Advertise on podcast: Maximizing Hormones, Physique & Running Through Perimenopause

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 💬  [email protected]   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 💬  [email protected]   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 💬  [email protected]   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.

“Normal” and basic blood work does not tell us the whole story. In this episode, Louise Valentine, a multi-award-winning women's integrative health practitioner and exercise physiologist, shares why understanding which biomarkers to track and what they mean can be especially important for runners, active women, and their families. Using her daughter’s first blood draw as an example, Louise explains how she teaches her children to see health data as empowering, useful information rather than something to fear. She discusses the difference between standard and optimal lab ranges, cutting-edge female-specific lab ranges, why tracking trends over time matters, and several markers she watches closely, including advanced cholesterol markers, liver enzymes, and ferritin. Louise also shares how under-fueling can affect recovery, energy, performance, hormones, injury-risk, and long-term bone health in endurance athletes. Along the way, she offers practical tips for making blood draws less stressful and shares lessons from her own family’s health, fitness, and running journeys. The bigger message is simple: learning what your body needs today can help you make better decisions before small warning signs become bigger problems. 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 Learn, laugh & level up with a Breaking Through Wellness masterclass, including “How to Confidently Support Optimal Ferritin” 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! 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. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing  Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (2:50) Why blood work matters for active women (4:40) Standard vs. optimal lab ranges (5:46) Teaching kids about blood work (7:22) Making blood draws less stressful (13:54) Health testing for young endurance athletes (14:41) Advanced cholesterol biomarkers to consider (17:02) Under-fueling risks for active girls (20:15) Teaching children healthy habits early (22:13) Using biomarkers to guide health decisions (29:02) Tracking blood work trends over time (31:05) Ferritin and iron needs for runners (34:00) Long-term consequences of chronic under-fueling (35:36) Key biomarkers and baseline health scans 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 💬  [email protected]   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 happens when the treatment offered to quiet your symptoms also quiets the hormonal signals you are trying to understand and working hard to support? In this episode, Louise Valentine, a leading functional health and fitness expert for perimenopausal active women and recreational runners, shares why she decided not to use birth control as a way to manage perimenopause symptoms. As an example of things to consider, she walks through her complicated health history, including periods of underfueling, overtraining, gut issues, hormone challenges, and the difficulty of navigating fragmented women’s healthcare. Louise explains why she wants to address root cause factors first, such as gut health imbalances, stress, cortisol regulation, and adjusting nutrition, lifestyle, and training. She clarifies why hormone suppression therapy is not the right next step for her. You will learn the importance of tracking symptoms, asking questions about testing and scans, and understanding that what works for one woman may not work for another. Ready to become an informed participant and fierce advocate in your own care? The bottomline is: Symptoms can provide useful information about our body's individual needs, and women deserve conversations that consider their individual health history, goals, and options rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all or outdated approaches. 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, by topic, to address your concerns & save 25% off!  A small portion of EACH sale goes back to support BTW.  Thank you! Learn, laugh & level up with a Breaking Through Wellness masterclass here. 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! 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  Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (2:46) Why Louise declined birth control (5:14) Her complicated hormone and health history (8:32) How fueling can affect female hormones (11:08) Rebuilding hormone health naturally (13:33) Challenges with fragmented healthcare (15:30) Stress, cortisol, and hormone production (18:28) Why she is delaying HRT (19:13) Being offered hormone suppression therapy (20:06) Birth control for symptom management (23:55) When hormone suppression may have a place (24:22) Why symptoms can provide useful data (28:45) Navigating gaps in women’s healthcare (32:32) Advocating for further testing and scans (34:37) Stress, DHEA, and hormone health (36:45) 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 💬  [email protected]   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.

Waiting until life gets easier may be the very thing keeping you stuck. In this short episode, Louise Valentine shares a simple reminder for women navigating perimenopause, changing hormones, fitness struggles, and the pressures of midlife: there is no perfect time. There is only a decision. Louise, one of the world’s leading integrative health practitioners, explains how she sees women delay getting support even when their symptoms, lab trends, or daily energy suggest something needs attention. She shares why understanding the full picture, health history, stress, nutrition, training, hormones, and lifestyle, can help create a more personalized path forward instead of relying on endless supplements or quick fixes. She also opens up about her own challenges, continued functional medicine training, and why she chose to keep learning even during a difficult season of life. Louise emphasizes the importance of community, individualized support, and recognizing that needing help, including medical support when appropriate, is not a failure. The takeaway is simple: lean in, learn from what is not working, make adjustments, and keep moving forward. 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 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! 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 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! Learn, laugh & level up with a Breaking Through Wellness masterclass here. Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (3:01) Why these bonus episodes matter (4:13) Readiness is a decision (5:21) Looking deeper for root causes (9:12) Connecting your complete health history (13:36) Stop waiting for perfect timing (15:23) Louise’s own health decision (17:19) Why community matters in midlife (20:34) Lifestyle before endless supplements (24:22) Adapting support to real life (27:23) Needing medication is not failure (30:13) Lean in, learn, and level up (31:38) 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 💬  [email protected]   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.

As our hormones and female physiology change, running a bit less and more strategic is essential to feel stronger, healthier, and even faster. Louise Valentine, a leading expert for perimenopausal active women and runners, sits down with Jen to look back on their four-month training cycle and share what happened when they reduced running mileage, focused more on the Breaking Through Wellness female-specific strength training and fitness methods, and stopped forcing their bodies to keep up with demanding race goals. One of their biggest lessons was once again learning to recognize a bioindividual “stress tipping point”, a science-backed theory that Louise teaches us to thrive through perimenopause. For example, more training is not always better, especially when sleep, recovery, hormones, hunger, mood, and body composition start to suffer. Louise shares how stepping away from half-marathon training helped improve her sleep, libido, strength, physique, recovery, and hormone markers while still allowing her to run faster. Jen also discovered that shorter runs brought her faster physique changes, more joy, improved energy, and made training easier to fit into her busy family life. They also discuss excessive cardio, hunger hormones, female-specific strength training, ditching social media pressure, and the empowering freedom that comes from changing goals without feeling like you failed. The takeaway is simple: your healthiest and most effective training plan looks a lot different in midlife as your hormones and female physiology change. 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 Blog post mentioned in this episode, “Trying to find your sweet spot with running & fitness in perimenopause? This is for you!“ is found here. Previous podcast episode #133 on choosing to shift training goals mid-training plan: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/maximizing-hormones-physique-running-through-perimenopause/id1716725195?i=1000767715477 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! 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 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! Learn, laugh & level up with a Breaking Through Wellness masterclass here. Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (3:31) Why they changed their training approach (5:31) Understanding your stress tipping point (7:08) Choosing health over race performance (8:39) When long runs stopped working (10:28) Finding your joyful running distance (12:18) High mileage and hormone health (14:00) Health, happiness, or harder training (19:27) Finding balance between running and strength (22:32) Leptin, hunger, and excessive cardio (25:25) What happened after running less (29:17) Hormone improvements after changing training (32:19) Is the half marathon worth it? (35:26) More training balance, more family time (38:44) Life after stepping away from social media (41:07) Choosing family over outside pressure (47:32) Freedom from having a race scheduled (50:09) 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 💬  [email protected]   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.

At Breaking Through Wellness, taking more strategic care of yourself also means making more room for joy-filled experiences with the people you love. In fact, it may be the most important factor in thriving through perimenopause with optimal health, hormones, fitness, and holistic happiness! In this episode, Louise Valentine, a leading functional women's health, exercise physiologist, and female-specific fitness expert, shares a personal look at how health, changing hormones, fitness, relationships, and stress all intersect during perimenopause. After noticing how demanding this season of life has become for herself and her clients, she realized that reconnecting with her husband needed to become a top priority, not something left for when life finally slowed down. Louise shares why she and clients in her private practice are making intentional connection part of their wellness goals, including planning regular date nights and finding simple ways to bring back fun, conversation, and intimacy. She also walks through how she approached an adventurous weekend getaway, including hacks for alcohol, nutrient timing, and fun meals out, while still supporting her best training, recovery, and overall health. The conversation goes deeper as Louise opens up about family stress, resilience, changing priorities, and the importance of having a strong community around you when life feels heavy. The takeaway is simple: wellness is bigger than workouts and nutrition. Sometimes feeling your best also means protecting your relationships, making space for joy, and remembering what matters most. 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 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 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! Learn, laugh & level up with a Breaking Through Wellness masterclass here. 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! Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (3:30) Why Louise is running less (7:15) Reconnecting with your spouse (9:35) Focusing on what matters most (11:08) The monthly date night challenge (15:04) Navigating a healthy date night (18:02) Fueling before drinking alcohol (20:24) Creating space for real connection (26:17) Hormones, alcohol, and recovery (29:25) Facing a high-stress season (33:29) Protecting relationships through hard seasons (38:36) Finding your own date-night style (40:25) 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 💬  [email protected]   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.

Feeling better in perimenopause has less to do with doing more and more to do with finally giving your female body what it needs. In this episode, Louise Valentine, one of the world’s leading health, fitness and performance experts for ambitious active women who love to run, sits down with Stacey, a health education specialist and longtime runner, to share her journey from restrictive dieting, excessive fasting, poor sleep, headaches, injuries, and frustrating hormonal symptoms to a much simpler approach to health and performance. Stacey explains how learning when and how to fuel with her female physiology changed the way she sleeps, runs, recovers, and feels day to day. They discuss why more cardio and longer workouts are not always better, especially as women move through perimenopause, and why strategic strength training, female-specific fueling, and recovery can make a bigger difference. Stacey also shares how she stopped letting the scale dictate her progress and began focusing more on strength, energy, fewer injuries, and overall well-being. Her biggest lessons are refreshingly simple: be patient, stay consistent, keep things flexible, and stop expecting overnight results. 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 Take advantage of our podcast listener discount & save 20% off Kion’s science-backed clean products, like Kion Aminos mentioned in this episode. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing  Check out my FullScript here where you can see my 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! Learn, laugh & level up with a Breaking Through Wellness masterclass here. 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! Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (3:09) Stacey’s perimenopause success story (9:46) Feeling stuck with hormonal symptoms (15:25) How nutrition changed sleep and headaches (22:05) Why less running can be more (31:00) Simple tools that made a difference (44:26) Improving physical and mental health (47:31) Looking beyond the number on the scale (53:26) Why women need different strategies (55:39) Turning overwhelm into sustainable habits (1:00:04) Building consistency for long-term results (1:04:56) Patience, simplicity, and Stacey’s final advice (1:08:29) 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 💬  [email protected]   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.

Perimenopause changes how your body responds to training, nutrition, caffeine, sleep, recovery, and many supplements, making it feel like the things you always did to support your health and fitness are no longer working. And those shifts can begin as early as your 30s. In this episode, Louise Valentine, a leading women's integrative health and fitness expert for perimenopausal active women and female runners, shares real-life conversations with women who were doing many things “right” but still dealing with injuries, poor sleep, anxiety, cravings, body composition changes, and frustrating fitness setbacks. She explains why creatine quality, mode of delivery, and timing matter, why the right type of strength training becomes increasingly important for protecting muscle and reducing injury risk, and why protein quality deserves closer attention as women age. Louise also breaks down how late-day caffeine, poor fueling, and sugar before bed can affect cortisol, sleep, digestion, and next-day energy. Finally, she explains why extreme programs like 75 Hard may deliver short-term results but are nearly impossible to sustain due to the impacts on hormones, metabolic health, and working against time tested principles like progressive overload of exercise and nutrition strategies. The main message is simple: learn how your body is changing before problems pile up. As you will learn, working with your changing female physiology should not be complicated or confusing. Sustainable, female-specific strategies can help you stay strong, energized, and vibrantly active through perimenopause and beyond. 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 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 supplement picks, by topic, to address your concerns & save 25% off!  A small portion of EACH sale goes back to support BTW.  Thank you! Learn, laugh & level up with a Breaking Through Wellness masterclass here. 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! Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro 3:03) Simplifying fitness during perimenopause (8:35) Creatine benefits, quality, and dosage (11:49) Why creatine gummies may fall short (15:19) Perimenopause, injuries, and strength training (20:19) Hormonal changes and common injuries (25:26) Caffeine, cravings, sleep, and cortisol (31:44) Why extreme fitness plans backfire (34:59) Building sustainable fitness with progressive overload (37:39) Get educated before problems escalate (39:57) Simple strategies for lasting results (41:23) 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 💬  [email protected]   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.

Your daughter may forget what you served for dinner, but she may remember how you talked about your body. In this episode, Louise Valentine, one of the world’s leading integrative health practitioners and exercise physiologists, explores the fine line between pursuing fat loss, physique goals, and endurance performance while raising children who are watching and listening.  Drawing from her own childhood health and body composition struggles, work with professional athletes, and experience as a mother of young athletes, she explains why joy, strength, and long-term health should matter more than pressure, appearance, or performance alone. Louise shares practical ways to build a healthier family culture around food and movement. She discusses explaining the “why” behind nutrition choices, using strength-focused language, treating food as fuel rather than labeling it good or bad, and allowing room for both nourishing meals and fun sports snacks. She also offers simple travel-fueling ideas and reminds listeners that children notice how adults speak about their bodies.  If you have a daughter, get ready to learn practical tips for empowering her with hormone supportive food choices, female-specific nutrient timing and strategies that are easy to share so she can age strong, fit and vibrantly well, too! The takeaway is clear: parents can still work toward personal health and physique goals while modeling confidence, flexibility, and respect for the body. Intentional words and everyday habits can help our next generation of fitness lovers and endurance athletes grow up strong, informed, and excited to move - for life. 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 Learn, laugh & level up with a Breaking Through Wellness masterclass here. 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 supplements, 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. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing  Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (3:04) Pursuing physique goals while daughters watch (5:00) Protecting young athletes from burnout (11:22) Explaining the why behind food choices (14:31) Using strength-focused language around children (18:18) How children absorb body talk (25:21) Fueling young athletes without food fear (27:46) Empowering the next generation through health (29:04) Practical travel meals and performance fuel (39:25) Personal health goals and responsible messaging (41:11) 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 💬  [email protected]   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.

Most often, the habits slowing your progress as your hormones and female physiology change are not the big ones, but the small choices you repeat every week. In this episode, Louise Valentine, one of the world’s leading health, fitness and performance experts, shares simple nutrition and lifestyle shifts that help women feel their best, mitigate symptoms, support body composition, and run stronger through perimenopause. She explains why progress does not require extreme diets, complicated macros, or traditional high volume or complicated training plans. Instead, strategic and very simple boundaries around foods like cheese, takeout lattes, alcohol, restaurant meals, and portion sizes can make a noticeable difference. Louise discusses how frequent cheese often contributes to bloating for some women, why sugary lattes can disrupt blood sugar and quietly add extra calories, and how alcohol affects recovery, sleep, mood, nutrient absorption, and fat-loss goals. She also suggests separating alcohol from restaurant meals when possible to reduce the overall stress on the body's detoxification pathways and our changing metabolic processes as we age. The biggest takeaway is that it's not about perfection. It's simply learning how your body is changing, making one realistic adjustment at a time, and building a healthier relationship with food. Midlife and perimenopause wellness can be simple, flexible, and still leave room for pizza, date nights, and the foods you love. 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 Learn, laugh & level up with a Breaking Through Wellness masterclass here. Check out my FullScript here where you can see my favorite high-quality 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. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing  Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (2:52) Four simple strategies for better midlife results (5:31) How hormones affect fuel use, fat loss, and performance (7:02) Why less running can sometimes produce better results (10:21) Replacing frequent cheese to reduce bloating (14:47) How takeout lattes may hold back body composition goals (20:56) Creating realistic boundaries around alcohol (22:22) How one drink may affect recovery and fat burning (25:11) Alcohol’s possible effects on sleep, mood, and hormonal symptoms (27:38) Why separating restaurant meals and alcohol may help (31:01) Choosing reasonable portions instead of chasing perfection 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 💬  [email protected]   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.

Your body is not failing you. It may simply be asking for a different kind of support. In this episode, Louise Valentine, a leading expert for perimenopausal active women and runners, and Jen continue their conversation on hormonal shifts during ovulation and the luteal phase. They explain why female runners may experience temporary weight gain, bloating, constipation, pelvic discomfort, hot flashes, disrupted sleep, lower HRV, mood changes, and harder workouts during certain parts of the menstrual cycle. Listeners will learn why hydration, electrolytes, carbohydrates, recovery, and smart training adjustments can make a meaningful difference. Rather than trying every strategy at once, Louise recommends choosing one to three actions based on your most disruptive symptoms. The conversation also explores the emotional side of perimenopause. Louise and Jen share simple ways to improve mood, enjoy running again, and avoid taking stress out on partners or children. Sometimes the most powerful action is slowing down, turning on uplifting music, changing the workout, or pausing to reconnect with someone you love. The key message is simple: understand your cycle, support your body, and adjust your goals to fit your current season. 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. 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! 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  Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (2:56) Part two and choosing personalized action steps (7:35) Hormonal surges, inflammation, and physique changes (10:14) Bloating, constipation, pelvic floor symptoms, and cramping (12:38) Hydration, electrolytes, body temperature, and hot flashes (14:24) HRV changes and adjusting training intensity (16:47) Choosing between performance, fat loss, and recovery goals (18:59) Supporting mental health during difficult cycle phases (20:04) Using music to improve runs and mood (23:52) How perimenopause symptoms affect the whole family (26:27) Reconnecting with your partner instead of reacting (29:05) Creating a shared wellness lifestyle at home (35:05) Starting with one to three practical strategies (37:08) Estrogen, hydration, and female endurance performance (38:45) 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 💬  [email protected]   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 your cravings, mood swings, bloating, and difficult workouts are not signs that you are losing control, but signals that your body needs different support? In this episode, Louise Valentine, one of the world’s leading health, fitness and performance experts, sits down with Jen to explain how hormonal surges around ovulation and the luteal phase can affect female runners during perimenopause. They discuss why tracking your cycle can help you recognize patterns in your energy, appetite, mood, recovery, and performance instead of blaming yourself when symptoms appear. Louise explains that women may burn more calories during the luteal phase, which can increase hunger and the need for additional carbohydrates. Simple adjustments, such as adding a nourishing snack, improving hydration, and slightly reducing workout intensity, may help ease cravings, anxiety, fatigue, and low moods. They also explore the risks of undereating, following rigid nutrition plans, and combining intense training with alcohol, stress, and poor recovery. The key is not to stop pursuing your goals, but to understand when your body needs more care. By choosing a few realistic strategies and tracking the results, women can feel more confident, energized, and in control throughout their cycle. 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. 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! 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  Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (5:02) Understanding ovulation and the luteal phase (6:02) How cycle tracking helps you read your body (8:00) Why healthy and active women still experience symptoms (10:16) What cravings may be telling you (10:45) Increased calorie needs during the luteal phase (12:01) Why female runners should not fear carbohydrates (13:09) Nourishment versus sugar-driven cravings (15:33) The risks of being too strict with food (19:24) The hormonal changes that happen during ovulation (22:11) Why stress tolerance may decrease during the luteal phase (24:03) Simple ways to track symptoms and cycle patterns (25:26) Adjusting workouts, hydration, and nutrition around ovulation (26:46) Why constantly pushing harder can become counterproductive (28:24) How the same choices affect the body differently across the cycle (30:00) Why HRT and supplements do not replace body awareness (31:02) Building a practical symptom-management toolbox (32:18) Managing meals and alcohol during hormonal surges (35:27) Choosing one to three realistic action steps (39:39) 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 💬  [email protected]   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.

Your body is not broken. However, some methods you've relied on in the past may be mismatched for this season of life. In this episode, Louise Valentine, a multi-award-winning women's integrative health practitioner and exercise physiologist, talks to midlife female runners who feel like their energy, hormones, body composition, sleep, and performance are changing faster than they expected. Louise explains why perimenopause makes stress harder for the female body to handle and why more miles, harder workouts, or quick fixes do not solve the real problem or address root causes of what's changing in our body. Instead of blaming our body, she points to the need for female-specific training, better fueling, nervous system support, and smarter strength work designed for runners. She also shares her own experience with burnout, anxiety, social media habits, and learning how to slow down without losing her high-performing edge. Listeners will hear why cortisol, sleep, connection with those we love, recovery, and self-love all matter to build our best long-term health, optimal hormones, resilience and joy-filled performance as we age. This episode is a reminder that women can age stronger, run well, feel vibrant, and protect their hormones without overcomplicating the process. 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. 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! 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  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 sign up! Thank you! Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (2:45) Keeping your edge as you age (4:17) Why quick fixes miss the foundation (6:26) Hydration, minerals, and runner needs (8:06) Confusing advice for female runners (10:43) Fueling more to support hormones (14:50) Start with stress and cortisol (17:34) Stop blaming your body (19:28) Managing cortisol in midlife (21:12) Smarter strength training for runners (22:24) Daily nervous system regulation (27:12) Evening mobility for better recovery (30:10) Social media as a coping habit (33:55) Protecting sleep and real connection (36:16) Podcast Insiders and next steps (39:53) 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 💬  [email protected]   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.