Natasha Mankins

Synopsis: This article reveals how progesterone decline happens years before estrogen drops in women’s mid-30s to early 40s, causing sleep disruption, anxiety, irregular cycles, and worsening PMS that conventional testing misses by checking levels on day 3 instead of day 21 when progesterone peaks. It explains three mechanisms driving early decline—pregnenolone steal where chronic stress prioritizes cortisol production, anovulatory cycles Read more...

Synopsis: This article exposes how women experiencing sleep disruption, pre-menstrual cramping, weight gain, fatigue, and irritability get prescribed antidepressants for what’s actually progesterone deficiency masked as estrogen dominance—not excess estrogen but insufficient progesterone to balance existing estrogen levels. It reveals critical diagnostic gaps including mistimed testing, ignored SHBG levels, and uncalculated progesterone-to-estradiol ratios, while explaining cortisol steal where chronic stress Read more...

Synopsis: This article celebrates the FDA’s November 2025 removal of the black box warning from hormone therapy, explaining how the Women’s Health Initiative study created fear-based medicine by failing to distinguish between synthetic hormones and bioidentical alternatives with different molecular structures, routes of administration, and timing protocols. It introduces the critical “window hypothesis” showing hormone therapy initiated within ten years Read more...

Article Insights & Reflections Synopsis: This overview brings clarity to a key menopause topic and translates research into practical next steps. It equips readers with options to discuss with a qualified clinician and tools to start improving today. Top 5 Questions Answered: What core problem is this article solving? Which evidence-backed options can help? How do I know which option Read more...

Article Insights & Reflections Synopsis: This overview brings clarity to a key menopause topic and translates research into practical next steps. It equips readers with options to discuss with a qualified clinician and tools to start improving today. Top 5 Questions Answered: What core problem is this article solving? Which evidence-backed options can help? How do I know which option Read more...

Women struggle alone. Their bodies change. Medical professionals dismiss symptoms as “just aging.” The journey through menopause represents one of healthcare’s greatest blind spots, leaving millions searching for answers beyond prescriptions that address only fragments of their experience. The conventional approach to menopause typically focuses on hormone replacement therapy while overlooking the complex interplay of systems that define this transition. Read more...

Women deserve better. Throughout history, menopause has been relegated to whispers and discomfort, treated as a collection of symptoms to endure rather than a profound transition to embrace. This natural life phase offers an invitation to reconnect with our bodies, minds, and spirits in transformative ways. The conventional approach to menopause often focuses solely on hormone replacement and symptom management. Read more...