Menopause Explained: Symptoms, Hormones, HRT, Cortisol, Sleep & Functional Medicine

In this powerful and deeply informative conversation, Dr. Kelly OMD and functional medicine expert Dr. Karen Johnson break down everything women need to know about perimenopause, menopause, hormones, clean eating, sleep, anxiety, cortisol, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

If you’ve ever wondered “Am I going crazy?”, struggled with joint pain, brain fog, weight gain, 2 AM wakeups, anxiety, vaginal dryness, or unexplained irritability — this episode will finally make it all make sense.

✨ What You Will Learn:

The truth about perimenopause and menopause

Why your hormones trigger sleep problems, mood changes, and weight gain

What functional medicine really means — and how food becomes medicine

How cortisol affects stress, belly fat, and inflammation

Clean eating essentials for women 35+

The REAL story behind the Women's Health Initiative (WHI)

When to start HRT and how long you can safely stay on it

How to treat vaginal dryness and urinary symptoms

Why individualized hormone therapy is essential

Join us as we empower women to understand their bodies and thrive through every stage of life.
🌸 Live your healthiest and wealthiest life — the Viva Life way.

FINAL Key Takeaways
1. You Are Not Crazy — It’s Hormones.

Perimenopause and menopause affect estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, triggering over 50 symptoms including anxiety, weight changes, brain fog, sleep issues, and joint pain.

2. Functional Medicine Heals from the Inside Out.

Food, movement, stress reduction, and sleep optimization are powerful forms of hormone support.

3. Clean Eating + Daily Exercise = Hormone Balance.

Eat protein first, focus on vegetables, reduce processed carbs, avoid “white foods,” and incorporate strength training most days of the week.

4. Cortisol Must Be Tested Throughout the Day.

Single blood tests are meaningless. Cortisol rhythms affect stress, belly fat, and sleep.

5. Progesterone Helps with Sleep & Anxiety.

Bioidentical progesterone supports GABA (your calming neurotransmitter) — unlike synthetic progestins.

6. Magnesium Enhances Sleep Quality.

Magnesium glycinate (or citrate for constipation) taken at night with progesterone promotes deep, restorative sleep.

7. The Women’s Health Initiative Was Misunderstood.

It was progestin, not estrogen, that showed increased breast cancer risk. Estrogen is actually protective for bones, brain, and heart.

8. HRT Can Be Used Long-Term — Even Past Age 65.

There is no strict age cutoff. Many women remain on HRT into their 70s and 80s.

9. Vaginal Dryness Is Treatable.

Topical estrogen cream applied to the lower third of the vagina restores moisture, reduces UTIs, and improves comfort.

10. Menopause Is for Life — But Suffering Doesn’t Have to Be.

With the right knowledge, support, and treatment plan, women can feel vibrant, healthy, and joyful at every age.

Timestamp
0:00 – 2:43 Introduction to menopause, hormones, functional medicine, and Dr. Karen Johnson.

2:44 – 7:25 What functional medicine is; defining premenopause, perimenopause, and menopause; hormone loss and long-term health risks.

7:25 – 10:48 Clean eating, strength training, glucose monitoring, inflammation, and why weight gain happens.

10:48 – 13:56 Blood sugar spikes, cortisol, continuous glucose monitors, and how inflammation worsens menopause symptoms.

13:56 – 18:32 Sleep issues, progesterone vs progestin, magnesium use, sleep hygiene, and cortisol rhythm testing.

18:33 – 24:08 Regulating the nervous system; meditation; yoga; stress; WHI study breakdown and hormone therapy misconceptions.

24:08 – 27:01 When to start HRT, individualized treatment, progesterone in early 40s, estrogen during menopause.

27:02 – 29:48 Accessing providers, HRT duration, patient experiences, and rapid symptom improvement.

29:48 – 29:59 Treating vaginal dryness and GSM with topical estrogen cream.
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