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

Today, I’m delighted to connect with Sara Hirsh Bordo, an autoimmune-diagnosed, 15-times award-winning documentary filmmaker, the founder and CEO of Women Rising, and the author of Autoimmunity and the Good Girls.

I loved Sara's book, and I love her work! I believe her message will resonate deeply with listeners with concurrent autoimmune conditions, and those who have grown up as people pleasers or have subjugated themselves over the course of their lives. Autoimmune conditions often tend to flare or first present during major hormonal transitions like postpartum, perimenopause, or menopause. So it’s important to understand the influence of chronic stress and how it intersects with our immune system function.

In our conversation, Sara and I discuss how self-silencing makes us sick, and overgiving keeps us that way. We explore the influence of family and culture on our health and longevity, the effects of autoimmunity, people pleasing, good-girl conditioning, and authenticity versus dissociation. We also discuss Gabor Maté’s book, The Myth of Normal, liberation, the fear of disappointment, Sara’s research, her concept of the license to be sovereign, the act of receiving, the role of epigenetics and birth order, and Sara's framework of coherence, authenticity, epigenetics, and permission.

Stay tuned for a wonderful conversation about autoimmunity, people-pleasing, authenticity, and permitting ourselves to be sovereign. Sarah's book, Autoimmunity and the Good Girls, will likely resonate deeply with many of you.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

How self-silencing, self-neglect, and self-betrayal can impact a woman’s health

The connection between chronic stress, suppressed feelings, good girl conditioning, and autoimmunity

What it feels like to reclaim your authenticity and be more aligned with yourself

How the fear of disappointing others can make it difficult for some women to claim their power

What Sara discovered about adverse girlhood experiences, birth order, and the caretaker role when compiling the research for her book

How becoming more sovereign can help women advocate for their own needs

Why receiving can be difficult for women who are accustomed to giving

How stillness and silence helped Sara identify her needs and wants

How girlhood experiences, self-silencing, and self-compromise can become epigenetic inputs, and what women can do to create more supportive environments

Why permission is a key part of Sara’s framework for reclaiming authenticity

Bio: Sara Hirsh Bordo

Sara Hirsh Bordo (pronounced Bordeaux) is a 15-time award-winning filmmaker and Founder/CEO of Women Rising®, named "One of the Most Innovative, Interesting, and Purpose-Driven Women-Led Startups to Watch” by Inc. Magazine.

Sara is currently directing short documentary films for Toyota and ESPN Women, and most recently, the executive producer of ConnectHer International Film Festival, consulting director for the Gates Foundation PitchFest Program, and the author and researcher behind the first proprietary quantitative survey at the intersection of female empowerment and health, Autoimmunity and the Good GirlsTM.

Sara previously held positions in media and entertainment, including Executive Director of Interactive Marketing at Paramount Pictures, VP of Digital Marketing at MGM Studios, and CEO and Co-Founder of NowLive. Autoimmunity and the Good Girls is her first book.

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 Sara Hirsh Bordo

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Autoimmunity & The Good Girls Book

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