9 Things That Mess with Your Hormones

The seemingly innocent habits that throw your body for a loop.

Your Candy Bar Addiction

Eating foods with too much added sugar is directly linked to weight gain—and excess pounds can lead your body to become resistant to insulin, the hormone that moves sugar into your bloodstream so your cells can get the energy they need, says Holly Phillips, M.D., a women’s health specialist in New York City and medical correspondent for CBS News. The result: a precursor to diabetes called metabolic syndrome or even full-blown type 2 diabetes.

 

Stressing Out Late at Night

Normally, levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop at nighttime, which helps you wind down and sleep. But becoming anxious or tense in the p.m. means your cortisol levels keep surging, so you’re too wired to catch Zzz’s, says Phillips. Make sure one of these seven things that are secretly stressing you out aren’t putting you on edge, and be sure to try these anxiety-relieving tips.

Regular Bouts of Insomnia

It’s a vicious cycle: Lack of sleep raises cortisol levels, and cortisol cranks up your blood sugar…which then plunges, making you stressed and craving junk food, says Phillips. Start scoring more snooze time, and your cortisol levels will even out. These 15 tricks to sleep better should help.

Or Just One Night of Sleep Deprivation

When you sleep, levels of a hunger-related hormone called leptin surge, signaling to your body that you don’t need to eat. Toss and turn all night, and your body won’t produce the right amount of leptin—so you’ll feel extra hungry the next day and be more prone to weight gain.

 

Late-Afternoon Starbucks Runs

Cortisol is the culprit again here: Caffeine signals to your body to boost production of cortisol, which can make you feel anxious and definitely not in a sleep-well mindset. Limit yourself to no more than two regular-size cups of joe a day, preferably before 3 or 4 p.m.

Your Spotty Attendance at the Gym

Without regular exercise, your body won’t produce and release the optimal amount of endorphins, says Phillips. You know endorphins: They’re the feel-good chemicals in the brain that make you feel positive and alert. They also keep your immune system functioning well and increase levels of sex hormones so you score a libido lift. The more you move (cardio, Pilates, hiking, any kind of activity), the more endorphins your body will produce.

 

 

Crash Diets

A plunge in body-fat levels due to either a super low-calorie weight-loss regimen or intense exercise sessions lowers estrogen levels, halting your cycle until your body fat returns to a healthy level.

 

 

Skimping on Cardio

You know how a heart-pumping workout can make you temporarily forget about where to go for dinner? It has to do with the way aerobic exercise prompts a drop in levels of a hormone called ghrelin, which suppresses appetite, studies show.

 

Easing PMS With a Sweet Treat

Besides leaving you wired, sugar also does a number on brain chemicals that are already thrown for a loop during your PMS week. If your premenstrual symptoms leave you cranky and moody, sugar will just make you feel like more of a basket case, says Phillips. Instead of reaching for something sweet

7 Ways to Make Your Eyes Look Bigger and Brighter

 

There’s something so playful and sexy about big doe eyes—but you don't have to be genetically gifted to get them. Just use these tips from M.J. Forte, a New York City-based makeup artist, to fake big, bright eyes.

Go Light In The Corner
For eyes that pop, focus a light shadow on the inner-third of your eyelid, closest to your tear duct. “It makes your eyes look bigger instantly,” says Forte. The lighter color acts as a highlight to create an open appearance to the eye, making your eyes look larger, fresher, and more awake. Forte’s favorites are M.A.C. Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Yogurt and Vanilla ($16 each, maccosmetics.com).
Highlight The Browbone—But Not with Highlighter
Adding a highlight under the tail of your eyebrow on the highest part of your eye socket—the brow bone—will give mega-lift to your eye by drawing the attention up, says Forte. While you can definitely use the same shadow you would use on the inner corner of your eye, Forte recommends using a concealer. Go for a shade slightly lighter than your natural skin tone to illuminate the eye area. “Anything that’s lighter is going to brighten,” says Forte.
MORE: 3 Ways You Should Change Your Skin-Care Routine for Fall

Use a Layered Approach to Make Dark Circles Vanish
When it comes to big, bright eyes, any and all dark shades are the enemy. Forte says that the biggest mistake a girl can make is not concealing her undereye circles. "Darkness around your eyes will make them look smaller,” says Forte. Her concealing secret is to start with a pink-toned concealer before layering a yellow-toned concealer on top. She recommends Laura Mercier Secret Concealer ($24, sephora.com) as your base and Chanel Correcteur Perfection Long-Lasting Concealer ($40, nordstrom.com) for your second layer.
MORE: 11 Skin-Care Habits to Start NOW to Get Gorgeous Skin for Years to Come
Visually Extend Your Eyes
White liner opens up your eyes instantly. Use it on the inner rim of your lashes to extend the whites of your eyes and make them look larger and more awake with one stroke. Forte's go-to: M.A.C. Cosmetics Eye Kohl in Fascinating ($16, maccosmetics.com).

Rock a Nude Lip
If you want all eyes on your eyes, Forte says it’s important to keep the rest of your face as natural as possible. “Make your lips a lighter color because then the attention will be on your eyes,” says Forte. Her favorite for nude lips is Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Bellissima ($22, sephora.com).
MORE: The 3 Lipstick Colors Every Woman Needs

Double Up on Falsies
There’s a reason those models in mascara commercials have that doe-eyed look. Forte says that she uses false lashes for all of the shoots she works to give the models a wide-open eye. In fact, she uses two sets of falsies instead of one. “I always layer two sets of lashes, one for length and one for thickness,” says Forte. This means serious drama in the eye area. Try Ardell lashes ($1.99-$5.49, ulta.com).

Lash Curlers Are A Must
Creating length coming up and out of the eye draws the focus away from the lash line, making the eye look wide open, says Forte. To achieve this effect, invest in a pair of lash curlers, and curl before applying mascara. Try Tweezerman Classic Lash Curler ($12.15, ulta.com). “They’re a lifesaver,” says Forte. “Every girl needs a pair.”