In this candid, empowering conversation, I sit down with menopause strategist Marjie Martini to bring light, language, and laughter to a phase too many women are told to just endure. Marjie unpacks her decade-long journey—misdiagnoses, brain fog, bleeding crises, a lifesaving hysterectomy, and ultimately thriving with tailored bioidentical hormones and lifestyle shifts. We walk through her Five Pillars—hormones, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress (plus the bonus: community)—and how to approach change without overwhelm by focusing on one lever at a time. From sleep rituals and protein-forward meal prep to cortisol-calming tactics, partner support, and navigating care options and costs, this episode is a practical roadmap to reclaiming wellbeing across a 10–15 year transition that’s different for every woman.
We also discuss why “maintenance is cheaper than repair,” the cognitive and bone-health implications of declining estrogen, the nuances of lab testing and finding the right hormone doctor, and why tools must evolve as you do. Marjie shares resources, real client wins, and concrete strategies for women—and their partners—to reduce stigma, advocate at work, and make menopause not just bearable, but a season to play, lift heavy, love big, and lead with fewer f*cks given about the noise and more care for ourselves and each other.
LISTEN TO EPISODE HERE
https://serve.podhome.fm/episodepage/djvalerieblove/5-pillars-to-make-menopause-fun--marjie-martini
(00:00:30) Opening: Making menopause more bearable, not medical advice
(00:01:40) Guest intro: Margie Martini and the five pillars tease
(00:01:56) Menopause as a 10–15 year transformative process
(00:03:02) Tools and the evolving menopause toolbox
(00:03:59) Hosts personal spiral and sleep struggles
(00:05:19) Margies journey: misdiagnosis, brain fog, and bioidenticals
(00:09:06) Books, WHI fallout, and HRT backlash
(00:11:46) Barriers to care and finding a practitioner
(00:13:00) Lab insights and life-changing hormone support
(00:15:27) Emergency hysterectomy and lifestyle adjustments
(00:17:29) Rethinking exercise, stress, and symptom relief
(00:18:07) The Five Pillars: hormones, nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress (+community)
(00:19:40) Sleep wins: protocols, magnesium, and 03:00 wakeups
(00:21:32) Start with one pillar: food frequency and fueling
(00:23:19) Client case study: sleep ritual to nutrition reboot
(00:27:06) From brain fog to workouts: managing cortisol and stress tools
(00:30:36) Natural routes vs HRT and finding the right doctor
(00:32:04) Testing, seasons, and scripts that change
(00:34:10) Menorage and a turnaround story with HRT
(00:34:10) Hot flashes, quick adjustments, and mood swings
(00:37:35) Partners role and a book for men
(00:40:41) Sex, pain, timing, and setting the mood
(00:43:01) Overwhelm happens: tools, water, music, and boundaries
(00:45:10) Cost, access, and budgeting for hormone care
(00:50:43) Sleep, sobriety, and going slow
(00:51:36) Trust your body: prevention and cognition benefits
(00:53:33) Workplace advocacy: supporting top performers in menopause
(00:57:51) Light at the end: empowerment after 45
(01:02:46) Rites of passage: from crone to empress years
(01:05:18) Balance the inside: evolving tools and lifelong habits
(01:10:31) Make it fun: lifting weights, buddies, and retreats
(01:13:28) Realistic time management and self-compassion
(01:15:32) Protein Powerballs and food prep hacks
(01:17:21) Ask for help before the rock bottom
(01:18:58) If not HRT, optimize the other pillars and supplements
(01:19:50) Depression, anxiety, thyroid, and comprehensive care
(01:21:45) Find educated doctors and read your symptoms, not just labs
(01:23:30) Recommended resources: books and The M Factor
(01:25:57) Retreats, Instagram, and how to work with Margie
(01:27:52) Final advice: listen, respect, and act before the scream
(01:29:22) Maintenance over repair: heed the check engine light
(01:30:24) Closing gratitude and invitation to thrive
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