770. Cortisol, Caffeine & the Energy Rollercoaster with Dr. Jenny

In this episode of the Female Health Solution Podcast, I'm breaking down something I see all the time with the women we work with: the cortisol and caffeine energy rollercoaster. If you feel like you need coffee or energy drinks just to function, crash hard in the afternoon, or plan your day around your next caffeine hit, this conversation is for you. I explain why this pattern is common but not normal, how cortisol actually drives these highs and lows, and why relying on caffeine keeps your body stuck in a stress response. We talk about what cortisol really does in the body, how it impacts blood sugar, energy, sleep, and mood, and what simple shifts can help you create smoother, more reliable energy throughout the day without feeling tethered to caffeine. If you're ready to get off the rollercoaster and support your energy in a way that actually works with your body, I invite you to join our Free 5 Day Revive. It's designed to help you feel strong, steady, and energized with simple, actionable steps you can start right away. Listen in and let's get your energy working for you again. Join the Free 5 Day Revive: https://dr-beth-westie.mykajabi.com/the-5-day-revive

In this episode of the Female Health Solution Podcast, I break down why good sleep doesn't always equal restorative sleep, and why waking up exhausted is often a hormone and cortisol rhythm issue, not a lack of sleep or effort on your part. Yes, sleep matters. But if your body isn't producing or regulating cortisol correctly, you can still wake up tired, foggy, and unmotivated, even after a full night in bed. What we cover in this episode: Why cortisol plays a major role in how energized (or exhausted) you feel in the morning The difference between getting sleep and actually restoring your nervous system How stress, broken sleep, under-fueling, and overexercising quietly drain your energy Why women need more and different quality sleep than men The "wired but tired" pattern and how it shows up when cortisol is off Why pushing through exhaustion works… until it doesn't I also explain why so many women hit a point where they can keep functioning, but feel awful doing it. Just because your body is resilient doesn't mean it should live in survival mode. If you're sleeping but not recovering, something deeper is missing. How we figure out what's actually going on This is where functional testing matters. I walk through why I rely on the DUTCH Test to look at: Your cortisol pattern throughout the day Estrogen, progesterone, and androgen balance Nutrient status that impacts energy and recovery Different cortisol patterns require different support. If your adrenals are flatlined, you need a very different approach than someone whose system is stuck in overdrive. Guessing, or throwing random sleep supplements at the problem, rarely works. A great place to start: the FREE 5-Day Revive If you're not ready for testing yet, I created a free 5-Day Revive Challenge focused on helping your body feel more strong, steady, and energized. Inside the 5-day, we focus on: Morning and evening routines that support healthy cortisol rhythms Simple nutrition and protein targets to prevent depletion How to fuel before and after workouts so you actually recover Light, movement, and nervous system regulation A short daily assessment so guidance is targeted, not overwhelming This is not about perfection or adding more to your plate. It's about making small, intentional changes that actually move the needle. 👉 Join the free 5-Day Revive: https://dr-beth-westie.mykajabi.com/the-5-day-revive Send it to a friend, do it together, and use it as a reset for your energy.

Have you ever been told your labs are "normal," but you still feel exhausted, foggy, wired, or not like yourself? I'm Dr. Jenny, one of the docs on the team with Dr. Beth Westie. In this episode of The Female Health Solution Podcast, I share my clinical perspective after working with hundreds of women inside Dr. Beth Westie's practice. We dive into why normal blood work doesn't always mean your hormones are functioning well and how deeper testing helps us uncover what's really happening behind the scenes. I also show the difference between blood work and the DUTCH Test, why cortisol patterns matter more than a single lab value, and how estrogen, progesterone, stress hormones, and nutrient depletion can drive symptoms long before anything shows up as "abnormal." If you're tired of being told everything looks fine while your body says otherwise, this episode will help you understand where answers are often hiding and what to do next. To learn more about getting real clarity and support, explore The Hormone Foundation Program here: https://drbethwestie.com/hormone-foundations-program/ Join before Jan 30 for a free Jumpstart Tincture bundle ($250 value)

If you are exhausted all the time and can't figure out why, this episode is for you. Today I'm breaking down the real truth about adrenal health, cortisol, and fatigue, and why so many women feel stuck, dismissed, or confused when it comes to their energy. Fatigue is not one thing. It is not always just stress, and it is definitely not something you should be told to "just push through." One of the most frustrating things about fatigue is that so many symptoms overlap. Low energy can come from nutrient deficiencies, blood sugar instability, thyroid dysfunction, estrogen or progesterone imbalance, adrenal dysfunction, or cortisol issues. This is why guessing rarely works. When women ask me: Why do I feel like this? Are my adrenals burned out? Is my cortisol too high or too low? Why does nothing I try actually fix this? The answer is not a guess. The answer is data. This is one of the reasons I love the DUTCH test so much. It shows us what your body is actually doing with cortisol, not just a single snapshot in time. I recently reviewed a DUTCH test for a woman whose main concern was low libido. She had tried every testosterone supplement out there and even changed her workouts to boost hormones. Her testosterone looked great. The real issue was her cortisol and adrenal function. This is incredibly common. Cortisol issues can shut down libido, energy, motivation, sleep, and even weight regulation, especially in women. High Cortisol vs Poor Cortisol Clearance Sometimes fatigue comes from producing too much cortisol. Other times, it comes from the body being unable to clear cortisol effectively. The DUTCH test shows us both. Elevated cortisol production can look like feeling wired but tired, anxious, inflamed, unable to sleep, or constantly on edge. Poor cortisol clearance can lead to puffiness, brain fog, inflammation, weight gain, hair loss, and a sense that stress just keeps piling up. These require different strategies, and this is where personalized care matters. Why Lifestyle Has to Be Part of Healing If someone is helping you with hormones but never asks about your sleep, stress, digestion, or daily life, you are not getting full care. Sometimes healing looks like: Supporting cortisol regulation with adaptogens and targeted herbs Improving protein and mineral intake Fixing sleep timing and consistency Supporting liver, gut, lymphatic, and kidney clearance Learning how to stop living in constant survival mode And sometimes the most powerful changes are surprisingly simple, but only once you know exactly what your body needs. How We Actually Fix This Once we know what's going on, the next question is always: "Okay, what do I do about it?" This is exactly what we do inside The Hormone Foundations Program. This is a six-month, one-on-one program where we: Run a DUTCH test at the beginning Create a fully personalized plan based on your results Adjust support as your body changes Address adrenal function, cortisol production, and clearance Re-test at the end so we can compare and confirm progress There is no cookie-cutter timeline. We focus on what your body needs, not what a generic schedule says you should work on. This is our most popular program for a reason. It gives you answers, a plan, and support every step of the way. Join the Hormone Foundations Program: https://drbethwestie.com/hormone-foundations-program/ Not sure? Book a Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/dr-beth-westie/program-discovery-call

The wired-but-tired feeling is incredibly common, especially for women, and it's one of the most frustrating places to be. You want energy during the day. You want sleep at night. But instead, it feels like your body is doing the exact opposite of what it should. In this episode, I'm breaking down what's actually happening behind the scenes when you feel wired but tired and why pushing harder, drinking more coffee, or just "trying to relax" usually makes things worse. When I see this pattern, it almost always points back to dysfunction in the HPA axis, which controls your adrenal function and cortisol output. A lot of women call this adrenal fatigue or adrenal insufficiency. Here's the key thing most people miss: You can feel exhausted and overstimulated at the same time. This often happens when: Your adrenal output is low, so you don't have sustained energy Your free cortisol is elevated, because life is stressful and you're constantly in reaction mode You're running on adrenaline instead of real energy That's why you may feel okay only when there's a fire to put out, then crash hard afterward. Cortisol can be measured through saliva or urine, but a single snapshot doesn't tell the whole story. This is where DUTCH testing is so powerful: It shows free cortisol across the entire day, not just one moment It shows metabolized cortisol, which saliva testing cannot measure It reveals whether your body is producing cortisol, using it properly, or struggling to keep up What I see over and over again with wired-but-tired women is low adrenal function paired with high free cortisol. You're stressed, busy, and carrying a lot, but your system no longer has the reserves to support it. This pattern doesn't just affect energy. It can disrupt: Sleep cycles and nighttime rest Hormone regulation Muscle recovery and rebuilding Immune function Mood, focus, and motivation This is why advice like "just eat healthier," "go to yoga," or "push through it" doesn't work. Those approaches don't address the root issue. The first step is understanding what your body is actually doing. That's why I rely so heavily on DUTCH testing. It gives us a clear roadmap instead of guessing. From there, we can build the right plan for you, whether that means: Supporting protein and mineral intake Repairing sleep and circadian rhythms Addressing stress physiology in a way your body can actually respond to Rebuilding adrenal resilience instead of draining it further If you're stuck in that Groundhog Day cycle of exhaustion and overstimulation, this is your sign to stop guessing and start testing. Click the link below to learn more about the DUTCH test: https://drbethwestie.com/dutch-hormone-testing/

Have you ever noticed that your energy is not consistent throughout the month? Some weeks you feel sharp, motivated, and on top of everything, and other weeks you feel exhausted, anxious, foggy, or completely wiped out. That is not random. That is hormones. In this episode, I walk you through how estrogen and progesterone impact your energy across your entire cycle and why understanding this changes everything. Once you see it, you cannot unsee it. I break down what a typical 28 day cycle looks like and what your hormones are supposed to be doing at each phase. What we cover in this episode: • Why estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest during your period and why testosterone is actually the dominant hormone at that time • How rising estrogen after your period fuels motivation, focus, productivity, and natural energy • Why ovulation is often your peak energy, creativity, and confidence window when hormones are balanced • What progesterone is supposed to do after ovulation and why it should feel calming, grounding, and supportive • Why needing more rest, calories, and recovery in the second half of your cycle is normal • How basal body temperature changes after ovulation and what that tells us about progesterone • The difference between your ovulation window and your fertile window • Why energy crashes, anxiety, irritability, or feeling wired but exhausted are signs something is off • What estrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency actually look like in real life • Why irregular cycles and unpredictable energy are not something you just have to live with I also explain the high hormone phase after ovulation and why this is the most important time to test hormones. This is when both estrogen and progesterone are present and your body has to process them properly. If you feel great one week and terrible the rest of the month, if PMS is intense, if ovulation feels painful or exhausting, or if your energy never feels predictable, those are all signs your hormones are not being produced or processed the way they should be. This is where hormone testing matters. Why I use DUTCH hormone testing: A DUTCH test allows us to see: • How much estrogen and progesterone you are actually producing • Whether you are ovulating and producing progesterone consistently • How your body is metabolizing and clearing hormones • Cortisol patterns that affect energy and burnout • Androgen levels, nutrient markers, and methylation Blood work can show hormone levels at a single moment, but it does not show functional patterns or how hormones are being used and cleared. DUTCH testing gives us the full picture. I share a real example of a woman who had done everything right. Clean eating, less caffeine, better sleep, no sugar, no alcohol, and still had terrible energy. Her DUTCH test showed exactly why her body could not make energy effectively. Once we saw the data, everything made sense. Numbers do not lie. Testing removes the guessing. Your energy should ebb and flow with your cycle, but it should still be manageable. Your hormones should not hold you back from living your life, working toward your goals, or feeling like yourself. If your hormones are interfering with your quality of life, it's time to test.  Get your hormone test: https://drbethwestie.com/dutch-hormone-testing/

How do you know if it's really your cortisol causing symptoms like exhaustion, burnout, low mood, or low libido? How do you know if it's adrenal insufficiency, adrenal dysfunction, or something else entirely? In this episode, I break down exactly how to tell the difference between low cortisol and high cortisol, why symptoms overlap with thyroid issues and other hormone imbalances, and why guessing or treating blindly can actually make things worse. What I Cover in This Episode • The difference between adrenal function vs cortisol output • Why blood, saliva, and urine cortisol tests tell very different stories • Why DUTCH testing shows the full picture of adrenal function and cortisol metabolism • Common low cortisol symptoms, including – Extreme fatigue and burnout – Low motivation and low mood – Feeling "overcast" instead of like yourself – Low libido (even with normal testosterone) – Dizziness when standing, heart racing, weakness – Sleep issues that don't improve with rest • Why these symptoms are often confused with – Thyroid dysfunction – Low testosterone – Low estrogen or DHEA – Neurotransmitter imbalances – Gut issues, blood sugar problems, dehydration, or histamine issues • Why women are often told to "just be less stressed" when their systems are actually running on empty • Why taking the wrong supplement for cortisol can pour gas on the fire • How stress, sleep loss, life changes, and overtraining can stall healing even when you're "doing everything right" Without the right testing, it's like being lost in the woods with the wrong map. DUTCH testing shows us where you are, what systems are struggling, and what needs support first so your body can actually recover. Once we know what your system needs, herbal tinctures can be powerful tools during the healing process, especially for adrenal and nervous system support. Tinctures are not meant to be a forever crutch. They are part of a strategic phase to help calm the stress response, support cortisol regulation, and give your body the resources it needs to stabilize so deeper healing can happen. If you are feeling • Wired but exhausted • Burned out and flat • Emotionally fragile • Unable to recover from stress • Or like your body just won't respond anymore Targeted adrenal and nervous system tinctures can help bridge the gap while you address sleep, nutrition, gut health, and lifestyle foundations. To support you as you move into the New Year, we're offering: 10% off all tinctures + FREE shipping Use code: NEWYEAR Valid Dec 30 - Jan 2 This is a great time to give your nervous system and adrenals some extra support while you work on the bigger picture. Shop the sale: https://nutritionforyourhormones.com

In this episode, I break down why you can feel exhausted all day but suddenly wired the moment you try to sleep. We talk about how cortisol, melatonin, blood sugar, and perimenopause all play a role, and what you can actually do to get real rest. What we cover: 1. Cortisol and melatonin basics Your circadian rhythm depends on high cortisol in the morning and low cortisol at night. If cortisol spikes in the evening, you will feel "tired but wired." Taking melatonin will not help if melatonin is normal and cortisol is the real problem. 2. How DUTCH testing reveals the root cause A DUTCH hormone test shows: Your full cortisol pattern throughout the day Melatonin output Blood sugar, nutrient, and inflammation markers Estrogen and progesterone levels that may affect sleep This is why DUTCH is so helpful for women who have tried every sleep aid with no results. One client had perfect melatonin but high nighttime cortisol. Once we targeted that, her sleep finally improved. 3. Simple tools to try tonight Protein before bed: At least 20 grams to stabilize blood sugar and quiet cortisol. Nighttime routine: Lower lights, cooler bedroom, weighted blanket, deep breathing, red light, warm bath. Journaling: Empty your brain before bed so you are not carrying mental clutter into sleep. 4. Perimenopause and sleep changes Falling progesterone can make it harder to relax or stay asleep. Supporting progesterone naturally and adding magnesium or B vitamins at night can help. 5. Herbal and nutritional support Adrenal tincture to support cortisol regulation Sleep tincture to calm the nervous system Magnesium in the evening to relax muscles and reduce tension Consistency matters. Sleep often improves gradually over three or more weeks. Why a DUTCH test is your next step  If you are done guessing, DUTCH testing shows exactly: Whether cortisol, melatonin, blood sugar, or inflammation is keeping you awake What your hormones are doing at night Which specific areas to target This saves time, money, and frustration so you can finally sleep again. You can order a DUTCH test here and get a personalized review and plan: https://drbethwestie.com/dutch-hormone-testing/ Better sleep starts with understanding what your hormones are doing behind the scenes.

In this episode of the Female Health Solution Podcast, I break down one of the biggest frustrations women face: Your labs come back "normal," yet you still feel exhausted, inflamed, moody, or nothing like yourself, and no one can explain why. Here's what we cover: Why basic blood work misses the real problem Regular labs look for disease, not dysfunction. A standard CBC or hormone panel can't show how your hormones are produced, processed, or eliminated. Blood tests catch crises, not the early warning signs of perimenopause, adrenal burnout, or estrogen dominance. What DUTCH urine hormone testing reveals that blood work can't All three estrogens: E1, E2, and E3 Phase 1 and Phase 2 estrogen detox (your liver pathways) Methylation which is a major cause of PMS, migraines, brain fog, and mood swings Cortisol rhythm throughout the day Nutrient deficiencies and gut-related patterns This level of detail finally explains why you feel off and what to do about it. Real client stories Sara's story: Blood labs said "you're fine." Her DUTCH test showed exactly why she had migraines, poor sleep, and terrible PMS. Within months on a targeted plan, PMS dropped by 50 percent and her menstrual migraines disappeared. At her follow-up, her clinic literally told her, "We don't know how to read this." Jenna's story: A mom of five determined not to be a "half version" of herself. She researched every option and realized she would have to piece together three times the number of tests to get what DUTCH shows in one report. Once she saw her results, she finally had a roadmap instead of guessing. Why your hormone issues are never just one thing Your genetics, stress load, pregnancies, environmental toxins, sleep, and nutrient status all intersect. DUTCH shows which pieces are breaking down: production, processing, or elimination, so you stop guessing and start targeting the right areas. Why DUTCH is the roadmap your health has been missing This test shows: Where the "holes in your boat" actually are Which systems need support What is driving your symptoms And exactly what to do next Instead of random supplements, you get clarity. Ready for real answers? If you're tired of hearing "your labs are normal" while your body tells a different story, it's time to go deeper. You can: Order a DUTCH test through us Get a personalized review and plan from my team Finally understand your hormone story and what your body has been trying to tell you Order your hormone test: https://drbethwestie.com/dutch-hormone-testing/

Your hormones are not separate from your life. They're responding to it. And nothing reveals that more clearly than the holiday season. Every year, women take on more—more planning, more emotional labor, more mental load, more pressure to make everything magical. And we tell ourselves it's "just busy," but physiologically, there's so much more happening beneath the surface. When your schedule gets unpredictable, your meals get irregular, or your sleep gets pushed aside, your cortisol rises. When cortisol rises, progesterone dips. And when progesterone dips, you feel it: heavier PMS, shorter tempers, disrupted sleep, more cravings, more bloating, more mood swings. This episode is about understanding why the holidays hit your body the way they do—and how to protect yourself without throwing out the joy of the season. I'm sharing the simple shifts that matter most: – Why boundaries are hormone regulation, not selfishness – How rest stabilizes cortisol faster than any supplement – Why simplifying meals reduces inflammation and digestive stress – How overstimulation impacts sleep cycles and adrenal function – And why ease—not perfection—is the most supportive thing for your hormones right now This isn't about doing the holidays "right." It's about no longer abandoning yourself in the process. Because when you understand what your body needs—especially during the most demanding season of the year—you don't just protect your hormones… you protect your experience, your energy, and the memories you actually want to be part of. If you've ever wondered why you hit January feeling depleted, this episode will finally make it make sense.  And if you're listening and thinking, "I need deeper support than holiday tips," that's exactly what the 1:1 VIP program is for. It's the highest level of care I offer—personalized testing, custom protocols, and direct access to me so we can uncover what your body actually needs and help you rebuild from the inside out. If this season has you realizing it's time for a different level of support, you can learn more here: https://drbethwestie.com/jumpstart-program/