After years of running, we know that our strongest race day performance starts before we even lace up our shoes and hit the start-line. Now, it's time to discuss nuances as our hormones change age 35 and beyond and how to optimize race day outcomes! Ready to thrive? Hell yes you are!

In this energizing episode, Louise shares the excitement of taper week leading up to the first Breaking Through Wellness retreat and half marathon in the Finger Lakes of beautiful New York. With real stories of women thriving through hormone-optimizing training and female-specific fueling, she reveals how small shifts, like maximizing cortisol resilience, sleep, and recovery, can completely transform performance and confidence for women in perimenopause and beyond.

Louise, as one of the world’s leading health, nutrition, and performance experts for everyday female runners, breaks down her exact taper-week formula, explaining how to balance strength training, short yet effective mindset work, and nervous system regulation to feel strong, calm, and injury-free on race day. Through personal experiences, including winning a 5K during her taper week, she demonstrates how female-specific methods can yield results that seem “too good to be true.” 

As an industry leader actively rewriting women's health, fitness, and recreational running age 35 and beyond alongside her clients, this is a can't miss episode with inspiring badass runner stories!

Whether you’re chasing a PR or just want to feel amazing in your next race, this episode gives you the roadmap to do it: hormonally smart, strategic, and joy-filled.

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/

 Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20% off: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing Promo code LOUISE saves on all future orders!

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(3:15) Breaking Through Wellness Retreat & race prep
(5:17) Taper week and hormone optimization
(7:06) Louise’s race-day story & mindset
(23:39) Training week breakdown for taper
(15:04) Recovery and cortisol management
(23:39) Training week breakdown for taper
(24:59) Mindset: From breakdown to badass
(29:58) Nutrition and carb-loading for women
(32:14) Recovery, results, and redefining limits
(33:51) Outro

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!

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As hard as it is for us to hear, the “grind harder” and "bigger, faster, stronger" mindsets that once got us results are now holding us back. 

In this powerful episode, world-leading perimenopause women's health, fitness and performance expert Louise Valentine breaks down why women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, especially runners and Type A high-achievers, need to rethink how they train, fuel, and recover. She introduces the idea that “the threshold has changed”. Our bodies, hormones, how we achieve fitness adaptations, and nervous system health evolves with aging, and so must our approach.

Listeners will learn how chronic stress, underfueling, male-based nutrition strategies and unexpected overtraining due to male-based running methods stall progress, and how recalibrating with smarter female-specific strength training, fueling, recovery, and nervous system regulation can unlock new levels of strength, holistic mind-body performance, and clarity. 

Louise shares real client stories showing how doing a bit less with intention and customized female-specific strategies can lead to faster running, better sleep, glowing skin, PRs, and lasting energy.

This isn’t about slowing down, it’s about working smarter with your changing body and female physiology so you can continue to thrive, perform, and feel amazing at every age.

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/

 Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20% off: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(5:07) Discovering the “threshold has changed”
(7:57) Why Type A women need new strategies
(12:28) The role of cortisol and recovery
(16:37) Real client wins from doing less
(20:06) Nervous system regulation and breathwork
(25:39) The cost of always “crushing it”
(28:46) New rules for nutrition, rest, and strength
(30:46) Action steps to adapt and thrive
(34:41) Outro

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!

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https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness

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https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

Email 💬 (Note: We do not have guests on our podcast)
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Lady runners and endurance athletes, don't let anyone ever tell you we can't lower our cholesterol, balance our hormones, and boost our running performance without extreme diets, endless supplements or prescriptions. Most of the time, there is a (much) better way and it's time we learn some specifics, nuances, and targeted female-specific strategies to try!

In this episode of Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause, Louise Valentine, one of the world’s leading health, fitness and performance experts, shares a simple, science-backed roadmap for avid active women and recreational runners age 35+ who are navigating perimenopause and beyond.

Louise reveals root cause mechanisms of why LDL cholesterol often spikes as estrogen declines and how outdated advice about cutting out eggs or red meat isn’t the full picture. Drawing from over two decades of coaching and research, her own fiercely inspiring health journey, and empowering thousands of individuals over the course of her proven career designing integrative health and fitness interventions, she explains practical steps you can take to improve biomarkers in as little as three months.

You’ll learn which supplements actually make a difference, how much your specific food choices matter, awareness of how seed oils sneak into your pantry, and why advocating for yourself with doctors matters. You'll get a step-by-step playbook to discuss your labs with your doctor to be fully heard and get the comprehensive effective care you deserve. Most importantly, you’ll discover realistic strategies, rooted in cutting-edge female-specific science, that help you feel energized, resilient, and confident in your body.

If you’re a driven, active woman who’s tired of feeling blindsided by midlife changes, this episode is your playbook for thriving with less stress, relentless confidence, and more strength.

Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks under "Favorites" & save 20% off the supplements mentioned in today’s episode: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/ 

Our affiliate link to check Function Health for comprehensive blood work: https://my.functionhealth.com/signup?code=LVALENTINE11&_saasquatch=LVALENTINE11 

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing Promo code “LOUISE” saves on all future orders!

Episode Highlights:
(0:000 Intro
(3:04) A step-by-step roadmap to lower LDL
(7:41) The importance of advanced lipid testing
(11:13) A client’s success challenging the “only meds” advice
(14:56) Louise’s personal results lowering biomarkers
(19:26) Fueling frameworks that boost natural hormone production
(22:42) Ou

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!

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https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness

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Fact: The narrative we’ve been told about perimenopause, that it means slowing down, feeling like crap, gaining fat, and losing our strong, fit, and athletic edge... is not our truth at Breaking Through Wellness!

In this inspiring episode of Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause, host Louise Valentine sits down with Katie Lowe, a teacher, dedicated runner, and race director, who has transformed her holistic health, energy, physique, and performance during perimenopause.

Katie shares her journey from frustrating overwhelm with conflicting advice, surprising symptoms, fat gain, and burnout...

to smashing PRs at ALL race distances, building strength, and redefining what’s possible for women in their 40s!

With support from Louise’s science-based coaching and innovative female-specific methods, Katie discovered the power of adjusting fueling, living, and training to align with her changing female physiology, embracing the mantra “courage over comfort.” 

Her story proves that you can achieve breakthrough results at any age, including a more fit and lean body composition, faster recovery, and stronger running, without extreme diets, injury, or burnout!

You will leave encouraged to trust the process, fuel, and train your body smarter, and know that you have a supportive community of strong, badass, and like-minded women runners that validates the highs and lows of the perimenopause journey.

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress here: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/ 

Learn more about Katie's running company here: https://2lowerunco.com/

Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20% off: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing 

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(3:00) Katie’s early love for sports and running
(7:15) Jumping into a 50-mile race unprepared
(8:05) Building a local running community
(10:08) Feeling stuck despite doing “all the things”
(11:35) Finding Louise through a Facebook comment
(16:53) Early breakthroughs: body comp and performance
(17:53) Unexpected PRs and faster recovery
(22:44) Learning the art of adjustment
(24:40) Balancing a daily run streak with recovery
(30:24) “Courage over comfort” mindset shift
(32:49) Defying society’s limits on aging women
(36:22) Eating more food and still seeing results
(40:41) Why breakfast is now non-negotiable
(48:05) Shifting priorities and trusting the “why”
(57:02) Sustainable strategies for lifelong running
(1:00:19) Outro

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!

I'd love to connect!

Instagram 📷
https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

Email 💬 (Note: We do not have guests on our podcast)
[email protected]

Often, the very thing we love, running and endurance training, is silently adding counterproductive stress to our body. While not a sole causative factor in adverse health outcomes, recent research findings have scientists, practitioners, recreational endurance athletes, and runners pausing across the world!

In this episode of Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause, Louise, one of the world’s leading integrative health practitioners, exercise physiologist, and fitness experts explores the often-overlooked connection between female physiology, gut health, and endurance training.

Drawing on her 22+ years of clinical experience, research, supporting thousands of active individuals at all levels, and her own journey as a dedicated runner reversing stomach precancer, Louise explains how stress, gut health, and hormonal changes intersect during perimenopause and what you can do about it. From the science behind intestinal permeability (that stubborn lower ab “pooch” and bloat) to targeted, affordable supplements and practical fueling strategies, she keeps it simple, science-based, and specific to highly active women who love to run.

You’ll also hear Louise’s candid take on the latest viral headlines and misleading social media spins claiming running causes cancer, why it’s not that simple, and how to critically approach the noise without giving up the sport you love. This episode is equal parts honesty, science, and actionable tools so you can run, live, and thrive with confidence.

If ready to critically think about novel research findings, instead of panic or jump to conclusions, this episode is for you!

Feel, look & perform your best with my “All About Gut Health & How to Restore It” Mini Course here: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/offers/tKTJYVjP/checkout 

Link to check out the “Healthy Gut Support” (intestinal support formula) mentioned in the beginning of this episode: https://equi.life?irad=859795&irmp=3644194

Watch my blog article “The Art of Magaining Stress & Chronic Disease Risk When You Love Fitness or Running… A Lot” “https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/blog/dedicated-female-runners-the-art-of-managing-stress-women-s-health-osteoporosis-chronic-disease-risk

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/ 

Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20% off, including 20% off Seed, the supplement mentioned in today’s episode: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pa

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!

I'd love to connect!

Instagram 📷
https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

Email 💬 (Note: We do not have guests on our podcast)
[email protected]

What if some the very things you swore you’d never do are the ones that bring you the most growth in your health and performance as your hormones change age 35 and beyond? In this episode, Louise Valentine, leading exercise physiologist and women’s integrative health expert for everyday female runners, gets real about the unexpected shifts that happen in perimenopause, changes that affect not only your body, but also your mindset, relationships, and how you fuel, live, and train.

Louise shares six surprising shifts that many women face: juggling kids’ performance with personal goals, odd pelvic floor pain and symptoms that show up out of nowhere, taking supplements for health instead of performance, realizing that sex can be a powerful form of nervous system regulation, navigating stress like never before, and perhaps most shocking is racing for fun, joy, and love of running, instead of always chasing PRs.

These insights aren’t just personal stories; they’re backed by decades of coaching, cutting edge female-specific science, and lived experience. Whether you’re struggling with hormonal changes, recalibrating your fitness priorities, or searching for balance in a high-stress season of life, this conversation gives you permission to evolve with grace, strength, and joy.

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/ 

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing 

Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20%: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(3:22) Six surprising shifts in perimenopause
(5:21) Shifting focus from self to kids’ performance
(15:49) Pelvic floor pain returns in perimenopause
(18:13) Supplements for health, not performance
(22:18) Sex as nervous system regulation
(25:32) Why stress management matters most now
(32:54) Racing for fun instead of PRs
(40:03) Outro

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!

I'd love to connect!

Instagram 📷
https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

Email 💬 (Note: We do not have guests on our podcast)
[email protected]

What if some of the foods and workouts you’ve been relying on are actually making perimenopause harder? In this episode, Louise, one of the world’s leading health, fitness and performance experts for everyday female runners, gets real about the connection between dopamine seeking, food choices, and protecting your mental health as hormones change. You’ll hear why waiting for low hormone labs to tell you that you're in perimenopause is too late, and why learning to listen to your body’s early signals and warning signs matters most.

This conversation sheds light on how low hormone levels and perimenopause mechanisms of action affect mental health, nutrient timing, nutrient absorption, recovery, and even how you should approach training. You’ll discover why high-intensity exercise can backfire and why some women need to abstain from certain foods instead of trying to “moderate.”  Enjoy candid real life examples of how genetic predispositions and environmental triggers like family traditions and old memories can spark cravings, mood swings, depression, frustrating performance decline and even fat gain!

Most importantly, you’ll walk away with practical insights to protect your mental health, maximize brain health and mood, make peace with your body, and build a lifestyle that supports achieving your goals instead of fighting them. 

This is about self-love, awareness, and applying the best female-specific strategies specific to YOUR unique body and goals to thrive in a season that often feels overwhelming, but doesn’t have to be!

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/ 

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing 

Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20%: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(6:13) Hormone shifts and nutrient timing
(7:09) Training pitfalls and exercise misalignment
(10:17) The stress tipping point and community support
(16:15) Running journey, self-belief, and family influence
(22:08) Dopamine seeking, cravings, and food memories
(27:02) How food triggers dopamine and cravings
(33:03) Knowing yourself: Abstainer vs moderator
(37:30) Cycle timing, mood dips, and food impact
(45:45) Naming dopamine seeking and accountability
(52:45) Practical takeaways and self-love as core
(57:26) Outro

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!

I'd love to connect!

Instagram 📷
https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

Email 💬 (Note: We do not have guests on our podcast)
[email protected]

What if the biggest key to thriving through perimenopause wasn’t another supplement, stricter diet, or grueling workout, but something totally different than pushing your body to new extreme? In this empowering episode, Louise, one of the world’s leading health experts for avidly active high-achieving women and everyday female runners, pulls back the curtain on the real challenges women face in their late 30s, 40s, and beyond when hormones start shifting.

She shares why so many active, driven women and runners hit a wall with fatigue, stubborn weight, hot flashes, and self-criticism, and how mindset, patience, and self-love become non-negotiable for success. From nutrition timing to balancing cortisol, building lean strength, and preventing injuries, Louise explains why quick fixes fail and what really works for lifelong sustainable success.

Listeners will walk away with practical steps for supporting their bodies, celebrating progress instead of nitpicking flaws, and embracing the long game of maximizing health, running, and physique goals despite changing hormones. Whether you’re chasing PRs or just want to feel vibrant again, this episode reminds you that you’re already a badass, especially on days where you're not feeling it, and THAT is where lasting transformation begins!

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/

Link to Louise's best-selling book, The Art of Breaking Through, on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4fRdMAu 

 Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing

 Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20%: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(3:11) How changing hormones impact health and energy
(5:29) Why progress looks different for every woman
(7:06) The missing pieces: self-love, an empowered mindset and patience
(8:51) Cortisol, stress, and blocked hormone production
(12:21) Grace, consistency, and realistic expectations
(16:03) Why perimenopause demands long-term strategies
(21:00) Asking: “When will I be good enough for me?”
(24:44) Practical action steps to move forward
(29:36) Celebrating wins and redefining success
(33:06) Outro

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!

I'd love to connect!

Instagram 📷
https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

Email 💬 (Note: We do not have guests on our podcast)
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What if the key to thriving age 35 and beyond as an active female isn’t a complicated routine, but something as simple as a deeper understanding of the nuances of protein? In this episode, host Louise, one of the world’s leading experts for perimenopausal active women and runners, sits down with Liz Plosser, former editor-in-chief of Women’s Health magazine, to talk about real, science-backed strategies for women seeking simple and effective ways to optimize health, hormones, and performance in midlife.

Liz shares her personal journey from fearing protein to making it the cornerstone of her recovery, strength, and energy, especially after a major injury. Together, they break down nuances of protein timing, strategy, and absorption, why the right type of amino acids and creatine can be game changers, and how lifting heavier and strategically to work with changing hormones, and not against them, protects not just muscles but bones and long-term vitality in active living!

You’ll also hear practical tips on timing protein intake, simplifying nutrition without overwhelm, and reframing perimenopause as a season of strength and confidence rather than something to fear. Whether you’re a busy mom, athlete, or just trying to feel your best, this conversation will leave you empowered with tools you can use today. Join us to learn, laugh, and level up with a hell of a lot less stress!

Enter our Kion aminos giveaway at https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/aminos

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/ 

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing 

Where to Find Liz Plosser, 7-Year Former Editor in Chief Women’s Health Magazine:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizplosser?igsh=eGgzcjJscTZyOTg1

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(3:59) Liz’s early passion for health and fitness
(5:14) The rise of female-focused, science-based health
(6:42) Why protein is a game-changer for women
(8:10) Injury, recovery, and strength training lessons
(12:21) Protein supplements and essential amino acids
(15:33) How EAAs support workouts and recovery
(25:10) Protein and lifting during perimenopause
(27:53) Confidence, body image, and muscle definition
(34:25) Family history, bone density, and DEXA scans
(39:33) Whole foods vs. amino acid supplementation
(49:33) Liz’s one tip for thriving in perimenopause
(50:42) Outro

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!

I'd love to connect!

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https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness

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https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

Email 💬 (Note: We do not have guests on our podcast)
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Ever been told to cut out dairy, red meat, or alcohol, only to wonder if that advice really makes sense for you? In this episode, Louise, one of the world’s leading integrative health practitioners, breaks down the science, the myths, and the personal experiences that shaped her approach to these three hot-topic foods. You’ll learn why high-quality dairy can be a powerhouse for staying strong, building muscle, optimizing gut health, lowering inflammation, and maximizing injury prevention; how mindful red meat consumption supports strength, injury-free running and longevity; and how to approach alcohol with strategic joy and responsibility.

This isn’t about perfection, it’s about finding what truly works for your female body, your lifestyle, and your goals. Louise shares real client stories, research-backed insights, and practical tips to help you make informed choices instead of following blanket rules. 

Whether you’re in perimenopause, navigating hormonal challenges, or just seeking better health and performance without feeling restricted, you’ll walk away with strategies you can apply today!

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/

 Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing

 Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20%: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(5:34) The truth about dairy and inflammation
(7:51) Gut health before elimination diets
(10:17) Determining your dairy tolerance
(14:33) Why meat quality matters for health
(20:58) Alcohol, boundaries, and mindful enjoyment
(27:58) Science on moderate alcohol consumption
(34:55) Outro

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!

I'd love to connect!

Instagram 📷
https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

Email 💬 (Note: We do not have guests on our podcast)
[email protected]