Hormone Expert: Control Your Hormones Control Your Belly Fat! Cortisol, Oestrogen, Testosterone



Is your belly fat, stress, or burnout actually a hormone issue? Dr. Sara Szal reveals the hidden hormone connection and how to fix it for good. Ozempic, Semaglutide!

Dr. Sara Szal (previously Gottfried) is a Harvard-trained medical doctor, scientist and researcher, with 30 years of experience. She is also the author of 4 bestselling books such as, ‘The Autoimmune Cure: Healing the Trauma and Other Triggers That Have Turned Your Body Against You’.

00:00 Intro
02:05 What Do You Do?
03:38 Background and Training
05:18 Helping 40,000 People: What Sara Has Done
08:06 What Is Precision Medicine?
09:40 What’s Wrong with Conventional Medicine?
12:25 Why Sara Chose This Career
14:32 Importance of Healing from Past Trauma
16:06 How Trauma Manifests into Health Conditions
20:05 Lack of Nutrition and Lifestyle Education in Medical Courses
21:34 Cortisol and Stress
24:45 Is There a Link Between Cortisol and Trauma?
25:23 Daily Habits That Disrupt Hormones
28:36 What Can People Do to Optimise Their Health?
29:57 Is Sugar the Enemy?
31:18 Supplements for Hormonal Balance
32:14 Common Nutritional Deficiencies
36:16 How to Regulate Cortisol Levels
40:25 Is It Easy to Get Someone to Change?
41:42 Can Forcing Change Cause Harm?
43:47 How to Support Someone Breaking Bad Habits
45:56 When Should Men Start Monitoring Testosterone?
47:20 Testosterone in Women
47:53 Signs of Low Testosterone in Men
48:23 Symptoms of Low Testosterone in Women
49:14 Symptoms of High Testosterone in Women
50:16 How to Regulate Testosterone Levels
52:30 Why Estrogen Matters for Both Genders
59:09 Importance of Fibre in the Diet
59:59 Role of the Microbiome in Hormone Regulation
1:01:20 Fibre-Rich Foods
1:01:33 Sara’s Preferred Diet
1:03:22 The Ketogenic Diet
1:05:30 Side Effects of the Keto Diet
1:06:05 Can You Stay on Keto Long-Term?
1:07:29 Strategies for Effective Weight Loss
1:08:33 Fasting
1:11:26 What Is Perimenopause and When Does It Begin?
1:15:34 Can Menopause Symptoms Be Avoided?
1:16:09 Birth Control
1:16:59 Who Is Birth Control For?
1:17:50 How Is Sara Doing Today?
1:18:28 Sara’s Spiritual State
1:18:57 Whole Body Yes
1:20:01 How to Know If a Marriage No Longer Works
1:24:15 Sara’s Divorce: Could It Have Been Saved?
1:27:07 Are Women in Menopause More Likely to Divorce?
1:28:28 Do Happiness Levels Rise in Your 50s?
1:29:37 Supporting Women Better
1:33:05 Gender Roles and Their Impact on Women
1:34:26 Why Are Women More Stressed Than Men?
1:35:38 Are Women More Emotionally Sensitive Than Men?
1:36:13 Why Women Are More Prone to Autoimmune Diseases
1:38:40 Does Late Motherhood Raise Cancer Risk?
1:41:11 What Is Polarity in Heterosexual Relationships?
1:45:19 How to Prevent Sexual Attraction from Fading
1:49:02 Emotional Connection with Conversation Cards
1:49:57 Impact of Sleep on Hormonal Balance
1:51:39 Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
1:52:18 How to Increase HRV Effectively

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41 Comments

  1. Quick question, do you like these types of convos? If so, please hit the like button on the vid – that’s the best way to let us know (also, would be doing me a big favour if you could subscribe & join our community) I appreciate you – SB! X

  2. Thank you for this fascinating and insightful conversation! 🌸💚 The connection between hormones, cortisol, gut health, and menopause deserves much more attention.

    On our small health channel, “Gesund im Alltag,” we also explore hormonal changes, menopause, nutrition, and natural ways to support well-being. 🌿

    It's wonderful to see these important topics reaching more people. Thank you for sharing such valuable knowledge! ❤

  3. The part about her divorce sounds eerily familiar. Very close to where I’m at in my marriage and it scares me to see this as a possibility even if all I want, is to make it to the end with my wife. To spend that much time pouring into a relationship only to end it because it wasn’t invested in properly. That sucks.

  4. 53:59 my sister had frozen shoulder problem for years started around 45 years old. Doctors looked for every reason but none of them even mentioned it may be the low estrogen due to perimenopause

  5. She's highly qualified, highly accomplished, and probably helped a lot of people (women). But I simply can't take anymore of this. Her language feels highly charged and leaves a lot for the listener to infer.
    This is the very first episode of DOAC that I just had to put a stop to.
    1. Steve said "people that you heal", her immediate response was, "that's patriarchal." What?
    2. "I help heal people." Later on, "and then men too." Probably not her intention or her idealization, but it does infer that she separates men from "people". It's simply a hard thing to look away from, especially with so many misandrist women in today's age.
    3. Her tonal inflexions are unprofessional and very annoying. Her every statement ends in the form and tone of a question, and begs to wonder if she knows what she's talking about.

  6. My Attorney at Law states hear this ….., There is No divorce when first There is no Marriage!!!! He charges me $500.00 an Hours. Billing in 15 minutes for his time.. I speak real Fast . He was A lawyer at Best.. very Wise senior Jewish lawyer. Drove Mercedes Benz had A very Beautiful wise Wife.. She was da Boss!!!!!!

  7. Mr Steven they lied to women amongst them selves??????!!!! It appears on your show everyone is lying about everyone and everything!!!! So I have only One questions is what pontoons Pilot asked Jesus Christ What is there Thruth??????? When everyone is sooooo untruth???? I am a man … Not concerned with men O. Pause!!! I’m not married… happy being single.. I did not Give away my Last Name to both Gender….

  8. Great talk..I’m 49 & just did a talk about hormones with my good friend on YouTube … A lot of women in my private online community including myself have found amazing success with prioritizing yourself with lifestyle changes like with a whole food plant based diet with healthy fats like flax seeds or avocado in moderations walnuts as much raw uncooked as possible maybe would look like fruit big salads.. getting sunlight .. staying hydrated I also have found recently extra movement & resistance (weights) are helping so much too.

  9. RUBBISH. She lost me at 6 minutes. No such thing as 'balancing hormones' that are wildly fluctuating as they're supposed to do during perimenopause. Diminishing hormones and ageing is real and a natural process of ageing and there is nothing wrong with using body identical HRT to reduce often debilitating symptoms to allow you to get on with life. HRT also helps to prevent bone loss, heart disease and dementia. All this ableist healing lifestyle stuff is for the rich and privileged. Ofcourse there's nothing wrong with a holistic approach but estrogen and progesterone supplements is a gentle safe easy treatment that gives people their lives back.
    We don't live in ancient times, and we rely on robust science for a very good reason, so stop romanticising ancient medicine.

  10. I live in SOUTH AFRICA and Europe. I think people just lived with it in the past, grew older faster, my grandparents were already VERY old at my age. Poeple also died earlier. And also all these tips are sometimes just not practical in everyday life.

  11. 53, in my perimenopouse, have low thyroid, and addison's desease. Feels like I'm stuck. But I do enjoy being busy, experimenting with recipes, baking, painting, decorating homes. Other than that I I get tired very quickly, difficulty with sleeping…. Feel like the real answer is not out there.

  12. I've gotta say she hasn't got it right so much about women on keto diet regarding their period and sleep. It's the opposite for most well men and the trick is to eat way more fat. Fat is hormonal therapy. Also cruciferous vegetables are goitrogens vegetables. They steal iodine and stop your thyroid gland working properly. I would avoid many vegetables and fibre. Everyone is different, some people respond better on keto than others that's true. But also some people's bodies work better on a stricter diet like carnivore. Our bodies run 3x better on ketones and our liver makes glucose, we don't need it as a food source

  13. I liked how you talk about older women’s hormone problems something we don’t hear much of! And where in the world can you find a Doctor Who has enough sense in that area that can help you? Most doctors are only looking to find something medical to stuff down your throat and most of that has side effects and I am looking for the real thing and for a real doctor that actually cares about your overall health and where can we find them except on YouTube podcast? I need answers.

  14. OK, I’m trying to get past a few first minutes of her word salad… I’m not sure I can listen to this entire interview if she’s going to continue to talk like this

  15. It was refreshing to hear a Dr be so open about so many areas of her life and medical practice.

    My major concern and an element missing is spiritual – many people may feel encouraged to give up on marriages for example. The spiritual aspect of who women are in the eyes of God, who they are as mothers, and so many organic ways. Not addressing some of these issues through a spiritual eye – is an important aspect. Her analysis on social construct is important but again – missing the spiritual influences and importances of this in the cultural change needs.

  16. النساء يصابون بالأمراض اكتر لان النساء تتم التلاعب بهرموناتهم بموانع الحمل هادا رأيي
    والرجال لا ياخذون موانع الحمل

  17. Wonderful & enlightening interview; as always.
    I became an integrative health coach & opened my own business for women to help support the healthcare gap Dr. Sarah is talking about. I have a background as a RN and it has given me a scientific background & bedside experience, but it wasn’t until my own chronic illness that changed my perspective on health & wellness and what it truly means.

  18. Incredibly informative interview I feel like I learned so much as a woman of 38 going through perimenopause and suffering like hell. I will definitely be getting her books and taking her advice. Thank you to the whole team at Doac for bringing awareness to women’s health. So very grateful!!

  19. When I had the first signs of premenopause, I went to see a micro-nutritionist, I changed my diet, almost no carbs, more proteins especially for breakfast, I lost 8 kilos, and now I keep my weight steady. I had prediabete and not anymore, I was low on Vit D, iodum and iron, now everything is better and I have less pain in my back, shoulders, and I m less tired. I feel younger now than 4 years ago. I am 56 and not ménopausée yet but soon it will be 1 year since I had my last period.

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