In this episode of Keeping Abreast, Dr. Jenn Simmons sits down with hormone specialist Karen Martel to talk about what's really driving the metabolic chaos of perimenopause and menopause and why the solution most women need is the one they've been told to fear. They also tackle one of the most misunderstood topics in women's health: the relationship between estrogen, metabolic health, and breast cancer.

What happens when a nutrition expert who helps women lose weight suddenly can't lose weight herself? Karen found out the hard way at 42, gaining 15 pounds in six months, losing her period, battling depression, and watching her skin age before her eyes. Despite eating clean, exercising, and doing everything "right," her body had other plans.

This is the episode you'll want to send to every woman in your life who's been told her labs look "fine."

What You'll Learn

Why you can gain weight in perimenopause without changing your diet or exercise routine
The biological aging study that found perimenopausal women are aging faster on the inside and what stops it
Why estrogen is the metabolic master hormone and what happens to your hunger signals, blood sugar, cholesterol, and muscle when it drops
Why being asymptomatic in perimenopause does not mean nothing is happening to your heart, brain, and bones
Why it is never too late to start hormone replacement therapy
Why insulin and insulin-like growth factor may be driving estrogen receptor positive breast cancer more than anyone is talking about
Why women with a history of breast cancer are not automatically disqualified from hormone replacement therapy and why most doctors have it wrong
How GLP-1s are changing the game for menopausal women
The truth about breast cancer, estrogen receptors, and why insulin may be a bigger driver than anyone is talking about

Episode Timeline:
01:07 Meet Karen Martel
04:10 Karen's Personal Perimenopause Wake-Up Call
09:09 Why You Cannot Out-Diet or Out-Exercise Hormone Loss
17:21 What Estrogen Actually Does in the Body
25:12 HRT Delivery Methods and Why Form Matters
26:28 Breast Cancer, Estrogen Receptors, and the Insulin Connection
33:48 The Vaginal Estrogen Contradiction
37:08 Estrogen as the Most Powerful Anti-Aging Tool
38:56 The Pharmaceutical Incentive Behind the Anti-Hormone Narrative
44:35 Menopausal Weight Gain and Where GLP-1s Fit In
53:13 Is It Ever Too Late to Start Hormone Replacement
59:39 Women Deserve Better Standards of Care
1:02:06 The Statistics That Should End the Debate
1:05:38 Topical Estrogen and Why Ingredients Matter

Find Karen Martel
Website: karenmartel.com

To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working privately with Dr. Jenn visit: https://calendly.com/stephanie-1031/clarity-call

To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide

To purchase the auria breast cancer screening test go here https://auria.care/ and use the code DRJENN20 for 20% Off.

Connect with Dr. Jenn:
Website: https://www.jennsimmonsmd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons