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

Today, I am honored to connect with Dr. Zaldy Tan, a geriatric medicine and memory disorder specialist whose research career has centered on the Framingham Heart Studies Offspring Cohort. Dr. Tan currently directs Cedar Sinai’s memory and healthy aging programs, after previously leading the memory clinic at Beth Israel and Harvard Medical School. His book, Age Proof Your Mind, translates his clinical and research background into a practical framework for people trying to assess and protect their own cognitive trajectory.

In our conversation, Dr. Tan explains why middle age is the old age of youth and the youth of old age. We discuss common symptoms of memory issues and those that are reversible. We explore the Framingham Offspring Study and its impact on brain health over time, looking at the effects of sleep, depression, vitamin deficiencies, alcohol, loneliness, and nutrition, and Dr. Tan shares the three Ds, dementia, delirium, and depression- the red flags he sees in his clinical practice, explains how he helps prepare caregivers for caring for loved ones with neurocognitive memory loss, and discusses late-stage issues, medications, blood-based biomarkers, and the role of genetics in brain health.

Stay tuned for a truly fascinating discussion with Dr. Zaldy Tan.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

The importance of being sensitive to how your memory changes over time

Various factors that could contribute to memory problems

The profound effect alcohol has on the brain and neurologic function

How social isolation can increase the risk of dementia in future years

Dr. Tan discusses the Framingham Offspring Study and the links between metabolic dysregulation and brain MRI markers of brain aging.

How the 3 Ds, delirium, dementia, and depression, can overlap

The red flags in a patient’s history that lead Dr. Tan to believe there may be a more serious issue

What care partners should be aware of when a family member is experiencing dementia

The importance of protecting sleep and maintaining consistent sleep patterns for those with memory problems

How genetic testing is incorporated into Dr. Tan’s care model

Bio:

Dr. Zaldy Tan is the Director of the Memory & Healthy Aging Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which U.S. News & World Report ranked in 2024 as the best hospital on the U.S. West Coast and among the top hospitals in the country. He holds the Carmen & Louis Warschaw Endowed Chair in Neurology and is a professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Tan was the founding director of the Memory Disorders Clinic at Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Tan performs aging and dementia research covered by The New York Times, Time, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Reuters, ABC News, and NBC News. He regularly speaks at major national and international conferences and is the author of Age-Proof Your Mind and What to Remember When You Are Forgetting.

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Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com

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Connect with Dr. Zaldy Tan

Dr. Tan at Cedars Sinai (Los Angeles)

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Dr. Tan’s book, What to Remember When You Are Forgetting, is coming out on September 15th, 2026. Pre-order HERE.

Welcome to the latest episode in our series of highly vetted companies I like to share with my Everyday Wellness community.

Today, I’m delighted to connect with Leslie Kenny, Founder and CEO of Oxford Healthspan. After being diagnosed with multiple autoimmune conditions and being told she was unlikely to have any biological children, Leslie put her autoimmune conditions into remission through nutrition and lifestyle changes and later went on to conceive naturally at 43. Her personal experience led her into a research collaboration with Oxford immunologist Professor Katya Simon, where she was introduced to spermidine, a naturally occurring polyamine studied for its role in autophagy—our cells’ internal recycling and cleanup process. She later founded Oxford Healthspan to bring a whole-food Japan-sourced spermidine supplement, Primadine, to market. She also co-founded the non-profit Oxford Longevity Project alongside Oxford scientists to educate the public more broadly on healthspan research.

In our conversation, we discuss self-advocacy, autoimmunity, infertility, and empowerment, exploring how modern life affects perimenopause and menopause, as well as spermidine research and its mechanisms of action. We discuss intermittent fasting, autophagy, mitophagy, gut health, food-based sources of spermidine, how our spermidine levels decrease with age, and why supplementation is truly beneficial. Leslie also shares feedback on how Primadine impacts memory, cognition, hair, skin, and nails; how clock genes and circadian biology work; and biological versus chronological age.

Stay tuned for a truly fascinating conversation with Leslie Kenny- one you’ll most likely want to revisit more than once.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

The changes Leslie implemented after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus

How patients need to ask questions and collaborate with their clinicians rather than simply following instructions

Leslie describes how she worked with doctors to monitor her symptoms and address problems early during the perimenopause-to-menopause transition.

How Leslie came to learn about spermidine and its connection to autophagy and mitophagy

How spermidine can support healthy aging

How ultra-processed foods can affect the gut, and foods that contain natural sources of spermidine

The types of improvements customers taking Primadine have reported

Leslie explains the distinction between biological and chronological age

Why intermittent fasting, although beneficial, may not work the same way for all women

Bio:

Leslie Kenny is an Oxford-based longevity entrepreneur, TEDx Oxford speaker, and healthspan advocate. She is the founder of Oxford Healthspan, creator of Primeadine®, co-founder of the Oxford Longevity Project, and Global Executive Ambassador for the Japan Autophagy Consortium, whose senior adviser is Yoshinori Ohsumi, recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering research on autophagy.

She is a frequent international speaker and moderator on longevity, biological aging, and the future of preventive medicine, with a particular focus on translating emerging research into practical, evidence-based strategies for extending healthspan. Leslie has been an early advocate for the role of autophagy, cellular renewal, and nutrition in healthy aging, helping to pioneer broader awareness of spermidine and its relevance to longevity pathways.

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The Midlife Pause Supplement Line

Connect with Leslie Kenny

Oxford Longevity Project

Oxford Healthspan - Use discount code CYNTHIATHURLOW for 20% off your first Oxford Healthspan order

Leslie’s New Prime

I am delighted to welcome Dr. Shivani Gupta today for the first of two interviews. Dr. Gupta is the founder and CEO of Fusionary Formulas and the author of The Inflammation Code. She has both a master's degree and a PhD in Vedic sciences, where her dissertation focused on turmeric's role in inflammation, joint health, and cardiovascular health.

In today’s conversation, we explore the physical effects of chronic inflammation, habits to support stress reduction, the differences between inflammaging and normal physiologic aging, and ways to nurture ourselves in midlife (which Dr. Gupta calls the Vata season). We also discuss how ama can contribute to inflammatory processes in the body, digestive fire, constipation and strategies to address it, the importance of curcumin, and the research surrounding it.

Dr. Gupta and I will continue our conversation on our next podcast together. Stay tuned for part two!

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Dr. Gupta shares the personal experiences that motivated her to write The Inflammation Code

Environmental and lifestyle factors that contribute to the body’s inflammatory burden

Why inflammation can become more difficult to manage during the perimenopause and menopause transition

How the symptoms of normal aging could actually be signs of inflammaging

Dr. Gupta explains the Ayurvedic concept of Agni, or digestive fire, and shares ways to support digestion

Practical Ayurvedic ways to support regular bowel movements

How Dr. Gupta approaches gut and immune health after repeated antibiotic exposure

The Ayurvedic approach to diet differs from restrictive or extreme eating patterns.

The potential anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric, curcumin, and other polyphenol-rich spices

How culinary turmeric differs from concentrated curcumin extracts

Bio:

Dr. Shivani Gupta is an Ayurvedic practitioner, turmeric researcher, and founder of Fusionary Formulas.

She holds a Master's degree in Ayurvedic Sciences and completed her PhD dissertation- specifically on turmeric making her one of the world's foremost experts on its pharmacology and clinical application.

She is the author of The Inflammation Code, published by Hay House, bridging ancient Ayurvedic wisdom with modern inflammation science. Dr. Gupta is known for making complex science accessible without dumbing it down — her work speaks equally to the everyday health-conscious woman and to clinicians who want to go deeper.

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Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com

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Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book

The Midlife Pause Supplement Line

Connect with Dr. Shivani Gupta

FusionaryFormulas.com - Use the code CYNTHIA for 15% off!

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The Inflammation Code (Book Website)

The Inflammation Code Podcast

Welcome to the latest Midlife Minute.

Today, I’m answering listeners’ questions about cardiovascular risk, focusing on Lp(a), LDL, statins, and the changes women experience after menopause.

Stay tuned for more!

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Why women should have their Lp(a) checked both before and after menopause

How Lp(a) works as a risk enhancer, and how cardiovascular risk becomes more significant when elevated Lp(a) occurs alongside high LDL

Why family history is particularly helpful for women with a 10-year calculated cardiovascular risk that looks reassuringly low

I review the current guidelines for primary prevention

Why, even though research has shown reductions in major cardiac events with GLP-1s, GLP-1s do not replace statins for lowering LDL

What a CAC score can reveal about coronary artery calcification, and what it cannot detect

How AI-assisted CT angiography (such as Clearly) can map, quantify, and characterize plaque throughout the coronary branches

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

References:

1. ​Lipoprotein(a) and Women's Cardiovascular Health: A Review. JACC. Advances. 2026. Michos ED, Saucier S, Mehran R, Koschinsky ML.Recent

2. ​Sex Differences of Lipoprotein(a) Levels and Associated Risk of Morbidity and Mortality by Age: The Copenhagen General Population Study. Atherosclerosis. 2022. Simony SB, Mortensen MB, Langsted A, et al.

3. Managing Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk in Young Adults: JACC State-of-the-Art Review. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2022. Stone NJ, Smith SC, Orringer CE, et al.Review

4. Thirty-Year Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among Healthy Women According to Clinical Thresholds of Lipoprotein(a). JAMA Cardiology. 2026. Nordestgaard AT, Chasman DI, Moorthy V, et al.RecentObservational

5. ​Lipoprotein(a).The Journal of the American Medical Association. 2025. Mora S, Kronenberg

6. Clinical Practice Guideline on Lipid Management for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction.

Department of Veterans Affairs (2026). 2026. Paul Heidenreich, Lance Spacek, Neil Gregor, et al. Guideline

7. Lipoprotein(a) and Family History Predict Cardiovascular Disease Risk.

Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2020. Mehta A, Virani SS, Ayers CR, et al.Observational

8. 2010 ACCF/AHA Guideline for Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk in Asymptomatic Adults: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2010. Greenland P, Alpert JS, Beller GA, et al.Guideline

9. Prevalence and Prognostic Implications of Coronary Artery Calcification in Low-Risk Women.

The Journal of the American Medical Association. 2016. Kavousi M, Desai CS, Ayers C, et al.SR

10. ​Coronary Artery Calcium Scores and Risk for Cardiovascular Events in Women Classified as “Low Risk” Based on Framingham Risk Score: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Archives of Internal Medicine. 2007. Lakoski SG, Greenland P, Wong ND, et al.Observational

11. 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2019. Arnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, et al.Guideline

12. HOPE for Rational Statin Allocation for Primary Prevention: A Coronary Artery Calcium Picture Is Worth 1000 Words. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2020. Orringer CE, Maki KC.Review

13. Summary of Updated Recommendations for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Women: JACC State-of-the-Art Review.

Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2020. Cho L, Davis M, Elgendy I, et al.Review

14. Health Maintenance in Postmenopausal Women.

American Family Physician. 2025. Plesa M, Wong A, Katsaggelos E.Guideline

15. ​Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes by Baseline HbA1c and Change in HbA1c in People With Overweight or Obesity but Without Diabetes in SELECT.

Diabetes Care. 2024. Lingvay I, Deanfield J, Kahn SE, et al.RCT

16. ​Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes.

The New England Journal of Medicine. 2023. Lincoff AM, Brown-Frandsen K, Colhoun HM, et al.RCT

17. Long-Term Weight Loss Effects of Semaglutide in Obesity Without Diabetes in the SELECT Trial. Nature Medicine. 2024. Ryan DH, Lingvay I, Deanfield J, et al.RCT

18. Interventions for the Prevention and Management of Cardiometabolic Multiple Long-Term Conditions. Lancet. 2026. Valabhji J, Hope D, Sayed NE, et al.RecentReview

19. Glucagon‐Like Peptide‐1 Receptor Agonists and Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients With and Without Diabetes: A Meta‐Analysis of Randomized‐Controlled Trials.

Clinical Cardiology. 2024. Hosseinpour A, Sood A, Kamalpour J, et al.SR

20. ​FDA Orange Book. FDA Orange Book. 2026.

21. 10. Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2026.

Diabetes Care. 2026. American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee for Diabetes*.RecentGuideline

22. Premature Coronary Artery Disease in Women: Sex-Specific Risk Factors, Pathogenetic Mechanisms and Clinical Implications. Annals of Medicine. 2026. Li F, Hong D, Yang M, et al.RecentReview

23. Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Women: The Impact of Race and Ethnicity: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2023. Mehta LS, Velarde GP, Lewey J, et al.Guideline

24. Preventing CVD in Women: Common Questions and Answers.

American Family Physician. 2023. Westfall E, Viere AB, Genewick JE.Review

25. Menopause Transition and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Implications for Timing of Early Prevention: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2020. El Khoudary SR, Aggarwal B, Beckie TM, et al.Guideline

I’m honored to connect with Dr. John La Puma today. Dr. La Puma spent three decades building the case that food, nature, and light are clinical tools, not just lifestyle add-ons. He was the first physician to complete a professional cooking curriculum, and he used that training to co-develop the first cooking and nutrition course taught in a U.S. medical school, a course now adapted across roughly 80% of U.S. medical schools. He later did the same thing for Nature, co-developing and teaching the first skills-based Nature as Medicine CME course for physicians with UCLA. His most recent work extends the same logic to the built environment, coining the phrase "digital obesity and indoor epidemic" to describe a specific underdiagnosed driver of modern fatigue tied to how little time people spend outdoors and how much artificial light and screen exposure they get instead.

In our conversation, Dr. La Puma discusses how we went from chefs' training to co-developing the first culinary medicine course; the indoor epidemic and digital obesity; how most people spend about 93% of their lives indoors; how light impacts bone health; and deep sleep metrics. We also explore how poor air quality can reduce cognitive performance, the significance of phthalate exposure and other endocrine-mimicking chemicals, and green dopamine. Dr. La Puma highlights the health benefits of gardening, explaining how it exposes us to microbes and stimulates serotonin. We also cover nervous system awe, movement, how forest bathing can boost your immune system while reducing inflammatory markers, how exercise can help us live longer, nighttime red light therapy exposure, sleep and recovery, and animal companionship as a health intervention.

Stay tuned for today’s interesting and highly informative conversation about lifestyle as medicine with Dr. John La Puma. I highly recommend his book, The Indoor Epidemic, with the actionable information it contains.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Dr. La Puma shares his motivation for bringing nutritional science and cooking into his medical practice

How spending much of your life indoors can affect your nervous system, circadian biology, and metabolism

The value of morning light for supporting sleep and rebuilding bones during perimenopause, menopause, and andropause

How indoor air quality impacts cognitive performance

Dr. La Puma shares his approach to reducing exposure to chemicals from household cleaning products

The potential benefits of gardening and spending time with your hands in the soil

How intentional time outdoors can support sleep, mood, energy, and memory

A bright blue-white light at night may interfere with restorative sleep.

Animal companionship and how it can improve our health and wellbeing

Bio:

John La Puma, MD, ChefMD™ is a two-time New York Times bestselling author, board-certified internist, and professionally trained chef who pioneered Culinary Medicine. He now pioneers EcoMedicine from his small regenerative teaching farm. His upcoming book, Indoor Epidemic, reveals how spending 93% of life indoors steals sleep, focus, and years, and how reclaiming just 7% outdoors can restore them using the evidence-based Outdoor Rx framework. This is a clinically validated intervention, presenting nature as foundational medicine, an essential component of health and the missing pillar in optimizing longevity and healthspan.

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. John La Puma

On his website

The (Indoor Epidemic) book website