How Hormone Replacement Therapy Can Help You Feel Your Best Through Perimenopause & Beyond

Forget everything you’ve heard—menopause isn’t something to fear. Rather, it’s something to embrace. While it often gets a bad rap, board-certified OB/GYN Jessica Shepherd, M.D., says it doesn’t have to be a daunting or confusing time.

In our conversion on the mindbodygreen podcast, Shepherd explains that it can be a transition that you have control over with the assistance of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

First things first: menopause is universal—every woman will go through it. But the way you experience it? That is up to you. Shepherd emphasizes that one of the biggest misunderstandings around menopause is the idea that women just need to "deal with it." 

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is like getting your body’s internal messenger system back on track. As we age, our hormone levels naturally start to decline. These hormones—like estrogen and progesterone—are responsible for a lot of the things we don’t think about until they start to change. HRT can help manage symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, and more by giving your body back those crucial chemical messengers it’s been missing.

One of the most critical points Shepherd makes is the importance of individualization. Menopause is not a one-size-fits-all experience, and neither is HRT. Every woman’s journey is unique, which means that treatment plans must be tailored to meet their specific needs.

Shepherd encourages women to start conversations about menopause and HRT early, ideally in their 40s, so they can be proactive about managing their health. Hormone panels and lab testing can provide helpful insights into hormone levels, but Shepherd is more focused on symptoms than numbers. Your symptoms tell the story. So don’t worry about chasing lab numbers; focus on how you feel.

The exciting aspect of this journey is that HRT is just one piece of the puzzle. The real magic lies in how you choose to live your life. Shepherd emphasizes the transformative power of resistance training and weightlifting, calling them essential tools in this new chapter. Why? Because muscle is your best friend when it comes to longevity.

As estrogen levels drop, so does muscle mass. But by lifting weights, you can maintain muscle, which not only helps your metabolism but also supports your bone health and heart health (did you know there are estrogen receptors in your heart?). It’s all connected. So, if you haven’t picked up those dumbbells yet, now’s the time. 

She’s also a big fan of creatine for women. This widely studied supplement is not just for bodybuilders—creatine can help improve muscle and brain function, which is key to longevity. 

Shepherd believes that menopause should be viewed as a “beautiful transition” rather than something to dread. While aging is inevitable, she stresses that we have the power to choose how we age. This mindset shift is vital.

Rather than accepting the narrative that aging is synonymous with decline, women can embrace this new chapter with confidence, knowing they have tools like HRT, weightlifting, and proper nutrition to support well-being.