The dreaded, uncomfortable, annoying, burning, itchy, achy, irritating vaginal infection. Ladies, we have all been there. And for those unicorns that have never had a vaginal infection such as yeast or bacterial vaginosis, well, you are certainly one of the lucky ones. While a yeast infection or BV is not life-threatening, not fatal, and maybe […]

Can Progesterone Cause Anxiety? Often we get reader/listener questions about their own experience with hormones. We love that readers of our blogs and listeners of the podcast (TheProgressYourHealth Podcast) reach out for more information. If they have concerns and questions, that means many, many other people have the same concerns. A lot of questions we […]

When is it too Late to Start HRT? Recently we received a great question/comment from a listener of our podcast (The Progress Your Health Podcast). I’ll call her ‘Jenny’ (because I never reveal any personal information for the sake of privacy). Jenny was wondering if she is too far into menopause to be able to […]

Perimenopause is the time in a woman’s life prior to entering menopause. Most people are familiar with menopause, which is when the ovaries stop producing hormones and women stop their periods. There are many options to deal with menopause (which is an entirely different podcast and blog). But perimenopause is a completely different animal compared […]

Discover how estriol can address post-menopausal vaginal & urinary concerns. Learn about its benefits for atrophy, leakage, & infections in this episode of Progress Your Health podcast.

 
Download the diagram above, click here.
Tracy’s Question: 
Episode 052 – What Biest Ratio is Best for Menopause? 
This is such helpful information. I have often wondered who 80:20 is good for and who 50:50 is good for.
One thing I'm still confused by is the estrogen weight gain component. You said that estrogen (as well as menopause in general) could be the cause of her weight gain. I can relate. I was very thin my whole life, now 53 and about 30 lbs overweight. But you also said she might benefit from getting her estrogen balanced, and she was not using enough. 
If too low a dose made her gain weight, won't an increased dose cause more weight gain? I have heard other podcasts and read articles that in menopause, we gain weight because our estrogen falls. Estrogen seems to be blamed for weight gain, whether it's high or low. Can you help clarify? There's something I'm not understanding. Thank you! Tracy 
Short Answer: 
Often estrogen has been the scapegoat for weight gain. I'm sure you have heard too much causes weight gain. Too little can pack on the pounds. It can be pretty confusing. So which is it? Is too much estrogen causing my pants to become uncomfortably tight? Or is it too little estrogen that has given me the gut I never had?
Well, it’s not that simple. Estrogen levels do have a hand in weight gain and weight loss. But it is not the only variable. It really is the combination of the balance of estrogen with other hormones in your body. To name a few main players, progesterone, insulin, and cortisol, as well as enzymes, lipoprotein lipase (LPL), and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL). Okay, I know that sounds vague and doesn't answer the question. Let's back up a bit and look at what women are saying about estrogen. 
As soon as menopause hits, women complain that they are instantly 15-30 lbs heavier. Not because of diet or lifestyle. It's like menopause adds an unwanted 15-30 lbs overnight. Then some women are on hormone replacement therapy, taking estrogen, and are horrified because the HRT caused them to gain 10 lbs in a month. So what is it? Did the lack of estrogen in menopause cause that 20 lb weight gain? Or did that hormone replacement estrogen create rolls that were never there? Well, actually, both are true. Before you throw out your jeans in favor of high-waisted yoga pants, let’s learn about the other players in weight gain. 
Progesterone will buffer estrogen. Estrogen does like to grow things'. That is why in puberty, you grow breasts and hips. Progesterone helps to balance some of the growth' that estrogen can cause. That is why in perimenopause, when the progesterone drops and the estrogen is running the show, the weight gain begins. That is also why when a woman starts estrogen therapy for menopause but not enough progesterone, there is weight gain.
Cortiso