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Why Your Hormones Aren't the Problem: A Root Cause Approach to Women's Health with Sheeva Stephens

Woman of Influence

Wed May 06 2026

Summary

Podcast Summary: Woman of Influence with Julie Solomon

Episode: Why Your Hormones Aren't the Problem: A Root Cause Approach to Women's Health
Guest: Sheeva Stephens
Release Date: May 6, 2026

Episode Overview

In this engaging and heartfelt episode, Julie Solomon sits down with her longtime friend and renowned women's health expert, Sheeva Stephens, to challenge the mainstream narrative around women's hormonal health. Together, they debunk the myth that hormones are always to blame for persistent health struggles and present a root cause approach—focusing on underlying issues like inflammation, gut health, and environment. The conversation weaves personal story, clinical expertise, and empowering advice for high-achieving women who feel stuck, misdiagnosed, or underserved by conventional solutions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Backstory and Evolution of Purpose

Sheeva’s Early Life & Health Struggles (04:08–10:37):
- Persian-American upbringing in the South created a sense of "otherness" and anxiety.
- Early symptoms attributed to hormones led to a pathologizing mindset; prescribed Adderall at 12, leading to long-term reliance and side effects.
- “I went from class clown to teacher's pet… that accomplishment, for me and a household that really thrived on, you need to accomplish right, was motivating.” —Sheeva (06:04)
- Gradually suffered panic attacks, weight loss, mood swings, later compounded by college lifestyle.
- Eventually hit a crisis in her late 20s: “I found myself in a place where I didn’t know who I was anymore.”
- Major turning point: Leaving her businesses in Nashville, moving to L.A., and detoxing from medication—unsupported by the mainstream medical system.

2. L.A. as Catalyst for Functional Healing

Openness in L.A. Community (12:52–14:53):
- “For me, moving to California was one of the most monumental moments in my life… Learning and understanding a culture of people who got what I was going through.” —Sheeva (12:52)
- L.A.’s functional health scene allowed shame-free exploration, leading Sheeva to document her journey and discover a large, underserved community.

3. Transition to Coaching & Serving High-Level Women

Becoming a Functional Health Practitioner (15:21–16:28):
- Started taking clients after sharing her story online; sought mentorship with functional medicine doctors.
- Developed a niche supporting high-achieving women, particularly those dismissed by doctors and seeking more than a “supplement and see you in 3 months” model.
- “These women want one-on-one personalized strategies… that is going to be consistent and being used for the rest of their life.” —Sheeva (17:04)

4. Redefining the “Hormone Problem” & The Real Root Causes

Inflammation and Underlying Triggers (18:10–21:09):
- Most women mistakenly blame hormones for chronic symptoms, but fluctuating hormones often unmask dormant underlying issues.
- Root causes: chronic inflammation, gut health, overactive immune response, environmental triggers (like mold).
- “It's not the hormones that are the problem... now because you have fluctuating hormones, the things that were always underlying are coming to surface.” —Sheeva (19:49)
Common Symptoms in Women 40+ (22:00–23:01):
- Bloating, constipation, anxiety, brain fog, poor sleep, hair loss, puffiness.
- High histamine issues and environmental sensitivities are increasingly prevalent post-COVID.

5. Methodology: The Root Cause Approach

Comprehensive, Personalized Investigation (23:08–25:11):
- Sheeva’s process: intensive 4–5 hour investigation including nutrition audit, symptom analysis, environmental check, and advanced labs.
- Utilizes functional lab ranges (not “sick America” conventional ranges).
- 90-day individualized protocols built around four pillars:
  - Nutrition
  - Supplementation
  - Nervous system regulation
  - Detoxification
Diet & Nutrition as Key Levers (25:11–28:18):
- Diet is paramount but must be sustainable; extreme elimination diets aren’t practical long-term.
- Most-triggering foods: gluten, dairy, corn, soy, sometimes eggs (“eggs are a huge trigger… lately” —Sheeva, 26:50)
- Food sensitivity tests often unreliable; healing the “terrain” of the gut is more important than over-restricting diet.

6. Peptides, Supplements, and Industry Trends

Cautious Use of Emerging Tools (29:00–32:17):
- Peptides can be game-changers for inflammation, but require a healthy foundation and individualized low-dose administration.
- “Please don’t click a link on Instagram and grab a peptide… could be harmful.” —Sheeva (31:32)
- Supplements must be vetted (Third-party tested, physician-formulated), with correct dosing and need established; blanket approaches are risky.
Electrolyte Recommendation: Prefers “Cure” for taste or “BodyBio Relight” for plain, clean formulation (32:24–32:54).

7. Tackling Messaging as a Wellness Service Provider

Evolving from Victim to Leader Messaging (34:50–38:04):
- Important not to lead from victimhood or “pain point” marketing.
- Content that attracts “ready” clients is more about hope, possibility, education, and strategic specificity—even if it appeals to a smaller audience.
- “I want to show up with light and hope… majority of what I’m going to be doing is that more than anything else and show them what's possible.” —Sheeva (36:24)

8. Industry Foresight & Concerns

Peptides & Regulation; The Risks of AI (38:38–40:14):
- Anticipates more laws around peptide distribution.
- Cautions that AI health recommendations can be dangerously misleading.
- Excited for mainstream rise of functional medicine and increased recognition of environment’s impact: “I feel that shift big time in the industry… people are moving away from conventional and into functional medicine.” —Sheeva (39:17)

9. Practical, Actionable Wisdom

Small Steps for Immediate Change (41:13–42:24):
- “First thing, slow down.” —Sheeva (41:13)
- Eat breakfast (even if you’re not hungry; train your body to want it).
- Don’t skip meals, eat enough protein, and ensure daily bowel movements—aided by proper magnesium if needed.

Notable Quotes & Moments

“For me, influence means that you are making a difference in people's lives… I feel like anyone can do that at any level.” —Sheeva (02:50)
“I am the problem. ADHD is the problem. This is my title, right?… I started to think this was my identity.” —Sheeva on living under medical labels (07:57)
“It's not the hormones that are the problem; it's now because you have fluctuating hormones the things that were always underlying are coming to surface.” —Sheeva (19:49)
“Majority of what I'm going to be doing is… show them what's possible.” —Sheeva (36:24)
“Food's not always the problem either… My hope is that if we lower the inflammation and we work on the terrain, we can start introducing some of these ingredients back.” —Sheeva (27:02)
“If you smell something and it’s like closing your throat up, that’s probably a sign that you don’t need to be in that environment.” —Julie (40:23)

Important Timestamps

02:50 — Sheeva defines “influence” and shares her early background
04:08–10:37 — Story of Adderall, anxiety, and crisis leading to functional health
12:52 — The healing power of L.A.’s functional medicine scene
18:10—Root cause paradigm shift: Beyond hormones
23:08—Sheeva’s investigation and the 90-day protocol
25:11—The real role of diet, sustainable changes, and common inflammation triggers
29:00—Peptides: hype, hope, and hazards
34:50—Marketing with hope, not pain (messaging for wellness entrepreneurs)
38:38—Industry predictions, AI health risks, and functional medicine’s future
41:13—Sheeva’s immediate tips: slow down, eat breakfast, don’t skip meals

Resources & Further Learning

Sheeva’s Free Inflammation Guide: Steps to begin reducing inflammation and understanding root causes (link in show notes).
Where to Find Sheeva:
- Instagram: @shivawellness
- Website: shivawellness.com

TL;DR Takeaways

Hormonal upheaval is not always the root cause—look deeper at inflammation, gut health, environment, and immune function.
“One-size-fits-all” labs and protocols often fail high-achieving women; personalization and a data-driven, functional approach are essential.
Foundational changes (diet, slowing down, eating balanced meals) lay the groundwork for deeper healing and sustainability.
The future is bright—and complicated—for functional medicine, with emerging tools (peptides, AI) and new environmental awareness calling for informed, individualized guidance.

For anyone feeling dismissed by doctors, stuck in cycles of trial-and-error protocols, or unsure where to turn, Sheeva’s approach offers practical hope, clear frameworks, and deep understanding—reminding all women that their bodies’ signals are worth listening to, and healing is possible by looking beyond the hormones.

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Transcript

Shiva (0:00)

Foreign.

Julie Solomon (0:06)

Welcome to Woman of Influence. I'm Julie Solomon, and this is where high level women come to recalibrate their message, realign their leadership, and rise into the next era of impact. If you're ready to align your visibility with your true authority, if you're called to speak, speak to women at the level you now lead. If you're ready for your business to feel as elevated as the woman running

Co-host or Interviewer (0:34)

it, this is your space. Because real influence isn't built in the

Julie Solomon (0:40)

algorithm, it's embodied in your identity.

Co-host or Interviewer (0:44)

Let's get started. Hi, Shiva. I was gonna say she.

Shiva (0:51)

I know. Hi, Jules.

Co-host or Interviewer (0:53)

I'm gonna say Sheaves. Hi, Sheaves.

Shiva (0:54)

Hi, Jules.

Co-host or Interviewer (0:55)

So who's your best sixth grade?

Shiva (0:59)

Me. We have to bring it up. I know.

Co-host or Interviewer (1:01)

So this is so special, not only because of who you are and how brilliant you are. And I mean, this has been a long time coming because I think. I mean, I've been doing podcasting since the dawn of time. And when I started to do video podcasting, which was really. I mean, I've dabbled in it, but like last October, I made a conscious decision that I wanted to start doing if I had a guest on. I wanted it to be in person and I wanted it to be with my friends.

Shiva (1:27)

Yeah.

Co-host or Interviewer (1:27)

And just women that I know, that I admire, that I respect, that I know are. Are in it and are doing it and are showing up. So I went to LA and did some stuff with friends there and then did a couple in December here in Nashville. And now I'm back from my third round and I'm like, I mean, Shiva, duh. I've got to have Shiva because she's like my longest friend. We met in middle school.

Shiva (1:49)

We did.

Co-host or Interviewer (1:50)

Yes.

Shiva (4:08)

Yeah, so at a young age, I'm first of all, Persian girl in the South. So we'll. We'll definitely bring that up as an important. As an important piece of this puzzle. I felt very out of place. And growing up, my parents actually didn't have a lot of money. My parents came from Iran, paved their way, you know, and have made something incredible out of their lives here now. But growing up, it was. It was hard. And, you know, we were thrown into these very, very affluent, you know, schools and basically came into areas that I felt, like, very anxious and. And out of place in. And so that is really where I think a lot of the anxiety and ADHD symptoms etc started. And then I started my period and hormones started to change, and so I was diagnosed with, you know, PMS and heavy periods and all these things. And. And that's when my. My Teachers were starting to say, you know, she's not paying attention in class. She keeps trying to get out of class. You know, she's constantly asking to go to the bathroom. And so there was a lot of conversations with my parents that were like, she needs to be put on meds. And it was constant. And my parents were actually very against putting me on medications. But at some point I was like, I need help. You know, like, I'm having a hard time. They're telling me, there's a problem, let's try this medication. And so I was put on Adderall at the age of 12 years old in my development stages. And during that time, I really struggled with figuring out what that looked like. But what I will tell you is I immediately felt this sense of confidence and I went from class clown to teacher's pet, you know. And so that accomplishment for me and a household that really thrived on, you need to accomplish right, which is our background, the Persians in general, if, you know, Persians, you know, they're very, very, you know, career driven. And so from an early age, I was, you know, really pushed towards that world of working and succeeding and all of that. And so, you know, it was, it was in that time that I felt really good about myself. And so I kept on that drug. But at the same time, I was going to the hospital for panic attacks. I was really losing a ton of weight for being a 12 year old. Like, my appetite wasn't there as much. Like we were dealing with a lot of things and trying to figure that out. And so, you know, I continued on that drug through, you know, college. And at college is when, you know, I was drinking a little bit more. Of course you're on your own. And so you're like eating all these terrible foods, staying up late, staying up late, you know, doing all the things right. And that is when the anxiety and depression really kicked in for me. And so I realized, like, I didn't at the time realize that it was, it was the medication, but the medication was causing a lot of side effects with everything else I was kind of doing in my life. And so then I was on anxiety and ADHD medications. And so at that point is when I started to realize that health and wellness can help me through exercise. And so I got my degree in nutrition and exercise science and started to be, like, baffled by how much it would support me when I wasn't feeling well. And so that was where it, it started for me. When it comes to understanding the natural path to healing, then fast forward to Owning my own business and having multiple gyms. I found myself in a place where I didn't know who I was anymore. I was very confused. All my friends at the time were kind of getting married, having kids, and I felt very, again lost and alone in a body that didn't make sense. And I was starting to see major side effects at that point. I was having 20, 30 pound weight gain. I was having anger outburst. I was having such severe anxiety, I couldn't leave the house sometimes. And I had tried to get off of it multiple times before, before, and was unsuccessful. And the doctors would look me straight in the face and say, it's because you need it for the rest of your life. And so I was like, okay, I, I, I am the problem. ADHD is the problem. This is my title, right? I am this, I am this. Right, right. And I, I started to think this was my identity, you know, like, I am an angry person, I am an anxious person. They would try to put me in Dale Carnegie training for leadership, and like all this stuff. And like nothing was working. And so I finally just got to a place. I've done what I need to in Nashville. I am ready to make this major change that I know is going to be really hard and I want to do it. And so I decided to, you know, move to California, leave the businesses to my business partner, and get off of three medications in a West Hollywood apartment by myself.

Shiva (19:21)

Is and who they're. Okay. So that woman has tried exercise, they've tried nutrition. They've even maybe gotten like function health labs. And they've looked at labs, they are in perimenopause, most of them that are kind of having those hormone changes. And I want to clarify, because this is really important for me to say is that it's not the hormones that are. The problem is that now because you have fluctuating hormones, the things that were always underlying are coming to surface because your hormones were protective. Right. And then now it's no longer protective for you. Also, when drastic things like that change, like having a baby, that can actually cause an immune response in the body. And so when we're having those things, like, we're seeing a lot of COVID being something that is causing chronic inflammation and chronic things that were dormant in the body now coming to the surface and being a problem. And that's what actually what happened to me when the chronic illness was happening. So that woman has attempted so many different things and now needs a whole body approach to it. Right. Because inflammation is not just, oh, I, you know, yes, you can get inflamed by doing one little thing and that's it. But normally inflammation is happening for long periods of time, and then it becomes the body's like, I can't do this anymore. Right. And so they are dealing with multiple systems that need to be improved. So we need to work on the. The overactive immune system. We need to work on the gut function. We need to then, because of those things, when we do that, that's going to also help balance the hormones. So it's looking at the whole body instead of saying, let me just work on your hormones or let me just work on your gut. Right. And so that's. That's what's happening to most of these women is there's a, an event, and all of a sudden you're like, I don't know what body I'm living in anymore. Like, what is this? This is not my norm. What I normally do is no longer working for me. Now what do I do? Right. And no one can figure it out.

Shiva (23:08)

Yeah. So first of all, we do full blown investigation. So. So where you go to a functional medicine doctor and they're going to look for about an hour with you and look over things, which is way better than conventional medicine, obviously. But we spend around four to five hours on a lot of investigations. So I look at a nutrition audit, an awareness journal, a symptom burn analysis. We look at your environment and see if environment is actually bothering you. We look at obviously labs, very functional, you know, specialized labs like a GI map, OATS test test, functional labs that are 75 to 100 biomarkers versus what you get at a conventional doctor is like 19 biomarkers. And they're looking at conventional ranges, which is sick America. We're looking at optimizing your body with functional ranges. So it's very different in how we are even looking at the data in front of us. And so from that driven data, because data is really important for me to explain to a client why they, they need something. These women are, are smart, right? And I want them to know why we're doing something. And I want to educate and empower them to know, hey, this is why we're doing what we're doing. And they're going to be more invested because of that. From the investigation, I give a 90 day protocol. And so we work on four main pillars, which is nutrition supplementation, nervous system regulation and detoxification. And again, the right order of operations is going to really matter in how we do things. You know, we work with women from one month to three months to six, six months, depending on where they're at in their journey and how much time I really think that they need with our team. And there's a lot of trial and error in that. Right. Because every person's body is different. One supplement might cause someone to have a different response than another. And because of my expertise and what I've done for so many years, I now know, okay, I see that response, we need to tweak it to do this instead. And what happens with most women is I'll go to a functional medicine doctor, they'll start a protocol. It's either they don't know if it's working or not, or they have a bad reaction and then they just stop it because they don't know what to do next. Right? Because there's not enough eyes on what they're actually doing on a regular basis to fix the problem in a way that's actually going to continue to get them to be sustainable with the protocol.

Shiva (29:38)

Yeah. So I think there's a place for, for even medications. Right. I think there's a place for peptides. I think there's a place for certain supplements, but it's how it's being administered. Right. And it's the lack of individualized strategy there. And so I'll give you an example. Like We've talked about GLP1s a lot and how I. I really am currently not for them right now because of the massive amount of side effects I'm seeing from the people who are not being. It's not being given to them properly. Right. And so, you know, there are certain ones that I'm really liking though right now that I think are really important. But you have to work on the terrain first. You have to do the foundational work first. Because some people could actually react poorly to peptides if their body's not ready for that. Also. How much are you administering? Always start low and slow with everything. A lot of people are like, oh, I'm going to do 10 peptides. And I'm like, try one at a microdose. Slowly work your way up so we know it's actually working or not. Right. And so one that I love right now is kpv. I've been doing a lot of research, research on that. It's actually mold protective because it calms that overreactive immune response that you have to mold. It can actually help the gut lining a ton. But I'm doing all of this other stuff with my clients before I even introduce a peptide if we're going to. Right. And so my thing is like, why are we adding more stuff on when we could foundationally do things that we don't need to have like a million things we're taking all the time. Right. And so that's my take on it. Is it. It definitely has a place. It's just you need someone walking you through this process. Please don't click a link on Instagram and grab a peptide. That that can be harmful. It is. It's not something to just take lightly. And that includes supplements. You don't know what's in your supplements. They need to be third party tested, physician formulated supplements. Right. They need to make sure we don't have any fillers in them. So there's certain brands and types and then when you take it, how much you take matters, what you take it with matters. So for example, turmeric, Everyone thinks turmeric's great for inflammation. It is great for inflammation. But do you have low iron? Because if you have low iron, it's going to bind to your iron and then you're going to have even more low iron. Right. So are you taking zinc every single day? What's your copper levels? I want to see what's going on there so we make sure that we're not imbalancing the copper and zinc. If you're taking D vitamins, are you taking K2 as well? Right. So these things really matter. And I, I have legitimately stopped promoting any supplements other than like an electrolyte and a protein powder. I think could be beneficial for everyone because I feel that if it can harm someone, I'm doing a disservice to the public by promoting this thing.