Ep. 544 Why Women Aren’t Getting the Care They Deserve – The Best Strategies to Advocate for Your Health with Meghan Rabbitt | Menopause & Health Advocacy

Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Meghan Rabbitt as my guest. Meghan is an award-winning journalist and the author of The New Rules of Women's Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age. She specializes in women’s health and wellness, and her work has appeared in several national publications, including Oprah Daily, Prevention, Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper, and others. 

Meghan is known for translating and clarifying complex medical and scientific topics into actionable information. In our conversation today, we dive into her new book and explore the process of writing a 700-page guide. We discuss how the old rules of women’s health have often failed, and Meghan shares her hope that things will shift. We cover underrecognized midlife issues such as heart disease, the power of knowledge, reframing the aging process, and how the lack of research funding and a paternalistic system contributed to the lack of information on how women’s bodies age.  We also examine the influence of social media, navigating the medical system, advocacy, the gut-brain-hormone connection, and the crucial role of fiber, and Meghan emphasizes why every woman’s story matters. 

Meghan’s book is incredibly valuable, as it speaks to women of all ages, from young adults to those in later life.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

• Why personal context matters when following nutrition advice on social media

• The value of seeking multiple clinician opinions when facing health choices

• Improving your communication with clinicians to help them understand your priorities and concerns

• An essential approach to diet and lifestyle 

• Underrecognized midlife issues, like heart disease, and why they are often overlooked in women’s health

• How midlife changes in estrogen are linked with alterations in the microbiome and astrobolome

• Understanding the gut-brain-hormone connection can help clarify your symptoms and guide your lifestyle choices.

• Gut health and why fiber is important

• Knowledge, advocacy, and reframing aging empower women to navigate the medical system and make better-informed decisions

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  

• Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn

• Check out Cynthia’s website

• Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com

• Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community: The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow 

• Cynthia’s Menopause Gut Book is on presale now!

• Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book

• The Midlife Pause supplement line

Connect with Meghan Rabbitt

• On The New Rules of Women’s Health website

• Purchase a copy of Meghan’s new book