Everyday Wellness: Midlife Hormones, Menopause, and Science for Women 35+

We have an extra-special podcast today with my husband, Todd, where we answer many listeners' questions about our relationship, how we met, and our shared interests.

In this episode, Todd and I discuss ways to support your partner through perimenopause and menopause, the importance of shared interests and connections, and why communication is essential in midlife relationships. Todd shares his views on fatherhood and marriage, how physical activity and food are integral to our relationship, and the empty-nest/open door season of our lives. He also describes his own health and daily lifestyle, the bigger picture in our relationship, and we share some lighthearted and fun discussions.

I love the interest this topic has generated, and I truly hope you and your significant other will find it an invaluable conversation about navigating midlife as a couple.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

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Today, I am thrilled to reconnect with a previous guest, Dr. Mary Claire Haver. 

Dr. Haver is a board-certified OBGYN, a certified menopause provider, and the founder of Mary Claire Wellness, a private medical practice focusing on women in midlife. Her best-selling book, the Galveston Diet, and her latest New York Times best-seller, The New Menopause, are fabulous resources for middle-aged women.

In today's discussion, we dive into various aspects of perimenopause and the associated challenges. We discuss factors accelerating ovarian aging, the role of contraception, mental health shifts, and the often delayed diagnosis of premature ovarian insufficiency. We examine the differences between hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives, discussing the importance of advocacy for women's health and the benefits of vaginal estrogen. We explore the disparity in federal funding for women's health research, the impact of the Women's Health Initiative, body composition changes, the estrabolome, the 30 Plant Challenge, and the advantages of HRT. Dr. Haver also talks about her preferred supplements. 

I'm sure you will find this conversation a valuable resource that you will likely revisit several times.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

Bio: Dr Mary Claire Haver

Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a board-certified OB-GYN who has devoted her adult life to women's health. When she began experiencing the changes of menopause and midlife weight gain, she created her online program, The Galveston Diet, which currently has over 80,000 students. The Galveston Diet is the first and only nutrition program in the world created by a female OB-GYN, designed for women in menopause.

As part of her ongoing research, she became certified in Culinary Medicine in 2019, specializing in medical nutrition. In 2021, Dr. Haver opened Mary Claire Wellness; the clinic grew out of repeated requests from Galveston Diet students and Dr. Haver's social media followers for personal guidance. 

Dr. Haver lives with her husband and two daughters in Galveston, Texas. She is the author of The Galveston Diet (Rodale; January 10th, 2023).

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Connect with Dr. Mary Claire Haver

Books Mentioned

Dr. Haver’s books, ⁠The Galveston Diet⁠ and ⁠The New Menopause ⁠

⁠The Menopause Brain⁠ and the⁠ XX Brain⁠ by Lisa Mosconi

Previous Episode Mentioned

⁠Ep. 308 Dr. Mary Claire Haver: Weight Gain in Middle Age, Perimenopause and Inflammation

Today, I’m honored to connect with Dr. Salome Masghati, founder of Precision Gynecology, which provides the unhurried, root-cause-oriented care often missing in a system where women are rushed through short appointments, focusing on bioidentical hormone therapy, perimenopause, and menopause. Dr. Masghati has extensive surgical training and specializes in longevity medicine.

In today’s discussion, we explore the ovary as a signaling hub, not just a reproductive timer, and Dr. Masghati shares her views on hormone replacement therapy timing, intrinsic and infradian rhythm, ovarian function, and the differentiators between PCOS and PMOS in midlife women. We also cover oral versus transdermal estradiol therapy, FSH testing as an independent risk factor for bone and heart health, hysterectomies, ferritin and iron deficiency, coronary vasospasm, elevated Lp(a), estradiol and thyroid therapy, peptides, regenerative and esthetic offerings. Dr. Masghati also offers her personal perspective on what influences orgasms.

Stay tuned for today’s invaluable conversation with Dr. Salome Masghati on optimizing women’s health in midlife and beyond.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Bio: 

Dr. Salome Masghati is a board-certified gynecologic surgeon who now focuses on hormonal wellbeing, functional medicine, and disease prevention. She specializes in women’s health conditions including perimenopause, PCOS, endometriosis, gut health, and metabolic dysfunction, using a root-cause and physiologic approach to help women restore balance and optimize their health.

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Connect with Dr. Salome Masghati

Welcome to this week’s Midlife Minute episode!

Statistically, one in three women will die of heart disease. So, today, we’re answering some of the many questions I received about lipids and heart health. Although I’ve done other lipid-focused Midlife Minutes before, this episode is yet another dedicated to Dr. Tom Dayspring, as I’ve received such a vast number of questions on this particular topic.   

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  

I’m delighted to bring you a midlife metabolic health masterclass for women today, with experts Dr. Yael Joffe, Dr. Ben Bikman, Dr. Lara Briden, Dr. Felice Gersh, and Dr. Alexandra Sowa.

In this masterclass, our panel of experts explores how women’s metabolisms change in perimenopause, how our fat cells change with age, and how those changes influence our estrogen, insulin, and body composition. We examine how muscle, estrogen, and satiety mechanisms can improve or worsen metabolic health, the roles of aging, stress, inflammation, and ovarian health, and how body changes become metabolic risks.

Join us for today’s impactful masterclass with our insightful panel of metabolic health experts.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  

Connect with Dr. Yael Joffe

3X4 Genetics

Instagram

Facebook

Connect with Dr. Ben Bikman

On his website

Social media: @benbikmanphd

Connect with Dr. Lara Briden

Website

Social media: @Lara Briden

Connect with Dr. Felice Gersh

On her website: Integrative Medical Group of Irvine

Instagram

All of Dr. Gersh’s books are available on Amazon.

Connect with Dr. Alexandra Sowa

On her website  

Social media: @alexandrasowamd 

Purchase a copy of Dr. Sowa’s book, The Ozempic Revolution: A Doctor's Proven Plan for Success to Help You Reverse Obesity, End Yo-Yo Dieting, and Protect Yourself from Disease

Podcast Episodes: 

Ep. 558 Your DNA Isn’t Your Destiny – The Most Actionable Way to Use Genetics for Weight Loss with Dr. Yael Joffe 

Ep. 316 The Impact of Age, Gender and Lifestyle on Metabolic Health with Dr. Ben Bikman

Ep. 372 Metabolism Repair for Women: Strategies and Insights with Dr. Lara Briden

Ep. 570 We’ve Been Wrong About Progesterone! – The Most Powerful Hormone for Heart, Brain & Longevity with Dr. Felice Gersh|Menopause & HRT

Ep. 438 - The Rise of GLP-1s: Key to Weight Loss and Metabolic Health with Alexandra Sowa, MD

I’m excited to share another episode in our series of highly vetted companies.

Today, I’m delighted to reconnect with Angelo Keely, the Co-founder and CEO of Kion, for our third conversation.

I’ve been using essential aminos. I really leaned into them during my book launch, and I credit them with helping me maintain my muscle mass despite training at a lower volume.

In today’s conversation, Angelo and I discuss GLP-1s and muscle loss, exploring protein intake, the leucine threshold hypothesis, the association between declining estrogen and blunted muscle protein synthesis, and using essential aminos to build and maintain muscle. We unpack the role of sleep and recovery for muscle health, daily versus as-needed creatine monohydrate and essential amino acid supplementation, what omega-3s are, why they matter, and how to supplement. We also cover midlife women's body composition, weight loss, and muscle building, and Angelo shares his take on the disconnect between body composition changes in midlife women and how companies actively market to midlife women, knowing the challenges we face in that area.

Stay tuned for today’s insightful and informative discussion with Angelo Keely of Kion.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  

Connect with Angelo Keely

Today, I’m delighted to connect with Sara Hirsh Bordo, an autoimmune-diagnosed, 15-times award-winning documentary filmmaker, the founder and CEO of Women Rising, and the author of Autoimmunity and the Good Girls.

I loved Sara's book, and I love her work! I believe her message will resonate deeply with listeners with concurrent autoimmune conditions, and those who have grown up as people pleasers or have subjugated themselves over the course of their lives. Autoimmune conditions often tend to flare or first present during major hormonal transitions like postpartum, perimenopause, or menopause. So it’s important to understand the influence of chronic stress and how it intersects with our immune system function.

In our conversation, Sara and I discuss how self-silencing makes us sick, and overgiving keeps us that way. We explore the influence of family and culture on our health and longevity, the effects of autoimmunity, people pleasing, good-girl conditioning, and authenticity versus dissociation. We also discuss Gabor Maté’s book, The Myth of Normal, liberation, the fear of disappointment, Sara’s research, her concept of the license to be sovereign, the act of receiving, the role of epigenetics and birth order, and Sara's framework of coherence, authenticity, epigenetics, and permission.

Stay tuned for a wonderful conversation about autoimmunity, people-pleasing, authenticity, and permitting ourselves to be sovereign. Sarah's book, Autoimmunity and the Good Girls, will likely resonate deeply with many of you.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Bio: Sara Hirsh Bordo

Sara Hirsh Bordo (pronounced Bordeaux) is a 15-time award-winning filmmaker and Founder/CEO of Women Rising®, named "One of the Most Innovative, Interesting, and Purpose-Driven Women-Led Startups to Watch” by Inc. Magazine.

Sara is currently directing short documentary films for Toyota and ESPN Women, and most recently, the executive producer of ConnectHer International Film Festival, consulting director for the Gates Foundation PitchFest Program, and the author and researcher behind the first proprietary quantitative survey at the intersection of female empowerment and health, Autoimmunity and the Good GirlsTM.

Sara previously held positions in media and entertainment, including Executive Director of Interactive Marketing at Paramount Pictures, VP of Digital Marketing at MGM Studios, and CEO and Co-Founder of NowLive. Autoimmunity and the Good Girls is her first book.

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Connect with Sara Hirsh Bordo 

Today, we have a metabolic health masterclass, featuring Dr. Robert Lustig, Ben Azadi, Dr. Ben Bikman, Mark Sisson, and Dr. Nick Norwitz. 

In today’s masterclass, we explore why metabolic dysfunction is not simply a calories-in, calories-out issue or a failure of willpower, how insulin and leptin influence appetite and behavior, how early signs of insulin resistance can appear years before a diabetes diagnosis, and the important relationship between muscle, glucose regulation, and insulin sensitivity. We also discuss how movement supports fat burning without sacrificing muscle, why chronic cardio may not produce the results many people expect, and how emerging technology could provide a far more personalized approach to metabolic care.

Stay tuned for today’s informative discussion, where our panel of experts shares their valuable perspectives on metabolic health.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  

Connect with Dr. Robert Lustig

Website 

On Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter 

Connect with Ben Azadi

Website

On Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok

Get a copy of Ben Azadi’s latest book, Metabolic Freedom.

Connect with Dr. Ben Bikman

Website

On social media: @benbikmanphd

Connect with Mark Sisson  

Mark’s book, Born To Walk 

Peluva Shoes

Connect with Nick Norwitz

On YouTube, X, and Instagram

His Substack

Previous Episodes:

Ep. 161 Robert Lustig & Cynthia Thurlow Discussing The Nutritional Battlefield & Debunking Chronic Diseases

Ep. 465 Metabolic Health 101: Fat Loss, Toxins, and Seed Oils with Dr. Ben Azadi

Ep. 316 The Impact of Age, Gender and Lifestyle on Metabolic Health with Dr. Ben Bikman

Ep. 422 Walking for Health: The Underrated Exercise You Need with Mark Sisson

Ep. 525 We’ve Been Misled About Metabolic Health – The Shocking Truth About Cholesterol, GLP-1 & Aging with Dr. Nick Norwitz

I am delighted to have Jessie Inchauspe, the Glucose Goddess, joining me on the podcast today!

Metabolic health is my passion! It is a huge focus of my work, and Jessie is truly a gift in this space! She is a rising-star author and biochemist with a clear, accessible way of explaining the science behind glucose metabolism. 

Jessie joins me today to discuss the impact of glucose metabolism and spikes. We dive into her background and how an accident created her pain-to-purpose story. We discuss the role of continuous glucose monitors and how glucose spikes impact our mitochondria, inflammation, and oxidative stress. We get into glycation and aging, how weight gain is a protective aspect of glucose spikes- or hyperglycemia, and the role of vinegar, movement, and fiber. We also talk about Jessie’s new book, her opinions on fasting, and so much more. 

I loved interviewing Jessie! Her enthusiasm is contagious, and it is easy to understand why she is such a beloved author in the health and wellness space!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow

Connect with Jessie Inchauspe

On her ⁠website⁠  

⁠Instagram⁠

I’m delighted to connect with Dr. Rachel Goldman today. She is a licensed clinical psychologist based in New York City and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She specializes in the mind-body connection using cognitive behavioral therapy, with a focus on stress management, burnout, distorted eating, bariatric surgery support, and health behavior changes. I was honored to meet Dr. Rachel in Miami at an event where we both spoke earlier this year.

In our conversation, we discuss how to approach body image in midlife, how our families influence our relationships with food, what toxic positivity is, and how it invalidates our emotions. We also explore the vulnerability of midlife and parenting, the effects of GLP-1 drugs, obesity as a disease, and the impact of mindset. Dr. Rachel also defines burnout and shares the best ways to address it.

Stay tuned for today’s invaluable conversation on body image, mindset, emotions, and navigating the challenges of midlife.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  

Connect with Dr. Rachel Goldman