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

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

Release Date: 04/06/2024

The Gut–Vagina–Brain Connection: The Hidden Reason Women Lose Libido After 40 with Dr. Betsy Greenleaf

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

Vaginal dryness, recurrent infections, low libido...why are we told this is “just hormones” and something we have to tolerate? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Betsy Greenleaf, founder of the International Pause Institute, and we unpack what’s really happening down there during perimenopause and menopause. Could your symptoms be tied to your gut? Your brain? Your stress levels? We dive deep into the vaginal microbiome and why so many women struggle with yeast infections, UTIs, and painful sex—sometimes for years. Is estrogen the whole answer? Why do probiotics sometimes fail? And...

Quick Hits: The Women's Hormone Masterclass: A Deep Dive Into Testosterone, Dutasteride, SHBG, & Menopause Weight Gain with Dr. Kyle Gillett

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

Download the full episode on or on your favorite podcast platforms. In this quick hits I sit down with Dr. Gillett, to exam the complex world of women's hormones today. We'll be focusing on androgens like testosterone, DHEA, and dihydrotestosterone, and their profound impact on female health. Dr. Gillett provides insights on the role of binding globulins, hormone replacement therapy, and the interplay between insulin and androgens. We also discuss the challenges of menopausal weight gain, the benefits of GLP-1 medications for weight loss, and practical strategies anyone can use for...

Am I in Perimenopause? How to Tell What Phase You’re In

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

If you had told me at 40 that perimenopause would turn my world upside down, I would’ve laughed. As a nutritionist specializing in women’s hormones, I thought I had it handled. So why did I gain 15 pounds, lose my sleep, and feel like a stranger in my own body? In this episode, I’m sharing what I wish someone had told me before the storm hit. Why are so many intelligent, health-conscious women still confused about where they are in perimenopause? Why are we being offered antidepressants, birth control, or told we’re “too young” instead of getting real answers? I break down the...

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

The Hormone Solution | Perimenopause, Menopause, HRT, Weight Loss & 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. In this quick hits episode you will hear a clip from my interview with Dr. Kirk Parsley — former Navy SEAL physician and one of the leading voices in sleep optimization — to unpack what chronic sleep deprivation is really doing to your body. We dive into: Why Ambien and common sleep medications can damage long-term brain and hormonal health...

The Peptide Revolution: GLP-1s — What Works, What’s Hype, What’s Risky with Jay Campbell

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

Jay Campbell—five-time international bestselling author, founder of BioLongevity Labs, and one of the original voices in the peptide world—is here to unpack what’s really going on behind the GLP-1 explosion. Are these drugs miracle tools or misunderstood villains? And why are so many smart people still getting them wrong? We go way beyond the hype and fear, diving into microdosing, metabolic repair, thyroid changes, and why dosing may be the make-or-break factor. Could peptides actually rewire the brain, quiet food noise, and permanently improve metabolism? And what happens when midlife...

Menopause Ages You 9–20 Years… Unless You Do This with Nikolina Lauc

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

In this episode, I sit down with Nikolina Lauc, CEO and Co-Founder of GlycanAge, and we dive into a questions that should stop every midlife woman in her tracks: is menopause actually accelerating your biological aging? What if the shift from perimenopause to menopause could age you up to nine years in just six months? And more importantly, what can you do about it? We unpack what biological age really means (and why it’s not the same as your chronological age), how inflammation quietly drives aging and disease, and why estrogen may be one of the most powerful longevity tools we have. Is...

Estrogen Dominance… or Estrogen Deficiency? Is It Safe to Start Estrogen in Perimenopause?

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

Welcome to the very first Hormone Hotline episode of The Hormone Solution! I’m getting straight into your real-life questions about estrogen—because why, in 2026, are we still being told we’re “estrogen dominant” with rock-bottom levels? If your doctor has warned you against HRT, this episode is for you. Have you been told you can’t start estrogen until you hit full menopause? Or that perimenopause is just too much of a “hormone rollercoaster” to treat? I break down what’s actually happening in your brain and ovaries during late perimenopause, and why adding estrogen might...

From Toe Curling Orgasms to Healthy Poops: Why Oxytocin Is Essential for Midlife Women with Dr. Lindsey Berkson

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

What if your mood swings, anxiety, sleep issues, or loss of motivation aren’t just “getting older?” What role does oxytocin really play in midlife, and why has it been overlooked for so long? In this episode, I’m joined by the brilliant hormone scholar Dr. Lindsey Berkson, and we dive into a part of menopause that almost no one is talking about—what’s happening in your brain. We explore how hormones act as the body’s Wi‑Fi system, and what happens when that signal gets disrupted. Could environmental toxins be hijacking not just estrogen and progesterone, but oxytocin too? And...

Inflammaging Is Hijacking Your Hormones: The Ancient Reset Women Need in Midlife with Dr. Shivani Gupta

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

Do you know whether you’re Vata, Pitta, or Kapha...and could that explain your stubborn symptoms in midlife? In this episode, I’m joined by my brilliant friend Dr. Shivani Gupta, and we dive into Ayurveda, inflammation, and why your body might be asking for a completely different approach right now. Have you ever wondered why turmeric seems to work like magic for pain, migraines, or inflammation? Or why the same routines that used to work suddenly don’t anymore in perimenopause? We unpack how ancient Ayurvedic wisdom meets modern science—and why that combination matters so much for...

Why So Many Hormone Providers Get It Wrong (And How to Find One Who Doesn’t)

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

This episode comes straight from my own lived experience of spiraling before doctor’s appointments and feeling dismissed when it comes to hormones. I dig into why so many hormone providers get it wrong and what’s actually happening behind those rushed, frustrating conversations. Why does advocating for ourselves feel so hard? I walk you through what most doctors are (and aren’t) trained to do when it comes to perimenopause and menopause. How much of this is about lack of education versus lack of time? And how do you stop blaming yourself when you’re told your labs are “normal,”...

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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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