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To Cycle or Not to Cycle Your HRT: Find Out What Every Woman Needs to Know!

The Hormone Solution Podcast with Karen Martel

Release Date: 03/08/2025

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

The Hormone Solution Podcast with Karen Martel

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 Podcast with Karen Martel

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 Podcast with Karen Martel

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,”...

Why You’re Not Healing: Stress, Insomnia, Weight Gain & the Vagus Nerve with Dr. Navaz Nabib

The Hormone Solution Podcast with Karen Martel

Have you’ve tried everything from protocols, to supplements, to experts and the healing still hasn’t happened? Why do so many of us stay stuck despite doing “all the right things”? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Navaz Habib, aka "The Vagus Nerve Doc," to explore what might be missing. What if the real issue isn’t another diagnosis, hormone imbalance, or gut protocol? What if it’s your nervous system itself? I share my own journey of chasing answers and why discovering the vagus nerve made me question everything I thought I knew about healing. Why does stress seem to override...

Why Waiting for Menopause Is a Mistake: The Case for Earlier HRT and Replacing Hormones the Right Way

The Hormone Solution Podcast with Karen Martel

I’m diving into why waiting until menopause to address hormones can be an incredibly costly mistake for so many women. Why are we told to “wait it out” when symptoms often start years earlier? And what’s really happening inside our bodies long before our periods stop? I walk through the often-missed perimenopausal years and explain why this phase matters more than most of us realize. What if heavy periods, anxiety, weight gain, or insomnia aren’t things you just have to tolerate? Could early hormone shifts be driving them? We also explore timing, myths, and fears around hormone...

Why Your Gut Is Sabotaging Your Hormones (and Your Hormones Are Sabotaging Your Gut) with Kiran Krishnan

The Hormone Solution Podcast with Karen Martel

I’m sitting down with microbiome expert Kiran Krishnan to explore a question I see come up all the time: why do hormones sometimes stop responding the way they used to? But what if the real issue isn’t your hormones at all, rather what’s happening in your gut? In this episode, we dig into the powerful gut-hormone connection. How can gut bacteria influence estrogen metabolism, inflammation, weight gain, and even mood? Why do so many women struggle more during perimenopause and menopause despite “doing all the right things”? We also talk about why hormone therapy sometimes backfires,...

Goodbye 2025: A Year of Healing, Hard Truths, and Growth

The Hormone Solution Podcast with Karen Martel

It’s time to say goodbye to 2025, so let’s get real about a year that looked successful for me on the outside, but sometimes felt like a reckoning on the inside. What happens when your body forces you to slow down? And what do you do when growth starts to cost you your peace? I open up about identity shifts, burnout, and the uncomfortable realization that I couldn’t keep working the way I was. How much of my worth was tied to helping others? What happens when you’re asked to step out of the role that once defined you? I also unpack the chaos of the menopause conversation in 2025. With...

Part 2 Q&A with Karen: Cortisol Replacement, Optimal Levels, HRT Absorption Issues, Estrogen Detox, BIEST Troches, Perimenopause Confusion & More!

The Hormone Solution Podcast with Karen Martel

This episode picks up right where part one leaves off as I dive into more of your thoughtful, honest questions in the second-part of this year-end Q&A. What happens when hormone therapy doesn’t seem to be working the way you expected? And how do you know if your dose is actually doing what you need it to do? I answer questions about achy joints, stubborn symptoms, cortisol replacement, thyroid interactions, and why some delivery methods work beautifully for one person and fail another. Why do absorption issues happen? What does “optimal” really mean when it comes to hormone levels?...

Q&A with Karen: High Ferritin, Injectable HRT, Breakthrough Bleeding, Optimizing Hormones, Histamine Intolerance and MORE!

The Hormone Solution Podcast with Karen Martel

I’m wrapping up the year by answering your questions in this first of a two-part Q&A, and we cover a lot of ground. From confusing lab results to hormone dosing debates, I dig into the questions so many of you are quietly wondering about. What does high ferritin really mean? Is it iron—or something else entirely? We’ll also take a look at hormone replacement frustrations. Why do some people still bleed months into HRT? Are injections better than patches or creams? And how do you know if your body is actually absorbing what you’re taking? I share real-world context, common patterns...

From Belly Fat to Brain Fog: The Top Peptides, & Hormones Helping Women in Menopause with Dr. Aleksandra Gajer

The Hormone Solution Podcast with Karen Martel

What’s really driving the sudden belly fat, brain fog, and sleep chaos so many women hit in midlife? And why do the usual “eat less, move more” solutions stop working overnight? In this episode featuring Dr. Aleksandra Gajer, we dig into the hormones and peptides that may finally explain why your body feels like it’s changing without your permission. Together, we unpack what’s happening beneath the surface (insulin resistance, inflammation, mitochondrial slowdown, hormonal roller coasters), and ask the questions women are never told to ask. What if your symptoms aren’t a lack of...

More Episodes

Are you navigating the complex world of hormone replacement therapy and wondering if cycling is right for you? Have you ever heard of the Wiley Protocol or the weekend-off approach? Discover how personalizing your HRT can unlock a new level of well-being.

Have you been feeling brain fog, mood instability, or a dip in your sex drive? This episode delves into the hormonal dance of estradiol and progesterone, and how their balance can impact everything from tissue growth to cardiovascular health. Is static dosing enough, or could cycling offer you the relief you seek?

Curious about how hormone therapy could be tailored to your unique body and lifestyle? We discuss the potential benefits and challenges of mimicking natural hormone cycles. Could this be the key to your optimal health and wellness journey?

In this episode, we uncover:

How hormone cycling can align with your body's natural rhythms.
Why the Wiley Protocol and Physiological Restoration Protocol are controversial yet compelling.
How estradiol and progesterone influence your health beyond the menstrual cycle.
Why some women prefer cycling HRT over static dosing methods.
How personalized hormone strategies can alleviate menopause and PCOS symptoms.

Dive into the fascinating world of personalized hormone replacement therapy and discover how syncing your hormones with your body's natural rhythms can lead to enhanced well-being and vitality!

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