How to Support Hormonal Health in Women with Post-Viral Fatigue

 Author: Tanja Walser

When post-viral fatigue lingers, it often signals that your hormones are struggling to keep up. This hormonal ripple effect can affect everything from your mood to your metabolism and energy levels. If you’re a woman navigating this complex recovery, understanding how to support your hormones can really help. You’ll discover practical ways to support your body’s healing process more effectively.

1. Eat to Stabilise Blood Sugar and Inflammation

One of the most powerful ways to support hormonal balance – particularly oestrogen, insulin and cortisol – is through food. After viral illness, many women find themselves more sensitive to blood sugar dips, energy crashes and inflammatory foods.

Focus on protein at every meal. Aim for at least 20–30g of protein per main meal to stabilise energy and reduce hormonal fluctuations. Good sources include eggs, organic poultry, fish, tempeh, and legumes.

Pair carbohydrates with fat or protein to slow blood sugar release. A bowl of oats with seeds and nut butter is far more balancing than plain cereal or toast. 

Where possible, reduce refined sugars and ultra-processed foods, which can drive inflammation and destabilise both insulin and cortisol responses. Instead, favour anti-inflammatory foods like leafy greens, berries, oily fish, turmeric and olive oil.

2. Support Your Circadian Rhythm Gently

Our internal clock – the circadian rhythm – influences every hormone we produce. One of the most effective ways to regulate this rhythm is through exposure to natural light in the morning.

Aim to get some daylight before 10am. Even 5–10 minutes of gentle sunlight – at a window if needed – helps reset cortisol and melatonin, improving both energy and sleep. This step is especially powerful for those with very limited energy.

Equally important is signalling to your body when the day is winding down. Soft lighting in the evening, reduced screen exposure, and a calming wind–down routine can reinforce the natural melatonin rise that prepares you for sleep. 

3. Prioritise Restorative Sleep

Sleep is when the body repairs and regulates hormonal pathways, especially cortisol and melatonin. Yet sleep often suffers in ME/CFS or Long COVID – whether through insomnia, night waking, or unrefreshing sleep.

Support your sleep cycle by keeping a consistent bedtime, dimming lights after 8pm, and avoiding screens an hour before sleep. Magnesium-rich foods (like pumpkin seeds or leafy greens) and calming herbal teas may gently support a restful state.

If early waking is a regular pattern, it may be linked to low blood sugar or elevated nighttime cortisol – both signs the body needs deeper support.

4. Track Hormone-Related Patterns with Curiosity

Post-viral illness can make the body feel unpredictable – but hormones often follow patterns that can be gently observed over time. Rather than tracking obsessively, try noting a few key markers each week: changes in sleep, mood, temperature sensitivity, cycle shifts, or energy levels.

Many women find that certain times of the month feel more challenging – often the luteal phase (the second half of the menstrual cycle), when progesterone should rise. If progesterone is low, symptoms like poor sleep, anxiety, and fatigue can worsen. Likewise, fluctuating oestrogen levels may trigger migraines or mood swings.

It’s also worth remembering that shifts in reproductive hormones can arrive on top of post-viral changes. In your forties – and sometimes earlier – the gradual transition towards menopause can bring its own set of symptoms – from changes in cycle length to increased fatigue, brain fog, or joint discomfort. These changes may overlap with – or even intensify – post-viral symptoms, making it harder to tease apart the cause of each new development. Recognising this overlap means you can adapt your self-care and treatment approach with both in mind, rather than assuming all new challenges come from one source.

Use your notes not to control or micromanage, but to build a picture of what your body is asking for. This kind of reflective tracking gives you and any practitioner you work with valuable insight – not for fixing things all at once, but for understanding how best to support your hormonal landscape within the reality of post-viral recovery.

If you’re curious about how functional medicine health coaching could help in your own Long COVID recovery, Tanja offers a free 20-minute conversation to explore what next steps might feel most supportive for you. Click here to book a time that suits you.