Tag Archives | women’s health

788: Embracing Womanhood, Cultivating Deep Connection and Nourishing Your Body to Metabolically Thrive with Dr. Mindy Pelz

November 5, 2026 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

Listen to the Episode Here

Episode Summary

How often do you think about the connection between what you eat and how you feel—not just in the moment, but the next day, or even years down the line?

As women, especially in midlife, our relationship with food and our bodies is constantly evolving.

But what if you could harness that evolution to feel better than ever?

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Mindy Pelz, best-selling author of Eat Like a Girl, as we uncover the secrets to transforming your relationship with food so that it works for you—not against you.

Dr. Mindy shares her personal journey with fasting, emotional eating, and how she learned to truly nourish her body in midlife for lasting energy, metabolic flexibility, and vibrant health.

Together, we break down the myths about “eating perfectly.”

And why SO many women unknowingly sabotage their metabolism.

You’ll walk away with simple, powerful strategies that you can start using today to finally break free from that cycle—for good.

Tune in if you’re ready to enjoy every bite while unlocking better energy, hormones, and resilience!

IN THIS EPISODE

How fasting and metabolic flexibility can shift your relationship with food and your body
Why blood sugar is more important than counting calories for hormonal and metabolic health
How to support your gut microbiome (or “tummy friends”) and why it’s critical for cravings and energy
What to do when you hit an afternoon slump, and how to avoid relying on snacks or sugar
The role of emotional eating and how to recognize when food is being used as comfort
Using continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to personalize your food choices and regain control of your health
Simple swaps and habits that can transform how you feel day to day

QUOTES

“Your blood sugar is the ultimate biomarker of your cellular energy and metabolism. Regulating it changes everything—from your hormones to your mental clarity.”

“We’ve all done things like grabbing a snack to ‘push through’ the afternoon slump, but there are better ways to reset your energy—movement, hydration, or just a quick 10-minute walk.”

“When we stop treating food as the enemy and start understanding what our body needs, we begin to thrive, even in midlife.”

“Women’s bodies are always evolving. Learning to nourish yourself based on your current needs is how we cultivate true energy and resilience.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Dr. Mindy Pelz’s new book, Eat Like a Girl

Dr. Mindy Pelz’s website

LMNT Zero-Sugar Electrolyte Drink Mix – Dr. Mariza’s favorite way to stay hydrated, energized, and balance

RELATED EPISODES

595: How to Master Your Metabolism and Reverse Cellular Aging in Midlife + My Best Tips to Thrive with Dr. Mariza

#551: How to Know if You Have a Sluggish Metabolism and How It Impacts Your Weight, Hormones, and Cellular Energy

#601: The Food You Eat Will Impact Your Menopause Journey + Foods to Ease Menopause and Promote Longevity with Dr. Federica Amati

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!

779: How Did We Get Hormones So Wrong? The HRT Story Every Woman Should Know with Dr. Louise Newson

October 6, 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 did hormones become something women were taught to fear?

For decades, hormone therapy has been surrounded by confusion, conflicting recommendations, and sweeping assumptions that lump very different hormones and formulations together. Meanwhile, women continue walking into doctors’ offices saying, “I don’t feel like myself anymore,” and too often leave without answers or options.

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down in London with physician, women’s hormone specialist, educator, bestselling author, and advocate Dr. Louise Newson for a powerful conversation about how women’s hormone care got here and what needs to change.

They unpack why menopause has been reduced to hot flashes and night sweats, why estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone need far more nuance, and why Dr. Newson believes hormones deserve a place in the conversation about long-term health, not simply symptom relief.

They also go deep into one of the most controversial areas of women’s hormone care: testosterone, why the conversation so often begins and ends with libido, and what Dr. Newson has observed in women taking it for broader symptoms.

Most importantly, this episode is about informed choice: giving women accurate information, acknowledging where evidence is strong or still evolving, and creating healthcare relationships where women can participate fully in decisions about their own bodies.

DR. LOUISE NEWSON

Dr. Louise Newson is a physician, women’s hormone specialist, educator, bestselling author, and advocate working to transform the way women understand and access hormone care.

Her newest book, The Power of Hormones, explores the history of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, hormone therapy, inflammation, and the medical decisions that have shaped women’s healthcare. Dr. Newson also focuses heavily on helping women understand their options and participate more actively in decisions about their health.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why menopause and hormone loss need to be viewed as more than hot flashes and night sweats
How decades of medical history shaped today’s fear and confusion around hormone therapy
Why lifestyle and hormone therapy should not be treated as an either-or decision
The controversy around testosterone for women and why the conversation extends beyond libido
Why the specific hormone and formulation matter when discussing benefits and risks
How hormone changes may influence metabolic health, inflammation, and healthy aging
The differences Dr. Newson draws between bioidentical hormones and synthetic hormone formulations
Why younger women with hormonal conditions such as PMDD deserve a deeper hormone conversation
How women can use knowledge, evidence, and informed choice to advocate for better healthcare

QUOTES

“You can only decide when you’ve got knowledge.”

“It’s all about choice based on evidence and fact.”

“We really need to grow up and think we need to prevent disease.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution

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

Join my brand-new Substack: for the woman everyone depends on who is wondering why everything feels harder in midlife:

Stop guessing, start testing. Explore Joi & Blokes personalized labs with code DRMARIZA.

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

The Power of Hormones by Dr. Louise Newson

Dr. Louise Newson Website

Dr. Louise Newson Instagram

RELATED EPISODES

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

680: You Are Not Broken: Why Women Need Testosterone to Feel Strong, Sexy & Energized with Dr. Kelly Casperson

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

592: Menopause, HRT, and Breast Cancer + How to Advocate for Yourself with Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz

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!

778: The Fatigue Problem No One Is Solving for Women Over 40 (And The Labs I Order First)

October 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

You’re exhausted by 2 or 3 PM. Your workouts suddenly wipe you out. Your hair is shedding, your brain feels foggy, and even climbing a flight of stairs leaves you more winded than it used to.

Then you finally ask for help and hear: “Your labs are normal.”

In this solo episode, Dr. Mariza breaks down one of the most commonly missed contributors to persistent fatigue in women: iron deficiency, even before anemia develops. She explains newly released American Society of Hematology ferritin thresholds and why women who were previously told their iron was “normal” may deserve a closer look.

But iron is only one part of the conversation.

Dr. Mariza walks through the bigger clinical picture she considers when a woman says, “I don’t feel like myself anymore,” including thyroid function, mitochondrial energy production, blood sugar, sleep, nutrition, stress physiology, and HPA-axis regulation.

Most importantly, she explains why fatigue is a symptom, not a diagnosis and why neither stress, aging, nor perimenopause should automatically become the explanation for everything you’re experiencing.

Listen now to learn what may be hiding behind your exhaustion and how to have a more productive conversation with your healthcare provider.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why iron deficiency can exist before you become anemic
The new ferritin thresholds women should know about
Why a lab’s reference range and a diagnostic threshold are not always the same thing
Why heavy perimenopausal periods can increase your risk of depleted iron stores
The fatigue, brain fog, headaches, hair shedding, and exercise intolerance that can overlap with perimenopause
How iron, thyroid hormones, nutrition, blood sugar, sleep, and recovery influence mitochondrial energy production
Why “adrenal fatigue” oversimplifies what may actually be happening with the HPA axis
How under-fueling, over-training, poor sleep, circadian disruption, illness, and caffeine can add to the body’s total stress load
The questions to ask when you know something has changed but your labs keep coming back “normal”

QUOTES

“You can be iron deficient before you ever become anemic.”

“Two things can be true at once.”

“I don’t want mitochondrial dysfunction to become another vague label we give an exhausted woman.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Find inspiration, connection, and meaningful reads. Join the Book Club now!

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution

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

RELATED EPISODES

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

664: The Hidden Reason You’re Exhausted: How to Fix Cortisol and Boost Stress Resilience in Perimenopause

661: When “Normal” Isn’t Normal: How to Be Heard (and Taken Seriously) at the Doctor’s Office

755: What If Your Body Isn’t Broken, Just Undernourished? The Missing Link Between Nutrients, Hormones & Energy with Ryan Woodbury

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!

2025 Black Friday Gift Guide

November 23, 2025 in Women’s Health, Women’s Hormones 0

I love the holidays and I really love giving gifts that can help you become a more empowered and healthier version of yourself. That is why this year I’ve created a healthy holiday gift guide for the women in your life! And who knows, maybe you’ll even find a little something to gift yourself too!

Read on for my picks…

#653: Mitochondria, Menopause & Metabolism: The Cellular Secret to More Energy After 40 with Dr. Felice Gersh

June 13, 2025 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

Listen to the Episode Here

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

If you’ve been feeling like your energy has vanished overnight, you’re not alone! But what if I told you it isn’t due to stress or aging, or even hormones—it’s all happening deep inside your cells?

In this episode, I’m joined by the brilliant Dr. Felice Gersh to explore the powerful connection between hormone shifts and your mitochondria—the tiny engines that fuel every cell in your body.

We’ll uncover why fatigue, brain fog, and stubborn weight gain aren’t “just signs of aging”, but signals your body is craving cellular support.

Dr. Gersh breaks down how perimenopause and menopause can disrupt your mitochondrial function—and most importantly, what you can do right now to turn things around.

From lifestyle tweaks to science-backed strategies, this episode is full of insights to help you restore your vitality from the inside out.

Tune in here and uncover Dr. Gersh’s tips to rebuild your energy, balance your hormones, and step into a new season of life with power and confidence!

Felice Gersh, M.D.

Dr. Felice Gersh is a multi-award-winning OB-GYN with dual board certifications in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Integrative Medicine. She’s the founder and director of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine, and is the brilliant mind behind the bestselling PCOS SOS series and her newest book, Menopause: 50 Things You Need to Know. She speaks globally on women’s health, and she’s regularly published in peer-reviewed medical journals.

IN THIS EPISODE

What it means to have good cellular health in menopause
Addressing the knowledge gap in women’s health care
What’s happening at a cellular level with hormonal changes
Optimizing mitochondrial function for longevity
Lifestyle factors that impact cellular aging in women
The latest research on NAD and how it supports energy
The future of cellular health science and how it can empower women to live longer, fuller lives

QUOTES

“Healthy longevity means lowering systemic inflammation, and our vital life hormones– estradiol and progesterone– are really critical for that.”

“When you have unhealthy mitochondria, or dying, damaged mitochondria, the effects are not just that you make less energy, which is huge, but you also don’t control the cell cycle.”

“If you wanna live that beautiful, high-vitality, high-energized life in your 70s, 80s, and beyond…you talked about not even having issues until you’re in your mid-90s– then we absolutely have to be proactive.”