In this episode, I sat down with Alexandra from Just the Inserts for a conversation I’ve been dying to have for years. We talked about informed consent, what those tiny manufacturer inserts actually say, and why so much important information gets lost in our current healthcare system. Alexandra shares how her own experience as a new mom led her to dig deep into the data and turn complex, overlooked info into clear, empowering resources for women. We also unpack the business side of medicine, how it affects the care you receive, and why you have way more power in your healthcare choices than you might realize. This one’s a must-listen if you’ve ever felt dismissed, confused, or frustrated in a doctor’s office.

Alexandra is the founder of Just the Inserts, a platform dedicated to empowering individuals with accessible, transparent information about medical choices. With a solid research background and a passion for informed consent, she guides people through the complexities of pharmaceutical products and decisions. Her commitment to clear, reliable information has earned her recognition as a trusted voice in the community, helping countless individuals make more informed, confident healthcare decisions.

Find Alexandra:

Instagram: @Justtheinserts

Instagram: @Justthealternatives

www.justtheinserts.com

I need to tell you about Brenda.

When she first came to me, she was done. Exhausted, burned out, frustrated. She felt like she was living in a body she didn’t recognize anymore — and no matter how “healthy” she tried to be, nothing was working.

✔️ Her hair was thinning.
✔️ Her weight was climbing.
✔️ She couldn’t sleep.
✔️ Her energy was nonexistent.
✔️ Her cycles were all over the place.

And she kept thinking, “Maybe it’s just stress… maybe it’ll pass.”

But it didn’t.

What Brenda didn’t realize was that years of unaddressed hormone shifts — from birth control to motherhood to relentless career demands to a devastating divorce — had sent her system into survival mode. Her cortisol was sky-high, her estrogen detox pathways were struggling, and her body was holding on to everything because it didn’t feel safe.

Here’s what changed everything for her:
We tested first.

Not at the end of the program. Not as an afterthought. Right up front.

We used a DUTCH hormone test to see exactly what was happening inside her body — what her cortisol patterns looked like, how she was metabolizing estrogen, and whether her body was trying to keep up or completely tapped out.

Then we built a customized plan specifically for her body. No cookie-cutter protocols, no generic advice.

✅ Nutrition tailored to her cycle.
✅ Targeted, effective supplements.
✅ Stress management strategies for real life.
✅ And ongoing testing to track real, measurable progress.

And today? Brenda is thriving.

✔️ Her energy is back.
✔️ Her cycles are regular.
✔️ She’s sleeping through the night.
✔️ The stubborn weight has started to release.
✔️ And, most importantly, she feels like herself again.

I share Brenda’s story because I know so many women are walking around right now in burnout mode, thinking this is just how it is.

It doesn’t have to be.

👉 The 6-Month Female Hormone Solution is now OPEN.

This is the exact program Brenda used to turn everything around — and I only open it once a year.

It includes:
✨ Multiple DUTCH hormone tests
✨ 1:1 strategy calls and in-depth lab reviews
✨ Customized protocols for nutrition, exercise, and supplements
✨ Ongoing support from me and my team
✨ A private, empowering community of women walking this journey with you

If you’re tired of guessing, tired of DIY-ing your health, and ready to take back control — this is your time.

👉 Click below to grab your spot - registration closes this week!

6 month regular: https://drbethwestie.com/6-month-female-hormone-solution/

6 month menopause: https://drbethwestie.com/6-month-female-menopause-solution/

Not sure if it's a fit? Schedule a consult call: https://calendly.com/dr-beth-westie/program-discovery-call

Being exhausted every day is not normal.

Not the “I need a little nap” kind of tired.
I’m talking about the kind of exhaustion where:

• You can’t do the grocery store + make dinner in the same day.

• Folding a load of laundry feels like climbing a mountain.

• You cancel plans (again) because you just can’t.

And when you bring it up?
You get told:
“Maybe you’re just stressed.”
“It's just getting older”
"That's just part of being a woman.

No.
You are not crazy for feeling this way.
And you deserve answers.

Your energy levels are the result of so many pieces working together behind the scenes. When even one gets thrown off, your whole system feels it.

Here’s what I always recommend looking at when women tell me they’re this tired:

Dutch Test — my favorite starting point. It gives a deep dive into your:

• Cortisol levels throughout the day (a huge player in energy)

• Estrogen, progesterone & androgens (hello stamina + muscle strength)

• B vitamin markers & nutrient levels

• Methylation process (how your body actually uses what you give it)

Iron Levels — one of the most common deficiencies in women, especially if you’ve been told “your labs look fine” but you still feel awful.

Thyroid Panel — because a “normal” result doesn’t mean optimal, and your thyroid is everything for your metabolism, mood, and energy.

Sometimes even inflammatory markers or other custom labs depending on what your Dutch test reveals.

Because it shows the full picture.
Not just one hormone. Not just one level.
It helps us see the why behind your exhaustion so we can fix it at the source.

I can't tell you how many women I've worked with who were taking B vitamins or iron and still felt like garbage — because they weren’t addressing their cortisol patterns, methylation issues, or the fact they weren’t even absorbing their supplements properly.

You don’t need more guesswork.
You need strategy.

This is exactly what we do in the 6 Month Female Hormone Solution.

✨ Registration is open right now — but only to the waitlist.

Learn more: https://drbethwestie.com/fhs-waitlist/

Have you ever found yourself thinking:

“I’m not doing anything different… but all of a sudden I’m exhausted, gaining weight, snapping at everyone, and feeling like a shell of myself. What is going on?!”

If this sounds like you — please know you’re not crazy, and you’re definitely not alone.

I hear this story from women all the time.

➡️ You’re eating well.
➡️ You’re moving your body.
➡️ You’re getting to bed on time.
➡️ And yet — you wake up drained. Mood swinging like crazy. Feeling disconnected from yourself and your people.

And when you ask for help?
You’re told “it’s just your hormones” or “maybe it’s perimenopause” — often years before you thought that was even possible.

Worse, you’re handed a birth control prescription, maybe an antidepressant, and sent on your way without real answers.

But here’s what most providers are missing:
It’s not just one thing.

Your hormones don’t operate in a vacuum. Neither does your mood, energy, or metabolism.

When your system gets depleted — from stress, life demands, shifts in hormone patterns, or nutrient deficiencies — it impacts EVERYTHING.

Your energy.
Your dopamine (the neurotransmitter that gives you motivation and joy).
Your ability to handle stress.
Even your relationships.

We need to give your system what it needs to function properly.

That’s the part that gets missed.
It’s not about doing more. It’s about supporting your body better.

Your hormones, your stress response, your neurotransmitters — they’re all connected. And unless you know where your imbalances actually are, you’re left shooting in the dark.

That’s why inside my Female Hormone Solution program, we don’t guess.
We test.
We individualize.
And we map out a plan based on your body’s actual needs.

Learn more: https://drbethwestie.com/fhs-waitlist/

As a physical therapist, Samantha spent years treating bodies in pain. But what she uncovered was that so many of her patients — high achievers, athletes, professionals — weren’t just dealing with physical symptoms. They were carrying deep emotional wounds: perfectionism, people-pleasing, addiction to productivity, and shame.

And it wasn’t just in their heads. It was in their nervous systems.

In her new book, Breaking the Circuit, she shares:
✨ Her personal journey through addiction recovery, grief, and self-forgiveness
✨ How trauma patterns live in the body and affect our health
✨ Why she reinvented the 12-step recovery model for modern women
✨ The life-changing practice of making amends… to yourself

One thing Samantha said that stuck with me:

“At one point, those coping mechanisms saved you. But if they’re running the show now, they’re keeping you stuck.”

We dove deep into the intersection of trauma, nervous system rewiring, hormone health, and how so many women are unknowingly trapped by patterns they didn’t choose. Patterns that are stealing their joy, their health, and their sense of worth.

If you’ve ever carried guilt, shame, or perfectionism on your back like a heavy bag of bricks — you’re not alone.

And it is possible to heal.

This conversation cracked something open for me, and I hope it does the same for you.

Dr. Samantha Harte is a physical therapist, author, performing artist, podcast host, and sober mom of two. She has been featured on ABC7 and CBS and has been written up in People magazine, Time magazine, Best Life, and The New York Post for her expertise on the intersection of mind-body health and wellness. Her self-help memoir, Breaking The Circuit: How to Rewire Your Mind for Hope, Resilience and Joy in the Face of Trauma is a reinvention of the 12 steps of recovery so that anyone, addict or not, can turn heartbreak into hope.

Find Dr. Samantha:

https://www.facebook.com/samantha.harte.5/

https://www.instagram.com/drsamanthaharte/

https://www.tiktok.com/@drsamanthaharte

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-about-addiction/id1604438985

Let’s clear something up right now — if you’ve been feeling off with your hormones… whether it’s bloating, mood swings, poor sleep, stubborn weight, low energy, or unpredictable cycles… there’s one simple thing you might be overlooking:

PROTEIN.

I know, you’ve probably heard that protein’s important. But do you really know why it matters for your hormones?

Most women don’t — and it’s costing them.

👉 Here’s how protein impacts your hormones at every level:

✨ Hormone Production:
Your body literally builds hormones out of amino acids (the building blocks of protein). If you’re not eating enough, you’re not giving your body the raw materials it needs to make estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, testosterone — all of it.

✨ Hormone Metabolism + Detox:
Once your body makes hormones, it has to process and clear them out efficiently. Guess what fuels your liver and gut to do that job? Protein.
Without enough, your system slows down, leftover hormones hang around too long, and you get symptoms like heavy periods, mood swings, and stubborn weight.

✨ Blood Sugar + Mood Regulation:
Stable blood sugar is one of the best-kept secrets to balanced hormones — and one of the best ways to stabilize blood sugar? Protein pacing (eating balanced amounts of protein regularly throughout the day). It keeps your energy up and mood more even.

✨ Stress Recovery + Resilience:
Women’s bodies respond differently to stress than men’s — we’re more likely to deplete our nutrient stores, especially during big life changes like having kids, starting new jobs, or hitting perimenopause. Protein is a key nutrient your body leans on to recover and rebuild from stress.

Here’s what I see all the time:
Women come into my program thinking they’re eating “healthy” — lots of veggies, salads, clean snacks — but when we look closer, they’re seriously lacking protein. And within weeks of upping their intake and learning how to protein pace properly, their energy, sleep, mood, and hormones improve.

This is why the very first thing we focus on in the Female Hormone Solution Program is something called the Primer — and it’s all about getting your protein game dialed in.

Because if you’ve spent years feeling behind on your health, stressed out, depleted, or like you “missed the boat” on taking care of yourself — you haven’t. You can start now. And protein is the simplest, most effective place to begin.

✨ The next 6-month round of the Female Hormone Solution Program is coming — and the waitlist is officially open!

If you’re ready to finally get real answers, personalized hormone testing, nutrition strategies made for your body, and guidance to start feeling better again — click below to grab your spot on the list:

👉 Join the Waitlist Here: https://drbethwestie.com/fhs-waitlist/

Don’t wait. Start today by making sure your next meal has at least 30 grams of protein — and watch how different you feel.

Let’s talk about burnout — the kind that makes you feel mentally fried, physically drained, and like even getting through your to-do list is a monumental task.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you: burnout isn’t just “being stressed out.”

It’s a physiological hormonal crisis happening in your body.

By the time most women hit burnout, it’s not just about being tired. It’s about your adrenals, cortisol, dopamine, testosterone, and progesterone all taking a nosedive — and your body sending up all the flares.

👉 Ever felt like you’re dragging yourself through the day?
👉 No motivation, no focus, maybe even brain fog?
👉 Working out but not seeing results? Libido MIA?
👉 Mood swings and crazy cycles out of nowhere?

That’s not in your head. That’s your hormones in distress.

What’s actually happening?

When your system hits burnout:

• Cortisol tanks (the stress hormone that’s meant to help you handle pressure)
• Dopamine plummets (so no, you’re not lazy — you’re literally missing the brain chemical that gives you motivation)
• Testosterone drops (which slows muscle repair, messes with metabolism, and crushes libido)
  Progesterone falls off (leading to cycle problems, PMS, mood swings)

And on top of that?
You’re likely nutrient depleted too. (B vitamins, minerals, everything your body uses to run the show.)

The problem is — most women just try to “push through.” More workouts. Less food. Another cup of coffee. Maybe a spa day for “self-care.”

But a bubble bath won’t fix a hormone crash.

This is exactly why I created the 6-Month Female Hormone Solution.

We run actual hormone testing (the DUTCH test, far more comprehensive than a blood draw) to see what’s happening inside your body. Then we create a customized plan — for you — based on your unique results.

We work on:

✅ Adrenal and cortisol support
✅ Rebalancing your dopamine and motivation
✅ Boosting testosterone naturally
✅ Supporting progesterone production
✅ Nutrient repletion (especially B vitamins and minerals)
✅ Gut health repair (because yep — burnout impacts digestion too)

This isn’t a quick-fix bandaid. Healing takes time. But when you work with your body instead of against it, the results last.

And you won’t have to guess at what you should be doing.

→ Want in? Join the waitlist now: https://drbethwestie.com/fhs-waitlist/

How do you actually know if you’re dealing with a hormone issue?

Is it something you just “deal with” because you’ve been told it’s normal, or is your body waving a big flag for help?

I get this question all the time — and honestly, most of us aren’t sure what a “normal” cycle is supposed to look or feel like anymore. That’s why I’m here to break it down for you.

• Fatigue, anxiety, trouble sleeping
  Could be thyroid, cortisol, melatonin — or a combo.

• Acne, hair thinning on your scalp, increased facial or body hair
  Could be androgens (like testosterone) or even cortisol, thyroid, or gut issues.

• Vaginal dryness + low libido
  Often connected to androgens and cortisol.

• Heavy periods, clots, mood swings, breast tenderness, fibroids
  Hello, estrogen dominance (when estrogen’s too high compared to progesterone).

• Hot flashes, night sweats, cycle-related bloating
  Also hormone-related, even if you’re not menopausal.

The tricky part? These symptoms often overlap — and it’s never just one thing.

Your body is incredibly interconnected, and often when one hormone is off, others get pulled out of line too. That’s why band-aid fixes don’t work, and why so many women feel frustrated chasing symptoms without seeing real changes.

With a system that supports your hormones across the board.

That’s exactly why I created the 14 Day Hormone Reset — a micro-program designed to give you a clear, supportive, and effective starting point.

We’re covering everything from:

• How to build a hormone-supportive lifestyle

• What to eat (and when) to support your cycle

• Morning & nighttime routines that actually move the needle

• A live coaching call to get your questions answered

• Personalized voice-note support based on your symptoms

And yes — it works. I’ve had women message me saying they didn’t even realize their period had arrived because their usual PMS mood swings, bloating, and cramps were gone.

Your body is designed to regulate your hormones. It just needs the right support — and that’s what we’re going to do together.

Join us here: https://dr-beth-westie.mykajabi.com/14-day-hormone-reset