Empowering Midlife Wellness with Dr. Susan

January is often a time when many of us reassess our relationship with alcohol — whether through Dry January or simply by pausing to reflect.
If you’re in that group, or even just quietly curious, this is a powerful moment to consider why you might choose to significantly reduce or eliminate alcohol long-term — not just for 30 days, but as a lasting lifestyle decision.
Over the years, I’ve shared my personal journey with alcohol reduction, starting with one simple but honest step: taking inventory of how much alcohol I was actually drinking. From there, it became important to thoughtfully weigh the risks and perceived benefits of regularly consuming a substance we know is both toxic and carcinogenic.
In today’s episode, I walk you through my own experience with reassessing alcohol use and outline eight key health risks to consider as you make your own informed decision about alcohol consumption. There is no single “right” answer for everyone. While alcohol may offer real social and cultural benefits, it’s well established that it provides no health benefit — and those social advantages must be weighed against the ways alcohol can negatively impact our health, especially as we move into midlife and beyond.
Personally, when I significantly reduce or eliminate alcohol, I feel noticeably better — more clear, more energized, and more grounded. Each January serves as a reminder that, for me, life simply feels better without it. If this resonates, you might even consider joining me for an alcohol-free year, rather than just a month. If you found this helpful, subscribe for more conversations on midlife health, longevity, and informed choices.

Testosterone therapy in women remains one of the most misunderstood and inconsistently applied areas of hormone care. Unlike men, women do not have FDA-approved testosterone products, making dosing strategy and delivery method critical to both safety and effectiveness. In this video, I review the clinical evidence behind testosterone pellet dosing in women, explain how pellets compare to topical gels, and clarify why outcomes depend far more on dose, pharmacokinetics, and monitoring than on the delivery method itself. Drawing from published consensus statements, clinical studies, and real-world patient data, I address:
Why standardized testosterone options exist for men, but not for women
How testosterone pellets are dosed safely in clinical practice
What research shows about absorption, variability, and blood levels
How to interpret testosterone labs in women
Why precision matters when approved products are unavailable
This discussion is informed by the General Consensus Position Statement on the Use of Testosterone for Women (Climacteric, 2019), which outlines the evidence base, indications, and limitations of testosterone therapy in women.
👉 Link to papers: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Dd6Y8lwD4RayIRIxZ-m7_e6pVPDNXG-v/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eqF1_Wt9jzG4OsacOjFX2-nwR0aw7caA/view?usp=sharing
Recommended viewing: For a practical, real-life demonstration of topical testosterone use, watch my related video: Should Women Use Male Testosterone Products?
| Real-Life Demo https://youtu.be/nQlrkWpZOAE
This is an evidence-based discussion intended for patients and clinicians seeking a clearer, more rigorous understanding of testosterone therapy in women — grounded in physiology, data, and careful dosing rather than assumptions or fear.
💻 Interested in booking an appointment? Click here: https://completemidlifewellnesscenter.com
📚 Get my best-selling book, Sexually Woke: Awaken the Secrets to Your Best Sex Life in Midlife & Beyond: https://amzn.to/3rm47IU

As we begin a new year, it’s worth pausing to look at what actually resonated with women in midlife over the past year. The most-watched videos of 2025 make one thing clear: midlife wellness is not about a single conversation or one solution. It’s not only about menopausal hormone therapy — it’s about the full, interconnected picture of health, vitality, and longevity. From hormones and metabolism to strength, sexuality, skincare, and what’s ahead in midlife medicine, these six videos reflect the wide spectrum of topics women are actively seeking clarity on right now.
Below are the 6 most-watched midlife wellness videos of 2025, listed from #6 to #1 (most popular).
#6 — Revive Your Sex Life After 50 https://youtu.be/N9weMEASio4
#5 — The 30 Minute Workout That Will Change Your Life – Part Two https://youtu.be/ma-osU7Bg9E #4 — Become Your Best Elder Self — One Choice at a Time https://youtu.be/fhgEepyXGfs
#3 — Microdosing GLP-1: A New Approach to Inflammation-Driven Diseases https://youtu.be/KXhfOaA6XPA
#2 — Understanding Testosterone Options for Women https://youtu.be/DP4vYBJImAs
#1 — Is Estrogen Face Cream the Secret to Youthful Skin? https://youtu.be/XHudYAW2StE
✨ Watch Them All Together We’ve also created a dedicated playlist so you can watch all six videos in one place, in one thoughtful sequence:
▶️ What Mattered Most in 2025:
6 Midlife Wellness Videos to Watch https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6DFkC--wvySbkS0mMJBxa2Fqb7x0375Y
If you’re starting this year wanting clearer information, broader perspective, and more honest conversations about midlife health — this collection is a meaningful place to begin.
More depth, more education, and more clarity are coming in 2026 🤍

Perimenopause is often the most confusing — and least explained — phase of midlife.
In this video, I walk you through everything you need to understand about perimenopause: what’s happening with your hormones, why symptoms can feel unpredictable, and how these changes affect your body, brain, and day-to-day life. I cover:
✨ What perimenopause actually is and when it typically begins
✨ How fluctuating estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone affect mood, sleep, energy, focus, weight, libido, and motivation
✨ Why symptoms can come and go — and why labs don’t always tell the full story
✨ The most common signs women experience (even the ones no one warned you about)
✨ Thoughtful, evidence-based solutions to help restore balance and improve quality of life If you’ve been feeling “off,” overwhelmed, or unsure whether what you’re experiencing is normal — this video is meant to be a clear, grounding starting point. My goal is to help you understand your body, trust what you’re feeling, and know that real support does exist during these years.

✨ Perimenopause isn’t something you just have to push through. With the right knowledge and individualized care, you can feel steady, supported, and empowered again.
💻 Interested in booking an appointment?
Click here: https://completemidlifewellnesscenter.com

In this video, I’m sharing an early look at the ideas from my new book coming out in 2026—work that is very close to my heart. I’ve spent the last several years asking one big question:
How do we give ourselves the best possible chance of becoming the healthy, joyful, connected 90-year-old we hope to be?
Why is it that some people are able to stay committed to a plan… while others struggle, even when they truly want to feel better?
If you’re someone who has a hard time staying consistent, please know this book—and this conversation—is especially for you.

I break our well-being into eight important buckets: Hormone Optimization, Nutrition, Movement, Body Composition, Sleep, Emotional Wellness, Relational Wellness & Intimacy, and Fun & Joy. These are the areas that shape how we age, how we feel day to day, and how we show up in our relationships.

In today’s video, I walk you through each of these buckets and share why tuning into what you already know is good for you can become the motivation that carries you forward. With small, intentional choices, we can begin shaping the elder version of ourselves—one step, one day, one decision at a time.
I’ve also included a PDF of the “Best Elder Day” wheel if you’d like to reflect on where you are now and where you’d love to go.

LINK - https://bit.ly/3MpwfJX My hope is simple: that this gives you clarity, encouragement, and a gentle path toward becoming the elder you dream of being.