DR. DEB MATTHEW: AMERICA'S "HAPPY HORMONES DOCTOR"

Restoring Balance in Women's Health

COURTNEY MCGEE

2025

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When women across America say, “I just don’t feel like myself,” Dr. Deb Matthew knows exactly what they mean—and what to do about it. Known as “America’s Happy Hormones Doctor,” Dr. Matthew is a best-selling author, international speaker, and hormone health expert who has spent nearly two decades helping women reclaim their energy, vitality, and sense of self.

Her journey into functional medicine wasn’t just professional—it was personal. “I was tired all the time, freezing cold even in summer, and napping was my favorite hobby,” she recalled in an interview with TereZa Hakobyan-Lolli and Anthony Lolli, Editors-in-Chief of longevity and wellness platform Biohack Yourself, for the influential upcoming women’s health documentary, “sHEALed,” “I didn’t even know what normal felt like anymore.”

It wasn’t until a gift—unexpectedly, a Suzanne Somers book on hormone health—opened her eyes to a world of wellness beyond the prescription pad. That moment led to a complete transformation in her health and ultimately her career. Today, Dr. Matthew leads Signature Wellness in Charlotte, NC, where she and her team specialize in bioidentical hormone therapy and holistic, root-cause approaches to wellness.

The sHEALed Documentary is the sister documentary to Biohack Yourself, which became a massive success after exploding on the scene in December 2024 and ignited a firestorm of interest in information focused on health and longevity. Biohack Yourself features 114 prominent and respected high-profile politicians, doctors, bestselling authors, Ph.D.s, M.D.s, scientists, chemists, inventors, biotech investors, and world-renowned academics. Stemming from the success of Biohack Yourself, TereZa Hakobyan-Lolli and Anthony Lolli have grown Biohack Yourself Media to become the number one resource for health news, publishing over 500 articles ranging from breaking news to peer reviewed content.

Beyond Band-Aids: Treating the Root Cause

Dr. Matthew’s core philosophy is rooted in functional medicine, a discipline that focuses on treating the root cause of illness rather than masking symptoms with medication. “In traditional medicine, we’re trained to diagnose and prescribe—a pill for every ill,” she explained. “But what if we asked why you’re having these symptoms in the first place?”

This approach is particularly vital for women who often feel dismissed by conventional practitioners. Common complaints—fatigue, mood swings, insomnia, brain fog, weight gain—are frequently labeled as “just getting older” or met with antidepressants and sleeping pills. But Dr. Matthew knows better.

“Women are told this is normal. But feeling miserable is not normal,” she said. “It’s usually hormone imbalance—and it’s fixable.”

Hormones 101: The Chemical Messengers of Life

Hormones are chemical messengers that influence nearly every function in the body, from mood and memory to metabolism and libido. And yet, according to Dr. Matthew, conventional medicine rarely addresses hormonal health unless it reaches the extreme end of dysfunction. “What’s common isn’t always normal,” she noted. “You don’t need a hormone tumor to be suffering from imbalance. Subtle shifts in progesterone, estrogen, or testosterone can wreak havoc on how you feel.”

In women, hormone decline typically begins in the mid-30s, worsens in the 40s, and culminates in menopause. Key hormones she monitors include:

Progesterone: A calming hormone that helps with sleep and mood.
Testosterone: Essential for drive, motivation, and libido.
Estrogen: Critical for memory, heart health, and moisture retention.
Thyroid Hormones: Regulate energy and metabolism.
Cortisol: The stress hormone that can derail all others.
Insulin & Leptin: Manage hunger, blood sugar, and weight.

A Personalized Approach to Hormone Replacement

Once natural interventions—like stress management, detoxification, and dietary changes—have been explored, Dr. Matthew may introduce bioidentical hormone therapy (BHRT).

“Bioidentical means the hormone matches what your body naturally produces,” she explained. “So your body doesn’t know the difference between what came from your ovaries and what came from the pharmacy.”

This is a far cry from the synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) used in the past, which caused confusion and fear after studies linked it to increased health risks. Dr. Matthew is quick to clarify:

“Bioidentical hormones do not cause breast cancer. In fact, natural estrogen can reduce the risk of heart disease, dementia, osteoporosis, and even colon cancer.”

She tailors therapy based on individual needs and symptoms, using options like creams, patches, pills, injections, or hormone pellets.

A Story Too Familiar

Dr. Matthew’s passion stems from both patient experience and personal truth. Her own battle with hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue left her depleted for years.

“I had to have caffeine in the afternoon just to make it through the carpool lane,” she said. “If I hadn’t balanced my hormones, I wouldn’t be doing any of this today.”

Today, she’s a powerhouse—running a thriving clinic, writing books, raising four sons, and training other practitioners through the BHRT Training Academy and Practice Launch programs.

Women Are Falling Through the Cracks

One of the most striking aspects of Dr. Matthew’s work is her insight into how the healthcare system is failing women. “Our system is designed for acute care, not chronic symptoms,” she explained. “Doctors are forced to see patients in 10-minute increments and are often limited by insurance rules that prevent deeper investigation.”

This leads to a pattern of treating symptoms with medications—antidepressants, sleeping pills, antacids—without ever addressing the underlying hormonal imbalance. “And it’s not just the woman who suffers,” she added. “It affects her marriage, her parenting, her job. Everyone around her feels the effects of her imbalance.”

What You Can Do: Dr. Matthew’s Action Plan

For women wondering where to begin, Dr. Matthew recommends the following steps:

1. Prioritize Your Health: Women often care for everyone else first. Reframe self-care not as selfish, but necessary.

2. Test, Don’t Guess: Get comprehensive testing for hormones, thyroid function, nutrient levels, and inflammation markers.

3. Address the Basics First: Optimize diet, sleep, exercise, and stress management. These form the foundation of hormonal balance.

4. Eat to Fuel Hormone Health: Focus on healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, and nuts; eat protein to preserve muscle mass; include cruciferous vegetables (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower) to help process estrogen.

5. Minimize Toxins: Reduce exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals in plastics, personal care products, and household cleaners.

6. Manage Stress with Intention: Chronic stress raises cortisol, which disrupts all other hormones. Practice gratitude, meditation, and healthy boundaries.

7. Consider Bioidentical Hormones When Needed: When lifestyle changes aren’t enough, BHRT can safely restore vitality—especially during perimenopause and menopause.

8. Work with a Knowledgeable Practitioner: Seek a provider who practices functional or integrative medicine and is experienced with BHRT. Dr. Matthew emphasizes collaboration, not prescription-pad medicine.

Changing Medicine from the Inside Out

Dr. Matthew isn’t just changing lives—she’s changing the way medicine is practiced. By training other healthcare professionals and advocating for systemic change, she’s determined to empower both doctors and patients.

“We gave up our power as physicians. Now big business is running healthcare, and women are paying the price,” she said. “But it doesn’t have to be that way.”

Her hope? That more practitioners will embrace a personalized, holistic, and compassionate approach—and that more women will speak up, seek help, and never accept “this is just part of getting older” as an answer.

“Living Well is the Best Medicine”

Dr. Deb Matthew’s mission is as urgent as it is inspiring: “Women are losing years of their lives to symptoms that are entirely fixable,” she said. “They don’t need another prescription. They need to be heard, understood, and given real solutions. Living well is the best medicine—and that starts with hormones in balance.”

Check here for information about the upcoming spring 2025 edition Biohack Yourself Magazine, where the team at Biohack Yourself Media dives deeper into their insights on biohacking, longevity and cutting-edge wellness strategies. Biohack Yourself Magazine is the first peer-reviewed longevity publication with international distribution across the U.S. and Canada, bringing science-backed health optimization, functional medicine and performance-driven breakthroughs to a broader audience. Pick up a copy at major retailers, including Barber & Noble, Books-A-Million, Publix, Kroger, Indigo/Chapters, and select fitness gyms and pharmacies.