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

By Everyday Wellness™Science Alternative Health Health & Fitness Nutrition Life Sciences

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

March 04, 2023Ep. 258 Smarter Not Harder: More Results, Less Effort with Dave Asprey
I am honored to reconnect with Dave Asprey today! He is the renowned father of biohacking and a New York Times bestselling author.
Dave would like a world where we all have enough free time and peace to be at full power! In this episode, he and I have a no-nonsense conversation about his newest book, Smarter Not Harder, which is my favorite of all his books! We dive into the impact of the pandemic, the art and science of environment, the laziness principle, homeostasis, and the concept behind “slope with the curve” thinking. We discuss anti-nutrients, the biohacking pathway, REHIIT training, and various other cellular hacks, including hypoxification and specialized breathing, and how trauma pertains to becoming a more efficient human. I also ask Dave about his favorite supplements.
I hope you enjoy listening to today’s conversation with Dave Asprey as much as I did recording it!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
Why Dave chose to write his latest book now.
How Dave’s book can help you achieve homeostasis.
The 5 goals in Dave’s book that he recommends for people focus on, one at a time.
A fundamental mistake that people in the world of health and fitness often make.
How the “slope with the curve” biology works.
How you can save energy with biohacking.
The benefits of REHIT (Reduced Energy High-Intensity Interval Training).
Some foods that can negatively impact our health.
Dave shares his thoughts on dairy.
Using hypoxification as a cellular biohack.
Dave sheds some light on his favorite supplements.
The role of trauma resolution.

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
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Check out Cynthia’s website
Connect with Dave Asprey
On his website
Danger Coffee
To open an Upgrade Labs, go to www.ownanupgradelabs.com
Books mentioned
Men Are from Mars Women Are from Venus by John Gray
Dave’s new book, Smarter Not Harder is available from most bookstores.
1 hr 2 min
February 25, 2023Ep. 257 Biohack Your Mind: Thrive Mentally and Physically in Middle Age
I am happy to connect with Kristin Rowell today! Kristin is an attorney, Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, and the CEO and Founder of Energetically Efficient. After spending 16 years building a successful business trial practice, she left to create Energetically Efficient so that she could speak to and coach other high-performers on navigating food, exercise, and other lifestyle practices efficiently.
Kristin fell and broke her leg in ten places in 2013. She started meditating and received several nudges from the universe that prompted her to leave her job to pivot and transition into nutritional therapy and coaching.
In this episode, she shares her pain-to-purpose story, and we dive into the role of the ego in soul work, common limiting beliefs, energy work, and why weight gain is not a normal function of aging. We also discuss how chronic stress impacts our hormones, lifestyle choices, nutritional detoxification, why muscle is the organ of longevity, and Kristin’s favorite foods to take with her when she travels.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
The story behind Kristin’s career transition.
Kristin discusses her process of letting go of the ego.
What is energy work?
Some common limiting beliefs that may prevent people from reaching their full potential.
How Kristin helps people recalibrate themselves.
Does gaining weight have to go along with aging?
Some of the common errors Kristen sees women making.
How Kristin helps her clients detoxify naturally.
How often should women do strength training?
How to support yourself after a strength training workout.
The foods Kristin loves to take along when she travels.
Bio:
Kristin Rowell is a lawyer, Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, and CEO/Founder of Energetically Efficient. After spending 16 years building a successful business trial practice, she left to create Energetically Efficient so that she could speak to and coach other high-performers on how to efficiently navigate food, exercise, and other lifestyle practices to maximize their energy and become their best self each day. The foundation of Kristin's coaching centers on energy and consciousness, which makes her unique. Kristin also provides 1:1 coaching to professionals seeking to make a career transition, given that she successfully navigated that transition herself. Kristin is releasing her first cookbook this year, called Eating Efficiently. Kristin lives in Minneapolis with her two gorgeous Golden Retrievers, Catch & Belle.

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
Follow on Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn
Check out Cynthia’s website

Connect with Kristin Rowell
On Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
On her website
1 hr 2 min
February 22, 2023Ep. 256 How Eye Health and Metabolic Health Are Related with Dr. Bryce Appelbaum
Today I am delighted to connect with Dr. Bryce Appelbaum! He is a pioneer in neuro-optometry and is passionate about unlocking life’s potential through vision. He is an owner and managing doctor at Appelbaum Vision and practices in the Bethesda and Annapolis, Maryland areas.
Our brain uses 48-50% of its physiology just for us to be able to see, and there is a very complex interrelationship between the eyes and the brain.
In this episode, Dr. Appelbaum and I dive into his background in neuro-optometry and discuss how his family influenced his career trajectory. We get into eye physiology and the differences between vision and sight and explain how eye problems are also brain problems specific to rewiring our brain and processing. We discuss the impact of nutrition on eye health, foods to support vision and eye health, and how electronics impact myopia. We also talk about ways to address screen limits and visual hygiene, traumatic brain injuries, and more.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
Dr. Appelbaum explains how his passion for eye and vision health began in the first grade and how he helps people turn their visual weaknesses into strengths.
Some of the basics of eye physiology.
The interrelationship between our eyes and our brains.
Why are more vision problems emerging now than ever before- particularly in the younger generations?
What is the difference between eyesight and vision?
How do our eyes feed information to the rest of our body?
Doing vision therapy versus getting stronger prescription lenses as we age.
How vision problems can lead to or be misdiagnosed as ADD, ADHD, or dyslexia.
How does electronic use impact eye health?
How to practice 20-20-20 for visual hygiene.
Dr. Appelbaum shares some recommendations for managing screen time.
The interrelationship between nutrition, metabolic health, and eye health.
Some dietary guidelines for the brain injury population.
Dr. Appelbaum dives into depth perception.

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
Follow on Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn
Check out Cynthia’s website

Connect with Dr. Bryce Appelbaum
On the Appelbaum Vision website
ConcussionClear
ScreenFit Use code CYNTHIA10
On Instagram
Go to the College of Optometrists in Vision Development website to find a doctor board-certified in vision therapy close to where you live.
59 min
February 18, 2023 Ep. 255 Navigating Women's Midlife Health with Kristin Johnson & Maria Claps
I am delighted to connect with Maria Claps again and have Kristin Johnson joining us today! Maria is an FDN practitioner, and Kristin is NTP Board-Certified in Holistic Nutrition. They are plainspoken friends and practitioners who share a passion for women's health- especially women's health at midlife.
Maria was one of the very first guests on the podcast, in Episode 12, back in 2018!
In this episode, we dive into Kristin and Maria’s backgrounds and talk about the work they are doing to empower women in perimenopause and beyond and change the cultural narrative around aging for women, secrecy, and shame. We get into some of the changes that occur in middle age, including changes in metabolic homeostasis in our metabolism, muscle, immune function, and brain health. We discuss the need for changes in nutrition, strength training, and Zone 2 training, the role of HRT, common mistakes that get made in navigating HRT and supplementation, and the importance of testing.
I hope you will enjoy listening to our empowering discussion as much as I did recording it!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN
Kristin and Maria share the experiences that led them to find their calling.
Why the traditional narrative around aging for women has to change.
Changes that occur in women’s bodies in their late thirties and early forties as a result of changes in the metabolic homeostasis in their metabolism.
Why over-exercising and over-restricting can make things worse for women in their late thirties and early forties.
The importance of prioritizing and optimizing sleep, and eating enough in perimenopause- especially protein.
How women in their late thirties and early forties benefit from a keto diet.
The importance of finding and consuming the foods that work best for our bodies.
The importance and benefits of strength training for women.
The benefits of scheduling Zone 2 cardio workout sessions twice a week for women.
The role of hormone replacement therapy.
The benefits of a moderate amount of testosterone.
Bio
Maria, an FDN practitioner, and Kristin, an NTP Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition, are plainspoken friends and practitioners who share a passion for women's health, especially women's health at midlife. As both are themselves menopausal, they've refined the art and science of thriving as a midlife woman based on both clinical and personal experience. They combine individualized nutrition and lifestyle changes tailored to midlife women's needs with mindset coaching, lab testing, and hormone replacement therapy education to help women thrive so that they can stop or prevent their health from spinning out of control.
Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
• Follow on Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn
• Check out Cynthia’s website
Connect with Kristin Johnson and Maria Claps
On their Wise and Well website
Wise and Well on Instagram
Insta-links for the Wise and Well Community content on Instagram: https://wiseandwell.me/insta-links/
Episode 12: There’s No Shame in Healthy Aging with Maria Claps
Books mentioned:
The XX Brain by Lisa Mosconi
1 hr 9 min
February 11, 2023Ep. 254 Understanding and Optimizing Heart Health with Dr. Stephen Hussey
I am honored to have Dr. Stephen Hussey joining me today. He is a chiropractic doctor with an interest in and a methodology related to cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Hussey suffered from a large STEMI, a type of myocardial infarction or heart attack, and he has been diabetic since childhood. In this episode, we dive into his background and the open-minded curiosity with which he views the world. We talk about statistics related to cardiovascular disease, mitochondrial dysfunction, the impact of Ancel Keys and his research, how cholesterol and statins work in the body, and the causes of heart attacks. We also discuss ways to navigate cardiovascular health proactively and the impact of fasting.
I hope you enjoy listening to our discussion as much as I did recording it!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
Dr. Hussey shares his background and his journey to figuring out how to manage the various physical conditions he suffered from since childhood.
Why Dr. Hussey believes heart disease is not just about diet.
The vast number of Americans currently affected by vascular disorders proves that a different and better treatment approach is required.
Dr. Hussey discusses the frustration he experienced trying to navigate conversations with traditionally-trained providers.
What may prevent western physicians and practitioners from investigating other effective treatment options?
What causes mitochondrial dysfunction?
Dr. Hussey explains the metabolic theory of cancer.
Why is cancer of the heart so rare?
How Ancel Keys profoundly impacted American nutritional guidelines and the health of the American population.
The benefits of cholesterol and LDL, and the problem with statins.
What causes heart attacks?
Dr. Hussey shares his take on meal frequency and snacking and how that relates to heart health.
Bio:
Dr. Stephen Hussey MS, DC, is a Chiropractor and Functional Medicine practitioner. He attained his Doctorate of Chiropractic and a Master's in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States in Portland, OR. He is a health coach, speaker, and the author of two books on health; The Health Evolution: Why Understanding Evolution is the Key to Vibrant Health and Understanding The Heart: Surprising Insights Into The Evolutionary Origins Of Heart Disease - And Why It Matters. Dr. Hussey guides clients from around the world back to health using the latest research and health-attaining strategies. In his downtime, he likes to be outdoors, play sports, read, write, and travel.
Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
Follow on Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn
Check out Cynthia’s website
Connect with Dr. Stephen Hussey
On his website
On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn
Dr. Hussey’s book, Understanding the Heart, is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the publisher’s website.
1 hr 3 min
February 04, 2023Ep. 253 How to Improve Your Brain Health and Performance with Louisa Nicola
I am excited to connect with one of my favorite neuroscience experts today! Louisa Nicola is at the intersection of neuroscience and athleticism. She helps to bring a fresh understanding of what it takes to achieve peak performance through science-based tools and methods. She is also the host of The Neuro Experience podcast, which focuses on brain health, neuroscience, longevity, and athletics.
Louisa knows how to take complicated subjects related to brain physiology and hormones and explain them so that people can fully understand and appreciate them. In this episode, she and I dive into her background. We discuss her three pillars for peak performance, alcohol, and how sleep impacts the glymphatic system. We get into strategies for better sleep, the perimenopausal brain, how chronobiology impacts sleep, how to address jet lag, and how exercise improves brain performance and health. We also discuss the best foods and supplements for brain health and how creatine enhances performance.
I hope you enjoy listening to today’s conversation as much as I did recording it!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
How an accident shifted the trajectory of Louisa’s life.

Louisa unpacks the various stages of sleep and explains why sleep is so important.

How sleep impacts the glymphatic system.

Some common characteristics of perimenopause.

Some simple ways to aid the penetration of naturally secreted hormones into the brain.

How blood pressure fluctuations impact the brain.

What is jet lag, and how can we combat it?

How does alcohol affect the brain?

Louisa explains cardiac remodeling.

The value of different types of exercise for brain health.

The difference between physical activity and exercise.

How our food choices impact our brain health.

How to mitigate the effects of traumatic brain injuries.

How does creatine monohydrate improve brain performance?
Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
Follow on X
⁠ ⁠Instagram
⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠
Check out Cynthia’s ⁠website⁠
Connect with Louisa Nicola
On X and ⁠Instagram⁠
⁠The Neuro Experience Podcast⁠
Book mentioned
⁠The XX Brain⁠ by Dr. Lisa Mosconi
1 hr
January 28, 2023Ep. 252 How To Optimize Your Bone Health with Bone Coach Kevin Ellis
Today, I am honored to connect with Kevin Ellis, the Bone Coach.
Kevin Ellis, better known as Bone Coach™, is a certified Integrative Nutrition health coach, podcaster, Youtuber, bone health advocate, and the founder of BoneCoach.com. After an osteoporosis diagnosis in his early 30s, he realized just how challenging it can be for the average person to make sense of what needs to be done to improve and how to move forward confidently with a stronger bone plan.
So many women struggle with osteopenia and osteoporosis throughout their lifetimes. In this episode, Kevin and I dive into his background and interest in osteoporosis and celiac disease. We discuss bone health, osteopenia, osteoporosis, and the various contributors to bone health. We get into conventional treatments for osteoporosis, explain why they are problematic, and discuss proactive ways to address osteoporosis. We also speak about the role of the gut microbiome in bone health, a study on how blood pressure accelerates bone aging, and the impact of insulin resistance.
I hope you will enjoy listening to today’s discussion as much as I did recording it!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
Kevin talks about his background and explains how he developed an interest in bone physiology and bone coaching.
How osteopenia differs from osteoporosis.
How to find out if you have osteoporosis.
How to find out if you are actively losing bone.
Some common lifestyle factors that negatively impact bone health.
Causes of bone loss and osteoporosis in men and younger women.
How sugar damages bone.
Problems with the conventional approach to osteopenia and osteoporosis.
The importance of addressing osteoporosis proactively.
Why we should always look at diet and nutrition before considering supplements.
How melatonin promotes bone health.
How chronic stress negatively impacts bone health.
The connection between gut health and bone health.
Kevin shares his top three recommendations for bone health.

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
Follow on Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn
Check out Cynthia’s website

Connect with Kevin Ellis
On his website
On Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
Kevin’s free Stronger Bones Masterclass
55 min
January 25, 2023Ep. 251 Bonus: 90 Seconds to a Life You Love and the Capacity to Change with Dr. Joan Rosenberg
Today I am honored to connect with my friend and colleague, Dr. Joan Rosenberg! She is a highly-regarded psychologist, master clinician, trainer, consultant, cutting-edge psychologist, and the author of the book 90 Seconds to a Life You Love.
Joan is a dear friend who is absolutely brilliant and very wise! She has a broad range of experience, both as a clinician and as a professor. As a clinical psychologist, she is known for her concept of working through uncomfortable feelings. In this episode, we dive into how our childhoods impact our ability to express ourselves and the understanding that if we have the capacity to think, we can change. We discuss uncomfortable feelings, triggers, awareness, and reframing. We speak about experiences versus disconnection, resilience, and the benefits of facing our pain. We also get into the goals of communication, incongruent thoughts and actions, growth, generosity, compliments, and humility.
This conversation is one of my recent favorites! I hope you will love it, too!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
How our capacity to think allows us to learn new things and change, regulate our feelings and emotions, and express what we are experiencing.
How our childhood impacts our ability to express ourselves and talk about our feelings.
Why do we need to develop the skills to express ourselves and regulate our emotions?
Why do we want to distract ourselves from unpleasant feelings?
How do feelings relate to our experience of aliveness?
We have the capacity to shift and change throughout our lifetime.
Dr. Joan discusses eight unpleasant feeling states to which most of us can relate.
How Dr. Joan helps her patients reframe vulnerability.
What helps us build confidence and resilience?
What can we do to improve our communication skills?
How to deal with incongruence between words and behavior.
Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
Follow on Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
Check out Cynthia’s website
Connect with Dr. Joan Rosenberg
On her website
On Instagram
Find Dr. Joan under Dr. Joan Rosenberg on social media

Dr. Joan’s Book
90 Seconds to a Life You Love
1 hr 3 min
January 21, 2023Ep. 250 Denver's Diet Doctor: Metabolic Health, Toxic Food Environment, & Therapeutic Fasting
I have the honor of connecting with Dr. Jeffry Gerber today! He is a board-certified family physician, speaker, author, conference organizer, husband, father, and owner of a medical practice in Colorado, where he is known as “Denver’s Diet Doctor”. He is very savvy regarding low-carb, high-fat, ancestral health, paleo, primal, intermittent fasting, and whole foods. He gets frustrated with spiraling healthcare costs related to treating conditions like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and others.
Dr. Gerber has been a doctor since 1990. Even though many of his family members were overweight, he knew very little about nutrition for the first ten years and struggled with his patients not having any results. He has always been an independent thinker. So when some of his patients told him they intended to try non-standard diets, like the Atkins or the Suzanne Somers Diet, he supported them. Then he saw that they lost weight, and their metabolic markers improved.
In this episode, he and I dive into his background, how he became interested in looking at metabolic health, the impact of our modern-day lifestyles, and the toxic food environment. We speak about deprivation versus mindfulness, common challenges in the current medical system, the role of mitochondria in longevity, and the impact of altitude on our metabolism, carbohydrates, and other macros. We also discuss perimenopause, menopause, andropause, weight loss resistance, the differences between insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance, therapeutic fasting, deep prescribing, and assessing cardiovascular risk. Stay tuned for more!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
How Dr. Gerber evolved from running a family practice to becoming Denver’s Diet Doctor.
Dr. Gerber dives into our toxic food environment and explains where things went wrong.
The problem with the traditional approach to nutrition.
What does shifting the focus from deprivation to mindfulness mean?
Why keeping things simple is the best way to eat.
Why do we need to avoid fructose and seed oils?
How the mitochondria work.
What can we do to avoid oxidative stress and improve our mitochondrial health?
How does altitude affect metabolism?
Some of the common metabolic challenges Dr. Gerber sees in his middle-aged patients.
The difference between insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance.
Dr. Gerber shares his perspective on heart health.
Bio:
Dr. Jeffry N. Gerber, MD, FAAFP is a board-certified family physician, speaker, author, conference organizer, husband, father, and owner of South Suburban Family Medicine in Littleton, Colorado, where he is known as “Denver’s Diet Doctor”. He has been providing personalized healthcare since 1990 and continues that tradition with an emphasis on longevity, wellness, and prevention.
Nutrition and its effects on health are areas of interest for Dr. Gerber. Frustrated with spiraling healthcare costs related to the treatment of conditions like overweight, obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and heart disease just to name a few, Dr. Gerber has been focusing on prevention and treatment programs using low-carb high fat (LCHF), Ancestral, Paleo, Primal, Intermittent Fasting and Whole Foods diets along with a healthy lifestyle to treat and prevent these chronic conditions. Redefining healthy nutrition is a goal. Dr. Gerber speaks frequently about these important topics to patients, the community, and other healthcare professionals. Whether connecting one-on-one or with much larger audiences his passion and legacy is nutrition education.
Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
Follow on Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
Check out Cynthia’s website
Connect with Dr. Jeffry Gerber
Low Carb Conferences website
Denver's Diet Doctor website
On Facebook or @LowCarbConferences (Group)
Instagram: @JeffryGerberMD or @LowCarbConferences
55 min
January 14, 2023Ep. 249 AMA Episode: Dr. Mindy Pelz: Troubleshooting Fasting, Electrolytes, Hormones & More
I have the honor of reconnecting with Dr. Mindy Pelz today. She was with me before on podcasts 113 and 184.
Dr. Mindy Pelz, D.C is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and nutrition and functional health expert who has spent over two decades helping thousands of people successfully reclaim their health. She is a recognized leader in the alternative health field and a pioneer in the fasting movement, teaching the principles of a fasting lifestyle, diet variation, detox, hormones, and more. Her popular YouTube channel (which just celebrated 23 million lifetime views) regularly updates followers on the latest science-backed tools and techniques to help them reset their health. She is the host of one of the leading science podcasts, The Resetter Podcast, and the author of three best-selling books; The Menopause Reset, The Reset Factor, and The Reset Kitchen, and her current book published with Hay House, Fast Like a Girl, is available for pre-order. Dr. Mindy has appeared on national shows like Extra TV and The Doctors and has been featured in Muscle & Fitness, Well + Good, SHEknows, Healthline, and more.
For this episode, I have a new format of ask me anything questions and answers. Dr. Mindy and I answer many of the questions women have sent in about nutrition, navigating fasting, electrolytes, and estrogen and progesterone-promoting foods. We discuss perimenopause, PMDD and hormonal fluctuations, carbohydrates, hormesis, the parasympathetic nervous system, and magnesium. We get into the impact of fasting on the liver, changes in our cycle, and the need for liver and gallbladder support. We also answer several questions about troubleshooting and talk about Dr. Mindy’s new book, Fast Like a Girl.
I hope you enjoy our new format and listening to today’s discussion with Dr. Mindy Pelz.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
Should fermented foods (sauerkraut) be eaten first or at the end of a meal?
When indulging in something sweet from time to time, is it better to use organic sugar or honey than agave? Or is pure stevia preferable?
Which foods are beneficial for progesterone production?
Is there a way to prevent cravings for salty or sweet snacks after dinner?
Some tips to make losing five to ten pounds a bit easier.
Are products with zero carbs and zero sugars suitable for fasting if they have a sweet taste?
Some simple ways to relieve the symptoms of PMDD (Premenstrual Dysmorphic Disorder).
When is the best time for a perimenopausal woman who suffers from anxiety and irritability before getting her period to use progesterone cream?
Should a woman in perimenopause keep a twelve-hour fasting window until her period starts, even when her cycle is unpredictable? What happens if she skips a cycle?
Dr. Mindy and I share our opinions on Ozempic (Semaglutide).
What nutritional information should people look at if they have high cholesterol that cannot be explained?
How can lifestyle changes allow people to avoid having to take statins?
What should you do if you become fatigued when fasting?
What does it mean if you start losing your hair when you fast?
Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
Follow on Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
Check out Cynthia’s website

Connect with Dr. Mindy Pelz
On her website
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Get your copy of Dr. Mindy Pelz’s new book, Fast Like a Girl.

Previous Episodes Mentioned:
Episode 113- How to Survive the Ups and Downs of Menopause
Episode 184 – Hormonal Symptoms Don’t Have To Be a Result of Aging
1 hr 5 min