The Radically Well Podcast

Welcome to a special bonus episode of Season 2 of The Radically Well Podcast!

Rosie Acosta and Tessa Tovar sit down with New York Times bestselling author Andrea Bartz to explore the creative process behind writing psychological thrillers, building unforgettable characters, and embracing vulnerability as an artist.

Andrea discusses her latest novel, The Last Ferry Out, her journey from journalism to fiction writing, and why the most compelling stories often come from our most uncomfortable emotions. Together, they dive into creativity, storytelling, perfectionism, intuition, and what it really takes to bring complex female characters to life.

Whether you're an aspiring writer, an avid reader, or simply curious about the creative process, this conversation offers inspiration for anyone looking to create meaningful work.

✨ What You’ll Learn & What We Discuss
- Andrea Bartz's journey from journalism to bestselling novelist
- The inspiration behind The Last Ferry Out
- How vulnerability creates compelling stories
- Writing authentic female characters
- Creativity versus perfectionism
- Why uncomfortable emotions make the best fiction
- Character development without rigid outlines
- Lessons every aspiring writer can learn
- Building a sustainable creative practice
- Finding your authentic voice as an artist

Follow Andrea Bartz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andibartz 
Website: https://www.andreabartz.com/ 
Substack: https://substack.com/@andibartz 
Why I’m Against The Use of Generative AI https://andibartz.substack.com/p/why-im-against-the-use-of-generative 
Exactly How To Resist AI
https://andibartz.substack.com/p/exactly-how-to-resist-generative 

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction and Excitement for the Guest
00:02:53 The Journey of Writing and Publishing
00:05:46 Character Development and Protagonist Choices
00:09:07 The Creative Process and Sources of Inspiration
00:12:00 Exploring Themes and Messages in Writing
00:15:02 The Role of Thrillers and Mystery in Storytelling
00:21:35 The Power of Storytelling in Empathy
00:24:02 Diversity in Literature and Its Impact
00:28:14 Queer Representation in Literature
00:30:02 The Fight Against AI Copyright Infringement
00:33:58 Supporting Authors and Local Bookstores

Enjoyed this conversation? Be sure to watch our episode with Harvard psychologist Dr. Ellen Langer, where we explore mindfulness, possibility, and how changing the way we think can transform the way we live.

▶ Watch our conversation with Dr. Ellen Langer: Why Stressed Midlife Women Age Faster (And the 2-Question Reset That Changes Everything)
📌 Don't forget to subscribe—Season 3 of The Radically Well Podcast is coming soon with more conversations featuring bestselling authors, leading researchers, physicians, and thought leaders exploring women's health, longevity, creativity, and personal transformation.

💌Dive Deeper With Me:
Website: https://www.radicallyloved.com 
Begin Your Path to Radical Self-Compassion: https://radicallyloved.kit.com/selfco... 
Deepen Your Practice with the Mindful Love Hub: https://radicallyloved.substack.com?u...  

Discover More Mindful Episodes
Boosting Confidence, Libido, and Feeling Your Best at Any Age
https://youtu.be/iTSzOlzNrGM?list=PL7gs_y4KiKgTlTcmjDgwn1oL9dRSBsLLV

Transforming Through Mindful Living 
Hi, I’m Rosie Acosta. I’m here to question the conventional and share what truly makes a difference in living with presence, love, and compassion. Whether it’s through meditation, mindful living, or healing the parts of ourselves we’ve been taught to ignore, I believe every moment of our journey holds the power to transform us. I’m not about quick fixes or surface solutions. I’m about real, conscious practices that reconnect us to our truth, our roots, and our higher purpose.

Connect with Rosie
✨ Instagram: https://instagram.com/rosieacosta
✨ Facebook: http://facebook.com/radicallylovedrosie 
✨ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rosieacosta  
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RosieAcosta

Connect with Tessa: 
✨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessamarietovar/
✨ Website: https://tessatovar.com/
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tessatovar

✨ Here's What We Dive Into
- How nearly 50% of women report having menopause symptoms dismissed by their doctors, per a 2023 British Menopause Society survey.
- Why only 20% of OB-GYN residency programs include menopause training and what that gap costs women.
- How to self-advocate when your labs look normal but your body is telling a different story.
- What gaslighting actually means and why it is so harmful in medicine, relationships, and self-talk.
- How to build a zero-to-ten mood meter to name your emotional baseline and share it with people you love.
- Why asking a partner to repeat a dismissive comment is one of the most powerful deescalation tools available.
- How up to 80% of women with perimenopause blame themselves before recognizing their symptoms as hormonal.
- What self-gaslighting looks like in midlife and why so many women do it without ever realizing.
- Why feeling the anger before the grief underneath it is where real healing begins.
- Why sharing your emotional load with community is not weakness but a deeply human act of self-compassion.

This episode is sponsored by:

BIOptimizers: Essential mineralization for cognitive longevity
Protect your brain health and reclaim your sleep during life’s biggest transitions with full-spectrum magnesium.
15% off with code radicallyloved at https://bioptimizers.com/radicallyloved

00:00 Welcome to the Radically Well Podcast and your hormone besties
00:03 Introducing today's topic: gaslighting in medicine, relationships, and yourself
00:05 Karen from Portland asks how to advocate without sounding like she's overreacting
00:07 Only 20% of OB-GYN programs include menopause training
00:09 The definition of gaslighting and why it matters in medical care
00:11 Rosie's story: four doctors, normal labs, and a prescription for antidepressants
00:14 Medical autonomy and the systemic bias that keeps women silent
00:17 Leanne from Brisbane asks how to respond when a partner weaponizes hormones
00:19 Rosie's Las Vegas story and the bedtime ritual that changed everything
00:24 The zero to ten mood meter: naming exactly where you are
00:29 Creating shared language with your partner before the explosion happens
00:33 Setting a boundary and the one question that reframes everything
00:38 Self-gaslighting: 80% of women blame themselves before seeing it is hormonal
00:41 The parallels between self-gaslighting and surviving emotional abuse
00:45 The vulnerability underneath the anger and why naming it matters
00:51 Get yourself back to zero: Rosie's simplest and most powerful tool

Discover More Mindful Episodes

How to Find Self-Acceptance and Navigate Body Image Changes in Midlife | Radically Well
https://youtu.be/BOmAo9JJaK4

Why Women Stop Dressing Up After 40 (and Why They Shouldn't)
https://youtu.be/9biPqDGrotw

Transforming Through Mindful Living Hi, I’m Rosie Acosta. I’m here to question the conventional and share what truly makes a difference in living with presence, love, and compassion. Whether it’s through meditation, mindful living, or healing the parts of ourselves we’ve been taught to ignore, I believe every moment of our journey holds the power to transform us. I’m not about quick fixes or surface solutions. I’m about real, conscious practices that reconnect us to our truth, our roots, and our higher purpose.

Connect with Rosie:
✨ Instagram: https://instagram.com/rosieacosta
✨ Facebook: http://facebook.com/radicallylovedrosie
✨ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rosieacosta
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RosieAcosta

Connect with Tessa:
✨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessamarietovar/
✨ Website: https://tessatovar.com/coaching
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tessatovar

You were never too nice. You were surviving

In this conversation, Rosie Acosta sits down with Dr. Ingrid Clayton, clinical psychologist, trauma therapist, and author of Fawning, to name the thing so many of us have carried in silence: the moment people-pleasing stopped being a personality trait and became a trauma response.

Dr. Ingrid's story is as layered as the work she does. A former blues singer who got sober at 19, returned to school at 30, and earned her doctorate in transpersonal psychology, she now dedicates her life to helping people finally make sense of themselves. Together, Rosie and Ingrid unpack why so many of us were conditioned to please, appease, and shrink, and what it truly takes to start choosing ourselves instead.

✨ Here's What We Dive Into:

- How the fawn response differs from fight, flight, and freeze and why it shows up most powerfully in childhood trauma.
- Why people-pleasing frameworks miss the most critical piece: the body and its nervous system.
- What fawning looks like beyond smiling and being nice, including how it quietly operates in relationships and cultural systems.
- How women are specifically conditioned to fawn and why we carry shame for doing the very thing society asked of us.
- Why trying to speak up or set a boundary can feel genuinely threatening and how that is rooted in lived experience.
- What self-abandonment looks like in daily life and how curiosity becomes the most powerful first step toward healing.
- Why healing the fawn response is not about getting rid of it, but building more consciousness, flexibility, and choice.
- How Dr. Ingrid defines success: more of herself in her own life, watching her clients fall in love with who they are.

Follow Dr. Ingrid Clayton
Website: https://www.ingridclayton.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ingridclaytonphd/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3PvWTgJMirURfgHWj3h28g
Substack: https://ingridclaytonphd.substack.com/

This episode is sponsored by:

BIOptimizers: Essential mineralization for cognitive longevity
Protect your brain health and reclaim your sleep during life’s biggest transitions with full-spectrum magnesium.
15% off with code radicallyloved at https://bioptimizers.com/radicallyloved

Highlights: 
00:00:00 Intro
00:04:30 Getting sober at 19 and answering a deeper calling
00:05:50 Why music gave her a voice she couldn't find anywhere else
00:08:20 What is the fawn response and why it's not just people-pleasing
00:10:22 Thirty years sober and why fawning finally made her make sense to herself
00:12:00 Why codependency frameworks miss the body and the context
00:14:04 Fawning and gender: why women are conditioned to appease
00:17:43 The constant thread beneath all fawning behavior: self-abandonment
00:19:18 Why healing feels counterintuitive and even threatening
00:23:43 What surprised Dr. Ingrid most while writing the book
00:28:09 Where to begin when you realize your people-pleasing might be trauma
00:36:44 What she wants every reader to take away: you make sense
00:40:05 Why she does this work: watching people fall in love with themselves

Discover More Mindful Episodes

A Conversation about Empowerment with Kate del Castillo
https://youtu.be/iNQVsixCOwQ

Transforming Through Mindful Living Hi, I’m Rosie Acosta. I’m here to question the conventional and share what truly makes a difference in living with presence, love, and compassion. Whether it’s through meditation, mindful living, or healing the parts of ourselves we’ve been taught to ignore, I believe every moment of our journey holds the power to transform us. I’m not about quick fixes or surface solutions. I’m about real, conscious practices that reconnect us to our truth, our roots, and our higher purpose.

Connect with Rosie
✨ Instagram: https://instagram.com/rosieacosta
✨ Facebook: http://facebook.com/radicallylovedrosie
✨ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rosieacosta
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RosieAcosta

Connect with Tessa:
✨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessamarietovar/
✨ Website: https://tessatovar.com/
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tessatovar

Testosterone is not just a “guy thing;” it’s the most abundant biologically active hormone in a woman’s body, and it powers far more than libido. This conversation gets real about how modern life depletes testosterone and why women are often shut out of treatment options. We unpack what happens when testosterone declines from your 20s through perimenopause and menopause, why it affects motivation, confidence, muscle, brain function, and libido, and why so many women are told it “doesn’t matter.” We break down testing, HRT options (creams, gels, injections, pellets), risks vs benefits, and why stress, belly fat, and modern life can tank testosterone long before menopause.

Connect with Luminescence https://www.onecommune.com/luminescence-podcast 

You’ll learn:
✨ Why testosterone impacts energy, confidence, muscle, bone, and sex drive
✨ Signs of low T in women: brain fog, low motivation, poor recovery, low libido
✨ Why it’s not FDA-approved for women (and what that means for access)
✨ Total vs free testosterone, SHBG, and what to actually test
✨ HRT delivery methods: cream, gel, injections, pellets pros and cons
✨ Possible side effects: acne, hair changes, mood shifts, cholesterol changes
✨ Why stress, insulin resistance, and endocrine disruptors lower testosterone
✨ Natural boosters: strength training, protein, vitamin D, reducing plastics, better sleep
✨ Why hormones are a full-body system, not just “sex hormones”

If you’ve ever felt less driven, less strong, less clear-headed and wondered if it’s “just aging” this conversation might change how you see your hormones.

Featured Guests:

This episode is sponsored by:

BIOptimizers: Essential mineralization for cognitive longevity
Protect your brain health and reclaim your sleep during life’s biggest transitions with full-spectrum magnesium.
➡️ 15% off with code radicallyloved at https://bioptimizers.com/radicallyloved

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Testosterone and Its Importance
03:09 Understanding Testosterone's Role in Women's Health
05:50 The Knowledge Gap in Hormonal Health
09:05 The Impact of Testosterone on Mental Health
12:02 Testing and Accessing Testosterone Therapy
14:53 Delivery Methods for Testosterone
18:10 Natural Ways to Boost Testosterone
20:49 Navigating the Healthcare System for Hormonal Health
24:06 Potential Side Effects of Testosterone Therapy
26:54 Monitoring Hormonal Health
30:36 Navigating Hormone Therapy and Health Risks
33:37 The Importance of Monitoring and Data in Hormone Therapy
36:58 Natural Ways to Boost Testosterone
42:05 Understanding Different Forms of Testosterone
48:10 The Complexity of Hormonal Responses
55:44 Empowering Women Through Knowledge and Community

💌Dive Deeper With Me: 
Website: https://www.radicallyloved.com
Begin Your Path to Radical Self-Compassion: https://radicallyloved.kit.com/selfcompassionbook
Deepen Your Practice with the Mindful Love Hub: https://radicallyloved.substack.com/?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=2t314w

Transforming Through Mindful Living 
Hi, I’m Rosie Acosta. I’m here to question the conventional and share what truly makes a difference in living with presence, love, and compassion. Whether it’s through meditation, mindful living, or healing the parts of ourselves we’ve been taught to ignore, I believe every moment of our journey holds the power to transform us. I’m not about quick fixes or surface solutions. I’m about real, conscious practices that reconnect us to our truth, our roots, and our higher purpose. 

Connect with Rosie
✨ Instagram: https://instagram.com/rosieacosta
✨ Facebook: http://facebook.com/radicallylovedrosie 
✨ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rosieacosta  
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RosieAcosta

Connect with Tess: 
✨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessamarietovar/
✨ Website: https://www.tessatovar.com 
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tessatovar

Your Brain Controls Your Libido

Ever wonder why your sex drive vanishes, your brain turns to mush, or you want to rage-quit your entire life for no reason? Blame your hormones, or, more specifically, how estrogen and progesterone run your brain. In this episode, Schuyler Grant and her expert panel (Dr. Jolene Brighten, Dr. Marisa Snyder, and Rosie Acosta) break down why it can feel like your brain is actively betraying you, particularly in perimenopause.

Connect with Luminescence Podcast https://www.onecommune.com/luminescence-podcast 

What you'll learn:

Here's the thing: for decades, doctors thought women's hormones only affected reproduction. Turns out, estrogen and progesterone control your brain, bones, heart, metabolism, gut health, and basically everything. When they start declining in your mid-to-late thirties, your brain goes through a massive remodeling. No wonder you feel like you're losing your mind. This episode helps you understand what's actually happening and how to take back control.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction: You're not broken—embracing menopause transitions
00:29 - Hormonal influence on brain function and mental health
02:44 - Neuroendocrine remodeling during perimenopause
03:23 - Estrogen as the master regulator of neural pathways
04:18 - Progesterone's calming effects and cortisol regulation
05:05 - Communicating hormonal changes with partners
06:07 - How hormones are produced and feedback loops in the body
07:56 - The impact of estrogen decline on brain and body systems
09:31 - Recognizing cyclic changes and perimenopausal symptoms
10:49 - Explaining hormonal pathways in layman's terms
12:06 - The hormonal timeline from ovulation to menopause
13:28 - How brain and ovaries communicate via hormonal signals
16:36 - The profound effects of estrogen decline in perimenopause
18:10 - The gap in medical training and care for menopausal women
19:42 - The importance of early intervention and awareness
22:34 - Risks of untreated hormone imbalances on cognition and cardiovascular health
25:37 - Integrating mindfulness and self-care practices during transition
28:20 - The significance of herbal, dietary, and lifestyle support
32:11 - Addressing body image, societal archetypes, and education gaps
36:23 - The debate over over-the-counter hormone therapy
40:10 - How to talk to your doctor about hormones: preparing your case
44:29 - Role of pharmacists, allied health professionals, and integrated care teams
47:19 - Linking premenstrual symptoms to perimenopause experiences
50:02 - Recognizing early menopause and the importance of tracking symptoms
52:25 - Societal perceptions and medical stereotypes about aging women
55:22 - Practical self-care tips: movement, nutrition, and stress reduction
58:13 - Closing thoughts on supporting women through menopause and future resources

This episode is sponsored by:

BIOptimizers: Essential mineralization for cognitive longevity
Protect your brain health and reclaim your sleep during life’s biggest transitions with full-spectrum magnesium.
➡️ 15% off with code radicallyloved at https://bioptimizers.com/radicallyloved

💌Dive Deeper With Me For support & Begin Your Path to Radical Self-Compassion: https://radicallyloved.kit.com/selfcompassionbook
Deepen Your Practice with the Mindful Love Hub: https://radicallyloved.substack.com/?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=2t314w

Transforming Through Mindful Living 
Hi, I’m Rosie Acosta. I’m here to question the conventional and share what truly makes a difference in living with presence, love, and compassion. Whether it’s through meditation, mindful living, or healing the parts of ourselves we’ve been taught to ignore, I believe every moment of our journey holds the power to transform us. I’m not about quick fixes or surface solutions. I’m about real, conscious practices that reconnect us to our truth, our roots, and our higher purpose. 

Connect with Rosie
✨ Instagram: https://instagram.com/rosieacosta
✨ Facebook: http://facebook.com/radicallylovedrosie 
✨ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rosieacosta  
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RosieAcosta

Connect with Tessa: 
✨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessamarietovar/
✨ Website: https://tessatovar.com/
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tessatovar

Your body isn't betraying you. It's trying to tell you something and most of us were never taught how to listen. For so many women in midlife, the symptoms feel like a kind of unraveling. The brain fog, the heat, the mood swings, the exhaustion. But Harvard psychologist Dr. Ellen Langer has spent nearly 50 years proving something that changes everything: the story you tell about what's happening in your body shapes what actually happens in your body.

In this conversation, Rosie and Tessa sit down with Dr. Langer, pioneering researcher and bestselling author of The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health, to explore exactly that.

✨ What You'll Learn

- How reframing hot flashes and menopause symptoms from problems into signals can shift your entire physical and emotional experience.
- Why stress is never a function of events only of the lens through which we view them and how to immediately interrupt the stress cycle.
- How mindfulness not meditation is the most powerful and accessible tool we have for health, relationships, and longevity.
- Why becoming an "expert" at something may actually be working against you, and how staying in the uncertainty keeps you more engaged and alive.
- How wound healing research shows that our expectation of when we will heal directly affects when we actually do.
- Why the language we use around aging and menopause needs a complete cultural redesign and what that new story could look like.
- How noticing new things about your partner, your home, and your daily life can transform not only your relationships but your mental and physical vitality.
- What it means to live in possibility rather than limitation, and why that one shift may be the most life-changing thing you ever do.

Follow Ellen Langer:
✨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenjlanger/
✨ Website: https://www.ellenlanger.me/
✨ Counterclockwise Study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6615788/  

This episode is sponsored by:

BIOptimizers: Essential mineralization for cognitive longevity
Protect your brain health and reclaim your sleep during life’s biggest transitions with full-spectrum magnesium.
➡️ 15% off with code radicallyloved at https://bioptimizers.com/radicallyloved

Highlights

00:00: Intro
02:00: Stress is a story, not an event
05:45: Two one-liners to shift your stress response instantly
07:00: The three-step technique for dissolving worry
08:45: Mindfulness without meditation: actively noticing
10:00: The horse that changed Dr. Langer's worldview
12:00: Why certainty is the enemy of growth
13:30: How to see your partner with fresh eyes
15:40: Possibility always trumps limitation
17:00: Imperfectly mindful vs. perfectly mindless
18:30: Mindfulness makes you more attractive, creative, and memorable
19:30: The counterclockwise study: growing younger in one week
23:00: The chambermaid study: perception changed weight and blood pressure
24:30: Your expectation of recovery determines when you heal
25:30: Why mindlessness hides how powerful we really are
26:50: Redesigning the cultural story of menopause
28:30: Menopause as a seal-breaking, life-awakening moment
29:15: Rosie at 41: feeling better than she did in her 30s

Discover More Mindful Episodes

What No One Tells You About Perimenopause: Dr. Mariza Snyder on Thyroid, Blood Sugar, and Trauma
https://youtu.be/eRyrkMmE0LY

Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl: What Menopause Really Does To Your Brain (And How To Protect It)
https://youtu.be/D6k20PQYjXA

Transforming Through Mindful Living Hi, I’m Rosie Acosta. I’m here to question the conventional and share what truly makes a difference in living with presence, love, and compassion. Whether it’s through meditation, mindful living, or healing the parts of ourselves we’ve been taught to ignore, I believe every moment of our journey holds the power to transform us. I’m not about quick fixes or surface solutions. I’m about real, conscious practices that reconnect us to our truth, our roots, and our higher purpose.

Connect with Rosie
✨ Instagram: https://instagram.com/rosieacosta
✨ Facebook: http://facebook.com/radicallylovedrosie
✨ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rosieacosta
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RosieAcosta

Connect with Tessa:
✨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessamarietovar/
✨ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@tessamarietovar

We are so often told that exhaustion, brain fog, and weight fluctuations are just the "price of admission" for being a woman in midlife, but what if those weren't inevitable markers of aging, but rather signs that our internal systems are simply asking for a different kind of care?

Dr. Marisa Snyder, a renowned functional practitioner and bestselling author specializing in women’s hormonal health, joins me to demystify the complex world of perimenopause and beyond. We pull back the curtain on why so many of us feel like we’re losing our spark and how to reclaim our vitality through natural, science-backed solutions. From debunking the common myths surrounding our cycles to understanding how to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be, this episode is a guide to coming home to your body.

✨ What You’ll Learn:
- How to recognize the early, subtle signals of perimenopause that often get dismissed as "stress" or "aging."
- Why the traditional medical model often overlooks the root cause of hormonal imbalances and what to do about it.
- How small, consistent "workout snacks" can rewire your metabolism and help manage blood sugar without a massive time commitment.
- Why estrogen and progesterone aren't just reproductive hormones but master regulators of your brain health and mood.
- How to shift from a cycle of "quick fixes" to a sustainable lifestyle that honors your hormonal needs.
- What the most common nutritional gaps are in midlife and how to fill them for sustained energy.
- Why radical self-compassion is the most important "supplement" you can take during your hormonal transition.

Follow Dr. Marisa Snyder
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmariza/
Website: https://drmariza.com/

This episode is sponsored by:

BIOptimizers: Essential mineralization for cognitive longevity
Protect your brain health and reclaim your sleep during life’s biggest transitions with full-spectrum magnesium.
15% off with code radicallyloved at https://bioptimizers.com/radicallyloved

Highlights

00:00 Intro: Why we need to normalize the conversation around hormonal health
05:15 Identifying the "silent" symptoms of perimenopause starting in your 30s
10:40 Why your doctor says your bloodwork is "normal" when you feel anything but
15:20 The biological necessity of progesterone and why it dips before estrogen
22:30 Breaking the cycle of stress-induced hormonal crashes
28:40 Understanding the role of insulin and blood sugar in your hormonal balance
35:10 Practical "workout snacks" for busy women who don't have time for the gym
40:20 How to advocate for your own health in a 15-minute appointment
45:50 The power of community and normalizing the transition of menopause
50:10 Final thoughts: You don't have to suffer to be a woman in midlife

Discover More Mindful Episodes

3 Signs Your Menopause Is Actually Unprocessed Trauma | Mayim Bialik
https://youtu.be/thgACq06-m4

Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl: What Menopause Really Does To Your Brain (And How To Protect It)
https://youtu.be/D6k20PQYjXA

Transforming Through Mindful Living Hi, I’m Rosie Acosta. I’m here to question the conventional and share what truly makes a difference in living with presence, love, and compassion. Whether it’s through meditation, mindful living, or healing the parts of ourselves we’ve been taught to ignore, I believe every moment of our journey holds the power to transform us. I’m not about quick fixes or surface solutions. I’m about real, conscious practices that reconnect us to our truth, our roots, and our higher purpose.

Connect with Rosie
✨ Instagram: https://instagram.com/rosieacosta
✨ Facebook: http://facebook.com/radicallylovedrosie
✨ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rosieacosta
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RosieAcosta

Connect with Tessa:
✨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessamarietovar/
✨ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@tessamarietovar
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tessatovar

Why does everything seem to come back to the gut, especially when our hormones feel completely out of balance?

I used to hear people say, “Everything starts in the gut,” and honestly, it felt a little dramatic. But the deeper I’ve gone into my own healing journey, the more I’ve realized how true it actually is.

In this episode, Tessa and I sit down for a real, unfiltered conversation about the microbiome, antibiotics, and the surprising ways our gut health shapes our hormones. We share personal stories about getting sick, taking antibiotics, and what it actually feels like when your system is off. From rebuilding good bacteria to understanding how digestion impacts ovulation, mood, and inflammation, this is a grounded, hormone bestie chat about what it really means to heal from the inside out. If you’ve ever wondered why your cycle feels different after illness or why your body takes time to “bounce back,” this episode will connect the dots in a way that feels both empowering and compassionate.

✨ What You’ll Learn:
- What the microbiome actually is and why it extends far beyond just the gut.
- How antibiotics impact your gut bacteria and why recovery can take weeks or even months.
- Why supporting your microbiome is essential for healthy hormone production and regulation.
- How prebiotics and probiotics work together to help rebuild gut resilience.
- What happens to digestion, mood, and immunity when the gut is compromised.
- Why personal health journeys often reveal the deeper connection between the gut and hormonal shifts.
- How stress, travel, illness, and medication all influence your internal ecosystem.
- What it means to approach gut healing with patience rather than quick fixes.

This episode is sponsored by:

BIOptimizers: Essential mineralization for cognitive longevity
Protect your brain health and reclaim your sleep during life’s biggest transitions with full-spectrum magnesium.
15% off with code radicallyloved at https://bioptimizers.com/radicallyloved

Highlights:

00:00 What is the microbiome and why does it matter
04:15 Antibiotics and their impact on gut bacteria
08:40 How long it really takes to rebuild your microbiome
13:25 Personal experiences with illness and recovery
18:10 The gut hormone connection explained simply
23:45 Why probiotics alone are not always enough
29:30 Stress, travel, and their effect on digestion
35:05 Rebalancing the gut after medication
41:20 Ovulation, cycles, and gut resilience
48:10 The patience required for true healing

Discover More Mindful Episodes
Hormones and Balance: Understanding the Ups and Downs
https://youtu.be/cJaD1l6NWAI

Self-Care with Your Hormone Besties
https://youtu.be/xG5V58RwMBY

Learn more about hormone imbalance and explore treatment options here:
https://buy.honehealth.com/womens-opt/hormone-imbalance?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Womens_BrandSearch&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23346490302&gbraid=0AAAAACgIoipozGjXuHzgOaHDpUZmuKRsU&gclid=CjwKCAiAzZ_NBhAEEiwAMtqKy2bFYQGF4g7A8nVVKrN9qHNGd7mzAxpruzS1dRkAnpVCrXTslChpRRoCUPwQAvD_BwE

Transforming Through Mindful Living Hi, I’m Rosie Acosta. I’m here to question the conventional and share what truly makes a difference in living with presence, love, and compassion. Whether it’s through meditation, mindful living, or healing the parts of ourselves we’ve been taught to ignore, I believe every moment of our journey holds the power to transform us. I’m not about quick fixes or surface solutions. I’m about real, conscious practices that reconnect us to our truth, our roots, and our higher purpose.

Connect with Rosie
✨ Instagram: https://instagram.com/rosieacosta
✨ Facebook: http://facebook.com/radicallylovedrosie
✨ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rosieacosta
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RosieAcosta

Connect with Tessie:
✨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessamarietovar/
✨ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@tessamarietovar
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tessatovar

Why were we taught to distance ourselves from our own minds just when we need our clarity the most? We’re so quick to focus on the external changes of midlife, but what happens when the foggy windows are on the inside, affecting our memory, our confidence, and our ability to show up in our own lives?

Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, a world-renowned neurologist and researcher at UCLA, joins me to explore the vital connection between menopause and brain health. As the Director of the UCLA MS Program and a leading voice in neuroprotection, Dr. Rhonda pulls back the curtain on why estrogen loss is so much more than just hot flashes, it is a critical shift in our cognitive landscape. From my own vulnerable journey of feeling "disregarded" by the medical system to the groundbreaking science of estriol and neuroprotection, this episode is a deep dive into reclaiming our mental clarity and learning how to protect our brains with the same devotion we give to our bodies.

✨ What You’ll Learn:
- How estrogen acts as a fundamental shield for the brain and why its loss directly impacts our verbal memory.
- Why the "Menopause Revolution" is finally forcing the medical world to look at the brain, not just the ovaries.
- What the difference is between standard birth control and the targeted neuroprotection your brain needs in midlife.
- Why "brain fog" is a legitimate clinical issue that can be tracked through focal cognitive changes.
- How the "Pearl Pack" by Cleopatra offers a selective approach to protecting the brain while minimizing other health risks.
- What pregnancy research in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) revealed about the powerful anti-inflammatory benefits of estriol.
- Why the medical system often fails to bridge the gap between neurology and gynecology during your transition.
- How to prioritize your own health variables to find a hormone therapy tailored specifically for your long term cognitive health.

Connect with Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl:   https://rhondavoskuhlmd.com/?utm_source=rosie&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=podcast
CleopatraRX Telehealth: https://cleopatrarx.com/?utm_source=rosie&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=podcast
This episode is sponsored by:

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Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
03:10 What Menopause Does to the Brain
08:00 Why Doctors Prescribe Birth Control First
11:23 Estradiol Risks vs. Long-Term Brain Protection
21:18 The Training Gap
35:01 Why a Blister Pack Matters
40:46 Brain repair 101
48:47 Menopause brain changes on MRI
57:52 Beyond hormones: exercise, BDNF, and cognitive training
01:03:33 Equity & real-world impact
01:13:16 Closing thoughts

💌Dive Deeper With Me For support at the Radically Loved Collective: https://radicallyloved.mykajabi.com/m…
Website: https://www.radicallyloved.com 
Begin Your Path to Radical Self-Compassion: https://radicallyloved.kit.com/selfco... 
Deepen Your Practice with the Mindful Love Hub: https://radicallyloved.substack.com?u...  

Discover More Mindful Episodes

Young Menopause: What No One Tells You
https://youtu.be/Vu5CvZO1-XM

3 Signs Your Menopause Is Actually Unprocessed Trauma | Mayim Bialik
https://youtu.be/thgACq06-m4

Transforming Through Mindful Living Hi, I’m Rosie Acosta. I’m here to question the conventional and share what truly makes a difference in living with presence, love, and compassion. Whether it’s through meditation, mindful living, or healing the parts of ourselves we’ve been taught to ignore, I believe every moment of our journey holds the power to transform us. I’m not about quick fixes or surface solutions. I’m about real, conscious practices that reconnect us to our truth, our roots, and our higher purpose.

Connect with Rosie
✨ Instagram: https://instagram.com/rosieacosta
✨ Facebook: http://facebook.com/radicallylovedrosie
✨ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rosieacosta
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RosieAcosta

Connect with Tessa:
✨ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessamarietovar/
✨ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@tessamarietovar
✨ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tessatovar