The Female Health Solution Podcast

If you're struggling with stubborn weight gain, afternoon energy crashes, 3 a.m. wakeups, sugar cravings, brain fog, mood swings, or hot flashes, insulin resistance may be a bigger factor than you realize. In this episode, I break down why insulin resistance is not just a pre-diabetes issue and how it can quietly impact your hormones for years before it shows up on standard lab work.
In this episode, I cover:
• Why insulin resistance can explain or worsen many common perimenopause symptoms • The connection between estrogen decline and blood sugar regulation • How muscle mass directly impacts insulin sensitivity and metabolism • Why strength training is more effective than excessive cardio for metabolic health • How cortisol and chronic stress contribute to belly weight, cravings, and sleep disruptions • The most important lab markers to evaluate, including fasting insulin • Why supplements alone rarely solve the problem without addressing underlying hormone imbalances • Practical nutrition strategies to support blood sugar balance and hormone health
If this sounds like what you're experiencing, schedule a Strategy Call with my team! We'll discuss your symptoms, review your goals, and help determine the best next steps for testing and support so you can start improving your hormone health with a personalized plan.
Book your FREE Strategy Call here:
https://calendly.com/dr-beth-westie/program-discovery-call
Download your FREE Hormone Cascade Map here:

https://dr-beth-westie.mykajabi.com/hormone-cascade-map

In this episode, I'm diving into the estrobolome, the powerful community of gut bacteria that plays a major role in how your body processes and clears estrogen. If you've been told your hormones are "normal" but you're still struggling with heavy periods, worsening PMS, breast tenderness, bloating, mood swings, or cycles that keep getting shorter, your gut may be the missing piece.
I'm explaining:
• What the estrobolome is and how it impacts estrogen detoxification • Why estrogen clearance matters just as much as hormone production • The role of beta-glucuronidase and how estrogen gets recycled back into the body • Signs your gut may be contributing to hormone imbalance • How constipation, bloating, dysbiosis, and low motility affect hormone health • Why GI Map and DUTCH testing can uncover issues standard labs miss • The connection between gut health, serotonin, PMS, and PMDD • How scar tissue, pelvic floor dysfunction, and inflammation can impact digestion and hormone symptoms
I also share a client story about how improving gut health and incorporating hands-on bodywork helped dramatically reduce digestive discomfort and hormone-related symptoms.
If you feel like you've tried everything for your hormones and nothing is fully working, it may be time to look deeper at your gut health and estrogen detox pathways.
Ready to get answers and personalized support?Click the link in the show notes to book a strategy call with my team so we can help you identify the right next steps for your body and your symptoms:


👉 https://calendly.com/dr-beth-westie/program-discovery-call
👉 Download your FREE Hormone Cascade Map here: https://dr-beth-westie.mykajabi.com/hormone-cascade-map

If your HRT is not working the way you expected, it does not always mean the hormones are the problem. Often, the real issue is that your body is missing key foundations needed to process and respond to those hormones effectively.
In this episode, I break down the three biggest areas I look at first: your liver detox pathways, your gut and estrobolome health, and your blood sugar and cortisol regulation.
I explain why some women start HRT and feel worse, with symptoms like increased hot flashes, night sweats, bloating, mood swings, and breast tenderness. In many cases, this happens because the body is not clearing estrogen properly, causing it to recirculate instead of leaving the system.
I also walk through the three Ps of hormones which are production, processing, and pathways. If even one of these is off, your results can suffer no matter what protocol or supplement you are using.
We also talk about how gut inflammation, histamine responses, and insulin resistance can block your body's ability to respond to hormones at the cellular level.
If this sounds familiar, download my Hormone Cascade Map to better understand what may be happening in your body: 
https://dr-beth-westie.mykajabi.com/hormone-cascade-map
And if you are ready for personalized guidance, book a strategy call with my team. We will help you uncover what your body needs and map out your next best steps so you can finally start feeling better:
https://calendly.com/dr-beth-westie/program-discovery-call

If you feel like your body stopped responding after 37, it is not because your metabolism suddenly "slowed down" with age.
In this episode, I break down the real reason so many women feel stuck despite eating well, exercising consistently, and doing everything "right." The truth is, your body can get trapped in a cycle involving cortisol, insulin, and estrogen that drives fat storage, inflammation, exhaustion, and frustration.
I explain how chronic stress raises cortisol, disrupts blood sugar, increases insulin resistance, and fuels estrogen imbalance, creating a loop that makes weight loss feel impossible no matter how hard you work. And if you are exhausted, inflamed, and tired of guessing what your body needs, there is a better way forward.
Book your discovery call here: https://calendly.com/dr-beth-westie/program-discovery-call
Download your Hormone Cascade Map here: https://dr-beth-westie.mykajabi.com/hormone-cascade-map

In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Brandy Zachary (Dr. Z) to talk about functional medicine, menopause, and why so many women are being dismissed when they need real answers most.
Dr. Z shares her personal health journey, from life changing illness and being declared permanently disabled to rebuilding her health through functional medicine and creating tools that now help practitioners better serve their patients.
Here's what we dive into:
Why so many practitioners were never taught how to truly address root cause healing
The biggest mistakes women make when searching for menopause solutions
Why there is no "one size fits all" menopause protocol
How hormone shifts often expose deeper underlying imbalances already happening in the body
Why depression and anxiety during menopause are often overlooked and dismissed
How bioidentical hormone support can create relief while deeper healing happens
The importance of personalized care instead of influencer driven health advice
Why women should never "just suffer through it" during this stage of life
How menopause can become one of the most empowering seasons of a woman's life with the right support
Why practitioners need better education around women's hormones
Dr. Z also shares how she is helping train providers and building tools to help end medical gaslighting so women can finally get the care they deserve.
This is an incredibly empowering conversation for women navigating hormonal changes and for providers who want to better support them.
Connect with Dr. Z:
DiganoseThis Podcast
FunctionalMedicine 2.0 Podcast
https://searchfunctionalmedicine.com/
https://thedrz.com/
Clinical Core Monthly