The Hormone Doctor: The Truth About Cortisol, Estrogen and Balancing Your Hormones
6/3/202637 min
Most of what you've heard about hormone balance, perimenopause symptoms, and hormone therapy online is wrong. That misunderstanding is costing women years of unnecessary suffering through puberty, pregnancy, and menopause stages when effective solutions like testosterone for women already exist and can make a real difference. Endocrinologist Dr. Gillian Goddard is joining Tamsen Fadal on The Tamsen Show to cut through the noise and explain how your hormonal system actually works and what to do when it feels like it isn't. She breaks down the feedback loop mechanism that keeps your hormones self-regulating, why that process is far more dynamic than any "hormone optimization" trend on social media, and what happens when those loops are disrupted at key life transitions. In this episode, Tamsen and Dr. Goddard cover:
- What a hormone actually is, and why the feedback loop model changes everything
- The thyroid-immune system connection and why puberty, pregnancy, and perimenopause are your highest-risk windows for thyroid disease
- The late reproductive stage: the perimenopause phase most doctors miss, and why it matters
- HRT vs. birth control for perimenopausal symptoms, and why the right answer depends on where you are in your reproductive stage
- Testosterone for women: what the science actually shows (and what it doesn't yet)
- How to talk to your doctor about perimenopause, hormone therapy, and getting your symptoms taken seriously If you've ever left a doctor's office dismissed because your periods were still regular but you knew something was off, this episode is for you. The late reproductive stage affects roughly 50% of women between ages 37 and 45, and most women have never heard of it. Dr. Goddard's message is clear: you don't need to suffer. Whether you're navigating your first period or your last, your symptoms are valid and they can be addressed. If you liked this conversation, check out the rest of the How To Menopause series: Estrogen Down There 101: Here's Everything You Need to Know Testosterone 101: Everything You Need to Know in 20 Minutes Relationships 101: Is It Him or Is It Menopause? Here's How to Tell Perimenopause 101: The Symptoms, Tests & Fixes No One Tells You About Stay connected with Tamsen: Get Tamsen's newsletter filled with free tools to living better, feeling stronger, and knowing you’re never alone Get Tamsen’s NYT instant bestselling book, How To Menopause Free Resources from Tamsen Watch all the episodes on YouTube Follow Tamsen on Instagram The Tamsen Show on Instagram Follow Tamsen on TikTok Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns or treatment options. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Tamsen Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsTamsen Fadal· Host0:00
[upbeat music] Hi there, friends. I am so glad you're here. Well, I don't know if it's because I've been talking about menopause for a long time, or it's because there's a real shift happening right now, but I feel like everywhere I turn, I hear the same word: hormones. There are hormone-balancing diets. There are hormone supplements, hormone therapy, seed cycling, cortisol phase. The list goes on and on. I'm so excited to have Dr. Jillian Goddard on the Tamsen Show today. Dr. Goddard is a renowned endocrinologist and author of the groundbreaking new book, The Hormone Loop, which looks at women's hormonal health across every stage of life, from puberty to perimenopause to menopause and beyond. She is giving us a master class in understanding what's actually going on inside our bodies and also empowering us to take back control of our health. This conversation is for every woman. Whether you have a daughter who just started her period, a friend navigating perimenopause, or you yourself are trying to figure out what life looks like on the other side of menopause, there is something here for all of us. I think you're gonna walk away feeling so much more informed and confident after this conversation. I know I certainly did. Real quick, if you can leave a review for this podcast, I would be so appreciative. We wanna know what you're thinking about. We wanna know what conversations you need to hear. All right, let's go ahead and get started.
Speaker 21:22
[upbeat music] At DSW, we ask the important questions like, "What shoes are you going to wear?"