Our biggest breakthroughs in maximizing our perimenopause health, fitness and body composition success do not come with doing more. Rather, it's when we can cut through misleading and unnecessarily complicated noise to simply understand how to work with our changing hormones and female body's needs.

In this episode, Louise, named one of the world's leading experts for perimenopausal active women and runners, and Jen share the heart behind the new BTW Podcast Insiders Membership. They discuss why a curated community of like-minded female runners, trusted female-specific science, and simple, focused strategies matter so much for active women in perimenopause when we face hormone-related symptoms, shifts, and challenges.

Louise opens up about stepping away from social media as an industry leader to protect her innovation and why choosing depth and impact over participation in the endless B.S. marketing found online is her personal mission. Jen shares how removing outside influence helped her trust the process, stay consistent, and feel stronger in her body.

Together, they explain how women can improve energy, symptoms, running, physique, and confidence without chasing every trend online.

This episode is especially helpful for runners and active women who feel overwhelmed by conflicting advice, hormone fear mongering, HRT pressure, and fitness misinformation. It is a reminder that progress does not need to be loud.

Sometimes, the best results come from the right support, the right science, and a more calm, confident, and collaborative way forward.

RESOURCES + LINKS

Learn more & apply to join our new exclusive "BTW Podcast Insiders” membership here: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/podcastinsiders

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide & award-winning 1:1 Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(2:45) Louise introduces the BTW Podcast Insiders Membership
(6:24) Why Louise and Jen created the membership
(7:09) The runcation conversation that sparked the idea
(9:24) How community helped Jen stay consistent
(10:36) Louise’s burnout, symptoms, and program redesign
(13:19) Why Louise stepped away from social media
(17:05) How social media affected Jen’s progress
(21:37) Building a women-supporting-women community
(23:27) Questions podcast listeners may want answered
(28:12) The problem with HRT pressure and social media influence
(31:01) Nervous system regulation and foundational resources
(36:44) Louise’s personal results after simplifying her life
(40:06) Choosing focus, calm, and family connection
(42:21) Membership details and founding rate
(44:15) Future possibilities for Q&As and group programs
(48:11) Where to apply for Podcast Insiders
(48:51) Preview of next week’s luteal phase episode
(49:18) Outro

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!

I'd love to connect!

Email 💬 support@breakingthroughwellness.com

Please note if you want to be a podcast guest, there is a minimum $1,000 fee and interview process to vet you as a guest. This is safe space and curated Community exclusively for women who love to feel, look and run our best without B.S. noise, endless pills, extreme diets or fads.

What if the workout habit you thought was helping your body is actually making perimenopause harder? In this episode, Louise Valentine, one of the world’s leading exercise physiologists and women's integrative health practitioners, gives a clear, honest breakdown of why fasted training may not be the best fit for active women, especially runners navigating changing hormones, stress, cravings, sleep issues, and body composition goals.

Louise explains how morning workouts, low fuel, caffeine nuances, and high cortisol can stack up quickly for ambitious women who are already juggling a lot. She shares why a small amount of protein and carbs before training can help support hormone production, energy, recovery, mental health, and long-term performance. She also challenges the confusing noise online around women’s health, HRT, cortisol, and perimenopause trends, reminding listeners that context matters.

This episode is especially useful for women who run, lift, train early, struggle with cravings, wake up at night, feel burned out, or feel stuck despite doing “everything right.” Louise keeps the message grounded in solid female-specific science: fuel your body, stop punishing and potentially harming yourself, and make choices that support your long-term health, energy, and ability to run strong for life.

RESOURCES + LINKS

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide & award-winning 1:1 Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/

Learn, laugh & level up with a Breaking Through Wellness masterclass here, including “How to Ditch Cravings & Overeating Habits For Good” mentioned in this episode.

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount & save 20% off Kion’s science-backed clean products, including Kion aminos & Creature creatine. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders: https://www.getkion.com/maximizing

Link to check out Function Health & save $25 off comprehensive, proactive blood work using code “LVALENTINE11” here. $25 goes back to support BTW with each new sign up! Thank you!

Check out my FullScript here where you can see my curated favorite supplement picks, by topic, to address your concerns & save 25% off! A small portion of EACH sale goes back to support BTW. Thank you!

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(4:12) Social media misinformation in women’s health
(7:21) Building a private, focused wellness community
(9:21) Why active women need a different approach
(13:18) The problem with fasted training
(19:03) Why fasted training is not black and white
(21:19) How cortisol overload affects active women
(24:21) Why training without fuel adds more stress
(27:10) Simple pre-workout fuel ideas
(32:16) Why recommendations can change as science evolves
(34:33) Releasing shame around past diet and fasting habits
(36:45) Why post-workout fueling matters too
(38:04) Concerns around careless hormone prescribing
(44:30) Is fasted training ever appropriate?
(45:12) How underfueling can affect mood, cravings, and sleep
(48:07) The rare exception after a big meal or holiday
(50:41) Listener questions and closing thoughts
(52:38) Outro

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!

I'd love to connect!

Email 💬 support@breakingthroughwellness.com

Please note if you want to be a podcast guest, there is a minimum $1,000 fee and interview process to vet you as a guest. This is safe space and curated Community exclusively for women who love to feel, look and run our best without B.S. noise, endless pills, extreme diets or fads.

Sometimes your biggest race win is not the time on the clock. It is realizing your body is still capable of surprising you. In this episode, Louise Valentine, leading expert for perimenopausal active women and runners, welcomes Jen back to unpack her unexpected victory at the Cleveland Half Marathon, a race run in brutal heat, humidity, and direct sun.

What started as a “just have fun” race turned into a powerful lesson in hormone-supportive training, smarter recovery, strategic fueling and trusting a less-is-more running approach.

Louise and Jen share how Breaking Through Wellness's strategic strength training, sleep, nervous system support, pre-race hydration, simple fueling, mobility, and 30-second burst strategies empowered Jen to stay strong when the race got hard. They also talk about redefining what a PR really means, especially for women running through perimenopause, life stress, and changing energy needs.

This episode is a reminder that running does not have to feel punishing to be powerful. Sometimes the breakthrough comes when you stop forcing your body and start working with it to unlock its full potential!

RESOURCES + LINKS

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide & award-winning 1:1 Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/

Learn & level up faster with a Breaking Through Wellness masterclass here.

Get your fabulously fit & moisturized glow on with Element LABS beauty & skincare products here.

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount & save 20% off Kion’s science-backed clean products. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing

Check out my FullScript here where you can see my curated favorite supplement picks, by topic, to address your concerns & save 25% off! A small portion of EACH sale goes back to support BTW. Thank you!

Save $25 off Function Health comprehensive functional labs here. With every sale, $25 goes back to support BTW. Discount code is “LVALENTINE11” Thank you!

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(2:44) Jen’s unexpected Cleveland Half Marathon victory
(4:06) Redefining what a PR really means
(4:22) Pivoting training when life stress is high
(6:17) Brutal race-day heat and humidity
(7:22) Less running, better hormone support, and nervous system regulation
(8:44) Taking pressure off at the start line
(12:19) Fueling well without overdoing carb loading
(15:14) Heat safety, gels, electrolytes, and mid-race decisions
(20:52) Strength training, soreness, and recovery before race day
(23:53) The mile 10 decision point
(27:02) Crossing the finish line and what the victory symbolized
(30:04) Working with the female body instead of against it
(33:07) Post-race protein and recovery habits
(36:09) Sleep, mobility, and pre-hydration strategies
(37:42) The power of running with a friend
(38:42) Community, travel, and finding joy through running
(58:15) Outro

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!

I'd love to connect!

Email 💬 support@breakingthroughwellness.com

Please note if you want to be a podcast guest, there is a minimum $1,000 fee and interview process to vet you as a guest. This is safe space and curated Community exclusively for women who love to feel, look and run our best without B.S. noise, endless pills, extreme diets or fads.