A Practitioner’s Guide to Stress Patterns, Cortisol & Recovery

Send us Fan MailThis conversation between Dr. Sonya Jensen and host Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton covers the science of how stress disrupts female hormone health and the emotions women carry that perpetuate that disruption. They also discuss the physiological mechanisms of chronic stress and how hormone testing can tell patients their stress story. This episode also highlights: How chronic stress and sustained cortisol production can lead to suppressed progesterone The downstream effects of resentment and unexpressed emotion How a patient’s emotional history connects to their symptoms The cortisol/cortisone ratio and what it can tell practitioners and patients about fatigue, low motivation, anxiety, and burnout Using the Cortisol Awakening Response on the DUTCH Plus as a clinical conversation toolShow Notes Learn more about Dr. Sonya Jensen and follow her on Instagram @drsonyajensen! Check out Dr. Sonya’s book, Heal Your Hormones, Reclaim Yourself. Read the ovarian aging study mentioned in this episode. Become a DUTCH Provider to get access to comprehensive patient reports, peer-reviewed and validated research, and expert clinical support. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Saru Bala and host Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton discuss the connection between hormones, the nervous system, and mood, specifically PMS and PMDD, from an integrative medicine perspective.  Their discussion also highlights: Why hormonal shifts affect mood and the neuroscience behind those shifts The distinction between PMS and PMDD and why they are often dismissed as anxiety or depression How the luteal phase can reflect baseline health, including nutrition, lifestyle, and stress levels The importance of comprehensive testing and how those markers impact mood and cycle symptoms Key supplementation and lifestyle recommendations Show Notes Learn more about Dr. Saru Bala and follow her on Instagram @drsarubala! Become a DUTCH Provider to get access to comprehensive patient reports, peer-reviewed and validated research, and expert clinical support. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Mark Holthouse joins Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton and DUTCH founder Mark Newman to take a closer look at a recent peer-reviewed publication from Precision Analytical, Inc. in Frontiers in Reproductive Health, examining how different testing methods hold up when it comes to monitoring male TRT in clinical practice.Their discussion also covers:Common misconceptions about how creams and gels show up in saliva testing and why the numbers can be misleadingWhat the clinical data actually shows about dosing accuracy across different testing modalities When to use serum, urine, and other testing approaches can be leveraged to optimize treatment.How under or overdosing risks can be reduced by matching the right test to the right clinical questionWhy advancing best practices in integrative medicine requires continually revisiting what the evidence supportsShow Notes Read our DUTCH Article on the Frontiers study, Mark Newman’s commentary, and the full study here. Check out the resources mentioned in this episode: The topical progesterone cream study in Fertility and Sterility The transdermal progesterone study from Climacteric Good Energy mentioned by Dr. Holthouse The study on the cardiovascular safety of TRT in the New England Journal of Medicine The study on testosterone threshold levels and skeletal muscle strength Become a DUTCH Provider to gain access to comprehensive patient reports, peer-reviewed and validated research, and expert clinical support. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton discusses Hashimoto’s thyroiditis with Inna Topiler, a board-certified clinical nutritionist who shares her personal experience and health journey with Hashimoto’s. Their discussion also covers: Why standard thyroid testing is insufficient The four main triggers of immune confusion in Hashimoto’s, including stress, infections, toxins, and food sensitivities The impact of dysregulated cortisol on thyroid function How cortisol patterns on the DUTCH Test can be informative for Hashimoto’s patients Practical and accessible stress management tips Show Notes Learn more about Inna Topiler and follow her on Instagram @innatopiler! Become a DUTCH Provider to get access to comprehensive patient reports, peer-reviewed and validated research, and expert clinical support. 

Send us Fan MailJoin us for this episode with Dr. Jenn Simmons, an integrative breast surgeon and oncologist, alongside host Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton and DUTCH founder Mark Newman. This conversation deepens the discussion from a previous episode on hormones and breast cancer risk, challenging widely held clinical assumptions rooted in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study. This episode also explores: The critical distinction between progestins and progesterone The role of metabolic dysfunction in cancer development Breast cancer as a disease of hormone deficiency, particularly progesterone deficiency, rather than hormone excess The impact of estrogen metabolism, especially the 4-hydroxy pathway, and how the DUTCH Test can provide insight into these pathways Individualized hormone therapy for breast cancer survivors Show Notes Listen to our previous episode with Dr. Jenn Simmons! Check out the aging human breast study, the study on menopausal hormone therapy after breast cancer, and the transdermal testosterone study mentioned in this episode. Learn more about Dr. Jenn Simmons and follow her on Instagram @drjennsimmons! Become a DUTCH Provider to get access to comprehensive patient reports, peer-reviewed and validated research, and expert clinical support. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Asare Christian and Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton discuss female longevity and health span. Dr. Christian brings his unique perspective as a former pain specialist who discovered that many of the chronic conditions he was treating were rooted in hormone imbalance.This episode also highlights:·       Three main factors that can contribute to women living longer·       The protective qualities of estrogen as well as the effects of its decline during perimenopause·       The importance of testing early and getting baseline hormone levels before symptoms appear·       How the DUTCH Test provides a picture of hormone metabolism, leading to clarity around estrogen metabolites, the HPA axis, and more·       Treating the hormonal root cause rather than prescribing medications for each symptom Show NotesLearn more about Dr. Asare Christian and his practice, Aether Medicine. Follow him on Instagram @aether_medicine!Become a DUTCH Provider to get access to free educational resources, expert clinical support, comprehensive patient reports, and peer-reviewed and validated research.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton and Dr. Donielle Wilson discuss Dr. Donielle’s clinical philosophy, research findings, and personal journey around understanding and treating stress. Their discussion also covers: The stress response and how it’s highly individualized, shaped by genetics, and impacted by prior stress exposure How standard cortisol testing misses most of the cortisol picture Chronic stress and its cascade to multiple body systems, including the reproductive system in women The five clinical stress patterns practitioners should be aware of Small, consistent actions toward stress recovery, like mindfulness and deep breathing, can make a big difference Show Notes Learn more about Dr. Donielle Wilson and follow her on Instagram @drdoniwilson! Check out the study mentioned in this episode, and learn more about Dr. Wilson’s book, Master Your Stress, Reset Your Health and her podcast, How Humans Heal. Become a DUTCH Provider today to see how the DUTCH Test can profoundly change the lives of your patients. 

Send us Fan MailIn this insightful episode, Dr. Heather Sandison and Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton discuss the root causes of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's, how a naturopathic approach differs from conventional medicine, and practical strategies for brain health at any age. This episode also highlights: The six drivers of cognitive decline The impact of hormones, especially the steep drop in estrogen at menopause How infections like Lyme disease, shingles, and COVID-19 can be linked to cognitive decline Tips for early intervention, including the importance of sleep hygiene along with diet, exercise, and stress management Using genetics to inform and optimize early intervention strategies Show Notes Learn more about Dr. Sandison and follow her on Instagram @dr.heathersandison! Read the ovarian aging study mentioned by Dr. Smeaton in this episode. Become a DUTCH Provider today to see how the DUTCH Test can profoundly change the lives of your patients. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton sits down with Dr. Bryant Esquejo, ND to unpack acne through a functional medicine lens, moving far beyond the surface to explore what’s really happening inside the body. Dr. Esquejo and Dr. Smeaton also discuss:  Acne as not just a skin condition, but a reflection of imbalances involving hormones, blood sugar, inflammation, and the gut microbiome The science behind acne development, from bacterial activity and oil production to deeper drivers like insulin resistance, androgen metabolism, and chronic inflammation The influence of diet, stress, sleep, and gut health How advanced testing, like hormone metabolite analysis, can reveal hidden imbalances in the body Treating acne as an opportunity to better understand and optimize whole-body health Learn more about Dr. Esquejo and follow him on Instagram @dr.bryant! Check out Dr. Esquejo’s blog post on blood sugar, insulin, and acne, and read our whitepaper on 5a-Androstanediol as a marker of androgen status in women. Become a DUTCH Provider to get access to free educational resources, expert clinical support, comprehensive patient reports, and peer-reviewed and validated research. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton and DUTCH Founder Mark Newman discuss a case study published in Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal in which Mark himself was the patient. The case covers the step-by-step hormonal and metabolic effects of using HCG to boost endogenous testosterone, revealing how increasing testosterone can cascade into elevated estrogen, impaired estrogen clearance, and strained methylation capacity. Their conversation also highlights: The benefits of combining serum testing and DUTCH testing to monitor dosing as well as metabolism, clearance, and methylation How methylation is affected by raising testosterone The value of tracking step-by-step supplementation plans with repeated testing The importance of baseline testing before beginning testosterone therapy An upcoming research publication that compares hormone testing methods for testosterone monitoring Read the DUTCH article and access the full IMCJ case report. Become a DUTCH Provider to see how the DUTCH Test can profoundly change the lives of your patients.