Hormones 101: Arielle Lorre and Dr. Erika Schwartz Clear the Confusion Around Women’s Health

Hormones can feel like alphabet soup—estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, adrenal—and somehow they all impact sleep, mood, energy, skin, sex drive, and brain fog. On Well with Arielle Lorre, hormone expert Dr. Erika Schwartz cuts through the noise with straight talk on what these hormones actually do and how to know when they’re off. After years of advocating for bioidentical options and individualized treatment, she has one central message: Hormones don’t work in a vacuum. 

“If your hormones are in balance…you feel great,” Schwartz tells host Arielle Lorre. “However, if your lifestyle is not exactly in balance—you stay up all night, you party a lot, you don’t exercise, you eat junk, you drink alcohol—eventually your hormones are not gonna be in balance.” That means that sleep, nutrition, stress, and movement matter just as much as any prescription. 

Hormone Health 101: What Women Need to Know

This episode lays out the big signals to watch and why a personalized plan beats a one-size-fits-all approach every time.

Healthcare can be a disaster for women

When Schwartz looks back at how women’s hormones have been handled in traditional medicine, she calls it what it is: a mess. Much of today’s confusion stems from the early 2000s, when the Women’s Health Initiative released findings that wrongly linked hormone therapy to higher cancer risks. The study used synthetic hormones on older women who already had health issues—not the bioidentical versions many doctors recommend today. Still, the media headlines were alarming enough that, as Dr. Schwartz recalls, “seven million women were taken off hormones. That’s a lot of women.”

An entire generation was told that HRT was dangerous, leaving millions to white-knuckle their way through hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, and bone loss without viable options. Despite later research showing those initial conclusions were misleading, the damage was done. 

“Healthcare is a disaster, especially for women,” Schwartz says, pointing out how often female patients are dismissed or given short-term fixes instead of real solutions. 

Hormones and lifestyle go hand in hand

Dr. Schwartz stresses that how we live matters just as much as what’s going on in our bloodwork. Simple lifestyle changes can make hormone therapy more effective—or, in some cases, even prevent the need for it altogether. Consistent workouts, quality sleep, and learning to manage stress give the body a fighting chance to regulate itself. 

What your hormones actually do

Most women only hear about estrogen and progesterone in the context of birth control or menopause. But there’s so much more to the story. Estrogen is the builder. It helps tissue grow and repair, while progesterone acts as the balancer to keep that growth in check. Then there’s testosterone, which is often overlooked in women’s health but just as important. “Women make more testosterone than men—for our size,” Dr. Schwartz explains, highlighting its role in protecting the brain, bones, and muscle while also fueling libido.

This reframing matters because many women assume symptoms like low energy, brain fog, or weaker bones are just “part of aging.” In reality, they’re often tied to dips in these essential hormones. By understanding what each one does, patients can better advocate for themselves and recognize when something feels off.

Timing your tests so the results match how you feel

One of the most frustrating experiences women share is being told their labs are “normal” even when they feel anything but. Dr. Schwartz explains that timing is everything. “If you have a 28-day cycle, you go [test] day 17 or so,” she advises. “That will tell me if you ovulate, what happens to your estrogen and progesterone, testosterone—it’ll tell me a lot.” she says. Testing at the wrong time can completely miss the hormonal fluctuations that explain your symptoms.

Don’t get boxed in by labels

Forget rigid categories like “perimenopause” or “postmenopause.” Dr. Schwartz urges women not to get boxed in by labels. “Doctor does not know best, you know best,” she says. Hormones don’t shift on a set schedule, and every woman’s experience is unique. Some might benefit from support in their 30s; others won’t need it until later in life.

Her philosophy is about balance, not replacement. Bioidentical therapy, when used thoughtfully, is meant to supplement what the body is missing—not override it. The goal is to help women feel like themselves again, not fit into a pre-determined medical category. “Within two to three weeks, it’s magic. You feel like yourself,” Dr. Schwartz says. That, she believes, is the standard women deserve.

Want the full conversation? Listen to Well with Arielle Lorre wherever you get your podcasts.

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