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In this episode of The Hotflash inc Podcast, journalist Ann Marie McQueen interviews Dr. Kirsten Smith, ND, a naturopathic doctor and certified menopause practitioner practicing between Ontario and Costa Rica. Together, they grapple with the exploding conversation around menopause hormone therapy – what’s grounded in evidence, what’s being overstated, and what gets lost when urgency turns into dogma.
This is a candid, nuanced look at the current “meno-rush” – where hormone therapy is hailed as life-saving by some, dismissed by others, and increasingly positioned all around as the only solution. Dr. Smith brings 17 years of clinical experience blending conventional diagnostics with holistic medicine, offering what she calls a third path: thoughtful, individualized care rooted in both science and lived reality.
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the polarization – this conversation is for you.

The Hotflash inc Summit All Access Pass
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Coming Soon: The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy (get on the list!)
https://hotflashinc.com

Thank you to our gold sponsor from the Hotflash inc Summit, Phosis and its founder Susan Campbell. Phosis creates clinically proven, exceptionally clean skincare formulated specifically for dry, sensitive hormonal skin. Use code HOTFLASHINC for 15% off Phosis.com

What we explored this episode:
00:00 – Why menopause hormone therapy has become so polarized
07:45 – The “meno-rush”: how Instagram accelerated the hormone conversation
12:10 – Pharmaceutical influence and the pendulum swing from neglect to hype
18:45 – Who hormone therapy doesn’t work for (and why that matters)
23:20 – The pathology problem: when everything gets blamed on perimenopause
28:10 – Speed culture, nervous systems, and why true healing takes time
Memorable quote:
“We’ve gone from ignoring menopause to hyper-medicalizing it – and neither extreme serves women.”
Where to follow Dr. Kirsten Smith
IG @drkirstensmithnd
Facebook drkirstensmithnd
Linked In drkirstensmithnd

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In this episode of The Hotflash inc Podcast, journalist Ann Marie McQueen speaks with Bonnie Wisener, registered holistic nutritionist, digestive health expert, and founder of Shift Nutrition and Wellness, about why gut issues so often flare in perimenopause and menopause.
Together, they explore the powerful (and often missed) links between hormones, the nervous system, IBS, food restriction, and midlife stress – and what actually helps when digestion starts to unravel.
This is a grounded, practical conversation for anyone dealing with bloating, constipation, IBS, food fear, or the sense that their gut has suddenly “turned” in midlife.

The Hotflash Inc Summit All Access Pass
https://summit.hotflashinc.com/hotflash-inc-summit-all-access-pass
Coming Soon: The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy
https://hotflashinc.com
Thank you to our Hotflash inc Summit sponsor
Phosis – Clean, clinically proven skincare for hormonal skin
Use code HOTFLASHINC for 15% off at https://phosis.com

What we explored this episode
00:00 – Why gut symptoms spike in perimenopause
06:20 – IBS as a gut–brain disorder, not a food problem
13:45 – Why restriction and elimination diets backfire
20:30 – Nervous system regulation as digestive medicine
29:10 – Protein, fiber, blood sugar, and midlife digestion
38:40 – Supplements, probiotics, and what actually helps
Memorable quote:
“Digestive issues in menopause aren’t separate problems – they’re different expressions of the same system shift.”
Resources mentioned
Nerva App (by Mindset Health): https://nervaibs.com
Probio Chart: https://www.probiochart.com

Connect with our guest
Website: https://shiftnutritionandwellness.com/
Instagram: @shiftnutritionandwellness

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:
Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc
Episode website: Hotflashinc
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack
See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

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In this episode of The Hotflash inc Podcast, journalist Ann Marie McQueen interviews Heather Mills  – entrepreneur, vegan food innovator, and founder of No Bloat, a Monash-certified low-FODMAP meal range designed for people living with gut sensitivities.
They talk gut chaos, menopause changes, stress, food science, and what it looks like to reinvent yourself (again) in midlife – by listening closely to your body and building what you wish existed.
The Hotflash Inc Summit All Access Pass
https://summit.hotflashinc.com/hotflash-inc-summit-all-access-pass 
Coming Soon: The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy
https://hotflashinc.com
What we explored in this episode
00:04 – From chronic gut crisis to building No Bloat (and why it took years)
00:09 – Low-FODMAP basics: why garlic and onion wreck so many people
00:22 – Stress + the gut: why you can bloat even on “perfect” food
00:27 – Heather's midlife body changes: hot sweats, mood shifts, and the “rib cage expansion” moment
00:33 – Menopause care frustrations: hormone testing, HRT debates, and UK context
00:50 – Reinvention in midlife: stop people-pleasing and reclaim your life
Memorable quote:
“You really are what you digest.”
Connect with our guest:
Heather Mills (official site): https://heathermills.org
No Bloat (website): https://nobloat.com/about/
Instagram (Heather): https://www.instagram.com/heathermillsofficial/
Instagram (No Bloat): https://www.instagram.com/nobloatuk/
LinkedIn (Heather): https://uk.linkedin.com/in/msheathermills

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:
Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc
Episode website: Hotflashinc
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack
See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

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In this episode of The Hotflash inc Podcast, journalist Ann Marie McQueen interviews Kristeen Pollock,a a Scotland-based fitness coach, speaker, and podcast host who is helping women finally break free from toxic exercise culture and reclaim their relationship with food, movement, and themselves.
Kristeen gets real about what it was like to live inside the exhausting loop of dieting, restriction, and chasing “perfection” – and what changed. Together they explore the emotional rollercoaster of perimenopause, learning to actually rest, dealing with body image shifts, and how to find your way back to freedom in midlife.
The Hotflash Inc Summit All Access Pass https://summit.hotflashinc.com/hotflash-inc-summit-all-access-pass
Thank you to our Hotflash inc Summit gold sponsor:
MenoLabs – Use code HOTFLASH for 20% off https://menolabs.com
What we explored this episode:
00:06 – Why the fitness industry is toxic and out of touch
00:11 – Body image, disordered eating, and midlife triggers
00:16 – From binge eating to food freedom + exposure therapy
00:22 – Letting go of control + emotional release in perimenopause
00:30 – Doing less, resting more, and embracing the shift
Memorable quote:
"If you can’t do it for 10 years, don’t do it for one day." – Kristeen Pollock
Connect with our guest:
Website: https://kpfitandwell.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kpingfit/
Podcast: Keeping it Real
LinkedIn: Kristeen Pollock

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:
Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc
Episode website: Hotflashinc
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack
See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

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Am I neurodivergent?
In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, host and journalist Ann Marie McQueen sits down with Skylar Liberty Rose – a meditation guide, pro-aging advocate, and ceremony creator – to explore the layered intersection of neurodivergence and perimenopause. The two friends share a candid, nuanced conversation about realizing they may be neurodivergent later in life, how that connects with the hormonal shifts of midlife, and what it means to drop the mask and fully show up. 
Sponsored: Thank you to MenoLabs for being a gold sponsor of the first-ever Hotflash inc Summit. Their science-backed probiotics, including the bestselling MenoFit, are designed to support women through perimenopause and menopause. Right now, you can get 20% off with code HOTFLASH20 at menolabs.com.

Highlights:
5:30 – Growing up with sensory sensitivities but having no language for it
8:00 – The misunderstanding and shame around being an introvert
10:00 – Coping with alcohol, masking, and perfectionism
11:30 – Perimenopause as “the great unveiling” of truth
13:00 – Losing the ability to mask in midlife
14:00 – The collapse of executive functioning in perimenopause
16:00 – What it feels like to remove long-held coping tools
17:00 – Navigating social situations without alcohol
21:00 – The relief of realizing you’re neurodivergent
22:00 – Pursuing (or not) a formal diagnosis
25:30 – On external validation and trusting yourself
Skylar Liberty Rose
Website: skylarlibertyrose.com
Skylar offers personalized guided meditations and custom ceremonies to support women in midlife and beyond. Her work focuses on embracing aging, dismantling anti-aging narratives, and honoring the major (and often invisible) thresholds of life.
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Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:
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TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
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Episode website: Hotflashinc
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack
See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information