In this episode of The Hormone Café, Dr. Sarah Pederson dives into nutritional status and nutrition testing—why it’s foundational for hormone production, fertility, and overall health, what nutrients are most important to test, and how to turn results into a personalized action plan.

Dr. Sarah explains why even “healthy eaters” can be nutrient deficient, how deficiencies impact ovulation, egg quality, energy, and metabolism, and why targeted testing allows for precise nutrition and supplement support instead of guesswork.

🥗 Why Nutrition Is the Foundation of Hormone Health

Feeling good, ovulating regularly, and having stable energy all start with nutrition.

🧪 Why We Test Nutrients Instead of Guessing

Testing provides clarity, direction, and measurable progress.

🧬 The NutrEval: A Comprehensive Nutrition Panel

This gives a full picture of cellular health and hormone-building capacity.

✨ Antioxidants & Egg Quality

Key antioxidants evaluated include:

Low antioxidants = increased cellular stress and reduced fertility potential.

⚡ Mitochondrial Health = Energy & Hormones

Nutrition testing helps identify where mitochondrial support is needed.

🔥 Omega-3, Omega-6 & Inflammation Balance

Even “healthy” diets can have excess omega-6 due to salad dressings and packaged foods. Testing ensures proper ratios, not just good intentions.

🐟 Why Omega-3s Are Hard to Get from Diet Alone

☣️ Toxins & Heavy Metals That Impact Hormones

These toxins can interfere with estrogen production and overall endocrine function, sometimes requiring detox support or increased antioxidant intake.

🧠 Methylation Support: Are You Using the Right Vitamins?

Without proper methylation, vitamins can build up without being utilized—testing identifies what form your body needs.

🥦 Food First, Supplements Second

Brightly colored fruits and vegetables provide plant-based antioxidants, while supplements fill only true gaps.

💊 Why Supplements Sometimes “Don’t Work”

Switching forms (liquid, powder, different capsule) can dramatically improve absorption.

🧂 Minerals Matter More Than You Think

Deficiencies may reflect absorption issues, mineral imbalances, or endocrine dysfunction.

📊 Personalized Plans, Not Supplement Overload

Targeted plans focus only on deficiencies—and are re-tested to ensure improvement.

💉 When IV Nutrition Is Helpful

IVs may include vitamin C, B vitamins, glutathione, and alpha-lipoic acid.

If you’re struggling with hormone imbalance, fatigue, poor ovulation, or fertility challenges, nutrition testing can provide clarity and direction.

📍 Westminster, Colorado

In this episode of The Hormone Café, Dr. Sarah Pederson breaks down bioidentical hormones—what they actually are, how they differ from synthetic hormones, and how they’re used safely and effectively in clinical practice. She walks through testosterone, progesterone, estrogen, and DHEA, explaining how each hormone functions in the body, the best delivery methods, and why dosing, timing, and personalization matter so much.

Rather than using hormones as a “band-aid,” Dr. Sarah emphasizes a root-cause, physiology-first approach—supporting the body while working toward long-term balance and eventual weaning when appropriate.

🌱 What “Bioidentical” Really Means

These hormones are used to support—not override—natural physiology.

🔥 Testosterone in Women: Why It Matters

Dr. Sarah explains why daily, low-dose testosterone is preferred over pellets or injections, how it supports fertility, and why the goal is always eventual weaning—not lifelong use.

💊 Best Absorption Methods for Testosterone

Oral testosterone is avoided to protect gut and liver health and ensure steady absorption.

🌸 Progesterone: Timing Is Everything

Progesterone should always support the natural cycle—not disrupt it.

🩸 When Progesterone Is Helpful

Dr. Sarah outlines how cyclic progesterone can help retrain the body to ovulate and cycle regularly.

🌙 How Progesterone Is Given

If progesterone makes you feel worse, the dose or delivery method needs adjusting—there’s no “powering through.”

🧠 Estrogen: Not Too High, Not Too Low

Dr. Sarah explains why estrogen must be tested before and after ovulation and how low estrogen is often misdiagnosed as PCOS.

📈 When & How Bioidentical Estrogen Is Used

The goal is always physiologic balance—never excess.

🌊 Perimenopause, Menopause & Hormone Smoothing

Dr. Sarah emphasizes that hormone therapy should always have a plan—support, stabilize, then wean.

🧬 DHEA: The Precursor Hormone

It can be used orally or vaginally depending on goals and symptoms.

📊 Root Cause Always Comes First

Hormones support healing—they don’t replace it.

If you’re struggling with hormone symptoms, fertility challenges, or perimenopause and want a personalized, physiology-based approach, support is available.

📍 Westminster, Colorado

In this episode of The Hormone Café, Dr. Sarah Pederson breaks down perimenopause—what it is, how to know if you’re in it, and what you can do to feel better during this major hormonal transition. She explains why symptoms can feel extreme and unpredictable, how hormone testing actually works in perimenopause, and why a whole-body, root-cause approach is essential for long-term relief.

Rather than accepting “this is just part of aging,” Dr. Sarah outlines how targeted nutrition, lifestyle support, lab testing, supplements, and — when appropriate — low-dose bioidentical hormone therapy can dramatically improve quality of life.

🌿 What Perimenopause Actually Is

🔥 Common Symptoms of Perimenopause

🧪 How to Test for Perimenopause (and Why One Lab Isn’t Enough)

🩸 When Irregular Bleeding Is a Red Flag

🥗 Why Nutrition Is Always the Foundation

🧠 Supporting the Entire Endocrine System

📈 Why Blood Sugar Matters More Than You Think

🌱 Gut Health, Absorption & Hormone Balance

💊 Supplements: When to Support vs. When to Avoid

🧠 Mental Health & Nervous System Support

🌸 Hormone Therapy: When It’s Helpful

📊 Discovery, Stabilization & Weaning Phases

If you think you may be in perimenopause or you’re experiencing symptoms that are affecting your quality of life, you don’t have to navigate it alone.

📍 Westminster, Colorado

In this episode of The Hormone Café, Dr. Sarah Pederson explains how IV nutrient therapy can support fertility when diet and supplements aren’t enough. She breaks down why nutrient deficiencies persist despite “doing everything right,” how IVs bypass absorption barriers, and how targeted IV formulations can improve egg quality, sperm quality, implantation, and surgical recovery.

💉 Why IV Therapy Matters in Fertility Care

🧪 Key Nutrients Commonly Low in Fertility Patients

🥚 Egg Quality IV

🌱 Implantation & Uterine Blood Flow IV

🩺 Pre- & Post-Surgical Recovery IVs

👨 Sperm Quality IV

🧠 IV Therapy as an Adjunct—Not a Replacement

If you feel like you’re doing “all the right things” but still struggling with egg quality, implantation, recovery, or sperm parameters, IV therapy may be a supportive next step.

📍 Westminster, Colorado

In this episode, Dr. Sarah Pederson breaks down the three most common female hormone profiles—low estrogen & progesterone, estrogen dominant, and progesterone dominant/low estrogen—and explains how each one affects mood, energy, cycles, fertility, and overall health. This episode empowers women to understand their symptoms, test hormones properly, and align nutrition, exercise, supplements, and treatment with their unique hormone profile.

🧪 The Three Core Hormone Profiles

Each profile presents differently and requires a different approach to treatment, lifestyle, and supplementation.

🩺 Why Proper Hormone Testing Matters

🌱 Low Estrogen & Low Progesterone (Low–Low Profile)

Root causes may include:

Support strategies:

⚖️ Estrogen Dominance

Key contributors:

Support strategies:

🌡️ Progesterone Dominant / Low Estrogen

Key focus areas:

🧠 Why Hormone Ratios Matter

If you suspect hormone imbalance or feel stuck with persistent symptoms, proper hormone testing and individualized care are essential.

📍 Westminster, Colorado

In this episode of The Hormone Café, Dr. Sarah Pederson is joined again by Kelly Sinning, licensed professional counselor and perinatal mental health specialist, to explore how women’s mental health fluctuates across the menstrual cycle. From hormonal highs and lows to how to communicate needs with partners and friends, this episode provides actionable insights for thriving mentally and emotionally throughout your cycle.

💬 Talking About Your Cycle with Friends and Partners

Key strategies:

❤️ Aligning Needs with Hormonal Phases

Understanding the cycle allows better mental health and relationship dynamics:

By planning and communicating your needs during each phase:

🧠 Hormonal Fluctuations and Mental Health

Planning for each phase reduces guilt, pressure, and stress.

🌿 Thriving Through the Cycle

Kelly emphasizes that leaning into these biological patterns improves mental health and overall alignment with your body.

Key Takeaways:

Resources & Next Steps:

If you find certain phases of your cycle mentally or emotionally challenging, a mental health professional specializing in perinatal and hormonal health can provide guidance.

📍 Westminster, Colorado

In this episode of The Hormone Café, Dr. Sarah Pederson is joined by Kelly Sinning, licensed professional counselor and certified perinatal mental health specialist, to discuss the emotional and relational challenges that often arise during the fertility journey. From shifting friendships to strain within marriage, the two-week wait, and repeated disappointment, this episode offers practical, compassionate tools to protect your mental health during a season that is often filled with highs, lows, and invisible grief.

At Vera, mental health is considered just as essential as physical and hormonal health when navigating fertility.

🤍 How Fertility Changes Friendships

Kelly explains that fertility struggles often shift relationships in unexpected ways.

Common experiences include:

These changes are normal and often temporary. Fertility is a season that comes with different emotional needs.

Key takeaway:

You do not need to show up the same way in every season of life.

💬 Letting Go of Guilt in Relationships

Many people push themselves to attend events or overextend emotionally, which often leads to:

Instead:

Most friends respond with understanding when given context.

❤️ How Fertility Impacts Your Relationship with Your Spouse

Trying to conceive often changes intimacy and connection.

Common challenges include:

This does not mean the relationship is failing — it means the season has changed.

🔑 Redefining Connection During Fertility

If sex no longer feels like the primary form of connection, alternatives may include:

Connection can evolve without disappearing.

🗣️ How to Have Hard Conversations with Your Partner

One of the most important tools discussed is having conversations about how to have the conversation.

Consider:

This reduces defensiveness and emotional shutdown.

🧠 Understanding Different Coping Styles

Men and women often cope differently during fertility challenges.

Common patterns:

Neither response is wrong — they are different coping mechanisms.

Awareness of these differences reduces resentment and miscommunication.

⏳ Surviving the Two-Week Wait

The two-week wait is one of the most emotionally taxing parts of fertility.

Helpful strategies include:

You will still think about pregnancy — but shared mental space helps.

🧪 Be Honest About How You Test

Kelly emphasizes being realistic about pregnancy testing habits.

If you:

There is no “right” way — only what is honest for you.

Planning ahead helps reduce emotional spirals after negative tests.

🛠️ Plan for Disappointment (Without Losing Hope)

Planning for how you’ll care for yourself after a negative test is not pessimistic — it is protective.

Ask yourself:

Self-care is one of the few things you can control during fertility.

🌊 The Emotional Rollercoaster of Fertility

Fertility is marked by:

This is normal.

Trying to force stability during an inherently unstable season often increases distress.

Instead:

💔 Fertility as Invisible, Prolonged Grief

Every cycle without pregnancy can feel like a loss.

This grief is:

Support is essential — not optional.

Seek out:

You do not have to carry this alone.

Fertility changes relationships — and that’s okay.

Protecting your mental health is not selfish.

Connection with your partner may look different during this season.

Planning for hard moments reduces emotional overwhelm.

Support and community are critical during fertility challenges.

Resources & Next Steps:

If fertility feels emotionally overwhelming, working with a mental health professional trained in perinatal and fertility-related care can be life-changing.

📍 Westminster, Colorado

In this episode of The Hormone Café, Dr. Sarah Pederson, holistic OB-GYN at Vera Health and Fertility, breaks down why gut health is foundational to hormone balance, fertility, and overall well-being. From how often you should be pooping to advanced gut testing and treatment options, this episode explains how digestion, absorption, inflammation, and the gut microbiome directly impact your hormones and reproductive health.

At Vera, gut health is never overlooked. If your body cannot properly digest and absorb nutrients, it cannot make hormones correctly — no matter how healthy your diet may be.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

💩 What a “Healthy Gut” Actually Looks Like

A healthy gut means:

You should never:

If these symptoms are present, your gut needs to be tested.

🧠 Why Gut Health Is Critical for Hormones & Fertility

🧪 How to Test Your Gut

The most comprehensive tool is a stool (poop) test, which is done at home and mailed to a lab.

Gut testing evaluates:

Additional testing may include:

🥗 Why Elimination Diets Often Fail

Dr. Pederson explains that diets like Whole30 or randomly cutting gluten or dairy are often too broad and not actionable long-term.

Food sensitivity testing allows:

This creates empowerment — not restriction.

⚙️ Common Gut Issues Seen in Fertility Patients

🔹 Poor Digestion

🔹 Leaky Gut & Inflammation

🔹 Parasites & Infections

🔹 Bacterial Overgrowth

🦠 Why Probiotics Are Not One-Size-Fits-All

Gut testing determines:

Key beneficial bacteria discussed:

🌾 The Role of Fiber & Short-Chain Fatty Acids

Prebiotic, fiber-rich foods include:

📖 Patient Case Study: Healing the Gut to Restore Fertility

Dr. Pederson shares a powerful case of a patient who:

Treatment included:

After 3 months:

🍽️ Daily Habits That Support Gut Health

Gut health is essential for hormone balance and fertility.

If you struggle with bloating, constipation, hormone imbalances, or unexplained infertility, comprehensive gut testing may be the missing piece.

📍 Westminster, Colorado

In this episode of The Hormone Café, Dr. Sarah Pederson, holistic OB-GYN at Vera Health and Fertility, dives deep into PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). She explains why PMS is not normal, explores the root causes behind luteal-phase mood and physical symptoms, and outlines a comprehensive, holistic framework for treatment — from nutrition and lifestyle to supplements, hormone testing, and medical therapies.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

💡 What PMS and PMDD Actually Are

🩺 Root Causes of PMS & PMDD

🍽️ How to Eat During the Luteal Phase

🥑 Anti-Inflammatory Foods That Reduce PMS Symptoms

🧠 Why Blood Sugar Matters for Mood

🧪 Hormone Testing for PMS & PMDD

⚖️ Common Hormone Imbalances Linked to PMS

🌿 Supplements Used for PMS & PMDD (Based on Labs)

⚠️ Important Note on Supplements

💊 Medical Treatment Options (When Needed)

🏃 Lifestyle Factors That Matter in the Luteal Phase

🧬 Real Patient Case Highlight

Key Takeaways:

Luteal-phase symptoms are signals of deeper hormonal, metabolic, or inflammatory issues.

Targeted nutrition, hormone testing, supplements, and — when needed — medical therapy can dramatically improve symptoms.

Feeling amazing every day is possible with the right support.

Resources & Next Steps:

📍 Westminster, Colorado

In this episode of The Hormone Café, Dr. Sarah Pederson, holistic OB-GYN at Vera Health and Fertility, is joined again by registered dietitian Callie to discuss how nutrition and lifestyle choices can significantly reduce period pain. They cover anti-inflammatory foods, key nutrients for cramp relief, what to limit during your cycle, and how to support your body throughout the entire menstrual cycle so your period doesn’t disrupt your life.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

💡 Foods That Help Reduce Period Pain

Starting these foods before your period begins can help prevent pain rather than just reacting to it.

🩺 Foods to Limit During Your Period

🍓 How to Handle Period Cravings Without Worsening Pain

🌿 What to Eat Throughout Your Entire Cycle to Prevent Pain

🚶 Lifestyle Tips to Reduce Period Pain

🍵 Helpful Teas for Menstrual Support

Key Takeaways:

Resources & Next Steps:

📍 Westminster, Colorado