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You feel tired all the time. Not the kind that sleep fixes.
The kind that sits heavy in your muscles and makes you wonder if this is just ageing. It is not.
Your hormones control everything from fat burn to recovery, and optimising them can restore your energy, mood, and performance in ways most people never realise.
Read below!
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IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES WE WILL COVER:
Weekly Insights:
The hormones that control your energy and how to restore vitality
Article Explained Simple: Heat exposure benefits for circulation and heart health
Top 3 Micro strength moves for busy mornings
Healthy Japanese miso cod rice bowl Recipe
The hormones that control your energy and how to restore vitality
You feel tired all the time.
Not the kind of tired that sleep fixes.
The kind that sits heavy in your muscles. Makes training feel harder. Makes thinking feel slower. Makes you wonder if this is just how ageing feels.
It is not.
Your body runs on hormones. Tiny chemical messengers that control everything from how you burn fat to how you recover from a hard session.
When they shift, so does your vitality.
And the science shows that optimising these hormones can restore your energy, mood, and performance in ways most people never realise.
Let me show you how.
What Actually Happens When Hormones Shift
Hormones do not just fade randomly.
They decline in patterns. Especially during menopause or as you age.
The big four are testosterone, oestrogen, progesterone, and thyroid hormones.
When these drop, your body loses balance.
Your metabolism slows. Your sleep gets lighter. Your mood swings more. Your muscles recover slower.
Even your brain feels foggy.
This is not in your head. It is biochemistry.
Oestrogen helps protect your heart and brain. It keeps blood vessels flexible. It supports memory and focus.
Progesterone keeps your sleep deep. It calms your nervous system.
Thyroid hormones control your metabolic rate. How fast you burn energy. How warm you feel. How sharp you think.
When these hormones drop, cortisol often rises. That is your stress hormone.
High cortisol kills recovery. It stores fat around your belly. It keeps you wired at night but exhausted during the day.
The loop feeds itself.
Less hormone balance means worse sleep. Worse sleep means worse recovery. Worse recovery means harder training. Harder training means more stress.
Until everything feels heavy.
How Hormone Optimisation Restores Vitality
The goal is not to pump hormones sky high.
The goal is balance.
When done right, hormone replacement therapy restores what your body lost.
For women going through menopause, menopausal hormone therapy is the cornerstone.
It targets the symptoms that steal vitality. Hot flashes. Night sweats. Brain fog. Vaginal dryness. Bone loss.
But it also does something bigger.
It protects your heart and brain.
Studies show that starting MHT within 10 years of menopause cuts cardiovascular disease risk by 50%.
It cuts Alzheimer's risk by 35%.
It reduces fractures by 50 to 60%.
Those are not small numbers.
The timing matters. Start too late, after age 60 or more than 10 years post menopause, and the benefits shrink. The risks grow.
But start early, with the right dose and formulation, and you get protection that lasts.
Oestrogen keeps your arteries healthy. It reduces plaque buildup. It keeps blood flowing to your brain.
That is why cognitive decline slows. That is why mood stabilises.
Have you ever tracked your hormone levels with bloodwork?
The Mitochondria Connection
Hormones do not work alone.
They work with your mitochondria. The tiny power plants inside your cells.
When hormones are balanced, mitochondria multiply. They burn fat more efficiently. They produce more energy.
This is where training comes in.
Zone 2 cardio, the kind where you can still talk but feel a light burn, boosts mitochondrial density when paired with hormone optimisation.
Studies show VO2 Max can jump 8 to 12%.
That is a massive upgrade in your cardiovascular engine.
Better glucose control. Less visceral fat. More stable mood.
Your body finally has the fuel and the machinery to use it.
Interval training on top of that pushes your ceiling higher. You recover faster. You train harder. You feel stronger.
But none of it works as well if your hormones are out of whack.
That is the open secret of vitality.
Training optimises what hormones allow.
What About Testosterone for Women
You have probably heard that testosterone helps women too.
The truth is messier.
Observational studies show links between testosterone and vitality. But randomised controlled trials do not back it up.
No consistent benefits for muscle preservation. No clear wins for mood, cognition, or cardiovascular health.
Experts now say routine testosterone use in postmenopausal women is not justified.
It might help in specific cases, like low libido. But for general vitality, the evidence is weak.
Larger trials are needed.
For now, focus on oestrogen, progesterone, and thyroid optimisation first.
The FDA Changed Its Warnings in 2025
Big news dropped in November 2025.
The FDA removed black box warnings from systemic oestrogen and progestin therapy.
It also removed warnings from low dose vaginal oestrogen products.
Why?
Because the original Women's Health Initiative study from the early 2000s scared everyone. It linked HRT to cancer and heart disease.
But deeper analysis showed the risks were timing dependent.
Women who started HRT older, or long after menopause, had higher risks.
Women who started younger, closer to menopause, had benefits.
The FDA now emphasises individualised assessment. Not blanket fear.
Perception shifted too.
In 2021, only 38% of women aged 40 to 55 thought benefits outweighed risks.
By 2025, that number hit 49%.
Usage rose from 8% to 13%.
Satisfaction sits at 85%.
More women are choosing topical bioidentical hormones. Creams and gels instead of pills.
They feel safer. They work well.
How to Optimise Safely
Hormone therapy is not a one size protocol.
It requires personalisation.
That means comprehensive bloodwork. Liver enzymes. Haematocrit. Cardiovascular risk markers. Hormone levels.
You need oversight.
Unmonitored telehealth HRT can cause problems. Elevated haematocrit. Sky high oestradiol. Cardiovascular strain.
Work with a provider who tracks, adjusts, and manages your protocol.
For women, the recommendation is simple.
Start with the lowest effective dose. Use topical forms when possible. Time it within 10 years of menopause.
Monitor for breast, uterine, and cardiovascular risks.
Combine it with lifestyle.
Zone 2 cardio three to four times per week. Interval work once or twice. Strength training to preserve muscle.
Sleep hygiene. Stress management. Recovery protocols.
Hormones and habits work together.
Neither alone is enough.
The Bottom Line
Vitality is not about pushing through fatigue.
It is about addressing the root cause.
Hormone shifts steal energy, mood, recovery, and performance.
But optimising those hormones with the right timing, dose, and oversight brings it all back.
The science is clear. The FDA updated its stance. Perception is shifting.
If you feel like something is off, it probably is.
Get your bloodwork. Find a knowledgeable provider. Build a protocol that fits your body.
Your vitality is not gone.
It is waiting to be restored.
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Article of the Week
Article Explained Simple: Heat exposure benefits for circulation and heart health
Scientists wanted to know if regular heat therapy like saunas and hot baths can improve blood pressure and blood vessel health.
Researchers reviewed multiple randomised controlled trials. They looked at studies on healthy people and people with health conditions. They tested how heat exposure affected blood pressure and how well blood vessels relaxed and opened up.
The results showed heat therapy lowered systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure. Heat also improved something called brachial artery flow mediated dilation. That means the main artery in the arm got better at widening when blood flows through it.
This suggests that regular sauna sessions or hot baths might be a simple way to support heart health and circulation. The body responds to heat by opening up blood vessels. Over time, that training effect seems to carry over even when you are not hot.
These benefits showed up in both healthy people and those with existing health problems. The heat sessions typically lasted 15 to 30 minutes. Most studies used temperatures between 40 and 60 degrees Celsius.
Fascinating Fact:
Finnish people use saunas so often that there are more saunas than cars in Finland. Many Finns believe regular sauna use is one reason they have lower rates of heart disease compared to other countries.
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Top 3 Micro strength moves for busy mornings
Mornings are chaos. Work, kids, emails piling up before coffee hits.
But skipping strength work means weaker posture, less energy, and sluggish starts. These three moves take under two minutes each, need zero equipment, and fire up your entire body before you leave the house.
Plank
The plank is a hold. You rest on your forearms and toes, body locked in a straight line from head to heels.
Your deep core muscles work overtime to keep you stable. That means your abs, lower back, and shoulders all turn on at once. This one move trains the entire trunk to resist gravity and stay solid.
Get into position with elbows under shoulders, pull your shoulder blades back, and hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Breathe slowly. The burn is your core waking up.
The payoff is better posture all day, less back pain, and a grounded feeling that keeps you steady through rushed mornings.
Bodyweight Squats
This is the sit and stand pattern your body was built for. You lower yourself like sitting into a chair, then drive back up through your heels.
Squats load your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves with your own weight. That builds leg power and mobility for stairs, walking, and chasing kids. They also spike your metabolism and pump blood to your muscles fast.
Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Lower until your thighs are about parallel to the floor, then stand. Do 10 to 15 reps slowly.
You get stronger legs and glutes that make every step easier, plus an energy boost that lasts hours.
Push Ups
Push ups are a press against gravity. You lower your chest toward the floor, then push back up using your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.
This trains your upper body to move your own weight, which translates to carrying bags, lifting boxes, and desk stamina. Even desk or knee versions build real pushing strength.
Place hands shoulder width on the floor or a desk edge. Keep your body straight. Lower your chest until it almost touches, then press up. Aim for 8 to 12 reps.
The result is toned arms and better upper body power that makes daily tasks feel lighter and builds confidence fast.
Healthy Japanese miso cod rice bowl Recipe (makes 4 servings)
This bowl brings together flaky cod, umami miso, and wholesome brown rice. High in protein and rich in omega 3 fatty acids to support recovery and heart health.
Macros per Serving
Total Calories: 385 kcal
Protein: 32 g
Carbohydrates: 42 g
Sugars: 5 g
Fat: 9 g
The Ingredients
480 g cod fillets, skinless (about 4 pieces)
60 g white miso paste (about 3 tablespoons)
30 mL mirin (about 2 tablespoons)
15 mL rice vinegar (1 tablespoon)
10 mL sesame oil (2 teaspoons)
200 g brown rice, uncooked (about 1 cup dry)
150 g edamame beans, shelled
200 g baby spinach (about 4 cups)
2 spring onions, sliced thin
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
The Instructions
Cook rice according to package directions, usually 35 to 40 minutes for brown rice.
Mix marinade by whisking together miso paste, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and grated ginger in a small bowl.
Coat fish by brushing half the miso mixture onto both sides of the cod fillets.
Preheat oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Arrange cod on the tray in a single layer, leaving space between pieces.
Bake fish for 12 to 15 minutes until it flakes easily with a fork and reaches 63°C internal temperature.
Steam edamame in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.
Wilt spinach by adding it to a hot pan with a splash of water for 1 to 2 minutes until just softened.
Divide rice between four bowls as the base layer.
Top bowls with spinach, edamame, and one piece of miso cod per bowl.
Drizzle remaining marinade over each bowl for extra flavour.
Garnish with sliced spring onions and sesame seeds before serving.
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