Ep 557: It's Not Just Hormones: Navigating Midlife, Mood Swings & Mental Clarity with Theresa Lear Levine

If you’re a woman over 40 wondering “What is happening to me?”—this episode is your permission slip to get curious, not quiet. Dr. Jannine Krause and Theresa Lear Levine dive deep into the hormonal maze of perimenopause and menopause—from brain fog and bloating to ADHD symptoms and anxiety—and explain how these changes ripple far beyond your period tracker.

We talk hormone replacement therapy (HRT)—the myths, the magic, and the marketing of “bioidenticals.” We break down the often-missed links between gut health, detoxification, emotional regulation, and your hormone story. And yes, we talk about the things nobody wants to admit: the not so pretty results of various cleanses, the relationship between estrogen, binge eating and emotional outbursts, and why relational healing is hormonal healing.

This is the conversation your doctor probably hasn’t had with you—but your body is begging for it.

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🧠 Top Takeaways:

• Perimenopause isn’t just hot flashes—it’s emotional, mental, and deeply personal.

• Hormonal shifts can trigger or worsen ADHD symptoms, anxiety, and overwhelm.

• Estrogen detox is directly tied to gut health.

• How xenoestrogens from plastics, beauty products, and cleaning supplies are hormone saboteurs.

• Why detox pathways must be supported, especially in your 40s and 50s.

• Weight gain is not just calories—it’s chemistry and quantum physics.

• HRT is not one-size-fits-all and why saying Bioidentical-HRT is "natural" is misleading

• Mental clarity, mood, and libido are all influenced by estrogen and progesterone.

• Your emotional and nervou system health affect your hormones.

• Healing happens in safe, supportive relationships—this is nervous system work we're overlooking

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✨ Notable Quotes:

• “All healing is relational healing.”

• “It’s not just about the uterus—your whole life changes.”

• “You can’t out-supplement a nervous system stuck in survival mode.”

• “It’s like cleaning out a sewer pipe—but for your hormones.”

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📚 Chapters Breakdown:

Time	Topic
00:00	Why we need to stop whispering about perimenopause
02:58	What’s really happening with your hormones
05:48	ADHD or just perimenopause? (Or both?)
09:00	How your gut influences your hormones (and mood)
12:04	Detoxing the right way (hint: not juice cleanses)
15:03	Hidden hormone disruptors in your home
17:58	Weight gain + hormones = a complex equation
25:14	Demystifying HRT + why the term “bioidentical” is marketing
35:04	The mental clarity so many women never knew they could get back
40:00	Emotions, nervous system, and your hormone dance
44:52	The healing power of community & sisterhood

 

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🧭 Perfect For You If:

• You’re in your 40s or 50s and feeling “off” but don’t know why

• You’ve tried diets, supplements, or HRT or Bio-HRT but still feel stuck

• You’ve been dismissed or misdiagnosed

• You’re craving clarity, connection, and a roadmap that makes sense