Three-Part Hormone Utilization Model
Check hormone supply, processing, and cellular reception as separate stages
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
Pelz describes hormone use as a three-stage system: the hormone must be produced or supplied, it must be broken down or converted into a usable form, and relevant cells must receive or respond to it. She uses thyroid medication and HRT to argue that adding an exogenous hormone addresses availability but may not address processing or cellular response. She then links the latter stages to gut, liver, inflammation, and lifestyle factors. The reusable value is systems thinking: when a treatment produces limited results, ask which stage is being measured rather than assuming the dose is the only variable. The episode's specific causal claims about gut function, liver load, toxic oils, endocrine disruptors, and receptor access are Pelz's explanation and are not independently established by the transcript. Medication decisions remain clinical decisions.
Origin
Pelz introduces the three stages in response to the suggestion that menopausal symptoms can simply be solved by taking HRT.
Core principles
- 01Hormone availability is only one stage of the system
- 02Processing and conversion can affect usability
- 03Target tissues must be able to respond
- 04A treatment can address one stage without resolving the whole problem
- 05Use the model to ask clinical questions, not to self-diagnose
How to run it
- 1
Define the hormone question
Identify the treatment, symptom, and expected outcome being discussed. Avoid treating a broad symptom such as fatigue or brain fog as proof of one hormone problem.
Pro tip Bring a timeline of symptoms, treatment changes, and measured results to the appointment.
- 2
Check availability
Ask how endogenous production or an external hormone is being assessed. Pelz describes HRT as directly addressing this first stage.
Watch out Do not change dose or timing based on this conceptual model alone.
- 3
Ask about processing
Discuss whether conversion, metabolism, or clearance is clinically relevant to the particular hormone. Treat Pelz's gut-and-liver account as a prompt for questions rather than a diagnosis.
Pro tip Ask which tests or signs, if any, can evaluate this stage for the specific treatment.
Watch out Vague ideas such as an overloaded liver should not replace a defined clinical assessment.
- 4
Ask about response
Consider whether the target tissue is responding and how that response is being measured. Separate receptor or tissue response from the mere presence of hormone in the body.
Watch out The transcript does not establish that inflammation or toxins are the cause of an individual's treatment response.
- 5
Review the whole plan
Combine medical treatment, appropriate monitoring, and sustainable lifestyle support under professional guidance. Reassess the original outcome rather than assuming every symptom is hormonal.
Pro tip Use the three stages to structure a clinician conversation.
Watch out Never stop prescribed hormones abruptly without medical advice.
In the wild
Pelz argues that a person can take an exogenous hormone while still having problems at the processing or cellular-response stages. In the episode she says lifestyle may support those other stages, but she does not provide a diagnostic work-up or evidence that one specific lifestyle factor explains a particular patient's result.
→ A disappointing response becomes a structured clinical discussion across three stages instead of an automatic dose conclusion.
Common mistakes
Equating presence with effect
The framework's core point is that supplying a hormone and achieving the intended response are different questions.
Self-diagnosing a blocked stage
The episode offers a conceptual explanation, not a validated method for identifying gut, liver, receptor, or tissue problems at home.
Using lifestyle to replace treatment
Lifestyle support and prescribed treatment are not interchangeable, and the model does not justify stopping medication.
Is it for you?
Best for
Patients preparing better questions for a qualified clinician about hormone treatment and persistent symptoms.
Not ideal for
Choosing, changing, or stopping HRT, thyroid medication, or any other hormone treatment without medical supervision.
From the transcript
“just because you take a hormone doesn't mean your cells are going to use it”
“there has to be production of the hormone there has to be breaking down of the hormone and there has to be receiving”
From the episode
The Miracle Doctor: EVERYONE should start Fasting right now! (NEW SCIENCE) Dr. Mindy Pelz