The Michele Broad Show

The Blood Sugar–Hormone Connection Every Woman Needs to Know

In today's episode, I'm breaking down why so many high achieving women are exhausted despite doing everything right sleeping 7 to 9 hours, taking magnesium, eating well, working out, staying hydrated and still waking up tired.

The truth? Fatigue in your late 30s, 40s, and 50s is rarely a sleep problem. It's a blood sugar and hormone physiology problem, and almost no one is talking about it. This includes the often ignored link between blood sugar and fatigue, especially as women move through perimenopause.

In this eye opening episode, I explain:

why blood sugar instability triggers fatigue even with perfect sleep and how women's blood sugar balance shifts during perimenopause

how estrogen fluctuation alters insulin sensitivity and makes energy more unpredictable

why cortisol and blood sugar spikes from stress tank energy faster than sugar itself

how progesterone and blood sugar regulation form the emotion triangle so many women feel in midlife

how nighttime glucose crashes and night sweats blood sugar swings cause early waking

how perimenopause fatigue is tied to subtle mitochondrial shifts most women feel long before any obvious period changes

why stabilizing blood sugar is the number one hormone strategy for busy women and how it helps prevent the classic perimenopause energy crashes

This episode will help you understand exactly why your energy feels inconsistent and what you can do this week to feel more stable, clear, and grounded in your body.

In today's episode, we're having a real, honest coffee chat—the kind where you finally get to say what you've actually been feeling. We're diving into the questions I hear from high-achieving women every single day who are exhausted, overwhelmed, and confused by the way their bodies are responding to stress, pace, and life.

If you've been saying things like:

"I am tired no matter how much I sleep." "My body doesn't bounce back the way it used to." "I feel like something is off and no one is helping me figure out what."

…then this episode is going to feel like someone finally speaking your language.

We're unpacking what happens when burnout vs dysregulation starts showing up in your body, and how that connects to women's hormone imbalance fatigue. You'll learn why you might be feeling tired but slept well, and what that really means for your nervous system dysregulation symptoms.

We cover:

• How to tell the difference between stress symptoms and hormone imbalance • The four systems your body uses to restore energy while you sleep • Why you can be sleeping but not restoring • Why your body may feel like it's slowing down even if nothing has changed externally • Simple, realistic women's energy restoration practices that actually help you feel like yourself again • How to advocate for yourself and speak to your doctor without getting dismissed

If you've ever asked yourself, "Why am I tired all the time?" — this conversation will finally make it make sense.

This episode is about understanding your body, not fighting her. Because your body isn't working against you, she's trying to get your attention.

WELL WOMEN RX WAITLIST

If this episode felt like clarity and relief and you want guidance, structure, and support in rebuilding your energy and hormone balance in a sustainable, woman-honoring way, join the Well Women Rx waitlist.

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RESOURCES MENTIONED

In today's episode, I'm discussing something women have never been taught and that is that confidence isn't just mindset, motivation, or "being bold." Confidence is a biochemical state rooted in your hormones and nervous system. We're diving deep into how hormones and confidence in women are connected and why understanding your body's chemistry can change the way you see yourself.

If you've been feeling

More emotional than usual

Easily overwhelmed

Less clear or decisive

Like you're second-guessing yourself

Or just not fully like you…

This episode will help you understand why and what to do about it. I break down the hormone confidence connection in real world, woman-to-woman language, so you can finally see the patterns your body has been trying to show you. You'll learn how hormone imbalance symptoms in women often show up as self-doubt, low motivation, or mood changes that have nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with your biochemistry.

We'll talk about

How estrogen supports creativity and verbal confidence

How progesterone and emotional health are deeply linked, helping you feel calm, steady, and centered

How cortisol and self-doubt go hand in hand when stress hormones hijack your ability to trust yourself

How thyroid hormones determine motivation and mental clarity

And why confidence comes back naturally when your biology feels safe

This is the episode you will come back to again and again, especially on the days you ask yourself, "Why don't I feel like myself?"

If you've ever leaked a little when you sneezed, laughed, jumped, or ran and brushed it off as "normal," this episode is for you. Light bladder leakage in women isn't just a postpartum or aging issue — it's often a sign your pelvic floor health and hormones need attention. Pelvic floor dysfunction can show up at any age, and your body, your pelvic muscles, and even your hormones are asking for support.

In this episode, I'm going to break down what pelvic floor health actually means, why leaks happen, how hormones like estrogen and progesterone play a huge role in perimenopause and bladder control, and what you can do — both at home and medically — to heal.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

1. What the Pelvic Floor Really Is (and Why Leaks Happen)

2. The Hormonal Connection: Estrogen, Progesterone, and Bladder Control

3. Pelvic floor exercises for bladder leaks you can start today

4. When to Seek Medical Help + Proven Treatment Options

5. How local vaginal estrogen therapy can support tissue healing and bladder control

6. The Whole-Body Approach: Strength Training, Gut Health, Hormones, and Nervous System

Key Takeaway: Bladder leaks may be common, but they're not a "normal" sentence you have to accept. With the right support — including breathwork, strength training, hormone balance, and natural treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction — your body can recover.

Resources Mentioned:

Are you exhausted, gaining weight, struggling to focus, or just not feeling like yourself — even though your thyroid labs are "normal"? You're not alone, and you're not crazy. In this episode, we're diving deep into why you can have thyroid symptoms but normal labs, and what's really going on beneath the surface.

We'll break down the concept of cellular hypothyroidism—where your thyroid hormones aren't being used effectively at the cellular level—and how that's often missed by conventional testing. You'll learn about thyroid hormone resistance, how cortisol and thyroid function are deeply connected, and why many women experiencing hypothyroid symptoms are actually dealing with a broader hormone imbalance.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why you might have normal TSH but still tired, bloated, foggy, or low energy

• The true role of your thyroid—it's a responder, not the mastermind

• How stress, cortisol, blood sugar, gut health, and estrogen/progesterone imbalance affect thyroid function

• What cellular hypothyroidism looks like in real life and why traditional labs often miss it

• The 5 key areas to address when your labs say you're "fine" but you don't feel fine

• What changes you can expect at 30, 60, and 90 days when you support your hormones the right way

You'll also hear real client stories, examples of hormone imbalance and thyroid dysfunction in women, and actionable steps to take right now to reclaim your energy and clarity.

If this episode felt like I was speaking directly to what you're going through—if your labs are "normal" but you know something is off—join us in Well Women Rx. This is where we help you decode your hormones, rebalance your system, and finally feel like yourself again.