Naturally balance hormones: Gastroenterologist shares 6 activities to start your morning with

Morning routine is often spent either snoozing the alarms, scrolling on the phone half-awake or taking forever to get out of bed, and then the race begins through the rest of the morning, grabbing anything for breakfast and rushing out to head to the office.

Barely, the body gets a moment to pause and just slowly ease into the day before it’s thrown into an adrenaline-sprint without any warm-up. The rush throws the hormones out of sync, affecting your energy levels later in the day.

To understand how ideally one should begin the day to keep the hormones balanced naturally, HT Lifestyle reached out to Dr Piyush Vishwakarma, consultant- gastroenterology, hepatology and liver transplant at RG Hospitals in East of Kailash, New Delhi.

According to him, what morning routine you follow may shape hormonal rhythm, metabolism, mood, energy levels, and long-term health outcomes.

Why may hormonal balance be disrupted by a poor morning routine?

As per the gastroenterologist, your hormones are sensitive to environmental cues in the morning. There’s a delicate balance as they adjust to these cues. But when something is off, then the entire system also goes off balance.

Dr Vishwakarma elaborated on which hormones are responsible, “Hormones such as cortisol, insulin, testosterone, estrogen, and melatonin are highly sensitive to environmental cues encountered during mornings.”

Your body’s hormonal system takes cues from your morning actions. Any sedentary activities, like scrolling phone in bed or waking up late, may confuse the system and cause energy dips later in the day.

“Exposure to daylight, movement, nutrition, and even the sequence of activities that we follow at the start of the day directly impact their levels,” he noted.

When mornings lack structure, it impacts the hormones strongly. And natural cues are often picked up, even those which are otherwise considered trivial. The gastroenterologist added, “Even minor disruptions in sleep, light exposure, or nutritional intake can result in significant circadian and endocrine disturbances with ripple effects on metabolism, emotional regulation, and stress adaptability.”

Further, he also revealed that the gut also plays a big role in maintaining hormonal harmony and metabolism. Poor gut health can trigger inflammation and elevate cortisol levels. This is why a healthy breakfast at the beginning of the day is pivotal.
6 morning activities one can add to their routine

Dr Piyush Vishwakarma listed out six crucial activities one can incorporate into their morning routine to naturally balance hormones and set a positive tone for the rest of the day:

* Sunlight exposure: Stepping outside for 10–15 minutes to soak up the morning sunlight can reset circadian rhythms. This healthily elevates cortisol and improves serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter critical for regulating mood and helping synthesise melatonin for restful sleep.
* Light exercise: Physical movement helps regulate cortisol, insulin, testosterone, and estrogen. Try a brisk walk, gentle stretching or yoga.
* Hydration: Drinking water, recommended at room temperature, first thing on waking up, kicks in the metabolic processes and aids in flushing overnight toxins. This is a practice known to support hormone pathways, especially those governing metabolism and digestion.
* Have a high-protein breakfast: Consuming at least 30 grams of protein within 90 minutes of waking can stabilise insulin and hunger hormones, reduce energy crashes, and curb unhealthy cravings. People who regularly eat a protein-rich breakfast report improved satiety and lower fat storage, supporting better metabolic and hormonal outcomes. Skipping morning protein or starting with coffee correlates with higher rates of fatigue and blood-sugar imbalances later in the day.
* Screen-free start: Keeping the screens at bay for at least 45 minutes after waking up helps avoid blue-light-triggered spikes in cortisol and dopamine crashes. Instead, try journaling or meditation during this window to amplify hormone-calming effects.
* Grounding techniques: Being barefoot on natural ground (soil, grass) enables ‘earthing’, a scientifically documented exchange of electrons that may normalise cortisol patterns and reduce inflammation.