BE YOURSELF AGAIN

BE YOUNGER, LONGER

A substantial body of psychological, sociological, and perceptual research verifies that many women experience a shift in their sense of femininity as they age. NIH​

THE PROBLEM

Women over 60 don’t have a femininity problem; they have a hormone problem.

Let me reset the scene. I was giving a lecture to a couple dozen women who were interested in my HRT protocol.

I stood there and asked,

“When ovulation stops, which hormone initiates the cascade of hormonal changes responsible for many of the symptoms we associate with menopause?”

I waited, but no one answered.

I answered.

I wrote on the whiteboard.

Estradiol.

“There are three things about estradiol I want you to keep in your memory bank.

1. It is the Feminine Hormone.
2. It is a Strong Fat-Storing Hormone.
3. It is a fantastic Anti-Aging Hormone.”

Estradiol Is The Feminine Hormone.

Femininity to one person is different to another.

But each woman I talk to knows how femininity is represented.

For most of them, it includes empathy, gentleness, and nurturing.

Of course, these ideas change across different cultures and times.

Estradiol can show feminine traits regardless of their biological sex.

People often link femininity with being soft and caring.

Many view it as a state of being intuitive.

Others believe femininity is more emotional rather than masculinity’s aggressiveness.

Clothing, makeup, and grace often play a part in how people show or see femininity in daily life.

With all that said, research and my 46 years of practice, the last 17 exclusively with mature women, tell us that many women “feel” less feminine as they age.

If estradiol helps create many of the characteristics we associate with femininity…

Then optimizing your estradiol becomes one of the keys to feeling like yourself again.

The key is that we don’t want estradiol to be dominant.

We want estradiol to be balanced with progesterone in women…

And with testosterone in men.”

So, How Does Estradiol Make You Feminine?

Here is my short answer:

It switches specific femininity genes on and off.

Just like all hormones, it works like a key that fits into a specific lock.

Estrogen floats around in our bloodstream, finds these locks, also called receptor proteins, unlocks them, opens the door, and delivers the message to our genes in the nucleus of the cell to…

Be more feminine.

Let me get just a bit scientific. Estrogen is a fat-soluble steroid hormone.

Steroid Hormone: “is a lipid-soluble signaling molecule derived from cholesterol that regulates a wide range of physiological processes, including metabolism, immunity, and reproduction.” —Courtesy of Gemini

Since our cellular membranes are primarily made from fat, and since estradiol is fat-soluble, it easily passes through the membrane and heads directly to the nucleus.

Once there, it commands our genes to develop or maintain female secondary characteristics.

Estradiol enhances secondary female characteristics; it has nothing to do with making us women or men; that’s primary female characteristics. That’s all genes.

Therefore, estradiol can make us feminine but not make us female.

Okay, enough with the science.

Here is what counts.

Within each female cycle, estradiol increases until it hits its mark.

Once it gets to its peak, a woman ovulates.

Ovulation is like a volcanic eruption. The ovum is catapulted into the fallopian tube, and like lava, progesterone and testosterone ooze from the follicle, the volcano’s mouth.

Ovulation does not occur when estradiol doesn’t reach its mark.

This is where women start having hot flashes and night sweats.

So, their doctor orders an estrogen patch to stop the hot flashes and night sweats.

But here is the problem…

Estradiol decreased just enough, so you didn’t ovulate.

BUT WHEN YOU DON’T OVULATE, YOUR OVARIAN PRODUCTION OF PROGESTERONE DECREASES DRAMATICALLY.

Since all of you tested positive for estrogen dominance, you are most likely in perimenopause, menopause, or post menopause.

I know that the dictionary defines menopause as not having a period for one year- hogwash.

Coach’s Corner

If your ovulation sputters, estrogen is starting to miss its mark, and you are in perimenopause; and if it no longer hits its mark, ovulation ceases, you are in menopause, and if it’s been a year since you had a period, you are post menopausal.

Science

‘When ovulation ceases—such as during the transition into natural menopause—progesterone levels decrease by roughly 95%, while testosterone levels do not experience a sudden drop at all.”’—Courtesy of Gemini

‘To suppress or “miss” ovulation, estradiol does not actually decrease; instead, ovulation ceases if estradiol fails to increase to a critical threshold. Specifically, a woman’s body must sustain an estradiol level of at least 150 to 200 pg/mL for roughly 36 to 48 hours to trigger the Luteinizing Hormone (LH) surge required for ovulation. If estradiol levels remain suppressed below this baseline, or if they drop prematurely before hitting this threshold, the brain will not receive the signal to release an egg, and ovulation will fail.”’—Courtesy of Gemini

WOW!

So estradiol doesn’t really decrease, and neither does testosterone, but progesterone decreases by 95%,

Let me ask you one question,

Since ovulation is ceasing or has ceased, do you feel less feminine?

There was silence.

When my wife went into menopause in 2007, her one complaint when she became estrogen dominant was…

‘She no longer felt like herself.’

Part of why she didn’t feel like herself was that she felt less feminine.

That’s when we started developing The HOPE Protocol.

Weight gain may be the symptom women talk about the most during menopause, but I don’t believe it’s what hurts the most.

After helping thousands of women over the past 17 years, I’ve learned there’s a deeper longing that often goes unspoken.

These hormonally unbalanced women miss being the woman they used to be.

More than anything, they want to restore their identity and feel like themselves again.

In my next lecture, we will continue to dive deeper into estrogen and discuss its other job.

See you there and bring your friends.

—Doc Mac

PS Vicky Here…If you are a 65-or-older female who has tried to lose weight and nothing has worked, not even the GLP-1s, Doc has put together a Master Class just for you and your hormones. Watch it here—> Doc Mac’s 65+ Master Class​

If you hae a question about your hormones, reply to this email.

Disclaimer

The information shared in this publication is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It should not be considered medical advice or a substitute for personalized care from your physician or other qualified healthcare professional.

Every person is unique. Hormones, medications, laboratory results, and health conditions require individualized evaluation before making changes to your health program. Always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new diet, exercise program, supplement, or hormone therapy.

From time to time, I may recommend products or services that I personally use, trust, or believe provide exceptional value. Some of these recommendations may include affiliate links, which means The Third Act Institute may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase—at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we believe can genuinely benefit our readers.

The views expressed here are based on more than four decades of clinical experience, current scientific literature, and my professional opinions. Science continues to evolve, and recommendations may change as new evidence emerges.

© The Third Act Institute. All rights reserved.