My Story: Preparing My Body for HRT, the Data-Led Way
I came to this work feeling bloated, inflamed, low in mood, and chronically stressed. I was keen to explore bio-identical HRT, but I wanted to go into it with my body in the best possible state — rather than layering hormones on top of unresolved underlying imbalances.
Rather than starting HRT immediately, I took a structured, test-informed approach: assess first, prepare the terrain, then introduce hormones — with dosing guided by real data rather than guesswork. This is now the same framework I use with my own clients.
Step 1: Comprehensive testing
Before any intervention, I ran:
- DUTCH test – to map my hormone metabolites, cortisol rhythm and how I was clearing oestrogen
- DNA testing – to understand my genetic predispositions around methylation, detoxification, and inflammation
- Comprehensive bloods – to establish a baseline across metabolic, thyroid, and nutrient markers
This meant that when I referred myself into a private HRT clinic, I went in with objective data to inform my HRT doses, rather than a one-size-fits-all starting point..
Step 2: A structured "reset" phase
With my results in hand, I identified that my system needed some groundwork before introducing hormones:
- A Metagenics flush protocol – to support liver detoxification pathways and help my body process and clear hormones and metabolites more efficiently
- A cortisol reset – addressing a stress response pattern that was likely contributing to my bloating, low mood, and inflammation, and that could have undermined how well my body responded to HRT if left unaddressed
- A carb pulse protocol – strategically timed carbohydrate intake to support cortisol regulation, blood sugar stability, and nervous system recovery, without triggering the inflammation or blood sugar swings that constant high-carb or constant low-carb eating can cause
Step 3: HRT initiation, informed by data
Only once this groundwork was in place did I begin bio-identical HRT (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA), with doses calibrated using my DUTCH, DNA and blood results rather than a standard protocol.
The Outcome
Within four months of starting this protocol, I noticed a marked shift in energy and motivation, alongside a significant improvement in libido. Already building a weight training habit by this point, I saw visible changes in muscle tone and body composition that hadn’t been possible before.
This is the approach now central to my practice: testing and preparing the terrain before introducing hormones, rather than starting HRT in isolation.
