Spring is a season of visible renewal—trees bud, flowers push through the thawing ground, and the days grow longer. But this external transformation is mirrored by a profound, internal shift happening within us. Our bodies are finely tuned to the rhythms of nature, and the changing light and temperature of spring trigger a cascade of hormonal changes that can significantly impact our mood, energy, and overall well-being.
For many women, particularly those navigating the hormonal transitions of perimenopause and menopause, understanding this mind-body connection is key to feeling balanced and vibrant. This is the specialty of Suzanne Elkind, CNM-APRN, a certified nurse-midwife and advanced practice nurse based in Massachusetts, who helps women across New England rediscover their vitality through personalized, functional medicine and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) .
In this article, we’ll explore the fascinating science of how spring impacts our hormones, and how you can harness the power of the season to support your own hormonal health, guided by the holistic principles that practitioners like Suzanne Elkind champion.
The Springtime Hormonal Shift: More Than Just “Spring Fever”
We’ve all felt it—that surge of energy and optimism as the weather warms. This phenomenon, often called “spring fever,” has a real biological basis. After months of short, dark days, the increasing sunlight acts as a powerful signal to our brain, initiating a complex hormonal reset .
The key players in this seasonal shift are melatonin and serotonin. During winter, longer periods of darkness trigger the pineal gland to produce more melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep and makes us feel drowsy. This is a primary reason for the winter “hibernation” mode many of us experience, and in some, it can contribute to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) .
As spring arrives and daylight hours increase, melatonin production is suppressed . Simultaneously, the bright light stimulates the production of serotonin, often called the “happiness hormone,” which boosts mood, promotes a feeling of calm, and helps regulate appetite and sleep . This shift from high melatonin to higher serotonin is a primary driver of that renewed sense of energy and well-being we feel in spring.
Suzanne Elkind’s practice focuses on helping women understand these intricate hormonal conversations. As her website notes, she helps patients move beyond a “piecemeal approach” to health, instead recognizing the body as an interconnected system . Understanding how an external factor like sunlight influences internal chemistry is a perfect example of this holistic view.
The Circadian Rhythm: Your Body’s Internal Conductor
The sunlight-driven shift in melatonin and serotonin is actually part of a much larger system: your circadian rhythm. This internal “master clock,” located in the brain, governs nearly all of the body’s processes over a 24-hour cycle, including hormone release . It’s synchronized primarily by light, which is why the changing seasons have such a powerful effect.
Research published in Nature explains that the circadian clock network regulates the release of many hormones, which in turn influence vital functions like sleep, metabolism, and even mood . When the seasons change, our internal clock must re-synchronize with the new light-dark cycle. For some, this transition is seamless. For others, especially those already dealing with hormonal imbalances, it can temporarily disrupt sleep, energy, and mood.
This is a core tenet of functional medicine, the approach Suzanne Elkind uses with her patients. Instead of just treating symptoms, she looks for the root cause, which often lies in a disrupted circadian rhythm or imbalanced stress hormones like cortisol, which also follows a daily and seasonal pattern .
Supporting Your Hormonal Health This Spring
So, how can you work with your body’s natural spring awakening to feel your best? Here are several strategies, inspired by the holistic, patient-centered care that defines Suzanne Elkind’s practice .
1. Embrace the Light (Mindfully)
The most powerful way to support your spring hormone shift is to get outside. Morning sunlight is particularly effective for setting your circadian clock, signaling to your body that it’s time to be alert and helping to ensure melatonin is released at the right time that night .
- Actionable Tip: Aim for at least 15-20 minutes of outdoor light in the morning, without sunglasses, to let the light signal reach your brain.
2. “Spring Clean” Your Diet
Just as our ancestors ate with the seasons, our bodies may benefit from a lighter diet in spring. After the heavier, warming foods of winter, spring is an ideal time to support the body’s natural detoxification pathways, especially the liver, which plays a crucial role in metabolizing hormones .
- Focus on: Fresh, seasonal produce like leafy greens, asparagus, radishes, and berries . These foods are packed with nutrients that support liver function and overall vitality.
- Consider Seed Cycling: Some practitioners, like Dr. Lynne Shinto at OHSU, suggest seed cycling as a gentle way to support hormone balance. This involves eating specific seeds during different phases of the menstrual cycle to potentially support estrogen and progesterone metabolism . While research is mixed, many women report feeling better, and the seeds themselves are a healthy source of fiber and omega-3s .
3. Move Your Body Outdoors
Exercise is a powerful tool for hormonal health. It helps lower cortisol (the stress hormone), boosts mood-enhancing endorphins, and can improve insulin sensitivity. Taking your workout outside in the spring sunshine amplifies these benefits .
- Actionable Tip: You don’t need a high-intensity workout. A brisk walk, a gentle hike, or even some yoga in the park can do wonders for your mood and stress levels.
4. Prioritize Sleep Hygiene
As your body adjusts to changing light levels, good sleep habits are essential. Your sleep-wake cycle is the most visible expression of your circadian rhythm, and when it’s off, everything else can follow .
- Actionable Tip: Create a consistent wind-down routine. Dim the lights an hour before bed, put away electronic devices, and ensure your bedroom is cool and dark to support your body’s natural melatonin production.
5. Listen to Your Body’s Unique Needs
The most important principle, and one that Suzanne Elkind emphasizes, is that hormonal health is not one-size-fits-all . What works for one woman may not work for another, especially during the complex transitions of perimenopause and menopause. Symptoms like stubborn weight gain, debilitating mood swings, brain fog, or loss of libido are signs that your internal symphony is out of tune and may require a more targeted approach .
When to Seek Expert Guidance
While lifestyle changes are a powerful foundation, they are sometimes not enough to correct significant hormonal imbalances. This is where the expertise of a specialist like Suzanne Elkind becomes invaluable. Many of her clients come to her after feeling unheard or unsatisfied with conventional medicine, only to have their lives transformed through personalized care .
Her approach combines functional medicine—looking at the interconnectedness of the body’s systems—with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) . Unlike synthetic hormones, bioidentical hormones are molecularly identical to those your body produces naturally, offering a way to restore balance more gently and effectively . For instance, her work extends to understanding how hormonal shifts impact everything from pelvic floor health to the gut microbiome, illustrating the truly systemic nature of her care .
Conclusion: Awaken to a New Season of Vitality
Spring is a powerful reminder that our bodies are part of a living, breathing world. By understanding the profound impact this season has on our hormones—from the dance of melatonin and serotonin to the resetting of our internal clocks—we can take proactive steps to support our well-being.
Whether it’s by soaking up the morning sun, eating fresh seasonal foods, or listening more closely to our bodies’ signals, we can harness this energy of renewal. And for those times when the body’s natural rhythm needs a little help getting back in tune, experts like Suzanne Elkind offer a compassionate and knowledgeable guide, helping women not just cope with hormonal change, but thrive through it.
