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Part 2: Navy SEAL Health Hacks: Sleep, Peptides, Psychedelics, Brain Health, and Hormones with Dr. Kirk Parsley

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

Release Date: 04/06/2024

Quick Hits: Breaking the Silence: Andrea Donsky on 103 Menopause Symptoms and Taking Control

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

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: Known as the “Menopause Educator and Researcher” to her 340,000+ TikTok followers, Andrea Donsky is a nutritionist on a mission to change the conversation around perimenopause and menopause. Her new book "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition and Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best" comes out May 5th! Our...

The Menopause Gut: What Hormone Loss Is Really Doing to Digestion, Inflammation, and Weight with Cynthia Thurlow

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

In this episode, I sit down with Cynthia Thurlow, nurse practitioner, TEDx speaker, and author of The Menopause Gut, to unpack what is really happening inside the body during this transition. We get into why so many women suddenly feel bloated, constipated, reactive to foods, inflamed, and resistant to weight loss, even when they are eating well and doing all the “right” things. Cynthia breaks down the gut-hormone connection in a way that is smart, practical, and incredibly eye-opening. We also go deeper into leaky gut, digestive enzymes, bile, hydrochloric acid, short-chain fatty acids,...

Quick Hits: Metals & Menopause: The Impact of Heavy Metals on Your Sex Hormones, Thyroid, and Energy with Dr. Chris Shade

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

Join our FREE upcoming masterclass: Why Midlife Weight Gain Won’t Budge A smarter way to use GLP-1s in midlife without wrecking muscle or metabolism When: April 30th 11 am PST Register here: 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: Itunes: Christopher Shade, PhD, founder and CEO of Quicksilver Scientific, continues to be the driving force of...

We’ve Used GLP-1s for 3 Years: What Worked, What Backfired, and What Women Need to Know

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

Three years ago, GLP-1 peptides were barely being talked about in the midlife women’s health space. Since then, Jessica and I have personally used them, experimented with different approaches, and helped over a thousand women inside our peptide program navigate what works, what backfires, and what women in perimenopause and menopause need to know before jumping in. In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on our own GLP-1 journeys, including my rough start with Ozempic, why Tirzepatide worked better for me, Jessica’s experience with Semaglutide and fatigue, and why Retatrutide is...

The Real Reason Your Menopause Belly Shows Up Even When You’re Doing Everything Right with Siobhan Mitchell

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

Join our FREE upcoming masterclass: Why Midlife Weight Gain Won’t Budge A smarter way to use GLP-1s in midlife without wrecking muscle or metabolism When: April 30th 11 am PST Register here: There comes a point for so many women in their late 30s and 40s when they look in the mirror, or down at their belly, and think, what is happening to my body? You’re still eating well. You’re still exercising. You’re still trying to do all the “right” things. And yet your body suddenly feels like it is playing by a completely different set of rules. In this episode, I sit down with Dr....

Part 2: What Midlife Women Need to Know About Testosterone & Steroids with Victoria Felkar

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

In this second of two parts, I sit down with Victoria Felkar again to unpack the complicated, often glamorized world of androgens, testosterone therapy, and anabolic steroids for women. Are these hormones empowering tools—or ticking time bombs? How do you know the difference? We dive into what’s really happening beneath the surface when women start layering in testosterone or other androgens, especially without a solid hormonal foundation in place. Have you ever wondered why some women feel amazing on testosterone, while others spiral into acne, hair loss, mood swings, or worse? What role...

Quick Hits: Cracking the Genetic Code: Unlocking the Link Between Genetics, Hormones, Detox, Diets, Mood, and More

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

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. Have you ever wondered what your DNA says about your diet and hormones? Well in today's episode we are going to explore the connection between genetics and popular diets like keto, vegan, and low carb. Additionally, we'll explore how DNA reports can help us better understand our hormones and their impact on our health. Kashif Khan the Chief...

Part 1: Women Have Been Lied To About Testosterone with Victoria Felkar

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

In this episode, I’m joined by the brilliant Victoria Felkar, and we go where most conversations in women’s health simply don’t: anabolic steroids. Why has this topic been so misunderstood—and even feared—by women, especially in midlife? Are we lumping very different hormones into one “scary” category without truly understanding them? Victoria shares her own jaw-dropping health story—one that led to sky-high androgens, medical confusion, and even accusations of steroid use. How did a teenage experience with birth control, stress, and recovery from an eating disorder spiral...

Quick Hits: The Hidden Role of Melatonin in Hormones, Aging, and Sleep with Deanna Minich

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

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 peptide here: Dr. Deanna Minich, is a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, with a Masters of Science degree in Human Nutrition , and a Doctorate in Medical Sciences. She is an international lecturer, educator, and author, with over twenty years of experience in academia and in the food and dietary...

The Menopause Metabolic Storm: Why Estrogen Loss Makes Weight Gain So Hard to Escape

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

Are you ready for a true masterclass? In this solo episode, I’m diving deep into estrogen and metabolic health—and trust me, this one challenged even me. Is estrogen really making you gain weight, or is the real problem what happens when it drops? If you’ve hit your 40s or 50s and suddenly nothing works anymore, you need to hear this. Why does belly fat seem to appear overnight in perimenopause? Why does your energy tank, your cravings skyrocket, and your mood feel completely hijacked? I unpack the science behind estradiol and how it impacts insulin, cortisol, thyroid, muscle,...

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Dr. Kirk Parsley is certified in Hyperbaric Medicine, Anti-Aging Medicine, Hormone Replacement Therapy, and is currently pursuing national certification in Psychedelic Medicine Therapies. He dedicates a significant portion of his time to advising non-profit organizations that support the SEAL community and providing healthcare guidance and treatment to veterans. Operating his practice and supplement business from Austin, Texas, Kirk is an avid outdoorsman and fitness enthusiast. When he's not working or working out, you can usually find him in nature, continuously enhancing his medical skills.

We’re continuing our discussion into the intricate relationship between sleep, brain health, and inflammation with Dr. Parsley in this second of two parts. We discuss how sleep deprivation can lead to brain inflammation, along with the surprising effects of everyday activities on cognitive wellbeing. We’ll also reveal some experiences with microdosing psychedelics for their potential neuroprotective benefits, and explain the role of peptides and supplements in enhancing sleep quality. Our chat wraps up with cognitive therapy techniques to combat insomnia.

In this episode:

How sleep deprivation leads to the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques.
Why chronic lack of sleep causes hormonal dysregulation, and the effects Dr. Parsley has seen on Navy SEALs.
Examples of activities that can contribute to unexpected brain trauma and inflammation.
How blast waves create shearing effects in the brain, leading to cognitive health issues.
Why psychedelics like psilocybin may aid in mitochondrial vitality and neuron physiology.
How microdosing substances could subtly enhance neurotropic factors and reduce amygdala tone.
What role muscle health and mitochondrial function play during menopause.
Why peptide therapies, such as Cerebrolysin, are likened to hyperbaric oxygen treatments for brain health.
How peptides like Dihexa and BPC-157 contribute to inflammation reduction and neurotrophic growth.
How melatonin production is influenced by factors such as blue light and alcohol consumption.
Why GABA is crucial for slowing down brain activity and aiding sleep.
How supplements like vitamin D3, magnesium, and L-theanine support natural sleep processes.
What cognitive behavioral strategies combat insomnia and prepare the brain for rest.
Why establishing a routine is key to signaling the body to wind down for sleep.

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