I am delighted to connect with a physician friend and colleague, Dr. Heather Hirsch, today. Dr. Hirsch is an entrepreneur and a board-certified internist by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She is also the Founder and CEO of Health by Heather Hirsch, and has a telemedicine practice offering best-in-class individualized care for perimenopause and menopause.

In our discussion, we explore heavy menstrual cycles and the benefits of journaling and shared decision-making. We discuss common and frustrating causes of weight loss resistance in middle age, the power of strength training and adequate protein intake, and estrogen as a metabolic regulator that is intricately linked to many physical systems, including digestion. We also examine how educating clinicians on shifts in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone during perimenopause could prevent countless ER visits, and we tackle concerns surrounding contraception and pregnancy prevention in perimenopause, a biopsychosocial approach to low libido, and the often-overlooked silent symptoms Dr. Hirsch often sees in perimenopause and beyond.

Today’s conversation with Dr. Hirsch is truly invaluable. I highly recommend her Perimenopause Survival Guide, written by an internal medicine doctor extremely well-versed in perimenopause and menopause.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

How hormonal fluctuations disrupt the body and create confusion in perimenopause

The benefits of journaling 

How hormonal and lifestyle shifts disrupt metabolism, weight, and insulin sensitivity during perimenopause

Why body composition changes matter more than your weight

How declining estrogen affects insulin resistance, metabolism, and diabetes risk

The value of shared decision-making 

How hormones, medications, sleep, relationships, and past trauma can cause changes in libido 

How siloed healthcare often leaves perimenopause symptoms misunderstood 

How irregular ovulation increases pregnancy risk and why hormone therapy is not a contraceptive

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Social media: @Heather Hirsch MD