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🌿 THE HOTFLASH INC SUMMIT IS COMING BACK IN SEPTEMBER! Get on the newsletter to be the first to hear, so you can sign up the moment doors open. You do not want to miss this year. Get on the newsletter → here.

This was one of my favourite talks from last year's inaugural Hotflash Inc Summit, recorded back in mid-2025. My guest is Dr. Roxanne Prichard, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of St. Thomas, where she's built a career studying the science of sleep and mental health. She's designed popular courses on sleep and dreaming, led workshops for college professionals on sleep, and served on the NCAA Taskforce for Sleep and Well-being. Her TEDx talk, Addressing Our Children's Sleep Debt, was featured in the lecture series Transforming Education, and her research has been covered by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Teen Vogue, and USA Today, among others. What makes this conversation so special is that Roxanne is a true scholar of sleep.

Highlights

02:57 – Why women sacrifice sleep more than men

04:44 – The biopsychosocial model behind perimenopause sleep loss 05:52 – The three most common sleep changes in menopause

08:18 – Sleep apnea isn't just a "men's disease" — and it's underdiagnosed in women

09:02 – How to test for sleep apnea from home

11:13 – What parasomnias are and why they happen

12:30 – The dementia risk of untreated sleep apnea

13:25 – The history (and risk) of sleep medications, from barbiturates to benzos

16:14 – The melatonin problem

19:04 – The science of morning light and your circadian rhythm

20:36 – How your circadian rhythm controls half your genes

20:54 – Roxanne's number one sleep tip for perimenopause

21:58 – The truth about sleep trackers, wearables, and "orthosomnia" 25:21 – What the research says about hormone therapy and sleep

30:27 – Reframing sleep as resistance

32:15 – Roxanne's parting wish for every woman listening

For more from Dr. Roxanne Prichard:

TEDx Talk, Addressing Our Children's Sleep Debt

Ms. Magazine, Sleep Is a Feminist Issue: Why Women's Rest Is Political LinkedIn: Roxanne Prichard

Connect with Hotflash inc TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause

Instagram: @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc

YOUTUBE @hotflashinc

Facebook: @hotflashinc

LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

THE HOTFLASH INC SUMMIT IS COMING BACK IN SEPTEMBER! Watch this space, get on the newsletter, or follow us on socials to find out more. This is one of our most popular talks from last year's inaugural event, recorded in mid-2025.

Dr. Aviva Romm is a Yale-trained MD, board-certified family physician, and world-renowned midwife and herbalist who's spent four decades studying women's health from every angle – obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, and integrative medicine. She's a longtime home birth pioneer and birth activist, and the bestselling author of Hormone Intelligence (2021), who has never been afraid to challenge the status quo in medicine. In this conversation, recorded for the very first Hotflash inc Summit in September/October 2025, she brings all of it – the decades of clinical experience and the humility of living through this transition herself.

It's easy to see why people who attended the summit online loved this interview so much: Dr. Romm doesn't do fear-based menopause content, and she doesn't do "just take the hormones and move on" either. She does nuance – which is exactly what this moment needs.

Highlights

03:54 – Why nature gets left out of the menopause conversation

05:11 – The historical roots of dismissing women's bodies (and nature) 09:41 – Is hormone therapy the icing, or the cake?

10:36 – The three questions every woman should be asking herself

13:26 – Why so many of us never learned to ask them

14:31 – Should you take hormones to prevent future disease?

19:21 – The most overlooked fix: vaginal estrogen for recurrent UTIs

21:11 – The good, the bad, and the unregulated: herbalism and botanicals 25:04 – Yes, herbs can have side effects too

30:44 – "This is the third way"

30:57 – What the research actually says on pine bark extract

31:42 – Her go-to herbs for sleep and hot flashes

38:13 – Where are the midwives and nurse practitioners in this conversation?

40:24 – The"alarming" entry of GLP-1s into menopause care

48:53 – It's not just pharma – the whole wellness industry sells fear

50:16 – Why checking your hormone labs in perimenopause is often pointless

57:57 – Fear as a marketing tactic

Connect with Dr. Aviva Romm

Website: avivaromm.com

Instagram: @dr.avivaromm

Facebook: @AvivaRommMD

X: @avivaromm

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause

Instagram: @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc

YOUTUBE @hotflashinc

Facebook: @hotflashinc

LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🌿 The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy — I mapped what's actually happening in our bodies, the 12 different (and often conflicting) approaches to prescribing hormone therapy that are on offer – YES 12 – answered the tough questions, pointed out the gaps and so much more so YOU can feel good about what you decide and how you choose – or whether you even choose hormone therapy at all. Know why you are doing what you are doing – and get regular updates as things change. Find out more 👉 here

🔥 Free: The Fix-It-Fast Perimenopause List — And if hormone therapy definitely isn't for you, 👉 here is a really good list that will help you find some relief.

This week Ann Marie is going solo – and getting straight to the point. If you're going through perimenopause or menopause, she says, you have exactly one job. It's not losing the weight, fixing your hormones, saving your marriage, or finding the perfect supplement.

Ann Marie talks candidly about the health crisis that sent her looking for deeper answers and why she's suspicious of anyone – however well-meaning – who's selling a single fix for a complicated transition. It's a call to stop outsourcing the question of who you are, and start trusting what you already know.

Highlights

• The blame-game buffet: hormones, gut, patriarchy, cortisol 
• What if this decade is for questioning everything? 
• Breaking down fear, shame, and expectations 
• The real job (and it’s not fixing yourself) 
• Wishing someone had told me THIS in my 40s 
• Everyone’s selling their solution as THE solution 
• The heroine’s journey: the descent, the meat hook, the dark night 
• Your one job today 
• Why it’s worth the trip to find out

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause

Instagram: @hotflashinc X: @hotflashinc

YouTube: @hotflashinc

Facebook: @hotflashinc

LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🔥 The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy – get the guide that cuts through the noise on HRT

Simon Salt spent four years watching his wife get dismissed by doctors – told it was UTIs, bad diet, lack of sleep, anything but perimenopause — before she finally got a diagnosis. He spent another year and a half after that figuring out it wasn't happening to her, it was happening to both of them. Now he's a certified menopause coach and the writer behind The Quiet Transition, a publication helping men in midlife support their partners through peri- and post-menopause with actual empathy instead of good intentions and bad timing.

Highlights

8:29 – The slow erosion: loss of intimacy, and filling the silence with stories

18:20 – The yogurt tub story – and what those irritations really mean

22:46 – Renegotiating intimacy when what used to work stops working 29:00 – Simon's framework: sit, listen, believe

34:12 – Why releasing control is so hard — and so necessary

40:22 – The new wave of men writing about menopause, and what Simon makes of it

42:58 – "There is no man who doesn't know a woman going through this"

Quotable

"Perimenopause doesn't usually cause cracks in a relationship. It reveals them." – Simon Salt, certified menopause coach, The Quiet Transition

Connect with Simon Salt The Quiet Transition:

Substack: https://www.thequiettransition.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonsalt

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause Instagram: @hotflashinc X: @hotflashinc YOUTUBE @hotflashinc Facebook: @hotflashinc LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🔥 Breaking news! Get The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy – it's out now! This is a digital guide to help women and the women who care for them to navigate the chaos.

Anissa Nova spent years in corporate tech before retraining as a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, herbalism and energy work. Now she runs Pure Alchemy in Sydney, Australia, where she blends strength training, breathwork and rest with acupuncture and energy alignment to help women reconnect with their bodies.

Highlights

02:04 – The Yellow Emperor's Classic and the 7-year cycle

03:52 – Yin, blood, and turning inward

06:59 – The liberation of no longer being "fertile"

09:05 – Hormone therapy isn't the only solution

10:30 – "We weren't built incorrectly"

12:06 – Helping women transition off HRT when it's not working

17:23 – The energetic nature of herbs

21:43 – What medical qigong actually is

26:12 – Mind, emotion, and energy shaping reality

28:31 – Applying a modern model to ancient medicine

29:47 – Why clinical trials don't reflect real-world treatment

31:06 – Where science's gold standard falls short

31:48 – Appreciating the placebo effect

36:11 – Emotions are energy — clean up now or later

37:30 – Acupressure vs. acupuncture

38:41 – Those electric zaps during acupuncture, explained

Connect with Anissa Nova

Website: Pure Alchemy

LinkedIn: Anissa Nova

Instagram: @Purealchemytcm

Pure Alchemy — Sutherland Shire, Sydney, Australia

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause

Instagram: @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc

YOUTUBE @hotflashinc

Facebook: @hotflashinc

LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🔥 Need help right now? Hotflash inc has got you: The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy is a clear + comprehensive guide to understanding the entire landscape of prescribing approaches – at least 12 – to empower you to make the right decision, for you. The free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List offers quick, practical non-hormonal relief options. Or cover all your bases and get both!

Adele Wimsett spent 20 years working in the criminal justice system before a health crisis of her own – her period stopped due to "healthy" habits like fasted training and keto – sent her down the rabbit hole of gender bias in medical research. She retrained as a women's health practitioner, and after her own ADHD diagnosis at 41, turned her science-nerd brain toward a question almost nobody was asking: what do hormones actually do to the ADHD brain?

Highlights

10:06 – The "perfect storm": ADHD plus declining progesterone

12:26 – The problem with medicine's obsession with estrogen

18:35 – Organized at work – trauma connection

19:37 – The hidden cost of decades of masking

23:26 – Estrogen and testosterone through a neurodivergent lens

31:08 – Is an ADHD diagnosis essential?

35:57 – 3 practical daily tools

Connect with Adele Wimsett:

Instagram: @adele_wimsett

Free SKOOL Community ADHD & Hormones

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause

Instagram: @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc

YOUTUBE @hotflashinc

Facebook: @hotflashinc

LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🔥 The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy is here — my guide mapping 12 different approaches to hormone therapy, built from 250+ practitioner interviews and six years of research. $47 until July 15th, then $97. 👉 The Hot Truth

Eve Simonsen is a certified psilocybin facilitator and microdosing guide based in the US. We get into why it works, microdosing vs. macrodosing, real side effects and contraindications, what a retreat looks like, and why you should never get your information about this from mainstream media.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making decisions. Psilocybin remains illegal under federal law in many countries, including the US and in most jurisdictions outside of regulated state programs.

Highlights

07:29 – Why perimenopausal women are drawn to this work

10:33 – Full journey vs. microdosing, explained

19:02 – Real side effects and contraindications

25:39 – Who actually shows up for this work

29:40 – The real fears that hold people back

38:58 – Where to actually go for good information

Go deeper

• Eve's own research available via her Linktree.
• Psychedelic Passage is a referral network that connects people to vetted facilitators.
• MAPS is a nonprofit that's been funding psychedelic clinical research for 30+ years.
• Hystelica is a UK-based nonprofit specifically studying psychedelics and female biology.
• Deva Collective is a women's-health-and-psychedelics research nonprofit.
• Double Blind and Lucid News for responsible journalism.

Connect with Eve

Website: cycle-alchemy.com

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause 

Instagram:  @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc 

YOUTUBE  @hotflashinc

Facebook:  @hotflashinc

Linked in:  Ann Marie McQueen

Dr. Adrienne Bitar has a PhD working on food studies scholarship and is the co-founder — along with pharmacist Dr. Jenny Han — of Seen Nutrition, a food-first bone health company born out of two very personal experiences with osteoporosis. Dr Bitar brings a deep understanding of how diet culture, food history, and the stories we tell about women’s bodies have shaped everything from how we supplement to when we get screened.

Highlights

03:42 – Deconstructing the narrative of inevitable bone decline

05:40 – How personal osteoporosis stories built Seen

08:22 – The calcium confusion: what’s actually going on

12:30 – Types of calcium — what to look for, what to skip

13:40 – The “food matrix effect” explained

15:13 – Are there calcium supplements you shouldn’t take?

18:00 – The cardiovascular risk debate, debunked

27:50 – Balance and fall prevention — the other half of fracture risk

28:42 – Strength training and bone health

30:27 – How menopause accelerates bone loss

35:17 – Why waiting until 65 for a DEXA is too late

39:45 – Why third-party testing should be non-negotiable

44:45 – Why so much of the supplement market is gross and hard to trust

49:32 – DCE: three things to do for your bones this week

For citations check the comments or this podcast episode on Substack.

Connect with Dr. Adrienne Bitar & Seen Nutrition

Website: www.seennutrition.com

Instagram/TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/thecalciumqueens / https://www.tiktok.com/@thecalciumqueens
Facebook Group: Osteoporosis Nutrition and Supplementation
Phone: 607-216-8722

🔥 My long-awaited digital guide to hormone therapy is live — The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy. Five short videos, five PDFs. Unbiased, BS-free, and you can get through it in under three hours. Practitioners, doctors, and women who want real information are already buying it.

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause

Instagram: @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc

YouTube: @hotflashinc

Facebook: @hotflashinc

LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🌿 The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy digital guide is here.
An unbiased, birds-eye view of what's happening that will help you cut through the confusion and have a real, informed conversation with your doctor about HRT. Get it now: go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth

Anne Poirier is a nationally recognized body image expert, certified intuitive eating counselor, and author of The Body Joyful, where she traces her own path from self-loathing to self-acceptance. She's also a pioneer in the body neutrality movement – a middle ground that's often misunderstood but, as this conversation shows, might be exactly what so many of us need in midlife.

Highlights
01:39 – How Anne's eating disorder started in 7th grade gym class
05:42 – Working in fitness while struggling with her own body image
07:28 – The cultural pendulum swinging back toward thinness
10:39 – How she quieted her own food noise without medication
14:31 – Why perimenopause can also trigger eating disorders
15:45 – Body positivity's origins vs. body neutrality
17:34 – Exhausting wellness trends: protein, heavy lifting, vibration plates
20:52 – Listening to her body instead of outside rules
25:15 – Why she refuses to weigh herself
27:00 – Where to begin
28:47 – Your body as "the vessel you get to experience your life in"

Connect with Anne Poirier
Books: The Body Joyful, Not a Fat Annie, The Body Neutrality Playbook

Connect with Hotflash inc
TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc
YOUTUBE @hotflashinc
Facebook: @hotflashinc
LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer
This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🌿 Pre-order now: The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy — A Journalist's No BS Guide to the Lay of the Land Five videos, five PDFs, and a bonus guide on talking to your doctor. Launches June 15th for $47. 👉 https://go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth

After six years researching hormone therapy – interviewing more than 250 practitioners, following the money, tracking the influencers, and regularly reading the research – I've still had moments of being completely bamboozled.

In this solo episode, I break down something I've been mapping for years: the 12 distinct belief systems around hormone therapy, from hormone maxxing through to the Estrogen-Free camp and finally, the groups that don't believe hormone therapy is required or even recommended. They're not just different opinions – they're entire belief systems, and most of them are convinced they are right.

This episode is the clearest lay of the land you're going to find – and it's the foundation of my new guide, The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy. Whether you're newly curious, deep in the weeds, or a practitioner trying to understand what your clients are navigating, this one is for you. Pre-order the guide now at https://go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth.

Highlights

3:10 – The commercial forces shaping the HT conversation 4:30 – Research gaps: less data than hormone therapy in cows

5:50 – Why OBGYNs leading the charge is complicated

7:15 – The 12 belief systems, explained

16:20 – Why testing is a minefield

17:45 – Progesterone-forward prescribing and why it's been ignored

23:15 – Traditional medicine systems: TCM, Ayurveda, homeopathy

24:30 – The problem with tribalism inside belief systems 26:00 – What women actually need: a map before a decision

Quotable "I think everyone just has pieces of the puzzle. Very few people have the whole picture." — Ann Marie McQueen, journalist and founder of Hotflash Inc

Resources mentioned

• Dr. Felice Gersh episode: The Hormone Therapy Revolution You've Never Heard Of
• Dr. Neal Barnard episode: Dr Neal Barnard is a Soy Man
• The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy guide: https://go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth

Connect with Hotflash inc TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause Instagram: @hotflashinc X: @hotflashinc YouTube: @hotflashinc Facebook: @hotflashinc LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🌿 Grab my new expanded and improved free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List.

🔥 Get on the waitlist for The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy: A Journalist's No-BS Guide to the Lay of the Land (in Under 3 Hours) – it drops June 15.

Luce Beaulieu is a certified menopause coach, researcher-turned-guide, and founder of the Midlife Temple community. She came to this work from the design and business world after being hit simultaneously with menopause, a traumatic breakup, and a toxic workplace in her late 40s, all during COVID. She clawed her way through, found HRT, healing practices and a 4,000-year-old myth called Inanna — and now she helps women do the same.

If you like what you hear, lucky you! Luce has opened the doors to Portals of Liberation, her 4-week guided deep dive into the four thresholds your body is already asking you to cross. Don't wait! It starts June 22.

Highlights

04:30 – Menopause as the most impactful event of Luce's life 05:02 – Why treating it as "physical deterioration" misses the point

05:27 – Grasping for resources beyond the purely medical 08:00 – Leadership, peak career, then menopause hits like snakes and ladders

08:30 – Ageism: from sought-after to invisible

10:21 – 20–30 hot flashes a day, no sleep, depression, suicidal ideation

13:16 – Why she'd assumed she wouldn't "need" hormones

20:30 – The U-shaped descent

23:13 – Getting back into the body through somatic work

29:57 – The missing archetype between mother and crone 32:24 – What a spiritual awakening actually feels like

Connect with Hotflash inc TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause Instagram: @hotflashinc X: @hotflashinc YouTube: @hotflashinc Facebook: @hotflashinc LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🌿 Grab the free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List so you can make sense of what's happening and what to do about it. 👉 http://go.hotflashinc.com/fix-it-fast

🔥 Join the waitlist for The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy — the only in-depth guide that looks at all the approaches so you can make an informed decision for your body. Out June 15! 👉 http://go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth-waitlist

Dr. May Hindmarsh is a Canadian-trained family medicine doctor who — along with her husband, also an MD — has been questioning the medical establishment long before it was fashionable to do so. Their podcast, BS Free MD, was born from decades of clinical experience that didn't match what the pharmaceutical reps, the government, or the studies said it should. May has seen it all and she's landed on team what actually works for each individual woman.

May is also speaking as a patient who spent three years convinced something was catastrophically wrong with her, while she was already on hormone therapy and working with hormone specialists.

02:04 – Training as scientists vs. trusting pharmaceutical reps
12:39 – Practicing before the Women's Health Initiative — what Mai actually saw clinically
17:47 – How the WHI hit her practice and why the data didn't match what she was seeing
20:25 – Her own perimenopause begins: libido tanks, testosterone at zero, migraines spike
26:17 – When things started to go wrong
35:40 – MTHFR, COMT, and why genetic variations change everything
45:06 – What mast cells actually are and what histamine does in the body (way beyond allergies)
51:22 – Why nutraceuticals can be just as overwhelming as pharmaceuticals
53:11 – Why "just optimize more" culture is so harmful
57:06 – What she's doing now
1:01:14 – Why you have to trust yourself over your practitioner

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause Instagram: @hotflashinc X: @hotflashinc YouTube: @hotflashinc Facebook: @hotflashinc LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

Grab the Fix It Fast Perimenopause List: http://go.hotflashinc.com/fix-it-fast

Get on the waitlist for: The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy: A Journalist’s No-BS Guide to the Lay of the Land (in Under 3 Hours)

https://go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth-waitlist

Dr. Maria Luque is a health scientist, fitness expert, and menopause coach – for Halle Berry no less — and the author of New Moves in Menopause.

We talk about body image, exercise addiction, the pressure to "fix" yourself, and what it really looks like to build a movement practice that's sustainable and joyful, and actually yours.

Highlights

02:20 – The slow erosion of identity through life's demands
03:10 – What "I want my 20-year-old body" really means
06:25 – Why community is the biggest tool you have
08:08 – Letting go of the lifelong self-improvement project
10:10 – Grey rocking the body image monster
12:12 – How the fitness industry makes body image worse
13:15 – Having a child as a turning point for body kindness
15:00 – The Valley of Neutrality — and why it's the goal
16:28 – GLP-1s, peptides, and people selling you a magic map
17:15 – Maria's take on supplements and products she won't promote
19:38 – How fear-based menopause content crosses a line
26:41 – Integrity as a core value, full stop
27:08 – Consistency over perfection: why 10 minutes beats 60
30:16 – The truth about heavy lifting (and who actually needs it)
32:23 – Meeting women where they are with equipment they have
34:07 – Maria's own hormone therapy journey — what's worked and what didn't

Get Dr. Maria Luque's 📖 New Moves in Menopause: www.newmovesinmenopause.com

Connect with Hotflash inc TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause Instagram: @hotflashinc X: @hotflashinc YouTube: @hotflashinc Facebook: @hotflashinc LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🌿 Get the free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List — your quick-start guide to feeling better now. → http://go.hotflashinc.com/fix-it-fast

🔥 Want to understand the full hormone therapy landscape in under three hours? Get on the waitlist for The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy. → http://go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth-waitlist

I don't say this lightly: Andrea Donsky's new book Nourishing Menopause is the best menopause book I've read. And I've read a lot of them. What makes it different is that Andrea actually bridges the gap — the one between "go see your doctor and get hormones" and "go natural and avoid everything." Most women don't even know that gap exists. Andrea lives in it, and she wrote an entire book from there. With a foreword from a naturopathic doctor and a foreword from a board-certified OB-GYN and former president of The Menopause Society, this book doesn't pick a side. It just tells you the truth.

00:29 – Why Ann Marie called this the best menopause book she's read

01:31 – In perimenopause for 14 years without knowing it 06:57 – Do supplements actually work? The evidence they won't tell you about

10:30 – Artificial sweeteners, seed oils, and why research supports everything

11:35 – Why we need to start listening to our own bodies again

12:41 – 17 reasons women gain weight in perimenopause 13:12 – The Gen X diet culture PTSD we all carry

14:45 – Why the self-blame has to stop

18:46 – What misinformation actually looks like

22:20 – Phantom smells, itchy ears, and why the symptom list needs to grow

24:46 – How to actually evaluate research you see online 26:45 – Why Gen Z kids are already menopause savvy

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause Instagram: @hotflashinc X: @hotflashinc YouTube: @hotflashinc Facebook: @hotflashinc LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🌿 Get the updated + free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List. → http://go.hotflashinc.com/fix-it-fast

🔥 Get on the waitlist for my new digital guide, The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy. → http://go.hotflashinc.com/hottruth-waitlist

Dr. Felice Gersh is a dual board-certified OB-GYN and integrative medicine physician here to talk about Rhythmic Physiologic Dosing (RPD) – and what she believes is wrong with the current approach of "low, static" dosing of hormone therapy.

07:40 – What "regular" HRT looks like vs. RPD

12:00 – Her argument why "lowest dose" makes no sense

15:00 – Why measuring estradiol blood levels matters

19:52 – Yes, you will have a bleed — that's the point

21:00 – Growth factors, the brain, mitochondria, and estradiol

27:00 – The case for endometrial ablation as an option for RPD patients

31:31 – Vaginal and rectal progesterone — why it matters 38:00 – Progesterone intolerance — what's going on

43:39 – The tissue hormone argument — and why it doesn't pick up the slack

54:47 – Is this safe?

55:35 – The future: hormone pumps and new ovaries

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause

Instagram: @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc

YouTube: @hotflashinc

Facebook: @hotflashinc

LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🌿 Join us for the Emotional Fitness Retreat

Transform Perimenopause into Power

Wilson4Q x Hotflash inc

Menla Mountain Resort, New York 

June 4-7 2026 

Sign me up!

🔥 Need help right now?

Grab my free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List for quick, practical non-hormonal relief options, and get on the waitlist for  The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy, a clear + comprehensive guide to understanding the entire landscape of options and empowering you to make your best decision.

This week, I’m talking to Joanna Ross – a former Broadway dancer turned stand-up comic, yoga teacher, and creator of the deeply personal comedy special Hot 50.

We talk about reinvention, the strange and often frustrating reality of navigating menopause, and what happens when you decide to put the truth – all of it – on stage. 

This is one of those conversations that wanders in the best way. It’s real, it’s funny, and it gets to the heart of what so many women are quietly dealing with.

Highlights

03:39 – What comedy really teaches you
05:20 – How menopause became her material
06:01 – The ‘wild west’ of menopause
07:24 – Celebrities, marketing & mistrust
10:41 – Doctors, hormones & “don’t suffer”
12:54 – When symptoms hit hard (and fast)
14:13 – The advice that misses the mark
15:14 – Finding relief (and stability)
17:19 – Why isn’t this being diagnosed properly?
18:00 – Learning menopause on the fly
21:08 – The problem with “quick fix” wellness
22:14 – Healing your relationship with food
25:12 – Why women need conversation, not products
27:57 – Comedy meets menopause
29:01 – Prepare before you’re in it
31:32 – Why it’s never too late to start something new
34:46 – The problem with yoga
41:19 – Intuition, discernment & midlife wisdom

Connect with JoAnna Ross

🎧 Comedy Album & Special: Hot 50 (available on major streaming platforms)

🌐 Website: https://www.hotjoanna.com

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause 

Instagram:  @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc 

YOUTUBE  @hotflashinc

Facebook:  @hotflashinc

Linked in:  Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

🌿 Join us for the Emotional Fitness Retreat

Transform Perimenopause into Power

Wilson4Q x Hotflash inc

Menla Mountain Resort, New York 

June 4-7 2026 

Sign me up!

🔥 Need help right now?

Grab my free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List for quick, practical non-hormonal relief options, and get on the waitlist for  The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy, a clear + comprehensive guide to understanding the entire landscape of options and empowering you to make your best decision.

_______________________________________________________________

When I first heard Janice Taylor describe Emotional Fitness Intelligence, something clicked. It felt like the through-line of 15 years of therapy, books, experiments, backstops, progress and questions. Janice is the founder of Wilson4Q, and what she’s building – Emotional Fitness Intelligence – is her attempt to define, measure, and teach something many of us have been trying to figure out the long, hard way. It also happens to land right at the heart of midlife.

Quotable

"The moment you give anything power outside of yourself, you are operating from your emotional injury." – Janice Taylor

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause 

Instagram:  @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc 

YOUTUBE  @hotflashinc

Facebook:  @hotflashinc

Linked in:  Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

Emotional Fitness shouldn’t take 15 years

In this solo episode, Ann Marie shares a deeply personal story from her years in breaking news journalism and how unprocessed trauma shaped her internal world well into midlife. She explores why perimenopause can surface long-buried emotional patterns – and why traditional approaches often fall short. This is a conversation about awareness, nervous system reality, and finding a more complete path forward.

Highlights

• The TV character that mirrored my internal reality
• The moment at a crash scene I’ll never forget-
• What adrenaline does in trauma – and what happens after
• The coping patterns I didn’t understand at the time
• Why I thought something was wrong with me
• “How long have you been like this?” – the question that shifted everything
• How perimenopause cracked open deeper self-inquiry
• The “messy beach” and what hormones reveal
• Why emotional fitness might be the missing piece

🔥 Need help right now?

Grab my free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List for quick, practical non-hormonal relief options, and get on the waitlist for  The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy, a clear + comprehensive guide to understanding the entire landscape of options and empowering you to make your best decision.

🌿 Join us for the Emotional Fitness Retreat

Transform Perimenopause into Power

Wilson4Q x Hotflash inc

Menla Mountain Resort, New York 

June 4-7 2026 

Sign me up!

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause 

Instagram:  @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc 

YOUTUBE  @hotflashinc

Facebook:  @hotflashinc

Linked in:  Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

Naturopathic doctor and menopause specialist Dr. Kirsten Smith unpacks why perimenopause and menopause symptoms can feel so intense, where hormone therapy helps, where it gets overpromised, how stress, lifestyle, blood sugar and inflammation shape the experience, and why midlife often becomes a reckoning we aren't ready for.

Highlights

05:47 – Why midlife demands radical responsibility

08:46 – The deeper root cause: self-worth, self-criticism, and women’s relationship with themselves

11:10 – Menopause as sovereignty: freedom, boundaries, and becoming more yourself

16:41 – Hormone confusion on Instagram, soy panic, and how nutrition advice gets distorted

23:19 – GLP-1s, blood sugar, inflammation, and why this conversation is much bigger than weight loss

33:59 – Dr Smith’s own frozen shoulder experience, hormone therapy, and what this reveals about oversimplified menopause messaging

43:02 – Why hormone therapy can be valuable without being a cure-all

Fact check: 3 studies referenced

Cleaning at home and at work in relation to lung function decline and airway obstruction. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. doi:10.1164/rccm.201706-1311OC;  Oxalate (dys)metabolism: Person-to-person variability, kidney and cardiometabolic toxicity. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14091719 MGLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: current evidence. doi:10.1097/GCO.0000000000001015

Connect with our guest

Website: drsmithnd.com

Instagram: @drkirstensmithnd

🔥 Need help right now? Grab my free Fix It Fast Perimenopause List for quick, practical non-hormonal relief options, and get on the waitlist for  The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy , a clear + comprehensive guide to understanding the entire landscape of options and empowering you to make your best decision.

Connect with Hotflash inc

TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause 

Instagram:  @hotflashinc

X: @hotflashinc 

YOUTUBE  @hotflashinc

Facebook:  @hotflashinc

Linked in:  Ann Marie McQueen

Disclaimer This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.

This podcast originally ran on 17 July 2025

In this deep-dive episode, independent researcher and Energy Balance Podcast host Jay Feldman walks Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen through his bioenergetic approach to health, exploring how modern life disrupts our energy systems and misleads us around hormones.

Jay explains why perimenopause symptoms aren’t necessarily signs of estrogen deficiency, what progesterone’s underrated role is, and how metabolism, stress, and gut health all converge to influence the midlife transition.His work has been instrumental in helping Ann Marie connect the dots between her own thyroid, gut health, fatty liver, and hormonal changes. If you’re curious, overwhelmed, or stuck between conflicting advice – this one’s for you.

Highlights:

Why the mainstream medical model didn’t cut it for Jay
How energy production impacts reproductive hormones
The cultural lie of “eat less, move more”
Seed oils, PUFAs and what they’re doing to your metabolism
Sunscreens, toenail polish, and endocrine disruption
Why low estrogen blood levels don’t tell the whole story
What your liver and gut have to do with your hormones
Why estrogen replacement might be a band-aid, not a solution

Guest bio
Jay Feldman is a health coach, independent researcher, and the host of the Energy Balance Podcast. With a background in neuroscience and exercise physiology, he takes a bioenergetic approach to health that focuses on restoring cellular energy and dismantling modern myths around nutrition, metabolism, and hormones. Jay’s personal mission is to help people heal by reconnecting them with their bodies and understanding how modern life throws off our internal systems.

Work with Jay & explore more

• Website: jayfeldmanwellness.com
• Free Guide: jayfeldmanwellness.com/guide
• Podcast: The Energy Balance Podcast

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Unlocking the Hidden Layers or Menopause: Trauma, Hypnosis, and Inner Work with Sally Garozzo

Join host Ann Marie McQueen as she delves into the transformative journey of menopause with Sally Garozzo, a clinical hypnotherapist and podcast host. Sally specializes in menopause, complex trauma, and the long-term impact of early life stress. She works with women who sense that menopause is more than just a hormonal disruption, helping them understand it as an identity and emotional recalibration. Sally hosts The Menopause Mindset Podcast and offers individual and group sessions to support women during midlife and beyond.

Highlights:

• 01:02 - The sense that menopause is more than just hormones
• 02:25 - Understanding menopause as a catalyst for emotional sensitivity
• 04:36 - The limitations of traditional medical paradigms for complex stories
• 06:54 - The metaphor of menopause as a tide revealing buried issues
• 09:20 - The impact of childhood and family dynamics on menopause
• 12:02 - The mind-body connection and how perspective influences symptoms
• 17:41 - Personal stories of anxiety, panic, and recognition of trauma
• 24:05 - The science of hypnosis: focus, suggestion, and energy work
• 31:20 - Skills training for mind and body—neurobics and perspective shifts
• 42:48 - How trauma and nervous system dysregulation amplify menopausal challenges
• 44:50 - Words of hope: deep work, attunement, and community support

Resources & Links:

• Marisa Peer - Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT)

Connect with Sally Garrozzo:

• Instagram
• Website

Disclaimer: This episode emphasizes that menopause is not just a hormonal event but a profound inner transition. Healing involves understanding, acknowledging, and working through emotional wounds with compassion, practical tools, and expert guidance. This episode is for information and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice; always seek out an expert for proper medical treatment. 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Send a text

• The overhyped narrative about hormone therapy and GLP-1s
• What GLP-1 medications really do, and why they’re fascinating to Dr. Briden
• Supplements as a security blanket, and why Ann Marie and her friends are rethinking them
• Taking a “supplement holiday” – what it is and why it helps
• The connection between GLP-1s and gut health
• What happens when you go off hormone therapy or GLP-1s?
• A naturopath’s minimalist supplement travel kit
• Vaginal changes in menopause: what’s real, what’s clickbait
• The difference in how men vs women are told to view their bodies as they age
• Vaginal estrogen and the truth about genitourinary syndrome of menopause
• The bizarre labia shrinkage trend and the pressure of “perfect” body parts
• Why menopause is not a mistake of evolution – it’s a feature
• The danger of over-identifying with health labels
• “Wear it lightly” – a powerful reframe from Dr. Briden
• The trend of diagnosing yourself through Instagram
• Not everyone suffers in perimenopause – and that’s okay

• Website: www.larabriden.com
• Instagram: @larabriden
• X: @larabriden
• Books: Available wherever books are sold, including Bookshop.org, Amazon, and Pan Macmillan

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Send a text

This podcast originally ran on December 12th, 2025

In this episode, Ann Marie speaks with Dr Gary Elkins, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University and director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory, in Waco, Texas. Dr. Elkins is the leading researcher in the field of clinical hypnosis for menopause, with more than 25 years of experience and more 100 peer-reviewed publications.

He joins Hotflash inc to explore the groundbreaking science behind hypnosis for hot flashes, its surprising effectiveness (up to 70% reduction!), how it works in the brain, why it matters for breast cancer survivors, and how hypnosis may also support sleep, stress, and other midlife symptoms. They also discuss Evia, the self-hypnosis app built on Dr. Elkins’ research, and the critical importance of hjaving non-pharmaceutical options for symptom relief.

Highlights

• How hypnosis became part of NAMS (now The Menopause Society) guidelines
• Research showing hypnosis reduces hot flashes by 70%
• What hypnosis is and what it definitely isn’t
•  What happens in the brain during hypnosis
•  The “triple fallacy” and misunderstanding physical symptoms
•  Comparing hypnosis to hormone therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
•  How hypnosis helps improve sleep and calm anxiety
•  Why hot flashes are a physiological issue, not a psychological one
•  What to expect: when and how hypnosis starts to work
•  The power of daily practice and support from others
•  Addressing misconceptions about hypnotizability and intelligence
•  What the research says about empathy, creativity and hypnosis
•  The mind-body connection and the experiential system
•  How hypnosis taps into the subconscious (without the woo)
•  Dr. Elkins on consulting for the Evia app and why it matters
•  Future research: hypnosis for sleep and psychedelic states without drugs

Guest Info – Dr. Gary Elkins

•  Website: www.garyelkins.org
•  Book: Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy: What You Need to Know
•  Handbook: Handbook of Medical and Psychological Hypnosis

•• Evia App: https://www.eviamenopause.com

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Send a text

In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, journalist Ann Marie McQueen interviews Dr Sarah McKay, Oxford-educated neuroscientist, author of The Female Brain Book, and founder of the Neuroscience Academy.

This is a powerful, nuanced conversation about what we know, what we don’t, and what’s being exaggerated online. Grounding, clarifying and deeply reassuring.

If you’ve been worried about your brain in midlife, this episode is for you. 

The Hotflash inc Summit All Access Pass
https://summit.hotflashinc.com/hotflash-inc-summit-all-access-pass

Coming Soon: The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy
https://hotflashinc.com

Thank you to our sponsor:
Phosis – Use code HOTFLASHINC for 15% off
https://phosis.com

Founded by Susan Campbell, Phosis is clinically proven, exceptionally clean skincare created specifically for dry, perimenopausal skin.

What we explored this episode:

07:15 – Cognitive load, smartphones & the myth of “midlife decline”
 18:40 – Brain restructuring during menopause: adaptation vs degeneration
 27:30 – “The brain eats itself” – what the mouse study actually showed
 39:10 – Dementia risk: incidence vs prevalence explained clearly
 44:30 – Absolute vs relative risk
 58:20 – Hormone sensitivity, the pill & depression research

Memorable quote:
“We absolutely must report absolute risk.”

Fact check:

1. Dr. Pauline M. Maki leads NIH-funded research on women’s cognitive/mental health and how sex hormones and reproductive transitions affect well-being.
2. Dr Susan R. Davis is an NHMRC Principal Research Fellow (since 2007) and Director of the Women’s Health Research Program at Monash University (School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine).
3. TGA = Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration, the government regulator for medicines, medical devices, and biologicals.

Connect with our guest:

Website: https://drsarahmckay.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsarahmckay

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Send a text

In this episode of The Hotflash inc Podcast, journalist Ann Marie McQueen interviews Dr. Kirsten Smith, ND, a naturopathic doctor and certified menopause practitioner practicing between Ontario and Costa Rica. Together, they grapple with the exploding conversation around menopause hormone therapy – what’s grounded in evidence, what’s being overstated, and what gets lost when urgency turns into dogma.

This is a candid, nuanced look at the current “meno-rush” – where hormone therapy is hailed as life-saving by some, dismissed by others, and increasingly positioned all around as the only solution. Dr. Smith brings 17 years of clinical experience blending conventional diagnostics with holistic medicine, offering what she calls a third path: thoughtful, individualized care rooted in both science and lived reality.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the polarization – this conversation is for you.

The Hotflash inc Summit All Access Pass
https://summit.hotflashinc.com/hotflash-inc-summit-all-access-pass

Coming Soon: The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy (get on the list!)
https://hotflashinc.com

Thank you to our gold sponsor from the Hotflash inc Summit, Phosis and its founder Susan Campbell. Phosis creates clinically proven, exceptionally clean skincare formulated specifically for dry, sensitive hormonal skin. Use code HOTFLASHINC for 15% off Phosis.com

What we explored this episode:

00:00 – Why menopause hormone therapy has become so polarized
07:45 – The “meno-rush”: how Instagram accelerated the hormone conversation
12:10 – Pharmaceutical influence and the pendulum swing from neglect to hype
18:45 – Who hormone therapy doesn’t work for (and why that matters)
23:20 – The pathology problem: when everything gets blamed on perimenopause
28:10 – Speed culture, nervous systems, and why true healing takes time

Memorable quote:
“We’ve gone from ignoring menopause to hyper-medicalizing it – and neither extreme serves women.”

Where to follow Dr. Kirsten Smith

IG @drkirstensmithnd
Facebook drkirstensmithnd
Linked In drkirstensmithnd

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Send a text

In this episode of The Hotflash inc Podcast, journalist Ann Marie McQueen speaks with Bonnie Wisener, registered holistic nutritionist, digestive health expert, and founder of Shift Nutrition and Wellness, about why gut issues so often flare in perimenopause and menopause.

Together, they explore the powerful (and often missed) links between hormones, the nervous system, IBS, food restriction, and midlife stress – and what actually helps when digestion starts to unravel.

This is a grounded, practical conversation for anyone dealing with bloating, constipation, IBS, food fear, or the sense that their gut has suddenly “turned” in midlife.

The Hotflash Inc Summit All Access Pass
https://summit.hotflashinc.com/hotflash-inc-summit-all-access-pass

Coming Soon: The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy
https://hotflashinc.com

Thank you to our Hotflash inc Summit sponsor

Phosis – Clean, clinically proven skincare for hormonal skin
Use code HOTFLASHINC for 15% off at https://phosis.com

What we explored this episode

00:00 – Why gut symptoms spike in perimenopause
06:20 – IBS as a gut–brain disorder, not a food problem
13:45 – Why restriction and elimination diets backfire
20:30 – Nervous system regulation as digestive medicine
29:10 – Protein, fiber, blood sugar, and midlife digestion
38:40 – Supplements, probiotics, and what actually helps

Memorable quote:
“Digestive issues in menopause aren’t separate problems – they’re different expressions of the same system shift.”

Resources mentioned

Nerva App (by Mindset Health): https://nervaibs.com

Probio Chart: https://www.probiochart.com

Connect with our guest

Website: https://shiftnutritionandwellness.com/
Instagram: @shiftnutritionandwellness

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Send a text

In this episode of The Hotflash inc Podcast, journalist Ann Marie McQueen interviews Heather Mills  – entrepreneur, vegan food innovator, and founder of No Bloat, a Monash-certified low-FODMAP meal range designed for people living with gut sensitivities.

They talk gut chaos, menopause changes, stress, food science, and what it looks like to reinvent yourself (again) in midlife – by listening closely to your body and building what you wish existed.

The Hotflash Inc Summit All Access Pass
https://summit.hotflashinc.com/hotflash-inc-summit-all-access-pass 

Coming Soon: The Hot Truth About Hormone Therapy
https://hotflashinc.com

What we explored in this episode
00:04 – From chronic gut crisis to building No Bloat (and why it took years)
00:09 – Low-FODMAP basics: why garlic and onion wreck so many people
00:22 – Stress + the gut: why you can bloat even on “perfect” food
00:27 – Heather's midlife body changes: hot sweats, mood shifts, and the “rib cage expansion” moment
00:33 – Menopause care frustrations: hormone testing, HRT debates, and UK context
00:50 – Reinvention in midlife: stop people-pleasing and reclaim your life

Memorable quote:
“You really are what you digest.”

Connect with our guest:
Heather Mills (official site): https://heathermills.org
No Bloat (website): https://nobloat.com/about/
Instagram (Heather): https://www.instagram.com/heathermillsofficial/
Instagram (No Bloat): https://www.instagram.com/nobloatuk/
LinkedIn (Heather): https://uk.linkedin.com/in/msheathermills

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Send a text

In this episode of The Hotflash inc Podcast, journalist Ann Marie McQueen interviews Kristeen Pollock,a a Scotland-based fitness coach, speaker, and podcast host who is helping women finally break free from toxic exercise culture and reclaim their relationship with food, movement, and themselves.

Kristeen gets real about what it was like to live inside the exhausting loop of dieting, restriction, and chasing “perfection” – and what changed. Together they explore the emotional rollercoaster of perimenopause, learning to actually rest, dealing with body image shifts, and how to find your way back to freedom in midlife.

The Hotflash Inc Summit All Access Pass https://summit.hotflashinc.com/hotflash-inc-summit-all-access-pass

Thank you to our Hotflash inc Summit gold sponsor:
MenoLabs – Use code HOTFLASH for 20% off https://menolabs.com

What we explored this episode:
00:06 – Why the fitness industry is toxic and out of touch
00:11 – Body image, disordered eating, and midlife triggers
00:16 – From binge eating to food freedom + exposure therapy
00:22 – Letting go of control + emotional release in perimenopause
00:30 – Doing less, resting more, and embracing the shift

Memorable quote:
"If you can’t do it for 10 years, don’t do it for one day." – Kristeen Pollock

Connect with our guest:
Website: https://kpfitandwell.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kpingfit/
Podcast: Keeping it Real
LinkedIn: Kristeen Pollock

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Send a text

Am I neurodivergent?

In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, host and journalist Ann Marie McQueen sits down with Skylar Liberty Rose – a meditation guide, pro-aging advocate, and ceremony creator – to explore the layered intersection of neurodivergence and perimenopause. The two friends share a candid, nuanced conversation about realizing they may be neurodivergent later in life, how that connects with the hormonal shifts of midlife, and what it means to drop the mask and fully show up. 

Sponsored: Thank you to MenoLabs for being a gold sponsor of the first-ever Hotflash inc Summit. Their science-backed probiotics, including the bestselling MenoFit, are designed to support women through perimenopause and menopause. Right now, you can get 20% off with code HOTFLASH20 at menolabs.com.

Highlights:

• 5:30 – Growing up with sensory sensitivities but having no language for it
• 8:00 – The misunderstanding and shame around being an introvert
• 10:00 – Coping with alcohol, masking, and perfectionism
• 11:30 – Perimenopause as “the great unveiling” of truth
• 13:00 – Losing the ability to mask in midlife
• 14:00 – The collapse of executive functioning in perimenopause
• 16:00 – What it feels like to remove long-held coping tools
• 17:00 – Navigating social situations without alcohol
• 21:00 – The relief of realizing you’re neurodivergent
• 22:00 – Pursuing (or not) a formal diagnosis
• 25:30 – On external validation and trusting yourself

Skylar Liberty Rose
Website: skylarlibertyrose.com

Skylar offers personalized guided meditations and custom ceremonies to support women in midlife and beyond. Her work focuses on embracing aging, dismantling anti-aging narratives, and honoring the major (and often invisible) thresholds of life.

Rate, share and go deeper

If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a review, drop a comment, and share it with someone who might benefit — and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the show.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

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This episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast is hosted by Ann Marie McQueen, journalist and founder of the world’s only reader-supported, research-based platform covering all aspects of perimenopause, menopause, and the midlife transition.

This week's guest is Maryann Selfe, the Zurich-based private banking expert turned women's health investment advocate. After 25 years advising ultra-high-net-worth clients, Maryann became laser-focused on the lack of funding flowing into women’s health – and she’s doing something about it.

Maryann is the founder of Femme Health Alliance, editor of the widely-read Substack The Billion Dollar Blind Spot and author of the forthcoming book of the same name. In this conversation, she breaks down how midlife women represent an invisible economic powerhouse, how both capital markets and healthcare systems are failing to meet our needs – and how that is slowly changing. 

Fact check 

• Major firms like JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley have introduced menopause-friendly workplace policies, including flexible work and education.
• A 2025 Nature Cardiovascular Research study found women achieved heart health benefits with about half the weekly exercise men required — with even greater mortality reductions, including among those with existing heart disease.
• The $10.7B invested in women’s health in 2024 includes conditions that disproportionately affect women, according to SVB’s 2025 Innovation in Women’s Health report.
• Blackstone and TPG’s acquisition of women’s health med-tech leader Hologic is expected to close in early 2026.

Thank you to our Hotflash inc Summit gold sponsor:
MenoLabs – Use code HOTFLASH for 20% off https://menolabs.com

Highlights include:

• Why so little capital flows into women’s health
• What she means when she says midlife women are “an invisible economy”
• Insomnia trials were done mostly on men 
• Women’s health isn’t a trend
• Why this isn’t just “women’s health”
• The missed opportunity in progesterone research
• Why financial return and impact can (and must) coexist

Engage with Maryann Selfe

• The Billion Dollar Blind Spot by Femme Health Ventures Alliance on Substack
• LinkedIn: Maryann Selfe
• IG Femme Health Ventures Alliance 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Send a text

Journalist and Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen welcomes Lauren Tetenbaum, aka The Counselaur  – a licensed social worker, former lawyer, and author of Millennial Menopause: Preparing for Perimenopause, Menopause, and Life’s Next Period. At 40, Lauren brings a fresh, younger perspective to a conversation that's long left her generation out.

Ann Marie and Lauren dive into what it means to enter perimenopause as a millennial  – through the lens of mental health, trauma, hormone therapy, supplements, shame, IVF, and what the next generation (Gen Z) might face. Lauren’s unique background in law, therapy, and women’s rights advocacy makes her a powerful voice in this space. Through her private practice and corporate workshops, she supports women navigating life transitions  –  including the often-misunderstood onset of perimenopause.

Fact Check:

During this discussion we explore breast cancer risk and hormone therapy, including the distinction between bioidentical progesterone and synthetic progestins. It's essential to understand the difference:

Across the strongest randomized evidence from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), combined estrogen plus synthetic progestin is associated with a 25–30% relative increase in breast cancer incidence – roughly 8 extra cases per 10,000 women per year in the original WHI report. More recent large observational datasets suggest a higher risk with combined therapy, especially with longer-term use. Combined estrogen with bioidentical progesterone (oral micronized progesterone) has not been shown to carry the same level of risk, though more research is needed.

Highlights:

• –Lauren explains why she wrote Millennial Menopause at  40
•  How her law and social work background blend in advocacy and therapy
•  Why most millennials are still clueless about perimenopause
•  “Denial is the first symptom”
• Why personalized care is key 
• How millennials are still scared of hormone therapy
• Estrogen-only vs. combined therapy
• Why trauma, mindset, and support shape your perimenopause experience
• What shocked Lauren most while researching menopause
•  Is menopause estrogen deficiency or hormone fluctuation?
•  Are supplements worth it? 
•  Why shame and dismissal still dominate menopause care
•  Her hope for Gen Z and how they’re different from millennials
•  How Lauren personally managed early peri symptoms with the pill
•  IVF, fertility, and their possible ties to earlier menopause
•  The gaps in medical training and misconceptions among doctors
•  How risk is part of all health decisions – and how to weigh it
•  Are millennials drinking less? The booze-risk conversation
•  Why support matters even when there’s no “official” diagnosis

Where to connect with Laruen:

• LinkedIn: Laurenatetenbaum 
• Instagram

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Miriam Putnam is a certified wellness coach, spiritual mentor and freedom-from-stress counselor with more than 25 years of experience in holistic mental health advocacy. Miriam's life’s work was shaped by the heartbreaking loss of her mother, who struggled with mental illness, misdiagnosis and pharmaceutical harm during her own midlife transition.

Their raw and deeply honest conversation explores the intersections of mental health, spiritual health, body health and perimenopause – and what can happen when we begin to question the systems we've trusted. Miriam shares her unique perspective on underlying causes of mental anguish, the danger of holding tight to a diagnosis and how midlife can become a powerful catalyst for transformation and truth-seeking.

If you’ve ever felt like you were losing yourself in perimenopause, or you're supporting someone who is, this conversation will help you feel less alone –and remind you of your strength.

Highlights

• Miriam describes her mom’s shift during midlife
• Underlying physical conditions that can mimic or trigger “mental illness”
• Miriam’s mother’s resistance to pharmaceutical treatment and her spiritual drive
• The brutal toll of grief and loss, especially when unsupported
• How Miriam works with clients to break free from spiritual stagnation and misdiagnosis
• Exercises to strengthen the “mind muscle” and shift out of negative thinking
• Why visualizing your future requires emotional presence and clarity
• The power of remembering we are more than our hormones and diagnoses
• Miriam’s practical approach to staying conscious and spiritually well

Fact check
Cannabis use is consistently linked to psychotic symptoms and disorders. Multiple studies and reviews show a strong and consistent association between cannabis use and psychosis, including schizophrenia-like symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions (Gage & Hickman, 2016); (Pearson & Berry, 2019). Genetic and environmental factors moderate vulnerability. Genetic variations (such as in COMT and AKT1 genes), family history of psychosis, and childhood trauma amplify the risk of psychosis following cannabis use (Radhakrishnan & Wilkinson, 2014); (Quattrone, 2022); (Trotta & Spinazzola, 2025).
 
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Get 20% off at getkion.com/hotflash.

Guest Info

Miriam Putnam
Website: miriamputnam.org
Instagram:

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Hosted by journalist and Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen, this week’s episode features Sonja Rincon, founder and CEO of Menotracker, an AI-powered menopause app based in Austria. Sonja is also a lawyer and single mother who built the tool she wished she had when navigating her own confusing and often dismissed perimenopause symptoms.

In this honest and empowering conversation, Sonja explains how she went from being gaslit by doctors to developing a secure, multilingual, research-driven tracking tool that empowers women to identify patterns, advocate for themselves, and share vital data with their healthcare providers.

You'll hear about how Menotracker differs from other apps by protecting user privacy, generating detailed reports, offering translations in over 30 languages and allowing deep integrations with wearables. Sonja also opens up about her own HRT journey and the frustrating road to understanding what was really going on in her body.

If you’ve ever wondered whether tracking symptoms is worth it, or how midlife women can step into their power as their own health advocates, this conversation is for you.

Sponsor Shoutout: Thank you to our sponsor, Timeline Nutrition – makers of Mitopure™, the first clinically tested Urolithin A supplement that supports cellular energy and muscle strength. Visit www.timeline.com and use the code HOTFLASH for 20% off your first order.

Also a big thanks to Kion Aminos, gold sponsor of the first-ever Hotflash Inc Summit. Their clean, leucine-rich amino acid blend is up to 6x more effective than food-based protein, and helps support recovery, strength, and energy – especially under stress. Learn more at getkion.com/hotflash for 20% off your order.

HIGHLIGHTS

• How Sonja’s own perimenopause symptoms led her to HRT and away from SSRIs
• Why her early symptoms were misdiagnosed as stress
• How tracking helped her fine-tune her hormone therapy
• The importance of not giving up too soon when adjusting HRT
• The tipping point: her friend’s promotion was denied due to visible perimenopause symptoms
• Why most trackers fail: lack of reports, language barriers, and questionable data use
• Menotracker’s privacy-first approach
• Why pattern recognition is key for symptom awareness and medical advocacy
• 40+ symptoms available to track and growing through user feedback
• How she taught herself low-code tools and AI to launch the first version
• The power of knowing enough to not be bamboozled by developers
• Offering the app in 30+ languages 
• Why Europe is lagging behind in the menopause conversation
• Community-based growth strategy and bringing in experts of diverse backgrounds

Guest info:

•  Founder & CEO, Menotracker
•  Website: www.menotracker.com
•  Instagram:

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In this episode, Ann Marie speaks with Dr Gary Elkins, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University and director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory, in Waco, Texas. Dr. Elkins is the leading researcher in the field of clinical hypnosis for menopause, with more than 25 years of experience and more 100 peer-reviewed publications.

He joins Hotflash inc to explore the groundbreaking science behind hypnosis for hot flashes, its surprising effectiveness (up to 70% reduction!), how it works in the brain, why it matters for breast cancer survivors, and how hypnosis may also support sleep, stress, and other midlife symptoms. They also discuss Evia, the self-hypnosis app built on Dr. Elkins’ research, and the critical importance of hjaving non-pharmaceutical options for symptom relief.

Support shoutout Thank you to our sponsor, Timeline Nutrition – makers of Mitopure™, the first clinically tested Urolithin A supplement that supports cellular energy and muscle strength. Visit www.timeline.com and use the code HOTFLASH for 20% off your first order.

Thank you to KION for sponsoring the first-ever Hotflash inc Summit. Their aminos is a clean, science-backed essential amino acid supplement that gives your body what it needs to build and repair muscle. It's sugar-free, vegan, non-GMO, and most importantly, third-party tested. Try it for yourself at getkion.com/hotflash  for 20% off your first order.

Highlights

• How hypnosis became part of NAMS (now The Menopause Society) guidelines
• Research showing hypnosis reduces hot flashes by 70%
• What hypnosis is and what it definitely isn’t
•  What happens in the brain during hypnosis
•  The “triple fallacy” and misunderstanding physical symptoms
•  Comparing hypnosis to hormone therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
•  How hypnosis helps improve sleep and calm anxiety
•  Why hot flashes are a physiological issue, not a psychological one
•  What to expect: when and how hypnosis starts to work
•  The power of daily practice and support from others
•  Addressing misconceptions about hypnotizability and intelligence
•  What the research says about empathy, creativity and hypnosis
•  The mind-body connection and the experiential system
•  How hypnosis taps into the subconscious (without the woo)
•  Dr. Elkins on consulting for the Evia app and why it matters
•  Future research: hypnosis for sleep and psychedelic states without drugs

Guest Info – Dr. Gary Elkins

•  Website: www.garyelkins.org
•  Book: Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy: What You Need to Know
•  Handbook: Handbook of Medical and Psychological Hypnosis
•  Evia App: https://www.eviamenopause.com

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Welcome back to the Hotflash inc podcast, hosted by journalist and founder Ann Marie McQueen – the only reader-supported, evidence, expert opinion and human experience-based platform dedicated to all aspects of menopause and midlife. Today’s guest is Jennifer Block, an independent investigative journalist based in the United States. who reports on medicine, health, science and power. In this episode, Ann Marie and Jennifer explore the rising tide of estrogen-focused messaging in menopause care – and how it might not be as organic or evidence-based as it seems. Jennifer has just published three major articles — in The Free Press, The British Medical Journal and on her Substack Unpopular Science — that connect long-suspected dots between pharma-backed advocacy, conflicts of interest and the shifting tone around hormone therapy. Together, these pieces paint a picture of an industry-backed campaign influencing policy, public opinion, and clinical guidance. If you’ve been wondering why estrogen is suddenly everywhere, this is the conversation you’ve been waiting for.

Sponsor Shoutout: Thank you to our sponsor, Timeline Nutrition – makers of Mitopure™, the first clinically tested Urolithin A supplement that supports cellular energy and muscle strength. Visit www.timeline.com and use the code HOTFLASH for 20% off your first order.

Also, thank you to our friends at Bonafide. Visit hellobonafide.com and use code SUMMIT20 to receive 20% off your first month of any Bonafide subscription product.

Highlights

• How Jennifer’s recent reporting was sparked by the FDA black box warning change
• The behind-the-scenes forces pushing for estrogen’s big comeback
• Why the “menopause awareness movement” isn’t as grassroots as it seems
• What Jennifer uncovered about the industry ties behind the Menopause Society
• Why many doctors may not be aware of their own industry entanglements
• How these dynamics affect everyday women making decisions about HRT
• What informed consent really means in this climate
• The importance of journalistic scrutiny in medical debates

Fact check:

• Addyi (flibanserin) offers a modest benefit for certain premenopausal women with HSDD (hypoactive sexual desire disorder), averaging 0.5 to 1 additional satisfying sexual event per month compared to placebo.
• Compounded hormones typically do not carry standardized FDA boxed warnings or package inserts. These customized medications are exempt from federal labeling regulations, meaning key risk information may not be included.

About Jennifer 

• Website: www.jenniferblock.com
• Substack: Unpopular Science

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In this episode of the Hotflash Inc Podcast, host and journalist Ann Marie McQueen is joined by Dr. Rachel Pope, an OB-GYN and certified menopause practitioner at the Institute University Hospitals Cleveland, with an appointment in the Department of Reproductive Biology. Dr. Pope is also a public health researcher, currently working to clarify gaps in hormone therapy research that impact real women every day.

Dr. Pope’s recent study set social media on fire, with claims that hormone therapy in perimenopause reduces breast cancer, stroke, and heart attack risk by 60%. But is that actually what the data said? In this episode, Dr. Pope gives a clear, honest account of what her study really found – and what it didn’t. She speaks about the confusion that followed, why nuance matters, her belief in the power of hormone therapy and how to move forward in the menopause conversation with more care, accuracy and integrity.

This is a must-listen for anyone navigating perimenopause, hormone therapy decisions or working in the midlife health space.

Sponsor Shoutout

Thank you to our sponsor, Timeline Nutrition – makers of Mitopure™, the first clinically tested Urolithin A supplement that supports cellular energy and muscle strength. Visit www.timeline.com and use the code HOTFLASH for 20% off your first order.

Thank you to Bonafide, a gold sponsor at the Hotflash Inc Summit. To learn more, visit hellobonafide.com and be sure to use code SUMMIT20 to receive 20% off the first month of any Bonafide subscription product.

Highlights

• The truth behind the viral claim that hormone therapy “reduces risk by 60%.”
• Why misinterpretation of data spreads so fast — especially on social media.
• What the research actually says about breast cancer, stroke, and heart attack.
• The gaps in current evidence, especially around compounded hormones and long-term outcomes.
• How healthy-user bias and retrospective databases can distort study results.
• Why individualized care matters — and why hormone therapy isn’t universally preventative.

GUEST LINKS

• University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
• Instagram: @drrpope
• X: @drrpope 

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In this solo episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, host and founder Ann Marie McQueen dives into the rising conversation around ADHD and perimenopause. Drawing from personal experience, research, and lived insight, Ann Marie explores how midlife hormone shifts may intersect with neurodivergence – and how confusing, frustrating and illuminating that process can be. This episode is a candid, powerful reflection on mental health, executive function and how being a woman in midlife calls for compassion and curiosity.

Thank you to our sponsor, Timeline Nutrition – makers of Mitopure™, the first clinically tested Urolithin A supplement that supports cellular energy and muscle strength. Visit www.timeline.com and use the code HOTFLASH for 20% off your first order.

Highlights

• Ann Marie reflects on the constant battle to get information right in a world full of misinformation.
• The emerging connection between perimenopause, ADHD, and hormonal changes.
• Research shows ADHD traits can intensify menopausal symptoms—even in undiagnosed women.
• Ann Marie shares her own experience recognizing lifelong ADHD tendencies.
• Sensory sensitivity, rejection sensitivity, and how they show up in midlife.
• Why she hasn’t pursued an official diagnosis – and how nervous system healing has helped.
• The pain of not being taken seriously when you open up about neurodivergence.
• Testosterone’s overlooked role in executive function and how HRT may help.
• Why a holistic approach is essential for navigating neurodivergence in midlife.
• The power of being seen and heard – how a simple conversation at work changed everything.

This podcast is hosted by Ann Marie McQueen, journalist and founder of Hotflash inc, the world’s only reader-supported, research-based platform covering all aspects of menopause and midlife. With more than 30 years in journalism, Ann Marie provides evidence-based content, expert interviews, and deeply personal conversations to help women around the world navigate this pivotal life stage.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit –  and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the show. To get the latest research and real talk on perimenopause, menopause, and midlife straight to your inbox, subscribe to the Hotflash inc newsletter at hotflashinc.com.

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On this solo episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, journalist and founder Ann Marie McQueen breaks down one of the biggest developments in menopause care in years: the FDA’s decision to remove the black box warning on vaginal and topical estrogen. Ann Marie unpacks what this means, what it doesn’t mean, and what we’re not being told in the flurry of headlines and social media excitement. She also shares insight from two menopause certified practitioners who are upcoming guest on the podcast – US ob-gyn Dr. Rachel Pope and Canadian naturopathic doctor Dr. Kirsten Smith – and reflects on the legacy of Dr Burt Webb, a beloved podcast guest and women’s health champion.

Thank you to our sponsor, Timeline Nutrition – makers of Mitopure™, the first clinically tested Urolithin A supplement that supports cellular energy and muscle strength. Visit www.timeline.com and use the code HOTFLASH for 20% off your first order.

It’s not too late to get an All Access Pass to the Hotflash inc Summit! You get lifetime access to the videos, as well as Hotflash inc Summit Book of Knowledge (top takeaways from all the interviews) and the BETA version of the Hotflash inc Hormone Therapy Navigator.

Highlights

• The FDA’s removal of the black box warning on vaginal and topical estrogen — what it really means
• The disconnect between science and media messaging
• Expert insights from Dr. Kirsten Smith and Dr. Rachel Pope on nuance, safety, and responsible communication
• Why sudden menopause isn’t the same as natural menopause — and why that distinction matters
• The quiet truth about progestins vs. progesterone
• Social media, private practice, and the influencer-doctor economy
• Vaginal options like DHEA and testosterone — and what’s missing from the conversation
• Three questions to ask yourself before starting hormone therapy
• Remembering Dr. Burt Webb — one of Ann Marie’s favorite guests

This is a solo episode hosted by Ann Marie McQueen. Additional expert commentary is provided by:

• Dr. Kirsten Smith, a naturopathic doctor practicing in Canada and Costa Rica with a focus on women’s health and hormone balancing.
• Dr. Rachel Pope, obstetrician-gynecologist, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, and associate professor at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.
• Dr. Burt Webb, late OB/GYN and beloved advocate for women’s vaginal and hormonal health.

This podcast is hosted by Ann Marie McQueen, journalist and founder of Hotflash inc, the world’s only reader-supported, research-based platform covering all aspects of menopause and midlife. With more than 30 years in journalism, Ann Marie provides evidence-based content, expert interviews, and deeply personal conversations to help women around the world navigate this piv

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Hosted by journalist and Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen, this episode features Dr Leigha Saunders, a naturopathic doctor, menopause specialist and mom of two whose own postpartum sleep struggles ignited a mission to help women reclaim their rest and balance.

From her sold-out “Woman Up” event to her candid insights on burnout, radical self-responsibility, and the real roots of fatigue, Leigha and Ann Marie dig into the science and soul of women’s health. They unpack why everything is suddenly labeled “perimenopause,” the hidden role of iron deficiency, and how stress, relationships and lost self-connection lie beneath so many midlife symptoms.

Sponsor shout-out 

Thank you to our sponsor, Timeline Nutrition – makers of Mitopure™, the first clinically tested Urolithin A supplement that supports cellular energy and muscle strength. Visit www.timeline.com and use the code HOTFLASH for 20% off your first order.

Highlights

• Dr Leigha Saunders shares how her Woman Up event united over 100 women seeking health and happiness.
• Why “normal” bloodwork isn’t always optimal — and how the medical system continues to fail women.
• How midlife hormones lower our tolerance for stress and change the way we recover.
• Leigha’s own burnout and “dark night of the soul” — and how she turned it into a healing experience.
• Why perimenopause can sound like “I don’t feel like myself” — and what that really means.
• The danger of assuming every symptom is perimenopause — and what to test instead.
• Iron, B12, and protein deficiencies: the hidden causes behind fatigue and low mood.
• Why collaboration between medical and naturopathic doctors is the future of women’s health.

Where to find Dr Leigh

Website: leighasaundersnd.com
Instagram: @drleighasaundersnd

Host bio

This podcast is hosted by Ann Marie McQueen, journalist and founder of Hotflash Inc, the world’s only reader-supported, research-based platform covering all aspects of menopause and midlife. With more than 30 years in journalism, Ann Marie provides evidence-based content, expert interviews, and deeply personal conversations to help women around the world navigate this pivotal life stage.

Thank you for being here

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit — and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the show. For the latest research and real talk on perimenopause, menopause, and midlife straight to your inbox, subscribe to the Hotflash inc newsletter here.

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Thank you to our sponsor, Timeline Nutrition – makers of Mitopure™, the first clinically tested Urolithin A supplement that supports cellular energy and muscle strength. Visit www.timeline.com and use the code HOTFLASH for 20% off your first order.

In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, host and founder Ann Marie McQueen sits down with Laura Ghita, a Romanian psychotherapist and Family Constellation practitioner, for a deeply personal and revealing conversation about how unresolved ancestral patterns can shape our midlife experiences – and how we can shift them.

Ann Marie recorded this interview several years ago, in the middle of going through menopause, just after experiencing her own Family Constellation session. What followed was a profound rethinking of how past generations and hidden dynamics impact our relationships, our health, and how we move through the world in perimenopause and beyond.

Laura explains how this therapeutic modality works, what the science says about inherited trauma, and how this work can reconnect us to our intuition, our bodies, and our personal truth. Whether you're new to Family Constellation Therapy or already curious, this episode will move you to think differently about healing – and the invisible threads that connect us all.

Highlights:

• How Family Constellation helps women in perimenopause and menopause
• Understanding the inherited beliefs about womanhood from your maternal line
• Why we can’t think our way through healing
• How trauma gets stored in our bodies – and why it matters
• The turning point when Ann Marie felt emotion linked to her great-grandmother
• Why healing is never “done” – it’s a lifelong journey

Laura Ghita is a Romania-based psychotherapist and Family Constellation facilitator with more than a decade of experience helping individuals and groups uncover the unconscious patterns passed down through generations. Her approach is grounded in psychology, trauma-informed practices, and energetic awareness. Laura travels internationally to offer workshops and one-on-one sessions, including regular visits to Seva Wellness in Dubai. Her work helps people reconnect with their deeper selves, their bodies, and their ancestral lines to bring clarity, healing, and peace

Connect with Laura:

LinkedIn Laura Ghita
Instagram: @lauraghita.psychologist

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In this episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, host and founder Ann Marie McQueen speaks with award-winning journalist, broadcaster and women’s health advocate Fiona Clark. Together they unpack how media, medicine and marketing collided to create confusion and polarization in menopause care – and what needs to change.

Fiona, co-founder of the Menopause Research and Education Fund, shares why she wrote Meno Wars, the impact of social media “medical influencers,” how evidence gets cherry-picked and misused, and why better data, plain-language summaries and shared decision-making are vital for women’s health. They also discuss vaginal health – including her own issues – testosterone, GLP-1s, trauma, diet culture and the urgent need for more menopause research funding.

Highlights

• How the menopause movement went off the rails,
• The rise of medical influencers and how misinformation spreads online
• What hormone therapy can and can’t do
• The overlooked importance of vaginal health and simple, effective treatments
• How marketing shapes narratives
• Why anger is valid, and how women can demand better data, research, and care

About Fiona Clark

Fiona Clark is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and women’s health advocate. She is the author of Meno Wars: Why Menopause’s Moment Has Gone Horribly Wrong, which examines how media, medicine and marketing have shaped today’s menopause narrative. Fiona is also co-founder of the Menopause Research and Education Fund, dedicated to improving scientific research, education and equity in women’s health.

Meno Wars: wherever books are sold
IG: @fiona_clark_writes

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In this empowering episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, journalist and founder Ann Marie McQueen speaks with Riana Malia, a transformation coach with over 20 years of experience helping ambitious women break free from emotional blocks, unconscious patterns, and limiting beliefs. Riana shares her Clear to Create method, which blends neuroscience, advanced trauma-aware coaching, and energetic techniques like Quantum Time Release to help women shed old stories and reclaim their personal power.

We dig into people pleasing, forgiveness, midlife transitions, and why so many of us are unconsciously stuck in survival loops that keep us from fully living. We also discuss how midlife – and perimenopause – can serve as a powerful energetic reset, and what it really takes to step into your next chapter, unapologetically.

Highlights

4:20 – How childhood conditioning creates the nice girl persona
6:50 – What it means to “clear before you can create”
8:30 – The cost of repeating old patterns and people pleasing
9:45 – What is Quantum Time Release and how does it work?
12:15 – Why mindset isn’t enough and the unconscious mind always wins
13:45 – Trauma, cycles, and the deep work that actually frees us
16:30 – Alchemical forgiveness – what it is and how it sets you free
20:00 – How emotional blocks show up physically in perimenopause and menopause
22:00 – Stepping into your full power in midlife
24:10 – Speaking up at work and at home – and dealing with the fallout
26:30 – Reintroducing yourself after transformation
29:10 – A dress disaster becomes a metaphor for authenticity
32:30 – When you’re done being the one who fixes everything
34:30 – You can’t solve a problem with the same mind that created it
35:10 – How to work with Riana one-on-one or take her free assessment

Riana Malia is a transformational coach, advanced trauma practitioner, and creator of the Clear to Create method. With over two decades of experience and training in modalities like evolved neurolinguistic programming and Quantum Time Release, she helps ambitious women break free from the emotional and energetic blocks that keep them stuck. Her work blends neuroscience, deep compassion, and intuitive guidance to help clients step into their true power and create the life and love they desire.

Where to find Rania

• Website: https://www.rianamalia.com (currently being relaunched)
• Take the quiz: https://quiz.rianamalia.com – Find out what’s standing between you and extraordinary love
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/rianamalia

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Thank you to Timeline for sponsoring this podcast. Powered by Mitopure®, Timeline’s clinically proven Urolithin A gummies are designed to boost energy and support healthy aging at the cellular level. Use code HOTFLASH at timeline.com for 20% off your first order.

In this deeply personal solo episode, Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen returns to the mic to debrief after organizing and hosting the Hotflash inc Summit – including how it impacted her mind, body, and career direction.

She opens up about post-COVID health issues, navigating burnout, the weight of always working, and an emotional breakthrough. And she shares a clip from her powerful conversation with MD, midwife and herbalist Dr Aviva Romm – including the three deceptively simple midlife questions that shifted everything.

Ann Marie also gets into the nuances of perimenopause care, why so many women feel lost in the noise, and a new major study that will probably be ignored, about a statistically significant link between hormone therapy and autoimmune diseases.

Highlights include:

• The Hotflash inc Summit: Behind the Scenes
• Personal Struggles and Health Challenges
• Realizations and Life Changes
• The Power of Asking the Right Questions
• Listener Appreciation and Personal Reflections
• Challenges of Modern Journalism
• Navigating Health and Wellness Narratives
• The Seed Oil Controversy
• Critique of Gwyneth Paltrow Biography
• Hormone Therapy and Autoimmune Diseases
• Future Plans

Where to find Dr. Aviva Romm

Website: avivaromm.com

Instagram: @dr.avivaromm

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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This podcast originally ran on May 9, 2025

In this honest and energizing conversation, Ann Marie sits down with 64-year-old Australian naturopath, speaker, and wellness rebel Jennifer Jefferies – aka @presentdaywisewoman – to talk about how women can embrace midlife and menopause without fear, extremes, or pharma dependency. 

Jen brings over 30 years of clinical experience, a surfboard, and a no-BS attitude to the conversation. Once a burned-out pharmaceutical rep, she made a full 180 after hitting the wall in her 20s and rebuilding her health using naturopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and her beloved “bare-ass minimum” (BAM) approach to wellness.

This is a must-listen episode for any woman feeling confused, overwhelmed, or exhausted by the barrage of menopause messages out there.

Highlights include:

• Why we’re told menopause is a disaster – and why it doesn’t have to be
• How adrenal burnout is at the core of crappy perimenopause (even if your doctor won’t admit it)
• The truth about estrogen “deficiency” and why we’re not meant to keep producing it forever
• What Western medicine gets wrong about hormone therapy
• The rise of adrenal fatigue in the pandemic aftermath
• Jen’s Bare-Ass Minimum Plan to restore vitality, joy, and hormonal balance
• Why she swears by: going to bed before 10 p.m., eating close to nature 80% of the time, and having fun – yes, fun!
• What happens when we stop outsourcing our health and tune into our own wisdom

About Jennifer Jefferies:
Jennifer Jefferies is a veteran naturopath, speaker, author, and wellness educator with over three decades of clinical experience. Based on the Gold Coast of Australia, she’s known for her refreshingly simple, radically realistic, and unapologetically fun approach to health and aging. She surfs at sunrise, gardens in her downtime, and helps women around the world step into their power.

Where to find her:

IG @thepresentdaywisewoman
Learn more: jenniferjefferies.com

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
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X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This podcast originally ran on May 29, 2025

On this episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, journalist and founder Ann Marie McQueen is joined by Dr Heidi Lescanec, a naturopathic physician based in Vancouver, BC, who brings over two decades of experience blending the latest scientific research with natural, clinically proven forms of medicine.

Heidi has coined the term The Pink Zones to describe the cultural, emotional, physical, and communal conditions that allow women to not only navigate perimenopause and menopause – but to thrive. She’s been listening to older, wiser women, and noticing the powerful patterns that emerge when we prioritize meaning, connection, and nervous system support over the relentless push to do more, be more, fix more.

From hormone health and adrenal burnout to grief, rage, and the unprocessed emotions that surface at midlife, this conversation goes beyond symptom lists and into what it really means to design this season of life, rather than just survive it.

Heidi and Ann Marie also dig into the nocebo effect, why outdated menopause narratives can actually make us feel worse, and how to reframe this transition as a gateway – not a decline.

Highlights:

• Dr. Heidi Lescanec’s integrative approach to hormone health, combining science, spirituality, and food-as-medicine
• Introduction to The Pink Zones: envisioning supportive environments that celebrate women's aging
• Exploration of how past generations managed menopause, transforming stigma into strength

About Dr Heidi Lescanec:

Dr Heidi Lescanec is a licensed naturopathic physician practicing in Vancouver, BC. With more than 20 years of experience, she blends science-backed natural medicine with a holistic, whole-person lens – addressing mind, body, and spirit.

Where to find her:

Website: thepinkzones.com

Substack: substack.com/@thepinkzones

IG: @drheidilescanec

When this episode first ran on May 29, 2025 it was sponsored by Menolabs. Perimenopause can start earlier than you think. That’s why Menolabs is here to support you with trusted information and science-backed products like MenoFit, a probiotic designed to help relieve symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and more, all while supporting your overall wellness. Use code HOTFLASH20 for 20% off at menolabs.com 

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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Announcing the First Hotflash inc Summit: Everything You Need to Know

In this episode, the host discusses their excitement about hosting the first Hotflash Inc. Summit from September 29th to October 4th. They detail their extensive preparation over the past three months, including interviewing 36 experts to create a comprehensive resource on menopause. The summit aims to dispel fear and provide evidence-based information on menopause. Highlights include multiple expert sessions, special workouts, guided meditations, and discussions on various health topics. The host also introduces sponsors and showcases additional options for paid all-access passes to further enhance attendees' experiences. The session aims to promote a deeper understanding of menopause, focusing on the holistic impact of this transition on mind, body, and soul.

Highlights

00:00 Introduction and Personal Anecdote

00:29 Announcing the Hotflash Inc Summit

03:00 Summit Details and Speaker Highlights

04:01 Special Sessions and Extras

04:59 Acknowledging Sponsors

09:52 Deep Dive into Speaker Contributions

20:45 Personal Experiences and Reflections

23:37 Closing Remarks and Encouragement

Sign up to the first Hotflash inc summit here

The Hotflash inc Summit is READY + you’re invited!

From Sept 29 – Oct 3, we’re bringing you 36 powerful talks (plus bonuses!) with the smartest, boldest, straight-talking experts on perimenopause + menopause.

Expect real talk, real science + real solutions on:
 • Hormone therapy (what to know + what to expect)
 • Fascia + fitness insights (from Halle Berry’s Respin platform team)
 • Trauma + emotional health in this transition
 • Voices expanding the conversation: Black, South Asian + Muslim practitioners
 • Elderwomen sharing wisdom about stepping into your wise woman years

Meet some of the powerhouse voices shaping the conversation:
Stacy London • Dr. Mariza Snyder • Kim Vopni • Dr. Stacy Barczak Baker

And the best part? 🎉 It’s virtual and completely free to attend.

I’m Ann Marie, founder of Hotflash inc and the only journalist in the world taking a holistic, no-sides approach to this transition. My mission: to give you clarity, not fear, and help you find what feels right for YOU.

This is not your average summit. Don’t miss it. Sign up to the first Hotflash inc summit here

Thank you to our sponsors. Without you, this summit would not be possible.

• MenoLabs
• Bonafide
• KION
• Phosis

The Hotflash inc Summit is for educational purposes only and not to be used or considered for medical advice.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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Instagram: @hotflashinc
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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This podcast originally ran on 13 March 2025

Jessica Barac is a registered nutritionist, personal trainer, and the founder of What The Menopause, a women's health platform of over 950,000 women globally.

After struggling with perimenopause in her late 30s and receiving little support from traditional healthcare, Jessica made it her mission to crack the perimenopause code and regain her vibrancy. Today, she has educated millions of women through her content and developed The Pause Power Method a science-backed approach addressing metabolic dysfunction and inflammation through nutrition, movement, and lifestyle to help women improve symptoms, achieve sustainable fat loss, and step into their most powerful era yet.

Episode highlights

• Jessica's journey from struggling with perimenopause to launching What The Menopause.
• The power of humor: Why memes about menopause resonated with so many women.
• Recognizing perimenopause: The symptoms that caught Jessica by surprise and how she finally connected the dots.
• The impact on family life: Jessica’s husband’s plea to “figure it out” and how her symptoms affected her loved ones.
• Connecting the dots: Why so many women don’t realize that symptoms like anxiety, depression, dry mouth, tinnitus, and frozen shoulder can be linked to perimenopause.
• The power of movement: How strength training, walking, and lifestyle shifts hold everything together in midlife.
• Quitting alcohol: The tough but transformative decision to stop drinking and how it changed Jessica’s life.
• Reframing midlife: The importance of thinking about your 8-year-old and 80-year-old self when making life decisions.

Top Quote

“Perimenopause calls on you to take a very hard look at yourself – if you’re willing to do it.” – Jessica Barac

Thank you to our sponsor Timeline Nutrition at the time of this original episode release: Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity — now available with a 10% discount! Visit timeline.com/HOTFLASH and use the code HOTFLASH to claim your offer!

Where to find Jessica & What The Menopause

Website: whatthemenopause.com

Instagram: @whatthemenopause

Facebook: What The Menopause

TikTok: @whatthemenopause

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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In this solo episode, journalist and founder Ann Marie McQueen shares an honest update on her journey with Hotflash inc, the challenges and triumphs of building a community for women in midlife, and her personal experiences navigating menopause.

Highlights include:

• The story behind launching Hotflash inc and the drive to create meaningful resources for women
• Reflections on career pivots, imposter syndrome and embracing the role of entrepreneur
• The emotional impact of losing a parent and how it shaped her approach to work and life.
• Book deals or no book deals
• What's next: the HF inc Hormone Therapy Navigator, the Hotflash inc Summit and the Perimenopause Game Plan
• Insights from interviews for the upcoming Hotflash inc Summit
• Why the mainstream menopause narrative needs to be broadened
• The importance of self-advocacy, asking questions, doing your own research and finding community support
• New genre: menopause cookbooks
• Encouragement to trust your instincts, embrace change and give yourself grace through transitions

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This podcast originally ran on February 13, 2025

In this episode of Hotflash inc, GenX journalist and host Ann Marie McQueen sits down with neurologist and award-winning dementia care professional Dr Teryn Clarke to discuss the science and lifestyle strategies that can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, which disproportionately affect women. 

Drawing from her book, Brain Health Action Plan: Simple, Science-Backed Lifestyle Changes that Optimize Cognitive Fitness and Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk Dr Clarke shares part actionable tips to improve brain health today and protect it for the long term.
 
 Episode highlights:

• Dr Teryn Clarke’s personal motivation 
• The power of exercise and low sugar diets 
• The surprising immediate benefits of brain-healthy habits 
• Type 3 diabetes
• Intermittent fasting explained
• Seed oils 
• Hormone therapy and 
• Iron buildup in women post-menopause
• Key supplements for brain health
• The emotional connection: how stress, loneliness, and trauma increase dementia risk
• The critical link between hearing, vision, and dementia prevention  
• Why brain stimulation matters: exercise, learning, and meaningful social connections  

🔑 Top Quote

“Genetics load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger.” – Dr Teryn Clarke

📚 Resources and Links

• Dr Teryn Clarke’s book: Brain Health Action Plan
• Website: brainhealthactionplan.com
• Follow Dr Teryn Clarke on X: @MDTeryn

📝 About the Guest Dr Teryn Clarke is a neurologist in Southern California and was named “Dementia Care Professional of the Year” by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America in 2015. She is passionate about educating people on the modifiable lifestyle factors that can prevent cognitive decline and is the author of Brain Health Action Plan, a practical, science-based guide to optimizing brain health.

Sponsor for the original episode was Timeline Nutrition Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity. You can still visit https://shop.timeline.com/HOTFLASHINC  and use the code HOTFLASHINC for an exclusive discount.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This podcast originally ran on March 26th, 2025

In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, GenX journalist Ann Marie McQueen sits down with Dr Deena Emera, an evolutionary geneticist, senior scientist at the Buck Institute’s Buck Center for Healthy Aging in Women, and author of A Brief History of the Female Body: An Evolutionary Look at How and Why the Female Form Came to Be.

Dr Emera’s research focuses on the genetic basis of reproductive longevity in mammals, and in this fascinating discussion, she breaks down the evolution of menopause, why female bodies age the way they do, and what modern science is uncovering about ovarian health and longevity.

If you’ve ever wondered why menopause exists, how it evolved, and whether science will ever be able to delay or even prevent it, this episode is for you.

Highlights:

• Understanding evolutionary biology (it's not boring, promise)
• The evolutionary mystery of menopause
• What animals do go through menopause?
• Why all women didn't used to die at 50 (and what actually happened)
• How modern life has changed menopause
• Why Dr Emera needs bowhead whale ovaries
• Can we really end menopause?
• The truth about the Grandmother Hypothesis

Quote:

"Menopause itself isn’t surprising – if you live long enough, you will run out of eggs. What’s unique about humans is that we have such a long post-reproductive life stage. That’s the real mystery we need to solve." – Dr Deena Emera

Where to find Dr Emera:

• Instagram: @deenaemera
• LinkedIn: Deena Emera
• Buy her book: A Brief History of the Female Body – Available on Amazon

The Hotflash inc Podcast is:
One of the Top 60 Menopause Podcasts
In the top 3% percentile on Listen Notes
#1 on Goodpods’ Top 10 Women’s Health Podcasts list

This episode was originally sponsored by  Timeline Nutrition. Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity. Visit https://shop.timeline.com/HOTFLASHINC where you can still grab 20% off with code HOTFLASHINC

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information