In this episode, we dig deep into one of the most confusing—and most misunderstood—topics in women’s health: perimenopause.

September is Perimenopause Awareness Month, which makes this the perfect time to shift the paradigm and reframe what women have been told for decades.

Conventional medicine defines perimenopause as the 10 years leading up to menopause, a “transitional phase” marked by fluctuating hormones and inevitable suffering. But after decades in the field of female hormone medicine, I’ve come to see it differently: perimenopause is not inevitable, and the so-called “symptoms of perimenopause” are really symptoms of estrogen deficiency.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The conventional vs. advanced definition of perimenopause—and why the old model fails women.
• Why perimenopause is not one single event but a three-stage process (early, middle, and late), each tied to declining estrogen and rising FSH levels.
• The real first signs of perimenopause: not irregular cycles, but mental health struggles like anxiety, depression, and brain fog.
• Why so many women in their 30s are already in perimenopause (or even earlier) without realizing it.
• How social media has shaped the narrative into a “sisterhood of misery”—and why we must change that mindset.
• The dangerous impact of the WHI study which scared both patients and doctors away from estrogen for two decades.
• Why conventional and functional medicine often fail women with low-dose HRT protocols, supplements, and band-aid approaches.
• The hopeful truth: full hormone restoration can prevent and reverse perimenopause.

Resources & Next Steps

• Ready to learn if advanced hormone therapy could be right for you? Book a complimentary discovery session at advancedhormonebalancing.com.
• Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Visit menopausemoxie.com/podcast to share your ideas—you may hear your question on a future episode!

In this episode of the MeNoPause Moxie Podcast, host Marie Hoäg and producer/co-host Maggie Kuhn dive into Marie’s transformation from hormone patient to clinical hormone coach—and her two-decade career shaping the future of female hormone medicine.

Marie shares how her early struggles with hormonal imbalance led her to a pioneering physician who introduced her to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). What started as her own patient journey soon evolved into hands-on clinical work—consulting, designing programs, tracking outcomes, and building a body of research on why HRT works, when it fails, and what women truly need for sustainable restoration.

Together, Marie and Maggie uncover:

• The evolution of HRT systems — from low-dose HRT symptom management to advanced HRT protocols designed for full restoration and true hormonal balance.
• Why clinical hormone coaching is essential — how women need guidance and clinical hand-holding through the transitional ups and downs of balancing hormones, especially with sophisticated restorative protocols.
• The origins of the Hormone Sweet Spot™ — how Marie discovered there is a true destination of optimal hormone balance where women feel their absolute best.
• The impact of early pioneers — from Suzanne Somers bringing hormones into mainstream conversation to the Wiley Protocol introducing rhythmic dosing.
• Why advanced hormone therapy is the future — and how Panacea Sciences is leading the way with protocols that restore both brain and body health.

Marie also reflects on her own life-changing results: moving from depression and anxiety into a state of genuine happiness for the first time in her life. Her personal transformation laid the foundation for her passion—clinically coaching women on advanced HRT protocols that allow them to choose whether they experience perimenopause or menopause.

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to move beyond hormone deficiency symptoms management into full hormone restoration, this episode offers both the history and the hope of what’s possible.

• Discover hormonal balance as you are supposed to experience it: Advanced Hormone Balancing Clinic
• Read Marie’s blog post on Estrogen and Cancer: MeNoPause Moxie Blog
• Share your thoughts or suggest a topic: Contact me.

In this inaugural episode of the Menopause Moxie Podcast, host Marie Hoäg, Clinical Hormone Coach, is joined by her producer and co-host Maggie Kuhn to challenge the myths and misinformation surrounding perimenopause and menopause. Marie shares her deeply personal journey through hormonal imbalance, misdiagnosis, and decades of unnecessary psychotropic medications — and how discovering therapeutic-dose estrogen changed her life.

This candid conversation introduces listeners to Marie’s mission: to uncover the truth about estrogen, expose the failures of conventional “low-dose” hormone therapies, and open up dialogue about advanced HRT protocols that fully restore hormones rather than manage symptoms.

Listeners will walk away with a new perspective on perimenopause, menopause, and female hormone balancing — one that is hopeful, evidence-driven, and uncompromising.

• Why estrogen is the hormone of life, and no woman feels good without enough of it.

• How Marie’s personal experience with migraines, mood swings, PMS/PMDD, and endometriosis led to decades of misdiagnosis and harmful treatments.

• The shocking moment when a doctor recommended shock therapy as her “next step” — and why she refused.

• How one physician reframed her depression as estrogen deficiency, not a Prozac deficiency.

• The birth of Panacea Sciences: a telehealth clinic and physician/coach training platform dedicated to advanced therapeutic-dose hormone protocols.

• The dangers of low-dose, symptom-management HRT programs that dominate the marketplace.

• Why Marie believes menopause is not inevitable and what women can do to prevent or reverse it.

• The urgent need for more research on estrogen and advanced protocols — and why women deserve better than “we don’t know enough.”

Marie Hoäg, Clinical Hormone Coach, is a leading advocate for female hormone restoration. With over 20 years of clinical experience, she has helped thousands of women to achieve their Hormone Sweet Spot™. As founder of MeNoPause Moxie and Panacea Sciences, Marie is redefining female hormone medicine with therapeutic-dose rhythmic protocols that restore vitality, brain function, and quality of life.

Co-host Maggie Kuhn brings her own perimenopause journey and candid perspective, helping to amplify the message and connect with women everywhere.

• Learn more about Panacea Sciences Advanced Hormone Balancing Clinic

• Follow Marie on LinkedIn

• Subscribe to the Menopause Moxie Newsletter for ongoing insights

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a woman you love.

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