Tag Archives | perimenopause

771: Beyond Hot Flashes: The 103 Symptoms of Perimenopause No One Talks About with Andrea Donsky

September 8, 2026 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

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Episode Summary

What if the symptoms disrupting your life are connected to perimenopause, even if you’ve never had a hot flash?

Andrea Donsky spent 14 years in perimenopause and 11 of them with no idea what was happening to her body. Now, as a seven-time published menopause researcher, nutritionist, and bestselling author of Nourishing Menopause, she’s helping women put language to experiences that have been overlooked for far too long.

In this episode, Andrea joins Dr. Mariza to unpack her research into 103+ reported symptoms of perimenopause and menopause and why hot flashes aren’t even among the most common. Fatigue ranks #1, while nine of the top 10 symptoms are cognitive or mental-health related.

They also discuss why women are still being dismissed by healthcare providers, the foundational role of nutrition, blood sugar, sleep, movement, and stress management, and why perimenopause deserves to be viewed as an opportunity to protect your long-term health.

Most importantly, you’ll learn why this transition rarely looks the same from one woman to the next and why having the right vocabulary can completely change how you advocate for yourself.

Listen now to better understand what your changing body may be trying to tell you and the tools that can help you feel like yourself again.

ANDREA DONSKY

Andrea Donsky is a nutritionist, menopause researcher, bestselling author, and co-founder of We Are Morphus. She has worked in health and wellness for 26 years and has spent nearly a decade focused specifically on perimenopause and menopause.

Her research explores women’s real-world experiences during the menopause transition, including more than 100 reported symptoms and women’s experiences seeking care. She is the author of Nourishing Menopause, a research-backed guide combining nutrition, lifestyle, holistic health, and conventional approaches to help women feel their best through this transition.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why Andrea spent 11 years in perimenopause without realizing it
The 103+ symptoms women have reported during perimenopause and menopause
Why fatigue is the #1 reported symptom, not hot flashes
The surprising dominance of brain, cognitive, and mental-health symptoms
Why 40% of women in Andrea’s research reported feeling dismissed by healthcare providers
How nutrition, blood sugar, sleep, movement, and stress support women through this transition
Why HRT can be one valuable tool alongside foundational lifestyle strategies
How perimenopause can become a window of opportunity for protecting long-term health

QUOTES

“I was in perimenopause for 14 years total, 11 of which I had no idea.”

“We know that there’s 103 different symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.”

“The number one symptom across the board is fatigue.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Use code DRMARIZA and get 10% off on your Womeness Order

Nourishing Menopause by Andrea Donsky

Andrea Donsky Website

Andrea Donsky Instagram

Andrea Donsky Youtube

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769: Is It Perimenopause or Something Else? How to Finally Connect the Dots with Dr. Mariza

September 1, 2026 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

Listen to the Episode Here

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

Episode Summary

Is this perimenopause… or is something else going on?

It’s one of the most common questions Dr. Mariza hears from women in their late 30s and early 40s, especially when their periods are still regular and they’ve never experienced a hot flash.

In this solo episode, Dr. Mariza breaks down why early perimenopause can be so difficult to recognize and the less obvious signs that often appear first, including exhaustion, anxiety, irritability, brain fog, sleep changes, worsening PMS, migraines, and changes in stress tolerance.

She shares three important clues for identifying a possible perimenopause pattern: looking for clusters of symptoms, noticing changes from your normal baseline, and tracking how symptoms change throughout your cycle.

But hormones aren’t always the entire story. Dr. Mariza also explains why thyroid dysfunction, low iron, metabolic issues, nutrient deficiencies, sleep problems, and other conditions deserve investigation, even when perimenopause is part of the picture.

Plus, you’ll learn how to track your symptoms and walk into your next healthcare appointment prepared to ask better questions.

🎧 Listen now to connect the dots, understand what your body is telling you, and get clearer on your next steps.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why so many women over 35 aren’t sure whether they’re in perimenopause
The early perimenopause symptoms women often mistake for stress or burnout
Why you can be in perimenopause while still having regular periods
The three clues Dr. Mariza uses to recognize a perimenopause pattern
Why tracking changes from your personal baseline matters
How your menstrual cycle can reveal patterns in mood, sleep, migraines, and energy
What else to investigate, including thyroid, iron, metabolic health, and sleep
How to advocate for yourself when your labs look “normal” but you don’t feel like yourself

QUOTES

“Stop looking at the one symptom that proves you’re in perimenopause. Start looking at the collection of clues and patterns that your body is exposing.”

“Perimenopause doesn’t usually show up with a giant flashing sign.”

“Hormones may be a huge part of the picture without being the entire picture.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution

Comprehensive Perimenopause Lab Guide

Stop surviving and start thriving, join Midlife on Fire Collective now

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

768: Why Your Period Gets So Weird in Perimenopause + What Actually Helps with Kaya and Yasmin Purohit

August 27, 2026 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

Listen to the Episode Here

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

Episode Summary

Has your period suddenly started behaving completely differently?

Maybe your cycles are shorter or longer. PMS hits harder. Your breasts are sore, cravings are stronger, your mood changes dramatically, or your libido seems to have disappeared.

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down with Beeya co-founders Kaya and Yasmin Purohit to explore what your changing cycle may be telling you, especially as you move into your late 30s and 40s.

Yasmin shares her experience coming off birth control after 15 years and struggling for two years with anxiety, painful cramps, breast tenderness, and acne. Together, they explore why these symptoms deserve attention and how foundational habits like sleep, movement, whole foods, and blood sugar stability can support hormone health.

They also unpack seed cycling, including exactly how it works, the nutrients different seeds provide throughout the menstrual cycle, what the research currently supports, and why women in perimenopause have become an especially important part of Beeya’s community.

Most importantly, this conversation is a reminder that your changing cycle is information.

Listen now to learn how to recognize the clues your body is giving you and support your hormones without making wellness another overwhelming job.

KAYA & YASMIN PUROHIT

Kaya and Yasmin Purohit are the co-founders of Beeya, a women’s wellness brand focused on helping women support their bodies through PMS, perimenopause, irregular cycles, fertility, and beyond.

After Yasmin struggled with severe symptoms following 15 years on birth control, she and Kaya discovered seed cycling and set out to make the practice simpler and more accessible for modern women.

Their work combines nutrition, education, and practical daily rituals designed to help women better understand and support their cycles.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why changing periods can be an early clue that you’re entering perimenopause
Yasmin’s experience after coming off birth control following 15 years on the pill
How sleep, movement, and whole-food nutrition can affect your cycle
The surprising connection between blood sugar, progesterone, PMS, anxiety, and rage
What seed cycling is and how to use different seeds throughout your cycle
Why women in perimenopause may benefit from additional nutritional support
How postpartum and perimenopause can overlap for women having children later
Why community, joy, and flexibility belong in the conversation about women’s health

QUOTES

“Your cycle is information. It’s always giving you information.”

“Not every day is going to be a winner.”

“Annoyance is the price you pay for community.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Stop surviving and start thriving, join Midlife on Fire Collective now

Beeya Wellness Website

Beeya Wellness Instagram

Beeya Wellness Youtube

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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!

762: Why Women Need to Stop Being “Good Patients” and Start Advocating for Better Healthcare with Dr. Mariza

July 21, 2026 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

Listen to the Episode Here

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

Episode Summary

How many times have you been told, “Your labs are normal,” even though you know something doesn’t feel right?

In this empowering solo episode, Dr. Mariza challenges one of the biggest beliefs women have been conditioned to accept: that being a “good patient” means staying quiet, pushing through symptoms, and trusting a healthcare system that has historically overlooked women’s biology.

She explores how decades of research gaps, delayed recognition of perimenopause, and outdated medical training have left millions of women feeling dismissed, unheard, and convinced that exhaustion, brain fog, anxiety, poor sleep, weight gain, and hormone changes are simply part of getting older.

Dr. Mariza explains why perimenopause is far more than a reproductive transition. It’s a neurological, metabolic, cardiovascular, and whole-body transition that deserves proactive care—not years of unnecessary suffering.

Most importantly, she shares practical strategies for becoming an active partner in your healthcare, including how to prepare for appointments, ask better questions, understand your symptoms, and advocate for the care you deserve.

If you’ve ever left a doctor’s appointment feeling unheard or wondering if it’s “all in your head,” this episode will remind you that your symptoms matter, your intuition matters, and you deserve answers.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why women have been conditioned to become “good patients”
The hidden impact of research gaps in women’s healthcare
Why “your labs are normal” isn’t always the full story
How perimenopause affects the brain, metabolism, heart, and hormones
The questions every woman should ask at her medical appointments
How to prepare for appointments so you become an active partner in your care
The difference between normal lab ranges and optimal health
Why you deserve evidence-based care that prioritizes your long-term health

QUOTES

“You are the CEO of your health.”

“Symptoms are not inconveniences to silence. They are signals to understand.”

“Normal isn’t always the same as optimal.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Stop surviving and start thriving, join Midlife on Fire Collective now

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution

Thriving in Perimenopause Survival Guide

Joy & Blokes Lab Testing

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757: The Hidden Emotional Shift of Perimenopause (No One Prepared Us For) with Dr. Melinda Ring

June 23, 2026 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

Listen to the Episode Here

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

Episode Summary

Why do so many women enter perimenopause feeling like the rug has been pulled out from under them?

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Mariza sits down with integrative medicine physician and menopause expert Dr. Melinda Ring to explore why perimenopause often feels so destabilizing and why so many women feel blindsided by symptoms they were never warned about.

Together, they unpack the profound neuroendocrine changes happening during the perimenopause transition and why symptoms like sleep disruption, anxiety, brain fog, overwhelm, stress sensitivity, and feeling “not like yourself” often become some of the earliest signs that something is shifting.

Dr. Ring explains the critical connection between hormones, the stress response system, sleep quality, nervous system regulation, and long-term health outcomes. They also discuss why traditional medical approaches have historically fallen short for women, the growing role of hormone replacement therapy, and why individualized care matters more than ever.

The conversation dives deep into HPA axis dysfunction, trauma, chronic stress, self-compassion, resilience, and the importance of helping women feel safe in their bodies during a time of tremendous change.

If you’ve ever wondered whether what you’re experiencing is normal—or if you’ve found yourself saying, “I don’t feel like myself anymore”—this episode offers both validation and practical guidance.

Dr. Melinda Ring

Dr. Melinda Ring is a board-certified physician, integrative medicine expert, educator, and internationally recognized leader in women’s health and menopause care. She serves as Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health and is passionate about helping women navigate perimenopause and menopause through evidence-based, whole-person care that addresses hormones, lifestyle, stress, sleep, and long-term health optimization.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why perimenopause often feels so overwhelming and unexpected
The connection between sleep disruption, hormones, and brain health
Why many women feel like they “don’t feel like themselves” anymore
The role of HPA axis dysfunction and chronic stress during midlife
How trauma and long-term stress influence the menopause transition
The evolving conversation around hormone replacement therapy
Why individualized hormone care matters more than one-size-fits-all protocols
How women can build resilience, safety, and self-compassion during perimenopause