As a Woman

Dr. Natalie Crawford sits down with physician and muscle-centric medicine expert Dr. Gabrielle Lyon to explore why skeletal muscle is a powerful driver of hormones, metabolism, fertility, and long-term health, and how women can begin to support it at any age.

Key Topics:

1. Muscle as an Organ of Longevity

- How skeletal muscle influences hormones, metabolism, inflammation, and aging

- Why “muscle span” matters across childhood, reproductive years, and beyond

- Rethinking muscle as essential biology rather than aesthetics

2. Fertility, Pregnancy, and Metabolic Health

- How muscle relates to insulin resistance, embryo quality, and fertility outcomes

- The role of muscle health before and during pregnancy

- Why activity and resistance training are key in hormonally vulnerable seasons

3. Training and Nutrition Fundamentals

- Practical ways women can start strength training at any level

- The importance of stimulus, not perfection, for building and maintaining muscle

- How protein intake and meal structure support muscle and body composition

4. Mindset, Stress, and Long-Term Resilience

- How mindset can hold women back from building strength

- Reframing stress, challenge, and discomfort in training and daily life

- Focusing on what you can gain—in health, function, and confidence—over the long term

Pre-order Dr. Crawford's debut book, The Fertility Formula, now! ⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠

Website: https://drgabriellelyon.com/

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrGabrielleLyon

Order FOREVER STRONG: https://drgabriellelyon.com/forever-strong/

Order THE FOREVER STRONG PLAYBOOK: https://drgabriellelyon.com/playbook/

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If you haven’t already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every Tuesday. Plus, be sure to follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@nataliecrawfordmd,⁠⁠⁠⁠ check out Natalie’s YouTube channel Natalie Crawford MD⁠⁠⁠⁠, and if you're interested in becoming a patient, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Fora Fertility.

Join the Learn at Pinnacle app ⁠to earn FREE CE Credit for listening to this episode!

This episode is brought to you by The Pinnacle Podcast Network! Learn more about Pinnacle at http://learnatpinnacle.com

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Dr. Natalie Crawford, board-certified OB-GYN and REI, answers your fertility questions.

Questions Answered:

1. A 30-year-old in a same-sex couple with anovulatory PCOS managed on metformin, high AMH, and otherwise normal labs moved from failed IUIs to IVF and had 19 mature eggs but only 4 fertilized despite good donor sperm—what could explain low fertilization rates and how should the next steps be approached?

2. 35 and trying for baby number two, and her 40-year-old husband has been on the GLP-1 medication Zepbound for four months—are there known effects of GLP-1s on male fertility, and should men discontinue them while trying to conceive?

3. A patient with PCOS and mildly elevated thyroid levels is experiencing medication interactions and was prescribed 2.5 mg of methylfolate— is this dose appropriate, and should she be taking methylfolate, folic acid, or both?

4. A patient with endometriosis underwent two egg retrievals, one with estrogen priming that triggered an endometriosis flare and resulted in very high estrogen levels and poor egg maturity—are there stimulation protocols better suited for patients with endometriosis undergoing IVF?

5. A 38-year-old planning IUI with donor sperm, normal fertility workup, AMH of 3.3, and a personal history of being a twin is deciding between natural versus medicated cycles— which approach is more successful while minimizing twin risk and preserving future fertility goals?

Pre-order Dr. Crawford's debut book, The Fertility Formula, now! ⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠⁠⁠

Want your questions answered on the next episode? ⁠Ask them here!⁠ ⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/qa-submissions⁠
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Dr. Natalie Crawford, board-certified OB-GYN and REI, breaks down how your hormones shift across your 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond, and what you can actually do in each decade to protect your fertility, brain, bones, and long‑term health. Instead of reacting only when there’s a problem, this episode helps you use your cycle, symptoms, and lifestyle as data so you can make informed decisions at every stage.

Key Topics:

1. Foundations in Your 20s

- Why your 20s are the ideal decade to quietly build “future you” health

- How birth control can mask your natural cycle patterns

- Simple ways to start understanding your cycle and ovulation (without obsessing)

2. Protecting Fertility in Your 30s

- What actually changes with egg number and egg quality in this decade

- Why “wait until you’ve been trying for a year” is often outdated advice

- How to think about ovarian reserve testing and when it’s worth asking for it

3. Navigating Perimenopause in Your 40s

- How subtle cycle shifts can be early signs of dwindling egg supply

- The difference between “regular” cycles and normal for you

- Using muscle, nutrition, and sleep to buffer bone loss, brain fog, and weight changes

4. Menopause, Hormones & Longevity in Your 50s and Beyond

- What menopause medically means and why the transition is so individual- How estrogen and progesterone relate to brain health, bones, and sex

- A framework for thinking about hormone therapy (and fear‑based messaging)

Pre-order Dr. Crawford's debut book, The Fertility Formula, now! ⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠nataliecrawfordmd.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive updates, Q&A, special content, and freebies

If you haven’t already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every Tuesday. Plus, be sure to follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@nataliecrawfordmd,⁠⁠⁠⁠ check out Natalie’s YouTube channel Natalie Crawford MD⁠⁠⁠⁠, and if you're interested in becoming a patient, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Fora Fertility.

Join the Learn at Pinnacle app ⁠to earn FREE CE Credit for listening to this episode!

This episode is brought to you by The Pinnacle Podcast Network! Learn more about Pinnacle at http://learnatpinnacle.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Natalie Crawford, board-certified OB-GYN and REI, answers your fertility questions.

Questions Answered:

1. Not TTC yet. Very heavy periods with clots, PCOS, normal labs and imaging, dismissed by doctors — could this be PCOS or a clotting disorder, and what testing is appropriate?

2. 9 weeks pregnant after 5 early losses and treated Asherman’s — is it safe to continue Lovenox into the second trimester?

3. Low blast rate after IVF with known varicocele — does repairing a varicocele improve IVF outcomes?

4. 25, no period a year after stopping the pill, poor response to Clomid — should I switch to letrozole, and what are my future pregnancy options?

5. PCOS with very high AMH/AFC starting letrozole — is a trigger shot safe, or does it raise OHSS risk?

Pre-order Dr. Crawford's debut book, The Fertility Formula, now! ⁠⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠⁠

Want your questions answered on the next episode? ⁠Ask them here!⁠ https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/qa-submissions
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Natalie Crawford is joined by gastroenterologist Dr. Will Bulsiewicz to explain how gut health, inflammation, and hormones are connected—and what simple changes can support your energy, mood, and fertility.

Key Topics:

1. The Gut–Hormone Connection

- What the gut microbiome is and why it affects your whole body

- How inflammation can quietly impact hormones, cycles, and fertility

- Why symptoms like fatigue can be a sign of a deeper imbalance

2. Everyday Habits That Harm (or Help) Your Gut

- How modern food, stress, and sleep patterns disrupt gut health

- Why ultra-processed foods work against long-term wellness

- Simple signs your gut may need more support

3. Food, Rhythm, and Daily Choices

- The role of fiber, colorful plant foods, healthy fats, and fermented foods

- How consistent routines around meals, sleep, and light support hormones

- Practical ways to eat and live “gut-friendly” without a strict diet

4. Empowerment, Fertility, and Self-Advocacy

- How a healthier gut can support hormones, fertility, and overall resilience

- Why understanding your body helps you ask better questions in care settings

- Focusing on what you can control rather than quick fixes

Pre-order Dr. Crawford's debut book, The Fertility Formula, now! ⁠https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/book⁠

Follow Dr. Will Bulsiewicz on Instagram @theguthealthmd

Order his book Plant Powered Plus

Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠nataliecrawfordmd.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive updates, Q&A, special content, and freebies

If you haven’t already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every Tuesday. Plus, be sure to follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@nataliecrawfordmd,⁠⁠⁠⁠ check out Natalie’s YouTube channel Natalie Crawford MD⁠⁠⁠⁠, and if you're interested in becoming a patient, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Fora Fertility.

Join the Learn at Pinnacle app ⁠to earn FREE CE Credit for listening to this episode!

This episode is brought to you by The Pinnacle Podcast Network! Learn more about Pinnacle at http://learnatpinnacle.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices