Maximizing Hormones, Physique & Running Through Perimenopause

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 more & apply to join our new Podcast Insiders membership here: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/podcastinsiders
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 💬  support@breakingthroughwellness.com  
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 cravings, mood swings, bloating and sluggish workouts are not signs that you are losing control, but are signals that your body needs different support.
In this episode, Louise Valentine, one of the world’s leading women's holistic 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 menstrual cycle and being aware of specific symptoms can help you recognize patterns in your energy, appetite, mood, recovery and performance instead of blaming yourself.
Louise explains that research indicates that women burn more calories during the luteal phase, which can increase hunger and the need for additional carbohydrates in active women. Simple adjustments, such as adding an additional nourishing snack, female-specific hydration and slight modifications in workout intensity can help ease cravings, anxiety, fatigue, frustrating bloating, GI distress and low moods.
They also discuss the risks of underfueling, 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 specific support and adjustments. Your goal after listening is to choose a few strategies specific to your goals and symptoms, track the results, and get back to feeling more confident, energized and in control throughout your cycle.
RESOURCES + LINKS
Learn more & apply to join our Podcast Insiders membership here: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/podcastinsiders
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 💬  support@breakingthroughwellness.com  
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 more & apply to join our new Podcast Insiders membership here: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/podcastinsiders
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 💬  support@breakingthroughwellness.com  
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.

Our biggest breakthroughs in maximizing our perimenopause health, fitness and body composition success do not come with doing more. Rather, it's when we can cut through misleading and unnecessarily complicated noise to simply understand how to work with our changing hormones and female body's needs.
In this episode, Louise, named one of the world's leading experts for perimenopausal active women and runners, and Jen share the heart behind the new BTW Podcast Insiders Membership. They discuss why a curated community of like-minded female runners, trusted female-specific science, and simple, focused strategies matter so much for active women in perimenopause when we face hormone-related symptoms, shifts, and challenges.
Louise opens up about stepping away from social media as an industry leader to protect her innovation and why choosing depth and impact over participation in the endless B.S. marketing found online is her personal mission. Jen shares how removing outside influence helped her trust the process, stay consistent, and feel stronger in her body. 
Together, they explain how women can improve energy, symptoms, running, physique, and confidence without chasing every trend online.
This episode is especially helpful for runners and active women who feel overwhelmed by conflicting advice, hormone fear mongering, HRT pressure, and fitness misinformation. It is a reminder that progress does not need to be loud. 
Sometimes, the best results come from the right support, the right science, and a more calm, confident, and collaborative way forward.
RESOURCES + LINKS
Learn more & apply to join our new exclusive "BTW Podcast Insiders” membership here: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/podcastinsiders
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
Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(2:45) Louise introduces the BTW Podcast Insiders Membership
(6:24) Why Louise and Jen created the membership
(7:09) The runcation conversation that sparked the idea
(9:24) How community helped Jen stay consistent
(10:36) Louise’s burnout, symptoms, and program redesign
(13:19) Why Louise stepped away from social media
(17:05) How social media affected Jen’s progress
(21:37) Building a women-supporting-women community
(23:27) Questions podcast listeners may want answered
(28:12) The problem with HRT pressure and social media influence
(31:01) Nervous system regulation and foundational resources
(36:44) Louise’s personal results after simplifying her life
(40:06) Choosing focus, calm, and family connection
(42:21) Membership details and founding rate
(44:15) Future possibilities for Q&As and group programs
(48:11) Where to apply for Podcast Insiders
(48:51) Preview of next week’s luteal phase episode
(49:18) 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 💬  support@breakingthroughwellness.com  
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 workout habit you thought was helping your body is actually making perimenopause harder? In this episode, Louise Valentine, one of the world’s leading exercise physiologists and women's integrative health practitioners, gives a clear, honest breakdown of why fasted training may not be the best fit for active women, especially runners navigating changing hormones, stress, cravings, sleep issues, and body composition goals.
Louise explains how morning workouts, low fuel, caffeine nuances, and high cortisol can stack up quickly for ambitious women who are already juggling a lot. She shares why a small amount of protein and carbs before training can help support hormone production, energy, recovery, mental health, and long-term performance. She also challenges the confusing noise online around women’s health, HRT, cortisol, and perimenopause trends, reminding listeners that context matters.
This episode is especially useful for women who run, lift, train early, struggle with cravings, wake up at night, feel burned out, or feel stuck despite doing “everything right.” Louise keeps the message grounded in solid female-specific science: fuel your body, stop punishing and potentially harming yourself, and make choices that support your long-term health, energy, and ability to run strong for life.
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, including “How to Ditch Cravings & Overeating Habits For Good” mentioned in this episode.
Take advantage of our podcast listener discount & save 20% off Kion’s science-backed clean products, including Kion aminos & Creature creatine. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders: https://www.getkion.com/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 new sign up! Thank you!
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!
Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(4:12) Social media misinformation in women’s health
(7:21) Building a private, focused wellness community
(9:21) Why active women need a different approach
(13:18) The problem with fasted training
(19:03) Why fasted training is not black and white
(21:19) How cortisol overload affects active women
(24:21) Why training without fuel adds more stress
(27:10) Simple pre-workout fuel ideas
(32:16) Why recommendations can change as science evolves
(34:33) Releasing shame around past diet and fasting habits
(36:45) Why post-workout fueling matters too
(38:04) Concerns around careless hormone prescribing
(44:30) Is fasted training ever appropriate?
(45:12) How underfueling can affect mood, cravings, and sleep
(48:07) The rare exception after a big meal or holiday
(50:41) Listener questions and closing thoughts
(52:38) 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 💬  support@breakingthroughwellness.com  
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.