519: The Menopause Gut: What Your Doctor Never Told You About Hormones, Your Estrobolome, and Midlife Health with Cynthia Thurlow

What if the protein you've been so carefully tracking is giving you a fraction of the muscle-building benefit you think it is? That question stopped me in my tracks, and I think it's going to stop you too. I brought Angelo Keely back to the show for exactly this conversation. Angelo is the CEO and co-founder of Kion, and he works alongside the top scientists in protein and amino acid research. Our last episode together changed how I think about protein entirely, and this one went deeper. Here's what we get into: your protein needs don't decrease as you age, they actually go up, and most of us don't know why. Angelo explains what's happening at the cellular level when you eat protein, why a smaller amount of steak eaten alone can outperform a much larger portion eaten with your vegetables, and what that means for how you're fueling your body every single day. He also breaks down why BCAAs are largely a waste of money (and might actually be working against you), what the research actually says about creatine for women (it does not make your muscles bigger, and the bloating fear is mostly myth), and how to think about leucine, essential amino acids, and what to look for on a supplement label so you're not getting ripped off. If you're on a GLP-1, dieting, or just trying to hold onto muscle as you age, the section on caloric deficits and amino acid needs alone is worth the entire listen. The research Angelo shares from Department of Defense-funded studies will completely reframe how you think about cutting calories and preserving muscle at the same time. This one is practical, science-backed, and genuinely eye-opening. Angelo is one of the clearest voices in nutrition science when it comes to cutting through the noise, and I always leave our conversations with something I can actually use.   Visit https://getkion.com/nataliejill for 20% off your order!   Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube   Learn More About KION Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/kion Website ➜ https://getkion.com/nataliejill   Thank you to our show sponsors:  COZY EARTH: Discover how Cozy Earth turns everyday routines into moments of softness and ease. Head to https://cozyearth.com and use code NATALIEJILL for an exclusive 20% off   Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/ Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com   Connect with me on social media! Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit   For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/  Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen.  Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.

What if the cholesterol medication your doctor insists could save your life is actually increasing your risk of the very disease it's supposed to prevent? A board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon who has personally performed over 3,000 open-heart surgeries joins us this week with a message he says most cardiologists will not say out loud: the majority of his patients should never have ended up on his table. Dr. Philip Ovadia lost nearly 100 pounds while operating on other people's hearts, reversed his own prediabetes, and spent the last decade asking a question his colleagues are not comfortable with: what is actually causing heart disease? This episode goes deep. You will learn why your LDL number tells you almost nothing meaningful without particle size testing, why statins lower the wrong kind of cholesterol, and why insulin resistance is a far bigger driver of heart events than anything showing up on a standard lipid panel. Dr. Ovadia also walks through the most important heart tests most women have never had, including the coronary artery calcium scan he calls "the mammogram for your heart," and gives his take on every medication in the conversation from statins to Zetia to Repatha. If you have ever left a cardiology appointment more confused and scared than when you walked in, this one is for you.   Learn More About Dr. Philip Ovadia Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/ifixhearts  Website ➜ http://ifixhearts.com/  Preorder Stay Off My Kitchen Table ➜  https://stayoffmykitchentable.com/  Thank you to our show sponsors:  TIMELINE: Timeline is offering 20% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https://timeline.com/NATALIEJILL    Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/ Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com   Connect with me on social media! Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit   For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/  Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen.  Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.

What if the belly fat, the exhaustion, and the 3 a.m. wake-ups were never about willpower or effort at all? In this episode, Dr. Siobhan Mitchell, a neuroscientist with 25 years of nutrition and cellular health research behind her, breaks down exactly what is happening inside the body during midlife and why the same habits that worked at 35 stop working at 45. Dr. Mitchell is currently the Chief Science Officer at MitoQ, a cellular health company with over $60 million in research, and she brings a level of scientific depth to this conversation that is genuinely rare. What unfolds is not the standard hormone health conversation. Dr. Mitchell explains the critical difference between the two estrogen receptor types, why visceral belly fat is actually a metabolic warning sign and not just a cosmetic frustration, and the truth behind decades of fear-mongering around soy. She also introduces a compound called S-equol that most women have never heard of, despite research showing it may outperform soy isoflavones for menopausal symptoms, joint pain, blood sugar, bone density, and brain health. The catch? Only 20 to 30 percent of Western women can produce it naturally, and the rest need to approach it differently. The conversation goes deeper into mitochondria, aging, oxidative stress, and why protecting your cellular energy production may be one of the most important things you can do in midlife. Natalie also opens up about her own experience with cortisol, soy, and the mom guilt she carried for 18 years over a decision she now knows was completely fine. This one is packed. Whether you are on HRT, avoiding it, or somewhere in the middle, there is something in this episode that will change how you understand your own body. Learn More About Dr. Siobhan Mitchell Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/mitoq   Website ➜ Visit https://www.mitoq.com  and use code NATALIEJILL to save   Thank you to our show sponsors:  TIMELINE: Timeline is offering 20% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https://timeline.com/NATALIEJILL  COZY EARTH: Discover how Cozy Earth turns everyday routines into moments of softness and ease. Head to https://cozyearth.com/ and use my code NATALIEJILL for an exclusive 20% off Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/ Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com   Connect with me on social media! Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit   For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/  Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen.  Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.

What if the bloating, brain fog, sleepless nights, and stubborn weight you've been blaming on menopause are actually a gut problem in disguise? Nurse practitioner Cynthia Thurlow has 25 years of clinical experience, a TEDx talk with over 15 million views, and the number four nutrition podcast in the country. But it wasn't until a near-death experience in 2018 — a ruptured appendix, 13 days in the hospital, and a perimenopause nobody had caught — that she truly understood what declining estrogen does to a woman's gut, immune system, and entire body. That experience became the foundation of her new book, The Menopause Gut, and this conversation goes deep. We cover the estrobolome (the estrogen processing center inside your microbiome that almost no one has told you about), why your ovaries age two to five times faster than every other organ in your body, the gut-bone connection and what fiber actually has to do with bone loss, why 90 to 95 percent of serotonin is made in the gut and what that means for mood and depression in midlife, how HRT really works and who deserves to be having that conversation, and what the practical menopause gut plan actually looks like in real life.   🔗 Episode Links:  Which Midlife Gut Type Are You? http://themenopausegut.com/midlife-gut-guide?am_id=natalie2640  Pre-Order Cynthia's Book The Menopause Gut at https://themenopausegut.com/?am_id=natalie3286    Learn More About Cynthia Thurlow  Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/cynthia_thurlow_   Website ➜ http://www.cynthiathurlow.com  Thank you to our show sponsors:  QUANTUM: Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on https://quantumupgrade.io/start  COZY EARTH: Discover how Cozy Earth turns everyday routines into moments of softness and ease. Head to https://cozyearth.com/ and use my code NATALIEJILL for an exclusive 20% off. MITOQ: Take control of healthy aging and longevity. Get 10% off using code NATALIEJILL at checkout on https://www.mitoq.com/  Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/ Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com   Connect with me on social media! Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit   For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/  Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen.  Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.

What if everything you were taught about building wealth was designed to keep you exactly where you are? Hannah Hammond became a self-made millionaire before 30, not because she had a head start, but because she stumbled onto a completely different framework for money at age 13 and refused to let go of it. In this episode, she breaks down the asset vs. liability distinction that most of us were never taught, why your house probably isn't building your wealth the way you think it is, and how compound interest can still work powerfully in your favor no matter where you're starting from in midlife. Hannah also opens up about something few people talk about: hitting rock bottom emotionally in her early 20s despite her early financial knowledge, and the internal shift that changed everything. She shares the exact morning routine she uses to protect her "peak state," why your energetic state determines your outcomes, and the AI prompt that could replace a $50,000 coach for getting started. This one is for every woman who has worked hard, done the "right" things, and still feels like real financial freedom is just out of reach.   Learn More About Hannah Hammond  Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/hannahbhammond     Thank you to our show sponsors:  BEAM: Level up your health with BEAM Minerals HERE https://midlifeconversations.com/beam and use code NATALIEJILL to save!   BIOPTIMIZERS: Get the digestive enzymes I take with every meal here https://www.bioptimizers.com/nataliejill   Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/ Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com   Connect with me on social media! Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit   For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/  Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen.  Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast

What if the thing you thought was finally going to free you from a lifetime of food obsession is actually feeding the very cycle you have been trying to escape? This week on Midlife Conversations, I sat down with hormone expert and host of The Hormone Solution podcast, Karen Martel, for one of the most unexpectedly layered conversations I have had in a long time. Karen grew up with a mother who ran a Nutrisystem weight loss center, which meant that food restriction and body scrutiny were not just things she observed but the constant backdrop of her entire childhood. That early environment contributed to years of disordered eating that followed her well into adulthood. Today Karen helps midlife women navigate the intersection of hormones, weight, and the deeply ingrained beliefs most of us are still carrying from decades of diet culture. But this episode is not just a retrospective on the 80s and 90s fat-free era. It is about where those beliefs have quietly resurfaced in the current conversation around biohacking, GLP-1 peptides, and optimization culture. We get into the complicated reality of GLP-1 medications: the genuine relief they can bring to women who have spent their entire lives consumed by food noise, and the very real risks when they are used without proper guidance, including muscle loss, bone loss, nutrient deficiency, and what happens when access suddenly disappears. Karen also shares something she considers one of the most underaddressed pieces of this conversation: why optimizing your hormones before or alongside peptide use can change everything. This one challenged some of my own firmly held positions. I think it will do the same for you.   Learn More About Karen Martel Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/karenmartelhormones  Website ➜  https://karenmartel.com/ and https://midlifesolutions.org/    Thank you to our show sponsors:  TIMELINE: Timeline is offering 20% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https://timeline.com/NATALIEJILL    Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/ Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com   Connect with me on social media! Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit   For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/  Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen.  Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.

What if the reason you cannot sleep, cannot relax, and cannot seem to get unstuck in midlife has nothing to do with your hormones, your diet, or your effort... and everything to do with the four walls around you? This conversation with Marie Diamond stopped me in my tracks. Marie is one of the world's most recognized feng shui masters, a featured teacher in The Secret, and someone who has spent decades helping people understand how their physical environments are quietly shaping their subconscious minds, their brain waves, their stress levels, and their ability to attract health, love, and abundance. And no, this is not woo. There are actual studies. Brain wave testing. Research out of the University of Beijing. Kinesiology measurements. The science is catching up to what Marie has been teaching for decades. We get into the specific feng shui mistakes most midlife women are making in their bedrooms (one of them might be why your passion and sleep quality have both quietly disappeared). We talk about why walking through your garage every morning is setting you up for a certain kind of day, what the scattered coins in your car are saying about your relationship with money, and why that picture hanging in your relationship corner might be telling a story you never meant to tell. Marie also walks us through her personal energy number system, something I tried live on this episode for myself, and it explained something about my connection to water and where I thrive that I had felt my whole life but never had language for. Whether you have always been curious about feng shui or you think it sounds a little out there, I promise this conversation will leave you looking at your home completely differently. And probably moving some furniture tonight.   Episode Links:  Your Home Is a Vision Board Book https://amzn.to/4sJ7PeL  Free Marie Diamond App https://www.mariediamond.com/app  Learn More About Marie Diamond Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/mariediamondofficial Website ➜  https://www.mariediamond.com/app   Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/ Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com   Connect with me on social media! Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit   For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/  Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen.  Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.

Are you doing everything right and still waking up at 3am, running on anxiety, and feeling like your nervous system just won't calm down? What if the problem isn't your hormones, your diet, or your mindset... and it's something invisible that's been in your home the entire time? In this episode, we sit down with Philipp von Holtzendorff-Fehling, founder of Quantum Upgrade and Leela Quantum Tech and a former Vice President at T-Mobile. Philipp knows more about what electromagnetic fields are doing to your body than almost anyone on the planet, and what he shares in this conversation will make you look at your Wi-Fi router, your phone, and your electric car very differently. We dig into why the EMF soup we live in every single day is quietly driving up stress hormones, disrupting sleep, and throwing the brain's nervous system into a state of low-grade fight-or-flight... and what a Nobel Prize-winning physics concept called quantum entanglement has to do with reversing it. Using the most advanced EEG technology in the world, researchers measured what happens the moment Quantum Upgrade is switched on. Stress markers in the brain dropped by 80%. Calm brain activity increased by 13 times. Not 13 percent. Thirteen times. The conversation goes deep into blood studies showing reversal of early-stage clotting within minutes, a six-month parasitic load study with results that stunned investigators, and wound healing research so significant it converted its own skeptic. Natalie also opens up about what she quietly noticed in her own body after using Quantum Upgrade for several weeks without fully realizing it was working. If you have tried everything for your sleep, your anxiety, and your energy and still feel like something is missing, this episode is the piece you have been waiting for.   Try Quantum Upgrade completely free for 15 days—no credit card required. Use code NATALIEJILL at checkout on https://quantumupgrade.io/start    Learn More About Philipp von Holtzendorff-Fehling Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/quantumupgrade.io      Website ➜ https://quantumupgrade.io/start   [code NATALIEJILL for a free 15 day trial] Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/ Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com   Connect with me on social media! Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit   For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/  Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen.  Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.  

What if the most dangerous thing happening to your body right now has no pain, no warning, and no symptoms at all? One in two women over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Most have no idea it is even happening until the fracture changes everything. And for many, that fracture is not just a broken bone. It is the beginning of a cascade that can cost them their independence, their mobility, and in too many cases, their life. In this episode, Dr. Doug Lucas, a double board-certified orthopedic surgeon turned bone health and hormone specialist. Dr. Lucas spent years fixing broken bones in the operating room, where he witnessed firsthand how brittle and chalky bone can get long before anyone thinks to check. Now he is on a mission to educate women before it gets to that point. This conversation goes deep into why bone loss accelerates dramatically in the years around menopause, why waiting until 65 to screen is dangerously too late, and how the conventional medical system has essentially no true bone health specialists. You will learn what a DEXA scan actually tells you versus what it misses, what bone turnover markers are and why they matter, and how hormones like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and even FSH all play a role in what your bones are silently trying to tell you. Dr. Lucas also tackles the questions every midlife woman is asking: Does calcium supplementation actually help? What kind of exercise truly builds bone versus just slowing loss? Are weighted vests, rebounders, and vibration plates worth it? What is the truth about bone drugs like Fosamax and Prolia? And what should women on GLP-1s know about their bone health right now? Whether you have already been told you have low bone density, or you are just starting to think about this, this episode will change how you look at your body, your hormones, and your long-term independence. Do not skip this one.   Learn More About Dr. Doug Lucas Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/dr_douglucas Website ➜ https://drdouglucas.com/    Thank you to our show sponsors! SUNLIGHTEN: Sleep better. Recover faster. Stress less. Get Sunlighten infrared saunas HERE https://sunlighten.com  and use code NATALIEJILL to save up to $1,400!  Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/ Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com   Connect with me on social media! Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit   For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/  Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen.  Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.  

What if your hormone imbalance has nothing to do with your hormones and everything to do with the light in your house? Health detective and certified quantum biology practitioner Sarah Kleiner joins us to break down one of the most underconversed topics in women's midlife health: how your light environment is directly disrupting your hormones, your metabolism, your thyroid, your gut, and your sleep... and what you can actually do about it today. Sarah shares her deeply personal journey through irregular cycles, two miscarriages, two failed IVF rounds, and eventually a successful pregnancy at 43, all made possible by rebuilding her health from the circadian rhythm up. She explains why going carnivore helped and then hurt her, how artificial light at night is functionally the same as not sleeping, and why estrogen dominance might actually be a lighting problem. We also dig into the nuanced conversation around HRT: the peer pressure to do it, the risks of doing it without understanding your detox pathways and genetics, and why both "HRT causes cancer" and "HRT doesn't cause cancer" are incomplete statements. Sarah's philosophy? Fix the terrain first, then make an informed decision. If you have ever felt like you are doing everything right and still not feeling well, this episode will give you a new lens to look through and a clear place to start.   Learn More About Sarah Kleiner Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/SarahKleinerWellness Website ➜  https://SarahKleinerWellness.com  Thank you to our show sponsors! BIOPTIMIZERS: Get the digestive enzymes I take with every meal here https://www.bioptimizers.com/nataliejill Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations! Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/ Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com   Connect with me on social media! Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit   For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/  Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen.  Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease. Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.