#31: Why Fixing Your Gut Might Be the Missing Piece in Your Hormone Puzzle

#32: It's Not In Your Head: The Science of What Perimenopause Actually Does To Your Body

In this episode, I dive deep into the science behind perimenopause to show you that the symptoms you are experiencing—from brain fog to stubborn belly fat—are not just in your head. I discuss the significant gaps in current menopause care, highlighted by a new Ontario Health quality standard, and explain why so many women feel dismissed by the traditional medical system. I walk you through the biological shifts occurring in your body, including how hormone withdrawal affects your metabolism, muscle mass, sleep, and brain chemistry. Finally, I share how functional lab testing can help connect the dots and provide a personalized roadmap for navigating this transition with strength and confidence. Top 10 Timestamps * 01:23 - Introduction to the "Muscle Strength and Menopause" podcast and my background as a specialist. * 03:30 - Discussion of the Ontario Health Menopause Quality Standard and the gaps in current care. * 04:38 - Statistics showing that only 27% of women have their clinicians proactively start a conversation about menopause. * 05:33 - The economic impact of menopause, including lost productivity and women leaving their careers. * 09:25 - Defining perimenopause versus menopause and the hormonal changes involved. * 11:51 - How progesterone decline affects the nervous system, sleep, and mood years before periods change. * 12:46 - The science of why estrogen decline leads to muscle loss and increased abdominal fat. * 14:52 - Understanding how elevated cortisol and sympathetic nervous system dominance drive muscle breakdown. * 16:49 - How fluctuating estrogen levels impact serotonin, leading to brain fog, anxiety, and cravings. * 27:08 - An overview of functional lab testing, including the Dutch test and GI map, to identify root causes. Join my 28 day Fat Loss Kickstart Program→ Lose 4-8 lbs in 28 days. Starts May 27, 2026 ⁠https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration⁠ [https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration⁠] FREE Metabolic and Hormone Assessment - Find out what is creating the weight loss resistance. ⁠https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/hormone-metabolism-assessment⁠ [https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/hormone-metabolism-assessment⁠] Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) ⁠Body Transformation and Fat loss for women over 40 | Facebook⁠ ‌ Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 ⁠ Home | PERFECT Sports US⁠ (CANADA SITE) ⁠ Home | PERFECT Sports US⁠ (USA SITE) The makers of DIESEL Protein powder Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: ⁠sara@sarafrenzafitness.com [sara@sarafrenzafitness.com]⁠ Instagram: ⁠Functional Nutrition | Gut, Menopause & Hormone Health (@sara_frenza) • Instagram profile⁠ Shop programs, bundles & resources: ⁠https://stan.store/SaraFrenza⁠ [https://stan.store/SaraFrenza⁠] Website: ⁠Home - Sara Frenza

#31: Why Fixing Your Gut Might Be the Missing Piece in Your Hormone Puzzle

In this episode of the Muscle Strength and Menopause podcast, I dive deep into the critical, yet often overlooked, connection between gut health and hormone balance for women in midlife. I explain why common symptoms like bloating, constipation, and indigestion are actually "red flags" for gut dysbiosis that can disrupt your metabolism and your entire hormonal ecosystem. I also share the three primary drivers of gut dysfunction—low stomach acid, an impaired migrating motor complex (MMC), and bacterial imbalances—and how these factors directly contribute to the "hormone chaos" experienced during perimenopause and menopause. Finally, I walk you through my exact five-step functional medicine process for moving from a state of gut health to true gut healing. 28 day Fat Loss Kickstart Program→ Next one starts in May 27, 2026 get on the waitlist below. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration [https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration] FREE Metabolic and Hormone Assessment - Find out what is creating the weight loss resistance. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/hormone-metabolic-assessment-page [https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/hormone-metabolic-assessment-page] Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) Body Transformation and Fat loss for women over 40 | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstotransformyourbodyforever] ‌ Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 Home | PERFECT Sports US [https://perfectsports.com/] (CANADA SITE) Home | PERFECT Sports US [https://us.perfectsports.com/] (USA SITE) The makers of DIESEL Protein powder Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: sara@sarafrenzafitness.com [sara@sarafrenzafitness.com] Instagram: Functional Nutrition | Gut, Menopause & Hormone Health (@sara_frenza) • Instagram profile [https://www.instagram.com/sara_frenza/] Shop programs, bundles & resources: https://stan.store/SaraFrenza [https://stan.store/SaraFrenza] Website: Home - Sara Frenza [https://www.sarafrenzafitness.com/]

# 30: Breathe your way to a better nervous system with Brian Coones

How many of you feel like you are doing everything right—strength training, hitting your protein, and eating well—yet your body is still holding on to stress, your sleep is off, and your belly fat won't budge? This week on Muscle Strength and Menopause, we are diving deep into the language of your nervous system with mindfulness teacher and emotional fitness coach, Brian Coones. Brian helps high-performing leaders master the inner skills required to thrive in high-pressure environments by blending breathwork, mindfulness, and longevity principles to regulate the nervous system and unlock sustainable performance. In this episode, Brian shares his powerful personal journey from a life-altering medical emergency to becoming a specialist in emotional regulation. We discuss why "emotional fitness" is just as critical as physical training and how mastering your breath can be the ultimate tool for physical and mental transformation. Connect with Brian Coones: Website: briancoones.com [http://briancoones.com] LinkedIn: Brian Coones Instagram: @briancoones Spotify: Rewire with Brian Coones TikTok: @briancoones Special Practice: Deep Daily Breathwork & Heart Coherence Meditation Want 1:1 Support with your health and fitness goals? Book a free call we have 2 programs to suit your needs: 1. Hourglass Body Method Program (Fat loss and body transformation program) 2. Elevated Vitality Experience (Functional Wellness Program) which includes lab testing to get the the root cause of your gut and hormone problems. We don't guess.. we test! →https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-form [https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-form] 28 day Fat Loss Kickstart Program→ Next one starts in May 27, 2026 get on the waitlist below. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration [https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration] FREE Metabolic and Hormone Assessment - Find out what is creating the weight loss resistance. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/hormone-metabolic-assessment-page [https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/hormone-metabolic-assessment-page] Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) Body Transformation and Fat loss for women over 40 | Facebook ‌ Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 Home | PERFECT Sports US (CANADA SITE) Home | PERFECT Sports US (USA SITE) The makers of DIESEL Protein powder Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: sara@sarafrenzafitness.com [sara@sarafrenzafitness.com] Instagram: Functional Nutrition | Gut, Menopause & Hormone Health (@sara_frenza) • Instagram profile Shop programs, bundles & resources: https://stan.store/SaraFrenza [https://stan.store/SaraFrenza] ‌Website: Home - Sara Frenza

#29: Chronic Inflammation Is Silently Stalling Your Fat Loss - Here's How to Fight Back

Welcome to another episode of Muscle Strength and Menopause. I am your host, Sara Frenza, and today we are diving deep into a silent factor that might be sabotaging your progress despite your best efforts. If you have been hitting your protein goals, strength training, and tracking your food, yet the scale still won't move, you are not crazy. There is often a "slow, low-grade fire" burning inside your body called chronic inflammation. This process silently blocks fat loss, wrecks your hormones, and tanks your energy. For women over 40, menopause "turns up the volume" on this inflammation, making it even harder to see results. In [http://results.in/] this episode, I break down exactly what chronic inflammation is, why it stalls fat loss, and the five essential levers you can pull to put out the fire for good. We also discuss why mainstream medicine is finally catching up to functional health practices and why your standard blood work might not be telling the whole story. Want 1:1 Support with your health and fitness goals? Book a free call we have 2 programs to suit your needs: 1. Hourglass Body Method Program (Fat loss and body transformation program) 2. Elevated Vitality Experience (Functional Wellness Program) which includes lab testing to get the the root cause of your gut and hormone problems. We don't guess.. we test! →https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-form [https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-form] 28 day Fat Loss Kickstart Program→ Next one starts in May 27, 2026 get on the waitlist below. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration [https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration] FREE Metabolic and Hormone Assessment - Find out what is creating the weight loss resistance. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/hormone-metabolic-assessment-page [https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/hormone-metabolic-assessment-page] Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) Body Transformation and Fat loss for women over 40 | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstotransformyourbodyforever] ‌ Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 Home | PERFECT Sports US [https://perfectsports.com/] (CANADA SITE) Home | PERFECT Sports US [https://us.perfectsports.com/] (USA SITE) The makers of DIESEL Protein powder Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: sara@sarafrenzafitness.com [sara@sarafrenzafitness.com] Instagram: Functional Nutrition | Gut, Menopause & Hormone Health (@sara_frenza) • Instagram profile [https://www.instagram.com/sara_frenza/] Shop programs, bundles & resources: https://stan.store/SaraFrenza [https://stan.store/SaraFrenza] ‌ Website: Home - Sara Frenza [https://www.sarafrenzafitness.com/]

#28: The Gut-Skin Connection Nobody Talks About

This episode of Muscle Strength and Menopause features Jennifer Valenza, founder of Skynbio (spelled as "Skin Bio" in the video), to discuss the intricate connection between the gut and skin microbiomes. Jennifer shares her personal 10-year journey of battling "fungal acne," which was often misdiagnosed and exacerbated by conventional skincare products. She explains how common ingredients like seed oils and polysorbates can inadvertently feed microbial overgrowths like Malassezia yeast, leading to chronic inflammation, rosacea, and breakouts. The conversation delves into the "root cause" approach, exploring how hormonal birth control, stress, and gut dysbiosis impact skin health. Jennifer details the science behind her "microbiome-smart" skincare line, which focuses on stopping the food source for yeast, repairing the skin barrier with building blocks like ceramides, and calming inflammation with natural botanicals. Follow Skynbio on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/skynbioskincare [https://www.instagram.com/skynbioskincare] Skynbio website: https://skynbio.com?sca_ref=10929708.S7SVnfESwc5dwN85 [https://skynbio.com?sca_ref=10929708.S7SVnfESwc5dwN85] Use Discount CODE: FRENZA15 Want 1:1 Support with your health & fitness goals? Book a free call we have 2 programs to suit your needs: 1. Hourglass Body Method Program (Fat loss and body transformation program) 2. Elevated Vitality Experience (Functional Wellness Program) which includes lab testing to get the the root cause of your gut and hormone problems. We don't guess.. we test! →https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-form [https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-form] 28 day Fat Loss Kickstart Program→ Next one starts in May 27, 2026 get on the waitlist below. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration [https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration] FREE Metabolic and Hormone Assessment - Find out what is creating the weight loss resistance. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/hormone-metabolic-assessment-page [https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/hormone-metabolic-assessment-page] Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) Body Transformation and Fat loss for women over 40 | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstotransformyourbodyforever] ‌ Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: sara@sarafrenzafitness.com [sara@sarafrenzafitness.com] Instagram: Functional Nutrition | Gut, Menopause & Hormone Health (@sara_frenza) • Instagram profile [https://www.instagram.com/sara_frenza/] Shop programs, bundles & resources: https://stan.store/SaraFrenza [https://stan.store/SaraFrenza] Website: Home - Sara Frenza [https://www.sarafrenzafitness.com/]