Vital Balance With Jess

🔗 Book your FREE Hormone Clarity Call HERE

Do you go all in on a new routine, then feel like a failure the first time you miss a day? Is perfectionism working against the very health goals you're chasing?

Jess shares how she falls into this trap herself, from a strict keto diet she didn't need to the habits she picked up in high school.

She also breaks down why self-criticism can cancel out the benefits of your efforts, and how to keep high standards without punishing yourself.

Jess discusses:

• How health perfectionism differs from health extremism
• Who struggles with it, and the two versions of all-or-nothing thinking
• How perfectionism differs from having high standards
• Why self-criticism can work against your health goals
• Why consistency beats intensity every time
• Five practical steps to reach your goals without self-punishment

If you hold yourself to a higher standard than anyone else, this episode is for you.

Connect with Jess:

• Instagram: @vitalbalancewithjess
• Website: jessicatrone.com
• Email: [email protected]

🔗 Book your FREE Hormone Clarity Call HERE

Is your self-worth tied to your accomplishments? Do you conflate self-worth with doing worthwhile things?

Jess is in the middle of a hard season. Ongoing ACL and meniscus setbacks. Her youngest child just started kindergarten, giving her more free time to question whether her career pivot was the right decision. 

Together, these circumstances have made her ask even bigger questions, like: who am I, when the things I used to point to as proof of myself aren't available to me? 

She breaks down what self-worth actually is, why so many high-achieving women (herself included) tie it to the wrong things (like productivity and achievements), and how to start untangling it.

Jess addresses:

• What self-worth actually is, and how it's different from confidence and self-esteem
• How and why validation often plays a role in how we view our self-worth 
• Reflection questions used to separate who she is from what she does
• Why recognizing your worth is actually a prerequisite to living out your purpose
• Practical ways to recognize you worth and separate a hard season from a verdict on who you are

If you've ever tied your value to your output or accomplishments, this episode is for you.

Connect with Jess:

• Instagram: @vitalbalancewithjess
• Website: jessicatrone.com
• Email: [email protected]

🔗 Book your FREE Hormone Clarity Call HERE

Depending on which study you reference, only about 10% (or less) of American adults are considered metabolically healthy. 

One of the biggest, most underdiagnosed drivers behind that number is insulin resistance, and you don't have to be overweight to have it. 

Jess breaks down her own pre diabetes diagnosis (at a healthy weight) and walks through what insulin resistance actually is, why it ripples into so much more than diabetes risk, and exactly how to test for it and address it.

This is a comprehensive one — mechanisms, symptoms, labs, tools, and a real action plan.

Here are the highlights: 

• What insulin resistance actually is, and why it can hide behind "normal" blood work for years
• Why it's not just about sugar — the role of chronic stress, under-eating, and even mitochondrial function
• How insulin resistance impacts the hormonal hierarchy, and why it affects  thyroid and sex hormones, too
• The real symptoms to watch for, including an often-missed skin sign
• The specific labs to ask your doctor for (most standard panels miss this entirely)
• Glucometers vs. continuous glucose monitors, and how each gives you a different piece of the picture
• A real, 5-part action plan: food, movement, stress, sleep, and when to bring in a practitioner

You don't have to fit the stereotype to have this. Insulin resistance can affect any woman, including one who looks perfectly healthy from the outside.

Connect with Jess:

• Instagram: @vitalbalancewithjess 
• Website: jessicatrone.com
• Email: [email protected]

🔗 Book your free Hormone Clarity Call HERE

Jess has been fascinated by epigenetics for quite some time.

In this episode, she breaks down what epigenetics actually is, why your genes are only part of the story, and what real, cited research says about the choices that shape your own biology every single day.

This isn't just theory. From a famous WWII-era famine study to a twin study on physical activity to the specific genes affected by olive oil, exercise, and meditation, this episode makes the case that your starting point was never your ceiling.

Jess addresses:

• What epigenetics actually is, explained through a simple visual analogy
• Why epigenetics matters for our health 
• The mechanism behind DNA methylation, and how it turns genes on or off
• The Dutch Hunger Winter study and what it found in famine-exposed adults decades later
• A twin study on physical activity and measurable epigenetic differences
• Surprising facts about olive oil polyphenols, HIIT, and meditation and how they impact your gene expression
• Why PMOS research points to both genetics and epigenetics as causes
• How pollution exposure and social environment factor into your epigenetics 

Connect with Jess:

• Instagram: @vitalbalancewithjess 
• Website: jessicatrone.com
• Email: [email protected]

🔗 Book your free Hormone Clarity Call HERE

Jess references sleep constantly on this podcast, but she's never given it a full episode until now. 

She begins by addressing her own evolution with sleep --  from a law-school Red Bull habit to postpartum depression after her son's birth, to what she's had to optimize in her late 30s just to feel rested -- this episode is the deep dive sleep deserves.

This episode covers it all: what's actually happening in your body while you sleep, why it matters for your overall health, and a real, practical guide to building — and troubleshooting — better sleep.

Jess discusses:

• What actually happens during sleep: cycles, stages, and why quality matters as much as quantity
• Why sleep debt doesn't fully "forgive itself"
• 5 big reasons sleep matters: insulin resistance, circadian rhythm, recovery, immune function, and mood
• Why sunlight exposure is a foundational (and underrated) piece of good sleep
• A full daily framework: morning actions, evening wind-down, sleep environment, and supplements
• Troubleshooting real problems: can't fall asleep, waking at 2-3AM, waking unrefreshed, etc.
• Why not everything about your sleep is in your control — and how to make peace with that

You don't need to nail every single thing on this list every night. Consistency beats perfection here, too.

Connect with Jess:

• Instagram: @vitalbalancewithjess 
• Website: jessicatrone.com
• Email: [email protected]

🔗 Book your free Hormone Clarity Call HERE

What you put ON your body matters almost as much as what you put IN it. 

In this episode, Jess breaks down what's actually in your everyday skincare, sunscreen, body wash, makeup, and shampoo — including a detailed look at the real FDA research on chemical sunscreen absorption. And she walks through an actual way to check your own products instead of just trusting a label.

This isn't about fear or achieving some perfect, chemical-free bathroom. It's about knowledge and awareness, especially when it comes to your hormones, and the products you purchase for your kids.

This episode addresses:

• Why the "skin absorbs 60% of everything" claim is a myth — and what actually determines absorption
• All about EWG's Skin Deep database, how their scoring system actually works, and what EWG Verified means
• Chemical vs. mineral sunscreen: how they actually work, and what to look for when selecting a sunscreen
• The real research: what the 2019 and 2020 JAMA sunscreen studies actually found, including how fast oxybenzone shows up in your bloodstream
• The case for real sun exposure and avoiding the over application of sunscreen
• Why kids are potentially more vulnerable to what's in their products, and what Jess actually uses for her own family
• Jess' go-to clean brands by category

You don't need to overhaul your whole bathroom overnight. Pick one category and start there.

Resources Mentioned:

• EWG Skin Deep Database: CHECK IT OUT HERE

Connect with Jess:

• Instagram: @vitalbalancewithjess 
• Website: jessicatrone.com
• Email: [email protected]

🔗 Book your free Hormone Clarity Call HERE

Jess recently had one of the worst periods of her life, and it made her think about cycle syncing, a topic that's exploded in popularity even as new research pushes back on some of its biggest claims. 

In this episode, she breaks down what the science actually says, the real mechanism behind why stress hits harder in certain phases, and why bio-individuality matters more than any rigid four-phase protocol.

This one's for the woman who's heard both "cycle syncing changed my life" and "cycle syncing is pseudoscience limiting women" and wants honest answers.

Jess Addresses:

• A real, personal story relevant to this topic
• What cycle syncing proponents typically recommend, phase by phase — exercise, food, and even work and social life
• Why the exercise research is genuinely mixed and inconclusive
• Why the nutrition research is more consistent — luteal phase metabolic rate, calorie needs, and carb needs
• The pregnenolone steal: why the same stress hits so much harder in your luteal phase
• Why stress is cumulative, and what that means for how you plan tough workouts or big life events
• The difference between the "soft" version of cycle syncing and the "rigid" version 
• Practical ways to actually track your own patterns instead of following a generic template

You shouldn't ignore your cycle. You also don't have to let it run your life. 

Connect with Jess:

• Instagram: @vitalbalancewithjess 
• Website: jessicatrone.com
• Email: [email protected]

🔗 Book your free Hormone Clarity Call HERE

Even health coaches fall for the quick fix sometimes. In this episode, Jess gets honest about jumping into a strict ketogenic diet, cold turkey, during her luteal phase and while still recovering from surgery, and what two miserable weeks taught her about ketosis, metabolic flexibility, and her own tendency toward extremism when she's frustrated.

Beyond the personal story, this episode breaks down what ketosis actually is (a metabolic state, not a diet), why your body evolved with two separate fuel systems in the first place, and why chasing metabolic flexibility matters far more than chasing strict, permanent ketosis.

• What ketosis actually is, and why it's not the same thing as "doing keto"
• Why most of us are metabolically stuck running on glucose (and why that matters)
• The real mechanisms behind "keto flu" 
• Why metabolic inflexibility is linked to a long list of chronic conditions, not just cravings and energy crashes
• When intentionally pursuing ketosis might make sense, and when it doesn't
• General, non-restrictive ways to build metabolic flexibility without a strict diet
• How to actually know if you're in ketosis — urine strips vs. blood meters, and why they don't measure the same thing

Connect with Jess:

• Instagram: @vitalbalancewithjess 
• Website: jessicatrone.com
• Email: [email protected]

🔗 Book your free Hormone Clarity Call HERE

This week's episode is a little different — no research, no studies, just some quotes and passages Jess keeps coming back to during a hard season of her own. 

Between an ACL recovery that isn't moving as fast as she'd like and a sermon on grief that hit closer to home than expected, she's been thinking a lot about uncertainty, control, and what it actually takes to keep going without knowing exactly how things turn out.

If you're in a hard season of your own right now, whatever that looks like for you, hopefully this episode will provide you with some encouragement. 

This episode includes:

• A real, honest update on where Jess's ACL recovery actually stands 
• Why grief isn't just about losing a loved one, and what it means to grieve a lost version of yourself
• A Bible verse that provides both inspiring instruction and guidance for removing the weights that often amplify our struggles
• What Viktor Frankl's story (and famous quote) teaches us about choosing your attitude, regardless of circumstances
• Why the Serenity Prayer is harder to live out than one might think
• A real life example of turning back and taking a different path despite the difficulties associated with that choice

Connect with Jess:

• Instagram: @vitalbalancewithjess 
• Website: jessicatrone.com
• Email: [email protected]

🔗 Book your free Hormone Clarity Call HERE

Nearly a year ago, in Episode #13, Jess said she would come back and go deeper on the spiritual anchors she introduced that day. 

This is that follow-up — and it starts with an honest admission: spiritual health has never come easy for her -- even after three years of trying to make prayer a daily habit.

This episode backs all the way up to explain what spiritual health actually is, why it's arguably just as important to your overall health as physical and mental health, and then walks through the first of three steps to living what Jess refers to as a life of significance — starting with identifying your true values.

In this episode, Jess discusses:

• A real, honest story about faith, doubt, and a conversation with her husband that reframed everything
• What spiritual health actually is, and why it's fundamentally different from physical or mental health
• The research: how spiritual connection is linked to lower inflammation, lower rates of depression, better recovery outcomes, and more
• What happens, physically and emotionally, when purpose and spiritual connection are missing
• 3 steps for identifying your top 5 true values 

📄 Grab the full Values Reference List mentioned in this episode HERE

Spiritual health doesn't come easy. But it's worth the work.

Connect with Jess:

• Instagram: @vitalbalancewithjess 
• Website: jessicatrone.com
• Email: [email protected]