The Female Health Solution Podcast

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

If you feel like your body just isn't responding the way it used to, you're not imagining it. Most weight loss advice out there was never designed for women, especially not women navigating hormone changes in their late 30s, 40s, and beyond.
The idea that you just need to eat less and move more sounds simple, but for many women, it actually makes things worse. When your body is under constant stress, whether from under-eating, over-exercising, or life in general, it shifts into a state where it holds onto fat instead of letting it go.
A big piece of this comes down to hormones. As estrogen levels change, your body becomes less sensitive to insulin, which means it's easier to store fat even if you're eating "healthy." At the same time, muscle mass naturally declines if you're not actively working to maintain it, and that directly impacts your metabolism.
Layer in chronic stress and rising cortisol, and now your body is even more resistant to fat loss. You might notice things like stubborn belly weight, low energy, poor recovery from workouts, or waking up in the middle of the night. These are all signals that your system is under strain.
This is also why so many traditional approaches backfire. More cardio and fewer calories might have worked in your 20s, but now they can lead to muscle loss, a slower metabolism, and even more frustration. Your body isn't broken. It's just responding to a different set of internal signals.
Instead of trying to force weight loss, the focus has to shift to supporting your metabolism. That starts with getting enough protein, often more than you think you need, and focusing on strength training to rebuild and maintain muscle. Walking and lower-stress movement can also support your system without driving cortisol higher.
For many women, the real shift is understanding that you may need to build your body back up before it's ready to let weight go. That's how you create results that actually last.
If you've been doing all the right things and still feel stuck, it's likely not about trying harder. It's about getting the right support for your body specifically.
If this sounds like you, you can book a discovery call to get a clear, personalized plan for what your body actually needs: 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

Waking up at 3 a.m. is one of the most common sleep struggles for women, especially during times of stress and hormonal change. This is not random and it is not just anxiety. It is often tied to a deeper connection between your liver, cortisol, progesterone, and blood sugar regulation.
Between 1 and 3 a.m., your liver is most active in detoxification. If your body is dealing with blood sugar crashes, hormone imbalances, or an overloaded system, it can trigger a cortisol spike that wakes you up and keeps you alert!
This is where the "three P's" of hormones matter: production, processing, and pathways. If any of these are off, you can experience disrupted sleep even if you are doing all the "right" things.
Common root causes of 3 a.m. wakeups include:
• Blood sugar dysregulation from under eating or poor protein intake
• Elevated cortisol from stress, overtraining, or lack of recovery
• Low or poorly processed progesterone impacting calming pathways
• Liver overload affecting hormone detox and overnight balance
If you have been trying different solutions without results, the missing piece is often testing. Looking at your hormones, gut health, and blood sugar markers can pinpoint exactly what your body needs.
If you are ready to stop guessing and finally fix the root cause, book a discovery call here:
👉 https://calendly.com/dr-beth-westie/program-discovery-call

In this episode, I break down what "cortisol face" really is and why cortisol is not the enemy. Symptoms like facial puffiness, under eye bags, jaw tension, acne, and dull skin are not just cosmetic. They are signals that your stress response is out of balance. If your cortisol does not follow the ideal rhythm throughout the day, your body can get stuck in chronic fight or flight. This dysregulation can impact your minerals, blood sugar, gut health, and hormone balance.
Facial puffiness is often linked to water retention caused by mineral depletion. Jaw tension and clenching are tied to a stressed nervous system and low mineral status. Skin changes like acne, dryness, and premature aging can happen when cortisol interferes with collagen and repair processes. 
If you are dealing with these symptoms and want real answers, this episode will help you understand what your body is telling you and where to start.
If you are ready for deeper support, schedule a discovery call with our team to create a personalized plan: https://calendly.com/dr-beth-westie/program-discovery-call

In this episode, I sit down with Leilani Stevens to talk about somatic work, what it really means, and why it can be such a powerful missing piece in healing.
We dive into how somatic work focuses on the body, not just the mind. I share how many women try to think their way out of stress and anxiety, but the body can still be stuck in a survival response. If your nervous system is reading your environment as unsafe, no amount of mindset work will fully resolve that.
We also discuss how this work helps you reconnect with your body, build self trust, and show up differently in your daily life, relationships, and even medical settings.
Leilani shares details about her upcoming immersive retreat, which combines somatic work with aquatic therapy in a heated pool environment. This experience is designed to help the body deeply unwind stress patterns and create a new baseline of calm and regulation. The retreat is a small, intimate experience with guided support, integration, and space to fully reset your nervous system.
If you feel disconnected from your body, stuck in stress, or like something deeper is holding you back, this episode will open your eyes to a completely different approach to healing!
To learn more about the retreat or see if it's a good fit for you, you can visit this link: https://www.somaticremedies.com/fluid-body-retreat-application