THE HOPE PROTOCOL Hormone, Weight, Health, and Mind Optimization Who You’re Becoming Starts Now There’s a fascinating truth about transformation: your body, habits, and even hormones eventually catch up to the picture you hold of yourself. But here’s the catch — most people are walking around with an outdated self-portrait. They’re living like the “old version” of themselves… reacting from old beliefs, repeating old choices, and wondering why the future feels like a rerun. If you want new...
11 days ago • 4 min read
Meno-PAUSE Hormone, Weight, Health, and Mind Optimization Insulin Sensitivity & Hormone Balance Hey Reader If your body were a business, insulin would be your CFO — deciding where your energy gets spent. And your ovarian hormones? They’re the board of directors, constantly voting on whether you burn fat, build muscle, or just survive the day. When insulin and your ovarian hormones are in sync, everything runs smoothly. When they’re not… well, let’s just say the board meeting gets ugly,...
13 days ago • 4 min read
THE HOPE PROTOCOL Hormone, Weight, Health, and Mind Optimization Celebrate the Small Wins Because Big Results Are Built on Tiny Triumphs "Doc, you are always texting, 'It's a win. I celebrate all wins.' But, come on! It's hard celebrating a .2 drop when I ate on target the day before." When I write about transformation — whether it’s optimizing hormones, losing weight, or reclaiming your energy — I'm tempted to have you focus on not just significant milestones, like: “I finally hit my goal...
18 days ago • 4 min read
THE HOPE PROTOCOL Hormone, Weight, Health, and Mind Optimization Celebrate the Small Wins Because Big Results Are Built on Tiny Triumphs "Doc, you are always texting, 'It's a win. I celebrate all wins.' But, come on! It's hard celebrating a .2 drop when I ate on target the day before." When I write about transformation — whether it’s optimizing hormones, losing weight, or reclaiming your energy — I'm tempted to have you focus on not just significant milestones, like: “I finally hit my goal...
19 days ago • 4 min read
Meno-PAUSE Hormone, Weight, Health, and Mind Optimization Thinning Hair? Menopause, Low Energy and ThinningHair "Doc, since I became menopausal, my energy levels are a fraction of what they used to be, and my hair is thinning. Is this just part of menopause?" A reader of this newsletter, I’ll call Susan, scheduled a phone consultation with me last week. She complained of low energy, and thinning hair. She stated her symptoms, and the conversation went silent. After a while, I got the hint. I...
20 days ago • 5 min read
THE PAUSE Hormone, Weight, Health, and Mind Optimization For those of us over 50 Hormone Optimization Master Cortisol "Doc, you write often about how stress disrupts hormones. Can you explain what you mean by stress? I define stress hormonally. Stress occurs when physical or mental activity elevates cortisol. Reader, we live in a world where stress sneaks in everywhere—emails at midnight, traffic that tests your patience, even the “ping” of a text that feels more like a demand. These pokes...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
“Doc, you write a lot about the importance of balancing estradiol and progesterone to tame the symptoms of menopause, but you rarely write about testosterone. How important is testosterone for us as menopausal women?” VERY! Testosterone and Menopause Energy • Drive • Metabolism — and why a little T can go a long way Reader, if you’ve ever thought testosterone was just “the guy hormone,” consider this your permission slip to roll your eyes and keep reading. Women make testosterone too—just in...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
"Doc, once I turned 50 years old, my anxiety levels skyrocketed. Especially in the morning. What caused this?" As you age, your estrogen levels are not the only hormone to wane. Your progesterone levels drop to nearly zero once ovulation ceases. Progesterone: The Calming Hormone "If estrogen is your body’s spark plug, progesterone is the brake pedal that keeps you from burning out. It’s the hormone that whispers, Relax, I’ve got this.” Progesterone: Your Anti-Anxiety Hormone Progesterone...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
STRAND ONE HORMONE OPTIMIZATION Estrogen’s Role in Vitality & Mood Reader, Let’s talk about a hormone that deserves a standing ovation: estrogen. I know! I know! I sometimes make estrogen sound like a bad girl, but it's not estrogen that's so bad; it's the imbalance between estrogen and progesterone that causes all the problems. When they are balanced, you feel like yourself — energized, clear-headed, emotionally steady, and maybe even ready to dance in the kitchen. But when estrogen takes a...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read