Find Your Fuel

Blood Work and Reclaiming Your Health with Katy Whalen

• Erin Martin • Episode 17

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In this episode, host Erin Martin sits down with Katy Whalen, the Co-Founder and CEO of Joi + Blokes Wellness, to uncover the science and stories behind women’s hormonal health. Katy opens up about her own journey, navigating the emotional and physical toll of IVF and pregnancy in her 40s, and then feeling abandoned by the system. Struggling with debilitating anxiety and fatigue, Katy took her health into her own hands, eventually launching a personalized wellness platform to help others get to the root cause of their symptoms.

The conversation dives deep into the essential role of comprehensive blood work, explaining why normal lab results often fall short of helping women feel optimal. Katy breaks down the complexities of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), debunking common myths surrounding estrogen and progesterone while highlighting how testosterone is often the missing piece for mental clarity and sleep. Beyond basic hormones, Katy explains the cutting-edge benefits of peptides—which she calls the "icing on the cake" for gut health and tissue repair—and discusses the emerging trend of microdosing GLP-1s for metabolic health. 

Whether you are white-knuckling through motherhood, struggling with sudden brain fog, or simply feeling like you aren’t yourself anymore, this episode is a masterclass in many health issues we face as women.

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Resources from this episode can be found at: https://www.fuelwitherin.com/podcast/v/episode-17-episode-17-navigating-blood-work-to-reclaim-your-health-with-katy-whalen


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Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast and its show notes is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice or as a substitute for the advice of a physician or other healthcare professional. Using this information does not create a doctor-patient relationship.

Do not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problem or to prescribe any medication or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications, or before starting any herbal or nutritional supplements. Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk. This disclaimer also applies to any of the guests on the podcast.

SPEAKER_01

You know what? Like, stop dismissing those symptoms. Stop being like, oh, I'm getting older. Oh, I'm a mom now. So tie being tired is acceptable. Like, really listen to your body and get educated for yourself because you're in control. You got one shot at this. And you know, we've got a lot of life left to live, and you want it to be good, happy, healthy, energetic years.

SPEAKER_00

Hello, and welcome back to the Find Your Fuel podcast. I'm your host, Erin Martin, and today I'm so excited to introduce Katie Whalen, the co-founder and CEO of Joy Plus Blokes Wellness. Katie shares her personal journey in feeling better after having kids. So today I pick her brain on everything blood work, hormone replacement therapy, supplements, peptides, and microdosing GLP1s. And if you don't know what some of those things are, she breaks it down for us, plus all the common issues that we can face as women, like brain fog, anxiety, fatigue, and solutions that are out there to help. I personally have learned so much from her and love everything she's doing to help women feel strong, balanced, and in control of our lives. So if you've ever felt just not like yourself anymore or experiencing symptoms you've never had before, this episode is your fuel for today.

SPEAKER_01

So the origin story of Joy, it was actually first blokes. It was the men's side of our business. And that was based on my husband. He was the entrepreneur in healthcare. And I at the time was just going to be like the supportive wife because all I wanted to do was have a family. I married my husband when I was 35. And so like I was ready to go. I'm like, let's get this baby show on the road. And looking back, I was so naive because uh I just had I had no idea how hard it could be. So we had our first, we got pregnant right away, and it was just such a heartbreak because we had a um, you know, I I usually say I just include it as a miscarriage, but really it was like a fatal uh defect that um the baby just wasn't gonna survive. And so it was just so it was extra heartbreaking for us, and we um we had to make some tough choices and it was just like awful, and I just had no idea that that was even something I would ever have to deal with. And it was what's crazy is that I went into this like warrior mode of like, all right, I gotta, we're gonna get pregnant again. I gotta do this, like, let's go. And my husband went into this like, I'm in a retreat mode, like my heart's broken. I I don't want, like, I don't want to do this again. Like, I need time, but like we didn't communicate that because it was he was probably scared of me, honestly. He was like, oh God, like I gotta do what she says. And ultimately it was hard on our marriage, and it was really hard on both of us. But my husband, with all the stress, and with he also had a lot of stress at his work and his his testosterone just tanked and we didn't know it at the time, but he just all of a sudden had no interest in having sex with me at the time when I'm trying to have babies. And um, so that was that was hard. That was really hard. Ultimately, we couldn't figure it out for a while. We really struggled, we tried all the things, and finally he found someone that, after you know, many, many attempts, he found someone to help him. And this was a guy that was doing things differently than we had ever seen before, more holistic. Um, did a huge lab, really sat down and went through things with him. And it was such an eye-opening moment for him because he was in healthcare saying, like, if I couldn't figure this out, it took him like a couple of years, then like, what are all the other guys doing? And so he saw that as the opportunity to start the men's side. And then again, I was like, okay, yeah, do it. You go for it. Um, I'll be happy to support you. But then, you know, having babies ended up being just such a challenge for me. I had three additional miscarriages after that first one, and then did all the IVF stuff. And um, and then finally I did have my two babies, healthy babies. I was so thrilled about it. But I was in my early 40s, and when I was done, I was like, okay, wow, like what do I do for me now? Because I'm don't feel good. My anxiety, I remember just my levels of anxiety were off the roof. Like I couldn't even get on an airplane when I'm, you know, years before I loved flying. So it was, it was pretty, it was a big, big change for me. And and I really at that point felt abandoned by the system. I'm like, where's the help for me now that I need to get myself back to back to some sort of, you know, normal version of myself. And so I went through the guys' side of our um business that my husband had created, and I was really blown away by what that kind of proactive, like deep digging, holistic health could do. And I really got to a place where I was like looking and feeling better than I knew I, you know, I could. And so that's when I was like, all right, we gotta do this for women. Like what, like women deserve this and women go through so much more. And so um now my husband and I work together and we have both sides, a men and women's side. Um, and that's it. We're working on, you know, scaling our business and and trying to reach more people and help more people feel better and have more energy in their day-to-day lives.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, I love it. And I have so many questions, but I first want to acknowledge that I deeply feel your warrior mentality when trying to get pregnant, because I similarly had a really hard time getting pregnant, went through two miscarriages, and that ovulation tracking. I mean, it was like it's go time. Warrior level precision for execution of like the drive that we as women have for babies is insane. And yeah, just kind of forgetting the men's side of that sometimes can be really rough on relationships because there's two people in this equation and there's one person as a slave driver right now.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. I mean, can you imagine our poor husbands? They're like scared, like they married us, they they were loved us, they were into us, and then all of a sudden they're like, What is going on? Like, okay, I didn't know I signed up for this.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And I also just love everything you're doing because I think I had shared with you before, I'd also gone through doing a comprehensive set of labs. I've used function health, but I've heard so many good things about joy and just the empowerment and beauty of having this data for myself to then be able to get different opinions and understand it and really be my own advocate and take power back of my own health has been so huge. And so I'm curious for you, with that original process and journey that you took through the bloke side of it, what did that look like in terms of the like comprehensive labs you got, the process then to figure out what was actually going on with your body? Cause again, like you said, being, you know, postpartum, perimenopause. I mean, those are two big hits all in one. So how did you even dissect what was happening with your body?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. And it's all the points you made were so good. It's exactly what it's about is owning like taking that power back and getting the education for yourself. And I think that's one of the missteps that in traditional care we have is that like traditionally it's like you go to the doctor and you just say, Okay, what, what, what are you gonna decide for me? Right. And then you just say, okay. And then you leave going, all right, I don't, I don't know. And hopefully it helps, but a lot of times it doesn't. And that's the whole point of doing these big labs. Um, and then seeing a clinician who is trained in a different way than your general doctor is. I get the question a lot, like, why can't I just go to my general, you know, PCP? And it's like a lot of times, most of the time, they are not trained in this method of going like, what's optimal for you? And so that's really where most people start is just a big lab. And it's funny you also mentioned function health because when we started four or five years ago, like no one was doing these big labs. So it was hard for us. It was like educating educating people on why a lab could be beneficial. Yeah. And now, thank goodness, there's a rush to this longevity category, and there's so much more access for people. And there's a lot of, you know, great companies doing good education on like why this is helpful. So that's also helping us, and we're really excited about that. But but we think that having a clinician walk you through it is also very helpful because there's so much nuance. Like you and I could have the same biomarker, you know, it's the same estrogen level and it works for you, but it doesn't work for me. So it's really important to like get that nuance and say, like, what's going on? How are you feeling? And what are your goals? And um really figure out a you know, the pathway with a with a good support system by your side. We want to empower you, but we don't want to make you do everything by yourself.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, a hundred percent. Because even, I mean, from my own experience, when you get results back, but you're feeling horrible, it's like something's not aligning if everything's triggering is quote unquote normal, or like it could be this, could be that. So then you're just left even wondering more what do I do with this? So I think having that person that you could go to or multiple uh people that you can get second advice from is huge. And that's one thing that I do love about what you guys do is you provide that one-on-one consultation. Function health will do uh doctor note write up for you based off of all your personal inputs, but it still misses that one-on-one interaction that's needed in some way. So it's helpful to still take it to, you know, I took it to my nutritionist, I took it to my gyno. That's true. I honestly didn't even try with my doctor because I was like, nope, like you're for if I break my arm, like I'm going to my other sources, but there is, it's a mystery. There's so many facts laid out on the table, and then you're trying to solve this mystery. And so you need other detectives with you, not just yourself, to kind of paint that clear picture. A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_01

And what's what's also wild is that, you know, everything affects everything else, right? So, like you, you know, your one level is off, but that doesn't necessarily mean you just need to supplement with something and that'd be fine. It might be something else is not working well. So it's like there's deeper layers, right?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And that's what's one thing that I was curious for you was at the end of the day, would you say the root cause for you was straight up hormonal perimenopause type issues? Cause that's the one thing that I've also personally navigated was like, oh, multiple things can be wrong and true at the same time, and they can be interconnected that are triggering each other. And so then all of a sudden you're like, oh my gosh, it's overwhelming to try to get to a root cause if there's multiple. So I was curious what your experience was to like get to an answer and protocol that worked.

SPEAKER_01

I think it's all compounded. I mean, I had seven years where I was pregnant four times and then pumped full of all these synthetic, you know, hormones and drugs. And and, you know, they do say that um the IVF process and how many, depending on how many retrievals you have, it can actually put you into um quicker menopause. It can take some years off of your um off of your time. So I I think it was a combination of all of that with the stress. And then I did I just lost track of my my health in general. Like I had gained a bunch of weight each time and I didn't get it off um very quickly. So I think it was just all the stress, it was all the weight, it was um all the drugs, and and then it was, I was all of a sudden in my early 40s. Um, so I think it was, yeah, I think it was a bunch of different things. And um, one thing that I think is important is that you never want to overwhelm someone, right? Like it could be a bunch of things, and usually there's many, multiple things that we can work on with someone, like even the healthiest person. Like we've we've worked with influencers and we we've had like the healthiest people take our tests, and it's you can usually still find something on the people that have the six-pack abs and like look perfect. Um so I think it's important just to start with one or two things that are easy. And and once you start with one or two things and then you start to notice the difference and start to feel better, and then it gets easier to to add something in later to for the next thing, right? I don't I think it's um, I think in that way too, you can also just really decide what works for you and what doesn't. So I never suggest like throwing everything at someone at once. Um, but so I know some people are like, yeah, just give it to me. I want to go. But like, you know, it's kind of smart to just do one thing at a time and see how it goes and see how your body is feeling and then and then, you know, keep going with adding on something else to to help further.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, which makes sense to understand what is working. You know, if you do 10 things at once, but then you don't know what it is, you don't know what's mission critical. So that's so which is the waiting game then, because you're like, okay, hurry up and try this, and then oh, I'm still struggling, try this. But it's just a smarter way to go about it. Where, so where did you personally start then? What was like your slow layering approach?

SPEAKER_01

Well, the first thing I did was I um my thyroid was clearly off with all of that, you know, weight and and all the hormonal stuff. So I started on some thyroid meds, but um, after the next step was testosterone for me, which at that time I had no idea like testosterone was a thing for women. But that helped me so much that I then was able to get off my thyroid meds. Like I was able to get more regulated and start my body like working better. But testosterone also was such a great a game changer for my um brain fog. Because before that, I was like, I can't even like, how am I ever gonna go back to work? I cannot put like two sentences together. Um, so testosterone helped with a ton of things and helped me kind of kickstart. And then I get and then I was able to get back in the gym and start feeling like I was making progress and I was getting stronger. And then the next thing I did, oh my God, this is uh probably four or five months after starting testosterone. I got on progesterone. And my when I just spoke about my anxiety before, I remember taking my first progesterone pill. And then next morning I woke up and I was like, oh my God, I can finally, I finally slept through the night and I finally don't feel like I'm like worried about everything, like the world ending, you know? So it was just like an immediate feeling of like, wow. So, you know, that was kind of the my evolution. First thyroid, but then testosterone, and then that allowed me to get off the thyroid and then progesterone. Um, and then from there I just started trying different peptides, um, kind of one at a time, just trying to see what what felt good for me. And peptides are are something I kind of feel like they're um they're more like the icing on the cake, and I kind of just cycle on and off different ones.

SPEAKER_00

And yeah, it's something I've heard a lot more about, but I'm still not clear on what exactly they are. Can you share a little more on that?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah. What they are are short chains of amino acids, so 50 and under chains. And if you compare that to like a protein, a protein would be 50 or more chains. So they're naturally occurring in your body and they tell your cells to perform specific tasks. So I think of them more as a holistic treatment. I mean, they're still synthetic, you still are making them in a lab, but they're they're based off of or they're chemically similar similarly structurally to what's in your body. So peptides are levels will decline as you age. So really you're just like putting something in to tell your body to to do more of what it should do or to like turn on something. You know, there's peptides for for your hair, for your skin, for gut health, for recovery, um, for tissue repair. So those are those are the kind of things that that peptides do or can do.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And so do you stack them then? Do you take multiples or do you just do one one at a time? Like what does that look like?

SPEAKER_01

Um, I'll stack them, but I don't, I'm not like a crazy, like I'm not doing 10 things at once, but I'll do a couple things and then I'll be cycling in and out. Um, because I don't I don't ever think you want to overload or um desens desensitize your, you know, send your um your inputs or whatever. Like you can really overload and do too much. So I do think it's important to to make sure that you're, you know, working with someone who understands all the mechanisms, all the mechanisms and um, you know, just doing it appropriately. Because they're they are powerful things.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Yeah. And I know um cycling progesterone is one thing that I've also heard a ton of to cycle or not to cycle. And I'm not personally on progesterone or any female hormone yet, but that's one of those that I often hear is a first uh layer to introduce if your testosterone's okay. Um, to go about that first, oftentimes because people have sleep issues and are trying to help with that piece. And so I'm curious if you've seen for yourself or any other um clients the cycling of progesterone and what type of kind of, I guess, dose that works best um to start people off with and what you're using.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, if you start off uh low on progesterone, that's a great idea. And cycling is really for people who are, you know, still getting their periods and or um maybe their periods are starting to get less regular, and so they're trying to to match it up to what that natural cycle would be. So that it makes a lot of sense. I think it with progesterone, it's really just important to to see how you feel. So if that cycling feels really good to you and that feels natural and normal, then that's perfect. It's when you start to to really like hate those days you're not taking it, and your body is like, wait a minute, I'm really depleted, where we would recommend just taking it every day. So I'm I'm I'm 47 and uh not at the beginning of very I'm more towards the end. So I I do take it every night because I notice a big difference when I don't and I get more anxiety and I can't sleep. So for me, I'd I take it every night. But for those people that are like younger or fe not feeling like they need it every night, the two weeks on, two weeks off um does work for a lot of women.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that makes sense. And yeah, one thing you said too, um, there's often, you know, it sounds like different hormones that can help with different factors. And you mentioned the anxiety and mental clarity and uh fog lifting, which is huge. I think that's one big thing that I've felt as I've kind of navigated this year, feeling some lower energy is also dealing with some thyroid stuff, some lower ferritin. And it's weird because there's different issues that can happen that impact different symptoms. And it's wild to try to figure out what will help what. And there are very different mental versus physical symptoms that can be alleviated. So just hearing that like your anxiety lifted and you could sleep through the night just makes me so happy. I I've never had anxiety in my life until this year when I've had a wave of it because of low iron stores. And it wasn't until reflecting and really dig and understanding that that then I realized, oh, like that just is that wasn't just me being crazy, which is so often our original first go-to is like I had a baby and now I can't get on a plane. Like I'm crazy. Like, what is wrong with me? And it's like there you're nothing's wrong with you outside of something's happening with your body. Like you're not losing your marbles upstairs, or maybe you are, but there's a reason for it. And so I think But it's not your fault. Yeah, I know. So that correlation for me has been so huge. And I'm just like, oh my gosh, the fact that there's more people and women like you out there sharing this type of news and experience and what worked for you. I'm just so passionate about because I would hate for someone to just white knuckle life and have this dreadful anxiety and way of living when there's options to alleviate some of that.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, I couldn't agree more, especially like when we after we have our kids is usually when it tends to kind of start happening, right? Especially if you're gonna have kids later on in life. And it's like we've been through so much and there's so much more life left. And it's like, I I feel like so many people kind of just go, well, I'm a mom now, or well, I'm getting older. So like they dismiss the symptoms and then feeling crappy like becomes the new normal. And it's just like it does not have to be that way. And I also hear a lot of times, like, you know, well, menopause is natural, so I'm gonna go through it natural. And and I totally respect anyone's like opinion, authority opinion, like do what you think is best for your body. But I don't think that there's any medals for white knuckling it and feeling like crap and like having a short temper and you know, not being able to stand your husband. And there's also other um, there's also other things that these hormones do for us from a, you know, protecting our bones and our heart and our brain health. So it's like, you know, you really take the chance of of I don't know, it's like how is the rest, how is the second half of your life gonna what is it gonna look like and how do you want it to be? So there's a lot of things to consider when you're you you should always know risks and benefits, but it's a there's a lot of there's a lot of things to think about, you know, either way with with what you're gonna do and how natural you're gonna be or what you're gonna use to help.

SPEAKER_00

And the impact that female hormones have on your whole body is wild to me. I I was Admittedly, one of those people who just, I was like, oh yeah, like helps you have a cycle and have a baby when you need it. But just estrogen and everything that it does for your entire body, all these things I'm learning, it's wild. Or the connection to gut health. I don't know if you have experienced any gut health stuff, but it's just like, oh man, your gut is central to everything, which is also driven by some female hormones. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_01

Isn't that wild? I felt like I never had issues with gut health until recently because my hormones are changing. And I'm just like, wait a minute, like I've never had to worry about gut health. Why now? But yeah, you're right. Like estrogen, especially, gets such a bad rap for like causing, you know, breast cancer. And there's so many people scared of that. But in reality, it's so beneficial at the right levels, right? And um, yeah, I it also if you think about like we get the highest like amount of estrogen when we're pregnant, right? So if it really did cause us to have breast cancer, like you'd see all these pregnant women with breast cancer, right? Develop it when they're pregnant. So yeah, we we've been taught that to fear like this own our body's own natural hormone that is actually super benef beneficial.

SPEAKER_00

And so what do you do now to check back in on labs? Do you use joy on, you know, an annual basis and recheck labs and do a consultation? What is the maintenance and kind of proactive checking in on everything look like for you now?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean, I check, I definitely check in. We we like if someone is on hormone therapy, we like to check in several times a year with labs and with a clinician visit. So I'll definitely do my labs three at least three times a year, maybe four. Just depends on how I'm feeling and what's going on. And then I'll uh I'll send it to uh one of our clinicians and be like, tell me what's going on, what do I need to do? And um, and you know, kind of go from there. But I do think it's very important when you're because things change, even like, you know, as you age, like you could be on a protocol and a regimen and it's like working really great for a year or two, and then all of a sudden something else changes and and you need to adjust. So I think it's important to check in and make sure everything is is okay and um always be kind of proactive about it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's something that I wish I would have done 10 years ago, just to have a benchmark of where I was at 10 years ago, as opposed to of course when something crazy happens and you can't get on a plane because of wild anxiety, then all of a sudden the whispers become a scream and you finally realize something is wildly off. And at that point you're doing labs, but you can't benchmark where you're at to anything else. So I'm glad that I started this year, but I wish I would have started like 10 years ago at least one snapshot.

SPEAKER_01

That would have been cool to have those labs to see like what was I when I felt my best or when I was at my youngest. That would that I agree with you. That's something really cool that the younger people can do now. Um, just to save for later. Yeah, I love that. I agree.

SPEAKER_00

So, what is the overall joy process look like for you guys? What's the biggest symptom that you usually see women coming to you with? And then what's kind of that overall process that it looks like when you go through the joy program?

SPEAKER_01

The biggest thing I see, well, when people fill out our health history form, it's energy. Like the lack of energy is like the number one complaint. But in terms of what I hear the most from women, it's just like I just don't feel like myself. I don't know what it is, but I just something's off and I can't put my finger on it. So that's the biggest like kind of complaint. Um, so yeah, I think most people will start with a lab. You don't need a lab for for everything or any any treatment, but I just do think it's pretty helpful um to be able to look at those results with the clinician and just talk through things. Um, we also did launch recently a service where if you have labs from someone else, um you can also just bring those and just directly talk with the clinician about those labs. So that's an option too. Yeah, we felt there was a need because we know we know there's so much AI, which is wonderful. We love AI as well. But you know, that's not good enough for everybody. There are some people that are like, I actually want to talk to somebody.

SPEAKER_00

And I tried to AI everything. I had every data point under the sun. I had my HRV over time, I had my body battery, I had everything battery. What is that? Whatever the Sunto Watch collects. I mean, I had everything tracked in a spreadsheet and attempted to use AI to tell me what was wrong, even given all the labs that I talked about, and no way. Like it couldn't figure out anything. So I think I think AI has some very cool, promising opportunities in the future. But personally, having attempted to go that route for just AI to answer, like what's wrong with me, did not work.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, that's that's a good point. I actually have done both too, just to see, like just to prove, you know, see what was better. So the last time I did my labs, I uploaded them. And then I also sent them to one of my lead clinicians. And I found way more value in the in the clinician, just because they can yeah, they can dig a little deeper and go, Well, tell me, did you feel this or what about this, or how's that? And um, they got they that is is exactly when I got the info on like the gut health thing. And I'm I needed some digestive enzymes before I eat, and AI didn't tell me that. So yeah, I found that interesting as well.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And so sorry, I interrupted on the process with joy, but oh yeah, no.

SPEAKER_01

So after the lab, then we'll uh and so first for the lab, we'll we'll set you up at either probably like a local lab station like Quest. Um, we have some other labs depending on where you are in the country. And then we can also send someone to your home in about 70% of the country for the at-home blood draw, which is pretty convenient. And then yeah, I I prefer that for sure. Um, and then we are also launching an at-home test kit that will be available at the end of this month, which I think will be add some more, you know, convenience for people, especially people that aren't close to a quest or a lab core, that'll help. Um, so after the lab, it takes probably about seven days to process those results. And then when those results come in, we get you set up with your clinician visit. We do either 30 to 60 minute clinician calls, and that's exactly when you just go through your labs. They help, you know, interpret it for you. Uh you can ask your questions and then talk about your symptoms and goals, and then they'll write they'll come up with a plan and recommend things, and it could be anything from lifestyle changes or um food changes, supplement ideas. There's always there's always supplements and um vitamins and minerals missing when you look at your lab or or low or sometimes high too. And then um a lot of times we will prescribe hormone therapy if it's if it's um if it's needed. And then again, like I said, peptides to us are a little bit more like icing on the top. If it's for those people that are like, I've done all the other things and I and I want to try this, or I have a specific issue that maybe the peptide would help with, then we might recommend those too.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's awesome. And what do you see as the biggest thing that women usually need? Is it just starting with lifestyle changes, like better nutrition to optimize hormones by doing foundational things? Is it really, you know, a lot of people who are going through perimenopause and actually need hormones? Like, is there any big trend on what you guys see that women really need the most help with?

SPEAKER_01

Well, most people have a few vitamin and mineral deficiencies. That's pretty normal, normal. But, you know, we see a lot of women that have uh that have low testosterone. And I think it's from probably like all the modern things and being on birth control for so long.

SPEAKER_00

Um you know which so many of us were on birth control for like 20 years. Like Yeah.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And so a whole generation. That's probably why I see so many people with low testosterone. They're they're, you know, low in vitamin B and magnesium and zinc. And um, that's a big, that's a big cause of some of that. Um Do you remember what your testosterone was before and then after? I yeah, it was 14 when I um first took it. And we think that women feel their best somewhere in the hundreds, like a hundred to two hundred range. Um so yeah, that's where I, you know, I am taking testosterone now, and that's about where I feel my my best at.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, because I think when I first took it too, I was somewhere in the teens as well. And then I remember my gyno told me, she's like, you have all these options for testosterone, but if you wanted to try naturally, weightlifting will increase testosterone. So I was like, okay, let's do it. And through that, I was able to raise it to 34. Oh, that's cool. Um, but I need to check in again because if it's not continuing to exponentially increase and I've like capped out what I can do through lifestyle changes, then definitely gonna be exploring that one.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and it really depends on how you feel, right? Like are how if are you feeling like yourself? Do you have energy motivation? Like lifting weights is awesome. I'm so glad that like more women are doing that. Um, we see a lot of women benefit from creatine as well to help with that muscle and um brain fog. And yeah, yeah. And the other thing that people are really scared about, I think, with hormone therapy is they kind of say, like, once you get on it, you can never get off it. But I don't, I don't really share that view. I feel like if it's not working for you, if you don't feel good, like it's not gonna harm you to get off of it. Like if it's not for you, then then you should stop. So um, you know, I think it's it's not a bad thing to try something and see if that really works for you or not.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, because I've heard the same thing, probably specifically with testosterone. If you introduce testosterone, then your body's natural production of it will go down. So then a concern around if I try this and I tank my natural, like I can never go back. So is that not the case then? If you try it, it will kind of remain the same regardless.

SPEAKER_01

It's so much less for women. I think that's more of a concern for men, but women make testosterone differently than men do. And if your testosterone is like in the teens, you're really not making that much anyway. So it's not like you're, you know, shutting down that much. It's like you're not making much anyway. So it's, you know, it'll it stay or go back to that level. Yeah. Um, but it's not gonna like harm you, like your body will be able to make it again in those small levels, which aren't helping you that much anyway.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Oh man. And so what do you do today then in terms of peptides? I'm just curious. Like, you've sounds like I think I've been heard you been called before the chief peptide tester. So you've definitely done that's what I call myself. So which ones do are you on today?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Well, I love uh Surmorlin, which is growth hormone releasing peptide. So that's a I take it as a troche, it melts in your mouth before bed. And that is um one that boosts or tells your body to make more of its own and release more of its own growth hormone. And our growth hormone is the at its highest levels when you're like a teenager or and 20s. So if you think about that, it's like faster recovery, you can sleep better, you can build, build and maintain lean muscle mass, um, you can burn fat, your skin looks better. Overall, like very good like youth vitality peptide. So I do love that when I cycle on and off of that one.

SPEAKER_00

Um I monthly then, or what does the cycle look like?

SPEAKER_01

No, I'll do like three to six months on it and then take a couple months off.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

And what is that just to give your body a break or yeah, you don't want to overload the receptors and um you don't want to get dependent on anything. Yeah. And it's I can tell you like the biggest thing I notice when I'm off of it, like I like to lift weights as well. And I work out with a trainer a couple times a week. So I lift heavier with him than I would on my own. And like when I'm off of it, like the soreness is so much more intense that it's hard like harder to um do that second workout that week. But when I'm on it, like my recovery is better and I don't get as sore and I'm just able to to do more, which I like better.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And you're getting bigger progress with the same amount of time and effort.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Being more efficient with the workout, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

For sure. Yep. Um, and then I I love my GHK, my GH copper um cream. So that's wonderful for skin and hair. I have a face cream that I love. Um and then what else do I do? I am I do microdose GLP ones as well, which I'm I love how that is because I used to um I used it to help me lose weight after after babies. And then I I will cycle that and then I just do a small dose. And I will tell you, like my food choices have just gotten so much easier and better. Like I used to like crave a salty, like a whole bag of chips or French fries or something like that. And I just like I that noise has gone away. And so like I can have like a chip or two, and then I'm like, that's good. I don't care to have any more. And so like I now I make it's just easier to make better choices and it's easier not to overindulge. And so um, that is one that I really love as well.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and microdosing GLP ones, I feel like that's one new thing that people are trying, but what exactly does that mean? Uh a small amount of a G GLP1.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it's probably different defin definitions depending on who you ask. So I don't know if there's like a consensus on definition, but it's definitely just a smaller dose. And it's and really with GLP ones, um, they really react differently with everybody. It's kind of wild. Like we uh we obviously have a starting dose for the normal patient. Um, but that starting dose for one person, they might not feel it and they at all, like nothing's happening. But then for the other person that might be like, whoa, that no, that's too much. It's so it's like really dependent on the person on on what dose is right for you. So you have to do a little bit of of testing on what feels right because you never want to get to a dose where you're not eating or you don't want to eat or you're skipping meals. Like that is not the right way to do a GLP one. The point is to eat and to eat healthy and to get all your your nutrients in and your protein in. And so um it's really just playing with the dose to a spot where you feel like maybe you have a little bit less inflammation, you have a little bit less of the food noise and cravings, um, but you are still eating and you're still getting everything in and still feeling, you know, you're feeling energetic.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And you haven't felt any negative side effects or symptoms from doing it either. Because that would be the other thing that I would personally worry about with trying it out is what side effects would there be, but you haven't seen anything.

SPEAKER_01

I don't. I think that when people see either side effects, it's really they're taking too much. That's why it's I think it's very important to like not overdo it. Like you, you know, on the the medication, there's there's instructions, and then most of the instructions are like, you know, every week or two you don't you go up and up and up, and you don't have to. You don't need to go up and up and up. Like if you are on a dose that feels really good to you, you can stay there, you can go lower. If you've hit your goal weight, you can titrate off. So um I think it's really important to to go slow and low and slow with it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And that's one of those things where it also feels very much like be smart, use your head, and like know what's right for your body. I have a ladies' group chat of some of my best friends, and so many of them are in the healthcare industry. And the application and use of GLP one for obese people and in true health crisis is also very different than someone, you know, like you or I, who's in midlife, might need a little help, or alternatively, someone else who thinks they need to lose weight and think they want to do it, but they might not need it at all. And they need to be educated that, like, yes, this is a thing, but it's for other people in these scenarios, not yours. Like, we need to tackle the the mental side of what might be going on. So I don't know if it's such like a heated debate right now because there's areas of it being beneficial, there's areas of it being negative, and I think all of those things can be true as well. It's just the person and your body and what's needed.

SPEAKER_01

I I think all of those things can be true for most of what we do. Like you you don't want too much testosterone, you don't want too much vitamin D. You don't well, I mean, these are all tools and and they're powerful tools, and you have to use them appropriately under the right, you know, clinician guidance. And you don't over want to overdo anything, right? I mean, it's it's important to not have the wrong intentions when when you're working with things like this.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, which goes back to having a trusted professional you can go to instead of trying to solve the mystery and just do everything yourself, which can get overwhelming and scary if you don't know what you're doing. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Well, what else do you guys uh have in the works for joy right now? I think last time I had talked to you, there was a lot of fun things. What else are you guys working on?

SPEAKER_01

Oh, so much. Uh, you know, stuff can't come out fast enough, but unfortunately I have to wait for like tech and all that stuff to catch up. But um, I'm really excited that we're gonna be launching a gut health as well. Um, I mentioned the at-home test, which I think will just add more convenience. But the the gut health test, I think like I'm we like we talked about, like we're seeing way more and more people that like need gut health, you know, help. And so I think that'll be a great tool to kind of like figure help people figure things out. Um what else? Oh, we have a lot more like collabs in in store with fun brands, and we're we also are excited we kicked off this research arm. We have a couple of great research scientists that are taking all the data, you know, making it not personal so you don't know any any one person, but um, and really looking at outcomes of like when you're on this, like what's what's the change? And so that we're gonna have a lot more research papers and um white papers published, which I think will be really great to like prove our outcomes. So it's not like you're just like saying claims without being able to back them up. So I'm really excited about that this year.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's awesome. And is the at-home test then a full offering of what you have if you were gonna go to a lab, or is it just specific, you know, a smaller subset of labs? What does that look like?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, unfortunately, because the technology isn't quite there, it has to be, it's not as many markers. So, like we can go up to our biggest test is 110 biomarkers if you get your blood drawn the traditional way. The the at-home test is probably it really can go up to like 15 at this point right now. It's it's cool because it's painless and um it collects just a small amount of blood. So, you know, it's easy for people to do if you're worried about needles or if you can't, you don't have a lab next to you, but it it doesn't go as in-depth. It really just gives us the baseline so that we know we can treat you safely for certain things. But um, for the for the biohacker or someone who really has uh a lot of things that they want to figure out, then the traditional test is still better.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Which still the process of either scheduling and booking that lab is so simple. And it definitely doesn't get easier than having someone come to your home. So both options are amazing.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's what it's about, like options, right? Because some things are better for for some people and than others. So it's good to have options.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And I've loved having all of the data at my fingertips to look at the different labs. And I'm one of I guess why would fall under the biohacker uh category myself because I just am interested in that. And then also I'm trying to figure out my own health stuff. And so the thing that I also really love is a lot of the education that comes with it. So, for example, there's these normalized ranges or you know, the normal range for something, but what's the optimal range? So being able to look at the literature education and how to interpret one of the results, but really how to think about it and what else to look at it in conjunction with, I think has been really helpful for me to solve the problem. Again, AI couldn't do it, but me with some education could and some other trusted voices. So I'm curious from what you've seen, what are some of the biggest markers that people then gloss over, misunderstand? It gets flagged as normal, but it's not.

SPEAKER_01

Great question. Um, I mean, honestly, the bulk of them, like there is ranges for um, there is ranges for so many things that people just dismiss as normal. Like the because the normal range is huge. The normal range is like this ginormous like hole.

SPEAKER_00

And based off of a sick population, right?

SPEAKER_01

Based off of everyone that's going to get their blood tested that is traditionally like not. Feeling well or something's wrong. So yeah, you do really do not want to be being normal. Um, I I I usually get like, you know, I took this test and my doctor says everything's normal. And that's like the extent of like what they get told. So it's it's not going through every biomarker and and going, like, okay, you're you're okay here, but you know, this is where you're gonna feel better. I mean, uh we see so many people like vitamin D and magnesium are low. Like this is the easy things. Yeah. And it's crazy because even sometimes you supplement those things and that still doesn't get it up, which means you gotta look at your gut health and what's going on there because you're not absorbing, right? So it's like there's layers of like, how do we, how do we drill down and really understand what's going on? For the for a majority of people, like a supplement's gonna help, but not for everybody. And that's when you really need to dig, to dig lower. So, you know, when we started, I can tell you, like, one thing we we weren't really training our clinicians in or di diving deep in is thyroid, but we started to notice that so many people, like especially women in midlife, are having thyroid issues. And so we, I would say it's probably like 70% of our people. We were like, all right, we gotta figure, we gotta add this, we gotta train on this because there's just so many, many people with suboptimal thyroid, which affects all your systems so much.

SPEAKER_00

And that's the biggest learning that I've had throughout this too, was you know, I kind of I think my listeners have kind of stitched together what's going on with me, but it hasn't actually crystallized in my mind until recently, where I figured it out. So to make a long story short, originally earlier in the year, I had this chronic fatigue I couldn't figure out. So I was like, okay, get the labs, figure out what's going on. They thought it was my thyroid, which looking back for sure, my thyroid was off. But because I was also wildly underfueling and over-exercising. So being an athlete my whole life, you know, attempted just to eat as little as possible and more output out to stay skinny and lean and rocked that, but too well. So I think my body then triggered a thyroid issue. And when I started to see a nutritionist eat a little bit better, more calories basically, my thyroid resolved, which was awesome. Um, so it's again that chain reaction. And that's when I started to feel a little bit better, and then a few months ago started to crash again and feeling more chronic fatigue physically, but then it started to affect my mental function as well. So that's when I was experiencing an anxiety for the first time in my life and severe brain fog, like you were talking about. So trying to figure out what that was, because it's like, okay, it could be perimenopause, my thyroid could still be off. Like, am I still not eating correctly? You know, there's all these things you're trying to figure out. And it was the labs that then helped because I could see my ferritin had gone, and ferritin being my iron stores, down to like 24. And then geeking out on all that research, I could easily see most people said if you feel under therapy, if you have ferritin under 30, you're gonna feel like you're dying. Like your system is shutting off, iron is going to core systems and like not your brain, basically. So yeah, you're gonna have racing heart, anxiety, like all these different hair loss, all these different things I felt. Where now I'm like, okay, that's that's my working hypothesis of the latest of what happened. Why ferritin tanked, I'm not sure. Maybe just adjusting. I'm curious too.

SPEAKER_01

Cause you because you started eating more, and I'm obviously you're eating healthy. So I'm curious.

SPEAKER_00

I did do a 50k, and I'm a woman who lives at altitude, which is all I think, you know, endurance athlete, women, um, at altitude. I think those are all some triggers for iron deficiencies. So maybe that just all kicked in, or maybe I'll never know. I don't know. But it was the labs that helped me explore and figure out what it could be. And so when I started upping some iron supplements, eating way more food that was rich in iron, started to feel better. So I'm like fingers crossed.

SPEAKER_01

Good. So you feel like you're getting it under control now.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

Good. Yeah, because that's a tough one. That's a really tough one to get that back up. And, you know, if you can do it the natural way, then all the better for you. Because sometimes taking too much iron can be troubling on your stomach, too.

SPEAKER_00

Also, yes. But to gut health, this is the first time I've had, you know, full transparency, the best bowel movements ever. And that's when I was like, okay, I'm feeling like myself. Something is actually being normal in my system. Oh my brain's coming back, just all of that. I'm I'm just like, oh my gosh, I would never know. So you needed those foods.

SPEAKER_01

Yes. Oh my gosh. That that is awful. And how's and your hair? Unfortunately, the hair will take months. Like you won't be able to like get that first. It's it takes a while. So like you'll see if something happens that way, like it's usually like been happening for months by the time you notice it with your hair.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. And yeah, I can see in my hairstylist validated like tiny little things coming back in. So it kind of gives me the PTSD of post-kids once you have a baby and then your hair just completely falls out and you have that like awkward stuff coming back in around the rim. I'm like, oh great, I gotta live this again.

SPEAKER_01

But I'd rather have it come back than not at all. Yes. Oh my gosh, it's traumatic. So let me ask you this. When you started um upping your calories and eating more, did how did your and you started feeling better? How did your physical body react in terms of you didn't gain any more weight like you were afraid of, right?

SPEAKER_00

I for sure gained weight.

SPEAKER_01

You did. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I gained 20 pounds.

SPEAKER_01

So you needed to gain some weight.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. I think I also at that point I just wanted to do anything that was healthy for my body. And so mentally it was really hard to go up in clothing size, you know, just feel different, look different. Cause I'd always been the same size, you know, for the past 20 years. I had loved my clothes. I don't want different clothes. So that was mentally really tough, but I didn't care if I felt better. And I did gain a lot of muscle as a part of those 20 pounds.

SPEAKER_01

Good.

SPEAKER_00

Um, just through proper fueling. And I think if I would have done it slower, so actually reverse dieted in a slower way, I probably could have gained more muscle and not as much fat. Um, but at that time, I was almost just like, okay, I'm at 1800 calories a day. I'm going straight to like as much as possible to try to see if this can resolve it because I was so desperate. So it worked for a little bit, but that's when the low ferritin kicked in. So that's when I was like, but this isn't fair. I did everything. Like, I thought I, you know, I gained 20 pounds. I did it. Like, why do I not feel good?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So again, that's why the optimal ranges and labs and just all of those things and little nuggets really helped me solve the mystery that fingers crossed is it.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. And things change. Like you said, you said you did a 50K. Yeah. Which I can't even like that blows my mind. But like you're gonna continue to do these different things and you have different activities in your life and age differently. So things will always change. So it's like a it's a journey that really doesn't end. Like you have to continually take care of your body because you're asking a lot of it too.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Which it doesn't, it doesn't feel fair if we just got through kids. I just wanna like I just survived, you know, the younger years of kids. I just want to be able to enjoy it for a while without the next whack-a-mole, whack-a-mole coming up, you know? Yeah, but your body is like, look at what I did.

SPEAKER_01

Like, give me a break. Look at all the things, look at the life you created. Like, fuel me. Yes.

SPEAKER_00

Now we need the energy to chase those little things around.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, yes, we do. That is number one goal.

SPEAKER_00

Oh my gosh. Well, Katie, is there anything that you wish we would have covered that we didn't?

SPEAKER_01

I think we did a really great job of like just saying, you know what? Like, stop dismissing those symptoms. Stop saying, like, oh, I'm getting older, oh, I'm a mom now. So being tired is acceptable. Like, really listen to your body and get educated for yourself because you're in control. You got one shot at this, and you know, we've got a lot of life left to live, and you want it to be good, happy, healthy, energetic years.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, I love it. And where can people go to learn more about joy?

SPEAKER_01

Uh, our website is joyandblokes.com and joy is joi. And then we're also on Instagram at Joywomen's Wellness.

SPEAKER_00

And we'll drop all of that in the show notes. And again, just so much appreciate you and everything that you're doing for women. And I know I've personally listened to so many of your podcasts and resources, and like I said, have friends who've used Joy. So just thank you so much for being out there and being such an advocate for women.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, thank you so much. That means so much. And would love to, you know, get you a console anytime you want. So just let me know. I am continue to be on the journey.

SPEAKER_00

So I'll pick you up on that. Perfect. Thank you. Thanks for listening to another episode of Find Your Fuel. If you enjoyed the show and want to support us, please leave a comment or review. And before we go, I have to give you the obligatory medical and legal disclaimer. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. The advice and recommendations we discuss are not intended as medical advice and do not replace the treatment or care of a physician or any other primary health care provider. Using the information shared today does not create a doctor-patient relationship and it should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problem. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medication. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk. So, in a nutshell, let's be smart and remember these stories and conversations are for educational purposes only. Help other women find the fuel to live their best lives. We'll see you in the next episode.