finally. is hosted by Dr. Raina Patel, a dual board-certified family medicine and obesity medicine physician. The show is designed to help listeners better understand their bodies. Each episode breaks down the science behind weight, metabolism, and hormones in a practical way!
New episodes twice a week: finally, Women's Health on Mondays and finally, obesity medicine on Wednesdays.
Instagram: @drrainapatel
Youtube channel: @drrainapatel
Is It Hormones or Is It Me? Mood, Anxiety, and the Menopause Transition with Dr. Agnes Simone
New anxiety in your 40s. Rage that seems to come out of nowhere. Low mood, brain fog, and sleep that falls apart. For many women, these changes show up years before the last period, and too often they get dismissed as stress or "just getting older."
In this episode, Dr. Raina Patel sits down with Dr. Agnes Simone, a UCLA-trained, board-certified psychiatrist and founder of Olea Women's Health, a Los Angeles practice that combines integrative psychiatry with hormone therapy for women in midlife. Together they explore how shifting estrogen and progesterone affect the brain, why perimenopause is a window of higher risk for depression and anxiety, and how to tell hormone-driven symptoms apart from other mental health conditions.
They also cover:
- Who is most at risk for mood changes during the menopause transition
- Where hormone therapy fits, and where antidepressants and therapy fit
- Why a history of PMS, PMDD, or postpartum depression matters
- What to say to your doctor so your symptoms are taken seriously
If you have ever wondered whether it is your hormones or something more, this conversation is for you.
Resources mentioned:
CBT-I (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia) therapists in Los Angeles:
Julie Ursic: https://www.julieursic.com/
Caroline Jennings: https://cbti.directory/search-for-a-clinician/home-directory/usa/united-states-cbti-providers/498-caroline-jennings
Dr. McGowan: https://www.drskmcgowan.com/
CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) in Southern California:
Dr. Flora Zaken-Greenberg, Cognitive Behavior Associates: https://www.cognitivebehaviorassociates.com/dr-flora-zaken-greenberg/
CBT SoCal: https://cbtsocal.com/
TherapyLab.com
Connect with Dr. Agnes Simone
Instagram: @dr.agnesksimone and @oleawomenshealth
Connect with Dr. Raina Patel
Instagram and YouTube: @drrainapatel
Email: rainapateldo@gmail.com
New episodes every Monday (Finally, Women's Health) and Wednesday (Obesity Medicine).
If you are in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your own doctor or health care provider before making any changes to your health, medications, or treatments.
7 Oct 2026
Protein, Creatine, and Your Kidneys: What's Actually Safe with Dr. Ritu Vyas
Is a high-protein diet hard on your kidneys? Should you stop taking creatine if your labs look off? In this episode, Dr. Raina Patel sits down with nephrologist and obesity medicine physician Dr. Ritu Vyas to answer the kidney questions so many people are asking right now.
They cover what chronic kidney disease (CKD) actually is and how it's diagnosed, why so many people don't know they have early kidney disease, how much protein is safe and helpful depending on your kidney function, and why protein targets matter even more for people losing weight on GLP-1 medications. They also clear up the confusion around creatine supplements, including why creatine can raise your creatinine on a lab report without meaning your kidneys are damaged.
Dr. Ritu Vyas is board certified in nephrology, internal medicine, and obesity medicine. She is the owner of Kidney MD, an independent, physician-led outpatient nephrology practice in Baltimore, Maryland, focused on early CKD care for patients with metabolic conditions like obesity. She is one of few nephrologists who bring together kidney care, obesity medicine, and a food-as-medicine approach, and she believes small changes, including dietary ones, can go a long way in protecting your kidneys.
Connect with Dr. Vyas:Website: KidneyMD.netInstagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @KidneyMDLLC
Follow Dr. Raina Patel on Instagram and YouTube: @drrainapatel
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your own physician before making changes to your health.
5 Oct 2026
From Pregnancy to Menopause: The Weight and Hormone Story with Dr. Lindsay Maggio
Most women see one doctor for pregnancy and a different one for menopause, and nobody connects the dots in between. In this episode, Dr. Raina Patel sits down with Dr. Lindsay Maggio, a quadruple board-certified physician in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Obesity Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine, and a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner.
Together they trace the weight and hormone story across a woman's life: what obesity means for pregnancy risk, what women on GLP-1 medications like semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) should know before trying to conceive, and why a history of preeclampsia or gestational diabetes still matters decades later. They also cover postpartum weight, the menopause transition, and where hormone therapy and GLP-1s fit in midlife.
Dr. Maggio is the founder of a direct specialty care practice focused on weight management, hormonal health, and midlife wellness. Follow her on Instagram at @lindsay_maggio_md.
Website: www.lindsaymaggiomd.com (http://www.lindsaymaggiomd.com/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/lindsay_maggio_md/100090209708288/ (https://www.facebook.com/people/lindsay_maggio_md/100090209708288/)and https://www.facebook.com/p/Highriskpregnancydoc-61592826369389/ (https://www.facebook.com/p/Highriskpregnancydoc-61592826369389/)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ioptimizeweightandwellness/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ioptimizeweightandwellness/)
This podcast is educational and not medical advice. Please consult your own physician before making changes to your health.
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