Unlocking The Mysteries Of Female Hormones | Karen Martel

Unlocking The Mysteries Of Female Hormones | Karen Martel

Author: Marty Kendall November 18, 2021 Duration: 1:06:50

Perhaps even more than weight loss, the transition women experience as they transition through middle age is one of the hottest topics in our Data-Driven Fasting Facebook Group.

Not only do blood sugars, cravings and insulin sensitivity change across the month, but the changes that occur during menopause can make maintaining a healthy weight and vitality more challenging.

Karen Martel, the host of the Other Side of Weight Loss Podcast, is a  powerhouse of knowledge, experience, and passion for these complex issues.

It was an honour to talk to her about the common questions that come up around the intersection of fasting, nutrition and optimising hormonal balance, including:

  • What is ‘hormonal weight loss resistance’?  How much do hormones affect weight and vice versa?
  • What issues and risks do you see with extreme dietary approaches like fasting, keto, carnivore etc.?
  • When does the ‘more is better’ approach go wrong?
  • Why do we tend to see more elevated blood glucose leading up to that time of the month?
  • When can carb cycling be beneficial?
  • Why have hormones become such a big issue?  What’s changed in our environment?
  • What should they be doing first before diving down the rabbit hole of hormonal manipulation?
  • What testing can people do to understand their hormonal status?
  • When should someone consider adding bioidentical hormones?
  • What are the risks and benefits of adding exogenous hormones?
  • Are there any unique considerations for women who have had a hysterectomy?
  • What do the guys need to know about maintaining good hormonal status?
  • What do you do to manage a healthy hormonal status these days?

I also really enjoyed being a part of Karen’s podcast.  You can check it out here.

Follow Karen


Marty Kendall hosts the Optimising Nutrition Podcast, cutting through the noise of diet trends and dogma. Here, nutrition isn't about following a rigid belief system or the latest branded plan; it's fundamentally about ensuring your body gets the nutrients it needs to thrive. Marty applies a clear-eyed, engineering mindset to the complex world of food, breaking down the science into actionable strategies. In each episode, you'll hear detailed conversations with researchers, doctors, and other experts diving deep into the mechanics of weight loss, the practicalities of fasting, and the core principles of effective nutrition. These interviews are balanced with candid stories from real people who share their personal journeys, offering relatable insights into what works and what doesn't outside the lab. This podcast serves as a grounded resource for anyone tired of conflicting advice and looking for a substantive, evidence-based path to better health. It’s a space where data meets human experience, all focused on the tangible goal of optimisation. You can expect every discussion to return to that central, uncomplicated idea: strip away the labels, and focus on nourishment.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 36

Optimising Nutrition Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Regenerative Agriculture Q&A | Diana Rodgers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:06
There is plenty of debate about how we can feed a rapidly growing population in a way that is healthy for us and our fragile planet with limited resources. Diana Rogers and Robb Wolf recently weighed into the debate. The…
Intermittent Fasting Secrets for Women | Cynthia Thurlow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:45
2xTED speaker and host of the popular Everyday Wellness Podcast Cynthia Thurlow had just finished writing the manuscript for her new book specifically on intermittent fasting for women when we recorded this chat. In a wo…
The Future of Fasting and Life After Facebook | Gin Stephens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:57
Gin Stephens, author of Delay Don't Deny and Fast Feast Repeat, has been a powerhouse in the booming intermittent fasting movement! It’s also Gin’s support and promotion that has helped Data-Driven Fasting explode the wa…
The best and worst of biohacking | Melanie Avalon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:00
I’ve been super impressed with Melanie Avalon’s ability to synthesise complex topics and bring them to life for her listeners. All of her podcast episodes are a fascinating DEEP dive into the topic to elucidate the pract…
Metabolic Flexibility Deep Dive | Dr Clark Connery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:38:04
Clark is a nutritionist, biohacker, and now medical doctor (and future endocrinologist). After achieving great results in our Data-Driven Fasting Challenge, Clark has become a moderator in the Data-Driven Fasting Challen…
Preventing Deficiencies on a Vegetarian Diet | Karen Lerner-Mayrand [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:35
We are all about optimising your nutrition, regardless of your food preferences. Our mantra is your diet doesn't need a name, just enough nutrients. And Karen Lerner-Mayrand takes it to heart! It was great to chat with K…
Evolution of THE Diet Doctor | Dr Andreas Eenfeldt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:00
I’ve been super excited to see the change in direction recently at Diet Doctor. CEO Dr Andreas Eenfeldt, with some inspiration from Dr Ted Naiman, has led his team to help members tailor their nutritional guidance to con…
Can Nutrient Density Save the World? | Robb Wolf [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:23
After being a super fan for so long, it was fantastic to chat with Robb Wolf about how Nutritional Optimisation can save the world. Robb has been the most significant influence in my nutritional explorations over the pas…
Stacking all the nutrition "hacks" | Abby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:29
It was super inspiring to chat with Abby, who made some incredible progress over time with Data-Driven Fasting and our Nutritional Optimisation Masterclass. In this chat, we discuss: What’s your WHY? What other approache…
Optimising Nutrition with Food (Not Supps) | Lisa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:06
It was such a pleasure to speak with Lisa about her journey through Data-Driven Fasting and the Nutritional Optimisation Masterclass. In the past, Lisa said she made abysmally slow progress with Weight Watchers and got r…