Hormones, hot boxes, and haboobs (yes, that’s a real word)

29 Aug Hormones, hot boxes, and haboobs (yes, that’s a real word)

Posted at 09:04h in Notes with NJ by

💌 Notes from Natalie

It is my birthday week! Next week I will be 54 and honestly, how did that happen so fast? I still remember thinking 40 was “old.” Spoiler: it is not. 🙃

To add to the midlife excitement, Phoenix turned into an oven this week (120 degrees, give or take). As if that was not enough, I also survived my very first Haboob. And before you ask, no, that is not a typo and yes, it is a real word. 🤣

A Haboob is basically a giant dust storm that swallows the sky like something out of an apocalypse movie. I had never even heard of one until this week, and suddenly my living room looked like it was auditioning for Dune.

So between the heat, the dust storm, and my upcoming birthday, you would think I would have had enough excitement. 🤪 But of course, my rabbit hole brain found another topic to obsess over… hormones.

Here is the deal. The hormone conversation has gotten extreme. Twenty years ago, we were told hormones are dangerous. Now women are told they are crazy if they do not take them. And in the middle are the rest of us, confused, pressured, sometimes even shamed for whatever choice we make.

The pendulum, the shame, and the gray zone

Here’s what’s wild:

Twenty years ago, women were told hormones are dangerous. Today, women are told they’re crazy if they don’t take them. And in the middle of all of this? Real women … like me, like you.. are left confused, pressured, and sometimes even shamed.

That shame goes both ways. Once upon a time, women felt guilty for staying on hormones. Now many feel guilty if they don’t. Neither makes sense.

I’ve been digging deep with clinicians and experts, asking the real questions that so many of us in peri and post-menopause are wrestling with:

  • What if you can’t take hormones?

  • What if you don’t want to?

  • What if your body simply doesn’t process them well?

  • And why do some women thrive on the exact same patch or pill that makes another woman miserable?

The truth is, hormone therapy isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” thing. It’s nuanced. Your age, timing, genetics, detox pathways, and even gut health play a role. For example:

  • Estrogen can build up and fuel things like fibroids if it’s not being cleared well.

  • Progesterone can calm your lining but also leave you feeling like you’ve been hit by a sleep truck.

  • Testosterone can be energizing for one woman, but for another, it just flips into estrogen.

And then there’s the history. Remember the Women’s Health Initiative study from the 1990s? It terrified everyone with headlines about hormones and breast cancer. But the study was done mostly on women in their 60s, using synthetic hormones, and the results were massively over-generalized. The pendulum swung hard! And the fear still lingers.

This is exactly why I’ll be airing a full podcast episode next Friday about this very topic. Not giving medical advice …but sharing my own story, my questions, and wisdom from experts like Dr. Anna, Dr. Tyna, and Dr. Betty and more. My hope is to give you permission to explore without pressure, because you are not broken if you don’t do hormones, and you’re not reckless if you do.

Stay tuned for that one! Make sure you are subscribed to my podcast! You can subscribe on Apple here and Spotify here. It’s going to be a big conversation.

 

📸 What you missed on the Gram

I opened up the conversation about the shame surrounding HRT, especially for those who decide not to take it. The comments proved I am not the only one noticing this pressure. You can see this post by clicking below 👇

🎥 🎙️ What you missed on Youtube and the Podcast this week!

It is also officially seven weeks since my L5S1 Disc replacement surgery. Time has flown, and I am feeling stronger every day. This week I released the full episode with my surgeon, Dr. Jared Ament, where we talk all things back pain, disc replacement vs fusion, who is a candidate for surgery, and what really causes pain. If you know anyone struggling with their back, send them this episode. Listen to it on Apple here, Spotify here, or watch the interview with visuals on YouTube below 👇

 

🏆 What I’m Loving Right Now

I finally got back into my infrared sauna. Truth: when it is 120 degrees outside, the last thing you want to do is sit in another hot box. 🥵 But wow, did I miss it. Just a few nights back in and I instantly felt better, clearer, lighter, and less inflamed. If you have been thinking about one, my Sunlighten sauna has a Labor Day sale going (up to $1700 off) 😍

Coming Up…

Birthday celebrations in San Diego! Cooler weather, sushi, shopping, and girl time with my daughter, the best gift of all.

So that is the week: haboobs, hormones, healing, hot boxes, and heading into 54 with curiosity instead of dread.

xo

Natalie Jill

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Natalie Jill

Natalie Jill is a leading Fat Loss Expert and high-performance coach. She helps you change the conversation around age, potential, pain and possibility. She does this through a SIMPLE and FUN unique method that you can find in her best-selling books, top-rated podcasts, interactive programs and coaching sessions. As a 50-year-old female, she KNOWS the struggles and pain that can come with aging! She takes the guesswork away and help you kill the F.A.T. (False Assumed Truths) holding you back from achieving your goals. To know more about Natalie Jill, you can visit her Facebook Profile, Tiktok, and Instagram.