Eve Blog
What 2,500 hormone tests told us about modern womanhood
In 2019 Eve Wellness opened the Eve hormone testing lab. We tested 18 different hormone markers and metabolites via urine samples from over 2,500 women, aged 14 to 60, using dried urine testing, a method increasingly used by nutritionists and functional health practitioners to look at hormone metabolites, cycle patterns and adrenal output. Women received their results in easy to understand graphs and language, explaining their hormones and cycle to them. These results were paired with diet, lifestyle and supplement recommendations crafted by our team of Clinical Nutritionists. This is our own data, from our own customers. It’s not an independent or peer-reviewed study. But it's a real, sizable dataset, and the patterns uncovered across thousands of women is worth treating with curiosity. We weren't looking to tell a story; we just wanted to help women feel better and more empowered around their bodies and experiences. However, we ended up seeing a story emerge from the data anyway, as we learned what women's hormones actually looked like, at scale, in real life. Most women aren't producing enough progesterone, even when they've ovulated The biggest surprise was that women, en masse, are often reaching lower progesterone levels than typical population benchmark ranges* suggest we should. Among women in their 20s, who tested on day 21 of a 28-day cycle (or the equivalent point for longer, shorter, or irregular cycles), 7 in 10 came back with progesterone below the expected range for that phase. In women in their 30s, it was just over half. Day 21 is meant to be progesterone's moment to shine. This is the week after ovulation when the body should be producing plenty of it to support a possible pregnancy and keep the rest of the cycle steady. But the reality for most women Eve tested, it was tracking much lower than we’d expected. Low progesterone in the second half of the cycle is relevant for fertility and those trying to conceive, but is also linked to low or nervous moods (hello PMS), disrupted sleep, and heavier or more painful periods. These types of things are signs the second half of the cycle isn't getting the hormonal support it needs from progesterone. It’s worth noting that most people who chose to do a hormone test were experiencing something that prompted them to do so: tricky periods, period pain, irregular periods, mood swings, hormonal acne, fertility worries, or fatigue. So this is a sample of women, it's a sample of women who suspected their hormones might be playing a role in their day to day health picture. We're absolutely not saying every one of these women has a problem. But when the majority of a 1,600+ woman sample shows the same gap, we believe that it's worth paying attention. Testosterone drops with age, but that's not a failing on women Testosterone is part of what gives us drive, motivation, and physical stamina. Testing showed that this hormone falls steadily in women from the teenage years onward. However, that's expected. It's meant to happen. Our levels of this hormone naturally relax over time. But the fact that women are still sold the message that we need to be just as energised, bubbly, and driven as when we were 25, is the opposite of helpful. It’s yet another example of us putting unrealistic expectations on women, and then telling us we’re not enough when we don’t achieve those lofty heights. So if you've got less energy for the gym, less patience, or less appetite for pushing through on four hours' sleep than you did a decade ago, that might not be something you need to ‘fix’ about yourself. It might be your hormones doing exactly what they're supposed to do, and nobody telling you that was ok. Our adrenal systems are working overtime We also looked at the byproducts of adrenal hormone processing: markers (such as etiocholanolone) that show how hard the adrenal glands are working to keep up with androgen and stress-hormone demand. Etiocholanolone isn't cortisol itself, and we didn't measure cortisol directly in this dataset, but it's produced via the same enzyme pathways the body uses to clear cortisol, so it's the clearest window to reference around how hard our stress-response systems are working. Roughly a quarter to a third of women across every age group showed elevated adrenal output. This ramps up when our bodies are under sustained pressure, and can’t effectively tell the difference between a genuine threat and a decade of back-to-back deadlines, broken sleep, and never quite switching off. What this means is that the ‘machinery’ that processes our stress-related hormones is visibly busier than you'd expect in a population that isn't “unwell”. Our findings aren’t a conclusion, but rather an invitation to get curious A single dried urine test is a handy snapshot, but our customer testing data shows us scale. When patterns repeat across thousands of women, it’s worth taking a moment to pause and consider. The story behind the stats Ultimately, this isn’t really about progesterone or testosterone or adrenal metabolites. Those are the proofpoints, sure, but to us it’s really about the picture of women’s health that is painted through these details. The story we see is this: The lives we’re living today are not supportive of our hormonal systems. I hear you saying: ‘tell me something I don’t know!’. But when you see the actual data, at scale, it hits different. It hits deeper. Our bodies and systems are built for a slower, less relentless kind of life. Life and its demands and expectations on us have accelerated increasingly over the past 200 years or so, but our genetics don’t evolve at the same rate. In a world telling you that you’re not enough, this story actually says otherwise. It says that if you’re finding life a bit challenging and you’re not feeling your best, it’s not your fault. You’re not actually supposed to be finding it all easy-breezy. We don’t need to judge ourselves for not being a perfect unwrinkled, toned picture of health and vitality. Sure, we can strive to be the best version of ourselves, but we should do it with compassion. No one is finding it easy. We’re all climbing our own mountains and that’s ok. The wellness industry should be here to give you a helping hand when you need it. Not to be another thing telling you you’re not enough. That’s the space Eve aims to occupy, coming from a true, data-backed understanding of women and what we’re up against. *The reference ranges used were developed from generalised published ranges, not ranges built specifically from this population, so "below range" basically means "outside a typical benchmark".
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5 Food Habits For Healthy Hormones
The food you eat has the power to either support the optimal functioning of your hormones, or contribute to hormone imbalance. So when it comes to balancing your hormones, nutrition is a pretty big deal. Plant-based, low carb, keto, fasting, celery juice, gluten-free, dairy-free, organic, vegetarian, paleo—type ‘the best way to eat for health’ into your Google search bar and plethora of conflicting information that comes back both conflicting and overwhelming. Probably enough to make you think this topic is far too confusing to understand, let alone put into practise. We get it. That’s why we’re taking this topic right back to the tried and true basics of nutrition for women’s health. We asked our Health Consultants, (A.K.A the wonderful team that includes clinical nutritionists, NZ registered dieticians and naturopaths), about what they eat to balance their hormones & why. Rather than bore you with food diaries, we’ve turned what they told us into 5 ways to support your hormones through food. A word of caution: These tips are fairly broad, because no offence dear reader, but we don’t know you from a bar of soap. We are all so different. For example, some people do really well on starchy carbs such as potatoes, kumara and gluten free grains, whereas for others, these types of foods can leave them feeling sleepy and unsatisfied. 1. BREAK-THE-FAST WITH PROTEIN Healthy hormone eating 101: to keep your hormones happy, you need good blood sugar balance, which means eating to stay satisfied and to avoid feeling shaky, unfocused or moody when hungry (all signals that your blood sugars might be taking a nosedive). Our Health Consultants warn against signs such as craving carbs and sugar, or feeling constantly hungry. These are signals that you’re not fuelling your body well, and this can contribute to unhappy hormones. Starting the day with a nourishing, balanced breakfast that stabilises your blood sugar levels is one of the best and simplest ways to support balanced hormones. The thing is most traditional ‘breakfast’ food is high carb, has a high glycemic index (GI) - meaning that it turns to sugar in the blood very fast - and leaves you looking for the snacks come 10am. The solution: eat a protein-rich breakfast within a couple of hours of waking. Protein supplies amino acids which are crucial for the body to repair itself and make its own essential hormones. Protein also provides steady, sustainable energy that will keep you full for longer. Our Health Consultant’s favourite sources of protein at breakfast time include: 2-3 free range eggs; A natural protein powder added to a smoothie (avoid ones with any funny looking ingredients or sugars e.g. maltodextrin, sucralose etc); Nuts & seeds; Natural greek yogurt (if you tolerate dairy well); Salmon or other fresh fish; Leftover mince or steak (free range and organic preferably). By starting your day with a good hit of protein, you should find you feel grounded and focused, and don’t feel a need to snack before lunchtime. Try it and report back! 2. DON’T SKIMP ON HEALTHY FATS For a while, fat was the most misunderstood macronutrient of all. For years we were told that fat free = healthy, and that cholesterol and saturated fats were bad. Thankfully for our health and hormones, science has shown the error of our ways and now demonising dietary fats is so 2005. Our Health Consultants love healthy fats as they contain a range of key fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, D, E, and K, and provide slow burning energy to compliment the energy from carbohydrates and keep blood sugar stable. Fats are also the precursors to our hormones—they are the raw materials we need to make hormones like progesterone, oestrogen, and testosterone. While high cholesterol is a concern for some people, low cholesterol can also translate to hormone imbalance. Our Health Consultants tell us that it’s all about eating the right kinds of fat to support healthy cholesterol levels, and steering clear of the not so great fats that increase the bad kind of cholesterol. Great sources of the right kind of fat include: Avocados; Nuts & seeds; Eggs; Coconut yoghurt; Cold pressed oils such as extra virgin olive, avocado and coconut; Fatty fish such as salmon and sardines. Avoid canola, rice bran and vegetable oils. 3. CARBS AREN’T THE ENEMY Low carb or ‘keto’ diets are somewhat of a buzz in the health and fitness world at the moment. The idea behind them being that without glucose from carbohydrates for energy, the body is ‘forced’ to use fat for fuel instead. While this sounds great in theory, the reality is that our bodies are a whole lot more complicated than that. Our Health Consultants have observed through clinical practice and scientific research that female sex hormones can be particularly sensitive to both under eating, and restricting entire food groups such as carbs. From a physiological standpoint, forcing the body to use ketones (fat) for energy can be more stressful than using glucose from carbohydrates. This can increase cortisol levels and throw your delicate balance of sex hormones out of whack, as the two are made from the same precursor hormone, pregnenalone. While we’ve seen some women with insulin-resistant hormone imbalances such as PCOS might do well on lower carbohydrate diet, many women find they simply need carbs to feel balanced, energised and healthy. Research suggests that non-inflammatory starches such as rice, potato, pumpkin and kumara are actually calming on our nervous systems; and can support the cortisol and stress response, and restful sleep. Eaten alongside a source of both protein and fat, gentle carbohydrates promote stable blood sugar, energy and mood. Win, win, win. 4. GREENS ARE IMPORTANT Eat your greens. Quite possibly the most basic but most important nutrition advice there is. Before you roll your eyes and tell us you’ve heard it all before, just listen. Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, watercress, silverbeet and micro greens are amongst the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet and are also full of fibre, folic acid, chlorophyll, and a whole heap of other micronutrients and phytochemicals. No where else can you find calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, and zinc, as well as vitamins A, C, E and K in a tasty, ready-to-eat package. Our bodies need nutrients to do pretty much everything; like make all of our hormones, give us energy, rejuvenate our cells, detoxify last nights pinot gris and so on. If you don't eat foods with the nutrients you need, your body cannot produce hormones correctly or maintain hormonal balance because it simply doesn't have the building blocks to do so. A top tip from our Health Consultants is to aim for a serving of greens with each meal. Whether that's in a smoothie, salad, slaw, stir fried, steamed or otherwise - it’s all good. Just play around to find what works for you. For more support in the nutrient department, try All Systems Glow -All-in-one support for your skin, hair, and hormones. 5. SOUL FOOD IS IMPORTANT TOO Yes, food is fuel and nourishment; but it’s also a whole lot more than that. It’s pleasure, experience, comfort and often a form of socialising too. Our Health Consultants always highlight with their clients that eating nutrient dense wholefoods doesn’t need to mean feeling restricted, deprived or as though you’re missing out. At Eve, we’re pretty passionate about eating well, but we’d be lying if we said there were never gluten-free brownies cooling in the kitchen or dark chocolate being passed around at 3pm. It’s all about finding a way of eating that’s sustainable, and usually that means finding the sweet spot between feeding your body and your soul. Let’s face it, even stressing about food is still a form of stress, which we probably don’t have to tell, isn’t that great for your hormones either. The key takeaway from our Health Consultant’s point of view? Do the best that you can, when you can, and try not to get caught up in the details. Nutrition isn’t all or nothing; something is always better than nothing.
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Let’s Talk About Stress, Baby! With Sexologist Chantelle Otten
We have teamed up with renowned sexologist Chantelle Otten to bring you a special guest blog series, with insights on some of the juicy tidbits sex-ed may have missed!Stress—it’s a word we hear constantly, and yet many of us don’t realise just how much it can shape every aspect of our wellbeing, including our sexual health. While stress is a normal part of life, understanding how it impacts libido and learning how to manage it can be a game-changer. Let’s dive into how stress affects us, both physically and emotionally, and explore ways to restore balance. The Science Behind Stress and Libido Stress is a natural response to challenges or threats, designed to help us survive. When we’re stressed, our bodies release cortisol, a hormone that activates the “fight or flight” response. This response prioritises survival by diverting energy from non-essential systems, including reproduction.When cortisol levels remain elevated over time—due to chronic stress, deadlines, or life pressures—it can suppress the production of sex hormones like oestrogen and testosterone. These hormones play a key role in sexual desire, so it’s no surprise that stress can lead to a dip in libido.Additionally, stress can decrease blood flow to the genitals, making it harder to feel aroused. Over time, this physiological response can create a feedback loop, where stress diminishes desire, and the frustration from low libido creates even more stress. It’s a cycle that can feel difficult to break. The Emotional Toll of Stress Beyond its physical effects, stress has a profound impact on our emotional and mental state, which is just as crucial when it comes to intimacy. When we’re overwhelmed, it’s hard to relax or be present in the moment. Racing thoughts, anxiety, and constant to-do lists can make it nearly impossible to connect with a partner—or even ourselves—on a deeper level.Stress can also trigger negative self-talk. Thoughts like “I’m not good enough” or “Something must be wrong with me” can lead to insecurities, further dampening desire. This emotional weight often leaves us feeling distant, not just from our partners, but from our sexual selves. Stress and Connection: How Relationships Are Impacted Stress doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it seeps into our relationships. When one or both partners are stressed, communication can become strained. Small disagreements can escalate quickly, and the emotional distance can start to grow.It’s also common for stressed partners to misinterpret a drop in libido as a sign that something is wrong with the relationship, rather than recognising it as a natural response to external pressures. This misunderstanding can create tension, reinforcing the stress-libido cycle. Breaking the Cycle The good news? Stress doesn’t have to dominate your intimate life. Here are some effective ways to break the cycle and create space for connection and desire:1. Prioritise Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices like meditation or deep breathing can help lower cortisol levels and bring you back to the present moment. This doesn’t just reduce stress—it also makes it easier to connect with your body and your partner.2. Move Your Body: Gentle exercise, such as yoga or walking, can work wonders for stress management. It promotes the release of endorphins, our body’s natural mood lifters, and helps improve overall wellbeing.3. Schedule Time for Intimacy: When life gets hectic, intimacy often takes a back seat. Scheduling time for connection—whether it’s a date night or simply sharing a relaxing evening together—can help rebuild the bond and nurture desire.4. Create a Ritual for Relaxation: Setting aside time each day to unwind—whether with a warm bath, soothing music, or journaling—can help your body and mind shift out of survival mode.5. Seek Support When Needed: Sometimes, stress requires more targeted support. Talking to a therapist or exploring natural supplements designed for hormonal balance can be helpful in managing the physical and emotional toll of stress. Supporting Your Libido Through the Chaos It’s important to remember that libido naturally ebbs and flows with life’s changes. Stress is a part of being human, but it doesn’t have to take over. By caring for your body, mind, and relationships, you can create space for desire to return at its own pace.Your body and mind are deeply connected—when you nurture one, the other benefits too. So here’s to a year of balance, wellbeing, and feeling empowered to manage stress in ways that support not just your libido, but your overall happiness and health.
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