GenX Hits Menopause

About GenX Hits Menopause

Welcome to GenX Hits Menopause, the podcast where host Heather Reilly Hiemstra dives into the unfiltered, transformative journey of midlife. Join Heather and her co-host, John Hiemstra, as they explore what it means to thrive in every stage of life through candid conversations with experts, innovators, and everyday individuals. From groundbreaking science and traditional medicine to personal stories and practical tools, this show redefines aging for a generation that’s ready to stay vibrant, confident, and unapologetically themselves. Together, we’ll challenge outdated narratives and embrace a future of health, intimacy, and empowerment—for women and men alike.

Publisher

Heather Reilly Hiemstra

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Dec 2024

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

32 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   The Apothecary in Your Yard | Going Rogue with April Hunter

   Heather Reilly Hiemstra sits down with April Hunter — pro wrestler, model, writer and host of The A Show — for an unscripted conversation that goes wherever it needs to. From World Cup visitors rewriting what they'd heard about America to the weeds we pull from our own lawns, April keeps returning to one idea: much of what keeps us well has been within reach all along. If you've ever wondered why food you've eaten for decades doesn't sit the same way, or why the people who live longest seem to laugh the most, this one's for you. Two Gen X women, no script, and a running argument about what belongs in a 2026 time capsule. Conversations include - The Food Has Changed — Why "I haven't changed a thing" may not mean the food hasn't — April on reformulated household brands, and Heather on the ketchup label that made her look twice. The Apothecary in Your Yard — Dandelion, milk thistle and stinging nettle: the plants we mow down, and the old folk tradition of using what grows outside the back door. Connection and Longevit — What Blue Zones communities have in common beyond the menu — laughter, daily movement and an in-person circle of people. America Through Visitors' Eyes — Scottish fans in kilts singing "Pretty Woman" in Boston, chips that arrive before you pay, a first plate of Texas barbecue — World Cup travelers on the country they found. Going Rogue with April Hunter — The first woman to wrestle for TNA, twelve-plus Playboy rejections before a friend's referral, and the lesson she kept from it: take nothing personally. Tune in for two Gen X women trading stories, laughing a lot, and reminding each other that knowing how your own body works is still the best place to start. About April Hunter April Hunter is a model, professional wrestler, author and podcast host based in the Tampa Bay area. A 1999 Playboy special edition, landed after more than a dozen rejections, opened the door to wrestling: she worked WCW as a valet with the nWo, trained under Killer Kowalski, became the first woman to wrestle for TNA and the first to hold a men's tag-team title. She holds a degree in Creative Writing for Entertainment from Full Sail University and writes short stories, thrillers, television scripts and comic books, among them her own series Code Red and the children's book Monty, A Tale of No Tail. She keeps a homestead garden, fosters rescue dogs and works the comic-con circuit. April hosts The A Show, live on Tuesday nights on Twitch and YouTube, where Heather was her guest earlier this year. Here the two trade chairs.

2. 

   23 Jul 2026

   Bliss Is the System | The ECS, Estrogen & Perimenopause Connection

   Heather gets together with Dr. Shabnam Sarshar - phytopharmacist, PhD in pharmaceutical biology and phytochemistry, and certified endocannabinoid medicine specialist - to pull back the curtain on a woman’s most overlooked hormonal partner in her body: the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Like a soundboard running beneath every organ from head to toe, the ECS doesn't just regulate sleep, mood, and pain — it's in constant, bidirectional conversation with estrogen, mirroring it receptor for receptor across the very systems that go haywire in perimenopause. If your moods are swinging without warning, your sleep is shot, your brain feels like it's buffering, and nobody has given you a satisfying answer — this episode names the missing piece and hands you something you can actually start doing about it. Conversations include The Bliss Molecule You're Running Low On — Anandamide - Sanskrit for *bliss* - surges with estrogen at ovulation and crashes with it in perimenopause. Dr. Shabnam explains why the ECS, not just the ovaries, is driving the mood, pain, and sleep chaos of the perimenopause years. Why Men and Women Don't Share the Same ECS — Receptor distribution, endocannabinoid tone, and how women metabolize THC into stronger, longer-lasting metabolites — sex-specific biology that most practitioners have never been taught. 2-AG, Orgasm, and Depression — The second major endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, spikes after orgasm and is significantly depleted in women with major depressive disorder — a finding that reframes both pleasure and mental health as ECS territory. High-THC Culture and the Overloaded System — What chronic high-dose THC actually does to ECS receptor sensitivity over time, why perimenopausal women are hitting the wall faster than they expect, and the case for never needing flower above 20% THC. The Simplest ECS Reset You Can Start Today — The omega-3/omega-6 fatty acid ratio is the raw material your body uses to manufacture anandamide and 2-AG — and the Western diet is wrecking it. Dr. Shabnam's most practical, no-prescription takeaway. Tune in to recalibrate your understanding of what perimenopause is actually doing — and walk away with the science that turns confusion into agency, and symptoms into signals you finally know how to read. About Dr. Shabnam Sarshar Dr. Shabnam Sarshar is a phytopharmacist and women's health strategist specializing in cannabinoid science and female-specific physiology. With a PhD in Pharmaceutical Biology and Phytochemistry, and certifications in Endocannabinoid Medicine and Natural Women's Medicine, she has spent over a decade across pharmaceutical research, medical advisory, and women's health entrepreneurship. Her career pivot into cannabinoid science began in a Berlin-based medical cannabis company, where she led two landmark projects: a pharmaceutical compounding kit designed to improve clinical cannabis formulations (including vaginal suppositories and ocular preparations), and a research initiative investigating cannabinoid-based therapeutics for endometriosis. That work launched her deep investigation into the endocannabinoid system's role in female-specific biology. Her work translates complex hormonal and sex-specific biological mechanisms into clinically actionable insights for research, product development, and medical education, and she advises medical and wellness companies on women-focused innovation. She is the founder of The Recalibration, a platform redefining midlife as a biological recalibration, not a decline.

3. 

   9 Jul 2026

   Feed Your Head | Gut Microbiome, Hormones & Midlife Vitality

   Host Heather Reilly-Hiemstra sits down with Dr. Brent W. Laartz, MD FIDSA — infectious disease physician, associate professor at the University of South Florida, and, yes, bestselling spy novelist — to explore the organ that quietly runs everything behind the scenes: your gut. Think of your microbiome as a sourdough starter (both Heather & Brent craft their own): neglect it and you get hockey pucks; feed it right and it rises to the occasion every time. If your mood, sleep, hormones, or midlife energy feel like they've gone off the rails, this episode is your road map back — because the longevity you're hunting for is already living in your intestines. Conversations include - The Microbiome Footprint What your bacterial landscape says about your diet — and why a "bad footprint" sends addiction-center signals to your brain that make the Cheetos nearly impossible to resist. Microplastics & Menopause Hormones How forever chemicals and ultra-processed foods actively disrupt hormone health heading into perimenopause and menopause — and why the supplements those Instagram influencers are selling you may be worsening the very symptoms they promise to fix. Five Pillars of Health Diet, exercise, sleep, connection/creativity — and the fifth pillar most doctors skip: eliminating plastics and processed foods from your daily life, one step at a time. The Triathlete Bacteria Study The Lactobacillus and Veillonella species that helped world-class triathletes nearly double their sprint endurance by converting lactic acid into short-chain fatty acids — and what that means for every midlife body in the room. Actionable First Steps From homemade sauerkraut (no scale required — Google will guide you) to functional blood work outside your GP's office, how to start rebuilding your microbiome today without overhauling your entire life overnight. Dr. Brent brings more than the science of what lives in your gut, including the honest admission that physicians are often the last people practicing what they preach, and one man’s practical, no-cold-turkey roadmap to meaningful change. Tune in to start feeding what feeds you — because a thriving microbiome is the backing track behind your hormones, your mood, your sleep, and every stage of vibrant midlife ahead. About Dr. Brent Laartz Dr. Brent Laartz is an infectious disease physician and Affiliate Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at the University of South Florida. His clinical expertise in the microbiome sits at the intersection of gut health, longevity science, and hormonal well-being — an expert guide for the midlife health questions most GPs don't have bandwidth to answer in detail. Driven by his own journey from "I thought I was healthy" to nearly pre-diabetic, Dr. Laartz launched the “Go Unpro” podcast — a doctor's 52-week journey to an unprocessed life, available in video and audio wherever you listen. He is also the author of two bestselling spy thrillers, a poet and an avid sailor. Dr. Brent is a firm believer that creativity, connection, and a good sourdough starter are non-negotiable pillars of a long life, and that natural prevention with diet and mindfulness can have a profound effect upon healing and overall health. Find out more at: - Website: https://www.drlaartz.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brentwlaartzmd/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-w-laartz-md

Who has been a guest on GenX Hits Menopause

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Melissa Marino
• Heather
• Isle Chevalier
• Melissa Moreno
• Heather Hirsch

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

658,476

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 42 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

49

Social presence

0

YouTube

86

Engagement

0

Contact GenX Hits Menopause

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.