In this empowering episode, your host Louise, a multi award-winning women's integrative health practitioner, performance scientist and one of the world's leading exercise physiologists specializing in the needs of active women and recreational runners, opens up about her personal journey through the broken U.S. healthcare system—sharing real frustrations, devastating setbacks, lessons learned, and practical strategies to help you advocate for your own vibrant health and fitness. From being dismissed for "looking healthy" to getting denied essential labs, she highlights the challenges many women face, especially ambitious active women facing hormone challenges and frustrating peri/menopause symptoms.

You'll learn how to prepare for a doctor’s visit, including ideas of what labs and screenings to request, how to present your health history effectively, and why walking in with confidence and clarity matters. She breaks down how to blend traditional and integrative medicine for optimal care and stresses the importance of tuning into your body over relying solely on expensive tests.

Whether you’re trying to get answers, ditch symptoms, reverse setbacks or take a more proactive approach to your holistic wellness, this episode will leave you informed, fired up, and equipped to take charge of your healthcare journey!

Ready to level up your knowledge of getting the holistic care you deserve? Let's freaking go! Tune in and take action today!

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Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(2:10) Why women’s healthcare is failing and the personal motivation behind this episode
(4:30) Early struggles with hormonal health and long-term impact
(5:56) What Breaking Through Wellness offers and how it supports clients
(7:04) How to advocate confidently at your doctor’s visit
(9:10) The problem with denied labs like Vitamin D and A1C
(10:54) Using Function Health and customizing lab insights
(12:45) Why blood tests aren't always best for hormone tracking
(14:25) The frustration of functional medicine being dismissed
(19:49) Advocating with lab printouts and history
(22:19) Preventive screenings to include in your checklist
(25:11) Liver health and when to request an ultrasound
(29:54) Advocating for cardiology referrals at age 40
(32:38) DEXA scans, bone health, and why you should start early
(35:07) Advanced bone health labs (CTX and P1NP)
(38:18) What to do if you’re denied or dismissed
(41:01) A look at int

Tune in weekly to "Maximizing Fitness, Physique, and Running Through Perimenopause" for a simple female-specific science-based revolution. Let's unlock our best with less stress!
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