After six years researching hormone therapy – interviewing more than 250 practitioners, following the money, tracking the influencers, and regularly reading the research – I've still had moments of being completely bamboozled.

In this solo episode, I break down something I've been mapping for years: the 12 distinct belief systems around hormone therapy, from hormone maxxing through to the Estrogen-Free camp and finally, the groups that don't believe hormone therapy is required or even recommended. They're not just different opinions – they're entire belief systems, and most of them are convinced they are right.

This episode is the clearest lay of the land you're going to find – and it's the foundation of my new guide, The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy. Whether you're newly curious, deep in the weeds, or a practitioner trying to understand what your clients are navigating, this one is for you. Pre-order the guide now at https://go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth.

Highlights

3:10 – The commercial forces shaping the HT conversation 4:30 – Research gaps: less data than hormone therapy in cows

5:50 – Why OBGYNs leading the charge is complicated

7:15 – The 12 belief systems, explained

16:20 – Why testing is a minefield

17:45 – Progesterone-forward prescribing and why it's been ignored

23:15 – Traditional medicine systems: TCM, Ayurveda, homeopathy

24:30 – The problem with tribalism inside belief systems 26:00 – What women actually need: a map before a decision

Quotable "I think everyone just has pieces of the puzzle. Very few people have the whole picture." — Ann Marie McQueen, journalist and founder of Hotflash Inc

Resources mentioned

• Dr. Felice Gersh episode: The Hormone Therapy Revolution You've Never Heard Of
• Dr. Neal Barnard episode: Dr Neal Barnard is a Soy Man
• The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy guide: https://go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth

Connect with Hotflash inc TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause Instagram: @hotflashinc X: @hotflashinc YouTube: @hotflashinc Facebook: @hotflashinc LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🔥 Get on the waitlist for The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy: A Journalist's No-BS Guide to the Lay of the Land (in Under 3 Hours) – it drops June 15.

Luce Beaulieu is a certified menopause coach, researcher-turned-guide, and founder of the Midlife Temple community. She came to this work from the design and business world after being hit simultaneously with menopause, a traumatic breakup, and a toxic workplace in her late 40s, all during COVID. She clawed her way through, found HRT, healing practices and a 4,000-year-old myth called Inanna — and now she helps women do the same.

If you like what you hear, lucky you! Luce has opened the doors to Portals of Liberation, her 4-week guided deep dive into the four thresholds your body is already asking you to cross. Don't wait! It starts June 22.

Highlights

04:30 – Menopause as the most impactful event of Luce's life 05:02 – Why treating it as "physical deterioration" misses the point

05:27 – Grasping for resources beyond the purely medical 08:00 – Leadership, peak career, then menopause hits like snakes and ladders

08:30 – Ageism: from sought-after to invisible

10:21 – 20–30 hot flashes a day, no sleep, depression, suicidal ideation

13:16 – Why she'd assumed she wouldn't "need" hormones

20:30 – The U-shaped descent

23:13 – Getting back into the body through somatic work

29:57 – The missing archetype between mother and crone 32:24 – What a spiritual awakening actually feels like

Connect with Hotflash inc TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause Instagram: @hotflashinc X: @hotflashinc YouTube: @hotflashinc Facebook: @hotflashinc LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🔥 Join the waitlist for The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy — the only in-depth guide that looks at all the approaches so you can make an informed decision for your body. Out June 15! 👉 http://go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth-waitlist

Dr. May Hindmarsh is a Canadian-trained family medicine doctor who — along with her husband, also an MD — has been questioning the medical establishment long before it was fashionable to do so. Their podcast, BS Free MD, was born from decades of clinical experience that didn't match what the pharmaceutical reps, the government, or the studies said it should. May has seen it all and she's landed on team what actually works for each individual woman.

May is also speaking as a patient who spent three years convinced something was catastrophically wrong with her, while she was already on hormone therapy and working with hormone specialists.

Highlights

02:04 – Training as scientists vs. trusting pharmaceutical reps
12:39 – Practicing before the Women's Health Initiative — what Mai actually saw clinically
17:47 – How the WHI hit her practice and why the data didn't match what she was seeing
20:25 – Her own perimenopause begins: libido tanks, testosterone at zero, migraines spike
26:17 – When things started to go wrong
35:40 – MTHFR, COMT, and why genetic variations change everything
45:06 – What mast cells actually are and what histamine does in the body (way beyond allergies)
51:22 – Why nutraceuticals can be just as overwhelming as pharmaceuticals
53:11 – Why "just optimize more" culture is so harmful
57:06 – What she's doing now
1:01:14 – Why you have to trust yourself over your practitioner

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause Instagram: @hotflashinc X: @hotflashinc YouTube: @hotflashinc Facebook: @hotflashinc LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

Grab the Fix It Fast Perimenopause List: http://go.hotflashinc.com/fix-it-fast

Get on the waitlist for: The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy: A Journalist’s No-BS Guide to the Lay of the Land (in Under 3 Hours)

https://go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth-waitlist

Dr. Maria Luque is a health scientist, fitness expert, and menopause coach – for Halle Berry no less — and the author of New Moves in Menopause.

We talk about body image, exercise addiction, the pressure to "fix" yourself, and what it really looks like to build a movement practice that's sustainable and joyful, and actually yours.

Highlights

02:20 – The slow erosion of identity through life's demands
03:10 – What "I want my 20-year-old body" really means
06:25 – Why community is the biggest tool you have
08:08 – Letting go of the lifelong self-improvement project
10:10 – Grey rocking the body image monster
12:12 – How the fitness industry makes body image worse
13:15 – Having a child as a turning point for body kindness
15:00 – The Valley of Neutrality — and why it's the goal
16:28 – GLP-1s, peptides, and people selling you a magic map
17:15 – Maria's take on supplements and products she won't promote
19:38 – How fear-based menopause content crosses a line
26:41 – Integrity as a core value, full stop
27:08 – Consistency over perfection: why 10 minutes beats 60
30:16 – The truth about heavy lifting (and who actually needs it)
32:23 – Meeting women where they are with equipment they have
34:07 – Maria's own hormone therapy journey — what's worked and what didn't

Get Dr. Maria Luque's 📖 New Moves in Menopause: www.newmovesinmenopause.com

Connect with Hotflash inc TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause Instagram: @hotflashinc X: @hotflashinc YouTube: @hotflashinc Facebook: @hotflashinc LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🔥 Want to understand the full hormone therapy landscape in under three hours? Get on the waitlist for The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy. → http://go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth-waitlist

I don't say this lightly: Andrea Donsky's new book Nourishing Menopause is the best menopause book I've read. And I've read a lot of them. What makes it different is that Andrea actually bridges the gap — the one between "go see your doctor and get hormones" and "go natural and avoid everything." Most women don't even know that gap exists. Andrea lives in it, and she wrote an entire book from there. With a foreword from a naturopathic doctor and a foreword from a board-certified OB-GYN and former president of The Menopause Society, this book doesn't pick a side. It just tells you the truth.

Highlights

00:29 – Why Ann Marie called this the best menopause book she's read

01:31 – In perimenopause for 14 years without knowing it 06:57 – Do supplements actually work? The evidence they won't tell you about

10:30 – Artificial sweeteners, seed oils, and why research supports everything

11:35 – Why we need to start listening to our own bodies again

12:41 – 17 reasons women gain weight in perimenopause 13:12 – The Gen X diet culture PTSD we all carry

14:45 – Why the self-blame has to stop

18:46 – What misinformation actually looks like

22:20 – Phantom smells, itchy ears, and why the symptom list needs to grow

24:46 – How to actually evaluate research you see online 26:45 – Why Gen Z kids are already menopause savvy

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause Instagram: @hotflashinc X: @hotflashinc YouTube: @hotflashinc Facebook: @hotflashinc LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🌿 Get the updated + free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List. → http://go.hotflashinc.com/fix-it-fast

🔥 Get on the waitlist for my new digital guide, The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy. → http://go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth-waitlist

Dr. Felice Gersh is a dual board-certified OB-GYN and integrative medicine physician here to talk about Rhythmic Physiologic Dosing (RPD) – and what she believes is wrong with the current approach of "low, static" dosing of hormone therapy.

Highlights

07:40 – What "regular" HRT looks like vs. RPD

12:00 – Her argument why "lowest dose" makes no sense

15:00 – Why measuring estradiol blood levels matters

19:52 – Yes, you will have a bleed — that's the point

21:00 – Growth factors, the brain, mitochondria, and estradiol

27:00 – The case for endometrial ablation as an option for RPD patients

31:31 – Vaginal and rectal progesterone — why it matters 38:00 – Progesterone intolerance — what's going on

43:39 – The tissue hormone argument — and why it doesn't pick up the slack

54:47 – Is this safe?

55:35 – The future: hormone pumps and new ovaries

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause

Instagram: @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc

YouTube: @hotflashinc

Facebook: @hotflashinc

LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

Transform Perimenopause into Power

Wilson4Q x Hotflash inc

Menla Mountain Resort, New York 

June 4-7 2026 

Sign me up!

🔥 Need help right now?

Grab my free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List for quick, practical non-hormonal relief options, and get on the waitlist for  The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy, a clear + comprehensive guide to understanding the entire landscape of options and empowering you to make your best decision.

This week, I’m talking to Joanna Ross – a former Broadway dancer turned stand-up comic, yoga teacher, and creator of the deeply personal comedy special Hot 50.

We talk about reinvention, the strange and often frustrating reality of navigating menopause, and what happens when you decide to put the truth – all of it – on stage. 

This is one of those conversations that wanders in the best way. It’s real, it’s funny, and it gets to the heart of what so many women are quietly dealing with.

Highlights

03:39 – What comedy really teaches you
05:20 – How menopause became her material
06:01 – The ‘wild west’ of menopause
07:24 – Celebrities, marketing & mistrust
10:41 – Doctors, hormones & “don’t suffer”
12:54 – When symptoms hit hard (and fast)
14:13 – The advice that misses the mark
15:14 – Finding relief (and stability)
17:19 – Why isn’t this being diagnosed properly?
18:00 – Learning menopause on the fly
21:08 – The problem with “quick fix” wellness
22:14 – Healing your relationship with food
25:12 – Why women need conversation, not products
27:57 – Comedy meets menopause
29:01 – Prepare before you’re in it
31:32 – Why it’s never too late to start something new
34:46 – The problem with yoga
41:19 – Intuition, discernment & midlife wisdom

Connect with JoAnna Ross

🎧 Comedy Album & Special: Hot 50 (available on major streaming platforms)

🌐 Website: https://www.hotjoanna.com

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause 

Instagram:  @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc 

YOUTUBE  @hotflashinc

Facebook:  @hotflashinc

Linked in:  Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

Transform Perimenopause into Power

Wilson4Q x Hotflash inc

Menla Mountain Resort, New York 

June 4-7 2026 

Sign me up!

🔥 Need help right now?

Grab my free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List for quick, practical non-hormonal relief options, and get on the waitlist for  The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy, a clear + comprehensive guide to understanding the entire landscape of options and empowering you to make your best decision.

_______________________________________________________________

When I first heard Janice Taylor describe Emotional Fitness Intelligence, something clicked. It felt like the through-line of 15 years of therapy, books, experiments, backstops, progress and questions. Janice is the founder of Wilson4Q, and what she’s building – Emotional Fitness Intelligence – is her attempt to define, measure, and teach something many of us have been trying to figure out the long, hard way. It also happens to land right at the heart of midlife.

Quotable

"The moment you give anything power outside of yourself, you are operating from your emotional injury." – Janice Taylor

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause 

Instagram:  @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc 

YOUTUBE  @hotflashinc

Facebook:  @hotflashinc

Linked in:  Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

In this solo episode, Ann Marie shares a deeply personal story from her years in breaking news journalism and how unprocessed trauma shaped her internal world well into midlife. She explores why perimenopause can surface long-buried emotional patterns – and why traditional approaches often fall short. This is a conversation about awareness, nervous system reality, and finding a more complete path forward.

Highlights

• The TV character that mirrored my internal reality
• The moment at a crash scene I’ll never forget-
• What adrenaline does in trauma – and what happens after
• The coping patterns I didn’t understand at the time
• Why I thought something was wrong with me
• “How long have you been like this?” – the question that shifted everything
• How perimenopause cracked open deeper self-inquiry
• The “messy beach” and what hormones reveal
• Why emotional fitness might be the missing piece

🔥 Need help right now?

Grab my free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List for quick, practical non-hormonal relief options, and get on the waitlist for  The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy, a clear + comprehensive guide to understanding the entire landscape of options and empowering you to make your best decision.

🌿 Join us for the Emotional Fitness Retreat

Transform Perimenopause into Power

Wilson4Q x Hotflash inc

Menla Mountain Resort, New York 

June 4-7 2026 

Sign me up!

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause 

Instagram:  @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc 

YOUTUBE  @hotflashinc

Facebook:  @hotflashinc

Linked in:  Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

Highlights

05:47 – Why midlife demands radical responsibility

08:46 – The deeper root cause: self-worth, self-criticism, and women’s relationship with themselves

11:10 – Menopause as sovereignty: freedom, boundaries, and becoming more yourself

16:41 – Hormone confusion on Instagram, soy panic, and how nutrition advice gets distorted

23:19 – GLP-1s, blood sugar, inflammation, and why this conversation is much bigger than weight loss

33:59 – Dr Smith’s own frozen shoulder experience, hormone therapy, and what this reveals about oversimplified menopause messaging

43:02 – Why hormone therapy can be valuable without being a cure-all

Fact check: 3 studies referenced

Cleaning at home and at work in relation to lung function decline and airway obstruction. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. doi:10.1164/rccm.201706-1311OC;  Oxalate (dys)metabolism: Person-to-person variability, kidney and cardiometabolic toxicity. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14091719 MGLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: current evidence. doi:10.1097/GCO.0000000000001015

Connect with our guest

Website: drsmithnd.com

Instagram: @drkirstensmithnd

🔥 Need help right now? Grab my free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List for quick, practical non-hormonal relief options, and get on the waitlist for  The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy , a clear + comprehensive guide to understanding the entire landscape of options and empowering you to make your best decision.

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause 

Instagram:  @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc 

YOUTUBE  @hotflashinc

Facebook:  @hotflashinc

Linked in:  Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

In this deep-dive episode, independent researcher and Energy Balance Podcast host Jay Feldman walks Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen through his bioenergetic approach to health, exploring how modern life disrupts our energy systems and misleads us around hormones.

Jay explains why perimenopause symptoms aren’t necessarily signs of estrogen deficiency, what progesterone’s underrated role is, and how metabolism, stress, and gut health all converge to influence the midlife transition.His work has been instrumental in helping Ann Marie connect the dots between her own thyroid, gut health, fatty liver, and hormonal changes. If you’re curious, overwhelmed, or stuck between conflicting advice – this one’s for you.

Highlights:

Why the mainstream medical model didn’t cut it for Jay
How energy production impacts reproductive hormones
The cultural lie of “eat less, move more”
Seed oils, PUFAs and what they’re doing to your metabolism
Sunscreens, toenail polish, and endocrine disruption
Why low estrogen blood levels don’t tell the whole story
What your liver and gut have to do with your hormones
Why estrogen replacement might be a band-aid, not a solution

Guest bio
Jay Feldman is a health coach, independent researcher, and the host of the Energy Balance Podcast. With a background in neuroscience and exercise physiology, he takes a bioenergetic approach to health that focuses on restoring cellular energy and dismantling modern myths around nutrition, metabolism, and hormones. Jay’s personal mission is to help people heal by reconnecting them with their bodies and understanding how modern life throws off our internal systems.

Work with Jay & explore more

• Website: jayfeldmanwellness.com
• Free Guide: jayfeldmanwellness.com/guide
• Podcast: The Energy Balance Podcast

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Join host Ann Marie McQueen as she delves into the transformative journey of menopause with Sally Garozzo, a clinical hypnotherapist and podcast host. Sally specializes in menopause, complex trauma, and the long-term impact of early life stress. She works with women who sense that menopause is more than just a hormonal disruption, helping them understand it as an identity and emotional recalibration. Sally hosts The Menopause Mindset Podcast and offers individual and group sessions to support women during midlife and beyond.

Highlights:

• 01:02 - The sense that menopause is more than just hormones
• 02:25 - Understanding menopause as a catalyst for emotional sensitivity
• 04:36 - The limitations of traditional medical paradigms for complex stories
• 06:54 - The metaphor of menopause as a tide revealing buried issues
• 09:20 - The impact of childhood and family dynamics on menopause
• 12:02 - The mind-body connection and how perspective influences symptoms
• 17:41 - Personal stories of anxiety, panic, and recognition of trauma
• 24:05 - The science of hypnosis: focus, suggestion, and energy work
• 31:20 - Skills training for mind and body—neurobics and perspective shifts
• 42:48 - How trauma and nervous system dysregulation amplify menopausal challenges
• 44:50 - Words of hope: deep work, attunement, and community support

Resources & Links:

• Marisa Peer - Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT)

Connect with Sally Garrozzo:

• Instagram
• Website

Disclaimer: This episode emphasizes that menopause is not just a hormonal event but a profound inner transition. Healing involves understanding, acknowledging, and working through emotional wounds with compassion, practical tools, and expert guidance. This episode is for information and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice; always seek out an expert for proper medical treatment. 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Hosted by journalist and Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen, this week’s episode features Sonja Rincon, founder and CEO of Menotracker, an AI-powered menopause app based in Austria. Sonja is also a lawyer and single mother who built the tool she wished she had when navigating her own confusing and often dismissed perimenopause symptoms.

In this honest and empowering conversation, Sonja explains how she went from being gaslit by doctors to developing a secure, multilingual, research-driven tracking tool that empowers women to identify patterns, advocate for themselves, and share vital data with their healthcare providers.

You'll hear about how Menotracker differs from other apps by protecting user privacy, generating detailed reports, offering translations in over 30 languages and allowing deep integrations with wearables. Sonja also opens up about her own HRT journey and the frustrating road to understanding what was really going on in her body.

If you’ve ever wondered whether tracking symptoms is worth it, or how midlife women can step into their power as their own health advocates, this conversation is for you.

Sponsor Shoutout: Thank you to our sponsor, Timeline Nutrition – makers of Mitopure™, the first clinically tested Urolithin A supplement that supports cellular energy and muscle strength. Visit www.timeline.com and use the code HOTFLASH for 20% off your first order.

Also a big thanks to Kion Aminos, gold sponsor of the first-ever Hotflash Inc Summit. Their clean, leucine-rich amino acid blend is up to 6x more effective than food-based protein, and helps support recovery, strength, and energy – especially under stress. Learn more at getkion.com/hotflash for 20% off your order.

HIGHLIGHTS

• How Sonja’s own perimenopause symptoms led her to HRT and away from SSRIs
• Why her early symptoms were misdiagnosed as stress
• How tracking helped her fine-tune her hormone therapy
• The importance of not giving up too soon when adjusting HRT
• The tipping point: her friend’s promotion was denied due to visible perimenopause symptoms
• Why most trackers fail: lack of reports, language barriers, and questionable data use
• Menotracker’s privacy-first approach
• Why pattern recognition is key for symptom awareness and medical advocacy
• 40+ symptoms available to track and growing through user feedback
• How she taught herself low-code tools and AI to launch the first version
• The power of knowing enough to not be bamboozled by developers
• Offering the app in 30+ languages 
• Why Europe is lagging behind in the menopause conversation
• Community-based growth strategy and bringing in experts of diverse backgrounds

Guest info:

•  Founder & CEO, Menotracker
•  Website: www.menotracker.com
•  Instagram:

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Hotflash Inc is a global platform launched by Ann Marie McQueen, a journalist with 25 years of international experience covering health and wellness. It is designed to inform, entertain and encourage the perimenoposse about all things peri/menopause. This episode and all of season 1 is sponsored by Become clothing.

Themes: HRT, insulin resistance, cognition, evolution, supplements, stress response, new research

Summary: Lara Briden is a Canadian naturopath living and practicing in New Zealand. She’s also the author of two books: the bestselling period repair manual and 2021’s hormone repair manual. With 25 years in clinical practice, Lara is used to being ahead of the curve scientifically. She explains how what is controversial now often ends up being evidence-based standard practice down the road. She provides insightful, nuanced and scientifically detailed dissections of the many intersecting issues involved in the peri/menopause transition. That includes the ever-present and critical impact of insulin resistance, which is impacting one in two of us.Lara talks about the various forms of menopause hormone therapy that are available and how to use them, and why you really might want to explore the role of progesterone in managing your perimenopause and menopause symptoms. Lara also talks about her own experiments with taking HRT; takes on the host’s questions about cognitive challenges and why they might be happening, talks about the all-important role of our body’s stress-response system, and highlights some important supplements to look at. Lara also tackles some of misconceptions surrounding the current peri/menopause conversation and addresses the theory that “evolutionary mismatch” is making many of our symptoms worse.

Highlights:
•How and why the naturopathic and integrative doctors are often ahead of the curve in terms of research (3.20)
•How to decipher what’s going on with bioidentical, body identical, commercial and compounded menopause hormone therapy (9:15)
•Progesterone: what’s out there, what’s emerging, and why you may want to consider it for your menopause symptoms (18.30)
•Insulin resistance and cognition (32.38)
•Why she is trying out menopause hormone therapy and how it’s going (41.17) •Proceeding carefully with testosterone (43.45)
•The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (52)
•The impact of “evolutionary mismatch” on menopause symptoms (57.53)
•Why sugar can cause the brain to self-cannibalize (1.02.12)
•Go-to supplements (1.04.07)

Where to find Lara Briden:
Web: LaraBriden.com
Instagram: @larabriden
Twitter: @larabriden

SPONSORS: Become anti-flush cooling clothing | Use code HOTFLASHINC to get a 20 percent discount.The Ritual by Pure | Use code HOTFLASH to get the first month free. 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In this episode, host Ann Marie McQueen chats with Jenny Powers, scientist, writer, athlete and co-author of On the Origin of Being, about how modern society has veered far from the evolutionary way of living –  and how that’s impacting our health, particularly for women in midlife.

Jenny, a scientist with a PhD in microbiology and immunology, discusses how our biology has been shaped over millennia and why the mismatch between modern life and our evolved needs might be making perimenopause and menopause more challenging than they need to be.

The conversation explores topics like nutrition, movement, sleep, light exposure, stress, and the role of community. Jenny shares her own journey through perimenopause, revealing the lifestyle changes that helped her eliminate symptoms including hot flashes, headaches, and inflammation.

Could returning to our evolutionary roots be the ultimate biohack? Tune in to find out!

Episode Highlights:

🔹 Jenny shares how her experience as a scientist shaped her approach to perimenopause.
 🔹 Evolutionary mismatch: Why modern women struggle with menopause more than our ancestors did.
 🔹 The rise of modern diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and autoimmune conditions.
 🔹 How our disconnect from our bodies (thanks to tech and nonstop stimulation) affects our health.
 🔹 Mythbusting: Did women really die at 50 in the past? (Spoiler: No!)
 🔹 The lifestyle changes that eliminated Jenny’s perimenopausal symptoms.

Powerful Quote from Jenny Powers

"I feel like I've unlocked the secret of how to live longer—and actually enjoy it. Everyone says life is over after 50, but I’ve had more energy, more joy, and even a better sex drive just by making small changes. I don't have hot flashes anymore, I don't have headaches, and I don't have inflammation. It’s not about fighting aging—it’s about working with our biology the way nature intended."

Thank you to our sponsor Timeline Nutrition

Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity—now available with a 10% discount! Visit timeline.com/HOTFLASH and use the code HOTFLASH to claim your offer!

Guest Links & Social Media

🔗 Website: ontheoriginofbeing.com
📷 Instagram: @ontheoriginofbeing
📘 Facebook: On the Origin of Being
📺 YouTube: On the Origin of Being (New content coming soon!)

📖 Buy the Book: On the Origin of Being by Luke Comer & Jenny Powers get it here

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In this special solo episode, Ann Marie McQueen shares reader letters, explores the journey of trusting yourself with hormone therapy, and reflects on a touching encounter with a tiny bird that left a lasting impression.

From listener messages that validate the power of open conversations about menopause to deep thoughts on aging, self-trust, and the emotional rollercoaster of hormone therapy, this episode is a candid, heartfelt exploration of what it means to navigate midlife with awareness and resilience.

 Highlights from this episode:

• Why text messages from listeners matter – and how you can send one, too.
• A reader’s hormone therapy struggles – and why sometimes, stepping off the estrogen merry-go-round is the right decision.
• The fear of aging and how Ann Marie reframed her mindset about turning 55.
• The obsession with longevity and health hacks – and why some conversations in this space feel exhausting.
• A surreal experience with birds 
• An honest take on learning to say “I don’t like it” – and why that’s an underrated midlife skill.

 Quote from this episode:
"Sometimes you can do something, and sometimes you can't. The real wisdom is in knowing the difference."

Sponsored by Mitopure: This episode is brought to you by Mitopure, the purest form of Urolithin A, designed to support cellular energy and longevity. Visit timeline.com/HOTFLASH for 10% off your order.

The Hotflash inc Podcast is:
One of the Top 60 Menopause Podcasts
In the top 3% percentile on Listen Notes
#1 on Goodpods’ Top 10 Women’s Health Podcasts list

Disclaimer

The information shared in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any health decisions, especially regarding hormone therapy or new treatments. Full disclaimer at the end of the episode.

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Joe Sealey is a former UK footballer who is married to UK businesswoman Nicole, and they are both cast members of The Real Housewives of Cheshire. He's also comforting and cracking men and women alike up with his ongoing commentary on living with a woman in menopause. Joe jokes a lot, but he also gets serious about  the challenges and changes experienced during Nicole's perimenopause and menopause, the importance of communication between partners, and how the couple navigates their journey together. Joe also offers some solid menopause tips for men and women alike. 

Find Joe on:
TikTok @Joe_Sealey
Instagram @JoeSealey

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Journalist and Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen welcomes Lauren Tetenbaum, aka The Counselaur  – a licensed social worker, former lawyer, and author of Millennial Menopause: Preparing for Perimenopause, Menopause, and Life’s Next Period. At 40, Lauren brings a fresh, younger perspective to a conversation that's long left her generation out.

Ann Marie and Lauren dive into what it means to enter perimenopause as a millennial  – through the lens of mental health, trauma, hormone therapy, supplements, shame, IVF, and what the next generation (Gen Z) might face. Lauren’s unique background in law, therapy, and women’s rights advocacy makes her a powerful voice in this space. Through her private practice and corporate workshops, she supports women navigating life transitions  –  including the often-misunderstood onset of perimenopause.

Fact Check:

During this discussion we explore breast cancer risk and hormone therapy, including the distinction between bioidentical progesterone and synthetic progestins. It's essential to understand the difference:

Across the strongest randomized evidence from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), combined estrogen plus synthetic progestin is associated with a 25–30% relative increase in breast cancer incidence – roughly 8 extra cases per 10,000 women per year in the original WHI report. More recent large observational datasets suggest a higher risk with combined therapy, especially with longer-term use. Combined estrogen with bioidentical progesterone (oral micronized progesterone) has not been shown to carry the same level of risk, though more research is needed.

Highlights:

• –Lauren explains why she wrote Millennial Menopause at  40
•  How her law and social work background blend in advocacy and therapy
•  Why most millennials are still clueless about perimenopause
•  “Denial is the first symptom”
• Why personalized care is key 
• How millennials are still scared of hormone therapy
• Estrogen-only vs. combined therapy
• Why trauma, mindset, and support shape your perimenopause experience
• What shocked Lauren most while researching menopause
•  Is menopause estrogen deficiency or hormone fluctuation?
•  Are supplements worth it? 
•  Why shame and dismissal still dominate menopause care
•  Her hope for Gen Z and how they’re different from millennials
•  How Lauren personally managed early peri symptoms with the pill
•  IVF, fertility, and their possible ties to earlier menopause
•  The gaps in medical training and misconceptions among doctors
•  How risk is part of all health decisions – and how to weigh it
•  Are millennials drinking less? The booze-risk conversation
•  Why support matters even when there’s no “official” diagnosis

Where to connect with Laruen:

• LinkedIn: Laurenatetenbaum 
• Instagram

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In this episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, host and founder Ann Marie McQueen takes you into a whole new realm of possibility: decentralized science, or DeSci. Joining her is Mack Stachowiak, a physicist, software architect and healthcare innovator who is pioneering the integration of blockchain, AI, and Web3 into healthcare as co-founder of Axon DAO.

You might be thinking, “why are you talking about this?” – and we get it. Crypto and blockchain can feel like a foreign language. But this conversation reveals how decentralized science could completely change the game when it comes to the lack of menopause and midlife research – by putting data ownership and funding power into the hands of individuals and communities.

Mack shares how Axon DAO’s platform allows people to share and monetize their health data (ethically and consensually), explains how voice biomarkers can detect hormone fluctuations, and shares mulitple menopause-specific projects he wants to launch right now – but needs the right researchers and community to do it.

This episode is for anyone tired of waiting for “more data” – and ready to build the systems we need now.

Episode highlights:

1:30 – What is decentralized science (DeSci) and why should we care?

3:10 – Why most people – including doctors – don’t even know DeSci exists

6:45 – How blockchain-backed tokens fund research in a faster, fairer way

12:00 – Why Axon DAO gives users full control over their health data

14:15 – How scientists can build research platforms using Axon DAO

18:55 – Using sleep data to support menopausal women

20:00 – How voice analysis can detect stress, PTSD, and even vagus nerve dysfunction

26:30 – How Mack’s team is handling data privacy and regulatory compliance

28:20 – Upcoming projects on Alzheimer’s, medical cannabis, and psilocybin microdosing

33:00 – The enormous gap in menopause research – and how DeSci can close it

35:10 – Voice-based hormone and hot flash tracking: already here

37:45 – Mack’s open invitation to women researchers and citizen scientists

40:30 – Why you should own your data and share it on your own terms

44:30 – Health optimization as a cultural shift: empowerment through ownership

46:15 – One medical device that could change the game – if it wasn’t siloed

48:00 – How community and open access can transform women’s health research

50:30 – “You don’t need to understand crypto – just use your email and get started”

Connect with Mack and Axon DAO:

A Plus Voice research program: 

https://aplusvoice.io

X: https://twitter.com/axondao

IG: https://www.instagram.com/axondao/

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Welcome back to the Hotflash inc podcast, hosted by journalist and founder Ann Marie McQueen – the only reader-supported, evidence, expert opinion and human experience-based platform dedicated to all aspects of menopause and midlife. Today’s guest is Jennifer Block, an independent investigative journalist based in the United States. who reports on medicine, health, science and power. In this episode, Ann Marie and Jennifer explore the rising tide of estrogen-focused messaging in menopause care – and how it might not be as organic or evidence-based as it seems. Jennifer has just published three major articles — in The Free Press, The British Medical Journal and on her Substack Unpopular Science — that connect long-suspected dots between pharma-backed advocacy, conflicts of interest and the shifting tone around hormone therapy. Together, these pieces paint a picture of an industry-backed campaign influencing policy, public opinion, and clinical guidance. If you’ve been wondering why estrogen is suddenly everywhere, this is the conversation you’ve been waiting for.

Sponsor Shoutout: Thank you to our sponsor, Timeline Nutrition – makers of Mitopure™, the first clinically tested Urolithin A supplement that supports cellular energy and muscle strength. Visit www.timeline.com and use the code HOTFLASH for 20% off your first order.

Also, thank you to our friends at Bonafide. Visit hellobonafide.com and use code SUMMIT20 to receive 20% off your first month of any Bonafide subscription product.

Highlights

• How Jennifer’s recent reporting was sparked by the FDA black box warning change
• The behind-the-scenes forces pushing for estrogen’s big comeback
• Why the “menopause awareness movement” isn’t as grassroots as it seems
• What Jennifer uncovered about the industry ties behind the Menopause Society
• Why many doctors may not be aware of their own industry entanglements
• How these dynamics affect everyday women making decisions about HRT
• What informed consent really means in this climate
• The importance of journalistic scrutiny in medical debates

Fact check:

• Addyi (flibanserin) offers a modest benefit for certain premenopausal women with HSDD (hypoactive sexual desire disorder), averaging 0.5 to 1 additional satisfying sexual event per month compared to placebo.
• Compounded hormones typically do not carry standardized FDA boxed warnings or package inserts. These customized medications are exempt from federal labeling regulations, meaning key risk information may not be included.

About Jennifer 

• Website: www.jenniferblock.com
• Substack: Unpopular Science

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In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, journalist Ann Marie McQueen interviews Dr Sarah McKay, Oxford-educated neuroscientist, author of The Female Brain Book, and founder of the Neuroscience Academy.

This is a powerful, nuanced conversation about what we know, what we don’t, and what’s being exaggerated online. Grounding, clarifying and deeply reassuring.

If you’ve been worried about your brain in midlife, this episode is for you. 

The Hotflash inc Summit All Access Pass
https://summit.hotflashinc.com/hotflash-inc-summit-all-access-pass

Coming Soon: The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy
https://hotflashinc.com

Thank you to our sponsor:
Phosis – Use code HOTFLASHINC for 15% off
https://phosis.com

Founded by Susan Campbell, Phosis is clinically proven, exceptionally clean skincare created specifically for dry, perimenopausal skin.

What we explored this episode:

07:15 – Cognitive load, smartphones & the myth of “midlife decline”
 18:40 – Brain restructuring during menopause: adaptation vs degeneration
 27:30 – “The brain eats itself” – what the mouse study actually showed
 39:10 – Dementia risk: incidence vs prevalence explained clearly
 44:30 – Absolute vs relative risk
 58:20 – Hormone sensitivity, the pill & depression research

Memorable quote:
“We absolutely must report absolute risk.”

Fact check:

1. Dr. Pauline M. Maki leads NIH-funded research on women’s cognitive/mental health and how sex hormones and reproductive transitions affect well-being.
2. Dr Susan R. Davis is an NHMRC Principal Research Fellow (since 2007) and Director of the Women’s Health Research Program at Monash University (School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine).
3. TGA = Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration, the government regulator for medicines, medical devices, and biologicals.

Connect with our guest:

Website: https://drsarahmckay.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsarahmckay

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Thank you to Timeline for sponsoring this podcast. Powered by Mitopure®, Timeline’s clinically proven Urolithin A gummies are designed to boost energy and support healthy aging at the cellular level. Use code HOTFLASH at timeline.com for 20% off your first order.

In this episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, host and founder Ann Marie McQueen speaks with award-winning journalist, broadcaster and women’s health advocate Fiona Clark. Together they unpack how media, medicine and marketing collided to create confusion and polarization in menopause care – and what needs to change.

Fiona, co-founder of the Menopause Research and Education Fund, shares why she wrote Meno Wars, the impact of social media “medical influencers,” how evidence gets cherry-picked and misused, and why better data, plain-language summaries and shared decision-making are vital for women’s health. They also discuss vaginal health – including her own issues – testosterone, GLP-1s, trauma, diet culture and the urgent need for more menopause research funding.

Highlights

• How the menopause movement went off the rails,
• The rise of medical influencers and how misinformation spreads online
• What hormone therapy can and can’t do
• The overlooked importance of vaginal health and simple, effective treatments
• How marketing shapes narratives
• Why anger is valid, and how women can demand better data, research, and care

About Fiona Clark

Fiona Clark is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and women’s health advocate. She is the author of Meno Wars: Why Menopause’s Moment Has Gone Horribly Wrong, which examines how media, medicine and marketing have shaped today’s menopause narrative. Fiona is also co-founder of the Menopause Research and Education Fund, dedicated to improving scientific research, education and equity in women’s health.

Meno Wars: wherever books are sold
IG: @fiona_clark_writes

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Thank you to Timeline for sponsoring this podcast. Powered by Mitopure®, Timeline’s clinically proven Urolithin A gummies are designed to boost energy and support healthy aging at the cellular level. Use code HOTFLASH at timeline.com for 20% off your first order.

In this empowering episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, journalist and founder Ann Marie McQueen speaks with Riana Malia, a transformation coach with over 20 years of experience helping ambitious women break free from emotional blocks, unconscious patterns, and limiting beliefs. Riana shares her Clear to Create method, which blends neuroscience, advanced trauma-aware coaching, and energetic techniques like Quantum Time Release to help women shed old stories and reclaim their personal power.

We dig into people pleasing, forgiveness, midlife transitions, and why so many of us are unconsciously stuck in survival loops that keep us from fully living. We also discuss how midlife – and perimenopause – can serve as a powerful energetic reset, and what it really takes to step into your next chapter, unapologetically.

Highlights

4:20 – How childhood conditioning creates the nice girl persona
6:50 – What it means to “clear before you can create”
8:30 – The cost of repeating old patterns and people pleasing
9:45 – What is Quantum Time Release and how does it work?
12:15 – Why mindset isn’t enough and the unconscious mind always wins
13:45 – Trauma, cycles, and the deep work that actually frees us
16:30 – Alchemical forgiveness – what it is and how it sets you free
20:00 – How emotional blocks show up physically in perimenopause and menopause
22:00 – Stepping into your full power in midlife
24:10 – Speaking up at work and at home – and dealing with the fallout
26:30 – Reintroducing yourself after transformation
29:10 – A dress disaster becomes a metaphor for authenticity
32:30 – When you’re done being the one who fixes everything
34:30 – You can’t solve a problem with the same mind that created it
35:10 – How to work with Riana one-on-one or take her free assessment

Riana Malia is a transformational coach, advanced trauma practitioner, and creator of the Clear to Create method. With over two decades of experience and training in modalities like evolved neurolinguistic programming and Quantum Time Release, she helps ambitious women break free from the emotional and energetic blocks that keep them stuck. Her work blends neuroscience, deep compassion, and intuitive guidance to help clients step into their true power and create the life and love they desire.

Where to find Rania

• Website: https://www.rianamalia.com (currently being relaunched)
• Take the quiz: https://quiz.rianamalia.com – Find out what’s standing between you and extraordinary love
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/rianamalia

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In this deeply personal solo episode, Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen returns to the mic to debrief after organizing and hosting the Hotflash inc Summit – including how it impacted her mind, body, and career direction.

She opens up about post-COVID health issues, navigating burnout, the weight of always working, and an emotional breakthrough. And she shares a clip from her powerful conversation with MD, midwife and herbalist Dr Aviva Romm – including the three deceptively simple midlife questions that shifted everything.

Ann Marie also gets into the nuances of perimenopause care, why so many women feel lost in the noise, and a new major study that will probably be ignored, about a statistically significant link between hormone therapy and autoimmune diseases.

Highlights include:

• The Hotflash inc Summit: Behind the Scenes
• Personal Struggles and Health Challenges
• Realizations and Life Changes
• The Power of Asking the Right Questions
• Listener Appreciation and Personal Reflections
• Challenges of Modern Journalism
• Navigating Health and Wellness Narratives
• The Seed Oil Controversy
• Critique of Gwyneth Paltrow Biography
• Hormone Therapy and Autoimmune Diseases
• Future Plans

Where to find Dr. Aviva Romm

Website: avivaromm.com

Instagram: @dr.avivaromm

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Are psychedelics a missing key to personal transformation in midlife?

This week, I speak with Rob Grover and Gary Logan, the founders of The Journeymen Collective, a luxury guided psilocybin retreat company based in the mountains outside Vancouver, BC. These two have helped entrepreneurs, performers, couples—and yes, many women navigating perimenopause, menopause, and midlife transitions—use guided mushroom journeys to reconnect to themselves and release emotional burdens that therapy, medication, or self-help books haven’t resolved.

We talk grief, depression, anxiety, the inner critic, and how to tap into the body’s sacred intelligence when everything feels disconnected. Rob and Gary explain the difference between “tripping” and undergoing a true guided journey, and why that distinction matters so deeply for healing and growth.

Highlights: 

• “Most people who find us have done the therapy, read the books, tried the biohacking—and still feel stuck.”– Rob Grover
• “This isn’t about escaping—it’s about meeting yourself more deeply than ever before.” – Gary Logan
• How grief led both Rob and Gary to their first journeys with magic mushrooms—and why it changed everything.
• Why psilocybin is not a shortcut or magic bullet, but a profound reset for the nervous system.
• The science, spirituality, and deep preparation that goes into their luxury retreats.
• Why talk therapy for 10 years often gets outpaced by 4 days of immersive guided work.
• A frank and beautiful discussion about anger, sadness, menopause symptoms—and how they’re often calls to listen to the body, not suppress it.

Links + resources:

• Learn more: The Journeymen Collective
• Follow Rob and Gary on Instagram and LinkedIn
• Mentioned: Red School: Menstruality Education
• Research: MAPS – Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
• Use code HOTFLASH20 for 20% off at MenoLabs.com

Episode sponsor: Thanks to Menolabs for sponsoring this episode. Use code HOTFLASH20 for 20% off at menolabs.com

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In this episode, Jacqui Burge joins me (Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen) for a magical conversation that ranges from why perimenopause needed an easy-to-digest, simple and clean protein powder to how much better life can be without sugar. 

Jacqui is a thoughtful, post-menopausal American health and wellness entrepreneur. A workplace wellness pioneer, she has more than three million views on LinkedIn for sessions offered by her company Desk Yogi. She’s been a figure skater, a rock star, a mom and a drug addict. 

She’s also a woman who found herself a bit lost when menopause hit, and it was unexplained weight gain that led her to launch XO Jacqui. And this is where I found her, because Jacquie’s clean, vegan, organic and gluten-free protein powder is literally the only one in the world my tummy can tolerate. You can literally count the ingredients on your hand. It’s delicious and I actually import it from the US to the UAE. (If you want some of your own, use code HOTFLASHINC15 at checkout) 

Jacqui’s mantra aligns with mine here at Hotflash inc: be your own advocate, stay curious and a step outside of your comfort zone. 

The episode emphasizes embracing change, the non-linear nature of healing, and promoting self-acceptance and mental well-being.

Highlights:

• The power of nudges
• Why she works on Sundays 
• How to edit your to-do list to cut overwhelm 
• How to make the first person you take care of you
• How not to turn yourself into a mashed potato 
• What drove her to start making her own protein powder (and what’s going on with a lot of varieties that seem healthy) 
• The one thing about the obsession with protein you need to know
• Perimenopause is asking about ‘what can you simplify’
• Why perimenopause should be a recognized rite of passage
• The stability, knowingness and awareness that gets solidified in menopause
• What is “pretend connection” and why does it hurt us? 
• Re-examining alcohol in perimenopause 
• What happens after you kick sugar for 10 days
• How neurofeedback cut through the trauma and finally helped her feel safe
• Why she wants you to get support in tackling your trauma
• The two sides of asking for help
• What radical acceptance really means
• Her best advice for going through perimenopause 
• Menopausal creativity bursts
• Why “post-menopause” needs more love

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In this episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, Ann Marie McQueen interviews Dianne Wist, CEO of Violet Daily, about the importance of breast health and the benefits of molecular iodine.

In the new intro, Ann Marie relays a conversation she had with women's hormone expert Lara Briden about why it works and why it's better than potassium iodide (because it shelters the breast from estrogen and is preferentially taken up by more estrogen-sensitive tissues like the breast rather than the thyroid gland.

Disclaimer: Anyone with a thyroid problem who is considering taking iodine should check with their doctor first. 

Dianne shares insights on why women often overlook breast pain, how hormone therapy can trigger it, and the need to be proactive about breast care. They discuss the clinical research behind Violet Daily's molecular iodine supplement, its impact on both women and men, and its role in alleviating breast pain and supporting overall breast health. Dianne also offers advice on advocating for yourself at the doctor’s office and shares her personal menopause journey.

• Why we ignore our breast pain
• What can trigger breast pain (including hormone therapy)
• Why you need to have a relationship with your breasts (and be your own expert)
• Dianne’s advice for holding your own at the doctor’s office
• What is molecular iodine and why might you want to take it? 
• What about the thyroid + why you have to be careful 
• Iodine for women and men 
• The breast pain “pathway”
• Molecular iodine – clinical research 
• Breast pain and changes in perimenopause 
• Dianne’s menopause experience and her top tip for getting through it

Use code hotflashinc for 10 percent off if you order Violet Daily

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FULL DISCLOSURE: Jen and I recorded this interview last year. Almost a year ago. It was and is so important to me that I am sharing it with you now, with Jen’s blessing. (It fell into the “I took a short break to build my business and then my dad died suddenly” gap. You know the one ;)

Anyway, Jen is a very hardworking, accomplished entrepreneur and champion of midlife women. She runs the Jen Marples Agency and her goal is to help women over 40 get seen, heard, paid and to make an impact. She’s also the host of The Jen Marples Show: You’re Not too F***ing Old (soon to be called just You’re Not Too F***ing Old). We talk about it all: why you need to find supportive groups and new tribes (and what to do when yours isn’t working), ending friendships, dealing with ageism and the profound beauty and peace that comes with middle age and menopause. Jen believes you have to be a strong advocate for your own health. And she shares her own challenging journey, with endometriosis, IVF, perimenopause/massive burnout and ultimately reclaiming her vitality through rest, reinvention and getting her sleep back through the power of hormone therapy (thanks for delaying your nightly progesterone wind-down for us, Jen! The episode also touches on the essential book The Upgrade by neuroscientist Dr Louann Brizendine and offers advice on how and why you need to prioritize health care, making investments even when it’s not covered by insurance. 

01:42 The power of language

03:00 Challenging ageism

05:41 Embracing midlife

10:06 Financial impacts of ageism

12:15 Navigating negative programming

26:15 Dealing with friendship loss

28:46 Navigating toxic relationships

29:44 Embracing new friendships

32:08 Perimenopause and Burnout

35:42 Hormone therapy journey

39:29 Advocating for women's health

49:59 Starting over at midlife

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In part 2 of her interview with Buff Bones' Rebekah Rotstein tells Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen about the complexities of health during perimenopause and menopause, highlighting the importance of both mineral density, muscles, tendons, collagen and fascia. 

She outlines the Buff Bones comprehensive exercise plan to hit all the targets in a week, emphasizing personalized care and the importance of mobility and motor control exercises. They explore the impact of collagen, estrogen and (briefly) progesterone on bone health and dive into the fascinating role of fascia in the body's connective tissue system – and in menopause. 

02:01 Building bone and muscle through menopause
04:38 The importance of mobility
07:03 Collagen and bone density
09:40 Hormone therapy and bone health
18:46 The role of fascia in health

NB: These episodes were recorded in late 2023. 

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This week we get down to basics, and basics are exactly what we need in this confusing world right now. This is THE podcast to listen to if you are confused about all things to do with taking hormone therapy.

Dr Vikram Sinai Talaulikar is a specialist in reproductive medicine at University College London Hospital’s NHS Foundation Trust and an associate professor in Women’s Health at the University College London. He graduated in medicine in India in 2003 and completed a postgraduate degree in obstetrics and gynecology in 2007. He is a certified menopause specialist by the British Menopause Society, a menopause trainer and he is constantly educating others on this transition as well, via online webinars, events and through social media. 

He is also part of the trio who established the Menopause Research Education Fund, alongside medical journalist Fiona Clarke and groundbreaking menopause campaigner Diane Danzebrink.

Highlights of our discussion: 

• Hormone therapy (HT) 101
• WHI: good, bad and what we can learn from it 20 years on
• Estrogen in the pill vs estrogen in HT 
• All the kinds of estrogen and what they are used for strogen too ethinyl estradiolEstrone, Estriol, Estradiol, and Estetrol.17 beta estradiol
• Getting to the bottom of body simila, body identical and bioidentical – and why that varies from country to country 
• Pharmaceutical company produced HT vs compounding pharmacy versions
• the big “Catch-22” with compounding pharmacies that keeps their bioidentical hormones out of official recommendations
• the pill, HRT and breast cancer risk
• why problems with the pill don’t get flagged and HRT does 
• Evidence over estrogen and breast cancer risk (and randomized trials versus observational data)
• What’s what: progesterone, progestin and progestogens (how they work and which one carries a slight risk for breast cancer)
• how long you really need to take HRT to see if it’s working
• why HT works for some people and not others
• Dr Talaulikar’s favourite non-hormonal treatments

Where to find Dr Talaulikar:

X: @VikramSinai 

Web: Menopause Clinic London

Menopause Research and Education Fund

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“Just put it out there. No one expects you to be perfect.”

When Colleen Rosenblum talks about starting the Hot Flashes & Cool Topics podcast with her partner Bridgett Biagi Garratt in 2019, you kind of want to stand up and cheer. These Nashville-based friends – Colleen is an attorney turned pilates instructor, Brigit is a former elementary school teacher –  are two of the most clear-headed voices in the North American midlife sp, all the things that happen in midlife and how we get through them. 

They also just had their first IRL Hot Flashes & Cool Topics with Prime Women event this month, where they talked about menopause, midlife and a lot more. 

Highlights: 

• Navigating politics  in the menopause space 
• Doctors private public 
• Doing scary new things in midlife 
• How backward it was (and still is) that midlife have the purchasing power but are left out of media coverage
• Shining a light on the positives of midlife 
• Growing through the grief and loss in your empty nest 
• Starting over and deciding what you want to do with the rest of your life
• What they’ve learned interviewing doctors
• The most controversial topic they’ve come across – testosterone pellets – and Bridget’s own experience with them
• Why we don’t want to change doctors – even when ours knows nothing about perimenopause 
• How being scared of menopause can make it harder 
• Colleen and Bridget look back on their own perimenopause experiences
• Why they left their careers behind and how they feel about it now 
• What it felt like when they launched their podcast – and why women need to stop underestimating the experience they have in life 

NB: For an alternative view about  testosterone, check out episode 58 with Nashville, Tennessee-based nurse practitioner Brooke Faught and for testosterone pellets, listen to episode 79 with Phoenix, Arizona-based integrative physician Dr Angela DeRosa. 

For more on HFCT:
Hot Flashes & Cool Topics
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Pinterest
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We hear this message all the time: compounding pharmacies and the bioidentical hormones they produce are dangerous and unregulated.

But, are they? In an encore episode of Hotflash inc, to find out we turned to two people who are inside the industry, which accounts for about 1 to 2 per cent of drugs sold, and getsa very different story. 

Meet Scott Brunner, CEO of the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding, which represents compounding pharmacists and technicians as well as prescribers, educators, researchers and suppliers in the United States, and Jennifer Burch, a doctor of pharmacy and owner of the independent pharmacy her father started in Durham, North Carolina. Although this episode focuses on the compounding pharmacies industry in the US, there are takeaways that can be applied all over the world. 

Highlights: 

• The drug industry began with compounding pharmacies – so why are they still here? (4.45)

• The rigorous regulatory framework in place to oversee them (5.50)

• How compounding pharmacies help patients traditional pharmaceuticals cannot – including in menopause (7.32)

• Examples in peri/menopause where compounded medications help where pharmaceuticals cannot (10.13)

• How practioners work collaboratively with compounding pharmacists (12.30) 

• The one way pharmacists can tell if a medication is working for a patient (13.10)

• How compounded menopause hormone therapy works and is overseen by pharmacists, practitioners and patient consulation for peri/menopause symptoms – and how it’s different from how the majority of HRT prescriptions handled (13.30)

• The rare cases where compounding has gone wrong (17.30)

• The difference between synthetic and bioidentical hormones (and how even doctors confuse them) (19.01)

• Why you probably want to skip medroxyprogesterone and go for bioidentical progesterone instead (21.00)

• The imminent threat facing the compounding industry (26.00)

• Why the compounding isn’t even suited to the large-scale clinical trials it’s demonized for not having – and how it’s actually tested (27.23)

• The issue of pellets (and why the Alliance wants a more rigorous reporting system for adverse events for all drugs) (37.30)

• The case that may have scarred the FDA about compounding pharmacies (42.20)

• Are compounded medications really more expensive?(43.30)

Find out more:
Web: Compounding.com
Twitter: A4PC @a4pcrx Jennifer Burch @drjenn93

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Paula Rastrick is a British psychotherapist who was prescribed too-high levels of hormone therapy at a private clinic in the UK, which ended up causing more physical and emotional problems than she originally sought treatment for. 

She is also complex trauma survivor and classed as a Highly Sensitive Person and her mission is to raise awareness of both and how they impact menopause transition.

Her episode runs in the same week that the British Menopause Society released a warning about reports of high doses of menopause hormone therapy being given in the UK, and the syndrome known as tachyphlaxis. This is what happens when people taking drugs find the drugs to be less effective over time, and in the case of hormone therapy, can mean women with high estradiol levels may believe they need more estrogen, and also that women with higher levels of estrogen can experience adverse mood-related symptoms. 

Paula has create the brain body method of working with women on post-traumatic growth, resilience and healing.. She works with clients one-on-one and has just begun offering affordable monthly workshops that educate women about their body’s stress and trauma responses and gives them tools to handle and process it which you can access through her website. 

Highlights of our conversation: 

• Her story of being overprescribed HRT
• The vastly understood role of childhood trauma and highly sensitive people in perimenopause 
• Why all mood issues are not simply another perimenopause  “symptom” 
• What happens when too much estrogen hits a highly sensitive brain
• Remembering HRT is a pharmaceutical drug, not our body’s actual hormones 
• Low and slow as a guiding principle 
• ADHD, neurodiversity and more
• Why menopause needs to connect the dots with other research
• Why menopause is a bio-psycho-social transitio
• Differential diagnosis and the danger of counting everything as a perimenopause symptom
• Is there such a thing as menopause mood disorder? 
• Narrowing the conversation is not helping women
• Why trauma isn’t about the event - it’s about how you process the event 
• Libido loss – and the pain and stress of knowing that our relationships need work – in perimenopause 
• HRT as a baseline to tackle everything else rather than a magic pill 
• What do you do when you listen and think ‘this sounds like me’
• The book she recommends you start with if you think this might be you

Where to find Paula: 

IG+TikTok: @mrspaularastrick

Web:Thebrainbodymethod.com

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BIG NEWS: Hotflash inc is the #1 Women's Health Podcast on Goodpods, and in the top 1.5 percent of podcasts according to Listen Notes. 

Thanks so much for making that happen! 

In today's episode, I talk about traveling to New York for my first big event on behalf of Hotflash inc. 

And how I finally realized that I belong in the room. 

The broad themes are connection, confidence and purpose.

But the main point, as it always seems to be, is loving and accepting yourself. And how to get there, even if it seems like it takes a lifetime. 

I talk about the long, hard road to building the confidence to feel worthy of being there, and to keep confident while there, about the essential-ness of connecting with other people, and of the beauty in finding and having a sense of purpose – all essentials, and all things that it can feel like midlife and peri/menopause threatens. 

But if you let them, they can be just the opposite. 

I talk about the feeling of ALMOST entering menopause, meeting heroes, becoming your own hero, and what it feels like to start to see yourself, accept yourself, and BECOME yourself, after all this time. 

Also discussed in this episode:

Not wearing heels when everyone else is + the beauty of proper hair and makeup

How I got involved with Perry, the sisterhood for perimenopause

Perry panel members: State of Menopause’s Stacy London, Menopocalypse author and Nyah Health cofounder Amanda Thebe, Behavioural Sleep Doc Dr. Shelby Harris,  The Menopause mogul Dr. Joy’El Ballard, Endocrinologist Dr. Disha Narang, journalist and midlife influencer Tamsen Fadel, ob-gyn and menopause expert Dr Sharon Malone and most inspirational-in-midlife maven Rachel Hughes

Yvonne, Hotflash inc perimenoposse member extraordinaire

Coffee in Bryant Park with pro-aging advocate Skylar Liberty Rose (apologies, I say ROSS)

Menopause Multiverse Cocktail Hour in Harlem: Hosted by Omisade Burney-Scott (Black Girl's Guide to Menopause) and featuring many amazing women including Karen Arthur (Menopause Whilst Black); Jessica Jolie (Age Lust) and and the fearless, wonderfully profane and inspiring Mona Eltahawy, who has such astonishing courage that I switched my own nickname for summoning courage from LADY BALLS MONAS

The hero’s journey of menopause and midlife 

Showing up for yourself

Thank you so much to Perry and Omi and sparks & honey and everyone else who helped me be a part of this.

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BIG NEWS: Hotflash inc is the #1 Women's Health Podcast on Goodpods, and in the top 1.5 percent of podcasts according to Listen Notes. 

Thanks so much for making that happen! 

While Hotflash inc takes a break, we are replaying a popular episode:

Dr Maria Luque is an Austin, Texas-based, United States Air Force veteran (she was a fitness program manager) and health science professor who studied fitness in menopause for her doctorate.

She is bothered by the reams of health, fitness and nutrition information on social media, never mind when it comes to what we are supposed to be doing in peri/menopause.  Her approach is careful, measured, and science-based, and at 47, she's really frank about her own challenges at this stage of life with brain fog, body image and more. She's also a huge fan of putting on muscle and all that can do for us, both now and down the road.

This episode was #66, originally published on March 18, 2023.

Highlights:

• Why it's better to add things that take things away (3.45)
• Losing weight doesn't address a poor body image (4.07)
• Why we are all tired of fitness (5.41)
• How the diet and fitness world is designed to bamboozle you (7.26)
• Diet and exercise can never fix everything – and it never did  (10.12)
• How perimenopause is opening up a Pandora's box (12.42)
• We have the wisdom to figure this out, we just need to listen (18.34)
• Why the HRT conversation needs a little more moderation (21.50)
• Navigating the tricky world of interpreting research (25.41)
• Other problems in menopause reporting + research (29:16)

Where to find Maria:
Web: Fitnessinmenopause.com
IG: @drmarialuque
Twitter: @DoctorLuque
Ideafit: Dr Luque

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Dr. Burt Webb is an Arizona-based ob-gyn and intimate wellness specialist who takes a holistic, functional, integrative approach to women’s health. (He also represents the non-invasive soundwave treatment Cliovana, which we discuss in part 2 of this podcast.)

This week he gets into all the different treatments, hormone therapy and otherwise – that he uses for the entire pelvic region. With almost 30 years in practice treating women, he is one of the most switched-on mainstream practitioners to appear on the podcast. 

This is a fascinating conversation and the second in our first-ever two-part episode. Don’t forget to listen back to last week, on episode 83, when we talked all about why he believes a dry vagina isn’t always just a dry vagina due to menopause. And gives us major guidance on how to tackle the issue systemically. 

Highlights: 

• Vaginal estrogen and breast cancer, including specifics on how to use it differently 
• “They aren’t as familiar with the vagina” (who he’s talking about)
• That time he coached a young woman on a plane about vaginal health (she asked) 
• How he uses vaginal 
• DHEA? 
• Additional ingredients in vaginal estrogen and why they may not work for you
• Why your clitoris is a lot bigger than you think – and any treatment needs to focus on all of it 
• Why women need to educate themselves – and men – about their bodies  
• How the body’s own healing factors can be harnessed to help your vagina
• Cliovana, radio frequency, laser treatments and the O-shot – and what’s best for what issue
• Why mixing and matching – and tissue health – are key to treating each women individually
• What to look for in an intimate wellness specialist 
• How the placebo effect plays a part in treatment 

Web: cliovana.com

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Dr. Burt Webb is an Arizona-based ob-gyn and intimate wellness specialist with a holistic approach to women’s health. (He also represents the non-invasive soundwave treatment Cliovana, which we discuss in part 2 of this podcast.)

He joins the Hotflash inc podcast to talk about how our entire body plays a role in our vaginal health – and genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). With almost 30 years in practice treating women, he is one of the most switched-on mainstream practitioners to appear on the podcast. 

Contrary to the prevailing narrative – oh how we love that here – he believes a dry vagina isn’t always just a dry vagina due to menopause. And he explains all the different factors that may be going into this. 

This is a fascinating conversation and the first-ever two-part episode. Stay tuned to next week when he gets into all the different treatments, hormone therapy and otherwise – that he uses to treat the entire pelvic region. This is very different to what you are hearing elsewhere. 

Highlights: 

• The role of blood flow and nutrients in menopause – and in particular, vagina stuff 
• How and why the vagina gets lubricated (hint: it’s like a cheesecloth)
• How your gut microbiome impacts you mind, body and vagina
• The role of food insensitivities – and chemicals in processed food – in GSM 
• Why a probiotic isn’t enough 
• Vaginal hormone therapy in treating GSM 
• Why you need pharmaceutical-grade supplements (it’s about the absorption) 
• Why he looks at the tissues – and the four areas where symptoms of dryness and pain in the vagina appear
• How inflammation contributes to poor sexual health and ultimately heart disease 
• Vaginal estrogen and breast cancer - the consensus opinion 
• Why he believes most vaginal estrogen is not used correctly – and how it should be

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Michelle Aspinwall is a Medical Intuitive, Body Whisperer, and transformative healer whose mission is to shift women’s health specifically beyond 40. 

Michelle works with women worldwide using both science and spirit channeling leading them through specific and transformative health challenges. She teaches women that how they think, believe, support, and nourish themselves creates the foundation for her to become her most magnetic and vibrant being for the entirety of her life.

She also believes that we are humans and spiritual beings, and because of that, we can take part in the entire smorgasbord of the earth’s experience: East, West, and everything in between. (As in: she uses testosterone and acupuncture for her perimenopausal symptoms)

Highlights: 

• How are various systems work together
• The vital years from 37-50
• Perimenopause and our crown chakra
• Developing our intuitive muscles
• Why and how it hurts not to tell your truth during this transition – and why it has everything and nothing to do time
• Our experience, our perception of the experience, and the stories about the experience 
• Using hormones for the human parts of us to augment and assist our spiritual selves
• Understanding the magnitude of source and how it’s reflected in us 
• Why we need to tend to our heart more than ever now – and how to begin to do that 
• How she manages her thyroid and Hashimoto’s with Western and Eastern medicine, food and living in truth 
• How the stress of the world heightens our symptoms and disorders – and how to navigate the turmoil and tumult energetically 

Where to find Michelle: 

• Web: michelleaspinwall.com
• TikTok: @BodyWhisperer
• IG: @Michellepaspinwall
• FB: Body Whisperer Lounge
• Free Meditation

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Dr Angela DeRosa is a doctor of osteopathy, integrative physician and hormone specialist in Arizona. She has a unique take on the current peri/menopause landscape as a doctor of osteopathy who also worked as senior medical director for Procter & Gamble, helping them launch osteoporosis treatments and try – and fail – to get a testosterone patch for women approved for use in 2004.

During her years with the pharmaceutical division, she saw firsthand how women’s ability to get proper medical care and treatment is thwarted due to politics, gender bias and poorly trained physicians. Her mission is to teach women about what’s happening to them physically, how they can obtain proper treatment, and how to change the paradigm of medicine so women everywhere can live healthier and happier lives.

Dr DeRosa discusses her view and experience of testosterone, which she says few doctors understand. This includes her endorsement of and cautions about the controversial use of pellets, as well as the important role of the thyroid, the vital interplay with blood sugar and the road to insulin resistance, and much more.

Highlights: 

•  What it’s like working for Big Pharma 
•  Her view on Intrinsa, the Proctor & Gamble testosterone patch the FDA did not approve almost 20 years ago
•  We are more than estrogen – and why testosterone is pivotal
•  The vital interplay between falling testosterone and insulin resistance
•  The crucial thyroid piece – and why thyroid health must come first
•  Why so many people don’t understand how to properly administer testosterone
•  Why pellets are like colour TV (and what people get wrong about them
•  How to avoid unsafe doses 
•  What is "fulminant fear", why it's rare and how to avoid it
•  Her take on “menopause is natural” 
•  Her take on fezolinetant, aka Veozah, the non-hormonal drug for hot flashes 
•  Why you want your hormone therapy to be “biomemetic” aka bioidentical
•  What you think you know about compounding pharmacies is wrong (including that they are always “expensive”) 
•  Why we need to look at the “whole universe” of what’s available 

Where to find Dr DeRosa: 

• drhotflash.com
• hormonalhealthinstitute.com

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FYI: this is a very important replay of one of my most popular episodes, which was originally posted in November. 

Jennifer Harrington is a naturopathic doctor based in Sydney, Australia. Her interest in natural therapies started when she was diagnosed with PCOS in her early twenties and told she may struggle to ever have children. After experimenting with birth control pills, but found her symptoms got worse and found her way to naturopathy, and she got better. Although she had a career in television, she decided to retrain so she could help other women. After graduating she worked at the famous Chiva Som Health Resort in Thailand and later opened her own clinic. In 2014 she started Menopause Natural Solutions, and she now helps perimenopausal and menopausal women all over the world. 

In this episode you will learn about:

• Jennifer’s own perimenopausal journey, which includes massive blood loss, uterine polyps and fibroids 
• Why fibroids happen and what can be done about them
• The importance of salt and electrolytes
• What happens to ovulation in perimenopause
• What the gut microbiome has to do with estrogen 
• Why you need to know how you metabolize estrogen 
• The role of inflammation, insulin resistance and Tamoxifen
• The one thing that you might be missing that can help massively in perimenopause
• The mistake most women make with HRT
• Alternative treatments for vaginal dryness
• Why thrush shifts to BV in perimenopause 

Where to find Jennifer: 

Web Menopausenaturalsolution
Podcast Menopause Natural Solutions
Facebook menopausenaturalsolutions
Instagram @menopausenaturalsolutions
YouTube @menopausenaturalsolutions

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It's a broad claim, but if I’m more clear on what is going on now that I’ve done it, I can guarantee you will be if you listen.  

Dr Kirstey Holland is a Melbourne, Australia-based doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine who holds a double degree in acupuncture and herbal medicine. She is a practitioner of environmental and nutritional medicine, functional medicine and naturopathy. 

Her approach to perimenopause is grounded in ancient wisdom, and is personalized for every woman to suit our own unique needs – because we are all different. 

And she caught my eye on Instagram because not only is she calm, knowledgeable and relatable, she appears to know more about the totality of perimenopause than most of the other doctors on social media. 

In this podcast, Dr Holland gets at the heart of what is going on with women struggling through this transition with one of the best explanations of what’s happening internally – and how that plays out in our external world – that I’ve ever heard. She explains how this process intersects with the body’s own detoxification process and how we can step up to help, easing our symptoms, reducing inflammation and exposure to future diseases in the process. When you listen to Dr Holland, it becomes clear that in order to experience vitality during this time of transition, it’s essential that we focus on nourishing our brain, gut, adrenals and thyroid. She also talks about everything you need to consider if you are considering hormone therapy, which she is not only taking, but is skilled at prescribing in a tailored and holistic manner. 

Highlights:

• The intersection of trauma and perimenopause
• What is actually happening in our bodies – and how that plays out in our lives
• Why cleaning up what we consume is so important at this juncture
• Why we need to be careful about alcohol
• The vital role of gut health
• Why and how she tests people in perimenopause 
• The essential role of our detox pathways
• Why we need to “restump the house”
• Why do so many doctors seem to have orthorexia?
• Her magic, super-simple nutritional formula
• Why we need to remind ourselves of hunter-gatherers
• How she found her voice

Where to find Dr Holland: 

Web: Thehollandclinic.com
IG: @thehollandclinic

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Dr Mary Claire Haver is a Texas-based board-certified ob-gyn and Certified Culinary Medicine specialist. She’s also TikTok’s top menopause doc with two million followers, published The Galveston Diet in January and is working on another book, this one specifically about menopause. 

I spoke to Dr Haver in early April and we talked about everything from hard times to why she believes every woman should take hormone therapy to reduce their risk of disease. 

Remember to listen to the disclaimer at the end and remember, this is not medical advice. (For counterpoints on hormone therapy for cardiovascular disease prevention, check out episode 66. For counterpoints on compounded hormones, check out episode 45. For counterpoints on the evolutionary theory of menopause, check out episode 2.)

Highlights: 

• How she hit the ground running from her very first Tiktok
• Finding out about the gaps in her own education
• Why menopause gets shoved into a little corner
• How the US healthcare system is preventing better menopause care 
• Why she chose to open a private clinic (and why she knows its elitist)
• What board-certified means (and why it’s better - even if it still doesn’t have much to do with menopause)
• How far behind menopause research has been and continues to be
• Her take on how to find good experts to follow – and how to get better care at the doctor’s office
• Her dream for research
• How she prescribes HRT 
• Her take on the progesterone-progestin question (and why she doesn’t like the “demonization” of synthetic hormones)
• Remembering we are all bio-diverse (and will react to HRT in our own way and need lots of options)
• How and why she pivoted to a more pro-hormone therapy message
• Why she says hormone therapy prescribing does not require expensive hormone testing – at any stage 
• Her answer to the question: Should women go on hormone therapy for prevention, not symptom treatment
• Why she thinks our generation is having a harder time in this – and how our mothers are guiding our health choices 
• How trauma is impacting our time in menopause 
• Her advice for you if you’re struggling (and some US telehealth recommendations)

Where to find Dr Haver:

Web: Galvestondiet.com
TikTok - @drmaryclaire

Instagram - drmaryclaire; the.galveston.diet
Facebook - The Galveston Diet Mary Claire Haver,

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Day raver, cold swimmer, rabble-rouser, educator, author, podcaster, academic and publisher of scientific papers: Joyce Harper is a professor of reproductive science at the Institute for Women's Health, University College London. 

She’s also author of the 2021 book Your Fertile Years and hosts the podcast Why didn’t anyone tell me this?

Harper is uncompromised and unflappable. She is all about the evidence. She’s not opposed to HRT but isn’t a breathless enthusiast either. It has to be about the evidence, she argues, otherwise it’s just stories and anecdotes that don’t add up to anything. 

NB: We are both members of a balanced-approach group called MenoClarity, and we recorded this podcast before Joyce was quoted in a controversial Daily Mail article alleging excessive and unsafe HRT prescribing practices at a chain of private clinics in the UK. 

When I followed up with her about it, she said: "We need to give women accurate information about the menopause and treatments. In the UK we've created huge negativity – some suggesting menopause is a disorder. It's not fair to women and I really worry for the next generations who are now nearing menopause. Menopause can be difficult for some. But for most it's a transition and life post menopause can be the most exciting and liberating stage of our lives."

(As always, I’m not a medical professional and this podcast is not medical advice.  Expert opinion varies widely. Please listen to the disclaimer at the end podcast as well.) 

Highlights: 

• Almost 30 years after she completed her PhD, women still don’t understand their bodies
• Why we need to teach people what’s “normal” so they know when to seek help
• How she approaches research – and how we need to as well 
• Her top myths in women’s health and menopause
• When you should go on HRT and why dosing matters 
• How overall health sets you up for perimenopause
• Issues with the push for testosterone
• Why anecdotes are not research 
• Her research-based conclusions the claims that can prevent dementia 
• Why being post-menopause is so great 
• Her homework assignment for every perimenopausal woman

Where to find Joyce:

Web: Joyceharper.com; Globalwomenconnected.com
Twitter: @profjoyceharper
Instagram @profjoyceharper

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

I'm a journalist critical thinking my way through my own perimenopause.

In searching for good information, balance and context for myself, the Substack I publish on the subject, various social media accounts, and the interviews and solo episodes I do on this podcast, sometimes I just get floored at the things I see and hear on social media and in traditional media about menopause.

The reality is, I interview doctors all the time and they are knowledgeable and doing good work and passionate and all over the world, and they are also all over the place  on the basics, and have loads of blind spots.

But you wouldn't know that to look at social media.

The research is scant, considering half of women go through peri/menopause, and I just don't think as a journalist and a researcher there is room for this much certainty.

Hence, this episode.

As always: listen to the disclaimer at the end: this is not health advice.

Among the things I talk about here:

• the promise of HRT for prevention of dementia and cardiovascular disease vs the literature

• doctors menopause gurus on social media

• what 'medical gaslighting' actually is vs what people on social media are saying it is

• the missing conversation about autoimmune disorders vis-a-vis peri/menopause

• my own ongoing issues accessing hormone therapy from doctors in the Middle East

• the importance of going beyond menopause as an explanation for why more women experience dementia (and a host of other issues) than men

• asking why people get bejiggity about progesterone

• scary, uninformed yet appealing-to-the-masses influencers

• going from raising awareness about perimenopause to terrifying women – and is that better?

• an argument for the low and slow approach

• questioning the narrative that this isn't supposed to be happening

Studies referenced:

Global consensus testosterone position statement
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
HRT for symptoms or prevention of dementia and cardiovascular disease
Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society 2022
Circulation, the Journal of the American Heart Association 2023
Alzheimers.org.UK
Progestogens + breast cancer risk
Plos Journal 2023
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 2008

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Gerianne DiPiano is chairman and CEO of FemmePharma, which produces among other things a range of solutions for women going through menopause. That includes personal lubricants and moisturizers, and hot flash and sleep remedies. Geri has had a three-decade career in women's health, working at the top levels of the pharmaceutical industry as well as founding her own companies. She has amazing stories to tell about the business of menopause, about the science behind hormone therapy and various products. We talk about everything from clinical trials to letting your hair go gray. 

Highlights:

• Hormones sure, but women need options for individual symptoms
• The problem with a lot of vaginal moisturizers and hormone therapies
• How we are conditioned to take hormones and what might be the problem with that
• There are risks to hormone therapy – don’t let anyone tell you there’s not
• Why you need to fact check influencers, doctors on social media + your own doctor (PubMed is a great place to start)
• What we’ve finally figured out about women – and how to use that power
• We’ve finally reached a North American menopause revolution – and what needs to follow
• A peek inside her experience as one of the only women inside Big pharma at the C-suite level
• How the traditionally male-dominated Big Pharma continues to impact women’s health care today
• The anecdote you have to hear about the possibility of a testosterone patch from Geri’s former career
• The one big thing pharmaceutical companies need to do in developing products for women safely
• Her peri/menopause experience + philosophy
• Becoming a certified silver sister

Where to find FemmePharma and Mia Vita:

Web: FemmePharma.com
Instagram: @FemmePharma

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Karen Arthur is the ultimate multi-potentate: a leader in the global menopause space; former teacher, fashion creative, model, activist, grandmother, mentor and so much more. Her podcast Menopause Whilst Black is now in it’s third season; she’s been featured across major media platforms in Britain and North America, and she’s a well-respected and reasonable presence on social media. Karen speaks on a range of topics including mental wellbeing and finding courage to change your mind, your direction and your life. 

Highlights:

• The power of learning to make choices (4.00)
• Realizing it was always peri/menopause (5.45)
• “I fell down a hole” (8.00)
• Navigating the space between saying “f*** it” to the life you don’t want and finding one you do (11.00)
• What helped her out of physical pain (18.27)
• Recognizing and rejecting expectations (27.15)
• A path to curating the next decades of your life (36.21)
• Affirmations are woo-woo but they work (39.50)
• What she found out about Black women in menopause (49.05)
• What helps her in menopause, including HRT, and why you have to be patient (59.50)
• We can change – and should – change our minds (1.07.29)

Where to find Karen: 

Web: TheKarenArthur.com
Podcast: MenopauseWhilstBlack
Instagram: @MenopauseWhilstBlack
Twitter: @thekarenarthur

SPONSORS:

Become anti-flush cooling clothing | Now shipping to the US | 
Use code HOTFLASHINC to get a 20 percent discount

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

This podcast originally ran on July 10th, 2025

In this episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, host and founder Ann Marie McQueen sits down with Dr Lara Briden – a naturopath, women’s health speaker, and author of Period Repair Manual, Hormone Repair Manual, and Metabolism Repair for Women. Together, they unpack some of the buzziest and most confusing midlife health trends: from hormone therapy + GLP-1 combos to supplement overwhelm, vaginal estrogen, and the sudden concern over labia shrinkage.

Dr Briden brings a refreshing and deeply grounded perspective to the conversation, challenging common narratives and reminding us of the biological brilliance of the female body – especially in midlife.


Highlights:

• The overhyped narrative about hormone therapy and GLP-1s
• What GLP-1 medications really do, and why they’re fascinating to Dr. Briden
• Supplements as a security blanket, and why Ann Marie and her friends are rethinking them
• Taking a “supplement holiday” – what it is and why it helps
• The connection between GLP-1s and gut health
• What happens when you go off hormone therapy or GLP-1s?
• A naturopath’s minimalist supplement travel kit
• Vaginal changes in menopause: what’s real, what’s clickbait
• The difference in how men vs women are told to view their bodies as they age
• Vaginal estrogen and the truth about genitourinary syndrome of menopause
• The bizarre labia shrinkage trend and the pressure of “perfect” body parts
• Why menopause is not a mistake of evolution – it’s a feature
• The danger of over-identifying with health labels
• “Wear it lightly” – a powerful reframe from Dr. Briden
• The trend of diagnosing yourself through Instagram
• Not everyone suffers in perimenopause – and that’s okay

Connect with Dr. Lara Briden:

• Website: www.larabriden.com
• Instagram: @larabriden
• X: @larabriden
• Books: Available wherever books are sold, including Bookshop.org, Amazon, and Pan Macmillan

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

This podcast originally ran on December 12th, 2025

In this episode, Ann Marie speaks with Dr Gary Elkins, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University and director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory, in Waco, Texas. Dr. Elkins is the leading researcher in the field of clinical hypnosis for menopause, with more than 25 years of experience and more 100 peer-reviewed publications.

He joins Hotflash inc to explore the groundbreaking science behind hypnosis for hot flashes, its surprising effectiveness (up to 70% reduction!), how it works in the brain, why it matters for breast cancer survivors, and how hypnosis may also support sleep, stress, and other midlife symptoms. They also discuss Evia, the self-hypnosis app built on Dr. Elkins’ research, and the critical importance of hjaving non-pharmaceutical options for symptom relief.

Highlights

• How hypnosis became part of NAMS (now The Menopause Society) guidelines
• Research showing hypnosis reduces hot flashes by 70%
• What hypnosis is and what it definitely isn’t
•  What happens in the brain during hypnosis
•  The “triple fallacy” and misunderstanding physical symptoms
•  Comparing hypnosis to hormone therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
•  How hypnosis helps improve sleep and calm anxiety
•  Why hot flashes are a physiological issue, not a psychological one
•  What to expect: when and how hypnosis starts to work
•  The power of daily practice and support from others
•  Addressing misconceptions about hypnotizability and intelligence
•  What the research says about empathy, creativity and hypnosis
•  The mind-body connection and the experiential system
•  How hypnosis taps into the subconscious (without the woo)
•  Dr. Elkins on consulting for the Evia app and why it matters
•  Future research: hypnosis for sleep and psychedelic states without drugs

Guest Info – Dr. Gary Elkins

•  Website: www.garyelkins.org
•  Book: Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy: What You Need to Know
•  Handbook: Handbook of Medical and Psychological Hypnosis

•• Evia App: https://www.eviamenopause.com

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In this episode, Ann Marie speaks with Dr Gary Elkins, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University and director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory, in Waco, Texas. Dr. Elkins is the leading researcher in the field of clinical hypnosis for menopause, with more than 25 years of experience and more 100 peer-reviewed publications.

He joins Hotflash inc to explore the groundbreaking science behind hypnosis for hot flashes, its surprising effectiveness (up to 70% reduction!), how it works in the brain, why it matters for breast cancer survivors, and how hypnosis may also support sleep, stress, and other midlife symptoms. They also discuss Evia, the self-hypnosis app built on Dr. Elkins’ research, and the critical importance of hjaving non-pharmaceutical options for symptom relief.

Support shoutout Thank you to our sponsor, Timeline Nutrition – makers of Mitopure™, the first clinically tested Urolithin A supplement that supports cellular energy and muscle strength. Visit www.timeline.com and use the code HOTFLASH for 20% off your first order.

Thank you to KION for sponsoring the first-ever Hotflash inc Summit. Their aminos is a clean, science-backed essential amino acid supplement that gives your body what it needs to build and repair muscle. It's sugar-free, vegan, non-GMO, and most importantly, third-party tested. Try it for yourself at getkion.com/hotflash  for 20% off your first order.

Highlights

• How hypnosis became part of NAMS (now The Menopause Society) guidelines
• Research showing hypnosis reduces hot flashes by 70%
• What hypnosis is and what it definitely isn’t
•  What happens in the brain during hypnosis
•  The “triple fallacy” and misunderstanding physical symptoms
•  Comparing hypnosis to hormone therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
•  How hypnosis helps improve sleep and calm anxiety
•  Why hot flashes are a physiological issue, not a psychological one
•  What to expect: when and how hypnosis starts to work
•  The power of daily practice and support from others
•  Addressing misconceptions about hypnotizability and intelligence
•  What the research says about empathy, creativity and hypnosis
•  The mind-body connection and the experiential system
•  How hypnosis taps into the subconscious (without the woo)
•  Dr. Elkins on consulting for the Evia app and why it matters
•  Future research: hypnosis for sleep and psychedelic states without drugs

Guest Info – Dr. Gary Elkins

•  Website: www.garyelkins.org
•  Book: Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy: What You Need to Know
•  Handbook: Handbook of Medical and Psychological Hypnosis
•  Evia App: https://www.eviamenopause.com

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Announcing the First Hotflash inc Summit: Everything You Need to Know

In this episode, the host discusses their excitement about hosting the first Hotflash Inc. Summit from September 29th to October 4th. They detail their extensive preparation over the past three months, including interviewing 36 experts to create a comprehensive resource on menopause. The summit aims to dispel fear and provide evidence-based information on menopause. Highlights include multiple expert sessions, special workouts, guided meditations, and discussions on various health topics. The host also introduces sponsors and showcases additional options for paid all-access passes to further enhance attendees' experiences. The session aims to promote a deeper understanding of menopause, focusing on the holistic impact of this transition on mind, body, and soul.

Highlights

00:00 Introduction and Personal Anecdote

00:29 Announcing the Hotflash Inc Summit

03:00 Summit Details and Speaker Highlights

04:01 Special Sessions and Extras

04:59 Acknowledging Sponsors

09:52 Deep Dive into Speaker Contributions

20:45 Personal Experiences and Reflections

23:37 Closing Remarks and Encouragement

Sign up to the first Hotflash inc summit here

The Hotflash inc Summit is READY + you’re invited!

From Sept 29 – Oct 3, we’re bringing you 36 powerful talks (plus bonuses!) with the smartest, boldest, straight-talking experts on perimenopause + menopause.

Expect real talk, real science + real solutions on:
 • Hormone therapy (what to know + what to expect)
 • Fascia + fitness insights (from Halle Berry’s Respin platform team)
 • Trauma + emotional health in this transition
 • Voices expanding the conversation: Black, South Asian + Muslim practitioners
 • Elderwomen sharing wisdom about stepping into your wise woman years

Meet some of the powerhouse voices shaping the conversation:
Stacy London • Dr. Mariza Snyder • Kim Vopni • Dr. Stacy Barczak Baker

And the best part? 🎉 It’s virtual and completely free to attend.

I’m Ann Marie, founder of Hotflash inc and the only journalist in the world taking a holistic, no-sides approach to this transition. My mission: to give you clarity, not fear, and help you find what feels right for YOU.

This is not your average summit. Don’t miss it. Sign up to the first Hotflash inc summit here

Thank you to our sponsors. Without you, this summit would not be possible.

• MenoLabs
• Bonafide
• KION
• Phosis

The Hotflash inc Summit is for educational purposes only and not to be used or considered for medical advice.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

This podcast originally ran on February 13, 2025

In this episode of Hotflash inc, GenX journalist and host Ann Marie McQueen sits down with neurologist and award-winning dementia care professional Dr Teryn Clarke to discuss the science and lifestyle strategies that can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, which disproportionately affect women. 

Drawing from her book, Brain Health Action Plan: Simple, Science-Backed Lifestyle Changes that Optimize Cognitive Fitness and Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk Dr Clarke shares part actionable tips to improve brain health today and protect it for the long term.
 
 Episode highlights:

• Dr Teryn Clarke’s personal motivation 
• The power of exercise and low sugar diets 
• The surprising immediate benefits of brain-healthy habits 
• Type 3 diabetes
• Intermittent fasting explained
• Seed oils 
• Hormone therapy and 
• Iron buildup in women post-menopause
• Key supplements for brain health
• The emotional connection: how stress, loneliness, and trauma increase dementia risk
• The critical link between hearing, vision, and dementia prevention  
• Why brain stimulation matters: exercise, learning, and meaningful social connections  

🔑 Top Quote

“Genetics load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger.” – Dr Teryn Clarke

📚 Resources and Links

• Dr Teryn Clarke’s book: Brain Health Action Plan
• Website: brainhealthactionplan.com
• Follow Dr Teryn Clarke on X: @MDTeryn

📝 About the Guest Dr Teryn Clarke is a neurologist in Southern California and was named “Dementia Care Professional of the Year” by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America in 2015. She is passionate about educating people on the modifiable lifestyle factors that can prevent cognitive decline and is the author of Brain Health Action Plan, a practical, science-based guide to optimizing brain health.

Sponsor for the original episode was Timeline Nutrition Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity. You can still visit https://shop.timeline.com/HOTFLASHINC  and use the code HOTFLASHINC for an exclusive discount.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In this deep-dive episode, independent researcher and Energy Balance Podcast host Jay Feldman walks Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen through his bioenergetic approach to health, exploring how modern life disrupts our energy systems and misleads us around hormones.

Jay explains why perimenopause symptoms aren’t necessarily signs of estrogen deficiency, what progesterone’s underrated role is, and how metabolism, stress, and gut health all converge to influence the midlife transition.His work has been instrumental in helping Ann Marie connect the dots between her own thyroid, gut health, fatty liver, and hormonal changes. If you're curious, overwhelmed, or stuck between conflicting advice – this one’s for you.

Highlights:

Why the mainstream medical model didn’t cut it for Jay
How energy production impacts reproductive hormones
The cultural lie of “eat less, move more”
Seed oils, PUFAs and what they’re doing to your metabolism
Sunscreens, toenail polish, and endocrine disruption
Why low estrogen blood levels don’t tell the whole story
What your liver and gut have to do with your hormones
Why estrogen replacement might be a band-aid, not a solution
Progesterone as the overlooked hero hormone
A breakdown of the research around hormone therapy and prevention
What’s missing from the Women’s Health Initiative findings
The testosterone-for-everyone trend: risks and realities
Small shifts that support your hormones naturally
How the carrot salad really works
Alcohol, slow motility, gut health and estrogen clearance
The liver support and herbal options that actually help
A loving reminder: there is no magic pill

Special thanks to our sponsor MenoLabs
Get 20% off science-backed support for perimenopause and menopause at menolabs.com using code HOTFLASH20

Guest bio
Jay Feldman is a health coach, independent researcher, and the host of the Energy Balance Podcast. With a background in neuroscience and exercise physiology, he takes a bioenergetic approach to health that focuses on restoring cellular energy and dismantling modern myths around nutrition, metabolism, and hormones. Jay’s personal mission is to help people heal by reconnecting them with their bodies and understanding how modern life throws off our internal systems. 

Work with Jay & explore more

• Website: jayfeldmanwellness.com
• Free Guide: jayfeldmanwellness.com/guide
• Podcast: The Energy Balance Podcast 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, founder and host Ann Marie McQueen talks with serial entrepreneur Carin Luna-Ostaseski – creator of Hot or Just Me?, a comprehensive online platform supporting women through perimenopause and menopause.

Carin’s path from successful whiskey founder to menopause advocate is anything but ordinary. After launching the first American woman and Hispanic-created Scotch whisky (SIA), and pioneering a grant program for underserved entrepreneurs, she found herself navigating hot flashes, anxiety, insomnia and more. Rather than suffer silently, she launched a new venture focused on offering trusted products, expert advice, and a supportive community for other women going through the same.

They talk candidly about hormonal sensitivity, the pressure to take HRT, entrepreneurial lessons, how to optimize sleep (even if your partner snores like a bear) and the most helpful (and unhelpful) products in the menopause space. If you'd like to check out Carin's marketplace Hot or Just Me? use our exclusive discount code for Hotflash inc listeners, HFINC, here for 25 percent off.  

Episode highlights:

• Carin’s journey from tech and whisky to menopause advocacy
• How her own symptoms inspired Hot or Just Me?
• How she selects products for the site and what she avoids
• Her top-selling tools for cooling, comfort, and sexual wellness
• Why she’s cautious about one-size-fits-all supplements
• Thoughts on the “menopause gold rush” and consumer choice
• Why she isn’t on hormone therapy and how that’s played out
• Navigating hormonal sensitivity and IVF struggles
• The nuance around HRT pressure and platform responsibility
• Non-hormonal solutions that work for her (starting with sleep!)
• Caffeine and alcohol hacks that actually help

Sponsor shoutout: Has your doctor told you that you're too young for perimenopause, but you just don’t feel like yourself? You’re not alone – perimenopause can start earlier than you think. That’s why MenoLabs is here, to support you with a range of products and the information you need to confidently speak up and get the care you deserve. They also offer science-backed solutions like their best-seller, MenoFit, a probiotic designed to help relieve symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats and more – all while supporting your overall health and wellness. Visit menolabs.com and get 20% off your order using code: HOTFLASH20

This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Relevant links:

• Website → https://hotorjustme.com
• IG → @hotorjustme
• Find a certified menopause practitioner → me

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In this episode, Ann Marie McQueen speaks with globally recognized strategist Dr Lydia Kostopoulos, whose work spans emerging technology, national security, and macrotrends. But it’s her deep interest in human performance and healthy aging that brings her into the perimenopause conversation.

Lydia shares her experience preparing for this life phase with intention, data, and strategy – including a military-style “perimenopause game plan”. Through her Project N of 1 series and personal research, she’s built a unique, highly organized approach to symptom tracking, risk assessment, and hormone therapy prep – while emphasizing emotional and psychological resilience.

What we cover:
• Why Lydia created her Perimenopause Game Plan series as part of Project N of 1
• Her strategic approach to tracking symptoms, health data, and preparing for hormone therapy
• Insights from interviewing women across generations, disciplines, and cultures
• Why mental and emotional health are critical pillars of healthy aging

Quote:
“If you don’t know you have choices, then you never had a choice.” – Dr Lydia Kostopoulos

Resources & Links:
Perimenopause Game Plan YouTube Playlist
Dr Lydia Kostopoulos on LinkedIn
Instagram: @hilydiak
X @lkcyber

Episode sponsor: Thanks to Menolabs for sponsoring this episode. Perimenopause can start earlier than you think. That’s why Menolabs is here to support you with trusted information and science-backed products like MenoFit, a probiotic designed to help relieve symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and more, all while supporting your overall wellness. Use code HOTFLASH20 for 20% off at menolabs.com 

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend who’s navigating big transitions. Leave a review, subscribe, and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram at @hotflashinc for daily inspiration and support in midlife and beyond.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This podcast originally ran on August 1, 2024

You may have been hearing a lot about testosterone lately – what it is, why we need it, why we can’t get it… I’ve gone to Melbourne, Australia to ask an expert in women’s hormones across our lifespan, and one of the few people who has studied testosterone in-depth.

Professor Susan Davis is a clinician researcher, consulting endocrinologist and head of the Monash University Women’s Health Research Program in Melbourne.

She is going to help us to tackle the current confusion – and hype – over testosterone, armed with what she knows best: the evidence. We talk about it all: the evidence, benefits, and potential misconceptions about testosterone supplementation for women, especially during menopause and perimenopause; the difficulty in measuring testosterone accurately, the placebo effect, risks and benefits of different hormone therapies, including testosterone pellets and creams, and the critical importance of credible sources of information. Professor Davis also highlights her extensive research, including studies on the cardiovascular effects of low testosterone and the physiological impacts on women's health.

Highlights:

03:38 Testosterone's role in a women's hormone structure

06:35 Challenges in measuring testosterone

19:50 Testosterone and cardiovascular health

30:02 The misleading promises of testosterone therapy

32:55 The controversy surrounding pellets

36:17 Breast cancer risks and hormone therapy

40:15 Testosterone for menopausal symptoms

42:12 The role of DHEA in hormone therapy

44:49 The impact of birth control pills

46:26 Navigating hormone therapy and misinformation

50:50 Current research and future directions

53:33 The Influence of social media on health information

56:10 Conclusion and credible resources

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

This podcast originally ran on October 21, 2023.

This week we get down to basics, and basics are exactly what we need in this confusing world right now. This is THE podcast to listen to if you are confused about all things to do with taking hormone therapy.

Dr Vikram Sinai Talaulikar is a specialist in reproductive medicine at University College London Hospital’s NHS Foundation Trust and an associate professor in Women’s Health at the University College London. He graduated in medicine in India in 2003 and completed a postgraduate degree in obstetrics and gynecology in 2007. He is a certified menopause specialist by the British Menopause Society, a menopause trainer and he is constantly educating others on this transition as well, via online webinars, events and through social media. 

He is also part of the trio who established the Menopause Research Education Fund, alongside medical journalist Fiona Clarke and groundbreaking menopause campaigner Diane Danzebrink.

Highlights of our discussion: 

• Hormone therapy (HT) 101
• WHI: good, bad and what we can learn from it 20 years on
• Estrogen in the pill vs estrogen in HT 
• All the kinds of estrogen and what they are used for strogen too ethinyl estradiolEstrone, Estriol, Estradiol, and Estetrol.17 beta estradiol
• Getting to the bottom of body simila, body identical and bioidentical – and why that varies from country to country 
• Pharmaceutical company produced HT vs compounding pharmacy versions
• the big “Catch-22” with compounding pharmacies that keeps their bioidentical hormones out of official recommendations
• the pill, HRT and breast cancer risk
• why problems with the pill don’t get flagged and HRT does 
• Evidence over estrogen and breast cancer risk (and randomized trials versus observational data)
• What’s what: progesterone, progestin and progestogens (how they work and which one carries a slight risk for breast cancer)
• how long you really need to take HRT to see if it’s working
• why HT works for some people and not others
• Dr Talaulikar’s favourite non-hormonal treatments

Where to find Dr Talaulikar:

X: @VikramSinai 

Web: Menopause Clinic London

Menopause Research and Education Fund

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This is a replay of Episode 129, originally aired on 16 November 2024.

In this solo episode, Hotflash inc podcast host and founder Ann Marie McQueen writes down all the questions she has about hormone therapy (and what we hear about hormone therapy).

This is a long time coming: she's been researching perimenopause, menopause, and women's midlife health for 5+ years now.

Settle in. And if you have any questions of your own, use that handy text message feature and send them our way.

The Hotflash inc Podcast is:
One of the Top 60 Menopause Podcasts
In the top 3% percentile on Listen Notes
#1 on Goodpods’ Top 10 Women’s Health Podcasts list

Join the Conversation:
Tag us on Instagram @hotflashinc and tell us your biggest takeaway from today’s episode!

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, supplements, or treatment plan. Opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hotflash inc

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In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, GenX journalist Ann Marie McQueen sits down with Dr Deena Emera, an evolutionary geneticist, senior scientist at the Buck Institute’s Buck Center for Healthy Aging in Women, and author of A Brief History of the Female Body: An Evolutionary Look at How and Why the Female Form Came to Be.

Dr Emera’s research focuses on the genetic basis of reproductive longevity in mammals, and in this fascinating discussion, she breaks down the evolution of menopause, why female bodies age the way they do, and what modern science is uncovering about ovarian health and longevity.

If you’ve ever wondered why menopause exists, how it evolved, and whether science will ever be able to delay or even prevent it, this episode is for you.

Highlights: 

• Understanding evolutionary biology (it's not boring, promise)
• The evolutionary mystery of menopause
• What animals do go through menopause?
• Why all women didn't used to die at 50 (and what actually happened)
• How modern life has changed menopause
• Why Dr Emera needs bowhead whale ovaries
• Can we really end menopause?
• The truth about the Grandmother Hypothesis

Quote:

"Menopause itself isn’t surprising – if you live long enough, you will run out of eggs. What’s unique about humans is that we have such a long post-reproductive life stage. That’s the real mystery we need to solve." – Dr Deena Emera

Where to find Dr Emera:

Instagram: @deenaemera
LinkedIn: Deena Emera
Buy her book: A Brief History of the Female Body – Available on Amazon

Thank you to our sponsor Timeline Nutrition Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity—now available with a 10% discount! Visit timeline.com/HOTFLASH and use the code HOTFLASH to claim your offer!

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any health-related decisions.

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Jessica Barac is a registered nutritionist, personal trainer, and the founder of What The Menopause, a women's health platform of over 950,000 women globally.

After struggling with perimenopause in her late 30s and receiving little support from traditional healthcare, Jessica made it her mission to crack the perimenopause code and regain her vibrancy. Today, she has educated millions of women through her content and developed The Pause Power Method a science-backed approach addressing metabolic dysfunction and inflammation through nutrition, movement, and lifestyle to help women improve symptoms, achieve sustainable fat loss, and step into their most powerful era yet.

Episode highlights

• Jessica's journey from struggling with perimenopause to launching What The Menopause.
• The power of humor: Why memes about menopause resonated with so many women.
• Recognizing perimenopause: The symptoms that caught Jessica by surprise and how she finally connected the dots.
• The impact on family life: Jessica’s husband’s plea to “figure it out” and how her symptoms affected her loved ones.
• Connecting the dots: Why so many women don’t realize that symptoms like anxiety, depression, dry mouth, tinnitus, and frozen shoulder can be linked to perimenopause.
• The power of movement: How strength training, walking, and lifestyle shifts hold everything together in midlife.
• Quitting alcohol: The tough but transformative decision to stop drinking and how it changed Jessica’s life.
• Reframing midlife: The importance of thinking about your 8-year-old and 80-year-old self when making life decisions.

Top Quote

“Perimenopause calls on you to take a very hard look at yourself – if you’re willing to do it.” – Jessica Barac

Where to find Jessica & What The Menopause

Website: whatthemenopause.com

Instagram: @whatthemenopause

Facebook: What The Menopause

TikTok: @whatthemenopause

Thank you to our sponsor Timeline Nutrition Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity—now available with a 10% discount! Visit timeline.com/HOTFLASH and use the code HOTFLASH to claim your offer!

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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This podcast originally ran on October 15, 2024.

Hotflash inc founder and host Ann Marie McQueen sits down with Dr Leigh Erin Connealy, a leading figure in integrative medicine, known for her unique approach in combining conventional and alternative treatments in addressing chronic illnesses and cancer. Dr Connealy is the founder of the Center for New Medicine and the Cancer Center for Healing in Irvine, California and author of two books: The Cancer Revolution and the Be Perfectly Healthy. She is also co-founder of leading hormone brand, Raena Health.

She talks about why so many people are getting cancer, how to make chemotherapy more effective and less lethal, why prevention needs to be the focus. For Dr Connealy, the question we need to be asking: what is going on with your terrain, and why is it making cancer? Everything from the food we eat to the chemicals we surround ourselves with to the emotional work we aren’t doing is causing this. And find out what she thinks our number one risk is – why and what we can do about it. (It’s probably not what you are thinking)

Dr Connealy wants us all to know that in most cases, cancer is 10 years in the making. She has really good guidance for women considering hormone therapy, explaining the differences in synthetic hormones and the importance of the “orchestra”, including progesterone and pregnanalone, and more than one kind of estrogen. She explains why there is no one solution that fits all women – even though that’s what mainstream medicine wants us to believe – and gives guidance on the particular cocktail, with tweaks, that she likes to prescribe. She also gives her take on whether hormone therapy prevents cancer – its worth listening to the end just to hear what she has to say about that – and addresses that ongoing fear women have, which is weighing our fear of breast cancer risk when considering hormone therapy.

Dr Connealy is recognized for her personalized, holistic approach. This episode is nothing short of a masterclass on how to get our inner house in order.

Highlights:

01:56 The importance of personalized medicine

02:07 The rise of chronic diseases

03:09 The need for preventive healthcare

04:44 Challenges in cancer treatment

13:08 The importance of self-care

14:40 The impact of EMFs on health

28:12 The power of essential oils

28:46 Reprogramming the mind with EVOX

29:41 Healing affirmations and subconscious reprogramming

33:37 The importance of sleep and water purification

34:14 Nourishing rour body with proper nutrition

35:01 The role of exercise and movement

35:47 Detoxification and cleasing methods

38:42 Understanding hormonal health and therapy

39:23 Personal experiences with hormonal treatments

46:10 The importance of individualized hormonal care

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, host Ann Marie McQueen sits down with fellow journalist and midlife advocate, Tamsen Fadal. A veteran Emmy Award-winning news anchor, Tamsen has transformed her career into a powerful force for women in midlife. From creating the groundbreaking PBS documentary The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause to her upcoming book How To Menopause (out March 2025), Tamsen is on a mission to change the conversation around menopause, confidence and aging.

Connect with Tamsen Fadal:

• Website: www.tamsenfadal.com
• IG: @tamsenfadal
• TikTok: @tamsenfadal
• YouTube: Tamsen Fadal
• The M Factor Documentary: Watch here

Thanks to our sponsor Timeline Nutrition Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity—now available with a 10% discount! Visit timeline.com/HOTFLASH and use the code HOTFLASH to claim your offer!

From The M Factor team: This partial statement is in response to Hotflash inc's request for comment in light of recent reports and fact-checking of the film by ob-gyn Dr Jen Gunter and published on her platform, The Vagenda. 

The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause” documentary earned continuing medical education (CME) Accreditation. On October 17, 2024 the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) hosted a 90-minute live webinar offering continuing medical education (CME) credit for healthcare providers. The event featured the documentary “The (M) Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause,” which was followed by a moderated discussion with menopause experts Dr. Stephanie Faubion, Mayo Clinic and The Menopause Society and Dr. Wen Shen, Johns Hopkins Medical,  moderated by FSMB board members and one of the film producers. Due to the limited capacity FSMB had for live registrations, CME credit was extended to those on the waitlist who accessed the recorded webinar online. After the live event, FSMB provided access to the recorded webinar for a limited period, and that window closed as scheduled. Accreditation remains intact for all participants, whether live or virtual.

 The FSMB CME webinar and accreditation concluded on November 21, 2024. We stand by our film and the medical doctors who shared their expertise with us. We recognize that others have different viewpoints.  We respect them all and we look forward to working together to help women live longer healthier lives.  

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Thank you to our sponsor Timeline Nutrition Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity—now available with a 10% discount! Visit timeline.com/HOTFLASH and use the code HOTFLASH to claim your offer!

In this episode of The Hotflash inc Podcast journalist and host Ann Marie McQueen Ann Marie sits down with Diane Ducarme, founder and CEO of Migraine Heroes, to uncover the root causes of migraines and discuss how a holistic, science-backed approach can lead to relief and resilience.

Diane blends Western medicine, Eastern healing practices, and advanced technology to tackle migraines at their core. With an MBA from Harvard Business School, a background in science and engineering, to her studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Diane shares how her unique perspective – and attention to detail – is revolutionizing migraine care.

💬 Top Quote:
"We need to stop silencing pain and start listening to it. Migraines are not just headaches—they are a call for balance in the body and mind." – Diane Ducarme

Episode Highlights:
✅ The real reason why migraines are misunderstood in Western medicine
✅ The connection between trauma, the gut-brain axis, and migraines 
✅ How perimenopause and hormonal shifts exacerbate migraine attacks 
✅ Why traditional treatments often fail—and what to do instead 
✅ How adding functional foods (not eliminating) can heal your body 
✅ The power of the vagus nerve and emotional healing in migraine relief 
✅ How the Migraine Heroes app is helping people regain control of their health 

🔎 Take the Free Migraine Test: Click here
📲 Download the Migraine Heroes App: Apple | Google Play
💡 Website: www.mynectarhealth.com
🎙️ Migraine Heroes Podcast: Listen here
📷 Follow on Social Media: Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

📢 Join the Conversation:
Tag us on Instagram @hotflashinc and tell us your biggest takeaway from today’s episode! 🎙️💬

Disclaimer:
This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, supplements, or treatment plan. Opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hotflash Inc.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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Thank you to our sponsor Timeline Nutrition Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity—now available with a 10% discount! Visit timeline.com/HOTFLASH and use the code HOTFLASH to claim your offer!

Welcome to another episode of The Hotflash inc Podcast, where journalist and host Ann Marie McQueen explores all things perimenopause, menopause, midlife, and beyond. In this episode, Ann Marie sits down with Jennifer Scheinman, a registered dietitian nutritionist with over 20 years of experience in functional and integrative nutrition. As the senior manager of Nutrition Affairs at Timeline Nutrition, Jennifer brings expert insight into the science of Urolithin A, gut health, and how nutrition myths impact midlife wellness.

Tune in for a discussion on the power of whole foods, the role of the gut microbiome, and why one-size-fits-all nutrition advice is outdated.

💬 "There is so much noise in the nutrition space today. It has to be about what works for you – your gut, your lifestyle, your goals." – Jennifer Scheinman

Episode Highlights: 

✅ Gut health & perimenopause – why your microbiome matters more than ever

✅ Nutrition myths debunked – is "processed healthy food" an oxymoron?

 ✅ The role of Urolithin A – how this postbiotic molecule helps mitochondrial health & energy

✅ Food sensitivities & midlife – why an individualized approach is key 

✅ Perimenopause & brain fog – what’s happening to our focus & memory 

✅ Seed oils controversy – navigating the ongoing nutrition debate 

✅ How stress impacts digestion & hormones – the gut-brain connection

Follow Jennifer

Instagram: jenscheinman_nutrition

Timeline Longevity on Instagram: timeline_longevity

The Hotflash inc Podcast is:
One of the Top 60 Menopause Podcasts
In the top 3% percentile on Listen Notes
#1 on Goodpods’ Top 10 Women’s Health Podcasts list

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, supplements, or treatment plan. Opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hotflash inc.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Kitty Blomfield is a powerful voice in helping women navigate all the BS around food and movement and get their metabolism back. She is co-founder of the comprehensive fitness and nutrition program Nustrength, with her husband Craig, where she helps women get out of the never-ending cycle and get the bodies and minds they want – many of them in perimenopause. She’s also co-founder of Saturee, a skin-care and supplement company. 

In this podcast, Kitty shares her journey from struggling with restrictive diets and stress-induced health issues to discovering the benefits of metabolic health and strength training, inspired by the work of Dr. Ray Peat. Their discussion delves into the importance of consuming nutrient-dense foods, like liver and oysters, the power of proper strength training, and the transformational impact of addressing emotional health. She gives practical advice on starting simple exercise routines, the significance of nourishing the body, and the positive changes that embracing a realistic, long-term approach to health can bring.

Highlights:

Going from diet struggles to discovering metabolic health

The transformative power of nutrition (and why you might not need to eat all the nuts, seeds and vegetables you think you do)

Understanding metabolic health and hormones

Why you need to address emotional wellbeing and personal growth

Dr Ray Peat, progesterone, and an alternative view of estrogen 

Where hormone therapy fits into the conversation 

Empowerment of strength training

Focusing on incremental progress

Introduction to Nustrength 

The power of liver and oysters 

The Impact of Polyunsaturated Fats

Her experience on Survivor Australia 

Why you might need a relationship renovation

Where to find Kitty:

Instagram: @KittyBlomfield

Website: NuStrength, Saturee

Thank You To Our Sponsors For Making This Episode Possible:

Timeline: Use code HOTFLASH33 for 33% off your order of Mitopure at Timeline Nutrition.

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It's the perfect podcast for a brand-new year. Aren't you tired of abandoning yourself choose things that make other people happy?

Ann Marie McQueen, journalist and host of the Hotflash inc podcast, is joined by Stef Ziev, a New York-based executive life coach. Ziev draws from her extensive career in the entertainment industry and her background in psychology to help individuals regain control over their choices and lives.

Connect with Stef Ziev:

Website: https://stefziev.com

LinkedIn: @stefziev/

Instagram: @stefziev/

Twitter: @stefziev

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Today host and Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen introduces an ambitious project: the Perimenopause Game Plan. This compiles 5 years of research, more than 100 interviews, many conversations with women and her own experience.

This is unrolling over on Substack. Listen to the podcast to find out how. 

Send a text if you have questions or there is anything you want to know. 

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In this episode, the focus is on the transformative journey of Rebekah Brown, a narrative research specialist and founder of the vibrant midlife community and supplement brand Liminal (formerly MPowder). Rebekah discusses her personal experiences with perimenopause and the physical and emotional transitions it entails. The conversation delves into the importance of addressing stress, sleep issues, and the rebranding journey from MPowder to Liminal. Topics such as hormone therapy, societal narratives surrounding menopause, the challenges of midlife, and the benefits of naturopathic practices like herbal remedies, acupuncture, and yoga are covered. Emphasis is placed on the collective wisdom and agency of women, the impact of societal constructs, and the need for a nuanced, science-based discussion around hormonal health. This episode highlights the significance of storytelling, community, and the blending of traditional and modern medical approaches to empower women navigating this stage of life.

Highlights:

00:31 Rebecca's menopause journey
03:48 Launching and rebranding a company
07:38 The importance of community and research
11:44 Navigating health narratives
21:56 The role of journalism in female health
24:40 The menopause supplement market: A reality check
25:48 Emerging trends and innovations in menopause supplements
26:41 Navigating the noise: identifying quality products
27:54 The complexities of botanical health claims
29:21 The role of botanicals in menopause
32:18 The importance of regulatory change
34:54 Personal experiences with botanicals
41:04 Naturopathy and menopause: a holistic approach
44:43 Advice for women struggling with perimenopause
50:20 What's next for Liminal

Links:

Website https://mpowder.store/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mpowderstore 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mpowderstore/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/mpowder

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This episode and all of Season 1 are sponsored by Become clothing.

Themes: FDA, HRT, toxins, menopause, perimenopause

Summary: Carmen Stansberry is a nurse practitioner living in San Francisco, California posting to Instagram under the handle Wits and Wellness. I wanted to speak to Carmen because she is so knowledgeable about so many things that impact our care and our health during perimenopause – and not just in the US. She talks a lot about how the for-profit, insurance-based model of health care in the US impacts everything from the FDA approval process to what clinical studies are done to the guidelines doctors use to the screening tests your insurance covers. As a nurse practitioner, Carmen prescribes HRT and she shares her expertise on using bioidentical versions and other advice she gives her patients. She’s also a huge advocate of awareness about the amount of toxins in our environment, whether it’s everyday plastics or the skincare products we use. 

Highlights:
•How the for-profit system impacts health care and why we need to ask questions (4.30)
•Why compounding pharmacies are demonized (9.30)
•Why you need to pay attention to your Vitamin D (14.00)
•How the turf war between conventional and functional medicine impacts women (15.30)
•The underlying problems we need to watch out for in perimenopause (25.45)
•Her mode of prescribing HRT (28.30)
•Back to compounding pharmacies! (36.00)
•How hormone-mimicking toxins in our products are making peri/menopause worse (40.00
•Life changes you might need to make to ease your peri/menopause transition (43.00)

Where to find Carmen:
Instagram: @witsandwellness
Web: The Advanced Practice

SPONSORS: Become anti-flush cooling clothing | Use code HOTFLASHINC to get a 20 percent discount. The Ritual by Pure | Use code HOTFLASH to get the first month free.

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This episode and all of season 1 is sponsored by Become clothing.

Themes: soy, menopause, HRT, insulin resistance, fat, diet, hot flashes

Summary: Dr Neal Barnard is an adjunct professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.He has led an array of important research into the effects of diet on diabetes, body weight, and chronic pain, including work on dietary interventions for Type 2 diabetes. He’s written 100 scientific publications as well as 20 books, including his most recent, Your Body in Balance. He also led a study that was published last year in Menopause, the Journal of the North American Medical Society, which found that eating a soy-rich, all-vegetable diet dramatically cut down on hot flashes and several other menopause symptoms. He is currently replicating that study, which is a big part of the process of scientific inquiry. Dr Barnard explains why diet plays such a major role in the peri/menopause transition, how to make the right changes to go vegan, the problem with fat, as well as provides insight into HRT, genetics, Alzheimer’s and dementia and more. 

Highlights:
•Why we can manipulate hormones by how we eat (3.45)
•How menopause is different in Japan (4.45)
•The research-driven truth about soy (6.10)
•The inside scoop on his “soybean salad” study (9.20)
•Reaction to the findings (12.15)
•Assessing HRT risks and how to mitigate them (17.30)
•There’s a reason we have menopause (20.45)
•Dr Barnard’s recipe for plant-based eating (24.24)
•Why menopause doesn’t really cause weight gain (26.44)
•Fat and insulin resistance (27.55)
•Why does everyone push good fats? (31.45)
•HRT, diet, genetics, Alzheimer’s + dementia (33.00)
•What about vegan-ish? (35.00)
•Help for other symptoms (37.00)

Where to find Dr Barnard:
Website: PCRM.org
Instagram: @physicianscommittee
Twitter: @PCRM

SPONSORS: Become anti-flush cooling clothing | Use code HOTFLASHINC to get a 20 percent discount.The Ritual by Pure | Use code HOTFLASH to get the first month free.

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This episode and all of Season 1 are sponsored by Become clothing. 

Themes: Perimenopause, humanity, upgrades, wisdom, HRT, lifestyle, relationships, patriarchy, periods

Summary: Dr Christiane Northrup is the author of the New York Times bestselling book The Wisdom of Menopause, which was first published in 2012, has gone on to sell more than 1.6 million copies, revised and updated for the fourth time in 2021.In her 30-year-career as a board certified OB/GYN, Dr Northrup focused on empowerment, on accepting that mainstream medicine has a role, and that the natural world does as well. And it was that approach that drew in none other than Oprah Winfrey, who reached out when menopause threw her for a loop. Since giving up her medical license, and particularly since Covid hit, Dr Northrup has become a vocal advocate for informed consent and medical freedom. And that makes her an anti-vaxxer and a controversial figure that many people believe should be silenced.. But Hotflash Inc is all about having the freedom to ask questions and explore different perspectives, and provide access to different experts – without endorsing what they say or believe. That part is up to you, so take what resonates from Dr Northrup and leave the rest. And as always, remember that Hotflash Inc does not provide medical advice. 

Highlights:
•Why I chose to speak to such a controversial figure (2.18)
•Why she thinks the planet is going through perimenopause (5.15)
•How your beliefs about menopause are everything and how we are programmed to believe the opposite (6.35)
•How she sees women evolving into their power (8.45)
•Learning to listen to our bodies – and ask for more the feminine way (10.00) •Alzheimer’s is Type 3 diabetes and the role of prescription drugs in women’s health (15.00)
•Looking at perimenopause as a portal to understanding the dictates of your soul and a wakeup call for what you’ve been putting up with (16.14)
•Dr Northrup’s take on HRT – and pharmaceutical companies – over the years (20.16) •Why some women do better on hormones – especially if they reach perimenopause in body burnout (23.00)
•The industry shift to bioidentical hormones away from synthetics (24.00)
•Her insight into the pharmaceutical industry (30.00)
•Progesterone for migraines and chest pain (38.45)
•Why people think she’s wacky (41.48)
•Her view of the medical field and how it’s evolved (49.00) 

Where to find Mona:
Web: DrNorthrup.com
Twitter: DrChrisNorthrup
Facebook: Dr Christiane Northrup
Telegram: Christiane Northrup

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Hotflash inc founder and host Ann Marie McQueen sits down with Dr Leigh Erin Connealy, a leading figure in integrative medicine, known for her unique approach in combining conventional and alternative treatments in addressing chronic illnesses and cancer. Dr Connealy is the founder of the Center for New Medicine and the Cancer Center for Healing in Irvine, California and author of two books: The Cancer Revolution and the Be Perfectly Healthy. She is also co-founder of leading hormone brand, Raena Health.

She talks about why so many people are getting cancer, how to make chemotherapy more effective and less lethal, why prevention needs to be the focus. For Dr Connealy, the question we need to be asking: what is going on with your terrain, and why is it making cancer? Everything from the food we eat to the chemicals we surround ourselves with to the emotional work we aren’t doing is causing this. And find out what she thinks our number one risk is – why and what we can do about it. (It’s probably not what you are thinking)

Dr Connealy wants us all to know that in most cases, cancer is 10 years in the making. She has really good guidance for women considering hormone therapy, explaining the differences in synthetic hormones and the importance of the “orchestra”, including progesterone and pregnanalone, and more than one kind of estrogen. She explains why there is no one solution that fits all women – even though that’s what mainstream medicine wants us to believe – and gives guidance on the particular cocktail, with tweaks, that she likes to prescribe. She also gives her take on whether hormone therapy prevents cancer – its worth listening to the end just to hear what she has to say about that – and addresses that ongoing fear women have, which is weighing our fear of breast cancer risk when considering hormone therapy. 

Dr Connealy is recognized for her personalized, holistic approach. This episode is nothing short of a masterclass on how to get our inner house in order. 

Highlights: 

01:56 The importance of personalized medicine

02:07 The rise of chronic diseases

03:09 The need for preventive healthcare

04:44 Challenges in cancer treatment

13:08 The importance of self-care

14:40 The impact of EMFs on health

28:12 The power of essential oils

28:46 Reprogramming the mind with EVOX

29:41 Healing affirmations and subconscious reprogramming

33:37 The importance of sleep and water purification

34:14 Nourishing rour body with proper nutrition

35:01 The role of exercise and movement

35:47 Detoxification and cleasing methods

38:42 Understanding hormonal health and therapy

39:23 Personal experiences with hormonal treatments

46:10 The importance of individualized hormonal care

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There is something that is discussed very little in the current wave of menopause awareness, yet it is, in essence, our very structure.

Yet obviously our DNA is a very big piece of this midlife puzzle. 

And if you, like me, thought that DNA testing was something to avoid, because you don’t want to find out what diseases you are going to die of, then today’s conversation with Kashif Khan, founder of The DNA Company and author of The DNA Way, will be very eye-opening.

The DNA Way is all about using your individual DNA to prevent health issues. The DNA Company has amassed years of in-depth genetic analysis on the DNA results of more than 7,000 people, unlocking valuable insights into mood, behaviour and mental health, energy, diet and nutrition, weight management, sleep, and more.

This is about using epigenetics to overcome your genetic legacy. 

Rather than serving as a possible inescapable prophesy, DNA testing provides actionable recommendations for all the most confusing health concerns we have, and can provide guidance on what foods to eat, how to exercise, where and how to work, and more. As Kashif writes in his book and tells me in the podcast, this has helped him prevent or reverse illness, slow down the aging process, and optimize performance. 

And it can do the same for you.

Kashif explains DNA in a way that I never really understood it before, and he provided vital insight – and a much different take – on things like reducing our breast cancer risk, and how we can more safely use menopause hormone therapy. 

It’s like a human instruction manual – for menopause too. Get ready to have your mind blown. Mine certainly was.

If you like what you hear: Hotflash inc has partnered with The DNA Company to provide listeners with an exclusive 10 percent discount on the DNA Company’s DNA 360 Report. 

Click here and use promo code HOTFLASHINC.

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Dr Vonda Wright is an American double board-certified orthopedic sports medicine surgeon, who has spent a career working with high-level atheletes and immersed in clinical research. 

She’s also a woman in her mid-50s who experienced terrible body pain and a range of other symptoms. All of that combined is fuelling her mission to educate women everywhere about the importance of taking care of our bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons as we age. 

We talk about the complexities of perimenopause, menopause, and mobility issues, and the lack of research in the area of Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause, a term she coined. And we talk about all the interventions – diet, supplements, activity and more – to alleviate the symptoms and prevent problems like osteoporosis, muscle loss and fractures.

Highlights: 

00:33 The Importance of Bone and Muscle Health

01:23 The Impact of Aging and Menopause on Musculoskeletal Health

03:08 The Misdiagnosis of Perimenopause Pain

04:57 The Need for Research Funding in Women's Health

06:33 The Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause

13:22 The Role of Mobility in Maintaining Health

15:56 Understanding Bone Mineral Density and Osteoporosis

23:17 Strategies for Maintaining Bone and Muscle Health

24:48 Breaking Old Habits and Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle

25:12 Understanding the Importance of a Balanced Diet

25:56 The Controversy Surrounding Calcium Intake

26:36 The Essential Role of Vitamin D

28:43 The Debate on Hormone Therapy

29:34 The Impact of Estrogen on Women's Health

34:22 The Fear and Reality of Frozen Shoulder

43:04 Exploring Cutting-Edge Treatments

45:24 Final Words of Hope and Inspiration

Where to find Dr Vonda Wright

Web: Drvondawright.com

IG: @drvondawright

TikTok: @drvondawright

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Dr June Chin knows about pain and how to treat it on the deepest levels: from her own experiences that started in her teens years and through to that of patients. 

She’s an integrative medical cannabis physician and has spent more than20  years working in holistic medicine. 

She is currently a professor at New York University and Syracuse University teaching Cannabis Health and Science, Vice Chair for the Cannabis Advisory Board for the New York State Office of Cannabis Management and Chair of the Health, Safety and Research Committee for New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management. She is the author of the book Cannabis and CBD for Health and Wellness and founded and operated seven bicoastal integrative cannabis medicine clinics in California, New York, and Connecticut.  

Her training includes studying nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University, osteopathic medicine at Touro University, medical acupuncture at Harvard University, and research at Columbia University, Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Women’s Health. 

Through her work as a clinician, professor, and author, she has created medical protocols for the industry and internationally accepted methods for cannabinoid formulations, research, education, and training programs. She is also the chief medical officer for NNABI. 

Highlights: 

• The personal experience that drew her to holistic medicine, and cannabis in particular
• The 101 on our endocannabanoid system 
• The different forms of cannabis – and how CBD is different 
• The interplay between CBD and hormone therapy
• The intersection between perimenopause and the endocannabanoid system?
• How specifically can cannabis and CBD help 
• Her work with the startup NNABI, which is providing a CBD solution for perimenopause
• Her take on some of the other alternative, plant-based medicines and psychedelics being developed to treat peri/menopause
• Her top advice for women in perimenopause

Where to find Dr Chin:

IG: @nnabi.life @drjunechin

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Dr Karyn Eilber is board certified in urology and female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, as well as an associate professor teaching, training and working in administration at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She’s a mom of three, co-founder of the clean, luxury intimacy company Glissant, founding medical partner at Doctorpedia and co-author on the awesomely title book A Woman’s Guide to Her Pelvic Floor: What the F#*@ is Going On Down There?”

Over her years of practice, she’s also become open to alternative approaches to medicine and all the new – and old – things that can help. “No pun intended,” she says. “You gotta think outside the box.” 

Highlights: 

Why vibrators are important in perimenopause
How to choose a vibrator
Why kegal exercises are not one sized fits all
The very important role of a pelvic floor physical therapist 
The intersection between our urinary tracts, pelvic floors and overall vaginal health 
Vaginal estrogen is safe! (Even if the packaging makes you think otherwise)
Why systemic estrogen may not be enough for your vagina 
The latest tech: lasers, sound waves and O Shots 
Bioidentical hormones and testosterone pellets
Our rapidly advancing understanding of the vaginal microbiome
What’s going on with all the infections? (Hint: It’s about the lactobacillus)
Boric acid for BV: the doctor’s Rx (and what you have to watch out for)
Goop, vaginal (vulvar) steaming and jade eggs
Falling bladder: what it is and how to treat it
Glissant and the importance of using clean lube (and some CBD)
What young women are doing differently at the gynecologist 
Is vaginal estrogen mandatory? 

Where to find Dr Eilber:
Web: Glissantlove.com
LinkedIn: @KarynEilber
Instagram: @dreilber

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Today I unleash an update on my own epic perimenopause experience, which began sometime in my early 40s, wreaked all sorts of havoc, and continues to this day – aged 52, looking ahead to turning 53.

I cover a lot here, so buckle up!

• A little about my early years and what led to Hotflash inc
• A taster of some of the symptoms I've dealt with
• What's going on with me now, physically and emotionally
• What my new gynecologist has to say about all of it
• A focus on my forgetfullness
• The crying, with a guest appearance by my American friend Lizzie Bermudez
• Why my perimenopause is like a video game, and where I feel I'm at in the levels
• How I'm turning into a recluse, but I know it's temporary
• My lengthy recounting of a night in Paris where I got mugged by a gang of teenagers and dealt with a hideously drunk Englishman – all in one night
• A list of things I've been crying about
• What's going on with my vagina
• The sensory stuff
• My love for Wise Power and authors Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, founders of Red School, which is a book I opened at just the right time 
• How I'm resting, puttering and snudging 

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Ann Garnier is CEO and founder of Lisa Health, the US company that launched an app for menopause called Midday in conjunction with Mayo Clinic. Ann has been a senior technology executive in the healthcare space her entire career, and it just so happens that when she started Lisa Health, she was also going through perimenopause. 

The Midday app is on the cutting edge: soon it will be able to detect and predict hot flashes and other symptoms, and recommend remedies and solutions.

Highlights: 

• How her own menopause experience fuelled this technology
• Her drive to keep GenX women involved in the technology conversation
• How deep tech and data science can help us understand menopause – and predict hot flashes and other symptoms 
• The problem with most symptom trackers
• Where they get their evidence-based guidance
• The important conversations we need to be having – and the control we need to be giving up
• Staking our claim for “more” – fine is not good enough
• Why someone needs to make a red wine that perimenopausal women can drink without getting hot flashes 
• Her dream research

Where to find Ann:

Web: Midday.health
Instagram: @midday.health
Twitter: @MiddayHealth
Facebook: @MiddayHealth 

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Debbie Baisden is a popular British menopause campaigner, comedian and Pub Landlady (which, if you are not from the UK, is quite different from a bartender. Ann Marie speaks to Debbie while she is in Scotland, spending a week performing and promoting her one-woman show Menopause Party at the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

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Ann Marie speaks to Martha Hickey, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Melbourne and co-director of the Gynaecology Research Centre at the Royal Women’s Hospital. Prof Hickey is a leader in developing national guidelines for menopause management in Australia and New Zealand and also in developing a new model of care for managing menopausal symptoms after breast cancer.

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Ann Marie gives an update on the British "hormone deficiency" situation, complete with mansplaining, talks about Sweden's new HRT recommendations and new British women and dementia study, and explains why American actress and businesswoman Tracee Ellis Ross is a member of the perimenoposse. And she has a surprise interview with Cindy Barshop, former Real Housewife of New York and founder of VSPOT Medi-Spa Medi Spa in NYC, where they have a top medical team and every non-surgical measure you need to boost sexual pleasure and wellness no matter what's going on with your hormones.

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Ann Marie talks about perimenopause depression, "female hormone deficiency syndrome with health risks"; taking Hotflash Inc to the streets and a weird dream where her cat Ninja Jr changed colour.

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Dr Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz is an obstetrician-gynecologist practicing in Beverly Hills, California who is passionate about integrative women’s health and has a book on menopause coming out in October.

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This episode and all of season 1 is sponsored by Become clothing. 

Themes: Perimenopause, HRT, lifestyle, relationships

Summary: Dr Annice Mukherjee is a British endocrinologist author of The Complete Guide to Menopause.She talks about making lifestyle improvements to cope with the transition of perimenopause, all about HRT, including when to take it, when not to take it, how to weigh the risks of taking it, what happens when you take it for a long time and why Dr Mukherjee believes it should be used as an accessory, not a cure-all. 

Highlights:
•The problems with menopause and social media (7.58)
•Why HRT is an accessory, not a quick fix (15.58)
•Why we must all find out own menopause management path (20.38)
•Every single woman has a different menopause (21.25)
•Coming off HRT (23.35)
•Why GPs are the best doctors to manage menopause if they can just get the training (28.36)
•Her experience going through menopause after breast cancer treatment (30.44)
•Why you have to treat yourself like a bank account in perimenopause (36.53)
•Why your relationships are related to your perimenopause (41.56)
•Reducing our risk of the Big 3: cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and dementia (46.17)
•Progesterone: benefits and risks (57.00)
•Why we should stop trying to count menopause symptoms (1.03.32) 

Where to find Dr. Mukherjee:
Web: hormonewise.co.uk
Instagram: @the.hormone.doc
Twitter: @annicemukherjee

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In this powerful solo episode, Hotflash inc founder and host Ann Marie McQueen reflects on the five-year journey of building the platform, from launching her first newsletter in 2020 to preparing for the first Hotflash inc Summit and her first product launch – a much-needed tool to help women navigate the hormone therapy maze.

Ann Marie opens up about how far the conversation has come, how far it still has to go, and what she’s learned through thousands of hours of research, interviews, and real-life experience. She unpacks the polarizing hormone therapy space – from the self-proclaimed “thought leaders” to the quiet majority of women who are still confused, cautious, or feeling pushed in every direction.

Plus, a deeply relatable share from a harpist and UAE changemaker Shelley Frost, founder of The Fridge Entertainment, who talks about her turning point with hormone therapy after years of struggling with sleep and overwhelm.

This is a must-listen for anyone who’s ever felt stuck between extremes when it comes to midlife, hormones, and who to trust.

Highlights:

• The story behind launching the first Hotflash Inc newsletter in 2020
• The content-is-product philosophy 
• Ann Marie’s early fear of using the words “menopause” or “perimenopause”
• What has (and hasn’t) changed in five years
• Why the hormonal transition isn’t the problem – it reveals deeper issues
• Hormone therapy doesn’t always prevent disease, and the research is nuanced
• The middle path between estrogen fear and hormone therapy evangelism
• Women can’t just "get it together" – trauma and real-life responsibilities are at play
• Messaging trends and repeated doctor scripts that look a lot like PR
• The supplement smear campaign: is it manufactured?
• Shelley Frost shares her transformation after starting hormone therapy
• Real messages from women who can’t tolerate MHT – and feel pressured to keep trying
• Behind the scenes: doctors admit they’re worried about the current messaging
• Physiologic dosing and why it’s so controversial
• The full hormone therapy belief system spectrum, mapped out
• The confusing (and dangerous) mix-up between progesterone and progestin
• Ann Marie’s first product: a tool to help women figure out HRT for themselves
• What’s coming next: the Hotflash Inc Summit, the course, the book
• A reminder that midlife is about remembering who’s really calling the shots

Shoutout to our sponsor MenoLabs – makers of MenoFit, a science-backed probiotic designed to relieve symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats while supporting overall wellness. Hotflash Inc listeners get 20% off with code HOTFLASH20 at menolabs.com.

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Ann Marie is back with another solo episode, talking about all the individual conversations and lovely moments she had with people out of the Menopause Shift Summit.

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This episode and all of season 1 is sponsored by Become clothing.

Themes: menopause, symptoms, anxiety, sleep issues, psychedelics, legislation

Summary: Lilach Mazor Power and Stef Swiergol are co-founders of a new cannabis wellness collection for perimenopause and menopause symptoms called Revelry based in Phoenix, Arizona. Lilach is an industry leader: she is the only female owned licensee in the state of Arizona, she’s been in this business for a long time. Both she and Stef have great insight and intel into where this business is right now, where it’s going, how you can tip your toe into the cannabis waters if you are curious, which studies show between one and four and one and three of us are doing, and what the best way to go about it is.

Highlights:
•A rundown on Revelry’s cannabis in a capsule (4.49)
•Why microdosing (low and slow) is the way to start (6.15)
•How cannabis can help you sleep – and change everything (8.00)
•Why so many of us are scared to try (12.00)
•How women are using cannabis for their menopause symptoms (19.45)
•Why cannabis years are like dog years (21.06)
•How people are using their cannabis (22.45)
•How cannabis actually works with your bodies own cannabinoid receptors (24.00) •Addressing concerns about cannabis and the brain (27.05)
•The sustainability issue (35.00)
•The future of plant medicine (41.00)
•The importance of women in this field (45.00)

Where to find Revelry:
Web: Revelry Cannabis
Instagram: @revelrycann
Twitter: @revelrycann 

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This podcast originally ran on May 9, 2025

In this honest and energizing conversation, Ann Marie sits down with 64-year-old Australian naturopath, speaker, and wellness rebel Jennifer Jefferies – aka @presentdaywisewoman – to talk about how women can embrace midlife and menopause without fear, extremes, or pharma dependency. 

Jen brings over 30 years of clinical experience, a surfboard, and a no-BS attitude to the conversation. Once a burned-out pharmaceutical rep, she made a full 180 after hitting the wall in her 20s and rebuilding her health using naturopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and her beloved “bare-ass minimum” (BAM) approach to wellness.

This is a must-listen episode for any woman feeling confused, overwhelmed, or exhausted by the barrage of menopause messages out there.

Highlights include:

• Why we’re told menopause is a disaster – and why it doesn’t have to be
• How adrenal burnout is at the core of crappy perimenopause (even if your doctor won’t admit it)
• The truth about estrogen “deficiency” and why we’re not meant to keep producing it forever
• What Western medicine gets wrong about hormone therapy
• The rise of adrenal fatigue in the pandemic aftermath
• Jen’s Bare-Ass Minimum Plan to restore vitality, joy, and hormonal balance
• Why she swears by: going to bed before 10 p.m., eating close to nature 80% of the time, and having fun – yes, fun!
• What happens when we stop outsourcing our health and tune into our own wisdom

About Jennifer Jefferies:
Jennifer Jefferies is a veteran naturopath, speaker, author, and wellness educator with over three decades of clinical experience. Based on the Gold Coast of Australia, she’s known for her refreshingly simple, radically realistic, and unapologetically fun approach to health and aging. She surfs at sunrise, gardens in her downtime, and helps women around the world step into their power.

Where to find her:

IG @thepresentdaywisewoman
Learn more: jenniferjefferies.com

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This episode and all of season 1 is sponsored by Become clothing.

Themes: seed oils, nutrition, hot flashes, supplements, perimenopause, menopause, processed foods, nutrition, insulin resistance

Summary: Andrea Donsky is a registered holistic nutritionist, entrepreneur and television personality based in Toronto; co-founder of naturallysavvy.com and new company called Morphus, which is all about menopause supplements. We talk about how to approach menopause via diet, lifestyle and supplements, what her menopause experience was like, and how much better life can be when you do some work on yourself through this transition.

Highlights:
•her own menopause experience (4.45)
•how she dealt with horrid hot flashes without HRT (8.45)
•why you need to be careful with menopause supplements (11.10)
•why you need a trusted wellness team - even if it's online (15.30)
•how exactly to switch up nutrition to lesson symptoms (17.45)
•the problem with seed oils (22.00)
•what foods can help and hinder during perimenopause (27.20)
•insulin resistance + menopausal weight gain (28.30)
•see a doctor even if it’s a known perimenopause symptom (31.25)
•the weirdest perimenopause symptoms (33.00)
•signs you are deficient in this important mineral (33.45)
•why this is so much more than a physical transition (47.45)

Where to find Andrea:
TikTok: @Andrea Donsky
Instagram: @wearemorphus @naturallysavvy
Web: Naturallysavvy.com
Podcast: Morphus for Menopause; Naturally Savvy 

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Ann Marie talks about the parallel effort involved in tackling two very different things: her first hiking trip in Turkey and the Menopause Shift Summit (June 21-23), and all the growth and euphoria that comes with making things new things happen, even if you have to go through the same fear, anger and inner resistance every time.

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In the last 3+ years longtime friends Patty Pappas and Carrie Mapes have completely transformed how THC and CBD can be delivered to help people through peri/menopause, all without any psychoactive effect. They were stay-at-home moms when they dreamed up and launched their fast-growing California-based company Hello Again, which recently expanded from Everyday and Sleep versions beyond the midlife bracket. The details of how they became game-changing entrepreneurs and executed their vision –  in a pandemic, no less – is rare, awe-inspiring and relevant to all of us. Stay tuned to hear the fascinating story of how they continue to beat the odds and their perimenopause symptoms, too. 

Highlights: 

• How Hello Again was born out of a need for new symptom solutions
• Carrie and Patty’s particular perimenopause issues (and why HRT wasn’t enough)
• How and why THC + CBD work with our body’s endocannabanoid system
• Why it had to be a “vagitory”
• How their  “vagitory” impacts  gentiourinary syndrome of menopause 
• Why the 80s “war on drugs” still messes with us
• New Hello Again products + expansion plans
• Their take on the wisdom of menopause  

Where to find Hello Again:

Web: HelloAgainproducts.comInstagram: @HelloAgainProducts

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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Thank you To our sponsors For making this episode possible:

Timeline: Use code HOTFLASH33 for 33% off your order of Mitopure at Timeline Nutrition.

In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, host Ann Marie McQueen 
speaks with  Dr Jerilynn Prior, a professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of British Columbia and the head of the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research (CeMCOR). For over 40 years, Dr. Prior has been a trailblazer in understanding women’s hormones, championing the crucial role of progesterone alongside estrogen in women’s health.

We dive into:

• Why obstetrics and gynecology might not be the best specialties for addressing women’s hormonal health
• The persistent misconception of estrogen as “the women’s hormone” and why it’s wrong to label anyone as “estrogen deficient.”
• How progesterone is essential in balancing estrogen’s effects, protecting our bodies, and supporting overall health.
• The dangers of conflating bioidentical progesterone with synthetic progestins.
• Why ovulation is critical for lifelong health and how the birth control pill can impact young women’s peak bone mass.
• Her research findings on progesterone as an effective treatment for perimenopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and heavy flow.

Dr. Prior also sheds light on the challenges researchers face in advancing women's health due to systemic biases in funding and publishing. She shares her hopes for the future and emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift in how we approach women’s reproductive health.

Special thanks to Dr. Prior for her invaluable contributions to women’s health and her unwavering dedication to advancing our understanding of hormones, ovulation, and the menopause transition.

To engage with CeMCOR: 

• CeMCOR (Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research)
  • Website: www.cemcor.ubc.ca
  • Facebook: CeMCOR Facebook Page
  • X: @CeMCOR
  • Instagram: @cemcor_research
  • YouTube: CeMCOR Channel

The Hotflash inc Podcast has been selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 60 Menopause Podcasts on the web.

Subscribe to the Hotflash inc Podcast wherever you get your podcasts to never miss an episode! 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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On this solo episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, journalist and founder Ann Marie McQueen breaks down one of the biggest developments in menopause care in years: the FDA’s decision to remove the black box warning on vaginal and topical estrogen. Ann Marie unpacks what this means, what it doesn’t mean, and what we’re not being told in the flurry of headlines and social media excitement. She also shares insight from two menopause certified practitioners who are upcoming guest on the podcast – US ob-gyn Dr. Rachel Pope and Canadian naturopathic doctor Dr. Kirsten Smith – and reflects on the legacy of Dr Burt Webb, a beloved podcast guest and women’s health champion.

Thank you to our sponsor, Timeline Nutrition – makers of Mitopure™, the first clinically tested Urolithin A supplement that supports cellular energy and muscle strength. Visit www.timeline.com and use the code HOTFLASH for 20% off your first order.

It’s not too late to get an All Access Pass to the Hotflash inc Summit! You get lifetime access to the videos, as well as Hotflash inc Summit Book of Knowledge (top takeaways from all the interviews) and the BETA version of the Hotflash inc Hormone Therapy Navigator.

Highlights

• The FDA’s removal of the black box warning on vaginal and topical estrogen — what it really means
• The disconnect between science and media messaging
• Expert insights from Dr. Kirsten Smith and Dr. Rachel Pope on nuance, safety, and responsible communication
• Why sudden menopause isn’t the same as natural menopause — and why that distinction matters
• The quiet truth about progestins vs. progesterone
• Social media, private practice, and the influencer-doctor economy
• Vaginal options like DHEA and testosterone — and what’s missing from the conversation
• Three questions to ask yourself before starting hormone therapy
• Remembering Dr. Burt Webb — one of Ann Marie’s favorite guests

This is a solo episode hosted by Ann Marie McQueen. Additional expert commentary is provided by:

• Dr. Kirsten Smith, a naturopathic doctor practicing in Canada and Costa Rica with a focus on women’s health and hormone balancing.
• Dr. Rachel Pope, obstetrician-gynecologist, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, and associate professor at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.
• Dr. Burt Webb, late OB/GYN and beloved advocate for women’s vaginal and hormonal health.

This podcast is hosted by Ann Marie McQueen, journalist and founder of Hotflash inc, the world’s only reader-supported, research-based platform covering all aspects of menopause and midlife. With more than 30 years in journalism, Ann Marie provides evidence-based content, expert interviews, and deeply personal conversations to help women around the world navigate this piv

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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Instagram: @hotflashinc
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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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On this episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, journalist and founder Ann Marie McQueen is joined by Dr Heidi Lescanec, a naturopathic physician based in Vancouver, BC, who brings over two decades of experience blending the latest scientific research with natural, clinically proven forms of medicine.

Heidi has coined the term The Pink Zones to describe the cultural, emotional, physical, and communal conditions that allow women to not only navigate perimenopause and menopause – but to thrive. She’s been listening to older, wiser women, and noticing the powerful patterns that emerge when we prioritize meaning, connection, and nervous system support over the relentless push to do more, be more, fix more.

From hormone health and adrenal burnout to grief, rage, and the unprocessed emotions that surface at midlife, this conversation goes beyond symptom lists and into what it really means to design this season of life, rather than just survive it.

Heidi and Ann Marie also dig into the nocebo effect, why outdated menopause narratives can actually make us feel worse, and how to reframe this transition as a gateway – not a decline.

Highlights:

• Dr. Heidi Lescanec’s integrative approach to hormone health, combining science, spirituality, and food-as-medicine
• Introduction to The Pink Zones: envisioning supportive environments that celebrate women's aging
• Exploration of how past generations managed menopause, transforming stigma into strength

 About Dr Heidi Lescanec:

Dr Heidi Lescanec is a licensed naturopathic physician practicing in Vancouver, BC. With more than 20 years of experience, she blends science-backed natural medicine with a holistic, whole-person lens – addressing mind, body, and spirit.

Where to find her:

Website: thepinkzones.com

Substack: substack.com/@thepinkzones

IG: @drheidilescanec

Episode sponsor: Thanks to Menolabs for sponsoring this episode. Perimenopause can start earlier than you think. That’s why Menolabs is here to support you with trusted information and science-backed products like MenoFit, a probiotic designed to help relieve symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and more, all while supporting your overall wellness. Use code HOTFLASH20 for 20% off at menolabs.com 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, Ann Marie McQueen speaks with Dr Nicky Keay, a medical doctor specializing in exercise endocrinology. With a career dedicated to understanding how lifestyle, nutrition, and movement impact hormones, Dr Keay brings a unique perspective to perimenopause, menopause, and female hormone health.

Dr Keay is the author of Hormones, Health, and Human Potential and editor of the anthology Myths of Menopause. She also serves as an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at University College London and is a medical advisor to the Scottish Ballet.

Highlights include:
- The "hormone orchestra" analogy and why balancing all hormones – not just estrogen – is key to long-term health.
- Why perimenopause is like The Odyssey, filled with challenges but also opportunities for growth.
- The myths of menopause, including how social media sirens influence women’s decisions. (She explains)
- How exercise, nutrition, and sleep impact hormonal balance during perimenopause and menopause.

Key highlights from this episode:
- Understanding the hormonal orchestra – and why balance is key.
- How perimenopause is like the teenage years – but in reverse.
- Why mindset matters – your thoughts can literally impact your hormone levels.
- The best exercise approaches for hormonal health at different life stages.
- The truth about testosterone – who really needs it?
- Why HRT should be personalized – and the problem with "one-size-fits-all" hormone prescriptions.
- The progesterone debate – why it’s necessary even after a hysterectomy.

Thank you to our sponsor Timeline Nutrition
Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity—now available with a 10% discount! Visit timeline.com/HOTFLASH and use the code HOTFLASH to claim your offer!

The Hotflash inc Podcast is one of the Top 60 Menopause Podcasts

Connect with Dr Nicky Keay:
Website: www.nickykeayfitness.com
Instagram: @drnickykeay
X: @drnickykeay
Books: Hormones, Health, and Human Potential and Myths of Menopause (Editor)

"Your hormones aren’t your enemy – they are your greatest tool for health and vitality. Learn to harness them, not fear them."  Dr Nicky Keay

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This podcast originally ran on March 26th, 2025

In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, GenX journalist Ann Marie McQueen sits down with Dr Deena Emera, an evolutionary geneticist, senior scientist at the Buck Institute’s Buck Center for Healthy Aging in Women, and author of A Brief History of the Female Body: An Evolutionary Look at How and Why the Female Form Came to Be.

Dr Emera’s research focuses on the genetic basis of reproductive longevity in mammals, and in this fascinating discussion, she breaks down the evolution of menopause, why female bodies age the way they do, and what modern science is uncovering about ovarian health and longevity.

If you’ve ever wondered why menopause exists, how it evolved, and whether science will ever be able to delay or even prevent it, this episode is for you.

Highlights:

• Understanding evolutionary biology (it's not boring, promise)
• The evolutionary mystery of menopause
• What animals do go through menopause?
• Why all women didn't used to die at 50 (and what actually happened)
• How modern life has changed menopause
• Why Dr Emera needs bowhead whale ovaries
• Can we really end menopause?
• The truth about the Grandmother Hypothesis

Quote:

"Menopause itself isn’t surprising – if you live long enough, you will run out of eggs. What’s unique about humans is that we have such a long post-reproductive life stage. That’s the real mystery we need to solve." – Dr Deena Emera

Where to find Dr Emera:

• Instagram: @deenaemera
• LinkedIn: Deena Emera
• Buy her book: A Brief History of the Female Body – Available on Amazon

The Hotflash inc Podcast is:
One of the Top 60 Menopause Podcasts
In the top 3% percentile on Listen Notes
#1 on Goodpods’ Top 10 Women’s Health Podcasts list

This episode was originally sponsored by  Timeline Nutrition. Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity. Visit https://shop.timeline.com/HOTFLASHINC where you can still grab 20% off with code HOTFLASHINC

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

The Hotflash inc podcast is the #1 podcast in Women’s Health on Goodpods and in the top 1.5 percent on Listen Notes. Thank you for making that happen! 

Andrea Donsky is a Canadian nutritionist who turned her own terrible and epic perimenopause into a movement – and a company. Now a Menopause Educator and Researcher with 300,000+ TikTok followers, she is on a mission to change the conversation around perimenopause and menopause.

An entrepreneur with more than 23 years of experience in the health and wellness industry, Andrea hosts the weekly ‘Menopause Reimagined’ podcast, and appears as a menopause expert on television across North America. To date, Andrea has appeared in over 400 TV segments and has been featured on every major network across the U.S and Canada.

Her newest venture, Morphus, (which signifies ‘metamorphosis’ + ‘us’ as a community), empowers women over the age of 35 to “Reimagine Menopause” as a journey of empowerment so they feel heard, supported, and validated. Morphus empowers women to take control of their symptoms and health with nutrition, resources, and science-backed supplements. 

Andrea and her business partner Randy are also my partners in the Menopause Shift Summit, which is returning next year! 

Highlights: 

• What launched her into becoming a menopause researcher and entrepreneur (hint: A horrid, epic perimenopause)
• Why she focused on symptomology
• Starting to understand supplements through ingredients 
• The big problem she had with one of the most common menopause ingredients 
• Why you need to know about guar fiber 
• Pycnogenol: What it is, why she loves it and how much you really need
• The one thing you need to know before you take a supplement (hint: It’s super-simple but most of us miss it 
• Toco-what? 
• The two things you need to address early in perimenopause 
• Her one golden rule about supplements 
• The scoop on black seed oil – and why it’s magic for menopausers
• What to watch out for when it comes to supplement additives (and why they could be the reason what you tried isn’t working)
• Why too many ingredients is a big supplement red flag 
• The benefit of new supplements vs older varieties 
• Why perimenopause is like updating your cell phone’s software
• The goodies of menopause (stay tuned: there are MANY and they are AMAZING)
• The magnesium-stress loop 

Learn more at wearemorphus.com

Find Andrea: 

• Podcast: Menopause Reimagined
• TikTok: @andreadonsky
• IG: @andreadonsky @wearemorphus

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
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X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

In this episode, host Ann Marie McQueen tries to explain her long and convoluted relationship to and quest for hormone therapy. 

This is an episode about her experiences, made more complicated by living abroad,  reluctant doctors and by years spent wandering in a wilderness of emotional and physical symptoms no one could explain. 

Until everything blew up. And let's not forget the gut issues.

In it you will see that even with all her resources, and a global platform all about menopause and midlife, Ann Marie is still trying to find the right recipe for her. The search continues. 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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Instagram: @hotflashinc
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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

This episode and all of Season 1 are sponsored by Become clothing. 

Themes: Progesterone, perimenopause, hot flashes, anxiety, sore breasts, sleep, estrogen, HRT Summary: Dr Jerilynn Prior is a professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of British Columbia. She also runs CEMCOR, the Center For Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research. Dr Prior has been prescribing progesterone for postmenopausal women and perimenopausal women to treat hot flashes, night sweats, heavy flow, and sore breasts for over 25 years. She has conducted and published research showing that progesterone is an effective treatment for menopausal hot flashes and night sweats. She also wrote a novel to help illuminate some of her findings called Estrogen’s Storm Season. You are going to hear a completely different set of views in this interview, so buckle up. Everything she says is deeply rooted in research, clinical practice and personal experience. 

Highlights:
•Why Google’s explanation of the menstrual cycle is wrong (7.45)
•What everyone gets wrong about our menstrual cycle (11.00)
•How and why she came to focus on progesterone (15.58)
•Why wildly swinging estrogen is the quintessential characteristic of perimenopause (18.20)
•Why the narrow focus on estrogen and not progesterone is like “looking at the world through a straw” (23.00)
•The data backing progesterone for severe hot flashes and night sweats and sleep in menopause (25.00)
•Estrogen is addictive; progesterone is not (29.00)
•The relationship between marketing, menopause and academia (30.50)
•How to talk to your doctor about progesterone (32.30)
•One way to figure out if your estrogen levels are high (34.50)
•Is HRT safe… and do we need it regardless of symptoms? (41.25)
•Does HRT prevent osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and dementia? (43.00) •Why the resistance to progesterone isn’t scientific (45.45) 

Where to find Dr Prior’s work:
Web: CeMCOR
Youtube: CeMCOR
Facebook: Cemcor.research 

SPONSORS: Become anti-flush cooling clothing | Use code HOTFLASHINC to get a 20 percent discount. The Ritual by Pure | Use code HOTFLASH to get the first month free. 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This podcast originally ran on May 29, 2025

On this episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, journalist and founder Ann Marie McQueen is joined by Dr Heidi Lescanec, a naturopathic physician based in Vancouver, BC, who brings over two decades of experience blending the latest scientific research with natural, clinically proven forms of medicine.

Heidi has coined the term The Pink Zones to describe the cultural, emotional, physical, and communal conditions that allow women to not only navigate perimenopause and menopause – but to thrive. She’s been listening to older, wiser women, and noticing the powerful patterns that emerge when we prioritize meaning, connection, and nervous system support over the relentless push to do more, be more, fix more.

From hormone health and adrenal burnout to grief, rage, and the unprocessed emotions that surface at midlife, this conversation goes beyond symptom lists and into what it really means to design this season of life, rather than just survive it.

Heidi and Ann Marie also dig into the nocebo effect, why outdated menopause narratives can actually make us feel worse, and how to reframe this transition as a gateway – not a decline.

Highlights:

• Dr. Heidi Lescanec’s integrative approach to hormone health, combining science, spirituality, and food-as-medicine
• Introduction to The Pink Zones: envisioning supportive environments that celebrate women's aging
• Exploration of how past generations managed menopause, transforming stigma into strength

About Dr Heidi Lescanec:

Dr Heidi Lescanec is a licensed naturopathic physician practicing in Vancouver, BC. With more than 20 years of experience, she blends science-backed natural medicine with a holistic, whole-person lens – addressing mind, body, and spirit.

Where to find her:

Website: thepinkzones.com

Substack: substack.com/@thepinkzones

IG: @drheidilescanec

When this episode first ran on May 29, 2025 it was sponsored by Menolabs. Perimenopause can start earlier than you think. That’s why Menolabs is here to support you with trusted information and science-backed products like MenoFit, a probiotic designed to help relieve symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and more, all while supporting your overall wellness. Use code HOTFLASH20 for 20% off at menolabs.com 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Dr Alicia Jackson is an American scientist, health-tech entrepreneur and CEO and founder of Evernow — a next-generation telemedicine startup that is completely focused on menopause and provides FDA-approved treatment from specialists. Evernow also recently announced a very significant round of funding, with some very influential donors. We speak all about how Alicia went from MIT to menopause, how and why Evernow attracted A-list celebrity funding, modern menopause hormone therapy and what she sees as most important moving forward.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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In this solo episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, host Ann Marie McQueen kicks things off by responding to a listener question about whether she's mega-dosing estrogen, breaking down how to check your prescription and what guidelines to follow. Then, she reflects on her recent experience giving a keynote speech at Arab Health – navigating imposter syndrome, unexpected encouragement, and how she bounced back from her "no one would help the little hen" moment.

Ann Marie also dives into:

• How she’s declaring January 29  as Hotflash Inc's official fresh start.
• The ongoing debate over hormone therapy and the pushback she gets from doctors.
• Why she's cutting out sugar (again) and the surprising effect it has on her pain levels.
• The challenges of standing up for herself, saying no, and asking for what she deserves.
• What happens when you think someone is hating your talk... and they turn out to be your biggest fan.
• Why she refuses to endorse fitness programs that don’t align with how she – and most women – wants to train.

Plus, a shoutout to stay tuned for Hotflash inc Podcast guest Steph Ziev’s upcoming TEDx talk, a reminder to be the CEO of your own health, and an open invitation to text her – if she can ever figure out how to reply!

The Hotflash inc Podcast is:
One of the Top 60 Menopause Podcasts
In the top 3% percentile on Listen Notes
#1 on Goodpods’ Top 10 Women’s Health Podcasts list

Thank you to our sponsor Timeline Nutrition
Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity—now available with a 10% discount! Visit timeline.com/HOTFLASH and use the code HOTFLASH to claim your offer!

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

I started the Hotflash inc podcast two years ago on a wing and a prayer and a glass desk, and quickly learned that is the worst possible surface for audio.

Along the way I have spoken to the top experts in the world, found out an incredible amount of things, and refined and iterated the podcast intensely, getting it to the point that I'm pretty sure it's – and me – are ready for our own slot at SiriusXM, or at least a bunch of other improvements.

Take a listen as I break down some of the things that other people aren't talking about. Because asking questions about uncomfortable things? That's what I do.

And don't forget to celebrate, because we have launched our first merch. The "you can be in my #perimenoposse" shirt. I think they are pretty darn swell. 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

A special episode in which I talk all about being beset with a variety of health problems that could spell trouble, and how that made me feel, and what I was finally able to do about it. 

This is a podcast for anyone who is trying to get help but is tired, sick and down, or for someone who wants to avoid feeling that way. 

It's about getting help, making it through, and finally deciding that enough is enough, and you are going to truly do what you have to so you can heal and move forward. 

Also, my perennial search for a doctor who will help me find some damn HRT continues. 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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Today Ann Marie is speaking to Rachel Lankester, author of the book Magnificent Midlife and the blog The Mutton Club, host of the Magnificent Midlife podcast and Facebook page The Flock. Rachel has done some deep work deconstructing some of the negative narratives and stereotypes in the UK, which exist all over the rest of the world, too.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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In a week where we had the release of the new Davina McCall documentary Pill Revolution, Holly Grigg-Spall joins the Hotflash inc podcast to talk all about hormonal birth control.

Holly is the author of the 2013 book Sweetening The Pill: Or How We Got Hooked on Hormonal Birth Control, and a writer on 2021's The Business of Birth Control documentary.

Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen asks Holly all about what happened after her book was published, reaction to it and the documentary, and some of the top lines about what she found out during her years of research, all based on her own experience.

And they talk about how the conversation around menopause hormone therapy relates to the conversation around the pill, and how previous pill use could be informing perimenopause and menopause.

Sit back and dive in as we address one of the controversial subjects of our time.

Resources:

• Sweetening the Pill: or How We Got Hooked on Hormonal Birth Control
• SweeteningThePill.com
• TheBusinessofBirthControl.com

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This conversation was life-shifting for me and I hope it will be for you too. Elisa Kurylowicz is a Canadian former World Cup freestyle mogul skier turned coach and wellness mentor and host of the highly rated Elisa Unfiltered Podcast. Elisa teaches the practice of intuitive awareness, helping women to love themselves in body, business and life. She joins the Hotflash inc podcast for an epic (but so worth it) episode about the hard process of waking up to your conditioned mind so you can heal yourself.  

Highlights: 

• What happens when you face an Olympic-level 
• Cigarettes, booze, Ramen noodles and anger
• Waking up – and then going back to sleep
• How to start asking yourself big questions
• Seeing the world for what it is
• Men is a midlife crisis, women it’s menopause
• What’s going on with our urge to belong?
• Recognizing the teachers who help lift us up
• Keys to practicing intuitive awareness
• The big scary wall of what real change might mean
• Psilocybin therapy + microdosing
• Recognizing narratives around alcohol – and breaking out 
• Navigating the early stages of perimenopause while trying to get pregnant

Where to find Elisa:

• Web: elisaunfiltered.com
• IG: @ElisaKurylowicz

Adele Stratton (Elisa’s coach) IG @phoenixrisinghc

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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Hotflash inc founder and host Ann Marie McQueen talks about the first-ever perimenopause month, Hot Flash Day (courtesy of Stripes) and the annual meeting of The Menopause Society of North America. 

She talks about sleep, hot flashes, weird quirks of research; hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy. Some new numbers on how many women in the US are taking hormone therapy (it’s way less than you think) and asks why only estrogen is considered hormone therapy. She talks about three of her best friends, who were transformed by exogenous hormones. And she talks about her own spiritual awakening through menopause, which sounds annoying but hopefully is not. 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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Update: Rochelle has since exited Pause-Well Aging. 

It’s hard to believe that when Rochelle Weitzner launched her company in 2019, Pause-Well Aging was the first to target the wide-open menopause space. The beauty industry veteran ran or helped run brands like Erno Laszlo, Laura Mercier Cosmetics and RéVive Skincare before she started having hot flashes, brain fog and other “experiences”, leading her to start thinking about entering the well-aging (never anti) space in an entirely new, pretty badass way. And she just won the Female Founder of the Year award from CEW cosmetics (sharing it with Bobbi Brown). 

Highlights: 

• The two big walls she encountered when starting out
• How menopause marketing is censored on Google
• Her big pet peeve about the  “gua sha” trend 
• How the Pause-Well fascia stimulating tool works
• What helped her own menopause (and what complicated it)
• Why she doesn’t like the word "symptoms"
• What people get wrong about clean beauty
• Peptides, collagen, parabens + formaldehyde 
• Where we are on “menowashing”
• The one big thing she did for her own health 
• Menopause as a “passage to power”
• Why she trademarked "Well-Aging" 
• Her dream for the future

Where to find Rochelle and Pause Well-Aging: 

Web: Pausewellaging.com
Instagram: @pausewellaging; @rochelleweitzner
Twitter: @pausewellaging
TikTok: @pausewellaging

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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Ann Marie talks about some of the cool things that are happening – including season 2 of the podcast starting Friday, September 9 2022 – before moving on to why perimenopause is all about figuring out how to exist in the middle. Then a few words about something that is definitely not our friend at this time, and that is A-L-C-O-H-O-L.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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KC Councilor is an assistant professor in Communication, Media, and Screen Studies at Southern Connecticut State University. He is also a cartoonist who draws about the experiences of being a trans and transitioning person in the world.

His graphic memoir, Between You and Me: Transitional Comics, came out in 2019.

He has also published comics in numerous academic journals, including the Annals of Internal Medicine, Literature and Medicine, Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, and Women's Studies in Communication. His comic Cycles was published in the Eisner Award-winning anthology Menopause: A Comic Treatment. 

Highlights

• Why he’s ready to talk about feminity
• The comic that brought him on the podcast
• What it’s like going through puberty and menopause at the same time
• At 41, how he feels about the possibility of perimenopause
• Being a trans person in the US right now
• Feelings in fatherhood
• The loud and angry state of trans in the US
• The issue of trans violence 
• What medical care has been like

Find out more about KC and his work:
Web: www.kccouncilor.com
Instagram: @betweenyouandmetranscomics

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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In this mini solo episode, recorded in August 2023, Ann Marie shares her first insights into what being in menopause will be like. 

Spoiler alert: It's good. Maybe not worth it. But very good. 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This week Ann Marie talks all about the biggest news to hit menopause since... since... there hasn't been news this big, ever; how a simple memory test ruined my day, and an HRT story you don't hear every day.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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Ann Marie speaks to I Support the Girls founder Dana Marlowe about menopause, their Flash Kits, being homeless and in poverty and devoting all your time to doing something you love.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information