Tag Archives | gut

EP 751

751: Bloating, Brain Fog & Hormone Chaos? Your Gut May Be the Root Cause with Dr. Cassie Smith

Listen to the Episode Here

Or, listen on your favorite app: iTunes (Apple Podcasts) | Stitcher | Spotify | Pocketcasts

Episode Summary

“What if your bloating, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, stubborn weight gain, and hormone symptoms are actually starting in your gut?”

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down with Dr. Cassie Smith — dual board-certified endocrinologist, founder of Modern Endocrine, and author of Fix Your Gut, Fix Your Hormones — to unpack the powerful connection between gut health, hormone balance, stress, metabolism, inflammation, and reproductive health.

Together, they dive into how chronic stress, poor gut health, blood sugar dysregulation, inflammation, and lifestyle overload silently impact everything from cortisol and insulin to estrogen, progesterone, thyroid function, and fertility.

Dr. Cassie explains why so many women are told their labs are “normal” while still feeling exhausted, bloated, anxious, inflamed, and disconnected from their bodies — and why gut dysfunction is often the missing piece conventional medicine overlooks.

They also explore the growing metabolic and hormonal crisis happening in younger women, the connection between PCOS, insulin resistance, gut dysfunction, and birth control, and why many women are struggling to restore healthy cycles and fertility later in life.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that hormones do not work in isolation. Your gut, nervous system, metabolism, sleep, stress resilience, and hormones are all deeply interconnected.

If you’ve been feeling like your body is trying to tell you something but nobody has connected the dots yet, this episode will help you understand where healing truly begins.

DR. CASSIE SMITH

Dr. Cassie Smith is a dual board-certified endocrinologist and the founder of Modern Endocrine. After becoming frustrated with the limitations of conventional medicine, she built a practice focused on uncovering the root causes behind hormone dysfunction, metabolic issues, fertility struggles, and gut-related symptoms. She is also the author of the book Fix Your Gut, Fix Your Hormones.

IN THIS EPISODE

  1. Why chronic stress has such a powerful impact on gut health and hormones
  2. How gut dysfunction contributes to fatigue, brain fog, bloating, anxiety, and weight resistance
  3. The connection between estrogen decline, microbiome diversity, and inflammation
  4. Why insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction are rising in younger women
  5. The hidden relationship between PCOS, gut health, cortisol, and fertility
  6. Why birth control is often used as a Band-Aid instead of addressing root causes
  7. The foundational lifestyle habits that support gut and hormone healing
  8. Why slowing down, resting, and reducing nervous system overload matters for recovery

QUOTES

“Your hormones are doing the best they can in the environment you give them.”

“It doesn’t matter how many supplements or hormones we throw at you if the foundations aren’t in place.”

“Your gut is where all healing begins.”

“Your body cannot heal in survival mode.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Get your “Fix Your Gut, Fix Your Hormones” Book by Dr. Cassie Smith

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution

Modern Endocrine Website

Modern Endocrine Instagram

Modern Endocrine Facebook

Modern Endocrine Tiktok

Modern Endocrine Youtube

Hormones, Metabolism and You Podcast

The Menopause Gut Book by Cynthia Thurlow

RELATED EPISODES 

741: Estrogen, Gut Health, Mitochondria, and Cardiovascular Health: What Changes In Perimenopause with Dr. Siobhan Mitchel

743: Why Your Heart Risk Changes in Menopause (And What You Can Do About It) with Dr. Jayne Morgan

738: The Hidden Link Between Inflammation, Hormones & Fertility with Dr. Natalie Crawford 

740: Why You’re Bloated, Gaining Weight & Feeling Off in Menopause (It Starts in Your Gut) with Cynthia Thurlow

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EP 740 (2)

740: Why You’re Bloated, Gaining Weight & Feeling Off in Menopause (It Starts in Your Gut) with Cynthia Thurlow

Listen to the Episode Here

Or, listen on your favorite app: iTunes (Apple Podcasts) | Stitcher | Spotify | Pocketcasts

Episode Summary

“Is it really just hormones… or is your gut driving the symptoms?”

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down with Cynthia Thurlow to unpack the powerful connection between gut health and hormones in midlife.

Many women are told their bloating, weight gain, fatigue, and mood shifts are “just hormones.” But Cynthia explains that the gut microbiome plays a central role in how these symptoms show up—and how they can be improved.

Together, they break down how gut health influences hormones, inflammation, metabolism, and brain function, while also highlighting the foundational habits that matter most in this season.

If you’ve been feeling off and unsure where to focus, this episode will give you clarity and a smarter path forward.

Be sure to tune in!

Cynthia Thurlow

Cynthia Thurlow is a nurse practitioner, intermittent fasting expert, and leading voice in metabolic health for women in midlife. With a background in cardiology, she now focuses on helping women navigate perimenopause and menopause through personalized nutrition, gut health, and lifestyle strategies. She is the author of The Menopause Gut and a passionate advocate for empowering women to take control of their health during this pivotal transition.

IN THIS EPISODE

  • Why so many women feel disconnected from their bodies in midlife
  • How the gut microbiome influences hormones, inflammation, and metabolism
  • The “Three Ps” shaping gut health: puberty, pregnancy, and perimenopause
  • The link between leaky gut, food sensitivities, mood, and inflammation
  • Why protein, fiber, sleep, and stress support become nonnegotiable
  • How alcohol and sugar disrupt gut health, sleep, and resilience
  • Why midlife is a critical window to build long-term health—not just manage symptoms

QUOTES

“Midlife isn’t just a hormonal shift—it’s a metabolic and microbial shift happening beneath the surface.”

“When you support your gut, you’re not just improving digestion—you’re impacting your hormones, your brain, and your long-term resilience.”

“This phase of life is an invitation to set boundaries, prioritize your needs, and finally major in what matters most.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Order my new book: The Perimenopause Revolution

Order Cynthia’s book: The Menopause Gut 

Use code ENERGIZED and get 10% off on your Troscription Order

Cynthia Thurlow’s Website

Cynthia Thurlow on Instagram

RELATED EPISODES 

717: “I Don’t Feel Like Myself Anymore”: The Mental & Emotional Reality of Perimenopause

728: Why Brain Fog Isn’t Random: The Hormone Shift Behind It

701: The Gut–Hormone Connection: Why Your Symptoms Aren’t Just Hormones

689: Blood Sugar, Inflammation, and the Midlife Metabolism Shift

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709: GLP-1 Medications, Gut Health, and Food as Medicine: A Smarter, Personalized Approach for Women in Midlife with Ashley Koff

Listen to the Episode Here

Or, listen on your favorite app: iTunes (Apple Podcasts) | Stitcher | Spotify | Pocketcasts

Episode Summary

Ready for a judgment-free conversation about GLP-1 agonists and what they can truly offer midlife women seeking better energy, metabolic health, and longevity?

In this podcast, hormone and nutrition expert Ashley Koff joins me to break down the noise and misinformation around GLP-1s, reframing them as one possible tool—not a magic fix—within a much bigger picture of whole-body health. 

Ashley shares how to advocate for yourself as an empowered patient, ask better questions, and partner more effectively with your healthcare provider with confidence. 

We also dive into why nutrition and lifestyle are essential foundations for optimizing hormones, whether you’re using GLP-1s or not. Most importantly, we emphasize listening to your body and making informed choices that support long-term vitality. 

If you’re curious about GLP-1s and want clear, compassionate guidance for midlife health, this is a must-listen episode!

Ashley Koff, RD

Ashley Koff is the founder of The Better Nutrition Program (BNP), the Nutrition Course Director for UC Irvine’s Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute’s Integrative and Functional Medicine Fellowship, and a faculty member at the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy (IFNA), where she teaches “An Integrative and Functional Nutrition Approach to Obesity and Weight Management.” She’s also the author of the upcoming book, Your Best Shot. As a practitioner for over 25 years, Koff has been recognized as one of CNN’s Top 100 Health Makers, featured in InStyle as “Hollywood’s Leading Dietitian,” and selected as Westin’s Global Nutrition Ambassador.

IN THIS EPISODE

  1. Ashley’s personal experience with GLP-1s and their success  
  2. Addressing the judgment around GLP-1 usage in society 
  3. Overcoming the hurdles regarding accessibility to GLP-1s 
  4. Looking at trends in current women’s health and in children 
  5. How to reset certain hormones naturally for optimal performance 
  6. How to cut through the conflicting nutrition advice in the media 
  7. Why hormones like GLP-1s need to be a part of the midlife conversation 
  8. About Ashley’s new book and The Better Nutrition Program!

QUOTES

“That means your weight-health hormones are going to be impacted. And let’s look at this whole thing systemically– I think there’s a lot of ways we can go in this, but one of the things I’m very concerned about is the way that people are being judged.”

“I think in that way the biggest answer I would have for you is for us to stop blaming the medication for working the way the medication is supposed to work. And this is where I think the physician and dietician collaboration, comes in and says, actually, these are all the things that we need to experiment with or we need to explore, investigate if this is what your outcome is on the medication.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Order my new book: The Perimenopause Revolution

Ashley’s Book: Your Best Shot

GLP-1 Optimization Assessment 

The Better Nutrition Program Website

Ashley on Instagram

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#621: The Truth About Metabolic Health, Hormones and GLP-1s with Tyna Moore

#647: Hormone Optimization Therapy (HOT) Isn’t Your Mom’s HRT + It’s One Of The Best Strategies For Longevity with Dr. Amy Killen

#605: Breaking the HRT Confusion: The Truth Behind Hormone Replacement Therapy for Perimenopausal Women with Karen Martel

656: The Dangers Of NOT Prescribing Bioidentical HRT + Migraines, Testosterone and Mitigating Inflammation with Dr. Louise Newson

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Option 1_ Just Thrive Podcast Sponsor Blog

The Best Probiotic for Women 35+ (And Why Your Gut Health Holds the Key to Hormone Balance)

New Year’s Resolutions are hard to stick to. But women’s health expert Dr. Mariza has 5 game-changing healthy habits that you can make Resolutions to ensure 2024 is your best year yet. In this blog, she shares exactly how to add these 5 habits to your daily life, so you too can have your best year to date.

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Energized-podcast-Katie-Stewart

669: Why Your Skin Is Breaking Out Again: Healing Hormonal Acne in Perimenopause with Katie Stewart

Listen to the Episode Here

Or, listen on your favorite app: iTunes (Apple Podcasts) | Stitcher | Spotify | Pocketcasts

Episode Summary

Wondering why your teenage acne seems to be coming back in full force during midlife? 

This week, Registered Holistic Nutritionist Katie Stewart joins the podcast to dive deep into the hidden causes of adult acne. Her method, The Clear Skin Solution, has helped women all over the world heal their skin from the inside out.

We’re talking about the root causes of frustrating adult-onset acne like gut imbalances, sluggish detox pathways, hormone fluctuations, and emotional stress, especially in perimenopause and menopause. Katie breaks down why your skin is reacting this way and what you can do to actually fix it—naturally and effectively.

It isn’t about covering up your skin and symptoms; it’s about true, lasting healing!

Check out this conversation and get your skin– and whole body– back in balance. 

Katie Stewart

Katie Stewart is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and the founder of Katie Stewart Wellness, where she helps women clear chronic acne by healing from the inside out. Through her signature method, The Clear Skin Solution, and co-hosting the #1 Nutrition Podcast on Apple, The Clear Skin Chronicles, Katie guides women worldwide through personalized whole-body support to help them feel amazing in their skin again. 

IN THIS EPISODE

  1. Katie’s battle with hormonal acne and how she overcame it
  2. Why adult acne shows up (or comes back) in your 40s, 50s or 60s 
  3. The 5 acne clearing pillars to address the root cause of your acne
  4. How gut issues and hormone shifts trigger acne later in life
  5. The inside-out approach for helping women get clear skin after 40 
  6. Managing stress to overcome hormonal imbalances and acne 
  7. Tips for a mindful, hydrating, and SAFE daily skincare routine
  8. Habits and small wins to help clear your skin in the long term

QUOTES

“We have worked with over 3000 women across the world, and we have not seen a single woman out of those thousands have the exact same combination of imbalances in the body.” 

“This is why digestion is super critical because it’s opening up those pathways and allowing us to get rid of things, but also absorb the things that we need.”

“Stress is that silent killer. I know stress is at the core root of acne or most diseases in the body.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Work with Katie in The Clear Skin Solution!

Katie’s Website 

The Clear Skin Chronicles Podcast 

The Clear Skin Chronicles on YouTube

Katie on Instagram

Join My Thriving in Perimenopause and Menopause Summit HERE!  

Get 15% off your Qualia Senolytic purchase with code MARIZA

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#631: Halt and Reverse Skin Aging, Plus the Top Preventable Factors Driving Skin Aging with Dr. Alessandra Zonari

#412: The Impact Hormone, Toxins and Gut Imbalances Have on Inflamed and Aging Skin with Dr. Trevor Cates

#561: The Best Non-Surgical Remedies for Looking Younger Skin with Dr. Anthony Youn

#623: Red Light Therapy for Upgrading Your Mitochondria, Cellular Energy, Skin and Brain Health with Jonathan Otto

Free Download: Easy, Practical Tips to Get More Energy!

Download the free Energy-Boosting Cheat Sheet now to learn how to unlock abundant health and energy that lasts—in only seconds every day!

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