Hello Hormones with Dr. Carrie Jones

Hot flashes, poor sleep, mood changes, irregular cycles, and lower stress tolerance can make women over 40 feel like their hormones changed overnight. That is often when the search for a "natural" solution begins, but herbs are not commonly used to replace the estrogen and progesterone declining during perimenopause and menopause. So what can they actually do?
In this solo Q&A, I am answering the questions midlife women keep asking. Are there herbs that may help with low-estrogen symptoms and hot flashes? Can progesterone be supported naturally when ovulation becomes less consistent? And is there any herbal option that can truly work like HRT?
We also talk about saffron, ashwagandha, vitex, and shatavari, including where they may fit, what their limits are, and what to look for before spending money on another supplement. Plus, I walk through a listener case involving debilitating period pain and why severe symptoms should never be written off as "just perimenopause."
 
What's Discussed: 
2:01 Herbs for low estrogen and hot flashes
4:27 Natural support for progesterone in perimenopause
8:44 Whether any herb can truly work like HRT
10:20 Saffron versus ashwagandha
12:50 What to do when ashwagandha makes you feel worse
16:23 Shatavari, vitex, dosing, and combining herbs
19:17 A listener case involving debilitating period pain
 
✍️ FREE GUIDES:
Top 7 Perimenopause Myths You Need to Stop Believing ASAP: drcarriejones.com/myths

Hormones 101 Cheat Sheet: drcarriejones.com/hormones101  

The Perimenopause & Menopause Labs Test Checklist: drcarriejones.com/labs

The 101 on Stress, Cortisol And Your Nervous System Ebook: drcarriejones.com/stressfreebie  

Which Stage of Perimenopause Am I In? Ebook: drcarriejones.com/stages

 
Thank You to Our Sponsor:
OmneDiem: To give your body the histamine support it's been missing, head to omnediem.com/chfmdl explore their full range of products, and use code DRJONES for 25% off.  

Find more from Dr. Carrie Jones:
Website: drcarriejones.com

Newsletter: drcarriejones.kit.com/newsletter

Instagram: @dr.carriejones

Facebook: @drcarriejones

TikTok: @drcarriejones

YouTube: @drcarriejones

Pinterest: @drcarriejones
 
Disclaimer: Information provided on this channel is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product. Do not use the information provided on this channel for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or other supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. Information provided on this channel and the use of any products or services related to this podcast by you does not create a doctor-patient relationship between you and Dr. Carrie Jones. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease.

Have you ever heard that women in other countries do not struggle with menopause the way women in North America do? Or that menopause is somehow easier in certain cultures because women do not talk about it as much? In this episode of Hello Hormones, I'm talking with Zora Benhamou about what women around the world are actually saying when someone finally asks them.
We get into why menopause is global, but the way women experience it, talk about it, and get support can look very different depending on stigma, culture, socioeconomic status, access to care, and fear of doctors. We also talk about the symptoms women are rarely warned about, including joint pain, frozen shoulder, hip pain, bone loss, osteoarthritis, and why so many women are told they are "just aging" when hormones may be part of the picture.
Zora is a gerontologist, host of the Hack My Age podcast, author of The Longevity Master Plan, and creator of the Menopause Around the World series, where she has interviewed over 350 women across the globe. She has built her career teaching women how to age strong, and then her own experience with hip osteoarthritis and double hip replacement turned her into a case study in muscle, recovery, biohacking, and what it really takes to heal. 
What's Discussed:
(00:23) Why menopause around the world matters and what Zora has learned from asking women directly.
(01:22) How symptoms, stigma, culture, and socioeconomic status shape the way women experience menopause.
(06:24) Why many women still misunderstand hormone therapy or feel proud of white-knuckling menopause.
(15:14) Why not having a word for perimenopause does not mean women are not having symptoms.
(21:25) The musculoskeletal side of menopause, including joint pain, frozen shoulder, hip pain, bone loss, and osteoarthritis.
(28:08) How Zora prepared for hip replacement using muscle support, blood flow restriction, protein, and essential amino acids.
(36:19) Recovery support after surgery, including sleep, stress, inflammation, peptides, red light, scar therapy, and aging stronger.
 
✍️ FREE GUIDES:
Top 7 Perimenopause Myths You Need to Stop Believing ASAP: drcarriejones.com/myths

Hormones 101 Cheat Sheet: drcarriejones.com/hormones101  

The Perimenopause & Menopause Labs Test Checklist: drcarriejones.com/labs

The 101 on Stress, Cortisol And Your Nervous System Ebook: drcarriejones.com/stressfreebie  

Which Stage of Perimenopause Am I In? Ebook: drcarriejones.com/stages

 
Thank You to Our Sponsor:
OmneDiem: To give your body the histamine support it's been missing, head to https://omnediem.com/chfmdl, explore their full range of products, and use code DRJONES for 25% off.  

Find more from Dr. Carrie Jones:
Website: drcarriejones.com

Newsletter: drcarriejones.kit.com/newsletter

Instagram: @dr.carriejones

Facebook: @drcarriejones

TikTok: @drcarriejones

YouTube: @drcarriejones

Pinterest: @drcarriejones
 
Find more from Zora Benhamou:  
Website: hackmyage.com 
Instagram: @HackMyAge 
TikTok: @hackmyage 
Podcast: hack-my-age-menopause-upgrade/ 
The Longevity Master Plan:  thelongevitymasterplan/  
 
Disclaimer: Information provided on this channel is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product. Do not use the information provided on this channel for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or other supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. Information provided on this channel and the use of any products or services related to this podcast by you does not create a doctor-patient relationship between you and Dr. Carrie Jones. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease.

Have you been thinking about estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, or cortisol, but still feel like something is missing? Maybe you feel anxious, disconnected, burned out, emotionally flat, in pain, stuck in food noise, struggling with libido, or like your body cannot fully shift out of fight-or-flight even when you are doing so many of the "right" things.
In this episode of Hello Hormones, I'm breaking down why oxytocin is a hormone we may be completely sleeping on, especially for women over 40. Most people know oxytocin as the hormone connected to childbirth, breastfeeding, bonding, and love, but it also plays a role in cortisol, the nervous system, mood, pain, gut function, inflammation, food cravings, sexual health, bladder symptoms, bone, brain, metabolic health, and more.
I also walk through what I learned from Dr. Devaki Lindsey Berkson's work on oxytocin medicine, including natural ways to support oxytocin, what can interfere with it, and how it may be used as a compounded hormone. We get into vitamin C, zinc, vitamin A, iodine, magnesium, P5P, estrogen, thyroid health, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, nasal sprays, lozenges, injections, vaginal oxytocin, and what to talk through with your healthcare provider if oxytocin sounds like it may belong in your hormone conversation.
What's Discussed:
(01:04) What oxytocin is, where it is made, and why it goes far beyond childbirth, breastfeeding, and bonding.
(03:40) How oxytocin may support physical pain, emotional pain, depression, anxiety, and feeling connected again.
(05:14) The gut, food noise, cravings, constipation, GERD, metabolic health, and weight connection.
(06:59) How oxytocin may support sexual health, orgasm, clitoral sensation, vaginal pain, bladder symptoms, and pelvic inflammation.
(09:05) Why oxytocin can help shift the body from fight-or-flight into rest, digest, heal, and repair.
(11:39) What helps oxytocin work better, what can interfere with it, and the different ways it may be used.
 
✍️ FREE GUIDES:
Top 7 Perimenopause Myths You Need to Stop Believing ASAP: drcarriejones.com/myths

Hormones 101 Cheat Sheet: drcarriejones.com/hormones101  

The Perimenopause & Menopause Labs Test Checklist: drcarriejones.com/labs

The 101 on Stress, Cortisol And Your Nervous System Ebook: drcarriejones.com/stressfreebie  

Which Stage of Perimenopause Am I In? Ebook: drcarriejones.com/stages


Find more from Dr. Carrie Jones:
Website: drcarriejones.com

Newsletter: drcarriejones.kit.com/newsletter

Instagram: @dr.carriejones

Facebook: @drcarriejones

TikTok: @drcarriejones

YouTube: @drcarriejones

Pinterest: @drcarriejones
 
Disclaimer: Information provided on this channel is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product. Do not use the information provided on this channel for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or other supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. Information provided on this channel and the use of any products or services related to this podcast by you does not create a doctor-patient relationship between you and Dr. Carrie Jones. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease.

If you have been eating well, moving your body, doing what you were told, and your belly fat still will not budge, this episode is going to explain why. So many women hit their 40s and suddenly feel like their body changed the rules. The same foods, workouts, and routines that used to work no longer feel like enough, and the advice to eat less or work harder only leaves them more frustrated.
Today, we are getting into what is really happening behind stubborn midlife weight gain, especially when inflammation, insulin resistance, cortisol, poor sleep, cravings, and stress are all sending the body a signal to hold onto fat. This conversation challenges the idea that weight loss is only about calories and looks at why the body may be protecting itself, storing visceral fat, and staying stuck in sugar-burning mode.
I'm joined by Ben Azadi, functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner, bestselling author, and metabolic health educator who lost 80 pounds, reversed his own metabolic dysfunction, and has helped thousands of people improve their metabolic health. We talk about how ketosis, fasting, diet variation, and Keto Flex can be used as tools to rebuild metabolic flexibility, without forcing your body into another rigid plan that works against your hormones.
What's Discussed:
02:02 Why stress, cortisol, and survival signals can make the body hold onto belly fat.
07:03 The difference between helpful inflammation and chronic inflammation that blocks fat loss.
10:10 How inflammation can interfere with progesterone, hormone receptors, and symptom relief.
16:02 Why food noise, cravings, and constant snacking may be signs of sugar-burning metabolism.
23:38 The biggest keto myths, including fat quality, gallbladder concerns, and long-term ketosis.
31:09 How to start shifting from sugar-burning to fat-burning without shocking your body.
38:38 When fasting helps, when it backfires, and why timing matters for women.
✍️ FREE GUIDES:
Top 7 Perimenopause Myths You Need to Stop Believing ASAP: drcarriejones.com/myths

Hormones 101 Cheat Sheet: drcarriejones.com/hormones101  

The Perimenopause & Menopause Labs Test Checklist: drcarriejones.com/labs

The 101 on Stress, Cortisol And Your Nervous System Ebook: drcarriejones.com/stressfreebie  

Which Stage of Perimenopause Am I In? Ebook: drcarriejones.com/stages

 

Find more from Dr. Carrie Jones:
Website: drcarriejones.com

Newsletter: drcarriejones.kit.com/newsletter

Instagram: @dr.carriejones

Facebook: @drcarriejones

TikTok: @drcarriejones

YouTube: @drcarriejones

Pinterest: @drcarriejones
 
Find out more from Ben Azadi: 
Website: benazadi.com
Instagram: @thebenazadi
 
Disclaimer: Information provided on this channel is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product. Do not use the information provided on this channel for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or other supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. Information provided on this channel and the use of any products or services related to this podcast by you does not create a doctor-patient relationship between you and Dr. Carrie Jones. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease.

If you have been doing "all the right things" for your hormones and still do not feel better, this episode is for you. Maybe you tried a detox, added supplements, cleaned up your diet, worked on your gut, or followed the protocol that helped your friend. Not knowing that if your body is depleted, inflamed, or not ready for that next step, doing more can actually keep you stuck.
In this episode of Hello Hormones, we talk about why the order you heal in matters more than the protocol itself. We get into why hormone detoxes, gut protocols, supplement stacks, and social media fixes can backfire when you do not know what your body actually needs first. If you have been trying harder and still not feeling better, this episode will help you understand why the next step may not be doing more. It may be doing things in the right order. 
I'm joined by Dr. Beth Westie, functional medicine practitioner, chiropractor, educator, and author of The Female Fat Solution and The Female Menopause Solution. She has lived this work personally too. After being told birth control was her only option for ovarian cysts, she went looking for a better way and now helps women use labs, nutrition, and the right sequence to support their hormones through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond.
What's Discussed:
(00:53) Why perimenopause can change your mood, boundaries, tolerance, and sense of self.
(09:10) What a depleted body can look like when you can no longer keep up with the life you used to manage.
(14:31) Why detoxes, supplements, diet changes, and social media protocols can backfire without testing.
(18:31) Why Dr. Beth starts with labs and uses them to decide what the body is ready for next.
(20:30) What the DUTCH test can reveal that standard blood work may miss.
(22:04) Why the GI-MAP matters for bloating, gut symptoms, hormone changes, and liver support.
(30:53) How to think about liver detox, nutrition changes, cold foods, cold plunges, alcohol, and postmenopause support in the right order.
 
✍️ FREE GUIDES:
Top 7 Perimenopause Myths You Need to Stop Believing ASAP: drcarriejones.com/myths

Hormones 101 Cheat Sheet: drcarriejones.com/hormones101  

The Perimenopause & Menopause Labs Test Checklist: drcarriejones.com/labs

The 101 on Stress, Cortisol And Your Nervous System Ebook: drcarriejones.com/stressfreebie  

Which Stage of Perimenopause Am I In? Ebook: drcarriejones.com/stages

 
Thank You to Our Sponsor: 
OmneDiem: To give your body the histamine support it's been missing, head to omnediem.com/coupon/drjones & explore their full range of products, and use code DRJONES for 25% off.
Sunlighten: Supercharge your cells in a Sunlighten Sauna. Visit sunlighten.com/partner-savings/ to get $2100 OFF and free shipping.

Find more from Dr. Carrie Jones:
Website: drcarriejones.com

Newsletter: drcarriejones.kit.com/newsletter

Instagram: @dr.carriejones

Facebook: @drcarriejones

TikTok: @drcarriejones

YouTube: @drcarriejones

Pinterest: @drcarriejones
Find more from Dr. Beth Westie 
Website: drbethwestie.com/ 
Instagram: @drbethwestie
Facebook: @drbethwestie  
Disclaimer: Information provided on this channel is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product. Do not use the information provided on this channel for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or other supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. Information provided on this channel and the use of any products or services related to this podcast by you does not create a doctor-patient relationship between you and Dr. Carrie Jones. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease.