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Let food be thy medicine, they say. But don’t stop there. Let exercise and stress management and sleep and friendships and your whole lifestyle be thy medicine, too. That’s the basic tenet of the type of Lifestyle Medicine this week’s guest, Dr. Melissa Sundermann practices. It’s grounded in research showing how we live our lives has a profound impact on our health, performance, well-being, and for the purposes of this discussion, our menopausal transition. At a time when everything can feel out of control, it helps to “control your controllables” as they say. Dr. Sundermann tells us how. Dr. Sundermann is double-board certified in both Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine and currently practices with IHA in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she is helping to launch the IHA Lifestyle Medicine Institute. She enjoys running, biking, hiking, skiing and spending time outdoors with her husband, 2 college-age children and 2 dogs. She is a 9x Boston Marathon finisher, 3x Full Ironman Triathlon finisher and currently training to run her 10th Boston Marathon this October at the age of 51. You can learn more about her at IHAcares.com **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAYThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Hormone therapy for menopause is rife with confusion, fear, misunderstanding, and outright misinformation. Even doctors, who are often relying on long debunked research, can be at a loss to help women make educated choices for their health, well-being, and performance during this time. This week’s guests, Drs. Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavris, authors of Estrogen Matters go to great lengths to describe the real risks (or lack thereof) and myriad benefits of hormone therapy for women in their menopausal years, as well as how to choose among the various formulations. Their goal: Arm every woman with all the information she needs to make an informed, educated decision for her personal menopausal needs. You can learn more about them and their work and buy their book at estrogenmatters.com. Avrum Bluming, MD, is a hematologist and medical oncologist, and a Master of the American College of Physicians, an award bestowed on fewer than 500 of the 100,000 board-certified internists in the United States. He is Emeritus Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California and a former senior investigator for the National Cancer Institute. Carol Tavris, PhD, is a social psychologist who has written widely about psychological science. Her trade books include Anger; The Mismeasure of Woman; and, with Elliot Aronson, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me). She has won numerous awards for her science writing and contributions to skepticism and gender equity. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAYThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

This show is all about working with your changing physiology to optimize performance. This week’s guest, Masters 50-54 Cyclocross World Champion and Masters 50-54 XC and Masters 50-54 Marathon Mountain Bike National Champion, Libbey Sheldon embodies that ethos as well as anyone we know. After struggling with mountain bike stage racing in 2013, Libbey went back and worked on her limiters to maximize her performance and nearly won the women’s elite overall at the Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic stage race at age 55 this year. And she feels like she’s just getting started. We talk about maintaining strength, managing symptoms, and how to make gains everywhere you can. Libbey is an everyday athlete with a busy life. She’s a lawyer by profession and is a mom to four boys. Her positivity, determination, and work ethic are absolutely inspirational. You can follow her adventures at https://www.instagram.com/libbeysheldon/ **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAYThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Everyone needs a little summer break, even podcast hosts! So this week we are re-posting this excellent episode with physical therapist Chloe Murdock from fall 2020. Enjoy! It happens. You sneeze, cough, or laugh…and leak. Or you can barely get your key in the door without wetting yourself. It’s common, but not normal…or necessary. This week, pelvic floor specialist Chloë Murdock, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS offers solutions to the incontinence that can happen during menopause. And, spoiler alert, there’s more to it than Kegels—in fact, in some cases they can make it worse. Chloë explains that there’s more to your core than your abs and obliques and how muscle imbalances and weaknesses in key parts of your core, which includes your pelvic floor, can lead to leaking, especially in active women. She talks about the importance of deep breathing and other exercises to improve pelvic health, decrease stress, and help stop incontinence. She is a doctor of physical therapy, a Slowtwitch and BikeFit certified bike fitter, as well as a Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist, NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and USATF level 1 and RRCA certified running coach based in Zurich, Switzerland. You can find out more about her work at https://www.chloemurdockpt.com/meet-chloeThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

60 percent of people with thyroid disease go undiagnosed. And if you’re a menopausal woman, you may be mistaking thyroid disease symptoms for menopause symptoms—and suffering from both. The North American Menopause Society calls the thyroid a “touchy gland,” as it becomes imbalanced in about 1 in 8 women. And when it does, it can trigger a cascade of symptoms and, if it goes unchecked, health issues such as fatigue, forgetfulness, mood swings, weight gain, irregular menstrual cycles, high cholesterol, heart disease, and more. This week’s guest, Ingrid Anderson, RD, RDN, CDN, founder of Simply Confident nutrition and co-founder of Core Strength Fitness, specializes in treating women with thyroid conditions like hypothyroidism (low thyroid) and Hashimoto’s Disease (an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid). She is also a wealth of knowledge about how estrogen (or lack thereof) and thyroid hormone interact and what that means for all of us. You can learn more about Ingrid and her work at https://www.ingridrd.com/ **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAYThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Recent research using brain imaging analysis shows our brains physically change during perimenopause. So our brains are clearly—sometimes substantially—impacted by our hormones. But those hormones are part of a larger chorus that includes nature, nurture, culture, society, lifestyle, and our thoughts and emotions, which can have a profound impact on how we experience the changes that come during the menopause transition. Experts are still uncovering all the hows and whys. Neuroscientist Dr. Sarah McKay, author of The Women’s Brain Book: The Neuroscience of Health, Hormones and Happiness, is one of those experts. We dive into all of that as well as hot topics like hormone therapy and brain health on this week’s show. Dr. McKay is an Oxford University-educated neuroscientist, educator, presenter, media commentator, and director of The Neuroscience Academy. She teaches coaches, therapists, teachers and other professionals how to thoughtfully apply insights and tools from neuroscience to their work. You can learn more about her and buy her book at drsarahmckay.com **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAYThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

If you’re looking for just one piece of equipment that can help you get strong and fit AF, look no further than kettlebells. If you’re looking for one woman who can tell you everything you want to know about kettlebell training and why it’s the ideal training tool for menopausal women, look no further than this week’s guest Andrea Du Cane, of Andrea Du Cane Kettlebell Fitness. Andrea is Director of Certifications for Dragon Door Publications. She is a Master Kettlebell Instructor, an ACE-certified group fitness and senior fitness specialist, a TRX-certified trainer, and a Kettlebell-Functional Movement Specialist. She is also trained in Stott Pilates and has over 25 years of aerobics, weight training, and fitness experience, with an additional background in classical ballet, jazz dance and Argentine tango. She has also trained in a number of Eastern health and martial arts disciplines including kung fu, yoga, tai chi and qigong. You can learn more about her at https://kettlebellfitness.com/ InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAYThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

“Maybe it’s time to slow down.” That’s the message menopausal women often get from their friends, family, and yes, even physicians when they have joint pain and nagging injuries like Achilles tendonitis or “menopause arthritis” that are preventing them from running, riding, and hitting the weights without pain. This week’s guest, active aging expert Vonda Wright, MD, is simply not having it. Instead, she’s using her 20 years of medical acumen and wisdom to help others optimize aging, maximize mobility, and enjoy vital, healthy, active lives. Dr. Vonda is a double-boarded orthopedic surgeon, elite sports doc, public speaker, multiple time published author, bio tech consultant and health innovator. Her mission is to understand the causes of joint pain, ways we can improve joint health, and stay active and fit as we age. You can learn more about her work and practice at drvondawright.com. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAYThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Why is there so much misinformation about menopause? What really helps? What doesn’t? What the heck are “bioidentical hormones”? And why do we go through menopause anyway? We dig into all this and much, much more this week with none other than renowned (and oh, so feisty) OB/GYN and pain medicine physician, Dr. Jen Gunter, author of The Menopause Manifesto, as well as the New York Times bestselling The Vagina Bible. Jen Gunter, M.D., is an internationally bestselling author and OB/GYN with more than three decades of experience as a vulvar and vaginal diseases expert. Her TED talk was one of 2020’s Top Ten, and The Guardian calls her “the world’s most famous—and outspoken—gynecologist.” The recipient of the 2020 NAMS Media Award from the North American Menopause Society, she is a columnist for The New York Times and star of the CBC/Amazon Prime series Jensplaining, which humorously debunks medical myths and misinformation. She also hosts a new podcast, Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter. For more on Dr. Gunter, follow her at @DrJenGunter or visit DrJenGunter.com. You can buy The Menopause Manifesto wherever you get your books, including popular retailers here: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9780806540665/the-menopause-manifesto/ **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAYThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Ever wonder how we got here? How is it that in 2021 billions of women are still largely in the dark about menopause? That many of us still feel kind of ashamed to talk about it? This week’s guest, historian Elinor Cleghorn, Ph.D., author of Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World tells us exactly how we’ve gotten here--our androcentric Western medical system that dates back to Ancient Greece is how. It’s why women have suffered misdiagnosis and mistreatment throughout history. It’s also undoubtedly why that even in modern times, a 2019 survey found that 20 percent of residents in family medicine, internal medicine, and even ob/gyn received zero lectures on menopause during their training and fewer than 7 percent reported feeling prepared to help manage the care of women through their menopausal years. We talk about all of that...and importantly what we can all do right now to advocate for ourselves in the present and make the future better on this week’s show. Elinor has a background in feminist culture and history. She has given talks and lectures at the British Film Institute, where she has been a regular contributor to the education program, Tate Modern, and ICA London, and she has appeared on the BBC Radio 4 discussion show The Forum. In 2017, she was shortlisted for the Fitzcarraldo Editions Essay Prize, and she has since written creatively about her experience of chronic illness for publications including Ache (UK) and Westerly (AUS). She now works as a freelance writer and researcher. Unwell Women is out June 8th, but you can preorder it now at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/646468/unwell-women-by-elinor-cleghorn/ **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAYThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy