching the barely functioning Keurig in the Pi Phi house brew my coffee before trudging up the hill to my morning class. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach has been shown to increase stress levels, lead to blood sugar imbalances, and cause digestive problems, mood swings, anxiety, and heart palpitations. Further, caffeine will raise your cortisol levels, which are already higher in the morning. Even if you don’t want to completely cut out caffeine (like yours truly), drinking coffee only before noon and after you’ve had a full meal of carbs, fat, and protein, is your best bet to stabilize your energy throughout the day.
2) Eat More Protein (& Enough Food!)
One of the biggest lies I’ve heard from diet culture is to eat 1,200 (or fewer) calories a day. Learning that a healthy caloric intake for a woman is in the 1,800-2,400 range was a crazy and somewhat unsettling realization. While it is important for proper hormone function to maintain a healthy weight, obscene calorie restrictions slow your metabolism, put your body into “starvation” mode, and decrease hormones like estrogen and LH which are necessary for ovulation to occur. Eating enough calories is essential to supporting your body’s functioning and hormones. Eating enough protein as well can help stabilize your blood sugar levels and keep you more full. A good rule of thumb is to make sure you’re getting a source of carbohydrates, healthy fats, and protein in every meal.
3) Grounding, Vitamin D, & Sunshine
After living in Hillsdale, MI for almost 5 years, I know that sunshine is a hot commodity. But getting sunshine and walking in the grass every day (preferably barefoot, but if you’re worried about other people thinking you’re weird, Birkenstocks or Chacos work too) can support your overall health. Research shows that grounding helps resolve and calm the cascade of inflammation that leads to thyroid hormone imbalances and high cortisol levels. If you’re able to, get OUTSIDE. But in the long winter months, consider taking a Vitamin D supplement or getting a sun lamp for your room!
4) Reduce Stress
This is another concept that is easier said than done. But too much stress can be a detriment to the regularity of your menstrual cycle, delay ovulation, cause more intense mood swings/irritability, and result in heavier periods. While Hillsdale necessitates some level of academic stress, lean on others and brainstorm ways that work for you to mitigate your stress levels whether that’s going to a Bible study, exercising, reading for fun, or going on a drive.
5) Avoid Endocrine Disruptors
You may have heard of substances called endocrine disruptors which, unfortunately, are in just about everything. These disruptors can impact fertility, affect embryo implantation, and may also increase your risk of developing endometriosis and other issues. Trying to eliminate all endocrine disruptors is pretty much impossible nowadays but there are a few important switches that could help reduce the amount of exposure you have to substances that can impact your hormones. These include: opting for glass instead of plastic, filter your tap water, rethink your makeup products/brands, avoid non-stick pans, opt for organic produce, and choose products that don’t contain fragrances.
While these principles focus on supporting your body’s normal hormonal functioning, I want to emphasize that our physical, emotional, and spiritual health are all intertwined. For many long years, I failed to appreciate any aspect of my womanhood. In the pursuit of taking care of myself, I had to unlearn patterns of fighting against my body and pivoting my perspective to focus on nourishment, kindness, and gentleness. Intentionally seeking out to support my body’s normal functioning and hormones has helped me heal my perspective and support my identity as a woman. While making these changes amidst the chaos of Hillsdale may seem overwhelming, I promise you that any work you put into taking care of your body will never be wasted and will serve you well in the future as you further grow into the woman you’re created to be.
Book Recommendations:
Woman Code - Alisa Vitti
Taking Charge of Your Fertility - Toni Weschler
The Fifth Vital Sign - Lisa Hendrickson-Jack
Period Repair Manual - Lara Briden
Breaking Free from Body Shame - Jess Connolly
