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Summary
On episode 376 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan sits down with Dr. Mariza Snyder, author of seven books including The DASH Diet Cookbook and The Smart Mom’s Guide to Essential Oils, and a biochemist who has spent nine years lecturing on hormone health, essential oils, and detoxification.
Mariza argues that many of the hormone problems people blame on aging are actually driven by chronic stress keeping the body stuck in “fight or flight,” and that essential oils can help disrupt that stress response alongside real lifestyle change.
The conversation covers what a real hormone lab panel should include, her five pillars of a foundational lifestyle, and how to judge whether an essential oil is actually high quality.
Links
- https://40plusfitness.com
Key Takeaways
- Chronic stress keeps the body stuck in “my body at war.” When the sympathetic nervous system runs on overdrive from constantly perceived stressors, it floods the body with cortisol and epinephrine, disrupting digestion, reproduction, cognitive function, and driving belly fat and thyroid problems.
- A real hormone panel goes far beyond a basic thyroid check. Mariza recommends a full thyroid panel (TSH, free T3, free T4, reverse T3, TPO and antithyroglobulin antibodies), diurnal cortisol testing throughout the day, total testosterone, DHEA, progesterone on days 21 to 23, estrogen, fasting insulin and glucose, growth hormone, and key nutrients like vitamin D, B12, folate, and ferritin.
- Diet alone can’t outrun chronic stress. Mariza spent years trying to fix her stress-driven imbalances with nutrition before realizing the underlying “operating system,” constant stress, had to change first, or the body would just drift back to where it started.
- Five pillars of a foundational lifestyle: nutrition, exercise, stress management, reducing toxic burden, and self-care, all of which have to be worked on together rather than fixed one at a time.
- Essential oil quality depends on where the plant is grown and how it’s tested. Frankincense should come from Somalia or Oman, lavender from Provence or Bulgaria, and a high-quality oil should have documented chemical constituent levels, for example sesquiterpene content above 60 percent in myrrh, verified through lab testing like gas chromatography.
- Wild Orange’s limonene content can shift mood through the limbic system. Breathing in citrus oils with 85 to 90 percent limonene content boosts serotonin and dopamine production, which Mariza says makes it difficult to stay angry after using it.
- Lavender is used clinically in parts of Europe as an anxiety treatment. Naturopaths and functional practitioners sometimes prescribe lavender capsules for anxiety because its compounds calm an overactive limbic brain, though Mariza notes it can be intense for some people and pairs well with Roman chamomile or cedarwood.
- Mariza’s hormone synergy blend targets testosterone and estrogen balance. Her roller bottle recipe combines clary sage, lavender, geranium, bergamot, and ylang ylang, aimed at supporting receptor sites, liver detoxification of excess hormones, and libido.
- Mariza’s three strategies to get and stay well: start the day with a morning ritual on your own agenda; keep essential oils on hand for emergency moments like cravings or low energy; and build an intentional evening wind-down routine to protect your sleep.
“You can’t green smoothie your way out of chronic stress.”
Dr. Mariza Snyder
