THE PERIOD WHISPERER PODCAST - Perimenopause, Menopause, Cortisol, Weight Loss, Hormone Balancing, Insomnia, Hot Flashes, Night Sweats, Libido, Your Guide To Thriving In MidLife

Why does your progress suddenly go backwards in midlife… even when you’re doing everything right?
If you’ve ever felt like things were finally working; your sleep, your energy, your routines and then suddenly it all slides backwards, you’re not alone. I’m unpacking why setbacks happen in this phase of life, especially during perimenopause, and why they’re actually a normal part of the process. We’ll look at what’s really driving these shifts from stress and hormone fluctuations to changes in your environment and nervous system, so you can stop questioning yourself every time things feel off. And I’ll walk you through how to navigate these moments without overdoing it, giving up, or falling into that “nothing works” spiral.
This is one of those episodes you’re going to want to come back to especially on the weeks where it feels like nothing is working. Tune in now!
Episode Timeline:
00:00 - Episode Preview
00:44 - Podcast Intro
01:30 - Real Life Setbacks Example
03:30 - Progress Is Not Linear
05:50 - Regression Is Normal
06:34 - Stress Disrupts Progress
08:20 - Hormone Rollercoaster Explained
11:30 - Environment Impacts Your Body
14:00 - Body Needs Recovery Phases
16:00 - Mindset Can Sabotage Progress
18:00 - Healing Happens In Phases
19:30 - Zoom Out And Assess
20:30 - Return To Foundations
21:30 - Reduce Pressure On Body
22:30 - Identify Hidden Stressors
23:30 - Stay Consistent Imperfectly
24:30 - Progress Requires Perspective

🔗 Links & Resources
🌐Beam Minerals: https://www.beamminerals.com/?oid=4&affid=1227
(USE DISCOUNT CODE: BRIA at checkout for 20% off)
🌐AG1: DrinkAG1.com/BRIA (for a free $76 gift when you try AG1)
🌐 Website: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/
🎧 Listen to past episodes: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/the-period-whisperer-podcast
📝 Grab The Ultimate Guide To Make Nutrition Easy In Perimenopause: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/offers/rVsL2APG/checkout
📝 Grab The Ultimate Guide To Peptides For Perimenopause: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/offers/7Xa9HvoH/checkout
📩 Book a Free Discovery Call: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/hormonebreakthrough

No one tells you that the real shift in midlife isn’t just physical… It's personal.
In this conversation, we’re unpacking something that doesn’t get talked about enough, how so many of us have been taught to override our needs, push through, and take care of everyone else… until our body finally says “I can’t keep doing this.” We talk about why your symptoms aren’t just physical, how self-abandonment quietly builds over time, and why it starts showing up in your energy, your health, your relationships, and even your weight. This is about recognizing the small, everyday ways you’ve been leaving yourself behind and what begins to change when you stop. Because your body isn’t failing you… it’s responding to everything you’ve been carrying.
I’m joined by Crystal Andrus Morissette, six-time international bestselling author and creator of the Emotional Edge framework, who has been leading this conversation and helping women reconnect to themselves in a deeper way.
Tune in, this might shift how you understand what your body’s been trying to tell you
Episode Timeline:
00:00 - Midlife Wake Up Moment
00:37 - Why Women Self-Abandon
05:34 - Body Is The Messenger
05:34 - Crystal’s Turning Point Story
11:14 - Midlife Second Act Begins
12:09 - How To Recognize It
12:27 - Signs Of Self-Abandonment
14:38 - Small Choices Add Up
16:09 - Health Not Built For Women
16:45 - Women Are Not Small Men
18:15 - Happiness Affects Your Body
18:28 - Mother And Daughter Energy
19:19 - Finding Your True Self
22:37 - Parts Of You Explained
26:02 - Journaling To Reconnect
29:18 - First Step Is Awareness
31:41 - How To Start Healing
31:41 - You Are Not Broken
34:12 - What Would Courage Do
36:47 - Menopause As Turning Point
40:51 - Asking For The Right Help
43:27 - Final Thoughts And Takeaways
Connect with Crystal Andrus Morisette:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/CrystalAndrusMorissette
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/crystalandrusmorissette/
WEB: https://www.swatinstitute.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/crystalandrus
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/crystalandrus
QUIZ: SWATinstitute.com/quiz
🔗 Links & Resources
🌐Beam Minerals: https://www.beamminerals.com/?oid=4&affid=1227
(USE DISCOUNT CODE: BRIA at checkout for 20% off)
🌐AG1: DrinkAG1.com/BRIA (for a free $76 gift when you try AG1)
🌐 Website: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/
🎧 Listen to past episodes: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/the-period-whisperer-podcast
📝 Grab The Ultimate Guide To Make Nutrition Easy In Perimenopause: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/offers/rVsL2APG/checkout
📝 Grab The Ultimate Guide To Peptides For Perimenopause: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/offers/7Xa9HvoH/checkout
📩 Book a Free Discovery Call: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/hormonebreakthrough

If sleep hygiene and all the “sleep tips” aren’t working for you… this is why.
This is the final episode in our sleep miniseries, and I really wanted to bring everything together in a way that actually makes sense for your body. Because so many women are stuck thinking they just need more discipline, a better routine, or one more supplement. And the truth is… sleep hygiene can support your sleep, but it doesn’t always fix what’s actually driving the issue underneath.
We talk about what’s really going on when your body won’t stay asleep, things like cortisol rhythm, gut health, histamine, minerals, and why your nervous system might not feel safe enough to fully rest. I also walk you through the difference between doing all the “right things” and actually having a body that’s ready for sleep… because those are not the same thing. And this is where testing, not guessing, starts to change everything for women who feel stuck.
If you’ve been lying awake wondering what’s wrong with you… come listen to this final episode, and we’re going to help you understand what it’s saying.
Episode Timeline:

00:05 - Sleep Hygiene Not Enough
02:00 - What Sleep Hygiene Really Does
04:30 - When Sleep Hygiene Works
06:30 - Discipline vs Body Readiness
08:08 - Gut Issues Disrupt Sleep
10:30 - Histamine And Night Waking
12:30 - Why Testing Matters
14:30 - Minerals And Sleep Support
16:06 - Sleep Supplement Stack
18:30 - Stop Guessing Start Testing
19:45 - Fix Sleep And Digestion First
20:30 - Your Body Is Communicating
21:30 - Final Thoughts And Next Steps
🔗 Links & Resources
🌐Beam Minerals: https://www.beamminerals.com/?oid=4&affid=1227
(USE DISCOUNT CODE: BRIA at checkout for 20% off)
🌐AG1: DrinkAG1.com/BRIA (for a free $76 gift when you try AG1)
🌐 Website: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/
🎧 Listen to past episodes: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/the-period-whisperer-podcast
📝 Grab The Ultimate Guide To Make Nutrition Easy In Perimenopause: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/offers/rVsL2APG/checkout
📝 Grab The Ultimate Guide To Peptides For Perimenopause: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/offers/7Xa9HvoH/checkout
📩 Book a Free Discovery Call: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/hormonebreakthrough

So many women are told their labs are “normal” while their bodies are clearly saying something else.
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Kela Smith, a PhD, holistic doctor, researcher, educator, and founder of the Hormone Puzzle Society, to unpack one of the biggest gaps in women’s health today.
We talk about why so many women in perimenopause and midlife are told their labs are “normal” while they are still dealing with fatigue, weight gain, poor sleep, and hormone chaos.
Episode Timeline:

01:42 – Her Infertility Healing Story
02:50 – What Is Hypothalamic Amenorrhea
04:27 – Limits Of Conventional Lab Testing
06:20 – Why Normal Labs Mislead
06:31 – The Hormone Puzzle Framework
07:44 – PUZZLE Acronym Explained
09:14 – Most Common Missing Foundations
09:48 – Why Sleep Matters For Hormones
13:04 – Why Routine Helps Hormone Health
14:30 – Why Daily Pooping Matters
15:29 – Functional Labs Vs Blood Work
17:17 – Testing Across Hormone Life Stages
18:28 – What The Dutch Test Reveals
21:04 – Thyroid Testing Women Actually Need
23:06 – Gut Liver And Nervous System
25:06 – What Methylation Means For Health
27:11 – Lab Patterns Behind Common Symptoms
29:54 – Key Functional Tests She Runs
32:33 – Why Lab Data Empowers Women
33:40 – Her Book On Hormone Healing
36:07 – Where To Learn From Dr Smith
Connect with Dr. Kela Smith:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kela_healthcoach/?kuid=dce3546a-722b-4263-a1e1-342ebf64cb68-1773731347&kref=BosvGtaq4PoQ
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT907FBq9X7frbCPpxlrJ2w
Website - https://hormonepuzzlesociety.com/about/dr-kela-smith/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kela.robinson?kuid=dce3546a-722b-4263-a1e1-342ebf64cb68-1773731347&kref=BosvGtaq4PoQ

🔗 Links & Resources
🌐Beam Minerals: https://www.beamminerals.com/?oid=4&affid=1227
(USE DISCOUNT CODE: BRIA at checkout for 20% off)
🌐AG1: DrinkAG1.com/BRIA (for a free $76 gift when you try AG1)
🌐 Website: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/
🎧 Listen to past episodes: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/the-period-whisperer-podcast
📝 Grab The Ultimate Guide To Make Nutrition Easy In Perimenopause: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/offers/rVsL2APG/checkout
📝 Grab The Ultimate Guide To Peptides For Perimenopause: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/offers/7Xa9HvoH/checkout
📩 Book a Free Discovery Call: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/hormonebreakthrough

Feeling more overwhelmed, more emotional, or struggling with energy lately?
Let me ask you this… how has your sleep been?
As we continue our Get Some Sleep mini-series, I want to unpack something most women never realize: sleep deprivation doesn’t just make you tired, it quietly spills into your hormones, metabolism, mood, and even your relationships.
In this conversation, we zoom out and explore how midlife hormone shifts and nervous system stress can amplify the impact of poor sleep in ways many women don’t expect. I also share why your body naturally becomes more sensitive in your 40s and 50s and why that sensitivity isn’t a weakness, but an important signal. Most importantly, we start unpacking how to listen to what your body may be saying through sleep deprivation.
Press play and let’s decode what your body has been trying to tell you.
Episode Timeline:
00:06 — Sleep As Canary In Coal Mine
02:00 — Midlife Sensitivity And Stress Bandwidth
04:30 — How Sleep Drives Weight Gain
06:30 — Survival Mode And Metabolism
08:30 — Brain Fog And Emotional Reactivity
10:30 — Sleep, Libido, And Relationships
12:30 — Anxiety, Depression, And Poor Sleep
14:30 — Why This Isn’t Personal Failure
16:30 — When Sleep Hygiene Isn’t Enough
18:30 — Power Of Functional Hormone Testing
20:30 — Gut Health, Histamine, And Sleep
22:00 — Nervous System First, Then Weight Loss
23:12 — Three-Week Nervous System Reset
24:30 — Invitation To Clarity Call
25:10 — Next Episode In Sleep Series
🔗 Links & Resources
🌐Beam Minerals: https://www.beamminerals.com/?oid=4&affid=1227
(USE DISCOUNT CODE: BRIA at checkout for 20% off)
🌐AG1: DrinkAG1.com/BRIA (for a free $76 gift when you try AG1)
🌐 Website: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/
🎧 Listen to past episodes: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/the-period-whisperer-podcast
📝 Grab The Ultimate Guide To Make Nutrition Easy In Perimenopause: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/offers/rVsL2APG/checkout
📝 Grab The Ultimate Guide To Peptides For Perimenopause: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/offers/7Xa9HvoH/checkout
📩 Book a Free Discovery Call: https://www.briatheperiodwhisperer.com/hormonebreakthrough