The Dr Vonda Show

Today's conversation is one I believe every woman deserves to hear - regardless of age, stage, or current health status. I sat down with Meghan Rabbit, an award-winning health journalist and the author of The New Rules for Women's Health, to talk about something many of us feel but rarely name clearly: modern medicine was not designed with women in mind - especially across midlife. This isn't about blame. And it isn't about distrust of doctors. It's about understanding the system we are navigating, and learning how to advocate for ourselves within it.   Meghan brings a rare perspective to this conversation. She has spent years interviewing hundreds of clinicians and researchers across women's health, brain health, heart disease, menopause, autoimmune conditions, and longevity. What she uncovered is both sobering and empowering: women have been left out of research, diagnostics, and treatment models for decades, but knowledge changes outcomes.   In this episode, we talk about why women must become active participants in their own healthcare, not passive recipients. We explore what it means to be the "CEO of your health" - tracking symptoms, preparing for appointments, understanding your body, and engaging in true shared decision-making with your clinicians.   We also walk through the body systems where these gaps show up most clearly: - Why women represent the majority of Alzheimer's cases—and what midlife has to do with brain health - Why heart disease remains the leading cause of death in women, yet awareness is declining - How menopause is a neurological transition, not just a hormonal one - Why autoimmune disease disproportionately affects women—and why answers are still lagging - How gut health, bone health, hormones, and the brain are deeply interconnected About Meghan Rabbitt: Meghan Rabbitt is an award-winning journalist and author of The New Rules of Women's Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age. She specializes in writing about women's health and wellness, and her work has appeared in many national publications, including Women's Health, Oprah Daily, Prevention, Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper, and more. She's known for translating complex medical and scientific topics into clear, actionable information, and for telling stories that help readers better understand their bodies, their health, and themselves.    📘 Book - The New Rules of Women's Health Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/734289/the-new-rules-of-womens-health-by-meghan-rabbitt-foreword-by-maria-shriver/   Website: https://newrulesofwomenshealth.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghanrabbitt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-rabbitt-04b80116/ Substack: https://substack.com/@meghanrabbitt Timestamp: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:28 The Origin Story of the Women's Health Manifesto 00:03:58 Challenges in Women's Health Research 00:09:30 Empowering Women to Take Charge of Their Health 00:18:37 The Importance of Tracking Symptoms and Shared Decision Making 00:24:44 Brain Health and the Impact of Estrogen 00:29:53 The Importance of Exercise for Brain Health 00:32:08 The Role of Hormones in Heart Health 00:39:42 Autoimmune Diseases and Women's Health 00:45:40 Empowering Women Through Knowledge 00:50:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 🦴 Unbreakable Bone Health Dr. Vonda's Unbreakable Bone Health formula supports bone density and strength using patented ingredients backed by 30 years of clinical research. 🛒 Shop now: https://shop.drvondawright.com/    📬 Free Health & Longevity Newsletter Get Dr. Vonda's latest insights on strength, bone health, longevity, and aging with power delivered straight to your inbox. Join her free health & longevity newsletter here: https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=YqJKtR&g=Ww3gx3   📖 Unbreakable: A Woman's Guide to Aging with Power Dr. Vonda Wright's newest book, Unbreakable, is a bold guide for women ready to redefine what aging looks and feels like. Blending cutting‑edge science with real‑world strategies, it helps you build strength, resilience, and momentum through every decade of life. Discover how to turn aging into your greatest advantage and live with power, purpose, and vitality. 👉 Learn more or get your copy: https://theunbreakablebook.com   About Dr. Vonda Wright: I'm Vonda Wright, an orthopedic sports surgeon and women's healthy‑aging expert. For 20 years I've helped athletes and everyday women protect their joints, build muscle, and extend their health span. Here you'll get science-backed strategies to age with power, so you can keep doing what you love for decades to come.   Connect with Dr. Vonda Wright: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drvondawright Read Dr. Vonda Wright's Substack: https://drvondawright.substack.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drvondawright LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vondawrightmd Website: http://www.drvondawright.com/  

In this episode of Hot For Your Health, Dr. Vonda Wright sits down with Dr. Mariza Snyder, a functional practitioner and bestselling author known for translating complex hormone science into actionable, empowering care for women. Together, they explore what's actually happening in a woman's body during perimenopause and midlife—and why so many symptoms are misunderstood, dismissed, or normalized when they shouldn't be. Dr. Snyder breaks down the hormone–brain–metabolism connection, explaining how blood sugar dysregulation, chronic stress, and neuroinflammation contribute to fatigue, brain fog, mood changes, migraines, and stubborn weight gain. The conversation reframes hormone health as a systems issue—not just estrogen levels—and highlights the role of daily habits, nervous system regulation, nutrition, movement, and circadian rhythms in restoring balance. They also discuss why women need better education, better data, and better advocacy during this transition. This episode offers a grounded, science-backed roadmap for understanding midlife hormones—not as a decline, but as a powerful opportunity to recalibrate, reclaim energy, and build long-term resilience and health. ••• Connect with Dr. Mariza Snyder: Website: https://drmariza.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmariza/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drmarizasnyder YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/drmarizasnyder ••• Make sure to follow Dr. Vonda Wright: Instagram: @drvondawright Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vondawright Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drvondawright LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vonda-wright-md-ms-2803374 Website: http://www.DrVondaWright.com   Dr Vonda's Unbreakable Bone Health provides bone density and quality support by using ingredients that have over 30 years of clinical research, patented and are directly linked to increasing bone strength, bone density, and improving the health and integrity of the bone. Unbreakable: https://shop.drvondawright.com/ ••• If you enjoyed this episode, Subscribe to "HOT For Your Health" for more inspiring episodes. Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hot-for-your-health/id1055206993 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Q2Al27D79jCLAyzp4hKBv?si=b62b374994884eed We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Share your comments or join the discussion on social media using #HotForYourHealthPodcast.  

In this episode of Hot For Your Health, Dr. Vonda Wright sits down with her friend and colleague Dr. Juliana Hauser, a licensed couples and family therapist, renowned sex educator, and author of A New Position on Sex. Together, they reframe sexuality as a vital component of whole-person health, longevity, and self-development—not just a set of sex acts. Dr. Hauser introduces her holistic framework for understanding sexuality, including the importance of agency, connection, and self-trust, and explains why sexual health deserves the same attention as other medical "vital signs." The conversation dives into how culture, aging, hormones, and lack of education shape our relationship with desire and pleasure, especially in midlife and menopause. With compassion and clarity, they explore how learning to identify your personal "yums and yucks" can transform not only intimate relationships, but your relationship with yourself. This episode is an invitation to rethink sexuality as a lifelong pathway to authenticity, connection, and well-being. ••• Connect with Dr. Juliana Hauser: Website: https://dr-juliana.com/ Instagram: @drjulianahauser Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjulianamorris ••• Make sure to follow Dr. Vonda Wright: Instagram: @drvondawright Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vondawright Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drvondawright LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vonda-wright-md-ms-2803374 Website: http://www.DrVondaWright.com   Dr Vonda's Unbreakable Bone Health provides bone density and quality support by using ingredients that have over 30 years of clinical research, patented and are directly linked to increasing bone strength, bone density, and improving the health and integrity of the bone. Unbreakable: https://shop.drvondawright.com/ ••• If you enjoyed this episode, Subscribe to "HOT For Your Health" for more inspiring episodes. Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hot-for-your-health/id1055206993 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Q2Al27D79jCLAyzp4hKBv?si=b62b374994884eed We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Share your comments or join the discussion on social media using #HotForYourHealthPodcast.  

In this episode of Hot for Your Health, Dr. Vonda Wright is joined by Dr. Corinne Menn and Dr. Kudzai Dombo, board-certified physicians and menopause specialists in active clinical practice with Alloy Health. Together, they unpack what women are not being told about perimenopause and menopause—and why so many women are dismissed, misdiagnosed, or told to "wait it out" during one of the most biologically disruptive decades of their lives. Drs. Menn and Dombo explain the science behind hormonal fluctuations in perimenopause, clarifying why symptoms can be debilitating long before a woman officially reaches menopause. The conversation dives into precision medicine in hormone therapy, including when progesterone alone may be appropriate, how low-dose estrogen can act as a stabilizing "buffer," and why one-size-fits-all protocols fail women. The episode also addresses some of the most persistent myths in women's health—from fears around hormone therapy and breast cancer to misunderstandings about bone, brain, and cardiovascular protection. Dr. Wright and her guests emphasize the critical role of lifestyle factors like strength training, nutrition, and sleep, while making it clear that hormones are tools—not magic bullets—in a comprehensive longevity strategy. The discussion concludes with an inside look at how Alloy Health is expanding access to menopause care through asynchronous medicine, education, and community—offering women real-time support, evidence-based guidance, and the power to make informed choices about their health. Connect with Dr. Corinne Menn, Alloy Health Director of Clinical Innovation and Education, Prescribing Physician: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmennobgyn/ Connect with Dr. Kudzai Dombo, Alloy Health Director of Advocacy and Outreach, Prescribing Physician: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.kudzai/ More about Alloy Health: https://www.myalloy.com/ Get Started with Alloy Health ••• Make sure to follow Dr. Vonda Wright: Instagram: @drvondawright Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vondawright Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drvondawright LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vonda-wright-md-ms-2803374 Website: http://www.DrVondaWright.com ••• If you enjoyed this episode, Subscribe to "HOT For Your Health" for more inspiring episodes. Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hot-for-your-health/id1055206993 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Q2Al27D79jCLAyzp4hKBv?si=b62b374994884eed We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Share your comments or join the discussion on social media using #HotForYourHealthPodcast.

In this episode, Dr. Vonda Wright sits down with triple board-certified obesity medicine specialist Dr. Rocío Salas-Whalen, author of Weightless, to unpack the emotional and metabolic weight so many women carry for decades. Dr. Rocío shares what she sees every day in her Manhattan practice—patients arriving exhausted, ashamed, and feeling like this is their "last stop"—and explains why weight is never just a number on the scale, but a story of muscle, visceral fat, metabolic health, and self-worth. Together, they dive into Dr. Dr. Rocío's powerful GPS method—GLP-1s, Protein, and Strength training—to protect muscle, recompose the body, quiet "food noise," and finally break free from shame-driven dieting. This conversation is a blend of science, strategy, and deep compassion, offering real hope that it's never too late to build strength, reclaim your health, and feel truly weightless—inside and out. ••• Connect with Dr. Rocío: Preorder "Weightless" Book: https://weightlessthebook.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnu-g-zjUsbanm0Eb0P0lnGqqCxvj4Rn4HgFYyTO4gZYeRWQlam3beXQiEeFk_aem_AXnyDrfHnig8_jjIsCKmmw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsalaswhalen/?hl=en ••• Make sure to follow Dr. Vonda Wright: Instagram: @drvondawright Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vondawright Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drvondawright LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vonda-wright-md-ms-2803374 Website: http://www.DrVondaWright.com Dr Vonda's Unbreakable Bone Health provides bone density and quality support by using ingredients that have over 30 years of clinical research, patented and are directly linked to increasing bone strength, bone density, and improving the health and integrity of the bone. Unbreakable: https://shop.drvondawright.com/ ••• If you enjoyed this episode, Subscribe to "HOT For Your Health" for more inspiring episodes. Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hot-for-your-health/id1055206993 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Q2Al27D79jCLAyzp4hKBv?si=b62b374994884eed We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Share your comments or join the discussion on social media using #HotForYourHealthPodcast.