If part one of my conversation with Dr. Stephanie Gray made you question what you thought you knew about hormones, buckle up. Part two goes even deeper.

Dr. Gray is the author of The Hormone Blueprint, and she has spent years researching and working with women on hormones, thyroid health, metabolism, and hormone replacement therapy.

And moms, this conversation is especially for us.

We get incredibly practical about testing, what may actually be hiding inside hormone prescriptions, and why Dr. Gray believes women need a much more nuanced conversation about HRT, breast cancer, brain health, bones, and aging.

We talk about:

  • The hormone and thyroid tests Dr. Gray recommends women ask about, including one metabolic marker your doctor may not routinely check
  • Why she says a “normal” lab result and an optimal result can be two very different things
  • The surprising inactive ingredients she found inside some hormone prescriptions, including dyes, preservatives, and other ingredients you might never think to look for
  • Why the way you take hormones matters, from pills and creams to patches and pellets
  • What happens when you wear an estrogen patch in a sauna. Yes, Dr. Gray actually researched this!
  • The complicated relationship between HRT and breast cancer, including research Dr. Gray says challenges some long-held assumptions
  • Why she believes women should consider not only the possible risks of taking hormones, but also the risks of going without them
  • How hormones may fit into the bigger picture of protecting our bones, brains, cardiovascular health, metabolism, and quality of life as we age

There is a LOT here, and this is definitely an episode where you may want to grab a notebook, jot down questions, and bring them to a healthcare provider who understands hormone health. You can also print off the cheat sheet of the episode – grab it here! 

Because “I guess feeling terrible is just part of getting older” is not a health plan.

Here’s part two of my conversation with Dr. Stephanie Gray.

The hormones in your prescription is just a few grams, and everything else? Time to read ingredients! -Dr. Stephanie Gray

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Key Takeaways about Hormone Replacement Therapy and Hormone Testing

  • A more complete hormone evaluation may include estradiol, estrone, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol, a full thyroid panel, and fasting insulin rather than relying on only a few standard markers.
  • The inactive ingredients in hormone medications can vary widely, so Dr. Gray encourages women to read medication labels and ask about dyes, preservatives, fillers, adhesives, and other ingredients in addition to the hormone itself.
  • The way hormones are delivered matters, because oral medications, patches, pellets, creams, and compounded products can differ in their ingredients, absorption, and effects on the body.

The hormone in your prescription is just a few grams and everything else? Time to read ingredients! – Dr. Stephanie Gray

  • Dr. Gray challenges the idea that hormone replacement therapy automatically increases breast cancer risk. The research suggests the relationship between HRT and breast cancer is more complex than many women have been told.
  • The evidence is less clear for women who have already had breast cancer and then begin HRT, so Dr. Gray emphasizes that these decisions require an individualized conversation rather than a blanket rule for every woman.
  • Hormone health is not only about relieving hot flashes or other immediate symptoms. Dr. Gray believes optimizing hormones can also play an important role in protecting bones, brain health, cardiovascular health, metabolism, sleep, mood, and healthy aging.

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Action Steps from This Episode

  • Ask a knowledgeable healthcare provider whether a more complete hormone, thyroid, and metabolic evaluation would be appropriate for you instead of assuming a basic panel tells the whole story.
  • Request copies of your lab results and learn what each marker means, so you can have a more informed conversation with your provider about your symptoms and health goals.
  • Read the inactive ingredient list on any hormone medication you use and ask your pharmacist or prescriber about alternatives if an ingredient concerns you or conflicts with a known allergy or sensitivity.

Do hormones cause breast cancer? If that were true, hormone-laden teens and 20-somethings would have the highest risk of breast cancer… but they don’t. – Dr. Stephanie Gray

  • If you are considering HRT, ask about the benefits and drawbacks of different delivery methods, including oral hormones, patches, creams, compounded options, and pellets, rather than assuming every form works the same way.
  • If you have a personal or strong family history of breast cancer, work with a qualified clinician to discuss your individual risks and benefits instead of relying on a blanket recommendation for or against HRT.
  • Think about how you want to feel and function decades from now and use that long-term vision to motivate the daily choices that support your sleep, nutrition, movement, metabolic health, and hormone health. Get help from my community on starting a new habit here!

Your Hormone Blueprint

Your Hormone Blueprint

Your Hormone Blueprint by Dr. Stephanie Gray covers hormone optimization through a functional medicine lens — the four major diseases of aging, what the research actually shows on breast cancer, and a full chapter on the inactive ingredients in hormone prescriptions that I have not seen written anywhere else.

Grab It on Amazon

Or find the book on Bookshop.org or at Barnes and Noble

Resources We Mention for Hormone Replacement Therapy and Hormone Testing

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Dr. Stephanie Gray
Your Longevity Blueprint

Stephanie Gray, DNP, MS, ARNP, AGNP-C, ABAAHP, FAARFM, is a functional medicine provider helping men and women build sustainable, optimal health and longevity. A nurse practitioner since 2009, Dr. Gray completed her doctorate focusing on estrogen metabolism from the University of Iowa in 2011 and holds a Master’s in Metabolic Nutritional Medicine from the University of South Florida’s Medical School.

Dr. Gray is one of the Midwest’s most credentialed female healthcare providers. She completed an Advanced Fellowship in Anti-Aging Regenerative and Functional Medicine in 2013 and became Iowa’s first BioTe certified provider—now the state’s only platinum provider with over 10,000 pellet placements. She is also certified as a SIBO doctor-approved practitioner, mold-literate provider, and ReCODE 2.0 practitioner for cognitive decline prevention.

An Amazon best-selling author, Dr. Gray wrote Your Longevity Blueprint, Your Fertility Blueprint, and Your Hormone Blueprint, and hosts the Your Longevity Blueprint podcast. She co-founded Your Longevity Blueprint Nutraceuticals with her husband, Eric.

They enjoy spending time outside with their sons and mini goldendoodle. They founded the Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic in Hiawatha, Iowa.