Navigating Hormonal Changes: The Impact on Women's Health and Fitness

Menopause is finally in the spotlight — but most women still don’t understand what’s happening to their bodies in their late 30s, 40s, and beyond. Even worse, many doctors misdiagnose or dismiss symptoms like brain fog, night sweats, weight gain, and mood swings as “just stress.”

About Dr. Alicia Robbins:

Dr. Alicia Robbins is a board-certified Gynecologist and Lifestyle Medicine physician, founder of The Elm, and creator of The Robbins Method. She is recognized as a leading voice in perimenopause and midlife health, dedicated to providing compassionate, proactive care and rewriting the narrative on women’s midlife.

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I’m Louisa Nicola — clinical neuroscientist — Alzheimer’s prevention specialist — founder of Neuro Athletics.

My mission is to translate cutting-edge neuroscience into actionable strategies for cognitive longevity, peak performance, and brain disease prevention.

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Topics discussed:

• 00:00:00 — Intro

• 00:01:32:10 — Menopause is “in the spotlight”; what’s actually happening with women’s hormones ~35+

• 00:02:43:11 — Ovaries as the primary source of estrogen/progesterone/testosterone

• 00:11:32:08 — Estrogen’s role in the brain

• 00:13:15:05 — With estrogen loss, chronic low-grade brain inflammation

• 00:15:12:17 — What replaced HRT: rise in sleep aids, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines.

• 00:32:55:20 — Women’s testosterone: low “total T” numbers, variable symptoms/benefit; brain fog and fatigue are multifactorial.

• 00:33:38:00 — Practical regimen notes: layering hormones; balance affected by stress/cortisol

• 00:44:14 — Longevity hype vs reality: trendy biohacks vs basics like walking, resistance training, and consistent diet

• 00:44:34 — Cultural/societal neglect of women’s midlife health; undervaluing cognitive preservation in women

• 00:45:10 — Lack of specialty in menopause medicine; OB/GYN training gaps; bias toward fertility/pregnancy funding

• 00:47:20 — Emerging shift: younger physicians and social media spreading awareness

• 00:48:15 — Longevity basics reaffirmed: lifestyle interventions are more impactful than costly interventions

• 00:49:00 — Empowering women to advocate for care

• 00:50:12 — Future outlook: preventative care, lifestyle foundations, and individualized hormone therapy for healthy aging
  
• 00:54:53: Increase in divorce rate because of hormones?

• 00:55:53: HRT and risk of breast cancer

• 00:58:11: What doctor should a woman in her late 30s/early 40s go see?

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