Ovary-Acting

About Ovary-Acting

Welcome to Ovary-Acting — your ecosystem for all things women, where we take your health and wellness seriously, but ourselves? Not so much. Dr. Jennifer Ashby is a doctor of East Asian medicine, acupuncturist, researcher, and UCSF clinician with over 30 years in women's health. Each episode blends integrative medicine with real talk, hard laughs, and the kind of honest conversation your doctor's appointment never had time for. Because you deserve to feel informed, empowered — and maybe a little entertained.

Publisher

Dr Jennifer Ashby, DAOM

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Apr 2026

Latest episode

22 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

18 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Oct 2026

   Bridget Can Write Anything: From Pacifica's Castle to a Zombie Horror Comedy

   Jen and Bridget Oates have been friends since their early twenties, back when their crowd ran on punk, metal, and a real fondness for the dark side. So when Bridget said she'd written a zombie movie and was making it herself, it felt less like a leap and more like coming home. Bridget has made a living from words in almost every form: years writing for Guitar Player magazine, ad copy, UX writing, and Sam's Castle, the history of the 1908 castle on the hill in Pacifica, California. The research turned up a madam, a Prohibition speakeasy, rum runners, a World War II Coast Guard lookout, and a front-page story about bones in the garden. Then a snowy drive to a writing cabin in Gold Country got her wondering what the lethal gases in the old mines might have done to the miners. That became Gold Miner Mayhem, the horror comedy short she wrote, directed, and produced, now a Best Horror Comedy finalist at the Austin Short Film Festival. WHAT WE GET INTO • Why Bridget refuses to be just one kind of writer • Sam's Castle: lunch with Pete McCloskey, the speakeasy, and the bones in the garden • Writing history you have to get right vs. fiction you get to make up • Zombie gold miners and a down-on-her-luck rodeo queen • Why Shaun of the Dead set the tone • A very cold moment with Michael Douglas • The contract lesson every first-time filmmaker needs • What the festival circuit really costs • Would it have been different as a man? • Her advice for the woman who thinks it's not her lane CATCH THE FILM Fri, Oct 23, 7 PM: Gold Miner Mayhem + Shaun of the Dead, San Benito House Cantina, Half Moon Bay. Bridget introduces it. Tickets: https://bbffspecialscreenings.eventive.org/schedule/6ab2a80c02f00b8b013a297d (https://bbffspecialscreenings.eventive.org/schedule/6ab2a80c02f00b8b013a297d) Sat, Nov 7: Austin Short Film Festival, finalist for Best Horror Comedy. Help fund post-production: https://www.goldminermayhem.com/contribute (https://www.goldminermayhem.com/contribute) FIND BRIDGET Film: https://www.goldminermayhem.com/ (https://www.goldminermayhem.com/) Sam's Castle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738574864, (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738574864,) or order it from Florey's Book Co. in Pacifica Email: bridgetoates@gmail.com (mailto:bridgetoates@gmail.com) FEATURED The Energy Prescription: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science for Thriving Through Menopause (Wiley), Jen's book. Order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) FIND JEN Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Substack: https://jenniferashby.substack.com/ (https://jenniferashby.substack.com/) Instagram & YouTube: @drjenashby · Email: drjenashby@gmail.com (mailto:drjenashby@gmail.com) DISCLAIMER The information shared on Ovary Acting is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of Dr. Jennifer Ashby and her guests and do not represent the positions of UCSF or any affiliated institution. East Asian Medicine, including acupuncture and herbal medicine, is a licensed healthcare profession and is not a substitute for care from your physician or other qualified medical provider. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, contact emergency services immediately. Always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new health practice, supplement, or herbal protocol. Individual results vary. Nothing discussed on this podcast creates a patient-practitioner relationship.

2. 

   9 Oct 2026

   What Breastfeeding Actually Costs the Body: An East Asian Medicine View

   A patient told Dr. Jen Ashby, a few months into nursing her second baby, that nobody warned her breastfeeding would feel like a second labor, except this one lasts a year. She was talking about more than pain. She was talking about the sheer draw on her body. In this solo episode, Jen asks what breastfeeding costs the body, and answers through East Asian medicine, which has a precise language for it. Breast milk is understood as transformed qi and blood. Birth and pregnancy already draw heavily on blood, which is why postpartum traditions insist on rest and nourishment. The spleen and stomach generate qi and blood, so low supply is often read as a tired spleen without enough raw material. The liver channel runs through the breast, so blocked ducts are read as stagnation, sometimes with heat. The through-line: a depleted mother and a blocked mother can look alike, but they need opposite help. One needs rebuilding. The other needs movement. One checklist for everyone misses that. A NOTE BEFORE YOU LISTEN This is an educational look at how East Asian medicine interprets lactation. It is not medical advice. Breast pain, a hard or red area, flu-like aches, or a fever while nursing can be signs of mastitis, which can become an infection. Contact your doctor, midwife, or an IBCLC promptly. Check with your healthcare provider before starting any herb, tea, or supplement while nursing. WHAT WE GET INTO Why breastfeeding can feel like a second labor Milk as transformed qi and blood Postpartum depletion and the tradition of sitting the month The spleen and stomach, and what low supply can mean The liver and stomach channels, blocked ducts, and mastitis A clinical pearl about the left and right breast Depleted versus blocked: why the same checklist misses FEATURED The Energy Prescription (Wiley), Jen's book. Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) The newsletter: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up) GO DEEPER Sandy Adler Lactation Consulting: https://sandyadlerlactationconsulting.com/ (https://sandyadlerlactationconsulting.com/) FIND JEN Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Substack: https://jenniferashby.substack.com/ (https://jenniferashby.substack.com/) Instagram & YouTube: @drjenashby · Email: drjenashby@gmail.com (mailto:drjenashby@gmail.com) DISCLAIMER The information shared on Ovary Acting is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of Dr. Jennifer Ashby and her guests and do not represent the positions of UCSF or any affiliated institution. East Asian Medicine, including acupuncture and herbal medicine, is a licensed healthcare profession and is not a substitute for care from your physician or other qualified medical provider. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, contact emergency services immediately. Always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new health practice, supplement, or herbal protocol. Individual results vary. Nothing discussed on this podcast creates a patient-practitioner relationship.

3. 

   25 Sept 2026

   Breastfeeding in Gaza: A Nurse on Keeping Newborns Alive When Formula Can't Get In

   Jen's guest is Sandra Adler Killen, RN, IBCLC, a friend of 25 years. They raised their daughters together. Sandra is an emergency room and pediatric nurse and an internationally board-certified lactation consultant, and since 2024 she has made repeated humanitarian medical missions to Gaza. She first went in as a trauma nurse. Local clinicians saw her lactation background in action and asked her to come back and teach. She has returned roughly every six months since, training doctors, midwives, and nurses with the GINA Infant Nutrition Alliance, with the goal of making herself unnecessary. Sandra explains why breastfeeding carries so much weight when formula and clean water can't be relied on, what chronic stress and malnutrition do to milk supply, and what care looks like with almost no supplies. She shares the mothers who stayed with her, and how she carries it home. A NOTE BEFORE YOU LISTEN This conversation includes firsthand accounts of war, traumatic injury, and the deaths of infants and family members. Please take care of yourself while you listen. The views about the conflict are Sandra's own. Lactation information here is educational and describes care in a humanitarian crisis, not personal medical advice. For feeding challenges with your own baby, reach out to an IBCLC or your pediatric provider. If this stirs up something heavy, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7). WHAT WE GET INTO How Sandra first ended up in Gaza, and why she keeps going back Why formula isn't a simple fallback in a crisis What war and chronic stress do to a mother's milk supply Prolactin, oxytocin, letdown, and malnutrition Capacity building: training a core team of clinicians Improvised care, including the seashell story The mothers Sandra can't forget How she prepares, and how she comes home How listeners can help right now HOW TO HELP GINA Infant Nutrition Alliance: https://www.gina.org.uk/donate (https://www.gina.org.uk/donate) Lactation consultants who want to volunteer remotely: volunteer@gina.org.uk (mailto:volunteer@gina.org.uk) Glia: https://glia.org/pages/glia4gaza (https://glia.org/pages/glia4gaza) Sandra's GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nourishing-hope-for-mothers-and-newborns (https://www.gofundme.com/f/nourishing-hope-for-mothers-and-newborns) And Sandra's ask: keep talking about it, and keep contacting your representatives. FIND SANDRA https://sandyadlerlactationconsulting.com/ (https://sandyadlerlactationconsulting.com/) FEATURED The Energy Prescription: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science for Thriving Through Menopause (Wiley), Jen's book. Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) FIND JEN Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Substack: https://jenniferashby.substack.com/ (https://jenniferashby.substack.com/) Instagram & YouTube: @drjenashby · Email: drjenashby@gmail.com (mailto:drjenashby@gmail.com) DISCLAIMER The information shared on Ovary Acting is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of Dr. Jennifer Ashby and her guests and do not represent the positions of UCSF or any affiliated institution. East Asian Medicine, including acupuncture and herbal medicine, is a licensed healthcare profession and is not a substitute for care from your physician or other qualified medical provider. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, contact emergency services immediately. Always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new health practice, supplement, or herbal protocol. Individual results vary. Nothing discussed on this podcast creates a patient-practitioner relationship.

4. 

   10 Sept 2026

   Read My Face: What Your Skin Is Actually Telling You?

   Dr. Jen Ashby brings on Dr. Thalia Kazakos Omar, L.Ac (http://L.Ac). — acupuncturist, doctor of Chinese medicine, founder of Muse Medicine in New York — for the conversation the beauty industry would rather you not have: your skin is not a surface problem. They start with the East Asian medicine face map and immediately complicate it. Under-eyes are kidney, the forehead is liver, the jawline is hormonal — except the chin is also reproductive, the nasolabial folds are colon, and by minute nine Thalia has cheerfully shown that no single map is diagnostic on its own. What she offers instead is how a clinician actually reads a face: quality over region, patterns over pins. WHAT WE GET INTO • The face map, region by region — and why regions are clues, not conclusions • Reading quality before region: oil as dampness, redness as heat, thinning as deficiency • Upright qi, sagging, and why skin that loses tone is where lines set • Teen acne, androgens, and the "wood era" of life • The luteal phase: fiber, blood sugar, lighter products, damp-and-hot foods • Fascia, lymph, and the upper-body training nobody connects to their face • Over-exfoliating, "acne-safe" claims, and the over-drying trap • Pregnancy glow and melasma: one hormone flood, two constitutions • Postpartum blood deficiency, hair loss, and real replenishment • What needling does to scars, including surgical ones • Gut permeability, and the gut–skin axis both directions • Jen's late-onset eczema and the year of guacamole that caused it FEATURED The Energy Prescription: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science for Thriving Through Menopause (Wiley) — Jen's book. Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) Oliva Flora — botanical skincare powered by olive oil: https://www.olivaflora.com/ (https://www.olivaflora.com/) FIND THALIA https://www.themusestudionyc.com/ (https://www.themusestudionyc.com/) · Booking: https://musemedicine.janeapp.com/ (https://musemedicine.janeapp.com/) · Instagram: @muse_medicine Telehealth for herbs and lifestyle coaching is available subject to state licensing — start with her contact form. FIND JEN https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) · https://jenniferashby.substack.com/ (https://jenniferashby.substack.com/) Instagram & YouTube: @drjenashby · drjenashby@gmail.com (mailto:drjenashby@gmail.com) DISCLAIMER The information shared on Ovary Acting is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views expressed are those of Dr. Jennifer Ashby and her guests and do not represent the positions of UCSF or any affiliated institution. East Asian Medicine, including acupuncture and herbal medicine, is a licensed healthcare profession and is not a substitute for care from your physician or other qualified provider. In a medical emergency, contact emergency services immediately. Always consult your provider before beginning any new health practice, supplement, or herbal protocol. Individual results vary. Nothing discussed here creates a patient-practitioner relationship.

5. 

   3 Sept 2026

   Psychedelics and Your Mental Health: Are they enough?

   Dr. Jen Ashby sits down in her living room with Oli Mittermaier — co-founder and director of patient care at CIT Clinics, and, in full disclosure, her husband. Jen asks the questions most people are too polite to ask: if it's a horse tranquilizer, how are people dancing on it? What actually happens in a session? And why does Oli, who makes his living giving people ketamine, open his TEDx talk by saying the ketamine isn't the answer? What follows is a plain-language tour of how ketamine is used clinically — dosing, screening, environment, and the integration work Oli argues is at least half of it — plus why the hormonal transitions of perimenopause and menopause put so many women in the population these clinics see. WHAT WE GET INTO Why dose is the whole story on "horse tranquilizer" — sub-anesthetic dosing, titrated to the person Set and setting as the intervention, not the decoration: why a rave and a clinic are opposites Oli's argument that the session is half the work, and what integration actually means "I know what you don't want — but what do you want?" The question he asks every new patient Self-directed positive neuroplasticity, and turning temporary states into lasting traits NMDA, glutamate, and the window afterward when the brain is primed to rewire Routes of administration, what's off-label, and what insurance covers Why hormonal transitions put so many women in these clinics — and what this does not treat Chronic pain: where it may help, and where it plainly won't What treating veterans taught him about everybody else No Shortcuts, the labyrinth on the cover, and ten non-negotiables FEATURED The Energy Prescription: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science for Thriving Through Menopause (Wiley) — Jen's book. Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) Oliva Flora — botanical skincare powered by olive oil, made to European standards: https://www.olivaflora.com/ (https://www.olivaflora.com/) Women's Lib — non-hormonal daily tincture formulated with botanicals traditionally used to support desire, vitality, and energy: https://womens-lib.com/ (https://womens-lib.com/) FIND OLI CIT Clinics: https://citclinics.com/ (https://citclinics.com/) · (415) 675-1335 15 Minutes of Positivity — free, Monday–Friday, 12:00–12:15 PM Pacific, open to anyone: https://citclinics.com/practice/ (https://citclinics.com/practice/) His TEDx talk: https://citclinics.com/tedx/ (https://citclinics.com/tedx/) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/olimittermaier (http://linkedin.com/in/olimittermaier) · Instagram: @olimittermaier FIND JEN Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Newsletter: drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up (http://drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up) Substack: https://jenniferashby.substack.com/ (https://jenniferashby.substack.com/) Instagram & YouTube: @drjenashby · Email: drjenashby@gmail.com (mailto:drjenashby@gmail.com)

6. 

   22 Aug 2026

   My Brain Surgery: Chiari Malformation, Recovery, and the Part No One Warned Me About

   \\ Five weeks after brain surgery, Dr. Jen Ashby takes both chairs — interviewer and interviewee. Her Chiari malformation type I, the decompression surgery, and the recovery she hadn't planned for: a long medication list, an ER detour, and coming off narcotics. Plus the gratitude that cracked her open, and the question she's still sitting with. FEATURED The Energy Prescription: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science for Thriving Through Menopause 👉 Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS Chiari malformation type I is structural, and it can be progressive — exertion headache, one-sided fullness, dizziness, no more impact sports. Fear and excitement sit at the same intensity. She used hypnotherapy to point that intensity toward possibility. Say the scary thing out loud to your care team. Telling her anesthesiologist what she feared changed her whole surgery day. The incision wasn't the hard part. The medications — and coming off them — were what she hadn't planned for. Gratitude and reckoning arrived together, with the Stoic virtues as a working roadmap. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 START 01:10 – What Chiari malformation type I is, and her symptoms 01:50 – The surgery: suboccipital decompression, duraplasty, C1 laminectomy 03:10 – Prep, and hypnotherapy to turn fear into excitement 04:50 – "The morning of, I was a mess" 05:55 – The anesthesiologist who actually listened 07:10 – Waking up to "Mama, you're done" 09:15 – Five days in the hospital, and a long medication list 11:30 – How her community and her kids showed up 12:35 – The part nobody warned her about: the ER 14:35 – Recognizing narcotic withdrawal, and owning it 18:20 – What she planned for vs. what actually got her 21:40 – The Stoics, and "who do I want to be when I grow up?" 🔗 CONNECT Newsletter: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up) Substack: https://jenniferashby.substack.com/ (https://jenniferashby.substack.com/) Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby (https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby) Email: drjenashby@gmail.com (mailto:drjenashby@gmail.com) RESOURCES The Energy Prescription: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) Chiari malformation type I: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/chiari-malformation-type-i (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/chiari-malformation-type-i) Ryan Holiday: https://ryanholiday.net/books-courses/ (https://ryanholiday.net/books-courses/) The Hoffman Institute: https://www.hoffmaninstitute.org/ (https://www.hoffmaninstitute.org/)

7. 

   13 Aug 2026

   Dr. Ashby on the Simply Walk The Talk Podcast— The Epic 8, Prenatal Qi & Why Self-Care Isn't Selfish

   Something different this week. Jen is taking a short beat to rest and recover before the next new episode — she's doing beautifully, and a proper update is coming in the next few weeks. In the meantime, a conversation many of you haven't heard: Dr. Jennifer Ashby as a guest on Simply Walk The Talk, hosted by Joshua J. Holland — trainer, holistic health coach, and author of The Awareness Shift. It's one of the most complete explanations of the Epic Eight she's ever given. 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS The Epic Eight are the foundation. Six essentials — diet, hydration, sleep, breath work, constitutionally appropriate movement, gut health — plus two practices: daily joy and awe, and tools for not embodying stress. Prenatal qi is finite; postnatal qi is replenishable. Prenatal qi (kidney jing) governs growth and aging and is appropriately drawn on for emergencies, surgery, childbirth — but can't be paid back. Self-care is a responsibility, not selfish behavior. Selfish is when the benefit stops at the tip of your own nose. All effort counts. Good health shouldn't be bougie. Two myths worth retiring. Acupuncture doesn't have to hurt — Jen practices Japanese-style needling, and you can ask any practitioner their technique. Plus: what feet reveal about self-care, toe yoga and balance, and Jen's fourth exercise category — yin exercise, movement that gives back more than you put out. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why this week is a featured archive share 00:37 Josh welcomes Dr. Jen Ashby — from a client's home 04:00 Where the Epic Eight came from 06:30 Translating qi and yin/yang into plain English 12:00 The Epic Eight, listed — foundations before fads 20:30 Josh's five pillars, The Awareness Shift 23:30 Self-care vs. selfish behavior 27:00 Scholarships, free resources, all effort counts 37:00 Josh on his late father 45:00 Four types of exercise — and yin exercise 47:30 Foot health, toe yoga, balance 51:00 Prenatal vs. postnatal qi 59:00 Acupuncture doesn't have to hurt 61:00 Orthopedic vs. constitutional acupuncture 67:00 Everything affects everything 🔗 THE HOST — JOSHUA J. HOLLAND Podcast: https://www.simplywalkthetalk.com/ (https://www.simplywalkthetalk.com/) Website: https://www.joshuajholland.com/ (https://www.joshuajholland.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuajholland/ (https://www.instagram.com/joshuajholland/) Book, The Awareness Shift: https://www.amazon.com/Awareness-Shift-Unearth-Pillars-Wellness/dp/1953153690 (https://www.amazon.com/Awareness-Shift-Unearth-Pillars-Wellness/dp/1953153690) 🔗 CONNECT WITH DR. JEN ASHBY Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Newsletter: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby (https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby) Book — The Energy Prescription: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663)

8. 

   6 Aug 2026

   The Manual Nobody Hands You: Grief, Exhaustion & Delight in Neurodivergent Parenting

   A short, direct solo follow-up to Dr. Jennifer Ashby's conversation with Calista Wilson about parenting a neurodivergent child. Nobody hands you a manual when you become a parent — but most of us pick up a phantom pamphlet anyway: milestones, a rough script for how this is supposed to go. Then you have a kid who didn't read it. Jen speaks straight to the parent in that gap, with the sentence she says nobody said clearly enough when she needed it. 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS "There's nothing wrong with you or your child. There is something different about your child." Those aren't the same sentence — and the gap between them is where most of the suffering lives. You're allowed to grieve, and what you're grieving is an imagined future, not your child. Your child is right there, whole. Grieve the picture quietly, privately, without guilt — it doesn't mean you love the actual kid any less. The exhaustion is real, and it isn't a sign you're doing it wrong. It's the cost of constant translation: reading a different emotional language, anticipating sensory landmines nobody else sees, advocating in rooms full of professionals. Real labor deserves real rest, not a pep talk about gratitude. You become fluent in a system that wasn't built for your kid — IEPs, 504 plans, waitlists, acronyms you never wanted. The professionals know the research. You know your kid. Trust that. Averages are not verdicts. Developmental timelines describe a population, not your particular, unrepeatable child. Sideways progress still counts. Find your people — even one parent who gets it — and let your child see you delight in them, not just manage them. TIMESTAMPS (approximate; short episode, re-map against the final edit; also YouTube chapters) 00:00 Welcome + why this week is a follow-up to the Calista Wilson episode 00:35 The phantom pamphlet: the manual nobody hands you 01:20 When your kid doesn't read it — and the cereal-aisle meltdown that isn't about discipline 01:55 Nothing is wrong; something is different 02:12 The grief nobody prepares you for 03:00 Take the picture down and rebuild it 03:30 The exhaustion is real: constant translation 04:33 IEPs, 504s, waitlists & becoming the advocate 05:05 The professionals know the research — you know your kid 05:30 Averages are not verdicts; sideways still counts 06:00 Find your people 06:30 Delight in them, don't just manage them 07:01 You are not failing 07:30 Wrap-up + go watch the Calista Wilson episode 🔗 CONNECT WITH DR. JEN ASHBY Newsletter: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up) Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Substack: https://jenniferashby.substack.com/ (https://jenniferashby.substack.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby (https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby) RESOURCES The companion episode — Calista Wilson on parenting a neurodivergent child. The Energy Prescription (book) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663)

9. 

   30 Jul 2026

   Parenting a Neurodivergent Child

   Dr. Jennifer Ashby talks with her friend Calista Wilson — a former fashion stylist turned writer, advocate, and "proud autism mama" — about parenting a child whose arrival sent her life on an unexpected one-eighty. Calista describes the mother-knowing she felt from the first minutes, a year of being dismissed through the pandemic, the fifteen-minute visit that finally produced the word autism, and the turn: her son Ransom, a self-described "scientist of everything," and why she believes neurodivergent kids may be exactly where evolution is pointing. FEATURED OFFERS The Energy Prescription — Dr. Jennifer Ashby's new Wiley book, ancient wisdom and modern science for thriving through menopause. Out October 20th. Please buy AND review it. 👉 Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) Women's Lib — a non-hormonal daily libido tincture for women navigating midlife stress and low desire. 👉 https://womens-lib.com/ (https://womens-lib.com/) Oliva Flora — woman-owned Santa Barbara olive-oil botanical skincare, clean and European-made. 👉 https://www.olivaflora.com/ (https://www.olivaflora.com/) 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS Trust the mother-knowing — and advocate even when you're brand-new and everyone's reassuring you. Calista sensed her son was different from the first minutes (he calmed the instant they put a diaper on him — containment as security). For a year, doctors and pandemic Zoom visits said he was fine. The road to diagnosis is a fight, and the system makes you start over. It took an in-person visit to hear "autism" in fifteen minutes. At three, early intervention hands you to the school system — new waitlists, new assessments. Full scaffolding wasn't in place until he was five or six. The spectrum is a wheel, not a line. Think color wheel, not "high to low functioning." A child can be very capable in one area and need intense support in another — and you can be neurodivergent without meeting the criteria for autism. Chronic caregiving stress lands in the body — secure your own oxygen mask first. Years of restraining her son during meltdowns left Calista with radiating neck and arm pain. Grieve the life you imagined, then meet the magic. The grief isn't for the child — it's for the picture of motherhood you carried. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Welcome + meet Calista Wilson 03:10 The mother-knowing: "laid in my arms like a grenade" 05:35 Dismissed for a year through the pandemic 09:30 "I think it's autism" in fifteen minutes 11:15 Aging out into the school system; years to full scaffolding 15:10 The spectrum is a wheel, not a line 16:30 Rigidity, priming & no spontaneity 22:30 The grief of the unexpected life 24:00 How the body keeps the score 26:35 Daily rituals that sustain her 29:35 Isolation — grieve, then see the magic 36:45 Meet Ransom: engineering, Greek mythology & the body as a machine 43:25 Three things families should take away 46:00 Call us, check on us, invite us 🔗 CONNECT Dr. Jen Ashby — Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) · Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/) · YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby (https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby)

10. 

    23 Jul 2026

    My TEDx Talk: What a Childhood Among Wild Animals Taught Me About Human Energy

    This week Dr. Jennifer Ashby does something different — she shares the TEDx talk she gave a few years ago. Raised alongside an elephant, lion cubs, bears, wolves, and dozens of other animals, Jen learned early that the energy of every living thing moves in a natural cycle of balance, harmony, and healing — and she spent 30+ years in East Asian Medicine turning that lesson into something usable. She makes the case that your physical energy is the base of all your health, explains the two kinds of energy that run it, and gives you eight daily guidelines to protect them. She closes on the balance she saw on safari: we, too, are nature. FEATURED OFFER The Energy Prescription — Dr. Ashby's new Wiley book — turns this talk's framework and eight guidelines into a daily system for thriving through perimenopause and menopause. Out October 20th. 👉 Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) (No sponsor read this episode.) 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS Your physical energy is the base of all your health, and you have two kinds. Prenatal energy is finite — you're born with it and can only spend it. Postnatal energy is infinite — replenished daily if you participate. It's rarely one single thing. Wrist pain becomes shoulder pain, then neck pain, then anxiety and lost sleep. The body is one system working toward homeostasis. The Epic Eight, from the TEDx stage You'll feel stress; the skill is not embodying it. Sort true threats from the rest — a deadline is not a tiger. Jen's starter: MBSR by Jon Kabat-Zinn. We, too, are nature. Left alone, nature is brutally but beautifully balanced — animals eat, drink, sleep, breathe, move, poop, play, and don't embody stress longer than survival requires. Return to the basics and you preserve yourself. (Jen's honest caveat: this assumes clean water, food, and housing — she calls it a crime that health is a privilege.) TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Welcome + why this week is different 00:47 The talk begins: energy, balance & a true story 01:20 Growing up among wild animals 03:30 Why one single "fix" rarely works 06:30 Physical energy is the base of all your health 08:30 Prenatal (finite) vs. postnatal (infinite) energy 15:30 The Epic Eight: diet, hydration, sleep, breathing 18:00 Movement, bowel movements, joy, not embodying stress 24:30 One more story: safari in Kenya & Tanzania 26:00 We too are nature + thanks 🔗 CONNECT WITH DR. JEN ASHBY Newsletter: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up) Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby (https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby) RESOURCES The Energy Prescription (pre-order) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) DailyOM — Dr. Ashby's courses — https://www.dailyom.com/instructors/dr-jennifer-ashby (https://www.dailyom.com/instructors/dr-jennifer-ashby)

11. 

    16 Jul 2026

    The Untold Pattern Behind Women's Reinvention at Every Age

    Dr. Jennifer Ashby talks with Grace Kraaijvanger — founder of The Hivery, the Bay Area women's coworking space and inspiration lab — about the restless yearning so many women feel and can't quite name. Grace first felt it at 27, as her dance career was ending; she's felt it in grief and again at 51 as an empty-nester. Out of that "wrestling" came The Hivery and a mission to elevate the voices of women. Together they reframe a woman's whole life as an act of creativity: treating your life like a work of art gives you permission to keep working on it — to experiment, and to not have it all figured out yet. FEATURED OFFERS The Hivery — Grace's women's coworking space, inspiration lab & mentorship community in Mill Valley, CA, plus a digital membership (relaunching this summer) with local chapters. Events open to everyone. 👉 https://www.thehivery.com/ (https://www.thehivery.com/) The Energy Prescription — Dr. Jennifer Ashby's new Wiley book turning her whole-body approach into a daily toolbox for thriving through perimenopause and menopause. Out October 20th. 👉 Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS Honor the yearning — it doesn't go away. That hard-to-name "wrestling" is information, not a problem to squash. "Pay now or pay later." Honoring it can be as small as writing, talking, or exploring. Treat your life like a work of art — even if you don't feel creative. It gives you permission to experiment with "the clay of your life" and to not know yet. As Martha Graham said, "no artist is ever satisfied." Change usually rides in on a "life-quake." Real reinvention rarely comes when things are smooth — it takes a catalyst: layoff, ageism, caregiving, divorce, loss, or grief. The hard thing becomes the door to "who am I on the other side of this?" Confidence isn't required and readiness is a myth. If you wait to feel ready, you never start. Small actions are big: the only way to write the book is to sit down for the first fifteen minutes. Community is underrated medicine. We try to figure out our next chapter alone and blame the laundry — it's not the laundry, it's the isolation. Creative energy is contagious; doing the work in community is a real intervention. TIMESTAMPS (approximate; recording opens with an audio check; also YouTube chapters) 00:00 Start 04:10 what The Hivery is for 05:30 A dancer from age four 09:45 The yearning at every life stage 15:30 The title lands: Life as Art 17:30 Grief as a creative force 20:15 8,000 women later 24:05 Finding your inner artist when you don't feel creative 28:00 why midlife can be the most powerful chapter 33:05 Invisibility vs. being seen 36:25 Loneliness as a health crisis: community as medicine 46:00 The myth of readiness 48:50 The thing she almost didn't do 54:00 Radically inclusive 🔗 CONNECT Dr. Jen Ashby — Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) · Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/) · YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby (https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby) Grace / The Hivery — https://www.thehivery.com/ (https://www.thehivery.com/) · Events: https://www.thehivery.com/events (https://www.thehivery.com/events)

12. 

    10 Jul 2026

    The Jade Gate — What East Asian Medicine Has Always Known About Your Yoni

    In this solo episode, Dr. Jennifer Ashby explores your yoni — your "jade gate" — through the medicine she practices. Why the clinical word we grew up with comes from the Latin for "sheath for a sword" (named by men, for men), why "yoni" (Sanskrit for source, sacred space, origin) fits better, and how East Asian Medicine has mapped this tissue across a woman's whole life: the four channels that meet at the yoni, the concept of Tiangui (heavenly water), the heart-kidney axis, the emotional layer, and where ancient theory and modern microbiome science describe the exact same thing. FEATURED OFFERS The Energy Prescription, Dr. Jennifer Ashby's new Wiley book, turns her whole-body, East-meets-West approach into a daily toolbox for thriving through perimenopause and menopause. Out October 20th. 👉 Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) Women's Lib — a non-hormonal daily libido tincture for women navigating midlife stress and low desire. 👉 https://womens-lib.com/ (https://womens-lib.com/) 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS Your yoni sits where four channels meet. The Ren Mai governs moisture and tone; the Chong Mai (Sea of Blood) links the yoni, uterus, breasts, and heart — which is why those symptoms often arrive together at hormonal transitions. The Kidney and Liver channels run straight through the jade gate. The kidney governs tissue vitality and where fear/trauma register; the liver governs the flow of qi and blood, and stagnation shows up as dryness, tension, and irritation. Tiangui and the heart-kidney axis set the tone for every transition — puberty, postpartum, perimenopause, menopause — not just menopause. The jade gate keeps the score. Fear (kidney), anger (liver), and grief (lung) live in the tissue over decades. This does NOT mean symptoms are "just psychological" — body and emotion are one system. Ancient theory meets modern science: a healthy yoni is lactobacillus-dominant (low pH); as kidney yin and estrogen decline, that shifts — "yin deficiency at the jade gate," aka GSM. Nourish kidney jing early and often: black sesame, walnuts, eggs, oysters, dark berries, bone broth, miso. TIMESTAMPS (approximate; raw recording has many retakes to trim; also YouTube chapters) 00:00 Welcome 00:40 Why "yoni," not the word from health class 02:30 Channel 1: Ren Mai (Conception Vessel) 03:40 Channel 2: Chong Mai (Sea of Blood) 05:30 Channel 3: Kidney channel — vitality, fear & trauma 08:30 Channel 4: Liver channel — flow, tension & damp-heat 12:30 Tiangui & the heart-kidney axis 14:40 Menarche & the teenage years 16:15 The reproductive years 17:50 Pregnancy & postpartum 21:30 Perimenopause 23:10 Menopause & beyond; GSM as yin deficiency 24:25 The emotional layer: fear, anger & grief 25:50 Where EAM meets modern science: the microbiome & gut-yoni axis 28:20 What you can do: nourishing kidney jing 🔗 CONNECT WITH DR. JEN ASHBY Newsletter: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up) Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby (https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby) RESOURCES

13. 

    2 Jul 2026

    Let That Coochie Breathe — A Nurse Midwife on Vaginal Health Across Your Whole Life

    Dr. Jennifer Ashby talks with nurse midwife Erinn Lance, CNM — a close friend and the midwife who was in the room when Jen birthed her last baby — about vaginal health across a woman's whole life: why the vagina is a self-cleaning organ, the microbiome and common infections, how discharge changes from first period through menopause, GSM (genitourinary syndrome of menopause) and vaginal estrogen, pelvic floor PT, lubricants, sex after menopause, hydration, and learning to trust your own body. FEATURED OFFER The Energy Prescription, Dr. Jennifer Ashby's new Wiley book, turns her whole-body, East-meets-West approach into a daily toolbox for thriving through perimenopause and menopause. Out October 20th. 👉 Pre-order here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS The vagina is self-cleaning — leave it alone. Douches and scented washes disrupt the microbiome that keeps pH acidic and hostile to infection. See a provider only when something changes (itching, burning, foul odor). Know your "normal," including discharge — often it's just the body cleaning itself or a sign of ovulation. Sex shifts the environment, and spit is a culprit. If infections recur, skip saliva as lube and use a clean, water-soluble, glycerin-free lubricant. GSM is real, common, and under-treated. As estrogen drops, tissue thins — including the bladder — causing dryness, recurrent UTIs, and incontinence. Vaginal estrogen (cream or ring) is largely local, not systemic. Trust your body and advocate for yourself. If you're dismissed, find another provider — a pelvic exam should never simply be endured. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Welcome + today's topic: vaginas & vaginal health 00:30 Meet Erinn Lance, CNM — nurse midwife & homeopath 05:30 All the names + the origin of "vagina" (a sheath for a sword) 07:30 Birthing a baby together in this room; matrilineal wisdom 18:00 Reproductive years: BV, yeast & the self-cleaning vagina 23:00 pH, lactobacilli, ovulation mucus & "ferning" 32:00 Sex & vaginal health: spit, new partners & clean lubricants 38:00 Talking to kids: "Switzerland" & the "Ace of Sparkles" 44:00 Pregnancy & postpartum; the first 40 days 54:00 Hormonal contraception & the microbiome 56:30 Perimenopause, menopause & GSM 1:01:00 Vaginal tissue changes & vaginal estrogen (cream vs. ring) 1:05:00 GSM & the bladder: UTIs & incontinence 1:08:00 Sex after menopause; "you never have to endure a pelvic exam" 1:12:30 How to pee + hydration deep-dive (weight ÷ 2 in ounces) 1:19:40 One piece of advice: trust your body 1:26:30 Wrap-up + the send-off song GUEST Erinn Lance, CNM — certified nurse midwife caring for women since 1998 in clinics, homes, birth centers, and hospitals. Master's in Nurse-Midwifery, UCSF (1998); founded Centering Pregnancy at Marin Maternity Services; retired from birth work in 2025 and now focused on menopause. 🔗 CONNECT WITH DR. JEN ASHBY Newsletter: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up) Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby (https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby)

14. 

    25 Jun 2026

    Tit Chat: What East Asian Medicine Has Always Known About Breast Health

    An East Asian Medicine lens on breast health — not a replacement for screening, but a powerful addition. In this solo episode, Dr. Jennifer Ashby explains how your breasts sit at the crossroads of the liver, stomach, and Chong Mai channels, quietly tracking your stress, emotions, hormones, and how well your body clears estrogen. She covers three clinical patterns, left vs. right symptoms, xenoestrogens and alcohol, the emotional layer, and a simple daily prescription — honoring that genetics are real and screening is non-negotiable. The Energy Prescription, Dr. Ashby's new Wiley book, turns her whole-body, East-meets-West approach into a daily toolbox for thriving through perimenopause and menopause. 👉 Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS Your breasts are a map. They sit along three channels — liver (qi & emotion), stomach (digestion; runs through the nipple), and the Chong Mai ("sea of blood," linking breasts, uterus & vitality). Three patterns recur: liver qi stagnation (cyclical tenderness, ropey texture, irritability); phlegm & blood stasis (fixed cysts, fibrocystic changes); and kidney deficiency in midlife. Genetics are real and not your fault. With a BRCA variant, dense tissue, or family history, lifestyle does NOT replace screening or your oncologist. But for most women, genes load the gun and environment influences the trigger. The modern world loads the deck: xenoestrogens (heated plastics, conventional products, pesticides, dairy/meat) and alcohol overwhelm the liver; sluggish armpit lymph (tight bras, antiperspirants, hunched posture) traps waste in breast tissue. Emotional layer: liver holds anger, lung holds grief, spleen holds worry. Daily fix: 5-min self-breast massage toward the armpit, swap one xenoestrogen source monthly (start with deodorant), support the liver (cruciferous veg, warm lemon water, less alcohol), move to open the chest, and know your family history and screen. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 START – Welcome + today's topic 00:50 – Your breasts as a map 01:40 – Genetics are real and not your fault 03:00 – The three channels: liver, stomach & Chong Mai 06:20 – Three patterns 09:00 – Left vs. right laterality 11:10 – Genetics & epigenetics 13:40 – Xenoestrogens 15:50 – Alcohol 16:40 – Lymphatic flow & the armpits 18:50 – The emotional layer 21:00 – Your daily prescription 23:00 – Closing: "preservation over reclamation" 🔗 CONNECT WITH DR. JEN ASHBY Newsletter: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up) Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby (https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby) TOP RESOURCES The Energy Prescription — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) Website — https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Newsletter — https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up)

15. 

    18 Jun 2026

    Tits Up — A Physical Therapist on Breast Health, Posture & Reconnecting With Your Body

    Dr. Jennifer Ashby talks with UCSF physical therapist Dr. Hidelisa Manibusan, DPT, MBA, about breast health beyond breast cancer: the rehab no one mentions after breast surgery, why posture and the core are the foundation, how to keep the lymphatic system moving, breastfeeding ergonomics, the stress–breast connection, bras, and knowing your "normal" so you catch changes early. The Energy Prescription Dr. Jennifer Ashby's new Wiley book, turns her whole-body, East-meets-West approach into a daily toolbox for thriving through perimenopause and menopause. 👉 Pre-order here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS Physical therapy for breasts exists and is underused — rehab restores mobility and helps women reconnect with their bodies after surgery, radiation, or reconstruction. "Squeeze low" is the posture pearl: gently draw the shoulder blades down (not up), opening the chest and activating the core. Your lymphatic system runs on hydration, diaphragmatic breathing, and movement; ease back in after surgery (the 50/50 rule). Breastfeeding is hard on body and mind — use passive support, switch sides, and protect your mental health. Stress shows up in the breast (cortisol); build daily joy, manage stress, and do regular self-exams to know your normal. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 START – Welcome + today's topic: breasts, all of it 01:00 – Meet Dr. Hidelisa Manibusan, DPT — UCSF breast & lymphedema rehab 03:30 – Rehab after breast surgery; reconnecting with your body 08:30 – Boobs, identity & culture 15:30 – Posture & breast health; lordosis & body type 19:45 – The weight of breasts, the spine as a chain, lymphatic flow 26:00 – The core: it's a bowl of muscles 31:00 – Lymphatic system 101 + the 50/50 rule 36:00 – Hydration (and the Tahoe hot-tub tale) 42:00 – Self lymphatic drainage + "squeeze low" 44:30 – Breastfeeding ergonomics & protecting mental health 51:30 – Clogged ducts & mastitis: massage & vibration 58:00 – Diet, alcohol, caffeine & feeding the breast 1:02:30 – Stress in the breast: cortisol & daily joy 1:11:30 – Knowing your normal, self-exams, bras & what's next GUEST Dr. Hidelisa Manibusan, DPT, MBA — physical therapist at UCSF (14+ years) leading breast cancer & lymphedema rehab. DPT, University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences; EMBA, Auburn University. 🔗 CONNECT WITH DR. JEN ASHBY Newsletter: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up) Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby (https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby) Substack: https://jenniferashby.substack.com/ (https://jenniferashby.substack.com/) RESOURCES The Energy Prescription (pre-order) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) UCSF Osher Center — https://osher.ucsf.edu/ (https://osher.ucsf.edu/)

16. 

    11 Jun 2026

    The Epic Eight — 8 Daily Tools to Boost Immunity, Mood & Thrive Through Menopause

    In this solo episode of Ovary-Acting, Dr. Jennifer Ashby unpacks the Epic Eight — her BOOM (Basic Optimal Outcomes Method), rooted in East Asian medicine and modern science. Learn the eight daily lifestyle tools — diet, hydration, sleep, breath work, constitutionally appropriate movement, gut health, finding joy & awe, and tools to not embody stress — that boost immunity, stabilize mood, influence disease and gene expression, and steady your energy. This is empowerment, not biohacking. FEATURED OFFER The Epic Eight is the foundation — The Energy Prescription is where it gets personal. Dr. Ashby's new book from Wiley tunes the Epic Eight to the perimenopause and menopause experience: ancient wisdom, modern science, and a little feminist gusto. 👉 Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS The Epic Eight is a reproducible toolbox, not a prescription — eight everyday skills drawn from East Asian medicine. Joy is an inside job; awe is an outside job. Both are daily medicine. It's not about avoiding stress — it's about not embodying it. Chronic stress hormones meant for "a tiger" are making us sick. Lifestyle changes how your genes express — up-regulating the good, down-regulating the rest. The goal is empowerment: manage what you can, and know when to call your doctor. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 START – Welcome + why this is a solo episode 01:00 – Who Dr. Jen is, and why she created the Epic Eight 02:07 – A reproducible toolbox + the book 03:00 – The Epic Eight, listed 04:19 – Tiger vs. inconvenience: how chronic stress makes us sick 05:30 – Predictable outcomes: immunity, mood, disease, genes 06:39 – Prenatal & postnatal qi: preserving your vital essence 07:30 – Where it began: polycystic kidney disease 08:57 – The book, the course coming soon, and empowerment 11:15 – Where to find Dr. Jen + pre-order the book 13:35 – The unique female body + what's ahead CONNECT WITH DR. JEN ASHBY Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Newsletter: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up) Substack: https://jenniferashby.substack.com/ (https://jenniferashby.substack.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjenniferashby (https://www.tiktok.com/@drjenniferashby) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby (https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby) RESOURCES The Energy Prescription (pre-order): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) DailyOM courses: https://www.dailyom.com/instructors/dr-jennifer-ashby (https://www.dailyom.com/instructors/dr-jennifer-ashby) UCSF Osher Center: https://osher.ucsf.edu/ (https://osher.ucsf.edu/)

17. 

    5 Jun 2026

    Meet Dr. Jen Ashby: Exotic Animals, Acupunture & A Life in Women's Health

    Welcome to the very first episode of Ovary-Acting. Dr. Jen Ashby is interviewed by her daughter Lily about the wild road that shaped her: growing up among exotic animals, falling for acupuncture and East Asian medicine, and 30 years of clinical work from county jails to UCSF. The Energy Prescription: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science for Thriving Through Menopause distills her EPIC8 method into a sassy, practical guide for perimenopause and menopause. 👉 Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS Wild animals reveal the basics of health. East Asian medicine helps the body rebalance itself — read via the tongue, pulses, and senses. You are the microcosm; everything you encounter affects your health. Acupuncture has a political U.S. history. Patients need a "quarterback" for their whole-person care. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 START 03:21 – Lily takes over 06:16 – Growing up among exotic animals 13:30 – Finding acupuncture and East Asian medicine 15:27 – Training, the clinical doctorate & Shanghai 19:49 – Microcosm, macrocosm & the "Jade Valley" 22:00 – Acupuncture in SF county jails 31:00 – 30 years of the Lotus Center 40:00 – Healthcare's missing "quarterback" 45:00 – Her other life: rocker, bartender & motorcycles 54:29 – What's next GUEST: Liliana "Lily" Ashby — Dr. Ashby's daughter CONNECT WITH DR. JEN ASHBY Newsletter: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/newsletter-sign-up) Substack: https://jenniferashby.substack.com/ (https://jenniferashby.substack.com/) Website: https://www.drjenniferashby.com/ (https://www.drjenniferashby.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjenniferashby (https://www.tiktok.com/@drjenniferashby) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.facebook.com/drjenashby/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jennifer-ashby-daom-l-ac-m-s-3869924/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jennifer-ashby-daom-l-ac-m-s-3869924/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby (https://www.youtube.com/@drjenashby) Email: drjenashby@gmail.com (mailto:drjenashby@gmail.com) RESOURCES The Energy Prescription (Wiley): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394389663) Acupuncture Fever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLbuh7JUDZs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLbuh7JUDZs) NADA: https://acudetox.com/ (https://acudetox.com/) UCSF Osher Center: https://osher.ucsf.edu/ (https://osher.ucsf.edu/) Midi Health: https://www.joinmidi.com/ (https://www.joinmidi.com/)

18. 

    3 Apr 2026

    Preview

    This is the beginning of something. Welcome to Ovary-Acting — the podcast where we take women's health seriously, but ourselves not so much. In this preview episode, Dr. Jennifer Ashby introduces herself, the show, and exactly why she built this space for you. Expect real medicine. Real talk. And the kind of humor that makes the hard stuff easier to handle. Dr. Jennifer Ashby is a doctor of East Asian medicine, licensed acupuncturist, researcher, and UCSF clinician with over 30 years in women's health. She's here to guide you through the female journey — informed, empowered, and laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. Subscribe so you don't miss Episode 1. 📱 Follow Dr. Ashby: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.instagram.com/drjenashby/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjenashby/ (https://www.facebook.com/drjenashby/) Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/doctor-jennifer-ashby (https://www.tiktok.com/discover/doctor-jennifer-ashby) 🌐 Website: drjenniferashby.com (http://drjenniferashby.com)

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings