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

Today, I am thrilled to reconnect with a previous guest, Dr. Mary Claire Haver.

Dr. Haver is a board-certified OBGYN, a certified menopause provider, and the founder of Mary Claire Wellness, a private medical practice focusing on women in midlife. Her best-selling book, the Galveston Diet, and her latest New York Times best-seller, The New Menopause, are fabulous resources for middle-aged women.

In today's discussion, we dive into various aspects of perimenopause and the associated challenges. We discuss factors accelerating ovarian aging, the role of contraception, mental health shifts, and the often delayed diagnosis of premature ovarian insufficiency. We examine the differences between hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives, discussing the importance of advocacy for women's health and the benefits of vaginal estrogen. We explore the disparity in federal funding for women's health research, the impact of the Women's Health Initiative, body composition changes, the estrabolome, the 30 Plant Challenge, and the advantages of HRT. Dr. Haver also talks about her preferred supplements.

I'm sure you will find this conversation a valuable resource that you will likely revisit several times.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

Why perimenopause is so fraught with chaos

Some of the factors that hasten ovarian aging

How perimenopause causes significant changes in neurotransmitters, leading to cognitive changes

The differences between HRT and oral contraceptives

How estrogen loss during menopause affects vaginal tissue

The benefits of vaginal estrogen for symptoms of menopause

How women's health research funding prioritizes reproduction over menopause and perimenopause

How HRT can help with fat loss and muscle mass in postmenopausal women

The emergence of eating-disordered behaviors in menopausal women

Some of the lesser-known symptoms of menopause and ways to overcome them

How HRT could impact the longevity and cognitive health of women

Bio: Dr Mary Claire Haver

Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a board-certified OB-GYN who has devoted her adult life to women's health. When she began experiencing the changes of menopause and midlife weight gain, she created her online program, The Galveston Diet, which currently has over 80,000 students. The Galveston Diet is the first and only nutrition program in the world created by a female OB-GYN, designed for women in menopause.

As part of her ongoing research, she became certified in Culinary Medicine in 2019, specializing in medical nutrition. In 2021, Dr. Haver opened Mary Claire Wellness; the clinic grew out of repeated requests from Galveston Diet students and Dr. Haver's social media followers for personal guidance.

Dr. Haver lives with her husband and two daughters in Galveston, Texas. She is the author of The Galveston Diet (Rodale; January 10th, 2023).

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Check out Cynthia’s website.

Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com

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

On the⁠ Mary Claire Wellness website⁠

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠TikTok⁠

⁠Facebook⁠

⁠YouTube⁠

Books Mentioned

Dr. Haver’s books, ⁠The Galveston Diet⁠ and ⁠The New Menopause ⁠

⁠The Menopause Brain⁠ and the⁠ XX Brain⁠ by Lisa Mosconi

Previous Episode Mentioned

⁠Ep. 308 Dr. Mary Claire Haver: Weight Gain in Middle Age, Perimenopause and Inflammation

Today, I’m honored to connect with Dr. Salome Masghati, founder of Precision Gynecology, which provides the unhurried, root-cause-oriented care often missing in a system where women are rushed through short appointments, focusing on bioidentical hormone therapy, perimenopause, and menopause. Dr. Masghati has extensive surgical training and specializes in longevity medicine.

In today’s discussion, we explore the ovary as a signaling hub, not just a reproductive timer, and Dr. Masghati shares her views on hormone replacement therapy timing, intrinsic and infradian rhythm, ovarian function, and the differentiators between PCOS and PMOS in midlife women. We also cover oral versus transdermal estradiol therapy, FSH testing as an independent risk factor for bone and heart health, hysterectomies, ferritin and iron deficiency, coronary vasospasm, elevated Lp(a), estradiol and thyroid therapy, peptides, regenerative and esthetic offerings. Dr. Masghati also offers her personal perspective on what influences orgasms.

Stay tuned for today’s invaluable conversation with Dr. Salome Masghati on optimizing women’s health in midlife and beyond.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

How a hysterectomy, partial hysterectomy, and other surgical interventions can impact ovarian function

Dr. Masghati shares her approach to hormone replacement therapy for women going through premature or early menopause

How elevated androgen levels, insulin resistance, and inflammation can affect the response to hormone replacement therapy in women with PCOS/PMOS

Why Dr. Masghati generally prefers transdermal rather than oral estradiol

How optimizing hormone levels can improve libido when women’s hormones change

Women may have low ferritin even when their serum iron looks good.

Declining estrogen may contribute to coronary vasospasm in women.

What women should know about regenerative therapies using PRP

Why the source of peptides matters, and why Dr. Masghati specifically advises against using research peptides

Bio:

Dr. Salome Masghati is a board-certified gynecologic surgeon who now focuses on hormonal wellbeing, functional medicine, and disease prevention. She specializes in women’s health conditions including perimenopause, PCOS, endometriosis, gut health, and metabolic dysfunction, using a root-cause and physiologic approach to help women restore balance and optimize their health.

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow

Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn

Check out Cynthia’s website.

Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com

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. Salome Masghati

On her website

On Instagram

Email: team@drmasghati.com

Welcome to this week’s Midlife Minute episode!

Statistically, one in three women will die of heart disease. So, today, we’re answering some of the many questions I received about lipids and heart health. Although I’ve done other lipid-focused Midlife Minutes before, this episode is yet another dedicated to Dr. Tom Dayspring, as I’ve received such a vast number of questions on this particular topic.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Why understanding your ApoB and Lp(a) is an essential part of assessing your cardiovascular risk

Why treatments for lipid abnormalities should be individualized to fit each specific abnormality

Essential lifestyle measures for supporting overall cardiovascular health

How CAC scoring, CT coronary angiography, and Clearly AI-assisted imaging differ, what each test measures, and their limitations

How cardiovascular disease can sometimes present differently in women

Why are premature atrial contractions and premature ventricular contractions often benign when the heart is structurally normal?

How the roles of statins, ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors, GLP-1 medications, and emerging RNA therapies differ, and why they should not be considered interchangeable

How declining estrogen impacts cardiovascular health

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow

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Check out Cynthia’s website.

Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com

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

I’m delighted to bring you a midlife metabolic health masterclass for women today, with experts Dr. Yael Joffe, Dr. Ben Bikman, Dr. Lara Briden, Dr. Felice Gersh, and Dr. Alexandra Sowa.

In this masterclass, our panel of experts explores how women’s metabolisms change in perimenopause, how our fat cells change with age, and how those changes influence our estrogen, insulin, and body composition. We examine how muscle, estrogen, and satiety mechanisms can improve or worsen metabolic health, the roles of aging, stress, inflammation, and ovarian health, and how body changes become metabolic risks.

Join us for today’s impactful masterclass with our insightful panel of metabolic health experts.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Why the amount of body fat you carry does not necessarily determine your metabolic health

How declining estrogen during menopause can change where women store their body fat

Why women have to work harder to maintain and build muscle as estrogen declines in perimenopause and menopause

How women can continue building muscle at any age

Why progesterone is not only a reproductive hormone or something prescribed to protect the uterine lining

The changes women may experience as their estradiol and progesterone production declines in midlife

What women considering GLP-1 medications for menopausal weight gain should look at, beyond the number on the scale

How to support your gut health and manage gastrointestinal symptoms when taking a GLP-1

The factors Dr. Joffe takes into account when evaluating women during their menopausal transition

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow

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Check out Cynthia’s website.

Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com

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. Yael Joffe

3X4 Genetics

Instagram

Facebook

Connect with Dr. Ben Bikman

On his website

Social media: @benbikmanphd

Connect with Dr. Lara Briden

Website

Social media: @Lara Briden

Connect with Dr. Felice Gersh

On her website: Integrative Medical Group of Irvine

Instagram

All of Dr. Gersh’s books are available on Amazon.

Connect with Dr. Alexandra Sowa

On her website

Social media: @alexandrasowamd

Purchase a copy of Dr. Sowa’s book, The Ozempic Revolution: A Doctor's Proven Plan for Success to Help You Reverse Obesity, End Yo-Yo Dieting, and Protect Yourself from Disease

Podcast Episodes:

Ep. 558 Your DNA Isn’t Your Destiny – The Most Actionable Way to Use Genetics for Weight Loss with Dr. Yael Joffe

Ep. 316 The Impact of Age, Gender and Lifestyle on Metabolic Health with Dr. Ben Bikman

Ep. 372 Metabolism Repair for Women: Strategies and Insights with Dr. Lara Briden

Ep. 570 We’ve Been Wrong About Progesterone! – The Most Powerful Hormone for Heart, Brain & Longevity with Dr. Felice Gersh|Menopause & HRT

Ep. 438 - The Rise of GLP-1s: Key to Weight Loss and Metabolic Health with Alexandra Sowa, MD

I’m excited to share another episode in our series of highly vetted companies.

Today, I’m delighted to reconnect with Angelo Keely, the Co-founder and CEO of Kion, for our third conversation.

I’ve been using essential aminos. I really leaned into them during my book launch, and I credit them with helping me maintain my muscle mass despite training at a lower volume.

In today’s conversation, Angelo and I discuss GLP-1s and muscle loss, exploring protein intake, the leucine threshold hypothesis, the association between declining estrogen and blunted muscle protein synthesis, and using essential aminos to build and maintain muscle. We unpack the role of sleep and recovery for muscle health, daily versus as-needed creatine monohydrate and essential amino acid supplementation, what omega-3s are, why they matter, and how to supplement. We also cover midlife women's body composition, weight loss, and muscle building, and Angelo shares his take on the disconnect between body composition changes in midlife women and how companies actively market to midlife women, knowing the challenges we face in that area.

Stay tuned for today’s insightful and informative discussion with Angelo Keely of Kion.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

How caloric restriction leads to fat loss but can also cause the body to break down muscle

How essential aminos can help preserve our muscles as we age

The essential amino formula Angelo recommends for midlife women

Hormone changes may affect muscle protein synthesis

The huge impact poor sleep has on whole-body protein synthesis

Essential aminos vs. whey protein and how they differ

Value of essential aminos for maintaining muscle during caloric deficits

How aminos and creatine both need to be taken consistently, but for different physiological reasons

What to look for when choosing a quality omega-3 supplement

How to make daily supplementation easier to maintain

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow

Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn

Check out Cynthia’s website.

Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com

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 Angelo Keely

Visit GetKION.com/Cynthia for 20% off!