The DUTCH Podcast

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In this episode, nutritionist Andrea Donsky joins host Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton to discuss her large-scale research on perimenopause and menopause, the deep connection between gut health and hormone balance, and the value of baseline hormone and metabolic testing. 

Andrea and Dr. Jaclyn also discuss: 

• Outdated symptom lists for perimenopause and menopause, which commonly cite only 34 symptoms, compared to Andrea’s research, which documented over 100 
• Most common symptoms are cognitive, such as mood swings, anxiety, and brain fog, rather than physical symptoms 
• How the gut changes in perimenopause and menopause and how hormones are intertwined 
• The common experience of provider dismissal for perimenopausal and menopausal patients 
• Nutrition and lifestyle as the foundation, not a replacement for hormone therapy 

Show Notes 

Check out Nourishing Menopause by Andrea Donsky and follow her on Instagram @andreadonsky! 

Learn more about easy at-home collection for patients with DUTCH Direct.  

Become a DUTCH Provider to get access to peer-reviewed and validated research, comprehensive patient reports, and expert clinical support, as well as our Perimenopause Management educational course. 

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In this episode, Sabrina Zohar and host Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton discuss the intersection of psychology, the nervous system, and physiology in relationships. They also explore attachment theory and how it relates to HPA axis function, cortisol, and hormone health. 

This conversation also highlights: 

• The physiological, not just psychological, nature of attachment styles 
• How chronic activation of cortisol can cause downstream regulation, affecting sex hormones, sleep, and mood 
• Small, incremental steps to build nervous system safety 
• The importance of regulation when it comes to conflict resolution 
• Practical tools for nervous system regulation 

Show Notes 

Learn more about Sabrina, her new book Why Am I Like This?, and follow her on Instagram @sabrina.zohar! 

Discover easy at-home collection for patients with DUTCH Direct.   

Become a DUTCH Provider today to get access to comprehensive patient reports, peer-reviewed and validated research, and expert clinical support. 

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In this episode, Dr. Jenn Simmons and Dr. LaDeana Jeane join host Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton to discuss breast cancer survivorship, what happens after active treatment ends, and how providers can help patients during this stage. 

This episode also covers: 

• How post-treatment care is fragmented due to caution from specialists 
• The connection between post-treatment symptoms and menopause, and how the shared cause can go unaddressed by providers 
• Menopausal hormone therapy after breast cancer, the benefits and risks, and the shifting landscape 
• How crucial it is for conventional and naturopathic care to work together 
• Dr. Jeane and Dr. Simmons’ guidance on speaking with patients about lowering recurrence risk 

Show Notes 

Learn more about Dr. LaDeana Jeane’s practice Nolia Naturopathic Medicine! 

Check out Dr. Jenn Simmons’ book, The Smart Woman’s Guide to Breast Cancer, and her podcast, Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn. 

Discover easy at-home collection for patients with DUTCH Direct.  

Become a DUTCH Provider to see how the DUTCH Test can profoundly change the lives of your patients. 

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Join us for this episode as Dr. Jolene Brighten and host Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton discuss attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in women, how hormone levels impact ADHD in childhood and adulthood, and the many systems that estrogen helps regulate. 

Dr. Brighten and Dr. Smeaton also cover: 

• How ADHD in women is frequently missed until adulthood 
• The role of estrogen in brain energy, immune function, and gut microbial diversity 
• ADHD’s tendency to overlap with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder 
• The decline of estrogen during perimenopause and how it can cause ADHD-like symptoms to emerge or intensify 
• Dr. Brighten’s hormone therapy considerations for patients with ADHD

Show Notes 

Learn more about Dr. Jolene Brighten and follow her on Instagram @drjolenebrighten! 

Check out Dr. Brighten’s book, ADHD and Women! 

Discover easy at-home collection for patients with DUTCH Direct. 

Become a DUTCH Provider today to get access to comprehensive patient reports, peer-reviewed and validated research, and expert clinical support. 

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Dr. Christine Maren joins host Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton to discuss bone health in perimenopausal and menopausal women and how bone health is connected to the immune system, gut health, and hormone therapy. 

Their conversation also explores: 

• Bone as a dynamic tissue that’s constantly rebuilding 
• The importance of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone for slowing bone breakdown and supporting bone building 
• Mechanical loading, hormones, gut health, and overall nutrition as higher-impact factors compared to calcium supplementation for bone health 
• The benefits of hormone therapy for bone health 
• Missed markers on conventional lab panels that could catch potential issues early, like thyroid, ferritin, and insulin 

Show Notes 

Learn more about Dr. Christine Maren and follow her on Instagram @drchristinemaren! 

Check out the study on transdermal estradiol mentioned in this episode. 

Learn more about easy at-home collection for patients with DUTCH Direct.  

Become a DUTCH Provider today to see how the DUTCH Test can profoundly change the lives of your patients. 

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In this episode, Cynthia Thurlow joins host Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton to explore the estrobolome and its role in metabolizing estrogen and progesterone, stress and cortisol as a driver of hormone imbalance, and DUTCH Test patterns that can signal gut dysfunction. 

Cynthia and Dr. Jaclyn also discuss: 

• How gut health can impact hormone metabolism, not just digestion 
• The many roles of progesterone, including GABA signaling, myelin maintenance, and neuroplasticity 
• Cyclical symptom tracking to determine hormonal versus non-hormonal anxiety 
• The differences between bioidentical hormone therapy, oral contraceptives, and synthetic progestins 
• Simple daily habits to support gut and hormone health 

Show Notes 

Check out Cynthia Thurlow’s book, The Menopause Gut, and follow her on Instagram @cynthia_thurlow_! 

Discover easy at-home collection for patients with DUTCH Direct. 

Become a DUTCH Provider to see how the DUTCH Test can profoundly change the lives of your patients. 

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In this episode, Dr. Tara Scott and Mark Newman join host Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton to explore hormone misinformation, the differences between hormone testing methods, and the hormonal drivers often missed by single-point testing. 

Their conversation also covers: 

• The benefits and risks of using AI to interpret hormone labs 
• What single-point testing can miss when it comes to cortisol testing and cycle mapping 
• The importance of baseline and follow-up hormone testing versus the conventional symptom to prescription pipeline 
• How common symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and anxiety can have overlapping hormonal drivers that may not be noticeable in single-marker testing 
• The increase in virtual care and how patients in underserved areas are gaining access to specialized hormone care 

Show Notes 

Learn more about Dr. Tara Scott and personalized hormone care through Forum Health.

Follow Forum Health on Instagram @forum_health and on YouTube.

Explore easy at-home collection for patients with DUTCH Direct. 

Become a DUTCH Provider to get access to comprehensive patient reports, peer-reviewed and validated research, and expert clinical support.

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In this episode, Phoebe Liebling joins host Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton to discuss bone loss, mixed messaging in fitness and nutrition culture that can damage bone density, and the critical role of estrogen in bone remodeling. 

Their conversation also covers: 

• The invisible and non-linear nature of bone loss 
• Estrogen as a stimulant for osteoblast activity and calcium retention 
• Common habits like chronic under fueling, excess cardio, and fasted training and how they can quietly contribute to bone loss 
• How typical DXA scans begin at 65, missing the fastest bone-loss window which occurs much earlier during perimenopause 
• A practical framework for reversing bone loss through nutrient-dense eating, protein intake, and targeted supplementation 

Show Notes 

Learn more about Phoebe Liebling and follow her on Instagram @lieblinghealth! 

Explore easy at-home collection for patients with DUTCH Direct.  

Become a DUTCH Provider to get access to comprehensive patient reports, peer-reviewed and validated research, and expert clinical support. 

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, registered dietician Erin Kenney joins host Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton to explore the connection between gut health, diet, hormones, and the rising rates of colorectal cancer, particularly in younger adults. 

This episode also highlights: 

• The critical role of fiber and gut microbiome diversity 
• The link between ultra-processed food additives and gut inflammation 
• How long-term elimination diets can reduce microbiome diversity and end up being harmful 
• Tips for packaged food labels and proper digestion 
• A practical colon-health checklist, including eating fermented foods daily and staying physically active 

Show Notes 

Learn more about Erin Kenney and follow her on Instagram @nutritionrewired! 

Explore easy at-home collection for patients with DUTCH Direct. 

Become a DUTCH Provider to gain access to peer-reviewed and validated research, comprehensive patient reports, and expert clinical support. 

Send us Fan Mail

Join the conversation as Dr. Tori Hudson and host Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton discuss the evolution of menopause hormone therapy through the eras: pre-2002, post-Women’s Health Initiative, and the current state of menopause hormone therapy, with a particular focus on testosterone therapy. 

This episode also covers: 

• Testosterone usage and dosing and the correlation with libido, mood, energy, and muscle mass 
• Dr. Hudson’s dosing protocols and concerns about supraphysiological dosing 
• Methods of delivery for estrogen therapy 
• Cardiovascular disease as an underappreciated priority in menopause care 
• The importance of individualized care over following hormone therapy trends 

Show Notes 

Check out The American Heart Association’s PREVENTä Online Calculator mentioned in this episode.

Read Dr. Hudson's DUTCH Article on testosterone prescribing in postmenopausal women, and check out the testosterone guidelines discussed in this episode. 

Learn more about Dr. Tori Hudson and her practice, A Woman’s Time! 

Explore easy at-home collection for patients with DUTCH Direct. 

Become a DUTCH Provider to get access to peer-reviewed and validated research, comprehensive patient reports, and expert clinical support.