What happens when the career everyone recognizes no longer fits the life or health you want?

Former television news anchor Nikki Burdine joins Carrie and Lori for an honest conversation about life after morning news, rebuilding after an unexpected career change, and becoming more present for the people who matter most.

Nikki shares how years of waking up at 2:30 a.m., working inside a windowless newsroom, and reporting difficult stories affected her mood, inflammation, nervous system, and Tourette syndrome. She also opens up about her transition into content creation and why she has embraced building a career as an influencer.

The conversation also gets refreshingly real about perimenopause, unexplained anger, changing skin, hormone replacement therapy, Botox, PRP treatments, aging, and the pressure women feel to hide what they do to look and feel their best.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Life after working in television news • How disrupted sleep can affect your physical and mental health • Nikki's experience living and working with Tourette syndrome • The connection between stress, anxiety, and the nervous system • Unexpected symptoms of perimenopause • Honest conversations about Botox, PRP, skincare, and aging • Why women should be able to make their own beauty choices without shame • Turning social media into an income stream • Reinventing yourself after losing a job • Why no woman should rely entirely on one source of income

This conversation is candid, funny, and full of the kinds of things women often experience but do not always say out loud.

What part of Nikki's story resonated with you most? Tell us in the comments.

Subscribe to Hormones & Hot Takes for more honest conversations about women's health, hormones, relationships, motherhood, personal growth, and everything women are thinking but may be afraid to say.

CONNECT WITH NIKKI: Follow Nikki on Facebook

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Disclaimer: This episode shares personal experiences and opinions for informational and entertainment purposes. It is not medical advice. Speak with a qualified healthcare professional about your individual health needs.

#NikkiBurdine #Perimenopause #LifeAfterTV

Has modern feminism empowered women, or has it created new pressures that leave women feeling disconnected from themselves, relationships, and traditional femininity?

In this bold episode of Hormones & Hot Takes, Carrie and Lori explore modern feminism, gender roles, modesty, dating, marriage, and what it means to feel feminine in today's culture.

They share two different perspectives, one from a longtime marriage and one from the modern dating world, while asking whether independence has truly made women happier or simply expected them to carry everything alone.

In this episode:

• How modern feminism has affected women and the family
• The difference between women's rights and toxic feminism
• Why some women struggle to embrace softness and femininity
• Whether feminism has made traditional gender roles confusing
• What women really mean when they want a man to lead
• Why men may feel uncertain about dating, pursuit, and chivalry
• The importance of continuing to pursue your partner in marriage
• How love languages and relationship needs change over time
• Modesty, self-respect, and the pressure to sexualize women
• Why healthy relationships require communication and mutual effort

This conversation is honest, personal, and guaranteed to spark debate. Carrie and Lori are not claiming to have every answer. They are opening the door to a larger conversation about womanhood, masculinity, relationships, faith, and the cultural messages shaping us all.

What do you think? Has modern feminism gone too far, or is it still necessary for women's progress? Share your perspective respectfully in the comments.

Subscribe to Hormones & Hot Takes for candid conversations about women's issues, relationships, motherhood, faith, hormones, mental health, and the topics people are often afraid to discuss.

#ModernFeminism #FeminismDebate #TraditionalFemininity #GenderRoles #DatingAdvice #MarriageAdvice #WomenEmpowerment #HormonesAndHotTakes

CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses the deaths of children, suicide, postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, intrusive thoughts, and other potentially distressing mental-health topics. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

The Lindsay Clancy case has captured national attention—but beyond the courtroom is a conversation about maternal mental health that desperately needs to happen.

In this episode of Hormones & Hot Takes, Carrie and Lori examine the competing arguments surrounding the case and the question at the center of the trial: Was Lindsay Clancy able to understand the wrongfulness of her actions, or was she experiencing a severe postpartum psychiatric crisis?

They discuss:

• The difference between postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis
• Warning signs families should understand
• Intrusive thoughts and why mothers may be afraid to speak up
• Sleep deprivation, hormones, anxiety, and the mental load of motherhood
• Clancy's reported treatment and medication history
• Whether fragmented maternal mental-health care is putting women at risk
• The difference between understanding mental illness and excusing harm
• Why supporting mothers must extend beyond telling them to "ask for help"

This conversation is not about deciding guilt or innocence. It is about asking what we can learn—and what needs to change—so struggling mothers receive meaningful care before a crisis occurs.

What do you believe the Lindsay Clancy case reveals about the way we treat postpartum mental health? Share your thoughts respectfully in the comments.

👍 Like this episode 💬 Join the conversation 🔔 Subscribe to Hormones & Hot Takes for honest conversations about women's health, hormones, motherhood, relationships, healing, faith, and the topics women are often afraid to discuss.

MENTAL-HEALTH RESOURCES

If you or someone you know may be experiencing postpartum psychosis, seek immediate professional help and do not leave the individual or children alone.

• National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: Call or text 1-833-852-6262
• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
• Postpartum Support International: postpartum.net

Postpartum psychosis is a psychiatric emergency. These resources and recommendations are confirmed by Postpartum Support International and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

DISCLAIMER: Carrie and Lori are sharing personal perspectives for discussion and educational purposes. They are not providing medical, psychiatric, or legal advice. Some claims surrounding this active legal case remain disputed. Seek guidance from qualified professionals for personal medical or mental-health concerns.

#LindsayClancy #PostpartumPsychosis #PostpartumDepression #MaternalMentalHealth #WomensMentalHealth #HormonesAndHotTakes

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What do you wish someone had told you about marriage, motherhood, friendship, and confidence?

In this honest and unfiltered episode of Hormones & Hot Takes, Lori and Carrie unpack the lessons women often learn the hard way—from realizing that lasting love is a daily choice to navigating mom guilt, breaking generational cycles, and building friendships rooted in authenticity.

They also explore how childhood experiences and unresolved trauma can affect adult relationships, why perfection isn't the goal in motherhood, and how genuine confidence grows when you trust yourself enough to take risks.

In this episode:

• Why love and healthy relationships require intentional effort
• How your inner child can show up in marriage and parenting
• The truth about mom guilt, mistakes, and repairing with your children
• Why friendships naturally change through different seasons
• The difference between supportive friends and enabling friends
• How authenticity helps you find the right people
• Why self-trust is the foundation of real confidence
• The importance of remembering who you were before the world told you who to be

If you've ever questioned whether you're doing marriage, motherhood, friendship, or life "right," this conversation will remind you that growth doesn't require perfection—it requires honesty, grace, and the courage to keep showing up.

💬 What do you wish someone had told you earlier in life? Share your answer in the comments.

Subscribe to Hormones & Hot Takes for honest conversations about women's wellness, motherhood, relationships, emotional healing, faith, hormones, and becoming who you were created to be.

#MarriageAdvice #Motherhood #WomensConfidence #FemaleFriendships #SelfTrust #GenerationalTrauma #EmotionalHealing #HormonesAndHotTakes

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What do you wish someone had told you about being a woman?

In this honest, unfiltered episode of Hormones & Hot Takes, we're talking about the realities of womanhood that too often go unspoken—from changing hormones and brain fog to aging, self-care, faith, identity, and the pressure to hold everything together.

We explore:

• Why women feel guilty for prioritizing themselves
• How hormones can affect mood, sleep, energy, memory, weight, and confidence
• What it means to advocate for your own health
• The complicated messages women receive about femininity and independence
• Why aging doesn't mean losing yourself
• How every season can bring you closer to the woman you were created to be
• Our experiences with 75 Hard and finally prioritizing our health

This is the conversation we wish we could have overheard years ago—real, raw, imperfect, and full of hot takes.

💬 What is one thing you wish someone had told you about womanhood, hormones, or aging? Share it in the comments.

Subscribe to Hormones & Hot Takes for honest conversations about women's health, motherhood, faith, relationships, personal growth, and real life without the polished facade.

This episode shares personal experiences and opinions and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your individual health needs.

#HormonesAndHotTakes #WomensHealth #Perimenopause #WomenOver40 #HormoneHealth #HealthyAging #SelfCareForWomen #ChristianWomen

What if healing your trauma isn't just emotional or spiritual—but neurological, too?

In this powerful episode of Hormones and Hot Takes, we sit down with Dr. Deb Gold to explore the fascinating intersection of faith, neuroscience, trauma healing, neuroplasticity, identity, and biblical truth.

Dr. Deb joins us to talk about her new book, Wired for Redemption: God Created Neuroscience to Heal Trauma and Restore Identity, and shares how understanding the way God designed the brain can change the way we think about healing, purpose, and becoming who we were created to be.

And at 75 years old, Dr. Deb has a message every woman needs to hear: God is not finished with you.

After losing her husband, Dr. Deb found herself facing the temptation to believe that this chapter of her life was over. Instead, she applied the neuroscience principles she teaches, shifted her mindset, stepped into a new season of purpose—and wrote a book.

In this episode, we dig into:

🧠 How trauma can impact the brain, body, and identity ✝️ The connection between neuroscience and biblical principles 🔥 How Jesus' restoration of Peter offers a powerful picture of trauma reprocessing 💭 Neuroplasticity, renewing your mind, and taking thoughts captive 🌿 Healing generational trauma and breaking cycles for future generations 🙏 Prayer, fasting, stillness, and learning to recognize God's voice ❤️ Letting God—not your past, age, failures, or circumstances—define your identity ✨ Why it is NEVER too late to step into your God-given purpose

Dr. Deb also walks us through the story of Peter's denial and restoration through the lens of neuroscience, explaining why the charcoal fire matters and how she sees Jesus replacing an association of failure and trauma with love, purpose, and a new commission.

This conversation gets deep—and a little nerdy—in the best possible way.

If you're a Christian woman navigating trauma recovery, hormone health, emotional healing, grief, mindset shifts, midlife, faith, identity, or finding your purpose in a new season, this episode is for you.

Healing isn't only about what happened to you. It's also about who you're becoming.

🎙️ Subscribe to Hormones and Hot Takes for honest conversations about women's hormones, health, healing, faith, trauma, motherhood, womanhood, and the topics women deserve to be talking about.

💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION: What part of this discussion challenged or encouraged you most? Drop it in the comments. And if you have a question you'd like us to ask Dr. Deb in a future episode, leave it below!

📖 FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE: Wired for Redemption: God Created Neuroscience to Heal Trauma and Restore Identity — Dr. Deb Gold

🔔 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss future episodes of Hormones and Hot Takes.

#HormonesAndHotTakes #WiredForRedemption #DrDebGold #TraumaHealing #Neuroscience #ChristianWomen #FaithAndScience #Neuroplasticity #RenewYourMind #GenerationalTrauma #ChristianPodcast #WomensHealth #HormoneHealth #FaithBasedPodcast #TraumaRecovery

Your reactions aren't random...your brain may simply be repeating what it learned years ago.

In this powerful conversation, Lori and Carrie sit down with psychologist Dr. Deborah Gold to uncover how trauma silently affects relationships, parenting, confidence, finances, identity, and even the way we think about ourselves.

You'll discover:

✔ Why healing isn't just emotional—it's neurological

✔ Why you keep reacting the same way even after you've "moved on"

✔ How trauma shapes your self-talk

✔ The science behind "taking every thought captive"

✔ Practical techniques to calm your nervous system in minutes

✔ Why it's never too late to rewire your brain

Whether you're healing from childhood wounds, betrayal, divorce, or simply wondering why you feel stuck, this episode offers hope, practical tools, and encouragement.

✨ Healing isn't about becoming someone new—it's about becoming who you were created to be.

👇 We'd love to hear from you:

What is ONE truth you're choosing to believe about yourself today?

Subscribe for more real conversations about hormones, healing, relationships, faith, motherhood, and women's wellness.

🎙️ Topics in this episode

Women supporting women • Trauma Healing • Mental Health • Neuroplasticity • Self Worth • Healing Journey • Motherhood • Faith • Hormones and hot takes

#TraumaHealing #MentalHealth #Neuroplasticity #SelfWorth #HealingJourney #Motherhood #Faith #WomenSupportingWomen #HormonesAndHotTakes

Until next time... keep asking questions, keep learning, and let's figure this whole womanhood thing out together.

⚠️ Fair warning: We have a tendency to chase rabbit trails.

Somehow...

They usually lead somewhere worth going.

Welcome to Hormones & Hot Takes!

We're Lori and Carrie.

Two friends who realized we were already having the conversations women needed to hear... so we finally decided to hit record.

Every week, you'll pull up a chair while we talk about all the things we wish someone would've told us years ago.

Hormones.

Perimenopause.

Healthy aging.

Marriage.

Motherhood.

Faith.

Mindset.

Nutrition.

Business.

Relationships.

And all the rabbit trails in between.

Some episodes we'll laugh until we cry.

Some episodes will challenge the way you think.

Some episodes we'll bring in incredible experts.

And some days it'll simply feel like you're sitting around the kitchen table with two friends, a cup of coffee, and a conversation you didn't even know you needed.

We're not trying to be perfect.

We're recording this in real life.

Lori has four kids, so don't be surprised if you hear little voices in the background every now and then. Life happens around here, and honestly... we wouldn't have it any other way.

Our goal isn't to tell you what to think.

It's to ask better questions.

To challenge what we've always been told.

To share what we're learning.

To laugh a lot.

And to invite you into the conversation.

Because the truth is...

We're just two ordinary women on a journey to learn how to become healthier physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

And we'd love for you to come along with us as we figure this whole womanhood thing out together.

So grab your coffee...

Pull up a chair...

And join us every Tuesday for honest conversations, practical wisdom, plenty of laughs, and probably a few hot takes.

We're so glad you're here.

Welcome to Hormones & Hot Takes.

And one last thing...

If you ever see us out in the wild because of this podcast, please come say hi.

We would absolutely love to meet you.

We'll see you in the first episode. ❤️

How many times have you told yourself...

"I'm just getting older."

"I'm probably just stressed."

"This is just part of being a woman."

What if your body has actually been trying to tell you something all along?

In this episode, we continue our conversation about hormones, perimenopause, and healthy aging, but we go even deeper into something every woman needs to hear:

Start paying attention to your body.

We talk about why so many women ignore the warning signs, how we're learning to become our own health advocates, and why there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to hormones, nutrition, exercise, or aging well.

Along the way... because it's us...

We also wander into conversations about:

💪 Why strength training changed Lori's body faster than she ever expected

🥩 High-protein nutrition, whole foods, and why calories aren't the whole story

🧠 The mental battle of perfectionism and why "all or nothing" keeps so many women stuck

🔥 Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), birth control, and learning to ask better questions

🚶‍♀️ Walking, consistency, and why small daily choices matter more than perfect plans

❤️ Why becoming healthier isn't about chasing a number on the scale... it's about creating a life where you actually feel good again.

One thing you'll hear us say over and over...

We're not here to tell you what you should do.

We're here to remind you that you know your body better than anyone else.

Ask questions.

Do your research.

Advocate for yourself.

And don't settle for "that's just part of getting older" if you know something doesn't feel right.

Because becoming healthier doesn't happen overnight.

It happens one intentional decision at a time.

So grab your coffee...

Pull up a chair...

And let's figure this whole womanhood thing out together.

🎙️ Topics in this episode

Perimenopause • Women's health • Hormone health • Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) • Healthy aging • Midlife wellness • Brain fog • Inflammation • Women's wellness • Nutrition • High-protein diet • Strength training for women • Walking for health • Birth control • Hormones • Menopause • Mindset • Perfectionism • Holistic health • Hormones & Hot Takes

Until next time... keep asking questions, keep learning, and let's figure this whole womanhood thing out together.

⚠️ Fair warning: We have a tendency to chase rabbit trails.

Somehow...

They usually lead somewhere worth going.

Have you ever felt judged by another woman?

Maybe it was because of how you parent.

How you feed your kids.

How you look.

How you work.

Or maybe it was simply because you asked a question.

We've all been there.

In this episode, we're having an honest conversation about something that's quietly hurting women everywhere...

Women judging other women.

Lori shares the story of being publicly criticized by complete strangers while simply trying to survive a day at the zoo with her kids. That experience sparked a much bigger conversation about motherhood, comparison, compassion, and why we make assumptions about people whose stories we don't know.

Along the way... because this is Hormones & Hot Takes...

We also wander into conversations about:

❤️ Why compassion should always come before criticism

👩‍👧 The invisible weight so many moms are carrying

💭 How social media and Facebook groups can either build women up... or tear them down

✨ Why every woman's journey with health, motherhood, hormones, healing, and life looks different

🤝 How community becomes powerful when we stop competing and start encouraging

🥩 A few rabbit trails into nutrition, healthy aging, and why it's never too late to start taking care of yourself

Our hope is that this episode reminds you of something simple...

You never know what another woman is carrying.

Before you judge...

Choose kindness.

Choose curiosity.

Choose compassion.

Because the woman standing in front of you may simply need someone to remind her...

You've got this.

So grab your coffee...

Pull up a chair...

And let's figure this whole womanhood thing out together.

🎙️ Topics in this episode

Women supporting women • Mom guilt • Motherhood • Parenting • Women's mental health • Judgment • Compassion • Kindness • Personal growth • Women's community • Healthy aging • Women's health • Faith • Healing • Self-worth • Encouragement • Hormones & Hot Takes • Real conversations

Until next time... keep asking questions, keep learning, and let's figure this whole womanhood thing out together.

⚠️ Fair warning: We have a tendency to chase rabbit trails.

Somehow...

They usually lead somewhere worth going.