158: The Bare-Ass Minimum Approach to Thriving Through Menopause with Jennifer Jefferies

May 9, 2025

Join Jennifer Jefferies, a seasoned Australian naturopath known for her vibrant approach to health, as she discusses thriving through menopause. She debunks the myth that menopause is a disaster, emphasizing that adrenal burnout often lies at its core. Jen shares her ‘bare-ass minimum’ wellness plan, including the power of fun, early bedtimes, and eating close to nature. Discover why it’s essential to reclaim your health wisdom and navigate this life stage with joy and balance instead of fear.

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INSIGHT

Adrenal Health Key to Menopause

Menopause symptoms worsen if adrenal glands are exhausted before transition.
Healthy adrenals produce progesterone post-ovary decline for easy menopausal transition.

INSIGHT

Menopause Is Natural Life Stage

Menopause is a natural transition where ovaries stop estrogen production by design.
Continual estrogen replacement is unnatural and risks outweigh benefits.

ADVICE

Manage Stress To Protect Adrenals

Manage daily stress as small ongoing hits spike cortisol and exhaust adrenals.
Prioritize recovery time and sleep especially between 2-4 a.m. to rebalance stress hormones.

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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

Ann Marie’s Takeaway:
If you’ve been overwhelmed by the ever-moving bar of “what you should be doing” in midlife – from maxing out protein to lifting impossible weights – this episode is your permission slip to reset. Jen’s message is simple: go back to basics, listen to yourself, and live from a place of prevention.

Episode sponsor:

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

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