Everyday Wellness: Midlife Hormones, Menopause, and Science for Women 35+

Welcome to this week’s Midlife Minute.

Today, I’m focusing on all the questions I received about gallbladder health, including HRT-provoking symptoms, supplements that improve gallbladder health, and evidence-based food interventions.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:


Why the risk of gallstones and gallbladder inflammation increases during the menopause transition


How estrogen and progesterone HRT have different effects on gallbladder functioning


The differences in risk between transdermal and oral HRT


How the progesterone in HRT can cause gallbladder issues in some women


What TUDCA is, and how it supports gallbladder health


The value of TUDCA for women who have had their gallbladders removed


How various nutrients and supplements support bile flow and gallbladder health


What can contribute to gallstone formation

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  


Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn


Check out Cynthia’s website.


Submit your questions to [email protected] 


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


Purchase Cynthia’s book, The Menopause Gut.


Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book


The Midlife Pause Supplement Line

Gallbladder Research:


Cabrera D, Arab JP, Arrese M. UDCA, NorUDCA, and TUDCA in liver diseases: a review of their mechanisms of action and clinical applications. Seminars in Liver Disease. 2019;39(4):397–404. doi:10.1055/s-0039-1696799 


Vang S, Longley K, Steer CJ, Low WC. The unexpected uses of urso- and tauroursodeoxycholic acid in the treatment of non-liver diseases. Global Advances in Health and Medicine. 2014;3(3):58–69. doi:10.7453/gahmj.2014.017 


Bai M, Yang L, Liao H, et al. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid improves nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by regulating gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2024;72(41):22655–22668. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.4c04630 


Simon JA, Hudes ES. Relation of serum ascorbic acid to serum vitamin B12, serum ferritin, and kidney stones in US adults. *Archives of Internal Medicine.*1999;159(6):619–624. doi:10.1001/archinte.159.6.619 


Walcher T, Haenle MM, Kron M, et al. Vitamin C supplement use may protect against gallstones: an observational study on a randomly selected population. BMC Gastroenterology. 2009;9:74. doi:10.1186/1471-230X-9-74 


Tsai CJ, Leitzmann MF, Willett WC, Giovannucci EL. Long-term intake of dietary fiber and decreased risk of cholecystectomy in women. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2004;99(7):1364–1370. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2004.30281.x 


Leitzmann MF, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Spiegelman D, Colditz GA, Giovannucci EL. Coffee intake is associated with lower risk of symptomatic gallstone disease in women. Gastroenterology. 2002;123(6):1823–1830. doi:10.1053/gast.2002.37085 


Moerman CJ, Smeets FW, Kromhout D. Dietary risk factors for clinically diagnosed gallstones in middle-aged men — a 25-year follow-up study. Annals of Epidemiology. 1994;4(3):248–254. doi:10.1016/1047-2797(94)90099-x


Association between dietary magnesium intake and gallstones: the mediating role of atherogenic index of plasma. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2024;23(1):82. doi:10.1186/s12944-024-02074-4 


Pitt HA, Doty JE, Murphy MM, Schwarz MB. Progesterone alters biliary flow dynamics. Annals of Surgery. 1999;229(2):205–209. doi:10.1097/00000658-199902000-00008

I am delighted to reconnect with Dr. Nicole LePera today. Trained in clinical psychology, she is a holistic psychologist whose work explores the interconnections among the mind, body, and soul, incorporating holistic lifestyle and psychological wellness practices. She has written multiple New York Times bestselling books, most recently Reparenting the Inner Child.

In today’s conversation, we unpack what the inner child really means from a clinical perspective. We explore how understanding your childhood wounds intellectually differs from truly re-parenting yourself at the nervous system level, and how perimenopause and menopause influence the way we view the world. We look at ACE scores and the biology of childhood adversity, how ACE scores measure what happened to us, but fail to measure resilience, protective factors, or the capacity for healing. We examine how reactive parents shape our nervous system, and how that shows up as hypervigilance, emotional scanning, and self-erasure, and how the fawn response can lead to chronic people-pleasing, relentless accommodation, and an inability to say no. We also cover how epigenetics and lifestyles influence behavioral patterns, critical parenting, stress addiction, gut-brain dysregulation, and the disruptive effects of vagal tone gadgets.

This is truly one of those must-listen conversations! I love Dr. LePera’s grounded and practical approach to helping people work through their childhood experiences and advocate for themselves.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:


How childhood wounds become stored in the nervous system rather than just the mind


Why understanding your dysfunctional habits intellectually will not change the emotional patterns that drive them


How perimenopause and menopause can magnify unresolved emotional patterns


What ACE scores measure and what they fail to capture


How reactive parenting can lead to hypervigilance and emotional scanning, even in safe environments


Dr. LePera describes the fawn response and explains how children learn to over-accommodate others, suppress their own needs, and avoid conflict.


How chronic stress becomes a learned response, and how stress responses can be passed across generations  


How chronic stress and a dysregulated nervous system can influence gut function and microbiome balance


Why it’s essential to return your attention to your body in the present moment to begin healing

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  


Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn


Check out Cynthia’s website.


Submit your questions to [email protected] 


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


Purchase Cynthia’s book, The Menopause Gut.


Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book


The Midlife Pause Supplement Line

Connect with Dr. Nicole LePera


Website


Social media platforms: @The Holistic Psychologist 


Self Healers Circle (Membership community)

Purchase a copy of Dr. Pera’s latest book, Reparenting the Inner Child.

Today, I am excited to welcome you to the eagerly awaited third installment of Ask Me Anything! 

In this episode, I shine a spotlight on a universal challenge that affects the lives of countless women over 35 as I delve into the heart of the problems of weight-loss resistance, plateaus, and the notorious belly fat that seems to cling for dear life. 

The flood of questions that keep pouring in speaks volumes and is a testament to the exasperation we all feel! Join me on a journey to navigate that landscape, unravel the mysteries, confront misconceptions, and uncover strategies to overcome, decode, and dismantle the common issue of shedding those unwanted, stubborn pounds!

I urge all of you, particularly those older than 35, to know you are not alone in your struggle! Stay tuned for the treasure trove of insights that awaits!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:


Why should you know what your fasting insulin is? 


The importance of stress management


Helpful supplements for those who have had their gallbladders removed


How to deal with cravings and weight gain during the week before your period


The first thing to work on if you are struggling with plateaus or weight loss resistance


The importance of mitigating stress


Managing your macronutrients


The loss of muscle as we get older


Physical activity and weight loss


How important is body set weight? 


How trauma impacts weight loss resistance

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow


Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn


Check out Cynthia’s website.


Submit your questions to [email protected] 


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


Purchase Cynthia’s book, The Menopause Gut.


Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book


The Midlife Pause Supplement Line

I’m delighted to connect with Dr. Eboni Cornish today. She is the Associate Medical Director of Amen Clinics and President of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, specializing in complex chronic illness with expertise in brain health, Lyme disease, autoimmune conditions, mold exposure, gut dysfunction, and women’s midlife health.

In our conversation, we explore how perimenopause and menopause affect the brain, as well as the roles of genetics and epigenetics. Dr. Cornish explains limbic lock, SPECT imaging, the impact of tick-borne illnesses, and co-infections, and how brain health issues can influence mental health. We also dive into the role of mold in testing, the gut-brain-immune-hormone axis, vagal tone, the estrobolome, leptin, the MTHFR mutation, and how Dr. Cornish prefers to have it tested and treated in her patients.

Stay tuned for an insightful and wide-ranging conversation on brain health and women’s midlife wellness.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:


Why women may experience brain fog, forgetfulness, and cognitive slowing as estrogen declines


How declining estrogen could make the brain more vulnerable to toxins, infections, and leaky brain


How disrupted sleep, poor nutrition, and lack of oxygen (from issues like sleep apnea) can negatively affect cognition and brain health


The value of continuing to learn and staying socially connected to support your cognitive health as you age


How genetics can help to identify women who may be at higher risk for cognitive decline later in life.


What limbic lock means


How toxin overload, mold, Lyme disease, and co-infections, and unresolved stress can create a state of limbic lock 


How SPECT imaging helps to explain why some people fail to improve despite multiple treatments


The benefits of progesterone for supporting relaxation and improving sleep during perimenopause


How declining estrogen and gut dysbiosis during perimenopause can affect the gut-brain axis

Bio: Dr. Eboni Cornish

Dr. Eboni Cornish is the Associate Medical Director of Amen Clinics and President of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. She specializes in complex chronic illness, with expertise in brain health, Lyme disease, autoimmune conditions, mold toxicity, gut dysfunction, and women’s midlife health.

Known for her NeuroLongevity framework, Dr. Cornish takes a root-cause, brain-first approach to helping patients optimize cognitive resilience, hormone balance, and long-term wellness.

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  


Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn


Check out Cynthia’s website.


Submit your questions to [email protected] 


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


Purchase Cynthia’s book, The Menopause Gut.


Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book.


The Midlife Pause Supplement Line

Connect with Dr. Eboni Cornish


Amen Clinics


On her website


Instagram

Welcome to the latest Midlife Minute.

I’ve been getting many questions about viruses, bacterial vaginosis, and recurrent infections. So, today, I’m stepping a little outside our usual topics to explore how changes in the gut microbiome can directly influence the vaginal microbiome.

Join me as I clarify what actually happens in the body during perimenopause and menopause, and explain why those shifts matter more than most women realize.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:


Three changes that occur simultaneously during perimenopause and menopause, and how those changes increase our susceptibility to viruses like herpes.


Why declining estrogen weakens the vaginal microbiome


How gut microbiome changes in midlife affect the ability to recycle estrogen via the estrobolome


Why the gut barrier becomes less stable and more permeable during perimenopause and menopause, and how that can trigger immune responses and low-grade inflammation


How hormonal fluctuations can trigger viral outbreaks and increase the likelihood of shingles


What research shows about hormone replacement therapy and lower rates and recurrence of severe herpes simplex infections


Why bacterial vaginosis is becoming more common in midlife


How to balance and support the gut and vaginal microbiome in midlife

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow  


Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn


Check out Cynthia’s website.


Submit your questions to [email protected]


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

Links:

1. Menopausal shift on women’s health and microbial niches

2. The Effect of Menopause on the Innate Anti-Viral Activity of Cervicovaginal Lavage

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4519412/ 

3. Spotlight on the Gut Microbiome in Menopause: Current Insights

4. Shingles and Menopause: Is There a Connection?

5. The Impact of Hormonal Replacement Therapy on Herpes Simplex Infection and Gingival Health in Post-Menopausal Women 

6. The Menopause Transition, Vaginal Health, and Your Vaginal Microbiome

7. Probiotics in the Prevention and Treatment of Postmenopausal Vaginal Infections: Review Article

8. G. vaginalis increases HSV-2 infection by decreasing vaginal barrier integrity and increasing inflammation in vivo

9. Association between Acquisition of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 in Women and Bacterial Vaginosis 

10. Recalcitrance of bacterial vaginosis among HSV-2 seropositive women