Navigating the world of hormones with Courtney Johnson

How Courtney Got Started

"Hey, my name is Courtney Johnson, I am a functional nutrition practitioner. My love for fitness and holistic health came after years of struggling with anorexia and body dysmorphia. I recovered from the eating disorder and ended up in the macro counting, bodybuilding community. Got my personal trainer certification and made plans to start fitness competitions. This is when health issues started popping up and I was forced to take a step back from bodybuilding. I don’t remember how I came across Dr. Ray Peat’s work but hearing him speak brought clarity to so many questions that couldn’t be answered by mainstream health and fitness professionals. At that point, I just wanted to help everyone who was struggling with losing weight because of sluggish metabolism, insufficient thyroid function, and an imbalance of sex hormones and stress hormones. Realizing that the nutrition component was key for so many, I obtained my holistic nutritionist certification and dove into understanding bioenergetics."

The Importance of Hormone Health

Raena: "What inspired you to pay more attention to your hormone health and make it a part of your routine?"

Courtney: "In my dieting, IIFYM, bodybuilding phase, I started having digestive issues and chronic UTIs. I happened upon Dr. Ray Peat’s work and was able to stop my UTIs with progesterone and vitamin E. In the process of trying to solve this issue, I realized this wasn’t the only hormonal issue I was struggling with. Anxiety, mood swings, hair thinning, acne, heart palpitations, and PMS were all things I had believed were normal before learning what optimal female hormonal health looked like. The symptoms I had led me to believe my issues were excess estrogen, low progesterone, and blood tests revealed I had elevated cortisol. My focus has been on balancing my estrogen-progesterone levels, lowering my cortisol, and optimizing thyroid function."

Daily Hormone Balancing Routine

Raena: "Could you share your daily or weekly health and hormone-balancing routine with us? What does it typically involve?"

Courtney: "In the morning, I take my desiccated thyroid, wait around 30 minutes, eat some yogurt, then have coffee outside. This is my quiet time of reading and prayer. After a balanced breakfast, I will either go for a walk or do Pilates, then finish with deep stretching. I use Raena’s progesterone cream as directed and take vitamin E daily. The rest of my day is homeschooling and motherly duties, but I make eating nutritious meals a priority and don’t drink caffeine on an empty stomach. Depending on the day, I may see it fit to use certain supplements to help support balance."

Staying Informed

Raena: "How do you stay informed about the latest developments and research related to hormone health?"

Courtney: "Ray Peat, Broda Barnes, Hans Selye, and Katharina Dalton’s books and research were foundational to me for understanding hormonal health. For the latest research, I look to Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy, Tommo Littlewood, Jay Feldman, and Georgi Dinkov. I also like to read articles on PubMed related to certain supplements used for hormonal health."

Advice for Beginners

Raena: "What advice would you give to someone who is just starting to explore hormone health and wants to establish a balanced routine?"

Courtney: "For me, the mindset around food, exercise, and weight was something I had to change before I was able to make any real lifestyle changes. I had to learn that there is no perfect diet, routine, or supplement stack. These things need to ebb and flow depending on where you are currently in life. I also had to change my view of foods and products from 'this is good or bad' to 'this serves me, and this does not.' Thanks for joining me on this journey! I hope my experiences can inspire and empower you in your own health journey."