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

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
Timeline is offering up to 30% off your first order of Mitopure. Gummies. Go to timeline.com/HORMONE use 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!
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
Get 15% off She Sleeps and/or Progest Sleep Oil with coupon code SLEEPS15.
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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