The Cinnamon Effect - Supporting Women's Health, Emotional Resilience and Personal Growth

Have you ever left a doctor’s office with a stack of test results and more questions than you walked in with?

In this episode, I’m joined by Michaeline Daboul, a biochemist who spent about 25 years in drug development, built and sold a software company, and now runs Thrive for Longevity, a nonprofit devoted to women’s health education.

We also open up about our own pregnancy losses in our late 30s and the crash in hormones after miscarriage that nobody explained to either of us.

You’ll learn:

Why medical gaslighting happens and how to better advocate for yourself when your doctor isn't listening.

What you should know about ChatGPT Health, AI tools, and keeping your personal health record private.

How gaps in menopause education leave women unprepared for perimenopause and other hormonal shifts.

Why women underrepresented in clinical trials is a concern when it comes to understanding the health advice we see online.

How better women’s health education can help you ask more informed questions and make confident decisions about your care.

Why midlife women’s health deserves more attention and how we can start changing the conversation around aging.

If you've ever felt dismissed by a doctor, overwhelmed by conflicting health advice, or simply wished you understood your body better, I think you'll get so much out of this conversation.

Hit play and let’s grow together, Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Shop my curated collection of low-tox products for home, beauty, wellness, and everyday life here: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=914824&Section_id=3615853

Connect with Michaeline

If you’re ready to walk into your next appointment with better questions, Michaeline’s free programs at Thrive for Longevity are a great place to start: thriveforlongevity.org

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro

03:30 The Missing Piece in Women’s Health Education

08:39 Taking Control of Your Health Records

14:50 ChatGPT Health and the Privacy Risks of AI

24:38 Rethinking Midlife, Menopause, and Longevity

34:40 How to Know Which Health Advice to Trust

42:12 Hormones After Miscarriage and Perimenopause

53:47 How to Advocate for Yourself at the Doctor

Have you ever wanted to try something, then talked yourself out of it because you thought you should already be good at it?

In this solo episode, I'm sharing what it's been like to be a beginner again at 46 and learning ballroom in the middle of perimenopause.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why giving yourself grace matters when you’re learning something that makes you feel awkward or exposed.
• How fear of being perceived can quietly affect the way you show up, even when you think you’re simply nervous.
• What ballroom dancing for adults has taught me about being a beginner again.
• Why trying new things can build confidence in ways you might not expect.
• How exercise for perimenopause can be about finding movement that challenges you, supports you, and gives you something to look forward to.
• Why hobbies for women in their 40s can be so valuable during a season when your body, priorities, and identity may be shifting.
• What I’m learning about body confidence when it comes to practice clothes, competition outfits, and accepting my body where it is today.
• How preparing for a ballroom dance competition has pushed me to become more comfortable being visible.
• Why the fear of being seen can keep us from doing things we actually want to experience.
• What I’ve discovered about trying something new, even when part of you thinks you should already know what you’re doing.
• If you've ever felt awkward in your own body, held back because you weren't good at something yet, or wondered if it's too late to start, this episode will remind you that trying new things is how confidence grows.

Hit play and let’s grow together, Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Shop my curated collection of low-tox products for home, beauty, wellness, and everyday life here: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=914824&Section_id=3615853

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Being 46 and a Beginner Again

04:17 How Movement and Strength Support Perimenopause

08:57 Giving Yourself Grace When Trying New Things

13:32 Building Confidence Through Ballroom Dancing

Resources mentioned:

If you want to hear more about the changes perimenopause brings, my conversation with Dr. Alexandra Volo is the place to start: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-cinnamon-effect-supporting-womens-health/id1714519337?i=1000788444306

If you're curious about the Neubie and why it's part of how I take care of my body, here's my episode with Nick: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/the-cinnamon-effect-supporting-womens-health/id1714519337?i=1000775767184

Have you ever reached for your phone while it was already in your hand and wondered where the sharp version of you went?

I used to be the woman who never forgot a name. Then perimenopause memory loss crept in, and it started showing up in places that scared me.

In this episode, I'm sharing my own story with fatigue and brain fog and what I've learned since I hit perimenopause.

We get into hidden brain fog causes, why a mold detox became part of my story, and the advice on protein for perimenopause that changed how I start my mornings. I also open up about the perimenopause fatigue that no amount of sleep seemed to fix.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- What does perimenopause fatigue feel like when you're sleeping plenty and still waking up tired

- Why food sensitivities can hide in foods that look healthy

- How I finally connected bread to my gluten brain fog

- What I changed in my daily life while figuring out how to get rid of brain fog for myself

- Where I went first for HRT and what I'd do differently now

- Why I believe you have to be your own best health advocate

If you've ever pushed through extreme fatigue and brain fog, let your own appointments slide because life got busy, or caught yourself asking, "Can mold cause brain fog?" this episode will help you look at your symptoms with fresh eyes and know what to ask your practitioner next.

Hit play and let’s grow together, Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Resources mentioned:

Bellicon Rebounder (use code TCE): https://www.bellicon.com/?acc=kimberlyhand&a_bid=f1c026c9

Keep Listening:

If you want to go deeper on hormones, start with my conversation with Dr. Mitch Ghen:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-your-doctor-should-be-asking-about-your-sex-life/id1714519337?i=1000785752832

If you're ready to learn how to thrive in this season, here's my episode with Dr. Alexandra

Volo:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-spot-the-early-hormone-shifts-of/id1714519337?i=1000788444306

If morning sunlight caught your ear, here's where Jen Van Horn breaks it down:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-100-harnessing-the-power-of-the-sun-for-better/id1714519337?i=1000730588407

Shop the episode:

https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=914824&Section_id=3615853

If this episode gave you a question to sit with this week, follow The Cinnamon Effect so the next one finds you on Tuesday. And if it helped you feel less alone in it, I'd love for you to leave a review so another woman can find the show when she needs it.

Does feeling burnt out mean you're living the wrong life?

In this solo episode, I'm getting honest about the working mom burnout that caught up with me this summer, even though I love what I do.

I talk about the signs of burnout that told me something had to change and the creative burnout that hit right when I needed ideas most. I also share the questions that helped me figure out how to recover from burnout while still working, raising my son, and building something new.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why burnout doesn't always mean you're doing the wrong things
• How to prevent burnout by paying attention to your everyday reactions
• What a forgotten violin taught me about the signs of mom burnout
• What two-letter word can get your life moving again
• How to recover from burnout when rest alone isn't helping
• Why a disciplined schedule can leave you with a lack of creativity
• What you can edit when mom burnout hits and quitting isn't an option
• What questions to ask yourself when it's time for a life edit
• How to simplify your life with the one question that decides what makes the cut
• What keeps me going through entrepreneur burnout on the hard days
• How to reconnect with yourself as you grow into the next version of you
• If you're tired in a way sleep doesn't fix, wondering how to deal with burnout without quitting everything, or ready to learn how to get your spark back, this episode is for you.

Here's to finding your spark again, Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Resources mentioned

Bellicon Rebounder (use code TCE): https://www.bellicon.com/?acc=kimberlyhand&a_bid=f1c026c9

Ballroom dancing

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dance-benefits-nobody-mentions-to-midlife-women/id1714519337?i=1000782671307

Shop the episode

https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=914824&Section_id=3615853

If this episode gave you a question to sit with this week, follow The Cinnamon Effect so the next one finds you on Tuesday. And if it helped you feel less alone in it, I'd love for you to leave a review so another woman can find the show when she needs it.

Have you ever stood in the beauty aisle, or the wine aisle, and wondered when the choice stopped being yours?

In this episode, I'm back in the hot seat for part two of my Q&A with my producer Amber, and this time the questions are about my body, my face, and the last drink I ever had.

We get into quitting alcohol as a way back to yourself, the one situation where I still want a drink, and how nearly five years of an alcohol free lifestyle changed more than I expected.

We talk through aging naturally vs botox, the botox alternatives I use every day, and why facial acupuncture and gua sha facial massage earned a permanent spot in my routine. We close on low tox living, why I stopped calling it non toxic living, and where I still bend my own rules.

Our conversation touches on:

- What two glasses of wine told me about my body at 41

- How my sleep and skin changed after giving up alcohol

- Why my son was part of my decision to become a sober mom

- Why moderation was a losing game for me

- Where the sober curious conversation is different from a harder one

- What natural alternatives to botox look like in my daily routine

- Why I've never touched my face and how I talk about it without judging anyone

- What I can smell from the street that I won't put on my skin

- Which wellness rituals I'd never skip, and the one I've kept for ten years

- Where the line sits between informed and obsessive

If you've ever wondered what life without alcohol would actually feel like, or whether aging naturally is still an option when everyone around you is booking the appointment, this episode will give you a picture of both from someone who's living them.

Hit play and let’s grow together, Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Shop my curated collection of low-tox products for home, beauty, wellness, and everyday life here: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=914824&Section_id=3615856&tab=collections

Products I love:

Turn your skincare into a daily ritual that actually does something. Shop Wildling's facial tools here: https://wildling.pxf.io/c/5878814/907542/12462

Your old nonstick pans could be leaching chemicals into every meal. Swap them for Caraway's non-toxic cookware and cook clean: https://rstr.co/caraway/kimberlyhand

Keep Listening:

If you want to hear the conversation that impacted me most, start with Marie Crews:

https://rss.com/podcasts/the-cinnamon-effect/2918311

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdoFBHs6iZc

Have you ever told the polished version of your story so many times that you started to wonder what you'd say if nobody was editing?

In this episode, I hand the questions over to Amber, my producer for the past year, and let her ask me anything she wants with no list and no heads up.

Amber has watched me interview doctors and authors all year, and she's the one who sees what happens the second we click cut. That's the version she went looking for here. We talk about everything from overcoming insecurity to the Argentina hunting trip that brought me back to my husband.

Our conversation touches on:

- What nobody tells you about how to have self confidence after 40

- How to stop caring what people think without pretending you don't care at all

- How to reconnect with your husband when your season together feels more like logistics than love

- Why the secrets to a long marriage have less to do with 50/50 than with two people each giving 100

- What building confidence really looked like for me, including confidence building activities for adults as small as one phone call I'd been avoiding

- How getting out of your comfort zone led me to ballroom dancing for adults and to a python I still can't believe I grabbed

- Where helicopter parenting and snowplow parenting get in a kid's way

- Why forgiveness in relationships is still the thing I'm working on

- How to trust your gut when you're the one making the call for someone else

- What midlife reinvention actually looks like

- What I wish we'd known about date night ideas for parents when our son was a baby

If you've been searching for marriage advice that isn't rehearsed, how to have self confidence on the days it doesn't come easily, or a reason to start getting out of your comfort zone at an age when everyone tells you to settle in, this episode is your invitation to hear the unedited version.

Hit play and let’s grow together, Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Shop my curated collection of low-tox products for home, beauty, wellness, and everyday life here: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=914824&Section_id=3615856&tab=collections

Products I love:

Recharge your energy and recovery with targeted frequencies. See how the BioCharger works here: https://biocharger.com/learnandearn/?business=Kimberly%20Hand&ID=

Better sleep, faster recovery, real relaxation, all from home. Shop my HigherDOSE picks here: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=86123&awinaffid=1785436

Have you ever sat in a doctor's office, heard the words "everything looks normal," and driven home knowing in your gut that it wasn't?

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Alexandra Volo, a family doctor with additional certification in menopause care, who's made it her mission to help the women other providers dismissed.

Dr. Volo and I talk about the hormone shifts that can begin as early as your late 30s, and why so many women in their 40s walk out of appointments with an antidepressant prescription instead of answers. She breaks down what the Women's Health Initiative study actually got wrong more than twenty years ago, and how that one flawed headline kept generations of women away from treatment that could've changed their lives.

Our conversation touches on:

- Why irritability and 3AM wakeups arrive long before the first hot flash

- The reason normal hormone levels can't rule out perimenopause, no matter what your labs say

- What bioidentical hormones actually are, and why the term gets used as marketing

- Why Dr. Volo prescribes the patch and progesterone over pellets you can't take out

- How vaginal estrogen addresses painful sex and the UTIs so many older women suffer through silently

- The simple formula for setting your protein intake based on your ideal weight

- Where hormone disruptors hide in your kitchen, and the swaps that reduce them

- The lifestyle changes Dr. Volo prescribes as often as any medication

- How to find a certified menopause doctor who takes your symptoms seriously

Whether you're deep in the hormone shifts yourself, watching a friend struggle through them, or simply want to understand what's ahead, this conversation will help you walk into your next appointment informed and ready to advocate for yourself.

Hit play and let’s grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Dr. Alexandra Volo:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drvolo

Products I love:

Sweat out the stress and sink into infrared heat at home. Explore Sunlighten Saunas here: https://get.sunlighten.com/cinnamoneffect

Your old nonstick pans could be leaching chemicals into every meal. Swap them for Caraway's non-toxic cookware and cook clean:https://rstr.co/caraway/kimberlyhand

Have you ever looked around your life and wondered why the things you once chased don’t feel as impressive anymore, and why some of the people you once made space for no longer feel right?

In this episode, I'm joined by Margaret Luce, a model, actress, investor, and editor at large of Vivant Magazine, who has built a career across fashion, publishing, and wellness.

Margaret and I talk about what happens when you stop shrinking yourself to make other people comfortable, why certain female friendships become harder to hold onto as you evolve, and how intuition often speaks long before your mind is ready to catch up.

We also get into luxury wellness, aging, beauty treatments, wellness biohacking, and the growing pressure to constantly optimize, improve, buy, inject, fix, and keep up.

Our conversation touches on:

- Why protecting your energy can change the way you approach friendships and social situations.

- How to recognize when a relationship may no longer belong in your life.

- What true luxury can look like beyond labels, status, and buying more.

- Why timeless purchases and quality can matter more than following trends.

- How Margaret thinks about anxiety, intuition, and listening to your body.

- Why water, movement, and simple rituals can become powerful tools during difficult seasons.

- Which wellness and beauty treatments Margaret believes are worth paying attention to.

- Why she thinks we should be more careful about jumping on every wellness trend.

- How cosmetic trends can change the way we see beauty and individuality.

- What Margaret means when she says she is entering her “villain era,” and why that shift has changed the way she lives.

If you have ever felt pressure to make yourself smaller, questioned whether a friendship still fits, or wondered what is actually worth your time, money, and energy, this episode will give you a lot to think about.

Hit play and let's grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Shop my curated collection of low-tox products for home, beauty, wellness, and everyday life here: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=914824&Section_id=3615856&tab=collections

Connect with Margaret:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margaretbastickluce

Products I love:

Sweat out the stress and sink into infrared heat at home. Explore Sunlighten Saunas here: https://get.sunlighten.com/cinnamoneffect

Turn your skincare into a daily ritual that actually does something. Shop Wildling's facial tools here: https://wildling.pxf.io/c/5878814/907542/12462

Is your wellness routine actually built for your body?

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Mitch Ghen, a functional medicine physician and educator with 44 years of experience, who counts hundreds of physicians among his own patients and has written four medical textbooks.

Dr. Mitch and I talk about why hormones work as a family, how a compounding pharmacy tailors prescriptions to your blood work, and what he looks for when patients arrive with mold exposure, heavy metals, or reactivated Epstein Barr. We also get into his in-or-out list on everything from creatine and keto to cold plunges and saunas.

In this episode, you'll learn:

- Why bioidentical hormones differ from the conjugated estrogens used in older studies

- Why women may need estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone together

- What to ask your practitioner before starting bio identical hormone therapy

- Why estrogen metabolism matters as much as the hormones themselves

- How to spot red flags at med spas and drip bars offering IV therapy

- Why blood work should come before any IV drip or peptide

- Why sexual wellness can support your hormones, stress levels, and sleep

- What to know about zeolite, toxic metals, and everyday toxin exposure

- How to use fermented foods and probiotics to support your gut

- Why a stool analysis may reveal more than a colonoscopy

- What to consider before trying keto, creatine, or intermittent fasting

If you've been searching for hormone balance, advanced integrative medicine, and honest answers about hormone therapy, this episode is your invitation to get to know your own biochemistry.

Hit play and let’s grow together, Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Dr. Mitch:

Website: https://ghenmed.com/

Products I love:

Your old nonstick pans could be leaching chemicals into every meal. Swap them for Caraway's non-toxic cookware and cook clean: https://rstr.co/caraway/kimberlyhand

Sweat out the stress and sink into infrared heat at home. Explore Sunlighten Saunas here: https://get.sunlighten.com/cinnamoneffect

Have you ever looked at someone who seems confident, successful, and completely comfortable putting herself out there, then wondered what it actually took for her to become that person?

In this episode, I'm joined by Chelsea Paine, a female entrepreneur who owns a yoga studio, runs a social media marketer business, manages multiple businesses, travels often, and has built a strong online presence. From the outside, she looks fearless. But Chelsea is also very open about social anxiety, the pressure of being visible, and what it has taken to keep pushing herself beyond what feels comfortable.

We also talk about what life really looks like as a yoga studio owner, how Chelsea uses her online presence to support her businesses, and why entrepreneurship can be very different from the freedom-filled version we often see on social media.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What Chelsea discovered about herself through solo travel and why she now thinks more women should experience a solo trip.
• How overcoming social anxiety can start with doing small things that make you uncomfortable.
• Why you do not have to travel across the world to get out of your comfort zone.
• What Chelsea has learned from running multiple businesses and being a yoga studio owner.
• How she built an online presence that became an important part of growing her businesses.

Hit play and let’s grow together,

Kimberly

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.kimberlyhand.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyhand_

Shop The Cinnamon Effect Journal here: https://thecinnamoneffect.com/journal

Connect with Chelsea:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelseaannepaine/?hl=en

The Village Yoga: https://www.instagram.com/thevillageyoga

The Blading Babes: https://www.instagram.com/thebladingbabes/

Influence Florida: https://www.instagram.com/influenceflorida/

Products I love:

Turn your skincare into a daily ritual that actually does something.

Shop Wildling's facial tools here: https://wildling.pxf.io/c/5878814/907542/12462

Bounce for ten minutes a day and feel your energy and lymphatic flow wake up.

Shop my rebounder here and use code TCE: https://www.bellicon.com/?acc=kimberlyhand&a_bid=f1c026c9