Alcohol and Hormones in Women, What Every Midlife Woman Should Know

Let me start by saying this is NOT some sneaky PSA to convince you to quit drinking. I'm just your confidant who stumbled accross some intresting information about alcohol and hormones, specifically how alcohol affects women over 40, and felt it was worthy of sharing. Because honestly? We're all this many days old for the first time, right?

And just like kids, we dont know until we know.

So, there I was, happily driving, sipping my (non-alcoholic) beverage, and listening to a lighthearted but informative podcast. The topic was about the affects alcohol has on the body. All good and all intresting information, then the very thurough host asked the question. "How does alcohol impact womens hormones?" Ooooohhh, that one made me turn the volume up. Because listen, I am at the stage in life where I want to feel good. Not just get through the day or just survive perimenopause and menopause but actually thrive. Let me tell you, in short, alcohol can actually make menopause symptoms worse.

Go ahead, raise an eyebrow in a What you talkin' 'bout, Willis fashion, I sure did. With that, let's not waste time. Here are the two biggest take aways I picked up from the doctor guest on the podcast:

1. Hot Flashes & Night Sweats - Alcohol dialates blood vessels, which means those midlife personal summers (as my Aunt calls it) hit harder and last longer. So if you're already waking up drenched in sweat, alcohol is basically throwing fasoline on that fire.

2. Sleep - We cycle through different sleep stages - Non-REM and REM. REM sleep is the deep, restorative part that makes you feel actually rested. And guess what? Alcohol disrupts REM sleep, which is why even when you pass out fast, you're probably still waking up tired.

Are your thoughts now wondering what other ways alcohol might be sabotaging us? Well...

What's in your cup is your business!

Hydration-Or Lack Thereof

We all know staying hydrated is one of the top reccomended tip for healthy aging. The benefits to hydration seem endless, helps digestion, brain function, skin, energy levels, and on the list goes. But alcholol? It dehydrates you. That's why you tend to wake up parched after a few drinks. It's litterallying pulling water from your body - The exact opposite of our goals to drink more water and of what we just generally need.

Weight Gain & Metabolism-The Sneaky Calories

Have you ever considered how many calories your cocktail has? Ever wonder why your bottle of wine, vodka, or tequila doesnt come with a nutrition label? Fun fact: Alcohol is not regulated by the FDA, so there's no requirement to list calories or ingredients. Alcoholic drinks pack more empty calories than you may have considered, making them delicously counter productive to weight mangement goals. In addition, alcohol slows your metabolism which means it's easier to store fat and harder to burn it.

Oh, and lets not forget the late-night cravings. When was the last time you got a little buzzed and thought, You know what sounds good right now? A kale salad. (said me never)

Exercise & Muscle Recovery-Alcohol's Not Helping

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but alcohol doesn't exactly set us up for success in the fitness and weight loss department. It can mess with coordination & balance (not ideal for that yoga class), dehydration-losing water faster (bye bye endurance), and decrease muscle recover (reducing protien synthesis).

Basically, if your're trying to exercise consistently, alcohol might be making it harder than it needs to be.

Mood Swings-Hormones on a Rollercoaster

We're already dealing with hormal inbalances in perimenopause and menopause, and alcohol? It intensifies emotions. Feeling anxious? It'll highten that. Feeling a little weepy? Same. And not to mention as we age, our alcohol tolerance changes. Some of us feel the effects faster, while others need more to get the same buzz. Either way, that just increases alcohol's impact on everything we just talked about.

Are you wondering if you should have your brain accept or reject this information? Well...

Look, we are all different. The goal here isn't to guilt-trip you out of your wine down nights or happy hour cocktails. It's just to give you some food for thought, so you can make choices that align with how you want to feel.

For some, that might mean cutting back on alcohol, spacing drinkgs out, or choosing them more intentionally. Maybe you need to rethink when you drink to avoid night sweats. Or maybe, just maybe, you're ready to delete that Total Wine app.

For me? Well, as today (and I reserve the right to change my mind anytime), I'm not quitting cold turkey. Much like my 60 Days Vegan and Now Vegetarian-ish journey, I'm aiming for balance. But now that I know more, I'll be making more intentional choices. Not just about if I have a drink, but how I plan the rest of my day after that drink...and the day after that. Because, honestly I fall in the lower tolderace over 40 category, my food cravings continue to test me, and I actually want to get consistent with a workout routine (stay tuned, we ponder about that on another post soon).

Now, tell me - are you a glass of red to unwind kind of person? A Tito's diet tonic, and lime because it just tastes good gal? Or are you someone in recovery who knows all of this firsthand and has even more wisdom to add?

Whatever your experience, I'd love to hear it. Let's chat in the comments.