unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver

In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Dr. Stacy Sims to unpack why so much fitness and diet advice built on male physiology leaves women confused about why the scale will not move, and why weight loss can feel so much harder for women than for men on the exact same plan. Dr. Sims, author of Roar and Next Level, a former professional cyclist who has taught and coached at Stanford, breaks down why women following the same diet and training program as their male partners often end up tired and stuck rather than leaner and fitter.

The conversation covers the biological reasons women conserve fat in a calorie deficit, how female circadian rhythm differs from male circadian rhythm, and why eating within an hour of waking helps regulate cortisol and appetite hormones like ghrelin and peptide YY. Dr. Sims explains why fasted workouts can backfire for women, why front loading calories earlier in the day supports better metabolic outcomes, and why time restricted eating works with a woman's biology in ways that intermittent fasting often does not.

Guest links:

Dr. Stacy Sims

Dr. Stacy Sims (Facebook)

Dr. Stacy Sims (YouTube)

Dr. Stacy Sims (Instagram)

Stacy T. Sims, PhD (LinkedIn)

Dr. Stacy Sims Newsletter

Dr. Stacy Sims Microlearning Course

Books

“The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

“The New Menopause"⁠ by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

“Next Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals Through Menopause and Beyond,” by Dr. Stacy Sims

“ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life,” by Dr. Stacy Sims

Guest links

Karen Tang, MD (Instagram)

Karen Tang, MD (Facebook)

Karen Tang, MD (YouTube)

Karen Tang, MD (LinkedIn)

Karen Tang, MD (TikTok)

GynoMight with Karen Tang, MD (Substack)

Thrive Gynecology

Books

“It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (but Were Never Told),” by Dr. Karen Tang

“The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

“The New Menopause"⁠ by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

For a list of full show notes, please click here.

In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Karen Tang, a board certified gynecologist and minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon, and author of It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health But Were Never Told. This is part one of a two part conversation. Together they take on a question that most women entering perimenopause have never been given the tools to answer: what happens to the gynecologic conditions you have been managing for years when your hormones start to shift?

Dr. Tang opens with endometriosis, dismantling two of the most persistent myths in gynecology: that it goes away after menopause, and that it is cured by pregnancy or hysterectomy. She explains what endometriosis actually is, why it so often goes undiagnosed for an average of seven years, why imaging studies frequently miss it, and what the full range of treatment options looks like for perimenopausal women dealing with painful periods, pelvic pain, and chronic inflammation, including when surgery is the right next step.

Guest links

Karen Tang, MD (Instagram)

Karen Tang, MD (Facebook)

Karen Tang, MD (YouTube)

Karen Tang, MD (LinkedIn)

Karen Tang, MD (TikTok)

GynoMight with Karen Tang, MD (Substack)

Thrive Gynecology

Books

“It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (but Were Never Told),” by Dr. Karen Tang

“The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

“The New Menopause"⁠ by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

For full show notes, please click here.

Family Lore is a weekly narrative podcast that celebrates and investigates ancestral mystique. Each episode begins with a guest sharing a fascinating family legend, followed by a historical deep-dive to uncover the truth and meaning behind the tale.

Available now: link.pscrb.fm/f0281/FLFD

In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Amy Shah, a physician trained in internal medicine and immunology with a nutrition background from Cornell, and author of the new book Hormone Havoc.

Dr. Haver and Dr. Shah begin the conversation with the gut-hormone-brain connection, explaining how 40% of estrogen is recirculated through the gut, how the estrobolome, the collection of gut bacteria responsible for metabolizing estrogen, determines how much the body retains, and why declining estrogen in perimenopause and menopause triggers a cascade that loosens the tight junctions meant to keep food particles, toxins, and viruses from entering the bloodstream. This leaky gut drives inflammation that accelerates every symptom women are already experiencing, from weight gain and mood changes to sleep disruption and brain health decline. The gut-brain axis, the constant two-way communication between the gut and the brain, means that what is happening in the gut is directly shaping cognitive function, motivation, and emotional resilience in menopause. She also covers how 95% of serotonin is made in the gut, why chronic inflammation reroutes tryptophan away from serotonin and melatonin, and what that means for mood, sleep, and appetite in midlife.

Guest links:

Dr. Amy Shah (Instagram)

Dr. Amy Shah (TikTok)

Dr. Amy Shah

Save Yourself With Dr. Amy Shah (Apple Podcasts)

Books:

“Hormone Havoc: A Science-Backed Protocol for Perimenopause and Menopause: Sleep Better. Think Better. Feel Better,” by Dr. Amy Shah