Tag Archives | hormone

757: The Hidden Emotional Shift of Perimenopause (No One Prepared Us For) with Dr. Melinda Ring

June 23, 2026 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

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Episode Summary

Why do so many women enter perimenopause feeling like the rug has been pulled out from under them?

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Mariza sits down with integrative medicine physician and menopause expert Dr. Melinda Ring to explore why perimenopause often feels so destabilizing and why so many women feel blindsided by symptoms they were never warned about.

Together, they unpack the profound neuroendocrine changes happening during the perimenopause transition and why symptoms like sleep disruption, anxiety, brain fog, overwhelm, stress sensitivity, and feeling “not like yourself” often become some of the earliest signs that something is shifting.

Dr. Ring explains the critical connection between hormones, the stress response system, sleep quality, nervous system regulation, and long-term health outcomes. They also discuss why traditional medical approaches have historically fallen short for women, the growing role of hormone replacement therapy, and why individualized care matters more than ever.

The conversation dives deep into HPA axis dysfunction, trauma, chronic stress, self-compassion, resilience, and the importance of helping women feel safe in their bodies during a time of tremendous change.

If you’ve ever wondered whether what you’re experiencing is normal—or if you’ve found yourself saying, “I don’t feel like myself anymore”—this episode offers both validation and practical guidance.

Dr. Melinda Ring

Dr. Melinda Ring is a board-certified physician, integrative medicine expert, educator, and internationally recognized leader in women’s health and menopause care. She serves as Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health and is passionate about helping women navigate perimenopause and menopause through evidence-based, whole-person care that addresses hormones, lifestyle, stress, sleep, and long-term health optimization.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why perimenopause often feels so overwhelming and unexpected
The connection between sleep disruption, hormones, and brain health
Why many women feel like they “don’t feel like themselves” anymore
The role of HPA axis dysfunction and chronic stress during midlife
How trauma and long-term stress influence the menopause transition
The evolving conversation around hormone replacement therapy
Why individualized hormone care matters more than one-size-fits-all protocols
How women can build resilience, safety, and self-compassion during perimenopause

QUOTES

“Sleep is the force multiplier.”

“You can’t heal in survival mode.”

“The brain is reorganizing, not just the ovaries.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Use code ENERGIZED and get 10% off on your Troscription Order

Dr. Melinda Website

Dr. Melinda Instagram

Dr. Melinda Facebook

Dr. Melinda Tiktok

Dr. Melinda Youtube

RELATED EPISODES

756: What Low-Grade Inflammation Is Really Doing to Your Hormones, Brain & Metabolism with Dr. Mariza

755: What If Your Body Isn’t Broken, Just Undernourished? The Missing Link Between Nutrients, Hormones & Energy with Ryan Woodburry

754: How to Find Joy When Life Doesn’t Go According to Plan with Amberly Lago

717: “I Don’t Feel Like Myself Anymore”: The Mental & Emotional Reality of Perimenopause

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751: Bloating, Brain Fog & Hormone Chaos? Your Gut May Be the Root Cause with Dr. Cassie Smith

June 2, 2026 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

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Episode Summary

“What if your bloating, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, stubborn weight gain, and hormone symptoms are actually starting in your gut?”

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down with Dr. Cassie Smith — dual board-certified endocrinologist, founder of Modern Endocrine, and author of Fix Your Gut, Fix Your Hormones — to unpack the powerful connection between gut health, hormone balance, stress, metabolism, inflammation, and reproductive health.

Together, they dive into how chronic stress, poor gut health, blood sugar dysregulation, inflammation, and lifestyle overload silently impact everything from cortisol and insulin to estrogen, progesterone, thyroid function, and fertility.

Dr. Cassie explains why so many women are told their labs are “normal” while still feeling exhausted, bloated, anxious, inflamed, and disconnected from their bodies — and why gut dysfunction is often the missing piece conventional medicine overlooks.

They also explore the growing metabolic and hormonal crisis happening in younger women, the connection between PCOS, insulin resistance, gut dysfunction, and birth control, and why many women are struggling to restore healthy cycles and fertility later in life.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that hormones do not work in isolation. Your gut, nervous system, metabolism, sleep, stress resilience, and hormones are all deeply interconnected.

If you’ve been feeling like your body is trying to tell you something but nobody has connected the dots yet, this episode will help you understand where healing truly begins.

DR. CASSIE SMITH

Dr. Cassie Smith is a dual board-certified endocrinologist and the founder of Modern Endocrine. After becoming frustrated with the limitations of conventional medicine, she built a practice focused on uncovering the root causes behind hormone dysfunction, metabolic issues, fertility struggles, and gut-related symptoms. She is also the author of the book Fix Your Gut, Fix Your Hormones.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why chronic stress has such a powerful impact on gut health and hormones
How gut dysfunction contributes to fatigue, brain fog, bloating, anxiety, and weight resistance
The connection between estrogen decline, microbiome diversity, and inflammation
Why insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction are rising in younger women
The hidden relationship between PCOS, gut health, cortisol, and fertility
Why birth control is often used as a Band-Aid instead of addressing root causes
The foundational lifestyle habits that support gut and hormone healing
Why slowing down, resting, and reducing nervous system overload matters for recovery

QUOTES

“Your hormones are doing the best they can in the environment you give them.”

“It doesn’t matter how many supplements or hormones we throw at you if the foundations aren’t in place.”

“Your gut is where all healing begins.”

“Your body cannot heal in survival mode.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Get your “Fix Your Gut, Fix Your Hormones” Book by Dr. Cassie Smith

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution

Modern Endocrine Website

Modern Endocrine Instagram

Modern Endocrine Facebook

Modern Endocrine Tiktok

Modern Endocrine Youtube

Hormones, Metabolism and You Podcast

The Menopause Gut Book by Cynthia Thurlow

RELATED EPISODES

741: Estrogen, Gut Health, Mitochondria, and Cardiovascular Health: What Changes In Perimenopause with Dr. Siobhan Mitchel

743: Why Your Heart Risk Changes in Menopause (And What You Can Do About It) with Dr. Jayne Morgan

738: The Hidden Link Between Inflammation, Hormones & Fertility with Dr. Natalie Crawford

740: Why You’re Bloated, Gaining Weight & Feeling Off in Menopause (It Starts in Your Gut) with Cynthia Thurlow

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728: Why Brain Fog Isn’t Random: The Hormone Shift Behind It

March 12, 2026 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

Listen to the Episode Here

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Episode Summary

Feeling like even the smallest things are suddenly overwhelming you?

This is actually part of a much bigger hormonal and neurological shift happening beneath the surface.

In today’s episode, I’m covering one of the most common—and least talked about—midlife experiences: the brain-related changes that come with perimenopause.

Even women who experience few classic symptoms like hot flashes are still undergoing silent physiological changes affecting the brain, bones, muscles, metabolism, and cardiovascular health.

We explore why perimenopause can be a destabilizing but deeply transformative recalibration where everything from hormones to lifestyle habits comes up for review.

So I’m breaking down simple daily habits you can start right away to support your brain, stabilize your energy, and reduce overwhelm without adding more to your already full plate.

Ready to clear the fog and feel like yourself again in midlife? Tune in here for the science-backed tools to start today. 🧠

IN THIS EPISODE

The massive neuroendocrine shift happening in midlife
What’s actually happening to the brain during perimenopause
Managing midlife inflammation and your immune system
The benefits of balancing your blood sugar and metabolism
How short bursts of activity can help you reclaim your energy
Honoring your circadian rhythm and prioritizing sleep
Why building strength and resilience in midlife is so important
Managing your nervous system and avoiding cortisol spikes
How to join my FREE 7-day reset challenge to reignite your energy and metabolism!

QUOTES

“Over 70% of women in perimenopause experience brain-related symptoms: mood changes, sleep disruptions, hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, irritability, cognitive shifts, memory lapses, and low stress resilience. Eight out of the 10 most common symptoms in perimenopause are brain-related.”

“This is metabolic neuroscience, and this is exactly why we cannot just push through the brain fog. We need to stabilize glucose. We need to lower insulin spikes. We need a calm cortisol. We need to reduce the inflammatory load.”

“These are the signals that we get to listen to, and that’s why I created something to help you decode those signals and give your body back what it has been asking for.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Discover my Morning Metabolic Ignition Method in my FREE 7-day Jumpstart Program HERE!

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution HERE!

The Menopause Brain by Dr. Lisa Moscone

RELATED EPISODES

721: No, It’s Not All in Your Head: The Medical Truth About Perimenopause with Dr. Jila Senemar

718: Low-Grade Inflammation: The Hidden Root of Fatigue, Brain Fog, and Hormone Imbalance with Dr. Shivani Gupta

717: “I Don’t Feel Like Myself Anymore”: The Mental & Emotional Reality of Perimenopause

701: Mood Swings, Brain Fog & Exhaustion: The Hormone Conversation You Deserve with Dr. Carrie Jones

690: The Perimenopause Revolution: Why midlife isn’t the end — it’s the beginning of your most energized, powerful, and vibrant self

Free Download: Easy, Practical Tips to Get More Energy!

Download the free Energy-Boosting Cheat Sheet now to learn how to unlock abundant health and energy that lasts—in only seconds every day!

726: The Midlife Mood Shift: The Hormonal Rewire That Changes Everything with Dr. Sonya Jensen

March 5, 2026 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

Listen to the Episode Here

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Episode Summary

Struggling to reclaim your identity and find joy in midlife?

You’re far from the only one! In this episode, I’m joined by women’s health and hormone expert Dr. Sonya Jensen to explore how you can turn your midlife overwhelm into a true awakening.

We talk about the reality of this season—juggling kids, careers, aging parents, and big life transitions—while your body undergoes one of its most profound hormonal and emotional shifts.

Unresolved trauma can surface out of nowhere during perimenopause and menopause, but we cover why these mental and emotional shifts make sense biologically. Dr. Jensen invites you to reframe midlife as a powerful opportunity to celebrate change rather than resist it, and to reconnect with peace, joy, and self-trust.

This conversation is packed with tools to help you refocus your mind and reclaim the parts of yourself that may have been lost along the way.

Tune in here to redefine who you are in midlife!

Dr. Sonya Jensen ND

Sonya Jensen is a Naturopathic Physician, international speaker, author, and embodied healer who guides women to reclaim their power through hormonal wisdom, emotional depth, and ancestral healing. She integrates trauma-informed modalities, herbs, nutrition, hormone therapy, longevity medicine, and nervous system support to address the unseen patterns behind hormonal imbalance. Dr. Sonya Jensen is the founder of the HER Method and the HER Community, where she helps women decode the stories their bodies are telling to transform relationships, fertility, perimenopause, and life’s transitions.

IN THIS EPISODE

1. Shifts that happen physically and mentally in perimenopause

2. How to handle the resurfacing of trauma that comes in midlife

3. Changing the narrative around women’s hormonal shifts in all stages of life

4. Showing yourself grace and recognizing that shifts in your mental capacity are normal and okay

5. Making changes to help support your emotions during perimenopause and menopause

6. Best lifestyle tips to regulate your mind and body back to a state of peace

7. Discussing boundaries and discernment in midlife and what that can look like for you

8. How to learn more about healing your hormones with Dr. Sonya Jensen’s latest book

QUOTES

“I wish I had just sat down with other women and just talked about these transitions, and just talked about the challenges I’m feeling. But when you have this pressure on yourself to make it seem like you have it all together so you can hold space for others, it’s really challenging to ask for help.”

“When we normalize that, then we can normalize perimenopause and the changes that we go through and the suffering that we may go through, but we can have a different relationship to that suffering.”

“We’re losing those hormones. We’re losing that armor. We’re losing that protection that those hormones we’re giving you. So if we’re low in estrogen, most women will feel less motivated, maybe a little bit more depressed, maybe more fearful too because estrogen does help to stabilize that fear center.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Order my latest book: The Perimenopause Revolution HERE

Order Dr. Jensen’s Book: Heal Your Hormones, Reclaim Yourself HERE!

Dr. Jensen’s Website

Dr. Jensen on Instagram

RELATED EPISODES

722: Why Women Feel Unsafe Right Now: Trauma, Hormones & Protecting the Next Generation with Dr. Aimie Apigian

720: Why No One Talks About Loneliness in Midlife—And Why It’s Not Just You

717: “I Don’t Feel Like Myself Anymore”: The Mental & Emotional Reality of Perimenopause

702: How to Heal Trauma and Rebuild Trust Through Connectability with Anna Runkle

Free Download: Easy, Practical Tips to Get More Energy!

Download the free Energy-Boosting Cheat Sheet now to learn how to unlock abundant health and energy that lasts—in only seconds every day!

718: Low-Grade Inflammation: The Hidden Root of Fatigue, Brain Fog, and Hormone Imbalance with Dr. Shivani Gupta

February 5, 2026 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

Listen to the Episode Here

Or, listen on your favorite app: iTunes (Apple Podcasts) | Stitcher | Spotify | Pocketcasts

Episode Summary

What if those frustrating symptoms you’ve been blaming on aging are actually signs of inflammation you can change?

In this episode, I sit down with expert Dr. Shivani Gupta to unpack how inflammation quietly shows up in perimenopause—and why it’s not something you have to just deal with.

We explore what Ayurvedic medicine is, and how it offers a holistic, intuitive approach to healing inflammation, soothing the gut, and restoring balance as your hormones shift in midlife.

Dr. Shivani offers simple, practical solutions to help your body feel more resilient from the inside out. She also shares how her targeted supplements are designed to support gut ease, hormone balance, and whole-body vitality.

Tune in here to help calm inflammation and feel more at home in your body again!

Dr. Shivani Gupta

Dr. Shivani Gupta is an Ayurvedic practitioner and turmeric researcher who helps women reduce inflammation, balance hormones, and boost energy. Her new book, The Inflammation Code, offers a clear, non-diet plan for reducing inflammation. She hosts the Fusionary Health Podcast and created the Emmy-nominated TV show: Vibrant Health with Dr. Shivani Gupta.

IN THIS EPISODE

How Dr. Shivani became the expert she is in inflammation
The benefits of turmeric for decreasing systemic inflammation
How integrative medicine is key to addressing the underlying symptoms of inflammation and imbalance
Dr. Shivani’s Ayurvedic teas for promoting sleep quality
The easiest self-care ritual you can do from your car
Supplementation dosing for best reducing inflammation
Top benefits from Dr. Shivani’s supplement recommendations
Successful management of inflammation in perimenopause
What to expect in Dr. Shivani’s new book: The Inflammation Code

QUOTES

“Most people don’t recognize or realize those subtle symptoms of inflammation that are accumulating.”

“We are all inflamed. Whoever you are, you are inflamed. It’s a slow-burning fire.”

“My goal is for everyone to take the elemental design quiz. Learn their constitution and know for themselves… Are they more fire or are they more earth and water in nature? Because once you understand those elements, you can really start applying it to every aspect of your life.”