The science of women's energy, translated.
Iron. Hormones. Creatine. Sleep. Every Tuesday, I break down the research on what actually fuels women's energy.
Hi, I'm Isabelle.
I started Femme Fortified because my doctor kept telling me everything looked fine.
Sitting in my doctor's office, exhausted, pain in my hands, inexplicable heart palpitations, only to be told my bloodwork was “normal” and “keep a journal of your symptoms.” I didn't understand how it could be possible. I certainly did not feel normal. And now, I felt crazy.
My training started in biology, where I learned to read the science directly. From there, I spent over a decade in global health, focused specifically on women's health: building health systems, working on policy, and studying the gap between what the published research shows and what women are actually told when they walk into a doctor's office.
An MS in Public Health and a PhD in Population Health Sciences are the research training layered on top of that experience. This training gave me the skills to go straight to the peer-reviewed literature, straight to the sources of the science, read it critically, and translate it into something useful.
Femme Fortified is where all of that meets. The biology. The research methods. The years spent paying attention to how the system actually treats women's health. This is where I put it to work for you.
Why this newsletter exists
I walked out of that office feeling like I had to find the answers myself. My training gave me a way in: straight to the published scientific research, where I did find some answers. Sitting in journals most women will never open.
Nobody was connecting the dots between the science and the questions women are actually asking about their own health. I couldn't be the only one looking for answers.
That's why Femme Fortified exists. The questions I cover are the ones I'm actually asking, because I want the answers for my own life. Every week I go into the published research, break down what I find, and translate it into something you can actually use.
What you'll find here
Deep dives on women's energy
Iron, hormones, creatine, sleep, and everything that fuels how women actually feel.
Research you can act on
Tests to request, questions to ask, decisions to make. Science translated for real-life choices.
Science Spotlights
New research, broken down: what it found, what it means, what to do about it.
Straight from the source
Every claim ties back to peer-reviewed literature. No wellness trends, no miracle cures. Just what the studies actually say.
New here? Start with these.
Three issues that show you what Femme Fortified is all about.
The Iron Tests Every Woman Should Get
The exact blood tests to ask for, what the numbers mean, and why hemoglobin alone isn't enough.
Creatine for Women's Brains
Not just for the gym. The surprising research on creatine, cognition, and postpartum brain fog.
Fortification Was Supposed to Save Us — So Why Are Women Still Deficient?
The food system was designed to fix iron deficiency. It didn't. Here's why women are still paying the price.
Published every Tuesday.
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