Faith Over Pharma | Holistic Health, Fertility, Hormones & Natural Healing

83. Perimenopause vs. Stress: How Cortisol Hijacks Your Hormones with Dr. Tanya Paynter

If you’re in your 30s, 40s, or 50s and your body suddenly feels different—your sleep is off, your energy’s tanked, and you can’t figure out why—you’re not alone. For so many women, chronic stress and hormonal changes collide during perimenopause, creating fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, and mood swings that feel impossible to manage.

In this faith-filled conversation, Dr. Tanya Paynter and I dig into how cortisol quietly hijacks your hormones and why so many women in midlife are unknowingly running on empty. We talk about what happens when adrenal fatigue, thyroid imbalance, and spiritual exhaustion overlap—and how to begin restoring peace in your body by first restoring it in your spirit.

Dr. Paynter explains how God designed our bodies to adapt under pressure, but how long-term stress keeps our nervous system stuck in survival mode, throwing off everything from sleep and energy to estrogen and progesterone balance. We explore the way chronic busyness and burnout affect midlife health, and how creating margin—through prayer, rest, and time with the Lord—can actually help reset your hormones on a cellular level.

If you’ve been wondering whether your exhaustion or hormonal chaos is just “part of getting older,” this episode will help you see that healing is absolutely possible. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of how faith and functional medicine work together to calm your adrenals, balance cortisol, and bring your body back into alignment with how God designed it to function.

Connect with Dr. Tanya Paynter:
Website: GodandHealth.com

Podcast: The Christian Clinician

Instagram: @christianclinician

Email: drp@psalmmedical.com

Next Steps:

Start with phototherapy:
susangladstein.com/phototherapy

Go deeper with The Rooted Reset™:
susangladstein.com/reset

Join us in Costa Rica for the Rooted Reset Retreat 2026:
susangladstein.com/retreat

Join the Faith Over Pharma community:
faithoverpharma.org

Connect on Instagram: @susangladstein.co

Get the Faithful in the Wait Devotional: faithfulinthewait.com

 

82. Testimony | God Told Me to Remove My Breast Implants: My Explant Healing Story with Holly Brauer

If you’ve been feeling exhausted, foggy, inflamed, or like something’s “off” in your body but every doctor keeps saying your labs look normal, this conversation will hit home. My friend Holly Brauer shares how the Holy Spirit told her to remove her breast implants after 14 years—and how that moment of obedience became the turning point in her healing.

We talk about what breast implant illness really looks like, the symptoms most women miss, and what happened when Holly discovered one of her implants had ruptured and was leaking silicone into her body. She opens up about the brain fog, fatigue, and joint pain she lived with for years—and the instant relief and deep peace that came after her explant surgery.

If you’ve been praying for answers or wondering how to know if God’s nudging you to make a change, this story will remind you that He didn’t make a mistake when He designed your body. Sometimes healing starts the moment we stop striving, tune into His voice, and finally trust what our body’s been trying to tell us.

Disclaimer: This episode shares personal testimony and educational discussion only and is not medical advice.

Connect with Holly:

 Instagram: @holly_financialfitness

Next Steps:

Start with phototherapy:
susangladstein.com/phototherapy

Go deeper with The Rooted Reset™:
susangladstein.com/reset

Join us in Costa Rica for the Rooted Reset Retreat 2026:
susangladstein.com/retreat

Join the Faith Over Pharma community:
faithoverpharma.org

Connect on Instagram: @susangladstein.co

Get the Faithful in the Wait Devotional: faithfulinthewait.com

 

81. The Fertility-Sabotaging Hormone No One Talks About (And How to Lower It)

Next Steps:

Start with phototherapy:
susangladstein.com/phototherapy

Go deeper with The Rooted Reset™:
susangladstein.com/reset

Join us in Costa Rica for the Rooted Reset Retreat 2026:
susangladstein.com/retreat

Join the Faith Over Pharma community:
faithoverpharma.org

Connect on Instagram: @susangladstein.co

Get the Faithful in the Wait Devotional: faithfulinthewait.com

80. Testimony | Faithful in the Wait: How God Redeemed My Fertility Journey

Have you ever done everything “right” — prayed, tracked, tested, changed your diet — and still ended up staring at another negative test?
I know that pain all too well.

After my husband’s vasectomy reversal, we saw sperm at first… and then watched the numbers drop to zero by the 8-week mark. My heart sank. Doctors told us everything looked “normal” and that fertility treatments were our only option. But deep down, I knew God was asking me to trust Him — to heal my body His way and surrender the timeline.

It would take two years before we finally saw that positive test.
Two years of tears, questions, and learning to believe that the waiting wasn’t wasted.

In this episode, I’m sharing how God met me in that season, restored my faith, and wrote a miracle story in my 40s — one that changed the course of my life and led to my mission behind Faith Over Pharma.

I pray this conversation reminds you that even when it feels like nothing’s happening, God is still moving. He’s not withholding. He’s preparing.

And if you’re in your own season of waiting — for healing, for a baby, for breakthrough — I created something special to walk with you through it.
My 30-day devotional, Faithful in the Wait, launches October 29 on Amazon. It’s filled with scripture, reflection, and encouragement to help you find peace right where you are — even when the outcome hasn’t come yet.

Because your story isn’t over.
The waiting is where miracles are made.

 

Next Steps:

Start with phototherapy:
susangladstein.com/phototherapy

Go deeper with The Rooted Reset™:
susangladstein.com/reset

Join us in Costa Rica for the Rooted Reset Retreat 2026:
susangladstein.com/retreat

Join the Faith Over Pharma community:
faithoverpharma.org

Connect on Instagram: @susangladstein.co

Get the Faithful in the Wait Devotional: faithfulinthewait.com

79. Honoring Pregnancy & Infant Loss Month: Faith, Grief, and Miscarriage Support with Cate Purvis

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and today’s episode holds sacred space for the women who have walked through that pain — and the friends who want to support them better.

My guest, Cate Purvis, is a birth and miscarriage doula, childbirth educator, and author who has walked through sixteen miscarriages and four miracle babies. Through unimaginable loss, Cate discovered that God doesn’t cause our pain — but He never wastes it.

In this powerful, faith-filled conversation, Cate shares her story of loss and redemption, how she found peace after years of heartbreak, and the truth that changed everything: “God can take it.”

We talk about what it means to grieve honestly with God, how to support someone after miscarriage, and why faith and grief are not opposites. If you’ve ever felt angry at God, questioned His plan, or struggled to understand why loss happens, this episode will remind you that He is still faithful — even in the dark.

You’ll hear:

• How Cate’s sixteen pregnancy losses deepened her faith rather than destroyed it
• What it looks like to be honest with God in anger, grief, and heartbreak
• Why “God’s will” is often misunderstood in conversations about miscarriage
• How to support a friend walking through pregnancy loss or infertility
• The redemptive hope that comes when we let God turn ashes into beauty

This episode is a tender reminder that even when heaven feels silent, God still sees, loves, and redeems.

 

Connect with Cate:

Website: Stan.store/birthandlosscollective

Facebook: @thebirthandlosscollective

Instagram: @birthandlosscollective

TikTok: @birthandlosscollective

Book: “Words I Could Not Say: Musings of a Miscarriage Mama” – available on Amazon

Next Steps:

Start with phototherapy:
susangladstein.com/phototherapy

Go deeper with The Rooted Reset™:
susangladstein.com/reset

Join us in Costa Rica for the Rooted Reset Retreat 2026:
susangladstein.com/retreat

Join the Faith Over Pharma community:
faithoverpharma.org

Connect on Instagram: @susangladstein.co

Get the Faithful in the Wait Devotional: faithfulinthewait.com

 

78. Testimony | What No One Tells You About Vasectomy: A Story of Regret, Redemption, and God’s Grace with Holly Sears

They said it would be simple. A quick, harmless procedure. A way to take control — to make life easier. But no one warned them about the true cost.

When Holly Sears’ husband chose a vasectomy against her will, it didn’t just affect his body — it broke their marriage.

 In this powerful testimony, Holly opens up about the emotional and spiritual toll that followed, and the God who stepped in to heal what the world said was permanent.

If you’ve ever believed the lie that permanent birth control is “no big deal,” this episode will make you pause. Because behind every “simple solution” is a story the world doesn’t tell — one of regret, heartbreak, and, in Holly’s case, redemption through God’s grace.

Connect with Holly:

Email: hollysearsmedia@gmail.com

Books Recommended in this Episode:
Supernatural Childbirth by Jackie Mize

 Is Vasectomy Safe by H.J. Roberts

Be Fruitful and Multiply: What the Bible Says about Having Children by Nancy Campbell

God’s Creative Power Gift Collection by Charles Capps

Next Steps:

Start with phototherapy:
susangladstein.com/phototherapy

Go deeper with The Rooted Reset™:
susangladstein.com/reset

Join us in Costa Rica for the Rooted Reset Retreat 2026:
susangladstein.com/retreat

Join the Faith Over Pharma community:
faithoverpharma.org

Connect on Instagram: @susangladstein.co

Get the Faithful in the Wait Devotional: faithfulinthewait.com

77. Decoding Your Cycle: How to Read Hormone Clues in Every Phase

Most of us grew up learning what a period is… but not why it happens.
We were told a “normal” cycle is 28 days and ovulation always happens on day 14 — but that’s simply not true for most women.

In this episode, I’m breaking down how to truly understand your menstrual cycle and what your body is communicating in every phase — from your period to ovulation and everything in between.
You’ll learn how to recognize the signs your hormones need support, what’s considered healthy variation, and why stress, thyroid health, and lifestyle shifts can change your cycle (and that’s not always a bad thing!).

We’ll also talk about how men’s hormones follow a 24-hour rhythm — while ours ebb and flow over roughly 28 days — and why that means you were never meant to show up the same way every day.

You’ll walk away understanding:

• What a truly normal menstrual cycle looks like (and why it’s not one-size-fits-all)
• The four hormonal “seasons” — menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal — and how to support your body in each
• The surprising connection between stress and delayed ovulation
• How thyroid disorders, PCOS, and hypothalamic amenorrhea show up in your cycle
• Foods, movement, and mindset shifts to balance hormones naturally
• Why tracking your cycle is one of the most powerful tools for healing

If you’ve ever wondered why your energy, mood, and motivation change week to week, or why you feel different from the men around you — this episode will help you finally understand your rhythm and start honoring it instead of fighting it.

 

Next Steps:

Start with phototherapy:
susangladstein.com/phototherapy

Go deeper with The Rooted Reset™:
susangladstein.com/reset

Join us in Costa Rica for the Rooted Reset Retreat 2026:
susangladstein.com/retreat

Join the Faith Over Pharma community:
faithoverpharma.org

Connect on Instagram: @susangladstein.co

Get the Faithful in the Wait Devotional: faithfulinthewait.com

 

76. Testimony | How to Find Your Voice Through God’s Word with Blanche DiDomenico

What happens when fear tries to silence the truth God has placed on your heart?

In this powerful conversation, Blanche DiDomenico — nurse, freedom and purpose coach, and bold woman of faith — shares her journey from fear and people-pleasing to courage and conviction rooted in Scripture. Together, we talk about how the enemy uses fear to keep believers quiet, what true freedom in Christ looks like, and why standing on God’s Word is the key to peace and purpose in a world full of noise and confusion.

If you’ve ever felt afraid to speak up for what you believe, questioned your purpose, or struggled to live out your faith boldly, this episode will remind you that your voice was meant to carry truth. Blanche’s story is a testimony of healing, obedience, and the unshakable power of knowing who you are — and Whose you are.

Listen in and be encouraged to rise up, speak truth in love, and trust that God has already equipped you for the calling He’s placed on your life.

Connect with Blanche:

Website: blanchedidomenico.com

Podcast: The Anointed Life with Coach Blanche

Book:  Rise with Purpose available in Amazon

Next Steps:

Start with phototherapy:
susangladstein.com/phototherapy

Go deeper with The Rooted Reset™:
susangladstein.com/reset

Join us in Costa Rica for the Rooted Reset Retreat 2026:
susangladstein.com/retreat

Join the Faith Over Pharma community:
faithoverpharma.org

Connect on Instagram: @susangladstein.co

Get the Faithful in the Wait Devotional: faithfulinthewait.com