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

I am happy to connect with Dr. William Li today! He is a world-renowned physician, scientist, speaker, and author. He is known for leading the Angiogenesis Foundation, and his groundbreaking work has impacted more than 70 diseases. He is also a Ted-X speaker and the author of Eat to Beat Your Diet, one of my favorite books thus far this year. 

Dr. Li’s latest book is about what happens in the body, how it should operate, and the steps we can take to restore it to its hard-wired state. We dive into how body fat impacts our health, the role of metabolism throughout our lifetime, the differences between the three fat-impacting hormones, including leptin, adiponectin, and resistin, and gender differences. We speak about new drugs like Ozempic and Semaglutide, the role of brown fat, the impact of the microbiome and specific bacteria, and nutrition and lifestyle.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:


Why Dr. Li chose this time to write his latest book 


Is 60 the new 20?


The four stages of metabolism hardwired into each of us 


How excess body fat derails metabolism, and how can we unleash our inner metabolism


Why is it better to eat slowly?


Why should we learn to respect and tame our fat instead of hating or fearing it?


Dr. Li shares his views on new prescription drugs like Ozempic and Semaglutide.


Interesting facts about body fat


Changes that occur in our body fat distribution as we get older


How can we help our bodies fight excess body fat, bring our inner metabolism to the surface, and reduce inflammation by being aware and mindful?


Modern-day lifestyle choices and metabolic disease


Dr. Li discusses the interplay between the gut microbiome and metabolism, as well as the role of Akkermansia. 


Some everyday foods contain natural chemicals that can activate our body’s defenses, tame metabolism, and fight body fat.

BIO

William W. Li, MD, is an internationally renowned physician, scientist, and New York Times bestselling author of the forthcoming book “Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, Live Longer”. His groundbreaking work has led to the development of more than 30 new medical treatments and impacts care for more than 70 diseases, including cancer, diabetes, blindness, heart disease, and obesity. His TED Talk, “Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?” has garnered more than 11 million views. Dr. Li has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, CNBC, LIVE with Kelly and Ryan, and the Rachael Ray Show, and he has been featured in USA Today, Time Magazine, The Atlantic, and O Magazine. He is the president and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation.

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow


Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn


Check out Cynthia’s website.


Submit your questions to [email protected] 


Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community: The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow. 


Purchase Cynthia’s book, The Menopause Gut.


Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book


The Midlife Pause Supplement Line

Connect with Dr. William Li

On his⁠ website⁠

Social media: @DrWilliamLi

Dr. William Li’s latest book, ⁠Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer⁠ is available from most bookstores.

Today, I’m thrilled to connect with Dr. Jordan Emont. He is a board-certified OB-GYN with specialty training in menopause medicine, integrative hormonal care, and sexual health, and is one of fewer than 5,000 physicians worldwide who hold the Menopause Society-certified practitioner designation.

In this conversation, we unpack the fear narrative surrounding HRT and clarify the distinctions between estrogen, progesterone, and cancer risk. We explore the impact of the Women’s Health Initiative and discuss why rigid dogmatism has no place in women’s health, the risks associated with early menopause and premature ovarian insufficiency, individual risk stratification, and contraindications to HRT. We also examine the connection between gut health and colorectal cancer, metabolic health as a modifiable cancer risk, and the emotional side of middle age and hormone replacement therapy.

Stay tuned for one of the most important and thought-provoking conversations we’ve ever had on the podcast.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:


How fears about hormone therapy are often based on outdated or misinterpreted data


The difference between physiologic hormones and synthetic hormone formulations


How the Women’s Health Initiative's messaging that HRT causes breast cancer comes from an oversimplification of data


How the fear-driven WHI headlines continue to impact women's and clinicians’ thoughts about hormone replacement therapy 


How women’s concerns about menopause, sexual health, and menstrual symptoms are often dismissed


The health risks associated with early menopause and premature ovarian insufficiency


How declining estrogen levels affect multiple body systems, including gut-related and immune-related pathways


Why is insulin resistance a major concern? 


True contraindications for avoiding HRT

Bio: Dr. Jordan Emont

Dr. Jordan Emont is a board-certified OB/GYN and Menopause Certified Practitioner who specializes in menopause care for women who’ve been dismissed, undertreated, or told their symptoms are just part of aging. He’s here to change that conversation.

He trained at Yale, Brown, and Columbia, and is now an adjunct clinical faculty member at Stanford. He works at a community health center in the Bay Area, providing care to underserved populations, and runs his own private telehealth practice focused on complex menopause care.

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  


Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn


Check out Cynthia’s website.


Submit your questions to [email protected] 


Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community: The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow. 


Purchase Cynthia’s book, The Menopause Gut.


Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book.


The Midlife Pause Supplement Line

Connect with Dr. Jordan Emont

On his website


Instagram and Substack

Welcome to today’s Midlife Minute.

Today, we’re exploring bloating, constipation, and various other midlife gut woes. 

Stay tuned as I clarify how midlife changes the gut narrative and review the evidence about how to get things moving again.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:


Why your gut motility changes in midlife


How menopause influences the gut-brain connection


Why various types of constipation require different interventions


How changes in your gut bacteria affect the way your gut functions in menopause


How different types of fiber can either help or worsen constipation symptoms, depending on the type of constipation 


The main types of constipation, and how they differ 


How estrogen therapy may influence bowel regularity, and why the route of administration matters


Lifestyle habits that can stimulate bowel movements


Why bloating tends to occur in midlife

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  


Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn


Check out Cynthia’s website.


Submit your questions to [email protected]


Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community: The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow. 


Cynthia’s Menopause Gut Book is on presale now!


Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book


The Midlife Pause Supplement Line

Links:

1. Menopause Is Associated with an Altered Gut Microbiome and Estrobolome, with Implications for Adverse Cardiometabolic Risk in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

2. The Intestinal Microbiome and Estrogen Receptor–Positive Female Breast Cancer 

3. Estrogen–gut microbiome axis: Physiological and clinical implications

4. Menopausal shift on women’s health and microbial niches

5. Gut microbiota has the potential to improve health of menopausal women by regulating estrogen

6. Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status

7. Effect of female sex hormone supplementation and withdrawal on gastrointestinal and colonic transit in postmenopausal women

8. Constipation and diarrhea during the menopause transition and early postmenopause: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study

9. Estrogen Rather Than Progesterone Cause Constipation in Both Female and Male Mice

10. Rome IV Criteria

11. Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis 

Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PubMed)

12. Randomised clinical trial: the efficacy of gut-directed hypnotherapy is similar to that of the low FODMAP diet for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

13. Gut-directed hypnosis and hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome: a mini-review

14. Review article: gut-directed hypnotherapy in the management of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease

I am delighted to connect with Sachin Patel today. Sachin is a father, husband, philanthropist, functional medicine practice success coach, speaker, author, breathwork facilitator, and plant medicine advocate. He is passionate about helping people activate their “inner doctor” through lifestyle medicine, breathwork, and greater self-awareness. Having had the privilege of knowing Sachin both personally and professionally, what stands out most is his unwavering commitment to helping people better understand their physiology so they can heal more effectively and live more intentionally.

In today’s conversation, we explore the connection between the autonomic nervous system, the vagus nerve, and overall health. Sachin shares insights on breath dynamics, diaphragm function, coherent breathing, CO₂ tolerance, the Bohr effect, the physiologic sigh, and the often-overlooked role of repressed emotions in physical well-being. We also discuss the importance of nature, circadian rhythms, sunlight, temperature regulation, and Sachin offers his recommendations for women in midlife and beyond. I also highly recommend his new book, Breath, Balance, and Burn, which was recently released.

Stay tuned for a fascinating conversation on breath, healing, and the daily habits that shape how we feel, function, and age.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:


How spending too much time in fight-or-flight mode prevents the body from entering a healing state


How women’s multiple roles and chronic stress, combined with midlife hormonal transitions, can create a “perfect storm” of sympathetic dominance and nervous system dysregulation


How your breath reflects your emotional state 


Why healing becomes difficult when the body remains in a fight-or-flight state


The benefits of coherent breathing for oxygen delivery and nervous system regulation


How the diaphragm serves as an access point to emotional regulation and nervous system control


How our breathing patterns and nervous system state can influence the emotional state of others


Sachin outlines practical techniques to help regulate stress, improve focus, increase energy, and prepare for sleep


How modern indoor living disconnects people from their natural rhythms

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  


Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn


Check out Cynthia’s website.


Submit your questions to [email protected] 


Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community: The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow. 


Purchase Cynthia’s book, The Menopause Gut.


Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book


The Midlife Pause Supplement Line

Connect with Sachin Patel


On Facebook


On Instagram


On YouTube – The Living Light Reset


Get instant access to The Breathe, Balance, Burn Training Program and Breathwork Bundle

Purchase a copy of Sachin’s Book, Breathe, Balance, Burn: How Fixing the Way You Breathe Resets Your Stress Hormones, Shrinks Your Belly, and Gives You Back the Energy and Calm You Thought Were Gone for Good, on Amazon.

Today, I am honored to connect with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified OBGYN who has dedicated her entire adult life to championing women's health. 

Dr. Haver is the visionary creator of the Galveston Diet, the first and only nutrition program ever designed by a female OBGYN for menopausal women. 

In our conversation today, Dr. Haver shares her background, and we discuss her new book, The Galveston Diet. We examine the glaring systemic gap where the health of middle-aged women remains undervalued and underfunded in research, and our discussion touches on various facets of women's health, including perimenopausal symptoms, the distinction between chronological and endocrine aging, the scientific misconceptions surrounding weight gain and hormones, the advantages of intermittent fasting, inflammation, and macros. We also get into the supplements Dr. Haver finds beneficial for women in middle age, as well as the impact of non-nutritive sweeteners and the role of continuous glucose monitors.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:


Dr. Haver highlights various symptoms of perimenopause


How menopause can increase health risks


How muscle loss with aging can make women more insulin resistant and lead to cardiovascular changes


How the hormonal changes that occur during perimenopause and menopause can impact weight management


What are the benefits of intermittent fasting for perimenopausal women?


How a combination of genetics and lifestyle factors can help women prepare for menopause and manage its symptoms


How sugar, alcohol, and gluten impact inflammation, insulin levels, and blood sugar


How a lack of protein and the wrong types of fats can lead to hunger and satiety issues and lead to muscle breakdown and weight gain in menopausal women


Dr. Haver talks about her book, The Galveston Diet


How do non-nutritive sweeteners impact the gut microbiome and blood sugar levels?


The benefits of using a continuous glucose monitor to track blood sugar levels

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow


Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn


Check out Cynthia’s website.


Submit your questions to [email protected] 


Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community: The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow. 


Purchase Cynthia’s book, The Menopause Gut.


Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book


The Midlife Pause Supplement Line

Connect with Dr. Mary Claire Haver


⁠Website⁠


⁠Instagram⁠


⁠TikTok⁠


⁠YouTube⁠


⁠Order a copy of The Galveston Diet.⁠