Hormones, Health & Faith with Sharon Lemoine

📌 Book a Consultation: gigharbormedicalspa.com/book-now/After 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients, I am more sure of this than anything else in my clinical career: faith belongs in the exam room.Nobody in my field says it out loud. I have decided to stop waiting for permission.In this episode, I'm going to share my full story, what I believe that medicine never taught me, and why it changes everything about the way I treat people.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Why Faith Belongs in the Exam Room: What 28 Years in Medicine Taught Me1:24 Part 1: Growing up watching her mother's diet cycle 2:25 Part 2: The diagnosis that broke the first half open 4:34 Part 3: When control stopped being enough 5:49 Part 4: What faith actually does in a treatment plan 8:04 Part 5: The questions she asks that no intake form has 10:00 Part 6: What she wants you to carry out of this episode❓ QUESTIONS ANSWEREDQ: Is it appropriate for a healthcare provider to bring faith into medicine? A: After nearly three decades in practice, the patients who achieve the most durable results are almost always the ones with a reason for their health that outlasts short-term motivation. Faith gives people a reason to keep showing up when it gets hard. That is not a lifestyle preference. That is a clinical observation.Q: Why do some patients have the right diagnosis and treatment plan and still not improve? A: There is almost always a motivational gap underneath the clinical picture. Patients who are doing the health work to chase a social standard or gain someone's approval tend to stop when it gets hard. The ones who are doing it for something bigger than the number on the scale tend to keep going.Q: Why did Sharon Lemoine leave corporate healthcare? A: Corporate medicine gives providers roughly seven minutes per patient. That is enough time to hand someone a lab result and move on. It is not enough time to understand what a person is actually carrying. She built a concierge practice because she wanted to have the real conversation.📱 RESOURCES Website: gigharbormedicalspa.com Book a Consultation: gigharbormedicalspa.com/book-now/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconciergenp_/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHMedicalspa YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonLemoine-ARNP🔔 Subscribe for straight answers about hormones, perimenopause, and women's health from a nurse practitioner with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. New episodes every week.ABOUT SHARON LEMOINE, ARNP: Sharon Lemoine is a board-certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP, FNP-C) with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. She is the founder of Gig Harbor Medical Spa and Concierge Medicine in Washington State, specializing in hormone optimization, perimenopause and menopause care, functional medicine, weight loss, and peptide therapy. As a Type 1 diabetic, thyroid cancer survivor, and woman navigating surgical menopause herself, Sharon brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to every episode. She believes your body is a gift worth honoring, and that you are in control of your health.#Perimenopause #HormoneHealth #WomensHealthOver40 #MenopauseSymptoms #FunctionalMedicineSharon Lemoine, ARNPGig Harbor Medical Spa11515 Burnham Dr Suite 105, Gig Harbor, WA 98332(253) 649-3916https://gigharbormedicalspa.com

📌 Book a Consultation: gigharbormedicalspa.com/book-now/You love your husband. But when he reaches for you, nothing is there. You have prayed about it, gone to counseling, and tried harder. And every day you carry the guilt of knowing what a faithful wife is supposed to want. The guilt is real. But the cause is not what you think.In this episode, I'm going to show you why counseling falls short for this specific problem, what is actually happening in your body when desire disappears, and the exact test to request at your next provider appointment.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 When you love your husband but desire has completely disappeared1:09 Why your counselor, pastor, and doctor all pointed you in the wrong direction2:29 The hormone that actually drives desire in women (and what happens when it runs out)3:02 How testosterone levels drop through perimenopause and why it happens so fast3:54 3 questions to tell if this is actually your problem4:29 What it looks like when a body is running on empty (not a failing marriage)5:31 Why low libido in women over 40 is almost always a testosterone deficiency6:03 Why standard lab panels never test for it6:55 What consistently happens when hormone levels get optimized7:51 The exact test to bring to your next provider appointment❓ QUESTIONS ANSWEREDWhy do women lose sexual desire in their 40s?Testosterone, the hormone that drives sexual desire in women, begins declining around age 30 and drops sharply through perimenopause. By the mid-40s, levels can be a fraction of what they were a decade earlier, which can cause desire to disappear entirely rather than simply decrease.Can low libido in a marriage be a hormonal problem rather than a relationship problem?Yes, especially for women in perimenopause. When testosterone and estrogen drop simultaneously, desire goes offline for a biochemical reason that has nothing to do with attraction, love, or the health of the relationship.What test should I ask for if I have low or absent libido?Ask your provider specifically for a free and total testosterone test, plus a full hormone panel including estrogen and progesterone. Standard lab panels for women do not include testosterone, so you must request it by name.📱 RESOURCESWebsite: gigharbormedicalspa.comBook a Consultation: gigharbormedicalspa.com/book-now/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconciergenp_/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHMedicalspa🔔 Subscribe for straight answers about hormones, perimenopause, and women's health from a nurse practitioner with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. New episodes every week.ABOUT SHARON LEMOINE, ARNPSharon Lemoine is a board-certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP, FNP-C) with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. She is the founder of Gig Harbor Medical Spa and Concierge Medicine in Washington State, specializing in hormone optimization, perimenopause and menopause care, functional medicine, weight loss, and peptide therapy. As a Type 1 diabetic, thyroid cancer survivor, and woman navigating surgical menopause herself, Sharon brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to every video. She believes your body is a gift worth honoring, and that you are in control of your health.#Perimenopause #HormoneHealth #WomensHealthOver40 #MenopauseSymptoms #FunctionalMedicine

📌 Book a Consultation: gigharbormedicalspa.com/book-now/Most women start a GLP-1 thinking the goal is to eat less and weigh less. That is exactly how these medications are marketed. But a dropping number on the scale is not the same thing as your body getting healthier.When you lose weight rapidly on a GLP-1 without a specific protective strategy in place, a significant portion of what you lose is not fat. It is muscle. In this episode, I'm going to show you what actually determines whether a GLP-1 honors the body you were given, the one number you need before your first dose, and the five checkpoints almost no one covers before they start.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 Why Most Women Walk Away From a GLP-1 Weaker Than When They Started1:13 Point 1: The Mistake That Turns a Good Decision Into a Setback2:05 Why the Dropping Scale Number Is Not Telling You the Whole Story3:07 Point 2: What Actually Drives Lasting Results on a GLP-14:46 Point 3: How to Honestly Assess Whether You Are Ready to Start5:10 Three Questions to Answer Before Your First Dose7:36 Point 4: The One Number You Need Before Day One8:28 The Patient Case That Standard Labs Completely Missed9:42 Point 5: What to Do This Week Before You Start❓ QUESTIONS ANSWEREDWhat is the biggest mistake women make before starting a GLP-1?Starting without a body composition baseline. Without knowing your lean muscle mass before day one, you have no way to track whether the weight coming off is fat, muscle, or both, and most women end up lighter but metabolically weaker.How do you protect muscle while on a GLP-1?Three things: get a body composition scan before you start to establish your baseline, keep your protein intake high throughout treatment, and maintain resistance training. The medication suppresses appetite, so protein has to be intentional or muscle loss begins almost immediately.What is an InBody scan and why does it matter on a GLP-1?An InBody is a 30-second body composition scan that shows your lean muscle mass, body fat percentage, and visceral fat. It gives you the baseline number your scale will never show, so you can track whether the medication is protecting or depleting what matters most.📱 RESOURCESWebsite: gigharbormedicalspa.comBook a Consultation: gigharbormedicalspa.com/book-now/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconciergenp_/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHMedicalspa🔔 Subscribe for straight answers about hormones, perimenopause, and women's health from a nurse practitioner with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. New episodes every week.ABOUT SHARON LEMOINE, ARNPSharon Lemoine is a board-certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP, FNP-C) with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. She is the founder of Gig Harbor Medical Spa and Concierge Medicine in Washington State, specializing in hormone optimization, perimenopause and menopause care, functional medicine, weight loss, and peptide therapy. As a Type 1 diabetic, thyroid cancer survivor, and woman navigating surgical menopause herself, Sharon brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to every video. She believes your body is a gift worth honoring, and that you are in control of your health.#Perimenopause #HormoneHealth #WomensHealthOver40 #MenopauseSymptoms #FunctionalMedicine

📌 Book a Consultation: gigharbormedicalspa.com/book-now/You have prayed about it. Journaled about it. Gone to therapy and tried medication. And the anxiety is still there, underneath everything, every single day. Part of you has started to wonder if this is just who you are now. It is not. For so many women, the anxiety is not a mental health problem at all. It is something physical that nobody has bothered to look at. And until that piece is found, nothing else fully works.In this episode, I'm going to walk you through the five warning signs that your anxiety may not be a mental health problem, and exactly what to bring to your next appointment.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 When the anxiety is real but the diagnosis is wrong0:52 The pattern 28 years in medicine revealed1:22 Sign 1: Anxiety that appeared without a psychological trigger3:44 Sign 2: When the anxiety starts in your body, not your mind6:48 Sign 3: The 3-question pattern test you can answer right now8:56 Sign 4: Why partial treatment response means the root has not been found11:00 Sign 5: The hormonal root cause almost nobody checks12:32 What to write down before your next appointment❓ QUESTIONS ANSWEREDQ: Can hormonal changes cause anxiety in women over 40?A: Yes. Progesterone is the body's primary calming hormone. It works on the same receptors in the brain that anti-anxiety medications target. When progesterone drops in your late 30s and 40s, your nervous system loses its ability to settle. This creates a physical anxiety signal that mental health tools alone cannot fully resolve because the root is biological, not psychological.Q: Why does anxiety medication only partially work for some women?A: Partial improvement is one of the most telling clinical patterns. It almost always means one layer of the problem was addressed while something else kept running underneath it, untested. When anxiety has a hormonal driver, standard treatments reduce symptoms but cannot eliminate the root cause. A comprehensive hormone panel is the step most providers never take.Q: What is the difference between anxiety that starts in the mind versus anxiety that starts in the body?A: Anxiety rooted in the mind has a traceable cause: sustained stress, a trauma, or a longstanding pattern of worry. Anxiety rooted in the body starts as a physical signal. The racing thoughts come after, as the brain tries to explain a nervous system that will not calm down. They look identical but respond to completely different treatments.📱 RESOURCESWebsite: gigharbormedicalspa.comBook a Consultation: gigharbormedicalspa.com/book-now/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconciergenp_/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHMedicalspaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonLemoine-ARNP🔔 Subscribe for straight answers about hormones, perimenopause, and women's health from a nurse practitioner with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. New episodes every week.💬 Which of these 5 signs connected with something you have been carrying for a while? Share your experience in the comments. You are not alone and you deserve real answers.ABOUT SHARON LEMOINE, ARNPSharon Lemoine is a board-certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP, FNP-C) with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. She is the founder of Gig Harbor Medical Spa and Concierge Medicine in Washington State, specializing in hormone optimization, perimenopause and menopause care, functional medicine, weight loss, and peptide therapy. As a Type 1 diabetic, thyroid cancer survivor, and woman navigating surgical menopause herself, Sharon brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to every episode. She believes your body is a gift worth honoring, and that you are in control of your health.#Perimenopause #HormoneHealth #WomensHealthOver40 #MenopauseSymptoms #FunctionalMedicine

📌 Book a Consultation: gigharbormedicalspa.com/book-now/There is a study from 25 years ago that changed how doctors talk to women about hormones. It scared a generation of women away from getting help. And it was wrong. Women are still paying for that mistake with their health, their energy, and their quality of life.In this episode, I'm going to walk you through what that study actually found, why your doctor may still be operating on outdated information, and what the real science says about hormone therapy today.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 - The Study That Got It Wrong and Why Women Are Still Paying for It1:37 - What the Women's Health Initiative Actually Measured2:37 - Why the WHI Results Were Never About Women Like You4:08 - When Researchers Reanalyzed the Data, Everything Changed5:12 - Bioidentical vs. Synthetic Hormones: Why the Difference Matters6:53 - How Hormones Are Delivered Changes Everything8:19 - The Myth That Hormones Cause Breast Cancer12:02 - The Risks of NOT Treating Your Hormones14:13 - Honoring Your Body Is Not Vanity, It Is Stewardship❓ QUESTIONS ANSWEREDQ: Is hormone replacement therapy actually safe for women in perimenopause?A: The study most doctors cite used the wrong hormones on the wrong women at the wrong time. When women start bioidentical hormone therapy within ten years of menopause, research shows cardiovascular risk goes down and breast cancer risk does not increase.Q: Do bioidentical hormones cause breast cancer?A: The breast cancer risk found in the original WHI study was tied to a specific combination of oral synthetic estrogen and synthetic progestin taken for more than five years. Estrogen-only therapy showed no increased risk. When bioidentical progesterone is used instead of synthetic progestin, the data looks very different.📱 RESOURCESWebsite: gigharbormedicalspa.comBook a Consultation: gigharbormedicalspa.com/book-now/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconciergenp_/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHMedicalspa🔔 Subscribe for straight answers about hormones, perimenopause, and women's health from a nurse practitioner with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. New videos every week.ABOUT SHARON LEMOINE, ARNPSharon Lemoine is a board-certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP, FNP-C) with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. She is the founder of Gig Harbor Medical Spa and Concierge Medicine in Washington State, specializing in hormone optimization, perimenopause and menopause care, functional medicine, weight loss, and peptide therapy. As a Type 1 diabetic, thyroid cancer survivor, and woman navigating surgical menopause herself, Sharon brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to every video. She believes your body is a gift worth honoring, and that you are in control of your health.#Perimenopause #HormoneHealth #WomensHealthOver40 #MenopauseSymptoms #FunctionalMedicine

📌 Book a Consultation: gigharbormedicalspa.com/book-now/If you cannot remember the last time you woke up actually rested, something is wrong and it is not just your sleep schedule.In this episode, I am breaking down the five most common reasons women feel exhausted all the time, and why most doctors are missing every single one of them.TIMESTAMPS0:00 When did you last wake up feeling rested?1:19 Reason 1: Hormone depletion (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone)2:15 How declining hormones drain your cells of energy3:39 Reason 2: Vitamin D and what your number should actually be4:53 Why "normal" is not the same as optimal6:10 Reason 3: Insulin resistance quietly stealing your energy7:30 Signs you might be insulin resistant right now9:55 Reason 4: Your thyroid is probably being tested wrong11:39 What a full thyroid panel needs to include13:01 Reason 5: What to do tonight before your next appointment❓Commonly Asked Questions:Can my fatigue really be a hormone problem, not a sleep problem?Yes. As estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone decline, they directly affect how your cells produce energy, how your nervous system regulates, and how motivated you feel day to day. If you also have brain fog, low libido, or disrupted sleep on top of the exhaustion, hormone depletion is likely part of what is going on.My doctor said my vitamin D is normal. Why does it still matter?Normal and optimal are not the same number. The standard range starts at 30, but anything under 50 can still drag down your energy, immunity, and brain function. Do not accept "it is normal." Ask for the exact number.What blood work should I specifically ask for?Ask for a full thyroid panel including TSH, T4, T3, reverse T3, TPO antibodies, and thyroglobulin. Also request fasting insulin and a full hormone panel with estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. A TSH result alone does not tell you how your thyroid is actually functioning.📱 RESOURCESWebsite: gigharbormedicalspa.comBook a Consultation: gigharbormedicalspa.com/book-now/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconciergenp_/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHMedicalspa🔔 Subscribe for straight answers about hormones, perimenopause, and women's health from a nurse practitioner with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. New videos every week.ABOUT SHARON LEMOINE, ARNPSharon Lemoine is a board-certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP, FNP-C) with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. She is the founder of Gig Harbor Medical Spa and Concierge Medicine in Washington State, specializing in hormone optimization, perimenopause and menopause care, functional medicine, weight loss, and peptide therapy. As a Type 1 diabetic, thyroid cancer survivor, and woman navigating surgical menopause herself, Sharon brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to every video. She believes your body is a gift worth honoring, and that you are in control of your health.#Perimenopause #HormoneHealth #WomensHealthOver40 #MenopauseSymptoms #FunctionalMedicine

📌 Book a Consultation: gigharbormedicalspa.com/book-now/Your doctor looked you in the eye and said your labs were normal. You were told to manage your stress, push through the fatigue, and accept this is just getting older. What got dismissed in that room was years of real symptoms with a real cause.In this episode, I'm going to break down the 5 most important things I wish every woman over 40 knew about her hormones before years of silent suffering passed her by.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 - What Your Doctor Got Wrong About "Normal"1:11 - #1: Your Hormones Started Declining in Your 30s3:13 - #2: Why "Normal" Lab Results Are Keeping You Sick6:07 - #3: Rage, Anxiety, and Brain Fog Are Often Hormone Symptoms8:33 - #4: "You're Just Getting Older" Is Not a Diagnosis9:06 - Why Most Providers Aren't Trained in Hormone Optimization11:09 - #5: You Are in Control of Your Health13:38 - What to Do Tonight: Write This Down14:54 - You're Not Broken: Closing Thoughts❓ QUESTIONS ANSWEREDQ: What are the first signs of perimenopause?A: Fatigue that sleep won't fix, mood changes, low libido, and brain fog often begin in the mid-30s, well before menopause. Most providers aren't testing for it that early, which is why so many women get dismissed.Q: Why do my labs come back normal if I feel terrible?A: Reference ranges reflect population averages, not what is optimal for your body to actually feel well. A hormone level that technically passes the test can still be too low to function at your best.Q: Can hormone imbalance cause anxiety and depression?A: Yes. When estrogen drops, serotonin production drops with it, and low progesterone disrupts your nervous system's ability to calm down. These are biochemical causes of mood symptoms, not personal failures.📱 RESOURCESWebsite: gigharbormedicalspa.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/theconciergenp_/Facebook: www.facebook.com/GHMedicalspa🔔 Subscribe for straight answers about hormones, perimenopause, and women's health from a nurse practitioner with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. New videos every week.ABOUT SHARON LEMOINE, ARNPSharon Lemoine is a board-certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP, FNP-C) with 28 years in medicine and over 100,000 patients treated. She is the founder of Gig Harbor Medical Spa and Concierge Medicine in Washington State, specializing in hormone optimization, perimenopause and menopause care, functional medicine, weight loss, and peptide therapy. As a Type 1 diabetic, thyroid cancer survivor, and woman navigating surgical menopause herself, Sharon brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to every video. She believes your body is a gift worth honoring, and that you are in control of your health.#Perimenopause #HormoneHealth #WomensHealthOver40 #MenopauseSymptoms #FunctionalMedicine