Often, the reason we're exhausted, struggling to recover, fat loss resistant, seeing rapid hormone decline, or noticing frustrating changes in our body isn't just "inevitable" perimenopause, but rather it's the stress our body is carrying every day and how it impacts our daily hormonal rhythm.

In this episode, Louise Valentine, one of the world’s leading health, fitness and performance experts, welcomes back Jen for part one of a mini masterclass on adrenal, stress and cortisol regulation, and how everyday habits affect active women over 35. Louise explains the body's stress response, the three stages of HPA axis dysfunction, and why feeling fine doesn't always mean your body is recovering or functioning well. They discuss how running, intense workouts, caffeine, poor sleep, and underfueling can add to your body's overall stress load.

Jen shares her own experience recognizing energy fluctuations and making small changes to her daily routine. The conversation also covers DHEA, optimizing hormone health, and why supplements require professional guidance.

For female runners navigating perimenopause, this episode offers a chance to reassess training, fueling, and recovery habits. The biggest takeaway? Supporting your body isn't always about doing more. More often, it's about learning what our female body needs to recover, build optimal hormones, stay strong, and mitigate expedited perimenopause decline.

RESOURCES + LINKS

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

Link to podcast episode #124B with our Daily Pause Practice, how & why it works is here.

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

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount & save 20% off Kion’s science-backed clean products here. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders.

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

Track your biomarkers with Function Health & save $25 using code “LVALENTINE11” here. $25 goes back to support BTW with each new sign up! Thank you!

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(2:41) Important precautions about DHEA and supplements
(8:40) Understanding adrenal stress and cortisol regulation
(11:21) Why daily stress check-ins matter
(18:09) The connection between stress and hormone health
(20:07) Why cortisol isn't always the enemy
(21:15) Understanding cortisol testing and DHEA levels
(28:51) Three stages of HPA axis dysfunction
(30:06) Stage one: Feeling tired but wired
(30:27) Stage two: Energy crashes and cortisol fluctuations
(33:42) Stage three: Exhaustion, burnout, and poor recovery
(36:39) Everyday habits that affect your stress response
(39:19) How underfueling impacts active women
(41:52) Why consistent morning fueling matters
(44:27) Morning sunlight, sleep, and cortisol regulation
(45:54) How excessive exercise affects recovery
(50:59) Final takeaways and what's coming in part two
(51:53) 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 fee and interview process. 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 misleading fads.

What if the health strategies you are learning for yourself could also help your husband feel better, sleep better, and stay stronger as he ages?

In this episode, Louise Valentine, one of the world’s leading integrative health and fitness practitioners, explains why many of the foundational habits she teaches women can also support men. She covers protein and amino acids, hydration, vitamin D, omega-3s, creatine, magnesium, blood sugar balance, and better supplement choices. She also explains why dosage matters and why taking more supplements does not necessarily lead to better results.

Louise shares how simple science-backed routines like eating a specific nourishing breakfast, strategic hydrating first thing in the morning, purposeful walking after dinner, and strategic caffeine timing can support energy, recovery, mood, cognition, mental, and hormone health. She also discusses cortisol dysregulation, especially in high-achieving people who may not realize that ambition, overworking, and constant mental stimulation can still create physiological stress.

The takeaway is simple: most health, fitness, and longevity improvements do not require complicated protocols. Small, consistent habits tailored to the individual can help couples and families build healthier routines together.

RESOURCES + LINKS

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

Link to podcast episode #70 “The Ultimate Female-Specific Supplement Guide: Strategies, Timing & Type” here

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

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount & save 20% off Kion’s science-backed clean products here. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders.

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

Track your biomarkers with Function Health & save $25 using code “LVALENTINE11” here. $25 goes back to support BTW with each new sign up! Thank you!

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(2:51) Can these strategies help your husband too?
(3:45) Nutrition principles that support men and women
(5:49) Why amino acids matter as we age
(11:20) Building a smarter supplement foundation
(13:52) Choosing an effective multivitamin
(16:27) Morning hydration for energy and cognition
(20:27) Vitamin D testing and supplementation
(25:07) Omega-3s, triglycerides, and metabolic health
(28:59) Creatine and supplement efficiency
(31:13) Why walking after dinner works
(34:41) Magnesium and better sleep
(36:28) Clinically effective supplement dosing
(39:29) Cortisol dysregulation in high achievers
(42:47) Waking at night with a racing mind
(44:35) Sleep, recovery, and brain health
(47:59) One health strategy to share with your husband
(48:39) 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 fee and interview process. 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 misleading fads.

Generic protein advice can sound simple, but for ambitious active women and runners in perimenopause, it misses what our female body actually needs.

In this episode, Louise Valentine, a leading expert for perimenopausal active women and runners, challenges the recommendation of eating 100 grams of protein per day and explains why protein needs should reflect our unique body weight, training volume, recovery demands, hormonal shifts, and body composition goals. She discusses how active women, especially runners and endurance athletes, often require more protein to support muscle, hormones, stress resilience, injury prevention, and recovery.

Louise also breaks down the importance of protein timing, post-workout fueling, pairing protein with carbohydrates, and spreading protein intake throughout the day rather than relying on large servings. She shares practical examples for breakfast, snacks, and meals while emphasizing that nutrition should adjust as training and goals change.

The bigger takeaway: It's time to ditch one-size-fits-all nutrition rules. Your fueling strategy should support your activity level, recovery, hormones, and long-term health, not just hit a generic number. When we want optimal results to thrive and not just survive as active women, it takes a much more specific, female-specific science-backed, and logic-driven approach.

RESOURCES + LINKS

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

Check out my FullScript here where you can see curated supplement picks under “Collection” to address specific concerns & save 25%! A small portion of EACH sale goes back to support BTW. Thank you!

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount & save 20% off Kion’s science-backed clean products here. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders.

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

Track your biomarkers with Function Health & save $25 using code “LVALENTINE11” here. $25 goes back to support BTW with each new sign up! Thank you!

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(3:01) Why 100 grams of protein may fall short
(5:36) Problems with generalized nutrition advice
(8:20) Choosing better sources of fiber
(13:52) Protein needs based on body weight
(15:31) Protein for fat loss and body recomposition
(16:17) Post-workout protein and nutrient timing
(19:40) Building a higher-protein breakfast
(21:28) Pairing protein and carbohydrates
(25:42) Why protein pacing matters
(29:10) Spreading protein throughout the day
(36:33) Active women have different fueling needs
(39:22) A starting point for daily protein intake
(39:41) Using BUN as one piece of context
(42:39) 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 fee and interview process. 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 misleading fads.