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

Today, I am delighted to connect with Dr. Elisa Port, a talented breast surgeon with a passion for helping women better understand breast cancer, breast health, and the science behind screening, diagnosis, and treatment. She’s the chief of breast surgery for Mount Sinai Health System in New York, a professor of surgery at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine, and the author of The Breast Advice.

In our conversation, we explore breast cancer risk factors, various screening mechanisms and their impact on dense breasts, and the role of diagnosis and pathology, including DCIS. We also discuss menopause symptom management, anti-hormone and targeted treatments, immunotherapy, de-escalation, and why a personalized approach to breast cancer treatment is so important.

Stay tuned for a truly informative conversation with Dr. Port. With her infectious optimism, she has a wonderful way of translating the science and the research in her book, making it accessible and putting the statistics into context so the information feels far less scary than it otherwise might.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

How 90% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family cancer history

How body weight and alcohol can influence breast cancer risk

Why Dr. Port recommends annual mammograms beginning at age 40 for most women

Dr. Port may disagree with recommendations against breast self-exams

Why women with dense breasts may benefit from supplemental ultrasound or MRI in addition to mammography

Unvalidated breast screening tests may lead to false positives, unnecessary testing, procedures, anxiety, and expense.

What DCIS is, and how it influences treatment decisions

Why an individualized approach is essential when using SERMs, SERDs, and aromatase inhibitors

How Oncotype testing helps to identify women who may safely avoid chemotherapy

Bio: Dr Elisa Port

Dr. Elisa Port, MD, is chief of breast surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, which encompasses seven different breast centers. Her team performs over a thousand breast surgical procedures each year. She is also the director of the Dubin Breast Center, a state-of-the-art breast center in Manhattan that opened in April 2011.

She personally consults with thousands of patients and performs hundreds of operations each year. Dr. Port is a trusted voice in the media and a sought-after speaker. She has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, CBS, Today, Mornings with Maria, and Pix11.

In addition to her media presence, Dr. Port regularly speaks at public events and is invited to present at conferences and panels across the country. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and two dogs.

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. Elisa Port

On her website

On her personal Instagram

Breast Advice MD on Instagram

The Breast Advice Substack

Welcome to this week’s Midlife Minute.

This episode is dedicated to the overwhelming number of HRT-related questions I’ve received from my community in 2026. Hormone replacement therapy has generated more questions than almost any other midlife topic, especially regarding timing, progesterone, testing, and special situations.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Women can still benefit from HRT later in menopause.

The importance of working with a knowledgeable prescriber when making hormone replacement therapy decisions

How progesterone tolerance can vary from one woman to another

Why your blood work should be timed according to when you apply your estradiol patch, and why I prefer to focus on estradiol rather than routinely monitoring progesterone levels

How the synthetic hormones used in oral contraceptives differ from the bioidentical hormones used in HRT

How your medical history can influence your hormone replacement therapy plan

Fear and outdated information may continue to create confusion about hormone replacement therapy.

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

Today, I’m delighted to reconnect with Dr. Tabatha Barber, also known as The Gutsy Gynecologist. She is a triple board-certified OB-GYN specializing in perimenopause, menopause, and functional medicine.

In today’s discussion, we explore why supporting your hormones involves much more than simply replacing them. Dr. Barber explains how our nervous system, internal dialogue, cellular health, stress response, and lifestyle work together to influence our hormones, energy, and overall health during midlife. We also discuss why addressing root causes is essential for lasting improvements, the role of mitochondrial health, and practical ways to better support your nervous system.

If you're looking for a more comprehensive approach to navigating perimenopause and menopause, you will not want to miss today’s insightful conversation with Dr. Tabatha Barber.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Why regulating your nervous system is essential for lasting hormone and health improvements

Why the conversations you have with yourself matter more than external circumstances

Why Dr. Barber prefers to focus on identifying the root causes of health issues instead of repeatedly treating downstream symptoms

How sympathetic dominance and unresolved stress patterns can influence hormone function

Other factors, apart from HRT, that are essential for improving women’s health during midlife

How oxidative stress, lack of sunlight, and disrupted circadian rhythms can contribute to fatigue and reduced cellular energy

How hormone changes in midlife often coincide with greater self-awareness, stronger boundaries, and less people-pleasing

How faith, prayer, and gratitude can support nervous system regulation

Practical ways to support and regulate your nervous system

Bio: Tabatha Barber

Dr. Tabatha Barber is a triple board-certified physician — and one of the most distinctive voices in faith-based women's health today. Her story begins where most would have stopped. A teenage mother and high school dropout, she rebuilt her life through faith and perseverance — earning her doctorate and certifications before realizing the very system she trained in was missing the whole point. Today, as owner and medical director of Her Higher Health, creator of the Fast to Faith Coaching Academy, 40 Day program, supplement line, and international bestselling book Fast to Faith, Dr. Tabatha brings one message to every stage and microphone: your body is not broken — your approach is. She is known for doing what no one else does: mapping Scripture directly with how the body works — showing women that Romans 12:2 is the original neuroplasticity protocol, that Genesis 2:7 describes the gut-brain connection, and that God designed healing to happen in community.

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. Tabatha Barber

Fast To Faith

On Instagram

Today, I am delighted to reconnect with Dr. Darren Candow.

Dr. Candow is a distinguished professor and an internationally renowned researcher on creatine monohydrate, nutrition, and physical activity who joined me before on Episode 301, where we spoke about creatine.

We are doing an AMA session today, delving into various themes surrounding creatine, from debunking outdated RDA recommendations to exploring the combined effects of strength training and creatine efficacy. We look into the cognitive benefits of creatine, exploring how it interacts with caffeine and its implications for bone health, hydration, anabolic resistance, and metabolic health.

I trust you will find today's AMA session as enlightening and enriching as I did while recording it.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

The safety and efficacy of creatine as a supplement

How creatine increases muscle mass and reduces protein catabolism

Benefits of combining creatine with protein

Is it better to take creatine before or after a workout?

How creatine supplementation may improve brain performance and mental clarity

Why exercise is essential for those who want to experience the benefits of creatine for maintaining their bone health

Resistance-band workouts for post-menopausal women

Are there any age-related limits for creatine supplementation?

Bio: Dr. Darren Candow

Dr. Darren Candow, PhD, CSEP-CEP, is Professor and Director of the Aging Muscle and Bone Health Laboratory in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies at the University of Regina, Canada. The overall objectives of Dr. Candow’s research program are to develop effective lifestyle interventions involving nutrition (primarily creatine monohydrate) and physical activity (resistance training) that are clinically and practically relevant for improving musculoskeletal aging and reducing the risk of falls and fractures. Dr. Candow has published over 120 peer-reviewed journal manuscripts, supervised over 20 MSc and PhD students, and received research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, the National Institute of Health, and the Nutricia Research Foundation. In addition, Dr. Candow serves on the editorial review boards for the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, Nutrients, and Frontiers.

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. Darren Candow

On⁠ Instagram⁠

X

Previous Episode Mentioned:

⁠Ep. 301 Creatine: The Best Supplement for Better Bones & Brain Health with Darren Candow, PhD, CSEP-CEP⁠

Today, I’m honored to reconnect with Dr. Tommy Wood. He is a neuroscientist, a performance coach, and an elite-level professional nerd. He's also currently an associate professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Washington. He received his bachelor's in biochemistry from the University of Cambridge, a medical degree from the University of Oxford, and a PhD in physiology and neuroscience from the University of Oslo.

In our conversation, we discuss his new book, The Stimulated Mind, and he explains how dementia is a confluence of factors that accumulate over decades, important contributors to dementia, and ways we can help prevent it. We explore the concept of headroom, specific risk factors for neurocognitive decline, brain fog in midlife, the 10-year HRT timing window, and the evidence supporting these concepts. Dr. Tommy shares what we can learn from his work with elite-level athletes, along with some of the biggest misconceptions in the brain health space, and his 3s model of stimulation, sleep, and nutrient supply. He also explains why nutritional status matters for neurocognitive function.

Stay tuned for today’s insightful conversation with Dr. Tommy Wood. I loved his new book, The Stimulated Mind, and it will definitely be part of my must-reads for 2026!

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Why dementia is not one single disease but a clinical outcome with multiple causes

How sleep, oral health, nutritional status, and chronic inflammation may all influence dementia risk

What headroom is, and the factors that help maintain it and protect cognitive function

How the disease processes leading to dementia often begin decades before symptoms appear

What the research suggests about the best time to start hormone therapy for brain health

How Formula One drivers and elite athletes tend to prioritize sleep, nutrition, recovery, and focused work over chasing perfection

How frequent notifications and interruptions train the brain to expect distraction, making sustained concentration more difficult

How both overeating and chronic under-fueling can impair brain health

How lifestyle changes can reduce dementia risk, even in people with APOE4

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. Tommy Wood

On his website

On Instagram

The Stimulated Mind

Substack