Have you ever felt totally off but couldn’t explain why? Did you ever figure out what was causing it? Today, Jay sits down with Dr. Sara Szal, a Harvard- and MIT-trained physician, researcher, and bestselling author, to dive into a topic that affects everyone but rarely gets the attention it deserves: hormones. Together, they break down what hormones really are, how stress and daily habits can throw them off balance, and why understanding these powerful chemical messengers can completely transform the way we think about health. Dr. Sara shares how simple changes, from better sleep and mindful eating to managing stress, can help reset your body’s natural rhythm in just a few days. Dr. Sara explains how the pill, though widely used, can disrupt hormone balance, increase inflammation, and even affect fertility, insights many women never hear about. She breaks down what’s really happening inside the body and offers practical ways to restore balance through nutrition, testing, and natural alternatives. In this interview, you'll learn: How to Balance Your Hormones Naturally How to Manage Stress and Lower Cortisol How to Reset Your Body in Just 3 Days How to Heal Fatigue by Listening to Your Body How to Transition Off Birth Control Safely How to Support Fertility and Hormone Health How to Regulate Before You React What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 00:22 What Exactly Are Hormones? 01:20 What Causes Hormonal Imbalance? 02:18 How to Measure Stress Hormones 04:03 When You’re Running on Cortisol 05:07 The Truth About Insulin Resistance 06:36 How Hormones Differ in Men and Women 09:11 Why Measuring the Right Hormones Matters 10:22 Simple Ways to Rebalance Your Hormones 13:09 Why Estrogen and Progesterone Decline 19:09 Why You Should Start with Cortisol 21:11 Four Powerful Ways to Reduce Stress 27:01 How to Turn Stress into Strength 28:53 Breaking Free from Chronic Stress 31:10 Everyday Habits to Lower Cortisol 34:44 Feeling Low on Energy But Can’t Explain Why? 36:11 How to Decompress and Recenter Yourself 40:02 Do Men or Women Heal Faster After a Divorce? 42:38 Creating Healthy Emotional Distance 44:07 The Power of Boundaries in Healing 47:37 People-Pleasing: A Hidden Stress Response 20:09 The Biggest Hormonal Shifts in Life 54:10 What You Need to Know About Andropause 55:10 The Evolution of Birth Control 57:27 Painful Periods Are Not Normal! 52:25 Lifestyle Fixes for Acne and Hormone Health 01:00:09 The Hidden Long-Term Effects of the Pill 01:02:51 How to Reverse the Pill’s Impact 01:04:43 Does Birth Control Affect Fertility? 01:06:27 The Complexity and Simplicity of Hormones 01:09:27 How to Take Ownership of Your Health 01:10:30 Is Natural Birth Control Effective? 01:12:23 How to Make IUD Insertion Less Painful 01:14:59 Getting Pregnant After Birth Control 01:17:26 What Science Says About Cycle Syncing 01:20:17 How to Safely Transition Off the Pill 01:21:36 Where Science Meets Spirituality 01:26:43 Sara on Final Five Episode Resources: https://www.instagram.com/jayshetty https://www.facebook.com/jayshetty/ https://x.com/jayshetty https://www.linkedin.com/in/shettyjay/ https://www.youtube.com/@JayShettyPodcast http://jayshetty.me