S1E30 Hormones 101: What They Are, How They Work & Why They Matter After 40

What if the fatigue, weight changes, brain fog, poor sleep, anxiety, low libido, or changes in your workouts aren't simply signs of getting older?

In this solo episode of 40s Forward, Dr. Betsy Greenleaf goes back to the basics with Hormones 101—a foundational guide to what hormones actually are, how they communicate throughout the body, and why understanding them becomes increasingly important after 40.

This episode kicks off a deeper hormone series exploring estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid hormones, cortisol, insulin, DHEA, oxytocin, growth hormone, and more.

What You'll Learn in This Episode • What hormones actually are and how they communicate with your cells

• Where hormones are produced throughout the body

• How hormonal feedback loops maintain balance

• Why hormones affect much more than reproduction

• How hormones influence mood, memory, metabolism, sleep, skin, bones, and libido

• Why hormonal changes often become noticeable after 40

• The roles of estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and thyroid hormones

• Why hormones never work independently

• How stress, nutrition, sleep, inflammation, the microbiome, and genetics interact with hormones