Taking Back Your Power in Midlife: Hormones, Stress, Brain Health & Real Solutions
Hot flashes, brain fog, anxious nights, and a doctor telling you it’s “just stress” can make you feel powerless. We start the year by taking that power back. I sit down with Dr. Sarah Doyle—doctor of physical therapy and functional medicine practitioner—to map the real mechanics of midlife: how estrogen fuels brain energy and vessel health, why progesterone calms the nervous system, and how chronic stress diverts raw materials away from the hormones that stabilize mood, sleep, libido, and cognition.
We dig into the surprising overlap between postpartum and perimenopause—both are hormone crashes that scramble serotonin, GABA, and dopamine. You’ll hear why ignoring “small” clues like night sweats, frozen shoulder, recurrent UTIs, or new-onset anxiety can snowball into bigger issues if you don’t address root causes. Dr. Doyle breaks down adrenals and cortisol in plain language, showing how fight-or-flight can stall sex hormone production, raise cardiovascular risk, and accelerate musculoskeletal pain. We also talk candidly about racial disparities in symptom duration, the genitourinary syndrome of menopause, and the life-changing role of local estrogen for tissue health and comfort.
Bio
Dr. Sarah Doyle is a former ICU physical therapist turned Functional Medicine clinician and Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition who specializes in hormone optimization and disease prevention through evidence-based nutrition. After years of publishing research, writing bestselling books (The THIN Formula and 7X Method), co-founding HealWell Regenerative Institute at the prestigious Carillon Wellness Resort, and working as a performance physiotherapist for artists like Shakira and The Weeknd, Dr. Doyle identified a major gap in women’s hormone care—especially during perimenopause and menopause. She created her new menopause supplement to be as strong as HRT under the Vita-Fem brand: a potent, all-natural, research-backed daily stick pack designed to reduce brain fog, balance hormones, and improve compliance by dissolving easily in water. Proven through before-and-after testing and published case studies, this innovative formula reflects Dr. Doyle’s mission to help millions of women thrive through their “second puberty” and beyond—without reliance on pharmaceuticals.
15 min. Free Consultation -https://vita-fem.com/
Website - https://drsarahdoyle.com
Social Media
Instagram @Vita_Fem_Supplements
TikTok @Vita_Fem
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V.I.B.E. represents who you’re meant to be — Vibrant, Intuitive, Beautiful, and Empowered — and awakening is the journey back to yourself through awareness, community, and intentional self-care.
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This chapter isn’t about fading —
it’s about awakening.