BETTER! Muscle, Metabolism, Meals, & Mindset in (Peri) Menopause with Dr. Stephanie Estima

What if your sexual health was as important as your heart rate? What if understanding your sexuality was the final frontier of truly knowing yourself?

In this groundbreaking conversation, Dr. Juliana Hauser—sex therapist, author of A New Position on Sex, and expert in sexual agency—challenges everything we've been taught about sexuality, pleasure, and desire.

Dr. Hauser explains why sexual wellness isn't something you add to your to-do list (if you're breathing, you're already a sexual being), and why the real work is about developing sexual agency: the skill of knowing your yeses and nos, listening to your body, and showing up authentically in all your relationships.

Episode Overview (timestamps are approximate):

(0:00) Intro/Teaser

(4:00) Why Sexual Wellness Is a Vital Sign for Women’s Health

(8:00) If You’re Breathing, You’re Sexual: Reframing Sexuality

(9:00) Sexuality as the Final Frontier of Self-Development

(21:00) Sensuality & Self-Discovery: Learning Your Yucks and Yums

(25:00) Why Knowing Your Anatomy Is Essential for Sexual Health

(32:00) Genital Show and Tell: Celebrating Anatomical Diversity

(35:00) Labiaplasty & Cosmetic Surgery

(44:00) The Arousal Cycle & Why the Standard Model Is Flawed

(50:00) Menopause & Sexuality: What Changes

(57:00) Aging Vulvas & Why We Need Better Education

(59:00) UTIs, Sepsis & Sexual Health: The Hidden Mortality Risk

(1:07:00) After Party: Dr. Stephanie’s Reflections on Sexual Wellness

Resources mentioned in this episode can be found at https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep465

We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

OXFORD HEALTHSPAN PRIMEADINE - A whole-food spermidine supplement that supports cell renewal and healthy aging. Save 20% at https://OxfordHealthspan.com/DrStephanie with code DrStephanie.

COZY EARTH  - Cozy Earth helps you feel better by keeping your temperature perfect overnight to facilitate deep restorative sleep. Head to https://cozyearth.com and use my code BETTER for up to 20% off.

TIMELINE   - Timeline’s clinically proven formula is now available at a new, lower price . Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to https://timelinenutrition.com/better with code BETTER.

APOLLO  - The Apollo wearable supports energy, focus, relaxation, and sleep by syncing with your rhythms. Go to https://ApolloNeuro.com/BETTER to get $99 off Apollo with Smart Vibes AI.

PIQUE LIFE - If you want to redefine your evening ritual and still feel like yourself the next day, you can get 10% off for life. Yes, for life at https://piquelife.com/better

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P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:
Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Leslie Kenny was told in her 30s that she had five years to live. Diagnosed simultaneously with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis — and told to give up her dream of having children — she did what true Betties do: she refused the prognosis, threw everything she had at it, and got to work. Now 60 years old, Leslie reports a biological age of 21. She is autoimmune disease-free. And she naturally conceived a child at 43.

Her recovery journey led her to collaborate with University of Oxford scientists and to discover spermidine — a naturally occurring, food-derived longevity compound that was hiding in plain sight. It’s been in our food for millennia, it’s in breast milk, and it’s in every plant on earth. And it addresses 9 of the 12 hallmarks of ageing identified by science as the root causes of why we get older.

For 20% off Primeadine, go to: https://www.oxfordhealthspan.com/DRSTEPHANIE 

Episode Overview (timestamps are approximate):

(0:00) Intro/Teaser

(4:00) What Is Spermidine and Why Do We Lose It?

(8:00) Autophagy, Hair, Nails & the Biological Dashboard

(17:00) The 12 Hallmarks of Ageing, Explained for Real Life

(23:00) mTOR, Muscle Loss, and Why Spermidine Is Different

(27:00) Food Sources, Dosage & Lifestyle Levers

(38:00) Leslie's Story: The Diagnosis, the Prognosis, the Refusal

(55:00) IVIG, Trauma Therapy & the Surprise Pregnancy at 43

(1:18:00) Femspan, Future Research & Where to Find Leslie

(1:22:00) The After-Party Thoughts with Dr. Stephani

Resources mentioned in the Episode can be found at: https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep464 

We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

JUST THRIVE HEALTH - Take the Just Thrive FEEL BETTER challenge today, and save 20% on your first order. Go to https://justthrivehealth.com/better and use the code BETTER to see the difference for yourself.

BON CHARGE - Achieve glowing skin, gain more energy, and uplevel your recovery practice with a suite of red light products. Get 15% off at https://boncharge.com/better with code BETTER.

HIGHER DOSE - If you’re noticing thinning, shedding, or simply want to support scalp and hair health proactively, this is a powerful addition to your routine. Get 15% off the Red Light Hat at https://higherdose.com with code BETTER at checkout.

KENETIK - You think carefully about how you fuel your body but are you fueling your brain? Learn more about Kenetik and try it for yourself by going to https://drinkkenetik.com/BETTER and use code BETTER for 15% off

QUALIA LIFE - Boost energy, DNA health, and cellular protection. Save 15% at https://qualialife.com/better with code BETTER.

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P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:
Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You've been lied to. Not by your body — by the system that profits from you believing it's broken. Dr. Stephanie names the real villain behind decades of failed diets, shrinking goals, and body distrust: the wellness industrial complex that told you skinny equals healthy. You're not broken - you were just given the wrong map. Here is the right one!

Episode Overview (timestamps are approximate):

(0:00) Intro/Teaser

(2:00) The Villain: Diet Culture & the Wellness Industrial Complex

(7:00) What Chronic Under-Eating Does to Your Body

(9:00) Debunking the Bulky & Toned Myths

(15:00) The Psychology of Shrinking

(17:00) Your Body Didn’t Betray You. It Protected You

(21:00) How to Rebuild: Strength, Recovery & Mobility

(26:00) Fuel the Build: Eating for the Body You Want

(34:00) You’re Building a 40-Year Asset

Resources mentioned in this episode can be found at https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep463

We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

TIMELINE  - As perimenopausal women, we know we are in a fight against time to preserve our muscle strength and endurance. Timeline’s clinically proven formula is now available at a new, lower price. Mitopure now starts at $79 when you go to https://timeline.com/BETTER

YOUNG GOOSE  - More resilient. More hydrated. More responsive. This is skin quality skincare. Go to https://younggoose.com/better and use code BETTER for 10% off your first purchase

PIQUE LIFE - If you want to redefine your evening ritual and still feel like yourself the next day, you can get 10% off for life. Yes, for life at https://piquelife.com/better

COZY EARTH  - Cozy Earth helps you feel better by keeping your temperature perfect overnight to facilitate deep restorative sleep. Head to https://cozyearth.com and use my code BETTER for up to 20% off.

TROSCRIPTIONS - There’s a completely new way to optimize your health. Give it a try at https://troscriptions.com/BETTER or enter BETTER at checkout for 10% off your first order.

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P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:
Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you've ever sat in a doctor's office describing brain fog, mood swings, terrible sleep, and a body that no longer responds to anything you try — only to be sent home with a shrug and maybe an antidepressant — this one's for you. Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Board-Certified OBGYN and Certified Menopause Specialist, is back for round two, and she came prepared. 

In this episode, she breaks down the hormonal wildfire she calls 'The Zone of Chaos,' explains why perimenopause looks nothing like what your doctor was trained to treat, and gives you the actual language to walk into your next appointment and finally get some answers. Buckle up.

Episode Overview (timestamps are approximate):

(0:00) Intro/Teaser

(5:00) The Zone of Chaos

(9:00) How Do You Know You're in Perimenopause?

(13:00) "I Don't Feel Like Myself" - The Universal Symptom

(15:00) 10 Doctors, Polypharmacy & a Hysterectomy

(17:00) How to Get Answers

(19:00) Your Brain on Perimenopause

(23:00) The ADHD Connection

(26:00) Bone Density & Muscle Mass

(29:00) Calming the Chaos, Not Replacing What's Lost

(44:00) What Mary Claire Actually Does

(53:00) Fasting, Menowashing & Your Bull$h!t Radar

(56:00) A Letter to My 35-Year-Old Self

(1:00:00) After Party: Dr. Stephanie's Takeaways

Resources mentioned in this episode: https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep462/

We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

ONESKIN  - Harness the power of peptides for fuller hair and glowing skin. Save 15% at https://oneskin.co/better with code BETTER.

APOLLO - The Apollo wearable supports energy, focus, relaxation, and sleep by syncing with your rhythms. Go to https://ApolloNeuro.com/BETTER to get $99 off Apollo with Smart Vibes AI.

LMNT - Stay hydrated without the sugar, food dye, and other dodgy ingredients found in popular electrolyte and sports drinks. Receive a free LMNT Sample Pack with any order when you make a purchase at https://DrinkLMNT.com/Better

BIOPTIMIZERS - Magnesium Breakthrough contains multiple types of magnesium plus cofactors like B6 to enhance absorption. Visit https://bioptimizers.com/better and use code BETTER to save 15%.

****************************
P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:
Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is essential for millions of women who’ve been on antidepressants for years or even decades. Dr. Mark Horowitz https://www.outro.com/about/outro, a British-Australian psychiatry researcher, neuroscientist, and lead author of clinical deprescribing guidelines, offers an honest conversation about the science, marketing myths, and long-term effects of antidepressants, including emotional numbing, weight gain, disrupted sleep, and cognitive changes. Dr. Horowitz explains the difference between addiction and physical dependence, why withdrawal symptoms are often mistaken for relapse, and the evidence-based method of hyperbolic tapering.

Whether you’ve been on an antidepressant for two years or twenty, you’ll leave with smart questions for your prescriber, a clear sense of your own readiness, and reassurance that tapering off slowly and carefully has a success rate of over 90%.

Episode Overview:

(0:00) Intro/Teaser

(6:00) Midlife Misdiagnosis

(11:00) How Life Events Became Medicalized and Why That Matters

(18:00) Long-Term Side Effects

(27:00) The Serotonin Hypothesis

(31:00) Addiction vs. Physical Dependence

(39:00) Withdrawal vs. Relapse: How to Tell the Difference

(49:00) Hyperbolic Tapering Explained

(57:00) How to Know if You're Ready to Come Off Your Antidepressant

(1:10:00) What to Say to Your Doctor

(1:17:00) The After-Party with Dr. Stephanie

Resources mentioned: https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep461

We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

HIGHER DOSE - If you’re noticing thinning, shedding, or simply want to support scalp and hair health proactively, this is a powerful addition to your routine. Get 15% off at https://higherdose.com with code BETTER at checkout.

LMNT - Rehydrate with the perfect mix of sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Get a free sample pack at https://drinklmnt.com/drestima

TIMELINE  - We know we are in a fight against time to preserve our muscle strength and endurance, plus our recovery needs are greater. That's why you save 20% at https://timelinenutrition.com/better with code BETTER.

KENETIK - You think carefully about how you fuel your body but are you fueling your brain? Learn more and try it for yourself by going to https://drinkkenetik.com/BETTER and use code BETTER for 15% off.

****************************
P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:
Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.