The Female Health Solution Podcast

768. Normal Labs, No Answers: How to Find the Root Cause of Hormone Issues with Dr. Jenny Gerken

Have you ever been told your labs are "normal," but you still feel exhausted, foggy, wired, or not like yourself? I'm Dr. Jenny, one of the docs on the team with Dr. Beth Westie. In this episode of The Female Health Solution Podcast, I share my clinical perspective after working with hundreds of women inside Dr. Beth Westie's practice. We dive into why normal blood work doesn't always mean your hormones are functioning well and how deeper testing helps us uncover what's really happening behind the scenes. I also show the difference between blood work and the DUTCH Test, why cortisol patterns matter more than a single lab value, and how estrogen, progesterone, stress hormones, and nutrient depletion can drive symptoms long before anything shows up as "abnormal." If you're tired of being told everything looks fine while your body says otherwise, this episode will help you understand where answers are often hiding and what to do next. To learn more about getting real clarity and support, explore The Hormone Foundation Program here: https://drbethwestie.com/hormone-foundations-program/ [https://drbethwestie.com/hormone-foundations-program/] Join before Jan 30 for a free Jumpstart Tincture bundle ($250 value)

767. The Truth About Fatigue, Cortisol, and Adrenal Health

If you are exhausted all the time and can't figure out why, this episode is for you. Today I'm breaking down the real truth about adrenal health, cortisol, and fatigue, and why so many women feel stuck, dismissed, or confused when it comes to their energy. Fatigue is not one thing. It is not always just stress, and it is definitely not something you should be told to "just push through." One of the most frustrating things about fatigue is that so many symptoms overlap. Low energy can come from nutrient deficiencies, blood sugar instability, thyroid dysfunction, estrogen or progesterone imbalance, adrenal dysfunction, or cortisol issues. This is why guessing rarely works. When women ask me: * Why do I feel like this? * Are my adrenals burned out? * Is my cortisol too high or too low? * Why does nothing I try actually fix this? The answer is not a guess. The answer is data. This is one of the reasons I love the DUTCH test so much. It shows us what your body is actually doing with cortisol, not just a single snapshot in time. I recently reviewed a DUTCH test for a woman whose main concern was low libido. She had tried every testosterone supplement out there and even changed her workouts to boost hormones. Her testosterone looked great. The real issue was her cortisol and adrenal function. This is incredibly common. Cortisol issues can shut down libido, energy, motivation, sleep, and even weight regulation, especially in women. High Cortisol vs Poor Cortisol Clearance Sometimes fatigue comes from producing too much cortisol. Other times, it comes from the body being unable to clear cortisol effectively. The DUTCH test shows us both. * Elevated cortisol production can look like feeling wired but tired, anxious, inflamed, unable to sleep, or constantly on edge. * Poor cortisol clearance can lead to puffiness, brain fog, inflammation, weight gain, hair loss, and a sense that stress just keeps piling up. These require different strategies, and this is where personalized care matters. Why Lifestyle Has to Be Part of Healing If someone is helping you with hormones but never asks about your sleep, stress, digestion, or daily life, you are not getting full care. Sometimes healing looks like: * Supporting cortisol regulation with adaptogens and targeted herbs * Improving protein and mineral intake * Fixing sleep timing and consistency * Supporting liver, gut, lymphatic, and kidney clearance * Learning how to stop living in constant survival mode And sometimes the most powerful changes are surprisingly simple, but only once you know exactly what your body needs. How We Actually Fix This Once we know what's going on, the next question is always: "Okay, what do I do about it?" This is exactly what we do inside The Hormone Foundations Program. This is a six-month, one-on-one program where we: * Run a DUTCH test at the beginning * Create a fully personalized plan based on your results * Adjust support as your body changes * Address adrenal function, cortisol production, and clearance * Re-test at the end so we can compare and confirm progress There is no cookie-cutter timeline. We focus on what your body needs, not what a generic schedule says you should work on. This is our most popular program for a reason. It gives you answers, a plan, and support every step of the way. Join the Hormone Foundations Program: https://drbethwestie.com/hormone-foundations-program/ [https://drbethwestie.com/hormone-foundations-program/] Not sure? Book a Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/dr-beth-westie/program-discovery-call [https://calendly.com/dr-beth-westie/program-discovery-call]

766. Wired But Tired: The Cortisol Pattern Most Women Miss

The wired-but-tired feeling is incredibly common, especially for women, and it's one of the most frustrating places to be. You want energy during the day. You want sleep at night. But instead, it feels like your body is doing the exact opposite of what it should. In this episode, I'm breaking down what's actually happening behind the scenes when you feel wired but tired and why pushing harder, drinking more coffee, or just "trying to relax" usually makes things worse. When I see this pattern, it almost always points back to dysfunction in the HPA axis, which controls your adrenal function and cortisol output. A lot of women call this adrenal fatigue or adrenal insufficiency. Here's the key thing most people miss: You can feel exhausted and overstimulated at the same time. This often happens when: * Your adrenal output is low, so you don't have sustained energy * Your free cortisol is elevated, because life is stressful and you're constantly in reaction mode * You're running on adrenaline instead of real energy That's why you may feel okay only when there's a fire to put out, then crash hard afterward. Cortisol can be measured through saliva or urine, but a single snapshot doesn't tell the whole story. This is where DUTCH testing is so powerful: * It shows free cortisol across the entire day, not just one moment * It shows metabolized cortisol, which saliva testing cannot measure * It reveals whether your body is producing cortisol, using it properly, or struggling to keep up What I see over and over again with wired-but-tired women is low adrenal function paired with high free cortisol. You're stressed, busy, and carrying a lot, but your system no longer has the reserves to support it. This pattern doesn't just affect energy. It can disrupt: * Sleep cycles and nighttime rest * Hormone regulation * Muscle recovery and rebuilding * Immune function * Mood, focus, and motivation This is why advice like "just eat healthier," "go to yoga," or "push through it" doesn't work. Those approaches don't address the root issue. The first step is understanding what your body is actually doing. That's why I rely so heavily on DUTCH testing. It gives us a clear roadmap instead of guessing. From there, we can build the right plan for you, whether that means: * Supporting protein and mineral intake * Repairing sleep and circadian rhythms * Addressing stress physiology in a way your body can actually respond to * Rebuilding adrenal resilience instead of draining it further If you're stuck in that Groundhog Day cycle of exhaustion and overstimulation, this is your sign to stop guessing and start testing. Click the link below to learn more about the DUTCH test: https://drbethwestie.com/dutch-hormone-testing/ [https://drbethwestie.com/dutch-hormone-testing/?fbclid=IwAR1C_N3cnWQs5Vx4PqNiAqr0DScrbKJ65fNjd9-LIF1k8Hj8IHeH0l9Mfoc]

765. The Hidden Hormone Drain: How Estrogen and Progesterone Affect Your Energy

Have you ever noticed that your energy is not consistent throughout the month? Some weeks you feel sharp, motivated, and on top of everything, and other weeks you feel exhausted, anxious, foggy, or completely wiped out. That is not random. That is hormones. In this episode, I walk you through how estrogen and progesterone impact your energy across your entire cycle and why understanding this changes everything. Once you see it, you cannot unsee it. I break down what a typical 28 day cycle looks like and what your hormones are supposed to be doing at each phase. What we cover in this episode: • Why estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest during your period and why testosterone is actually the dominant hormone at that time • How rising estrogen after your period fuels motivation, focus, productivity, and natural energy • Why ovulation is often your peak energy, creativity, and confidence window when hormones are balanced • What progesterone is supposed to do after ovulation and why it should feel calming, grounding, and supportive • Why needing more rest, calories, and recovery in the second half of your cycle is normal • How basal body temperature changes after ovulation and what that tells us about progesterone • The difference between your ovulation window and your fertile window • Why energy crashes, anxiety, irritability, or feeling wired but exhausted are signs something is off • What estrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency actually look like in real life • Why irregular cycles and unpredictable energy are not something you just have to live with I also explain the high hormone phase after ovulation and why this is the most important time to test hormones. This is when both estrogen and progesterone are present and your body has to process them properly. If you feel great one week and terrible the rest of the month, if PMS is intense, if ovulation feels painful or exhausting, or if your energy never feels predictable, those are all signs your hormones are not being produced or processed the way they should be. This is where hormone testing matters. Why I use DUTCH hormone testing: A DUTCH test allows us to see: • How much estrogen and progesterone you are actually producing • Whether you are ovulating and producing progesterone consistently • How your body is metabolizing and clearing hormones • Cortisol patterns that affect energy and burnout • Androgen levels, nutrient markers, and methylation Blood work can show hormone levels at a single moment, but it does not show functional patterns or how hormones are being used and cleared. DUTCH testing gives us the full picture. I share a real example of a woman who had done everything right. Clean eating, less caffeine, better sleep, no sugar, no alcohol, and still had terrible energy. Her DUTCH test showed exactly why her body could not make energy effectively. Once we saw the data, everything made sense. Numbers do not lie. Testing removes the guessing. Your energy should ebb and flow with your cycle, but it should still be manageable. Your hormones should not hold you back from living your life, working toward your goals, or feeling like yourself. If your hormones are interfering with your quality of life, it's time to test. Get your hormone test: https://drbethwestie.com/dutch-hormone-testing/ [https://drbethwestie.com/dutch-hormone-testing/?fbclid=IwAR1C_N3cnWQs5Vx4PqNiAqr0DScrbKJ65fNjd9-LIF1k8Hj8IHeH0l9Mfoc]

764. Is It Cortisol? How to Tell If Your Adrenals Are Really the Problem

How do you know if it's really your cortisol causing symptoms like exhaustion, burnout, low mood, or low libido? How do you know if it's adrenal insufficiency, adrenal dysfunction, or something else entirely? In this episode, I break down exactly how to tell the difference between low cortisol and high cortisol, why symptoms overlap with thyroid issues and other hormone imbalances, and why guessing or treating blindly can actually make things worse. What I Cover in This Episode • The difference between adrenal function vs cortisol output • Why blood, saliva, and urine cortisol tests tell very different stories • Why DUTCH testing shows the full picture of adrenal function and cortisol metabolism • Common low cortisol symptoms, including – Extreme fatigue and burnout – Low motivation and low mood – Feeling "overcast" instead of like yourself – Low libido (even with normal testosterone) – Dizziness when standing, heart racing, weakness – Sleep issues that don't improve with rest • Why these symptoms are often confused with – Thyroid dysfunction – Low testosterone – Low estrogen or DHEA – Neurotransmitter imbalances – Gut issues, blood sugar problems, dehydration, or histamine issues • Why women are often told to "just be less stressed" when their systems are actually running on empty • Why taking the wrong supplement for cortisol can pour gas on the fire • How stress, sleep loss, life changes, and overtraining can stall healing even when you're "doing everything right" Without the right testing, it's like being lost in the woods with the wrong map. DUTCH testing shows us where you are, what systems are struggling, and what needs support first so your body can actually recover. Once we know what your system needs, herbal tinctures can be powerful tools during the healing process, especially for adrenal and nervous system support. Tinctures are not meant to be a forever crutch. They are part of a strategic phase to help calm the stress response, support cortisol regulation, and give your body the resources it needs to stabilize so deeper healing can happen. If you are feeling • Wired but exhausted • Burned out and flat • Emotionally fragile • Unable to recover from stress • Or like your body just won't respond anymore Targeted adrenal and nervous system tinctures can help bridge the gap while you address sleep, nutrition, gut health, and lifestyle foundations. To support you as you move into the New Year, we're offering: 10% off all tinctures + FREE shipping Use code: NEWYEAR Valid Dec 30 - Jan 2 This is a great time to give your nervous system and adrenals some extra support while you work on the bigger picture. Shop the sale: https://nutritionforyourhormones.com [https://nutritionforyourhormones.com]