Is your belly fat, stress, or burnout actually a hormone issue? Dr. Sara Szal reveals the hidden hormone connection and how to fix it for good

Dr. Sara Szal (previously Gottfried) is a Harvard-trained medical doctor and researcher, with 30 years of experience. She is the author of 4 bestselling books such as, ‘The Autoimmune Cure: Healing the Trauma and Other Triggers That Have Turned Your Body Against You’.

00:00 Intro

02:43 What Sara Does for People

04:16 Background and Training

05:56 Helping 40,000 People

08:44 What Is Precision Medicine?

10:19 What’s Wrong with Conventional Medicine?

13:04 Why Sara Chose This Career

15:10 Importance of Healing from Past Trauma

16:44 How Trauma Manifests into Health Conditions

20:43 Lack of Nutrition and Lifestyle Education in Medical Training

22:12 Cortisol and Stress

25:23 Is There a Link Between Cortisol and Trauma?

26:02 Daily Habits That Disrupt Hormones

29:15 How to Optimise Your Health

30:35 Is Sugar the Enemy?

31:56 Supplements for Hormonal Balance

32:52 Common Nutritional Deficiencies

36:54 How to Regulate Cortisol Levels

41:04 Is It Easy to Get Someone to Change?

42:20 Can Encouraging Change Cause Harm?

44:25 How to Support Someone Breaking Bad Habits

46:34 When Should Men Start Monitoring Testosterone?

47:58 Testosterone in Women

48:32 Signs of Low Testosterone in Men

49:02 Symptoms of Low Testosterone in Women

49:52 Symptoms of High Testosterone in Women

50:54 How to Regulate Testosterone Levels

53:08 Why Estrogen Is Important for Both Men and Women

58:40 Importance of Fibre in the Diet

59:30 Role of the Microbiome in Hormone Regulation

01:00:51 Fibre-Rich Foods

01:01:04 Sara’s Preferred Diet

01:02:53 The Ketogenic Diet

01:05:01 Side Effects of the Keto Diet

01:05:36 Can You Stay on Keto Long-Term?

01:07:00 Strategies for Effective Weight Loss

01:08:05 Fasting

01:12:05 What Is Perimenopause and When Does It Begin?

01:16:12 Can Menopause Symptoms Be Avoided?

01:16:47 Birth Control

01:17:37 Who Is Birth Control For?

01:18:28 How Is Sara Doing Today?

01:19:36 Whole Body Yes

01:20:39 How to Know If a Marriage No Longer Works

01:24:54 Sara’s Divorce: Could It Have Been Saved?

01:26:40 Are Women in Menopause More Likely to Divorce?

01:28:01 Do Happiness Levels Increase in Your 50s?

01:29:10 How to Better Support Women

01:32:38 How Gender Roles Can Be Harmful to Women

01:33:59 Why Women Are Generally More Stressed Than Men

01:35:11 Are Women More Sensitive Than Men?

01:35:46 Why Women Are More Prone to Autoimmune Diseases

01:38:13 Does Late Motherhood Increase Cancer Risk?

01:39:31 Are Gender Roles Misaligned with Human Biology?

01:40:44 What Is Polarity in Heterosexual Relationships?

01:44:52 How to Keep Sexual Attraction Alive

01:48:35 Building Emotional Connection with Conversation Cards

01:50:36 How Sleep Affects Hormonal Balance

01:52:18 Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

01:52:57 How to Improve HRV

Follow Dr. Sara:

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You can purchase Dr Sara’s book, ‘The Autoimmune Cure: Healing the Trauma and Other Triggers That Have Turned Your Body Against You’, here: https://g2ul0.app.link/Mt0ZFgF62Rb

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S1:E42 – Call of Cthulhu Scenario Inspiration Across the Decades (Chaosium Con 2025 Live Panel)

Episode Notes