The Hormone Solution | Menopause, Perimenopause, & Women's Midlife Health

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE **The Estrogen Shortage Survival Guide for Women**

Can't get your usual estrogen patch? Don't panic. You have options!

In this free guide, hormone specialist Karen Martel breaks down the different estrogen delivery methods, including patches, creams, gels, oils, and injections. Learn how they compare, understand approximate dosing equivalents, and discover what to ask your doctor before making a switch. Plus, get practical tips for navigating the estrogen shortage so you can stay on track with your hormone therapy and avoid unnecessary disruptions.

Imagine finally getting your HRT dialed in, feeling good again, walking into the pharmacy for your refill...

And being told your estrogen patch is out of stock.

That is exactly what happened to me, and I am definitely not the only one.

Women across North America are suddenly finding themselves calling multiple pharmacies, being switched to different patch brands, being offered oral estrogen, or wondering if they are about to be forced to go without the hormone therapy that has been keeping their symptoms under control.

But before you panic, there is something important you need to know:

You have options.

In this episode, I am breaking down what is happening with the estrogen patch shortage, why two patches containing the exact same estradiol dose can feel completely different, and what women need to understand before switching from one form of estrogen to another.

We also get into one of the most confusing parts of HRT: why the numbers on a patch, cream, gel, oil, or other estrogen product can look wildly different even when they are being used for similar purposes.

And then we go into a much bigger conversation about estrogen delivery itself.

Because swallowing estrogen, wearing estrogen, applying estrogen to the skin, and using other delivery methods are not necessarily doing the exact same thing inside your body.

If your pharmacy has already told you your patch is unavailable, or you simply want to understand your backup options before this happens to you, this episode is one you will want to save.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Why estrogen patches are suddenly becoming harder to find
• What the recent increase in HRT demand may mean for women
• Why one estrogen patch can feel completely different from another
• What actually determines how a patch delivers estradiol
• Why the adhesive itself may matter more than you realize
• Commercially manufactured versus compounded estrogen
• Why compounded does not automatically mean better or worse
• What women need to understand before changing estrogen delivery methods
• Why comparing the milligrams on two estrogen products can be extremely misleading
• The differences between patches, gels, creams, oils, sprays, injections, and oral estrogen
• Why some women absorb certain forms of estrogen better than others
• Why oral estradiol behaves differently once it reaches the liver
• The estrogen metabolite almost nobody talks about
• What SHBG and thyroid-binding proteins have to do with estrogen therapy
• Why route of administration may matter for cardiovascular and clotting risk
• What questions to ask your provider if your usual patch disappears
• How to create a backup plan before you are scrambling at the pharmacy

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Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve? At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, and British Columbia Canada with the ability to prescribe Glp1s, bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.

Book your FREE Hormone Strategy Call.

Visit the website.

Visit the Midlife Solutions Shop Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed. Including:

• Progesterone
• Estrogen Face Cream
• Vaginal Moisturizer
• and more!

Is Your HRT Optimized? Find out, download the FREE guide here. Inside, you'll learn how to look at HRT through the bigger picture of symptoms, labs, and clinical response, with easy-to-understand reference pages for estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone.

Join The Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program TODAY for as low as $150/month!

Join Midlife RESET HRT Program: A complete, supportive approach to peptides and hormone replacement therapy in midlife.

Your host: Karen Martel, Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert

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Welcome to Quick Hits — where we bring you the most impactful moments from past episodes in under 15 minutes.

Today's clip comes from one of our most replayed conversations.

If you want the full episode, check the link in the description below.

Listen to the full episode here.

We talk constantly about eating more protein in midlife.

But here is the question we do not ask nearly enough:

Is your body actually getting what it needs from that protein?

Because there is a big difference between eating protein, digesting protein, getting enough of the right amino acids, and actually giving your body what it needs to maintain muscle as you age.

And this becomes especially important in perimenopause and menopause, when preserving muscle already starts getting harder.

In this clip you will hear from the episode, with Angelo Keely, co-founder and CEO of Kion, where we get into something I realized I did not understand nearly as well as I thought I did: essential amino acids.

We break down what amino acids actually are, why some proteins are considered "complete" while others are not, why collagen does not count the way many women think it does, and why protein quality may matter just as much as the number of grams you are tracking.

Then we get into the part I think is especially important for midlife women: what happens when you are dieting, using a GLP-1, struggling to eat enough protein, or simply noticing that maintaining muscle is getting harder than it used to be.

There are some very surprising pieces of research in this conversation that completely changed the way I think about protein supplementation.

• What amino acids actually are and why your body needs them

• The difference between essential and non-essential amino acids

• Why not all protein sources are created equal

• What actually makes a protein "complete"

• Why collagen may not count toward your protein goals the way you think

• Animal protein versus plant protein

• Whey protein versus essential amino acids

• Why the amount of protein you needed in your 20s may not be enough anymore

• What happens to muscle when you are not getting enough amino acids

• Why calorie restriction can make muscle preservation much harder

• The GLP-1 and muscle-loss conversation women need to understand

• A fascinating piece of NASA research on amino acids and muscle

• Why leucine gets so much attention

• Why BCAAs are not the same thing as a complete essential amino acid formula

• Amino acids, hormones, neurotransmitters, mood, hair, skin, and nails

• When to take amino acids for the greatest benefit

• Pre-workout versus post-workout versus between meals

• Whether amino acids can be combined with protein, collagen, electrolytes, and other supplements

• What to look for when choosing an amino acid product

Sponsors

Get 20% off your Cozy Earth Bed Sheet with coupon code HORMONES

Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?

At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.

Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call

Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.

Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com

Shop the Midlife Solutions Store

Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.

Including:

• Progesterone

• Estrogen Face Cream

• Vaginal Moisturizer

and more!

Take the Hormone Quiz

Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.

Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).

Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program

Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.

Midlife RESET HRT Program

A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.

Your host:

Karen Martel

Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert

Karen's Facebook

Karen's Instagram

Most women enter perimenopause thinking about hot flashes, weight gain, sleep, brain fog, and hormones.

Very few are told that this may also be one of the most important cardiovascular windows of their lives.

And that is a problem.

Heart disease remains the number one killer of women, yet women are still being underdiagnosed, dismissed, and evaluated using systems that were largely built around male cardiovascular disease.

In this episode, I sit down with preventative cardiologist Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum to talk about what women actually need to understand about their hearts in perimenopause and menopause.

We get into the surprising signs that may tell you more about your cardiovascular health than you realize, why looking healthy does not necessarily mean your arteries are healthy, and why the standard cholesterol panel may not be giving you the full picture.

We also have a very important conversation about estrogen, HRT, cholesterol, inflammation, blood sugar, hot flashes, family history, pregnancy history, and why simply putting on an estrogen patch is not the same thing as protecting your heart.

This is one of those episodes I want every woman to hear before she assumes, "I'm healthy. I exercise. My heart is probably fine."

Because there may be things happening beneath the surface long before you ever develop obvious cardiovascular disease.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Why heart disease in women is still so often missed
• Why women can look incredibly healthy and still be at risk
• The cardiovascular clues hidden in your pregnancy history
• A genetic cholesterol marker many women have never had tested
• Why your standard LDL number may not tell the whole story
• The additional blood markers Dr. Steinbaum wants women asking for
• The surprising connection between hot flashes and cardiovascular risk
• What starts changing in the arteries during perimenopause
• Why palpitations, shortness of breath, and subtle chest symptoms deserve attention
• How declining estrogen may affect cardiovascular health
• Why HRT is important but not a free pass
• The mistake of assuming estrogen alone protects you from heart disease
• Why some commonly used cardiovascular tests may miss disease in women
• The type of plaque that can be especially important in female heart disease
• Why cardiovascular prevention needs to become far more personalized
• The controversy around LDL, ApoB, and statins
• Why Dr. Steinbaum does not treat numbers in isolation
• The cardiovascular tests she believes women should know about
• Why perimenopause may be the moment to start paying much closer attention

Visit Dr. Steinbaum's website.

Sponsors

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Order your LMNT electrolytes today and get a FREE 8 pack of samples! Plus try it risk free, they have a no-questions-asked refund policy – you don't even have to send it back!

Shop Midlife Hormone Creams

Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?

At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.

Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call

Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.

Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com

Shop the Midlife Solutions Store

Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.

Including:

• Progesterone

• Estrogen Face Cream

• Vaginal Moisturizer

and more!

Take the Hormone Quiz

Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.

Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).

Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program

Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.

Midlife RESET HRT Program

A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.

Your host:

Karen Martel

Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert

Karen's Facebook

Karen's Instagram

Welcome to Quick Hits — where we bring you the most impactful moments from past episodes in under 15 minutes.

Today's clip comes from one of our most replayed conversations.

If you want the full episode, check the link in the description below.

Listen to the full episode here.

Listen to the full episode on iTunes here.

This week we're exploring the intricacies of hormonal health and nutrition for women over 40, including the delicate balance between diet, exercise, and hormones. Joining us is nutrition expert Philip Pape, and together we debunk diet myths and provide personalized strategies to maintain energy, muscle mass, and metabolic health. We also discuss the transformative power of body recomposition and provide actionable advice for fine-tuning workout routines to thrive post-40.

In this episode:

• The importance of midlife as a pivotal time for women's health due to the interaction of hormones and nutrition.
• What strategies for carbs, proteins, and fats can optimize women's health post-40.
• Why the "eat less, move more" mantra is flawed.
• Strategies for managing calorie intake amid hormonal changes to conserve muscle mass and energy.
• How strength training for insulin resistance provides benefits from focusing on carbohydrates and muscle maintenance.
• How body recomposition transforms health in midlife.
• The role of nutrient timing in fitness, such as the importance of salt, carbs, and protein for workouts.
• What metrics can be used to track progress rather than just the scale.
• Why efficient workout routines are more impactful than spending long hours in the gym.
• Success stories that reveal the harmony between nutrition and weightlifting leading to health transformations.
• Why protein gradually becomes more important as women age.
• The use of 3D body scanning apps for tracking fitness progress as technology aids in monitoring changes.
• Why electrolyte balance is crucial, and the role of salt in health and performance.
• How aggressive calorie deficits with refeed days can preserve muscle.

Visit Philip's website here.

Sponsors

Get 30% off your COZY EARTH order Oct 5th-11th with coupon code HORMONES

Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?

At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.

Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call

Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.

Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com

Shop the Midlife Solutions Store

Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.

Including:

• Progesterone

• Estrogen Face Cream

• Vaginal Moisturizer

and more!

Take the Hormone Quiz

Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.

Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).

Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program

Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.

Midlife RESET HRT Program

A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.

Your host:

Karen Martel

Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert

Karen's Facebook

Karen's Instagram

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE GUIDE "IS YOUR HRT OPTIMIZED!" https://karenmartel.com/blogs/health/is-your-hrt-actually-optimized

Yesterday morning, I sat up in bed and somehow threw my neck out.

That was it.

I did not fall. I did not lift anything heavy. I did not have some dramatic injury.

I literally sat up.

And if you are somewhere in your 40s or 50s, there is a very good chance you have your own version of this story.

Your shoulder suddenly stops moving properly. Your back goes out doing something completely ordinary. Your knees start aching. Your Achilles is angry. Your elbow hurts for no apparent reason. Workouts you used to recover from easily suddenly leave you sore for days.

And you start wondering...

What is happening to my body?

There is actually a name now being used for what many women experience through this transition, and once you understand what is happening underneath the surface, a lot of these seemingly random aches, injuries, and changes start to make a whole lot more sense.

In this episode, I am breaking down the overlooked connection between perimenopause, menopause, hormones, inflammation, muscle, connective tissue, recovery, and pain.

We are also getting into frozen shoulder, why the same workout can suddenly affect you differently than it did five years ago, what HRT may or may not have to do with it, and the other major midlife factors that could be quietly making everything worse.

Because no, you are not imagining it.

But the answer is also not as simple as, "Well, you are getting older."

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• The surprising reason joint and muscle pain becomes so common in midlife
• A newly recognized menopause syndrome most women have never heard of
• Why frozen shoulder seems to show up at exactly this stage of life
• What changing hormones may be doing to your joints, tendons, and connective tissue
• Why your body may suddenly stop tolerating the same physical stress
• The overlooked role of muscle loss in aches, injuries, and recovery
• Where testosterone fits into the conversation
• Whether HRT can actually change joint and muscle pain
• Why some women are still hurting even though they are already on HRT
• The sleep connection that most women completely underestimate
• A gut and inflammation connection you may not expect
• Why what you are eating could be showing up as pain in your body
• The type of exercise that becomes increasingly important after 40
• Recovery tools I personally use when my body is angry
• Where peptides may fit into the conversation
• The signs that your pain may have nothing to do with menopause at all

Products discussed:

Kion Aminos

Kino Red Light Band

Sponsors

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Try Vitali Skin Care vitaliskincare.com/?ref=KM20 use coupon KM20 to get 20% off your order!

BEAM: Use coupon code HORMONE for 20% off your order.

Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?

At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.

Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call

Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.

Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com

Shop the Midlife Solutions Store

Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.

Including:

• Progesterone

• Estrogen Face Cream

• Vaginal Moisturizer

and more!

Take the Hormone Quiz

Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.

Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).

Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program

Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.

Midlife RESET HRT Program

A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.

Your host:

Karen Martel

Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert

Karen's Facebook

Karen's Instagram

This is Quick Hits, where I pull the best takeaways from past podcast episodes and bring them to you in a shorter format.

If today's clip resonates with you, be sure to check out the full episode linked below.

Download in iTunes or on your favorite podcast platforms.

Listen to the full episode here.

Listen to the full episode on iTunes here.

Dr. Devaki Lindsey Berkson is a thought leader in functional medicine, with an emphasis on hormones, nutrition, digestion, and intimacy. Berkson was a distinguished hormone scholar at a world-renowned estrogen think tank at Tulane University because she wrote one of the first breakthrough books on endocrine disruption).

Berkson is credited with the in-depth knowledge of Estrogen Vindication and has an eBook on Hormones for Breast Cancer Survivors at DrLindseyBerkson.com.

In this episode, we dive into the often misunderstood world of estrogen hormone replacement therapy with Dr. Berkson. We debunk myths, particularly those about estrogen's links to cancer and serotonin, and discuss the protective roles of hormones like progesterone and testosterone. We cover the evolution of hormone therapy, address individualized dosing, and explore how hormones interact with nutrition and lifestyle for optimal health.

In the full episode we discuss:

• Estrogen myths that have been perpetuated by figures like Dr. Joseph Mercola.
• Why accurate, science-based information on natural hormone therapy is crucial for women's health.
• Addressing misconceptions about estrogen's link to cancer and serotonin.
• Why estrogen is not solely responsible for inducing cancer growth, contrary to popular belief.
• How progesterone and testosterone are often overlooked yet play protective roles in hormone balance.
• Why individualized hormone dosing is essential for optimal hormone therapy outcomes.
• How innovative uses of estrogen therapy can benefit breast cancer patients and overall health.
• Why understanding hormone receptors and metabolism is so important in HRT.
• How nutrition and lifestyle interplay with hormones to impact health.
• Why a one-size-fits-all approach to hormone dosing can potentially be harmful.
• The upcoming CME course on hormones that Dr. Berkson is involved with.
• Why collaboration with oncologists is important when administering estrogen to breast cancer patients.
• How estrogen supports metabolism and may reduce type 2 diabetes risk.
• Why high-dose oral progesterone can lead to issues like depression and breast tissue inflammation.
• How current research suggests estrogen may protect against breast cancer, challenging past beliefs.

Sponsors

Head to cozyearth.com and use my code HORMONES for 20% off sitewide! And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, make sure to let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here!

Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?

At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.

Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call

Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.

Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com

Shop the Midlife Solutions Store

Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.

Including:

• Progesterone

• Estrogen Face Cream

• Vaginal Moisturizer

and more!

Take the Hormone Quiz

Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.

Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).

Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program

Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.

Midlife RESET HRT Program

A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.

Your host:

Karen Martel

Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert

Karen's Facebook

Karen's Instagram

Peptides are everywhere right now. They are being talked about for fat loss, muscle, recovery, brain health, skin, longevity, inflammation, mitochondrial function, injury repair, and just about every other problem women run into in midlife.

But which peptides actually make sense? Which ones have useful evidence or clinical experience behind them? Which ones are still early? And where do peptides fit when a woman is already dealing with changing hormones, declining muscle, stubborn body composition changes, poor sleep, low energy, and slower recovery?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jeff Gross, a board-certified neurological surgeon with a background in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, regenerative medicine, and longevity. We get into how peptides work, why they are not the same thing as HRT, and why the foundation still matters before you start stacking every peptide you hear about online.

Then we get practical. We talk about peptides for mitochondrial function and energy, muscle preservation, recovery, skin and hair, visceral fat, brain fog, sleep, libido, and injury repair. We also get into dosing, cycling, stacking, GLP-1s, growth hormone secretagogues, BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu, SS-31, MOTS-c, PT-141, and more.

The big takeaway is simple: peptides can be powerful tools, but they work best when they are used for the right problem, in the right person, with the right foundation already in place.

In This Episode, We Cover

• What peptides actually are and how they differ from hormones
• Why peptide therapy should not replace foundational hormone care
• Why HRT, protein, sleep, and strength training still come first
• Peptides for mitochondrial function and low energy
• Growth hormone secretagogues for muscle and recovery
• Peptides for visceral fat
• Peptides for recovery and inflammation
• Peptides for skin, hair, and collagen
• Peptide stacking and when it makes sense
• Why dosing needs to be individualized
• Peptides for brain fog and cognitive support
• Peptides for sleep
• Peptides for libido
• The role of GLP-1s in body composition and midlife metabolism

Who This Episode Is For

This episode is for women in perimenopause and menopause who are hearing about peptides everywhere and want a clearer, more practical framework.

It is especially for women asking questions like:

Should I be using peptides if I am already on HRT

Which peptide is actually used for energy, muscle, skin, recovery, sleep, or libido?

Do I need to cycle them?

Can I stack them?

And how do I know whether I actually need a peptide or whether I should be fixing something more foundational first?

Connect with Dr. Jeff Gross:

https://ReCELLebrate.com

https://facebook.com/recellebrate

https://www.instagram.com/recellebrate

https://www.youtube.com/@stemcellwhisperer

Sponsors

Get 15% off Magnesium Breakthrough Advanced at bioptimizers.com/hormone coupon HORMONE

Order your LMNT electrolytes today and get a FREE 8 pack of samples! Plus try it risk free, they have a no-questions-asked refund policy – you don't even have to send it back!

Join Midlife RESET and start optimizing your hormones!

Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?

At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.

Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call

Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.

Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com

Shop the Midlife Solutions Store

Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.

Including:

• Progesterone

• Estrogen Face Cream

• Vaginal Moisturizer

and more!

Take the Hormone Quiz

Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.

Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).

Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program

Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.

Midlife RESET HRT Program

A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.

Your host:

Karen Martel

Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert

Karen's Facebook

Karen's Instagram

Welcome to Quick Hits, where we bring you the most impactful moments from past episodes in under 15 minutes.

Today's clip comes from one of our most popular conversations.

Want the full episode? You'll find the link below.

Are we getting enough of the right kind of light?

In this Quick Hits episode, I pull out the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Gerardo "Guti" Gutierrez on sunlight, UVB, vitamin D, red light therapy, infrared light, circadian rhythm, and hormone health.

We break down why sunlight is about far more than vitamin D, how UVA and UVB affect the body differently, why people living in northern climates may get very little UVB for much of the year, and how the light we get during the day can affect sleep, mood, metabolism, and hormones.

You'll also hear why morning light, midday UVB, infrared light, and nighttime blue-light exposure all send different signals to the body, and why modern indoor living may be disrupting those natural rhythms.

In this Quick Hits episode:

• The difference between UVA, UVB, visible light, and infrared light
• Why UVB is necessary for vitamin D production in the skin
• Why sunlight and taking a vitamin D supplement are not exactly the same thing
• Why Canadians and others living in northern climates may get very little UVB during winter
• How morning sunlight supports your circadian rhythm
• Why bright artificial light at night can interfere with sleep
• The connection between sunlight, mood, metabolism, and hormone signaling
• How red and near-infrared light interact with mitochondria
• Red light therapy vs. UVB light therapy
• Why timing, wavelength, and light exposure matter more than most people realize

Guti also shares his personal experience of increasing his testosterone after making several lifestyle changes, including more sunlight, exercise, and better sleep.

Want to try the MitoLux UVB Vitamin D Red Light Box? Get 10% off with code KM10.

If you enjoyed this Quick Hits episode, listen to the full conversation for a much deeper dive into sunlight, UVB exposure, vitamin D, red light therapy, circadian health, mitochondria, and hormones. Listen here.

Disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Excessive UV exposure can cause sunburn, premature skin aging, and increase skin cancer risk. Follow appropriate sun-safety guidance and device instructions.

Sponsors

Head to cozyearth.com and use my code HORMONES for 20% off sitewide! And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, make sure to let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here!

Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?

At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.

Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call

Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.

Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com

Shop the Midlife Solutions Store

Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.

Including:

• Progesterone

• Estrogen Face Cream

• Vaginal Moisturizer

and more!

Take the Hormone Quiz

Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.

Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).

Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program

Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.

Midlife RESET HRT Program

A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.

Your host:

Karen Martel

Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert

Karen's Facebook

Karen's Instagram

This may be one of those episodes you are tempted to skip because nobody really wants to hear that their nightly glass of wine could be working against them.

But this is not a lecture about why you should never drink again.

In this episode, I'm having a very honest conversation about alcohol, especially for women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond. We talk about how drinking may affect sleep, cortisol, cravings, estrogen metabolism, liver health, insulin sensitivity, weight loss, and the way your body handles stress as you move through perimenopause and menopause.

But this conversation goes much deeper than calories and hormones. I share my own history with alcohol, addiction, social pressure, unhealthy relationships, and the moment I realized I had to break the cycle for my daughter. We talk about why drinking can become such an easy way to numb stress, dissatisfaction, loneliness, relationship problems, motherhood, or simply a life that does not feel the way we want it to.

The goal is not to shame you into quitting. It is to help you become honest about what alcohol is giving you, what it may be taking from you, and whether it is still serving the woman you are becoming.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why alcohol can become harder to tolerate in midlife
• The connection between alcohol, cortisol, and stress
• Why drinking may worsen sleep even when it helps you fall asleep
• How poor sleep can affect hunger, cravings, insulin sensitivity, and weight
• Alcohol and estrogen metabolism
• Why drinking may make midlife weight loss harder
• The social pressure women face when they decide to stop drinking
• My personal history with alcohol and addiction
• Why alcohol can become a tool for avoiding uncomfortable parts of life
• How drinking can affect relationships, parenting, and self-identity
• The moment I knew I needed to break the cycle for my daughter
• How to start examining why you drink
• Finding your personal leverage for cutting back or quitting
• Why addressing the reason you drink matters more than sheer willpower

Who This Episode Is For

This episode is for the woman who tells herself she only drinks to unwind.

Maybe it is one glass of wine after work. Maybe it is a few drinks on the weekend. Maybe you know you are drinking more than you would like, but you are not sure you are ready to look too closely at why.

It is especially for midlife women who are struggling with stubborn weight gain, poor sleep, anxiety, stress, hormone symptoms, or feeling disconnected from themselves and wondering whether alcohol may be playing a bigger role than they realized.

Sponsors

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Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?

At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.

Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call

Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.

Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com

Shop the Midlife Solutions Store

Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.

Including:

• Progesterone

• Estrogen Face Cream

• Vaginal Moisturizer

and more!

Take the Hormone Quiz

Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.

Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).

Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program

Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.

Midlife RESET HRT Program

A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.

Your host:

Karen Martel

Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert

Karen's Facebook

Karen's Instagram

Welcome to Quick Hits — where we bring you the most impactful moments from past episodes in under 15 minutes.

Today's clip comes from one of our most replayed conversations.

If you want the full episode, check the link in the description below.

Listen to the full episode.

Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts.

Breathwork has been used for thousands of years across cultures as a powerful tool for healing, emotional release, self-discovery, and spiritual connection. Yet most of us move through our days barely thinking about our breath, let alone using it intentionally.

In this episode, we explore how breathwork can help you reconnect with yourself, regulate your nervous system, move through stored emotions, and create space for deeper healing.

I'm joined by my good friend Kyla Erlandson, a trained and certified breathwork practitioner, intuitive guide, and healer. For more than 15 years, Kyla has supported and empowered women through a variety of healing modalities, including somatic breathwork, meditation, and energetics.

Together, we dive into the emotional and physical power of breathwork, why so many women struggle to prioritize themselves, and what can happen when we finally give ourselves permission to slow down, feel, and heal.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why Kyla believes one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is time and space to reconnect
• How Kyla discovered breathwork and why she felt called to pursue it more deeply
• The different levels and styles of breathwork training
• How breathwork can help uncover emotions, patterns, and pain we may have been avoiding
• Why so many women are conditioned to care for everyone else before themselves
• How making time for yourself can reinforce your sense of self-worth
• Kyla's experience with codependency and how it affected her relationships
• Why healing often requires us to stop running from discomfort and learn to sit with it
• How breathwork can support greater peace, clarity, and emotional resilience
• What can surface during a somatic breathwork session
• The powerful connection between breathing patterns and the nervous system
• How intentional breathing can influence circulation and physical sensations in the body
• What Kyla hopes to help clients experience during a breathwork session
• How somatic breathwork differs from traditional talk therapy
• The most common struggles Kyla sees women bringing into her practice
• Why women need space to process emotions, stress, expectations, and old patterns
• How breathwork can help you reconnect with emotions that may have been suppressed
• What it means to reclaim the powerful, intuitive woman you already are

This conversation is an invitation to stop living entirely from the neck up and begin listening to what your body has been trying to tell you.

Sponsors

Head to cozyearth.com and use my code HORMONES for 20% off sitewide! And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, make sure to let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here!

Are you in perimenopause or postmenopause and struggling with symptoms—but not getting the support you deserve?

At Midlife Solutions, we specialize in hormone optimization for women in midlife. Our all-female clinical team offers telehealth care across all 50 U.S. states, with the ability to prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid medication.

Book your FREE Hormone Discovery Call

Find out what's really driving your symptoms and what your next best steps are.

Visit the website: https://karenmartel.com

Shop the Midlife Solutions Store

Over-the-counter bioidentical hormone creams and oils — no prescription needed.

Including:

• Progesterone

• Estrogen Face Cream

• Vaginal Moisturizer

and more!

Take the Hormone Quiz

Discover hidden hormone imbalances that could be driving your symptoms.

Get personalized results (and yes, they may surprise you).

Women's Peptide Weight Loss Program

Clinically guided, hormone-aware weight loss for midlife women.

Midlife RESET HRT Program

A complete, supportive approach to hormone replacement therapy in midlife.

Your host:

Karen Martel

Certified Hormone Specialist, Transformational Nutrition Coach, & Weight Loss Expert

Karen's Facebook

Karen's Instagram