In this episode of the Hippie Martha Hormone Hour, I’m joined by Elizabeth Bertch — a nutritional therapy practitioner, fertility awareness educator, and movement instructor who has been living with long COVID since 2022.

We explore the overlap between long COVID, POTS, EDS/hypermobility, nervous system dysregulation, hormones, and the menstrual cycle through the lens of lived experience. This conversation dives into the complexity of chronic illness, symptom flares across the cycle, autonomic dysfunction, fatigue, inflammation, connective tissue, pacing, and the emotional reality of navigating a body that no longer feels predictable.

We also discuss the idea that chronic illness may be more dynamic and interconnected than the common “genetic predisposition + trigger” narrative — touching on stress physiology, nervous system regulation, epigenetics, and the relationship between hormones and chronic symptoms.

This episode is an honest conversation about patterns, healing, and the questions many people with chronic illness are still exploring.

Topics discussed:

• Long COVID and dysautonomia

• POTS symptoms and autonomic nervous system dysfunction

• EDS and hypermobility

• Hormones and the menstrual cycle

• Chronic illness symptom tracking

• Nervous system regulation

• Inflammation and stress physiology

• Cycle-related symptom flares

• Pacing and recovery

• The emotional side of chronic illness

If this episode resonates with you, be sure to hit the follow button, leave a review, and share it with someone navigating chronic illness, long COVID, hormonal health challenges, or nervous system dysregulation.

Connect with Elizabeth:

Instagram: no_elizas

Website: www.elizabethbertch.com

Connect with Ashley:

 Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have a topic you want to learn about? Leave a comment or send a message to Ashley.

*Remember this is NOT medical advice just sound wisdom.

Have you ever felt like your symptoms were being managed but never truly explained?

Are your symptoms trying to tell you something deeper?

In this episode of the Hippie Martha Hormone Hour, I sit down with Dr. Theresa Osmer to discuss root-cause healing, functional medicine, fertility, hormones, metabolic health, and supplementation.

We cover:

• Functional medicine vs. conventional medicine vs. naturopathic medicine
• What "root cause" really means
• Why hormones are often just one piece of the puzzle
• The connection between stress, gut health, metabolism, and hormones
• Fertility support for both women and men
• The importance of metabolic health before conception
• Testing vs. guessing when it comes to supplements
• Common supplement mistakes
• Foundational habits that support long-term health

And a fun rapid fire Q & A.

If you've ever felt dismissed, stuck, or frustrated by symptom-based care, this episode is for you.

How to test your insulin resistance: 

Score = (Fasting insulin, uIU/mL)x(Fasting glucose, mg/dL) / 405 

*Goal is that your score is 2 or under

Connect with Dr. Theresa Osmer:

Instagram: @drtheresaosmerWebsite: www.flowchiro.com

Connect with Ashley:

 Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a friend, leave a review, and subscribe to the Hippie Martha Hormone Hour so you never miss an episode.

Have a topic you want to learn about? Leave a comment or send a message to Ashley.

*Remember this is NOT medical advice just sound wisdom.

In this episode, Ashley sits down with licensed midwife Tesa Lubans to explore a revolutionary way of understanding the female body — not as something broken or in need of fixing, but as a living, intelligent system.

They dive into biological literacy, ovarian intelligence, fertility beyond pregnancy, mothering, and how stress, environment, and systemic disconnection impact women’s health. This conversation challenges conventional narratives around hormones, infertility, postpartum healing, and aging.

Key Topics:

• The Language of Living Systems TM

• Biological literacy vs. hormone hacking

• Ovarian communication and egg intelligence

• Fertility as a whole-body expression

• The impact of stress and environment on hormones

• Hysterectomy and system disconnection

Key Takeaway: Your symptoms are not failures — they are communication.

Resources & Support:

We shared some names and studies with you in this podcast here they are.Cait Scudder-themillionairemother

Julia Bond- iamjuliabondJamie Sea - Currency Academy

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adx0659

https://stemcell.ucsf.edu/news/why-does-female-fertility-decline-so-fast-the-key-is-the-ovary

As always thank you so much for listening. You can learn more about Tesa and her work on IG @sacredasamother or connect through email at [email protected]

Be sure to check out Ashley's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and to work with Ashley head over to her website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have a topic you want to learn about? Leave a comment or send a message to Ashley.

*Remember this is NOT medical advise just sound wisdom.

At 35, I thought my body was breaking.

Irregular cycles, low energy, hormone symptoms—it felt like everything was pointing to perimenopause. But what I discovered changed not only my health… but the entire way I understand the body.

In this episode, I’m sharing my personal journey—from confusion and mislabeling to clarity through cycle tracking and root-cause healing.

In this episode, we cover:

• The symptoms that made me think I was in perimenopause
• What was actually going on (thyroid, gut, blood sugar, burnout + more)
• How birth control impacted my cycle and hormones
• What fertility awareness and cycle charting revealed
• Why testing without context can lead to more confusion
• The exact shifts I made to support my body
• What it really means to heal vs. “fix” hormones

Resources & Support:
Want to understand your cycle and symptoms on a deeper level?

✨ 3-Month 1:1 Mentorship
✨ Personalized support for hormone health, cycle tracking, and root-cause healing

Next Episode:
In Part 3, we’re diving into HRT, birth control, and how to actually make informed decisions about your care.

As always thank you so much for listening. Be sure to check out Ashley's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and to work with Ashley head over to her website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have a topic you want to learn about? Leave a comment or send a message to Ashley.

*Remember this is NOT medical advise just sound wisdom.

You’re in your 30s or 40s, something feels off… and suddenly the internet is telling you it’s perimenopause.

But is it?

In this episode, we’re breaking down what perimenopause actually is—and just as importantly, what it isn’t. Because while your symptoms are real, the label you’ve been given might not be the full picture.

This is the start of a powerful series designed to help you move from confusion to clarity when it comes to your hormones, your cycle, and your body.

Ashley covers:

• What perimenopause really is (in simple, clear terms)
• Why symptoms are often mislabeled as “just hormones”
• The difference between perimenopause, menopause, and primary ovarian insufficiency
• Common root causes that can mimic perimenopause
• Why one hormone test doesn’t give you the full picture
• How to begin understanding your body through patterns—not guesses
• A powerful mindset shift: from “what’s wrong with me?” to “what is my body asking for?”

Your body isn’t broken—and perimenopause isn’t something to fear. It’s something to understand.

Resources & Support: Philosophy shared Jane Hardwicke Collins https://janehardwickecollings.com/honouring-rites-of-passage-in-a-womans-life/

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start understanding your body, I offer:✨ 3-Month 1:1 Hormone Restoration Mentorship (limited spots available)✨ A la carte care from pre-recorded workshops to one off consults.

Reach out to learn more @ ⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠

Next Episode:In Part 2, I’m sharing my personal story—what I thought was hormone chaos, what was actually going on, and what changed everything.

As always thank you so much for listening. Be sure to check out Ashley's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and to work with Ashley head over to her website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have a topic you want to learn about? Leave a comment or send a message to Ashley.

*Remember this is NOT medical advise just sound wisdom.

*Trigger warnings include obstetric violence, PTSD, birth trauma, and injuries.

In today’s episode, we’re diving into an important and often overlooked conversation around birth, obstetric violence, and women’s autonomy in the delivery room.

As a former labor and delivery nurse and birth assistant with over 11 years of experience, I’m sharing what I’ve witnessed inside both hospital births and physiological, hands-off births—and why this matters for your experience.

In this episode, we cover:

• What obstetric violence is and how it shows up during childbirth

• The difference between medicalized birth vs. physiological birth

• How non-consented care and unnecessary interventions impact women

• Why “healthy mom, healthy baby” is not the full picture

• The link between birth experiences and postpartum depression, trauma, and PTSD

• How to advocate for yourself during labor and delivery

• Questions to ask your provider to support a more natural, hands-off birth

Whether you’re currently pregnant, planning for pregnancy, or simply want to better understand your body and your options—this episode will help you feel more informed, confident, and empowered.

✨ Book a FREE discovery call through my website.

Because this work doesn’t start in labor—
it starts with education.

Links to resources shared on this show:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2776520/

https://internationalmidwives.org/resources/obstetric-violence-and-mistreatment-and-violence-against-women-in-reproductive-health-services/

My resource library

As always thank you so much for listening. Be sure to check out Ashley's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ and to work with Ashley head over to her website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠⁠⁠

Have a topic you want to learn about? Leave a comment or send a message to Ashley.

*Remember this is NOT medical advise just sound wisdom.

**Trigger warning we talk about disordered eating, anorexia, and orthorexia. If these topics are triggering for you please take care and skip this episode.

In this follow-up episode of The Hippie Martha Hormone Hour, Ashley sits down again with Kenzie Jo from @kenziejofitness for a deeper conversation about nutrition, blood sugar, and understanding the female cycle.

This episode moves beyond fitness culture and into the everyday foundations of hormone health — how we fuel our bodies, regulate blood sugar, and build a relationship with food that supports ovulation and overall wellbeing.

In This Episode We Discuss

• Why protein and fiber are foundational for hormone health

• Blood sugar regulation and its impact on ovulation and PMS

• Food fear, diet culture, disordered eating, and nervous system stress

• Viewing food as nutrients and information for the body

• Birth control vs. a true ovulatory cycle

• Why ovulation is a vital sign for overall health

• Sympto-thermal vs. sympto-hormonal fertility awareness methods

• A deeper look at the phases of the female cycle

  If you’re ready to understand your cycle, reconnect with your body, start moving more, or learn fertility awareness in a sustainable way, private consults and charting support is available.

  Be sure to give Kenzie Jo a follow on IG ⁠@kenziejofitness⁠

  or connect with her @ ⁠www.hellokenziejo.com⁠

  As always thank you so much for listening. Be sure to check out Ashley's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ and to work with Ashley head over to her website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠⁠

  Have a topic you want to learn about? Leave a comment or send a message to Ashley.

  *Remember this is NOT medical advise just sound wisdom.

Struggling with hormonal migraines? In this episode of The Hippie Martha Hormone Hour, Ashley Goodwin, RN, FAE and Morganne Skinner RN and FEMM fertility awareness educator explore the root causes of migraines in women, including estrogen fluctuations, histamine intolerance, gut health, liver detox pathways, and nervous system dysregulation.

Ashley and Morganne share their personal stories of migraines and how they drastically reduced their occurrences. You’ll learn about the migraine bucket concept, menstrual migraines, perimenopause shifts, natural migraine remedies, and in-the-moment support beyond triptans and beta blockers.

If You’re Experiencing:

• Migraines around ovulation or before your period

• Aura, light sensitivity, or nausea with headaches

• High stress and poor sleep

• Digestive issues or histamine reactions

• Worsening migraines in perimenopause

This conversation will help you connect the dots.

If you’re ready to understand migraines through a whole-body lens — this episode is for you.

You can find Morganne on IG ⁠@fertilitydefined⁠ or her website at ⁠www.fertilitydefined.com⁠ You can listen to our last episode together on Endometriosis here.

As always thank you so much for listening. For more happenings and bits of education be sure to check out my Instagram⁠ ⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠  or head over to my website at ⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com to work with me privately.

*Reminder: This podcast is not medical advice—just sound wisdom and education to help you ask better questions and know your body.

In this episode of The Hippie Martha Hormone Hour, Ashley sits down with integrative Physician Assistant and health coach Danielle Kepics, PA, who helps high-functioning, Type A women move beyond band-aid solutions and build lasting, root-cause health.

With over a decade of clinical experience and advanced training in counseling psychology, fertility awareness, nutrition, and fitness, Danielle blends physiology, psychology, and lifestyle medicine in a way that actually works—plus a little added spiciness this show hasn’t seen before 🌶️.

Ashley and Danielle dive into the powerful connection between gut health and hormones, why perfectionism often shows up as physical symptoms, and how supporting the body metabolically first can transform cycle health. They also talk about using menstrual charting as a clinical tool, honest thoughts on BHRT, egg quality, and what real self-advocacy looks like for women in midlife.

If you’ve ever been told “everything looks normal” while your body is clearly saying otherwise—this conversation is for you.

• Cycle check-in and listening to the body

• The gut–hormone connection: SIBO, dysbiosis & estrogen detox

• Perfectionism, nervous system stress & chronic symptoms

• Free + accessible ways to support gut health

• What “metabolic support first” really means

• Charting as a powerful clinical tool

• Honest conversation about BHRT

• Egg quality and long-term cycle vitality

• How to advocate for yourself in midlife care

• Our Guests Websites:
  • www.empoweredmindbody.co
  • www.unconventionalcollaborative.com

• Instagram:
  • @danielle.kepics
  • @empowered.mind.body
  • @empowered.medicine
  • @unconventional.collaborative

• Metabolic Audit Quiz:
  https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/preview/6971446cdf848c61724bd9e6

Thanks for listening to The Hippie Martha Hormone Hour!
Follow on Instagram → @thehippiemartha
Work with Ashley → www.thehippiemartha.com

Reminder: This podcast is not medical advice—just sound wisdom and education to help you ask better questions and know your body.

In this episode of The Hippie Martha Hormone Hour, I’m joined by Kenzie Jo— a fitness instructor, health coach, and FEMM Fertility Awareness Educator known for her grounded, “cavewoman” approach to movement and hormone health.

We talk about why traditional New Year’s resolutions often fail, how to create sustainable exercise habits for cyclical bodies, and what it really means to move in a way that supports your menstrual cycle instead of fighting it. Kenzie Jo shares her thoughts on cycle-aware workouts, overtraining and its impact on the menstrual cycle, daily micro-habits that actually matter, and how to approach strength training if you’re hypermobile or injury-prone.

This conversation is for anyone feeling burned out by fitness culture, healing their relationship with movement, or looking for simple, supportive ways to care for their hormones through movement, food, and lifestyle.

• Why New Year’s resolutions don’t work for cyclical bodies

• Sustainable movement vs. all-or-nothing fitness

• Cycle syncing workouts: helpful or harmful?

• Daily micro-habits to support hormones

• Over-exercising & menstrual cycle disruption

• Supporting your cycle with food & lifestyle

• Strength training for hypermobility & joint stability

• Beginner-friendly movement for people who hate the gym

If you’re ready to understand your cycle, reconnect with your body, start moving more, or learn fertility awareness in a sustainable way, private consults and charting support is available.

Be sure to give Kenzie Jo a follow on IG @kenziejofitness

or connect with her @ www.hellokenziejo.com

As always thank you so much for listening. Be sure to check out my Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@thehippiemartha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ and to work with Ashley head over to her website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thehippiemartha.com⁠

*Remember this is NOT medical advise just sound wisdom.