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
NutriBooster Recipes | Saskia Lesser [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:59
It has been such a pleasure to work with Saskia over the past two and a half years to create the NutriBooster suite of recipes, books (and now meal plans)! We now have 460 NutriBooster recipes catalogued in Nutrient Opti…
Intermittent Fasting 2.0 + Nutrient Density FTW! | Jane Getting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:01
After struggling with her weight for decades, Jane topped the weight loss leaderboard in our January 30-Day Data-Driven Fasting Challenge with 17 lbs weight loss at a phenomenal rate of 2.5% per week! She then followed u…
Chasing nutrient density all over the world | Brian Sanders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:33
Brian Sanders is like my nutrient density brother from another mother. We spoke recently about a range of our favourite topics for his podcast, and he was telling me all about his trip to Tanzania to visit the Masia and…
Solving the puzzle of nutrition | Dan and Kelley Buckley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:25
It was such a blast to chat with Kelli and Dan Buckley about their recent journey with Data-Driven Fasting combined and the Nutritional Optimisation Masterclass. After seeing her dad battle diabetes and eventually die of…
How To Finally Put Your Health First | Bett Lucas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:34
Bett Lucas is a busy mom (of six), wife, and businessperson. She works full time in the energy industry and has won numerous awards for her leadership and charitable projects. Bett believes you can manage a career and ho…
The ProFast Diet Secrets | Dr Brian Mowll [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:14
It was so much fun to talk to Dr Brian Mowll (The Diabetes Coach) about the topics in his The ProFast Diet Book, including: What are the biggest misconceptions around protein and diabetes management? Do people need to be…
The Biggest Misconceptions In Nutrition | Mike Julian [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:49
Mike Julian has been a great friend and taught me a LOT over the past six years or so! Shortly after I kicked it off the Optimising Nutrition Facebook Group, Mike was making so many insightful contributions I asked him t…
Fitness 101:The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Exercise | Bronson Dant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:39
It was nice chatting with Bronson Dant about where to start on your exercise journey. Lots of people find they have newfound energy to exercise as they start to lose weight after they dial in WHAT they eat and WHEN they…
Rethinking Keto For Type 1 Diabetes | RD Dikeman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:30
RD Dikeman PhD (of Type 1 Grit) is eager to chat through how each of the 12 Keto Lies can negatively impact people with type 1 diabetes. - Keto Lie #1: ‘Optimal ketosis’ is a goal and more ketones are better - Keto Lie #…