As driven women in our 30s and beyond, we’re often juggling careers, families, and big dreams - but what happens when our hormones throw us off balance?
Recently in my private community Overflow, I brought in Dr. Natasja Fox, a hormone and gut health expert, to share some truly ‘mic-drop’ moments with the women inside. (It was ahhmazing!).
🎤💥 Check this one out!
There were many minds blown, and while I’m not the expert in this department, there were some GEMS that I believe all driven women need to know while you’re pursuing your version of success.
One of the core differences women face on the path to career and business success is that our hormonal cycle is completely different to that of our male bodied colleagues, staff members, partners or friends.
It’s time we take this fundamental difference into account and begin to work – and live – in a way that honours and supports our feminine systems to flourish!
Here are my 6 favourite take-aways from the discussion with Dr Fox. Each comes with a quote from her, a little background so you can understand it and a question to support you to reflect on this in your own life.
I’d love to know in the comments which of these resonates most for you.
Enjoy!
Lesson 1: Progesterone Is Your “No Problems” Hormone for Calm and Focus
“Progesterone also calms the brain down. It’s antihistamine. It’s pro gaba. So it calms the brain synapses. I like to call Progesterone the no problems hormone.” Dr Fox
Why It Matters: Progesterone is your secret weapon for staying calm under pressure. When it’s low (common in perimenopause or high-stress seasons), you might feel irritable or overwhelmed, derailing your focus. Supporting progesterone through lifestyle changes or medical guidance can help you maintain the mental clarity needed to lead and achieve.
Notice when you’re feeling snappy or scattered. Could this be a sign to prioritise rest and stress management?
Lesson 2: Stress Drains Your Hormones, Sabotaging Resilience
“Progesterone is the precursor to produce cortisol, our stress hormone. So the more that we stress and stress and stress, we’re spending our progesterone superannuation.” Dr Fox
Why It Matters: Chronic stress (from overwork, skipping meals, over-functioning and going beyond your boundaries, poor sleep and many of the other very normalised patterns in our modern world!) depletes progesterone, leaving you less resilient to life’s demands. For high-performing women, protecting your hormonal “superannuation” means setting boundaries and prioritising self-care to sustain your energy for the long haul.
What’s one boundary you can set this week to protect your energy?
Lesson 3: Hormones Are Whole-Body Players, Not Just “Sex Hormones”
“Sex hormones affect the whole body. So that’s a really important thing to know… It’s also about our bone health… women that actually engage with bio-identical hormone replacement earlier on in life have much better IQ scores later on in life. It’s reversing that aging process of the brain.” Dr Fox
Why It Matters: Hormones like oestrogen and progesterone influence your brain, bones, and emotional resilience – NOT just reproduction. For driven women, understanding this can shift how you approach health, ensuring you stay focused and energised throughout the changing chapters of life – NOT just when you want to have a baby.
We hear a lot about HRT risks, but Dr. Fox shared how bioidentical hormone support, when done right, can be a game-changer for some women.
How are you investing in your long-term vitality?
Lesson 4: Support Your Liver to Balance Hormones and Boost Energy
“The nutrients specifically that play a really important role in hormone metabolism are magnesium, zinc, B vitamins. Your iron storage, selenium. There’s a range of nutrients that all come into the liver, and they clean up the nightclub.” Dr Fox
Why It Matters: Your liver is a “nightclub” that processes hormones, and Dr. Fox’s analogy had us all smiling! When it’s overworked or not functioning quite right, it needs extra help from a nutrient-rich diet to keep hormones balanced. Research suggests eating around 35 different fruits and veggies weekly to fuel your gut and liver, boosting energy for your big goals.
Hard working women need a vibrant, diverse diet to keep their liver – and hormones – optimised. Where are you going to get your extra fruit and veg from this week?
Lesson 5: Boundaries Are Hormonal Self-Care for Sustained Success
“There are 3 times in your life that will make or break your health… adolescence, pregnancy, and breastfeeding, and perimenopause/menopause… how are we supporting ourselves? Where are our boundaries, and how much support are we getting from our community?” Dr Fox
Why It Matters: Hormonal transitions like perimenopause are vulnerable times. Without strong boundaries, stress can tank your progesterone, leaving you exhausted. This is one of THE core areas I find myself helping my clients to improve their life (in fact, there’s a whole module on Boundaries in Overflow).
For ambitious women, saying “no” to overcommitment is a powerful act of self-care that fuels long-term success.
What’s something you really want to say “no” to this month that would help you prioritise your well-being?
Lesson 6: Embrace Your Wisdom to Thrive Through Perimenopause
“That wisdom of a woman that’s no longer frantically doing everybody’s dishes… that’s a powerful thing… if we had more women birthing into their crone wisdom, we’d be healing the world.” Dr Fox
Why It Matters: Perimenopause isn’t just about hormonal shifts – it’s a time to step into your “crone” wisdom, prioritising yourself over external pressures. For go-getters, this means redefining success to align with your higher good, ensuring you lead with clarity and purpose.
Dr. Fox’s wisdom reminds us: this is a time to shed people-pleasing and over-functioning, embracing discernment and strength.
How can you honour your inner wisdom today?
You have this amazing body that you live inside of, and supporting it to operate optimally is so essential – your hormones can truly be fuel for your best life if you care for them.
That’s why I LOVE bringing these kinds of experts into my Overflow community. In addition to my support each week, I make sure the women inside have access to a team of professionals that can help them live a Deeply Satisfying Life.
If you’re curious, or you’d like to get access to the full recording of Dr Fox’s discussion, let’s chat!
