http://LedbetterLife.com/, https://linktr.ee/drnatalieledbetter

Dr Natalie Ledbetter, Austin, TX (2026)

01/27/2026

Low drive, low confidence, or low libido doesn’t always mean low testosterone —

it often means low free testosterone. Tongkat Ali works by helping reduce SHBG, the binding protein that traps testosterone and makes it unavailable to tissues.

When more testosterone is free, motivation, sexual confidence, and physical drive often improve — even when total testosterone looks normal on labs.

This is why Tongkat Ali is especially helpful in midlife men and women or during periods of chronic stress, when hormone signaling matters more than hormone production.

If your labs look fine but you don’t feel like yourself, availability may be the missing link.

MensHealth WomensHealth MidlifeWellness LowLibido FunctionalMedicine IntegrativeHealth Biohacking LongevityLifestyle RootCause

01/23/2026

Low libido isn’t always a hormone problem —

it’s often a stress problem. Ashwagandha doesn’t work by stimulating desire or forcing hormones higher; it works by lowering cortisol, improving sleep quality, and restoring healthy brain-hormone communication. When stress hormones stay high, sexual desire and performance shut down in both men and women. This is why Ashwagandha has clinical research showing improvements in libido, testosterone signaling, s***m quality, and sexual satisfaction — especially during burnout, chronic stress, and midlife hormone shifts.

If desire faded during stress, this herb often helps by removing the brakes, not pushing the gas.

MensHealth WomensHealth Perimenopause LowLibido FunctionalMedicine IntegrativeHealth Biohacking LongevityLifestyle NervousSystem RootCause

01/21/2026

✨ This is NOT your average menopause conversation. ✨

Perimenopause is a brain–hormone experience — and once you understand that connection, everything changes. 🧠✨

I’m honored to be speaking at the NeuroShift Conference: The Brain–Hormone Connection in Perimenopause, a powerful 3-day virtual event bringing together world-class experts in neuroscience, functional medicine, hormones, mental health, and longevity.

💥 Mood swings
💥 Brain fog
💥 Anxiety & sleep issues
💥 Energy crashes
💥 Hormonal chaos

This conference dives deep into why these symptoms happen — and more importantly, what actually works to support your brain, nervous system, and hormones during perimenopause.

🗓 January 23–25, 2026
🖥 Live + Online
🎟 FREE to attend live (with all-access options available)

If you’re a woman in midlife — or you care for women in midlife — this is information you cannot afford to miss.

👉 Scan the QR code or register now
Your brain, hormones, and future self will thank you.

brainhealth
mentalhealthawareness
hormonebalance
functionalmedicine

01/21/2026

Normal testosterone labs don’t guarantee normal desire.

Tribulus doesn’t work by raising testosterone levels.
It works by improving androgen signaling — how your body responds to the hormones you already have.

That’s why Tribulus can improve libido in both men and women even when hormone levels look “normal” on paper.

If desire is low but labs are fine, the issue may not be production.
It may be receptor communication.

Watch to understand why libido is more about signaling than numbers 👆
Ledbetter Life Upgrade Labs

01/19/2026

Low libido isn’t always a hormone deficiency.
Sometimes it’s a signaling problem.

Maca doesn’t raise estrogen or testosterone.
It works upstream—supporting the brain–hormone connection that drives desire, mood, and energy.

That’s why it works so well during:
• Perimenopause & menopause
• Chronic stress & burnout
• SSRI-related libido changes

This is one of the few libido herbs with human clinical data showing improved desire without changing hormone labs.

Watch if you want to understand why desire fades—and how to support it intelligently 👆

01/18/2026

Low desire isn’t a “you problem.”
It’s often a blood flow problem. 🍆

Most people think libido is all about hormones…
But arousal starts with circulation—to the brain, the heart, and the ge****ls.

H***y Goat W**d isn’t about being “horny.”
It supports nitric oxide, which helps your body physically respond to pleasure again.

This matters for:
• Women in perimenopause or chronic stress
• Men noticing changes in firmness or stamina
• Anyone who feels disconnected from desire

Pleasure is a physiological process.
And when blood flow improves, sensation follows.

Watch to learn why this ancient herb still matters today 👆

01/17/2026

Which do you like best?

Mary Parker and I wrote a book on perimenopause to be released the end of this month. We just need to choose a cover. Which one do you like best? Thank you for your help!

01/16/2026

If perimenopause has felt confusing or frustrating, this is why.

It’s not just about estrogen levels.
It’s about how estrogen is processed, recycled, and cleared — and your gut microbiome is at the center of that.

Over the last few posts, I’ve shared how:
• the estrobolome regulates estrogen balance
• specific bacteria influence hormone metabolism
• fiber and prebiotics feed those microbes
• insulin, inflammation, and gut health are deeply connected

When the gut is supported, hormones often follow.

This is the framework I use when working with women who feel like they’re “doing everything right” but still struggling.

Perimenopause isn’t about fixing a broken body.
It’s about learning how to support a changing one — intelligently and compassionately.

If this series resonated, stay close.
More education, tools, and support are coming 🤍

Save this. Share it with a woman you love.

01/15/2026

Let’s talk about a conversation happening inside your body that almost no one explains.

Insulin, estrogen, and your gut microbiome are constantly talking to each other.

In perimenopause, fluctuating estrogen often leads to reduced insulin sensitivity.
And when insulin is high or unstable, it changes the gut environment.

That shift can:
• lower beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia
• increase inflammation
• disrupt estrogen metabolism and clearance

This is why so many women experience:
• sudden belly fat
• blood sugar crashes or cravings
• worsening hot flashes or PMS
• anxiety or mood swings
• feeling inflamed despite “doing everything right”

It’s not a willpower problem.
It’s not that your body is broken.

It’s a metabolic–microbial signaling issue.

When we support the gut microbiome, insulin sensitivity often improves — and estrogen balance follows.

Perimenopause isn’t just about hormones declining.
It’s about how your body interprets and responds to signals.

And your gut is at the center of that conversation.

Save this. Share it.
This changes how women understand their bodies 🤍

MidlifeMetabolism
GutHealthMatters
WomensHealthEducation

01/13/2026

Let’s talk about one of the most powerful gut bacteria for midlife women: Akkermansia muciniphila.

Akkermansia is a keystone species in the gut. When it’s thriving, the gut lining is stronger, insulin sensitivity improves, and estrogen metabolism becomes more efficient.

In perimenopause, Akkermansia levels often decline — and that’s when many women notice:
• stubborn belly fat
• insulin resistance
• increased inflammation
• worsened hormone symptoms
• poor estrogen clearance

Estrogen doesn’t just get processed by the liver.
It has to move safely through the gut to be eliminated.

When the gut lining is compromised, estrogen can be reabsorbed instead of cleared — and symptoms linger.

Here’s the empowering part:
Akkermansia isn’t usually taken as a probiotic.
It’s supported through food and prebiotics.

It thrives on:
• polyphenols (berries, pomegranate, green tea, cacao)
• gentle prebiotic fibers
• resistant starch (like green bananas or cooled potatoes)

This is why gut health, blood sugar, and hormones are inseparable in perimenopause.

Perimenopause isn’t just a hormone transition.
It’s a microbiome transition.

Save this. Share it with a friend.
More coming soon 🤍

01/11/2026

Let’s go one layer deeper into the estrobolome.

Another key group of gut bacteria that plays a major role in estrogen balance is Bifidobacterium.

These microbes help regulate how estrogen is cleared from the body and prevent excess estrogen from being re-circulated when it’s not needed.

When Bifidobacterium levels are low, women often notice:
• bloating or constipation
• estrogen-dominant symptoms
• increased inflammation
• insulin resistance
• midlife weight gain
• mood swings or anxiety

This matters because insulin and estrogen are in constant conversation—especially in perimenopause.

Supporting the estrobolome isn’t about “detoxing hormones.”
It’s about restoring microbial balance, metabolic stability, and communication.

Perimenopause doesn’t just happen in your ovaries.
It happens in your gut.

Save this. Share it with a friend who needs it.
More coming soon 🤍

01/09/2026

Most women are told perimenopause is just a hormone problem.

But a huge piece of the puzzle lives in your gut.

Inside your microbiome is something called the estrobolome — the collection of gut bacteria that helps decide whether estrogen is recycled back into your body or safely eliminated.

When that system is off, estrogen can circulate when you don’t need it…
or drop too quickly when you do.

That can show up as:
• bloating
• breast tenderness
• heavy or irregular cycles
• mood swings
• anxiety
• hot flashes
• stubborn midlife weight gain

The empowering part?
We can influence this.

Certain probiotic strains — especially Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Lactobacillus plantarum — help your body process estrogen more intelligently.

Perimenopause isn’t just about hormones.
It’s about gut–hormone communication.

And when the gut is supported, estrogen balance often follows.

Save this. Share it.
More on this coming soon 🤍

Dr Natalie Ledbetter

01/27/2026

01/23/2026

01/21/2026

01/21/2026

01/19/2026

01/18/2026

01/17/2026

01/16/2026

01/15/2026

01/13/2026

01/11/2026

01/09/2026

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