Ep. 75: Hormonal Health & Chronic Illness: What Women Need to Know

In this episode of The SpoonFull Show, Rachel is joined by Melissa, a registered nurse with over three decades of experience in women’s health and autoimmune conditions. Together, they dive into the often-overlooked relationship between hormones and chronic illness — how stress, cortisol, thyroid function, and even basic nutrient absorption can shift the way Spoonies feel day to day. Melissa breaks down why hormones are the body’s chemical messengers, why they matter long before menopause, and how issues like insulin resistance, thyroid dysfunction, and cortisol dysregulation can hide behind chronic symptoms. She also opens up about her own journey with Hashimoto’s, the importance of comprehensive testing, and why understanding your “baseline” numbers can be a game changer for long-term health. The conversation also touches on perimenopause in younger women, the role of nutrition, and the power of having a supportive community — including Melissa’s own Menopause Skool platform.  It’s a wonderful Facebook-like community for women to learn and support each other. All ages are welcome. It’s an empowering, eye-opening discussion designed to help Spoonies advocate for themselves and better understand what their bodies are trying to say.Enroll in Melissa’s Skool here ( It’s a wonderful Facebook-like community for women to learn and support each other. All ages are welcome.)https://www.skool.com/navigating-through-your-pause/aboutFollow Melissa on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/melissa_thyroid_rn/Follow SpoonFull of Strength at:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/spoonfullofstrength/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@spoonfull.of.strength⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop SpoonFull's Etsy shop at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SpoonFullofStrength.etsy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use code PODCAST for 25% off your entire order