Maximizing Hormones, Physique & Running Through Perimenopause

Louise Valentine
  • 4.7 (25)
  • RUNNING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause," the podcast that redefines your relationship with fitness, nutrition, and hormonal changes. Hosted by American College of Sports Medicine Practitioner of the Year 2023, women's integrative health, running, and performance expert Louise Valentine, this show empowers you to mitigate impacts of hormone changes without overcomplicating it! Get ready to break through misinformation, ditch outdated male-based methods, and apply what you learn to feel your best, look fit, and run strong, energized, and injury-free at ANY age! Louise and her clients share how they achieve previously thought "impossible" results, driven by Louise's multi award-winning science-backed nutrition, fitness, running and fat loss methods designed for ambitious everyday runners age 35 and beyond. Get inspired each week as they share how they've turned their own health, hormone, and fitness breakdowns into breakthroughs and how they now lead the way in empowering women just like you do the same! Whether you're looking to ditch hormone havoc, break through a setback, or want to understand how to lift, train and fuel harmoniously with your changing female physiology, you'll find this podcast insightful and inspiring. No more fighting against your body – Louise is here to help you harness its fierce natural power to achieve a vibrantly energized, well, fit and active life! If you're an active female who loves to run and wants it all, Welcome to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" – Your go-to resource to break through to next-level health, hormones, and fitness!

  1. 5D AGO

    #118 - Innovation in Fibroid Freedom & Minimally Invasive Surgical Solutions With Dr. Ryan Armstrong

    What if the symptoms you have been told are “just part of hormonal changes and perimenopause” are actually a misdiagnosed medical condition that's progressively getting worse without being properly addressed? In this episode of Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause, Louise Valentine, one of the world’s leading integrative health practitioners and exercise physiologists, sits down with Dr. Ryan Armstrong to break down fibroids, chronic pain, and vascular issues in a way that finally makes sense. Together, they explore why heavy bleeding, chronic fatigue, knee pain, plantar fasciitis, and leg cramping are so common in active women and why they should never be ignored or normalized. Dr. Ryan explains minimally invasive treatments like uterine fibroid embolization that preserve the uterus while dramatically improving quality of life, often with faster recovery and fewer long-term risks than traditional surgery. Louise adds critical context around hormone balance, nutrition, and strength training, showing how medical care, targeted fitness and lifestyle strategies work best together. Listeners will walk away with clarity around symptoms to watch for, questions to ask their doctors, and reassurance that there are modern, effective options that do not require extreme or life-altering procedures. This episode is empowering, practical, and especially valuable for women who want to stay active, strong, and pain-free through perimenopause and beyond. Learn more about Dr. Armstrong’s practice Texas Endovascular at https://texaseva.com/  Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/ Link to our FullScript where you can see curated best supplement picks & save 20%: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start  Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing  Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro and natural hormone balance for long-term relief (3:00) Fibroids explained in simple terms (6:10) Hormones, inflammation, and injury risk (12:50) Uterine fibroid embolization explained (18:11) Risks of hysterectomy and why alternatives matter (20:38) Innovative treatments for knee pain and plantar fasciitis (23:29) Venous insufficiency, cramping, and varicose veins (30:20) Heavy bleeding, anemia, and athletic performance (32:29) Ablation vs embolization for fibroid care (36:06) Outro Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress! I'd love to connect! Email 💬 support@breakingthroughwellness.com Instagram 📷 https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

    38 min

  2. JAN 22

    #117 - How She Did It: Sheri Ditches Symptoms & Unlocks Her Best Holistic Health, Hormones, Physique & Running

    What if the reason running suddenly feels harder has nothing to do with your discipline or aging and everything to do with your hormones and how you support them as they change?  Many find it shocking that mechanisms of perimenopause typically start as early as our 30s and this tends to be even harder on ambitious females who love to run - but the good news is, YES, we can do something about it! In this episode, Louise, a leading expert for perimenopausal active women and runners, sits down with Sheri, a lifelong runner and high-achieving professional, to share a real, honest look at navigating perimenopause without burning out or giving up the sport you love.  Sheri opens up about sudden weight gain, breathing issues, dismissed symptoms, and the frustration of trying fixes that didn’t work. Together, they break down what actually helped. A bit less mileage, more specific running and strength training, intentional strategic fueling, hydration, and simple yet highly effective cortisol and stress-management habits that fit into real life. Sheri explains how shifting away from “more is better” allowed her to regain energy, lose inches, improve mood, see physique changes, and hit major performance wins, including strong negative splits and new personal records in her 40s! This conversation is a reminder that perimenopause is not a dead end nor does it have to mean decline. With the right strategy, it can be a powerful reset. If you are a runner who wants to feel strong, clear-headed, and confident again without overcomplicating it, this episode offers practical hope and proof that thriving is still possible. Watch my free masterclass on Lifewave’s Holistic Patches here:  https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/lifewave  Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/ Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20% off: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start  Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (3:20) Introducing Sheri’s perimenopause journey (7:43) Sudden weight gain and dismissed symptoms (10:29) Finding clear, usable guidance through podcasts (14:17) Reducing mileage and training smarter (15:38) Morning hydration and energy shifts (17:41) Nutrition tweaks and seed cycling (23:58) Performance breakthroughs and race PRs (30:02) Confidence, mindset, and family impact (34:31) Stress reduction through structure and predictability (41:56) Symptoms improved through hormone-aligned training (46:57) Final advice for women navigating perimenopause (48:38) Outro Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress! I'd love to connect! Email 💬 support@breakingthroughwellness.com Instagram 📷 https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

    50 min

  3. JAN 15

    #116 - Why I Adopted a Perimenopause Support Cat

    Most often, what helps us heal and thrive in midlife is not another supplement, medication, tracker, hack, or protocol… but instead, it's slowing down enough to let joy, clarity in how to best support our female body, and our confidence shine bright. In this deeply personal and unexpectedly powerful episode, Louise, a leading expert for perimenopausal active women and runners, shares the real story behind her “perimenopause support cat” and why it represents something much bigger than adopting a pet.  She opens up about burnout as a high achieving woman and runner, nervous system overload, and the hidden cost of being a driven woman for decades. Through honest reflection, she challenges the obsession with data like HRV and the scale, reminding listeners that more numbers do not always mean better health.  Also, she challenges you to reflect on what you want out of this stage of life; is it more supplements, meds, and confusion or is it clarify, calm, and confidence in knowing you have control over your longevity in vibrant active living? Louise explores how constant striving and muscling through life can keep women stuck in fight-or-flight, especially in perimenopause. She explains why simplicity, consistency, self-trust, and emotional safety matter more than ever. She also touches on identity shifts, motherhood, alignment, and what it really means to feel calm, present, and alive again. The takeaway is clear: healing and thriving in midlife often starts by choosing softness, presence, and a deep connection to yourself over perfection. You do not need to do more. You likely need to do (much) less, with intention. Join Louise in reflecting on lessons learned and unlocking the best version of your fit, strong, and vibrantly happy active life! Learn with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/ Learn about adventure cats: https://www.adventurecats.org/ Learn about AffoGATO Cat Cafe: https://affogatocatcafe.com/ Link to our FullScript where you can see curated best supplement picks & save 20% off: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start  Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (3:04) Why a “perimenopause support cat” (5:54) HRV, data obsession, and when tracking backfires (7:38) Why high-achieving women struggle most in perimenopause (10:33) Letting go of the scale and metrics (12:16) Stepping away from comparison and social media (13:13) Identity shifts, ambition, and the hidden cost of success (17:00) Chronic stress, inflammation, and the pace of life (19:22) Choosing calm, joy, and simplicity (27:13) Motherhood, presence, and emotional repair (33:39) Redefining impact and success (41:32) Living more, optimizing less (56:07) Outro  Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress! I'd love to connect! Email 💬 support@breakingthroughwellness.com Instagram 📷 https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

    58 min

  4. JAN 8

    #115 - 3 Simple Mindset Shifts to Thrive Through 2026 AND Perimenopause

    What if the problem isn’t that you’re doing too little, but that you’re trying to do everything at once? In this episode, Louise, one of the world’s leading health, fitness, and performance experts for ambitious active women and runners, shares a powerful reframing for women navigating perimenopause, health, fat loss, and performance. Instead of chasing all goals at the same time, she introduces a four months at a time-based approach to the year, focusing on one clear priority at a time. Whether that’s restoring vibrant health and hormones, losing fat, improving body composition, leveling up a fit toned physique or running stronger, the message is clear: clarity and focus creates results. Louise breaks down why fat loss should be treated as a short, intentional phase, not a lifestyle, and how staying stuck in “diet mode” quietly sabotages hormones, our metabolism, energy, and confidence. She also explains why food is more than fuel. It’s information and molecules that signal a specific effect and impact on the female body. The right foods, eaten in the right state, give your body the molecules it needs to build hormones, recover from training, mitigate frustrating symptoms, improve health, and thrive through perimenopause. The episode also challenges the idea that women should slow down or stop running as they age. With the right fueling, strength training, and recovery, women can run strong well into perimenopause and beyond. The women of Breaking Through Wellness are proudly living proof of what is possible when we work with our changing female physiology and not against it! If you want a calmer nervous system, better results, and a smarter way to train and eat in 2026, this episode lays out a sustainable path forward. Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/ Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20% off: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start  Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (4:39) Building a foundation for hormones and long-term health (6:56) The four main focus areas women cycle through (10:20) Why fat loss should be a phase, not a lifestyle (14:12) How focused support improves results and reduces stress (18:30) Food as molecules and nervous system regulation (24:47) Running strong through perimenopause and beyond (31:22) Three mindset shifts to thrive in 2026 (33:48) Outro Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress! I'd love to connect! Email 💬 support@breakingthroughwellness.com Instagram 📷 https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

    35 min

  5. JAN 1

    #114 - How She Did It: Holistic Physical & Mental Healing with Psychotherapist Kim Gillette

    Do you believe in "miracles" when wellness-minded runners understand simple sustainable ways to work with our changing hormones and female physiology?  After this profound success story, you will! What if the pain, exhaustion, and burnout you have been pushing through are not things you have to “power through,” but signals asking for a different approach? Louise, a multi award-winning women's integrative health practitioner and physiologist, sits down with longtime running friend Kim, a mental health practitioner, to share a deeply honest journey overcoming chronic injuries, perimenopause symptoms, nervous system overload, and healing from the inside out. Kim opens up about years of pain, hot flashes, disrupted sleep, autoimmunity, blood sugar chaos, running injuries, and feeling stuck despite doing all the “right” things. They explore how shifting focus from pushing harder to regulating the nervous system, revamping how she trains and lifts, and up-regulating natural hormone production and balance, energy and blood sugar balance using the Breaking Through Wellness whole foods fueling framework changed everything. Kim shares how less overall running mileage, more strength training, strategic speed work, better fueling, and nervous system regulation helped eliminate chronic pain, reversed prediabetes and autoimmunity labs, and restore her confidence as a runner and caring compassionate professional. The conversation introduces brain spotting, a therapy that helps process stored trauma and stress at the root level rather than just talk therapy. Through a live demo, listeners hear how this work can reduce emotional activation, improve calm, break through performance blocks, and support long-term healing. This episode is valuable for active women who love to run, feel, and look their best navigating perimenopause, burnout, stored trauma, or chronic stress who want a sustainable path forward without feeling broken or overwhelmed. Watch this episode on my website blog & grab a copy with my free nutrition guide to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/blog Learn more about Kim’s psychotherapy practice & services: https://www.gillettepsychotherapy.com  Find a brain spotting therapist near you: https://brainspotting.com/directory/  Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20% off: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start  Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing  Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (8:37) Reconnecting Through Running And Community (11:54) Burnout, Injury, And Reaching A Breaking Point (13:34) Chronic Pain, Hot Flashes, And Stress (15:57) Shocking Health Improvements And Lab Results (17:13) Nervous System Regulation (22:17) Healing Through Community And Support (27:09) Leaving Burnout To Build A Private Practice Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress! I'd love to connect! Email 💬 support@breakingthroughwellness.com Instagram 📷 https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

    1h 3m

  6. 12/25/2025

    #113 - 2025 Wrap Up & Unexpected Lessons Learned

    What if “leveling up” has nothing to do with doing more, pushing harder, or chasing the next goal? In this honest 2025 wrap-up episode, Louise, one of the world’s leading health, fitness and performance experts, reflects on a year that changed her in ways she never expected. While the outside markers of success were there, running strong, looking more fit, exponential business growth and endless client wins, the real transformation happened internally. She opens up about the unexpected ways burnout can show up, perimenopause, nervous system overload, and the pressure women feel to constantly prove themselves in a loud, opinion-driven wellness world. Louise shares why she stepped back from social media, returned to science over trends, and recommitted to deeply personal, holistic work with her clients. She challenges black-and-white thinking around hormones, HRT, fitness, and health, making space for nuance, choice, and individual needs. Most importantly, she reframes success as energy, presence, health, and alignment, not hustle or scale. This episode is especially meaningful for ambitious active women navigating perimenopause, burnout, or a quiet sense that the old way of pushing just isn’t working anymore. It’s a reminder that slowing down can be the most powerful step forward, and that working with your body, not against it, changes everything. Check out my blog’s new bonus free resource “Is it perimenopause, running burnout or BOTH? Here are predictive biomarkers to track BEFORE burnout.”: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/blog  Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/ Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20% off: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start  Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (4:08) Redefining what leveling up means (5:37) Burnout behind high achievement (7:21) What holistic care really means (10:31) Making space for the gray (12:54) Choosing science over noise (16:00) Cynicism as a burnout signal (20:21) Why calories in calories out fails (22:31) Nervous system first, always (25:30) Choosing life over hustle (29:31) Healing requires space (32:53) Learning to value your work (43:26) Lessons that changed everything (47:07) A healthier path forward (48:07) Outro Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress! I'd love to connect! Email 💬 support@breakingthroughwellness.com Instagram 📷 https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

    50 min

  7. 12/18/2025

    #112 - Strategies to Overcome Fit Shaming & Protect Your Vibrance With Less Fear

    Unfortunately, we live in a world where valuing a lifestyle that protects our best health, fitness, and vibrant athletic performance often makes other people uncomfortable. Let's talk about how to navigate this frustrating scenario! In this episode, Louise, as one of the world’s leading integrative health and fitness practitioners, speaks honestly about a topic many ambitious active women quietly struggle with: fit shaming. As women move through perimenopause and menopause, prioritizing nutrition, movement, and recovery is not about vanity. It is about feeling good, staying strong, and protecting long-term vibrant health.  Louise explains why old rules like calories in versus calories out no longer work, and why hormones, blood sugar regulation, understanding the new influence of stress on our female body, and female-specific fueling strategies matter more than ever. She also shares a deeply personal story of overhearing criticism from someone close to her and how that moment forced her to reflect, reset, and take action to protect her peace. Through conversations with her daughter, her Breaking Through Wellness community, and her clients, a powerful truth emerges. Choosing health can trigger resentment in others, but it can also inspire change. Listeners will walk away with simple language to respond to harsh or judgmental comments, practical holiday strategies that remove guilt around food, and a mindset shift from fear to curiosity.  This episode is a reminder that taking care of yourself by eating and moving strategically and vibrantly well is NOT selfish. It is leadership for your family, your health, and the women admiring you. Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/ Link to Episode #19 “How to Rise Above Fit Shaming & Confidently Unlock Your Next Level” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/maximizing-hormones-physique-running-through-perimenopause/id1716725195?i=1000648332976 Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20%: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start  Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (3:12) Why Aging Requires New Health Strategies (4:04) Hormones Over Calories And Macros (5:38) When Lifestyle Changes Trigger Fit Shaming (6:45) Hearing Hard Truths From Someone Close (9:44) Learning Not To Impose Health Choices (13:16) A Child’s Experience With Fit Shaming (16:56) Holiday Food Without Guilt Or Shame (25:22) Boundaries And Protecting Your Peace (30:04) Turning Fear Into Curiosity And Confidence (33:45) Outro Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress! I'd love to connect! Email 💬 support@breakingthroughwellness.com Instagram 📷 https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

    35 min

  8. 12/11/2025

    #111 - How to Effectively Communicate Your Changing Body's Needs With Your Spouse

    One of the hardest parts of perimenopause isn’t always the symptoms themselves, but trying to explain them to the people you love the most. In this episode, Louise, a leading expert for perimenopausal active women and runners, gets real about what it looks like to communicate with your spouse when your body is changing faster than you can keep up with. From mood swings, the new odd impacts of stress, and sleep struggles to nutrition shifts and new more refined fueling needs, perimenopause impacts everything, including our relationships. You’ll hear honest stories about triggering comments and the moments when even the strongest marriages feel stretched. Most importantly, you’ll learn how clear communication, boundaries, and self-awareness can make this transition easier for you and your family. Louise also shares insights from her clients, perimenopause supportive long run fueling strategies, practical meal examples, female-specific nutrient timing for hormone health, and how modeling positive habits for your kids can change generational patterns. Whether you're navigating this season quietly or feeling overwhelmed, this episode reminds you that you’re not alone and that your needs are valid, important, and absolutely worth expressing! Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide and award-winning Badass Breakthrough Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress here: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com/  Link to our FullScript where you can see our curated best supplement picks & save 20% off: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/breakingthroughwellness/store-start  Take advantage of our podcast listener discount and save 20% off all of Kion’s science-backed clean products: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing  Episode Highlights: (0:00) Intro (2:57) Why communicating perimenopause changes is difficult (3:53) Emotional overwhelm and feeling misunderstood (4:49) Relationship strain during hormonal shifts (5:26) Normalizing bad days and hormone-driven mood swings (7:12) How body changes require lifestyle and nutrition changes (8:04) Hurt feelings, blunt communication, and partner dynamics (16:05) Fueling, running, and shifting energy needs over 40 (17:51) Setting boundaries and communicating hurtful comments (20:04) Why partners struggle to understand female-specific challenges (21:36) Changing meals and nutrition for hormone health (25:09) Teaching kids healthy food and hormone habits (27:10) Processing emotions before talking to your spouse (29:02) Why perimenopause often requires a full life overhaul (30:42) Actionable strategy: Clarifying one communication boundary (32:20) Outro Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for our simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress! I'd love to connect! Email 💬 support@breakingthroughwellness.com Instagram 📷 https://www.instagram.com/breakingthroughwellness Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BreakingThroughWellness

    34 min
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4.7
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About

Welcome to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause," the podcast that redefines your relationship with fitness, nutrition, and hormonal changes. Hosted by American College of Sports Medicine Practitioner of the Year 2023, women's integrative health, running, and performance expert Louise Valentine, this show empowers you to mitigate impacts of hormone changes without overcomplicating it! Get ready to break through misinformation, ditch outdated male-based methods, and apply what you learn to feel your best, look fit, and run strong, energized, and injury-free at ANY age! Louise and her clients share how they achieve previously thought "impossible" results, driven by Louise's multi award-winning science-backed nutrition, fitness, running and fat loss methods designed for ambitious everyday runners age 35 and beyond. Get inspired each week as they share how they've turned their own health, hormone, and fitness breakdowns into breakthroughs and how they now lead the way in empowering women just like you do the same! Whether you're looking to ditch hormone havoc, break through a setback, or want to understand how to lift, train and fuel harmoniously with your changing female physiology, you'll find this podcast insightful and inspiring. No more fighting against your body – Louise is here to help you harness its fierce natural power to achieve a vibrantly energized, well, fit and active life! If you're an active female who loves to run and wants it all, Welcome to "Maximizing Hormones, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" – Your go-to resource to break through to next-level health, hormones, and fitness!

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