Have you ever felt totally off but couldn’t explain why?
Did you ever figure out what was causing it?
Today, Jay sits down with Dr. Sara Szal, a Harvard- and MIT-trained physician, researcher, and bestselling author, to dive into a topic that affects everyone but rarely gets the attention it deserves: hormones. Together, they break down what hormones really are, how stress and daily habits can throw them off balance, and why understanding these powerful chemical messengers can completely transform the way we think about health. Dr. Sara shares how simple changes, from better sleep and mindful eating to managing stress, can help reset your body’s natural rhythm in just a few days.
Dr. Sara explains how the pill, though widely used, can disrupt hormone balance, increase inflammation, and even affect fertility, insights many women never hear about. She breaks down what’s really happening inside the body and offers practical ways to restore balance through nutrition, testing, and natural alternatives.
In this interview, you’ll learn:
How to Balance Your Hormones Naturally
How to Manage Stress and Lower Cortisol
How to Reset Your Body in Just 3 Days
How to Heal Fatigue by Listening to Your Body
How to Transition Off Birth Control Safely
How to Support Fertility and Hormone Health
How to Regulate Before You React
What We Discuss:
00:00 Intro
00:22 What Exactly Are Hormones?
01:20 What Causes Hormonal Imbalance?
02:18 How to Measure Stress Hormones
04:03 When You’re Running on Cortisol
05:07 The Truth About Insulin Resistance
06:36 How Hormones Differ in Men and Women
09:11 Why Measuring the Right Hormones Matters
10:22 Simple Ways to Rebalance Your Hormones
13:09 Why Estrogen and Progesterone Decline
19:09 Why You Should Start with Cortisol
21:11 Four Powerful Ways to Reduce Stress
27:01 How to Turn Stress into Strength
28:53 Breaking Free from Chronic Stress
31:10 Everyday Habits to Lower Cortisol
34:44 Feeling Low on Energy But Can’t Explain Why?
36:11 How to Decompress and Recenter Yourself
40:02 Do Men or Women Heal Faster After a Divorce?
42:38 Creating Healthy Emotional Distance
44:07 The Power of Boundaries in Healing
47:37 People-Pleasing: A Hidden Stress Response
20:09 The Biggest Hormonal Shifts in Life
54:10 What You Need to Know About Andropause
55:10 The Evolution of Birth Control
57:27 Painful Periods Are Not Normal!
52:25 Lifestyle Fixes for Acne and Hormone Health
01:00:09 The Hidden Long-Term Effects of the Pill
01:02:51 How to Reverse the Pill’s Impact
01:04:43 Does Birth Control Affect Fertility?
01:06:27 The Complexity and Simplicity of Hormones
01:09:27 How to Take Ownership of Your Health
01:10:30 Is Natural Birth Control Effective?
01:12:23 How to Make IUD Insertion Less Painful
01:14:59 Getting Pregnant After Birth Control
01:17:26 What Science Says About Cycle Syncing
01:20:17 How to Safely Transition Off the Pill
01:21:36 Where Science Meets Spirituality
01:26:43 Sara on Final Five
Episode Resources:
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