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

Today, we have a metabolic health masterclass, featuring Dr. Robert Lustig, Ben Azadi, Dr. Ben Bikman, Mark Sisson, and Dr. Nick Norwitz.

In today’s masterclass, we explore why metabolic dysfunction is not simply a calories-in, calories-out issue or a failure of willpower, how insulin and leptin influence appetite and behavior, how early signs of insulin resistance can appear years before a diabetes diagnosis, and the important relationship between muscle, glucose regulation, and insulin sensitivity. We also discuss how movement supports fat burning without sacrificing muscle, why chronic cardio may not produce the results many people expect, and how emerging technology could provide a far more personalized approach to metabolic care.

Stay tuned for today’s informative discussion, where our panel of experts shares their valuable perspectives on metabolic health.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Leptin resistance and how it can drive the overeating and inactivity commonly associated with obesity

How elevated insulin blocks the effects of leptin

Why it’s essential to pay attention to fasting insulin rather than waiting for blood glucose to rise

Ben Azadi highlights metabolic health markers that can provide information beyond fasting glucose.

How our muscles help to regulate glucose and support insulin sensitivity

The importance of building and preserving muscle to support insulin sensitivity as we age, and how even a brief period of inactivity can reduce insulin sensitivity

Mark Sisson explains why running may not be the most effective fat loss strategy

How walking can increase your fat-burning capacity while also helping to preserve your muscles

Dr. Nick Norwitz explains how type 2 diabetes can involve different underlying pathologies, and how CGM data and machine learning can eventually help to identify specific subphenotypes

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. Robert Lustig

Website

On Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Connect with Ben Azadi

Website

On Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok

Get a copy of Ben Azadi’s latest book, Metabolic Freedom.

Connect with Dr. Ben Bikman

Website

On social media: @benbikmanphd

Connect with Mark Sisson

Mark’s book, Born To Walk

Peluva Shoes

Connect with Nick Norwitz

On YouTube, X, and Instagram

His Substack

Previous Episodes:

Ep. 161 Robert Lustig & Cynthia Thurlow Discussing The Nutritional Battlefield & Debunking Chronic Diseases

Ep. 465 Metabolic Health 101: Fat Loss, Toxins, and Seed Oils with Dr. Ben Azadi

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

Ep. 422 Walking for Health: The Underrated Exercise You Need with Mark Sisson

Ep. 525 We’ve Been Misled About Metabolic Health – The Shocking Truth About Cholesterol, GLP-1 & Aging with Dr. Nick Norwitz

I am delighted to have Jessie Inchauspe, the Glucose Goddess, joining me on the podcast today!

Metabolic health is my passion! It is a huge focus of my work, and Jessie is truly a gift in this space! She is a rising-star author and biochemist with a clear, accessible way of explaining the science behind glucose metabolism.

Jessie joins me today to discuss the impact of glucose metabolism and spikes. We dive into her background and how an accident created her pain-to-purpose story. We discuss the role of continuous glucose monitors and how glucose spikes impact our mitochondria, inflammation, and oxidative stress. We get into glycation and aging, how weight gain is a protective aspect of glucose spikes- or hyperglycemia, and the role of vinegar, movement, and fiber. We also talk about Jessie’s new book, her opinions on fasting, and so much more.

I loved interviewing Jessie! Her enthusiasm is contagious, and it is easy to understand why she is such a beloved author in the health and wellness space!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

Jessie shares how an accident led her to where she is today.

How a continuous glucose monitor changed everything for Jessie.

How Jessie developed her simple principles to steady glucose levels.

What is the purpose of glucose in the body?

How do glucose spikes impact our mitochondria?

Jessie shares a fascinating vinegar hack to reduce the side effects and symptoms of glucose spikes.

How being metabolically unhealthy impacts the aging process.

The benefits of having savory breakfasts and eating vegetables first with every meal.

Jessie talks about her new book, The Glucose Goddess Method.

How gaining weight protects our bodies from the impact of glucose spikes.

How walking or moving after meals balances blood sugar levels.

Why is blood sugar so important?

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 Jessie Inchauspe

On her ⁠website⁠

⁠Instagram⁠

I’m delighted to connect with Dr. Rachel Goldman today. She is a licensed clinical psychologist based in New York City and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She specializes in the mind-body connection using cognitive behavioral therapy, with a focus on stress management, burnout, distorted eating, bariatric surgery support, and health behavior changes. I was honored to meet Dr. Rachel in Miami at an event where we both spoke earlier this year.

In our conversation, we discuss how to approach body image in midlife, how our families influence our relationships with food, what toxic positivity is, and how it invalidates our emotions. We also explore the vulnerability of midlife and parenting, the effects of GLP-1 drugs, obesity as a disease, and the impact of mindset. Dr. Rachel also defines burnout and shares the best ways to address it.

Stay tuned for today’s invaluable conversation on body image, mindset, emotions, and navigating the challenges of midlife.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Dr. Rachel shares her approach to helping midlife women struggling with body image and identity

How our thought processes around food can influence our emotions and behaviors

Various factors that can influence our relationship with food

How women with many rules around food can start changing their thinking

How to navigate grief about your younger body and learn to appreciate the body you have now

What toxic positivity is and how it invalidates our emotions

How personal and professional role changes in midlife can affect a woman’s sense of identity

Why Dr. Rachel recommends having more than one coping tool in your toolbox

The effects Dr. Rachel has been seeing in patients using GLP-1 medications

What burnout is, and how to address it

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. Rachel Goldman

On social media: @DrRachelNYC

Purchase links for Dr. Rachel’s book are available HERE.

Welcome to the latest summer version of the Midlife Minute.

In this episode, we’re focusing on the gut. Even though I’ve written a book about the gut microbiome changes that occur in perimenopause and menopause, I’m often asked whether the gut is truly central to midlife. So today, I provide direct answers to the many questions I received on this topic.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

How the gut microbiome and estrogen work together, and the importance of supporting both

How the estrobolome helps recycle estrogen, and why its function could decline during menopause

How poor sleep, blood sugar instability, histamine issues, and dysbiosis tend to be interconnected

The value of practitioner-guided microbiome testing when investigating histamine intolerance, dysbiosis, and weight loss resistance

Various factors that could contribute to weight loss resistance

How my approach to stool testing has evolved as newer microbiome testing technology has become available

Essential lifestyle habits for supporting gut 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

I am honored to connect with Dr. Eric Osansky today. He is a chiropractic physician, clinical nutritionist, and functional medicine provider. He is also an author who loves to write about hyperthyroidism and a lifestyle-focused approach to it.

In today’s conversation, Dr. Osansky unpacks his own Graves diagnosis in 2008 and highlights the typical symptoms of hyperthyroidism, the unique physiology of thyroid dysfunction, and specific risk factors. We explore traditional treatment pathways, the influence of low-dose naltrexone and other immunomodulatory supplements, and the gut-thyroid axis. We also discuss how most of our immune system is located in the gut, the influence of leaky gut and autoimmune disease, perimenopause as a trigger window for symptoms, and how these often overlap with thyroid health.

Stay tuned for an interesting and insightful conversation on thyroid health, Graves' disease, hyperthyroidism, and more.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

What Graves' disease is, and how it differs from other causes of hyperthyroidism

The first symptom of Graves' disease that Dr. Osansky experienced, and other common symptoms of Graves’ disease

Genetics, environmental triggers, and other factors that could contribute to autoimmune thyroid disease

Conventional treatment options that are available for Graves’ disease, how they work, and why treatment decisions should be individualized

Why Dr. Osansky recommends continuing to support immune and gut health after radioactive iodine or thyroid surgery

How low-dose naltrexone may help some people with Graves’ disease modulate their immune systems

Foods, lifestyle measures, and supplements that can support immune regulation alongside appropriate medical care

The relationship between the gut microbiome, intestinal permeability ("leaky gut"), and autoimmunity

How thyroid symptoms and hormone changes during midlife can overlap, and why laboratory testing is important when symptoms overlap

Bio: Eric Osansky

Dr. Eric Osansky is a chiropractor, clinical nutritionist, and certified functional medicine practitioner who has been helping people with hyperthyroidism and Hashimoto's since 2009. He is the author of the books "Natural Treatment Solutions for Hyperthyroidism and Graves' Disease", "The Hyperthyroid Healing Diet", and "Hashimoto's Triggers", and is the host of the Save My Thyroid podcast. Dr. Osansky was personally diagnosed with Graves’ disease in 2008 and was able to restore his health through a natural approach, and since then has helped others reverse their hyperthyroidism through his SAVED Thyroid framework.

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. Eric Osansky

Website

Save My Thyroid Project

Substack

Newsletter

Dr. Osansky’s books, Natural Treatment Solutions for Hyperthyroidism and Graves' Disease, The Hyperthyroid Healing Diet, and Hashimoto’s Triggers, are available on Amazon.