Have you ever struggled with weight loss and thought to yourself, “I’m doing everything right…I have a healthy diet, I’m exercising, but the weight just won’t come off”? You’re not alone, and today we’re discussing how your hormones could be impacting not only your weight loss, but many other aspects of your life.   I’m joined by Karen Martel, a Certified Hormone Specialist & Transformational Nutrition Coach and women’s weight loss expert. We’re diving into the world of hormones, specifically how hormone imbalances can play a major role in weight loss, insomnia, depression, and some diseases. Karen also shares her own story of how she entered into the hormone space, and how she is an advocate for women taking charge of their hormones as they move through different stages of life.   Karen is the host of the top 100 rated women’s health podcast The Other Side of Weight Loss where she helps women to unlock the mysteries of female fat loss and hormone imbalance. After struggling with her own health issues, Karen was determined to bring her knowledge to others with a bold new approach to women’s hormone health and weight management. Karen’s passion lies in helping women balance and optimize their hormones in peri and post menopause and breakthrough weight loss resistance. What we discuss: 00:01:55 - How Karen got into the hormone space  00:10:54 - Why perimenopause is happening earlier 00:15:48 - How toxins are affecting hormones  00:19:15 - Birth control and the studies on progestin 00:25:50 - How the loss of hormones drives breast cancer  00:29:10 - Estrogen in the brain 00:37:20 - How estrogen is partly responsible for the production of serotonin and dopamine  00:42:21 - How the loss of progesterone can cause insomnia  00:45:45 - Ways to help treat severe PMS 00:53:01 - Why estradiol is so important 00:59:47 - How hormones and peptides go hand in hand for anti-aging Key Takeaways: There are a lot of chemicals in our environment that mimic hormones, and they are a lot stronger than your own actual hormones. It is important to try and clean up your immediate environment from all the toxic chemicals to prevent your body from running on these fake chemical hormones.  The loss of hormones drives almost every disease that is dangerous to women, especially breast cancer.  In the second half of your cycle when you start to produce progesterone, some women get severe PMS, which is also known as Premenstrual Dysphoric disorder (PMDD). The symptoms can include increased anxiety and severe depression.   Find more from Nathalie: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmholC48MqRC50UffIZOMOQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/462749384302295 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/biohackingsuperhumanperformance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathalieniddam/ Work with Nat: Book Your 20 MInute Optimization Consult: https://calendly.com/nniddam/intro-call?month=2021-08 Find more from Karen Martel: Website: https://karenmartel.com About the Sponsors: Primedine: Use promo code BIONAT15 to save 15% of your first order at https://oxfordhealthspan.com/products/best-spermidine-supplement Mitopure: Use code NAT10 for 10% your order at https://www.mitopure.com/