The Advanced Women’s Health Podcast

About The Advanced Women’s Health Podcast

Welcome to the Advanced Women’s Health Podcast, your trusted source for guidance and the latest insights in holistic women’s health. Hosted by Dr. Sarah Wilson, ND, this podcast is dedicated to empowering women to thrive at every stage of their lives. Each episode features in-depth discussions with leading health professionals, cutting-edge medical research, and practical wellness tips to help you achieve optimal health and well-being. Tune in to discover how you can take charge of your health and transform your life with the power of naturopathic medicine and holistic wellness.

Publisher

The Advanced Women’s Health Podcast

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Oct 2024

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 100 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026

   Episode 102: Do You Need Hormone Replacement Therapy? Safety, Timing and Perimenopause

   Do you need hormone replacement therapy? It is the question we get asked more than any other at Advanced Women's Health, so in the final part of the midlife core four, I answer it. In 2002, one study stopped hormone replacement therapy in its tracks. Prescribing dropped, research slowed, and a whole generation of women were told hormone replacement therapy would give them cancer or blood clots. When I started practice ten years ago, women were begging for it because their doctors would not consider it. Since then, that data has been analyzed again and again, and the risks were not what we were told for most women. The FDA has now removed the black box warning from some forms of hormone replacement therapy. So the pendulum is swinging. And now that hormone replacement therapy is having its moment, everyone is being told to just take it. Neither extreme serves you. In this episode, I walk through the safety research, the timing question, how we use hormones in perimenopause, and why hormones alone will make you feel better without necessarily making you healthier. In this episode: The 2002 Women's Health Initiative study, and why its conclusions did not apply to most women What hormone replacement therapy actually is: estradiol, progesterone, progestins and all the acronyms Bioidentical vs synthetic hormones, and why we prescribe bioidentical at Advanced Women's Health Is hormone replacement therapy safe? Why topical estradiol is the gold standard right now How the risk of hormone replacement therapy compares to obesity and to drinking more than four drinks a week Who should work with an oncologist or cardiologist before starting hormone replacement therapy Is it too late to start hormone replacement therapy? The old 7 to 10 year window, and why it is being rethought The four big reasons women stay on hormone replacement therapy long term: bone, brain, heart and hot flashes Why vaginal hormones are an option at any age Hormone replacement therapy in perimenopause: progesterone, the estrogen rollercoaster and low-dose hormones Why we test hormones, blood sugar, nutrients, gut and inflammation before we prescribe On-label vs off-label use, and what informed consent really means Why hormones are brush strokes, not a set-and-forget prescription A recap of the full midlife core four series Mentioned in this episode: Strategic consults at Advanced Women's Health, to map out all of your options At-home serial urine hormone testing Listen to the rest of the Core Four series: Episode 100: Is It Perimenopause or ADHD? Every Woman in Her 40s Needs to Hear This (https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/eE0IbHkFf7b) Episode 101: GLP-1s and Protein in Perimenopause: What to Know Before You Start (https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/Juwa6FkFf7b)

2. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Episode 100: Is It Perimenopause or ADHD? Every Woman in Her 40s Needs to Hear This.

   If you have found yourself wondering whether you need Ozempic, HRT, more protein, or an ADHD diagnosis all at once — this episode explains exactly why that is happening and what it actually means. In This Episode, We Answer: Why do so many women in their 40s suddenly feel like they have ADHD? Is perimenopause causing my brain fog and focus problems? What is the connection between hormones and ADHD symptoms? Why are women being put on ADHD medications they do not need? What is the midlife core four and why does Dr. Sarah talk about it? Quick Answers (FAQ): Q: Why do so many women in their 40s suddenly feel like they have ADHD? A: Estrogen supports brain function, focus, memory, and word retrieval. Progesterone calms the nervous system and reduces inflammation. When both begin to fluctuate unpredictably in perimenopause, the result looks clinically identical to ADHD. Add nutrient deficiencies and chronic nervous system overload, and the picture becomes nearly indistinguishable. We go deeper into this at 08:06. Q: Is perimenopause causing my brain fog and focus problems? A: Possibly, but it is more accurate to say perimenopause is revealing a problem that was already building. The hormone shift makes the brain less able to compensate for inflammation, blood sugar swings, and nutrient deficiencies that have been accumulating for years. We go deeper into this at 07:18. Q: What should I investigate before starting an ADHD medication? A: Blood sugar, fasting insulin, inflammatory markers, iron, B vitamins, and choline. If these have not been assessed and addressed, the ADHD-like symptoms may resolve without medication. If they do not, you now have a clearer picture of what the medication is working on top of. We go deeper into this at 17:28. Q: What is the midlife core four? A: The four things Dr. Sarah hears about most in clinic for women in their 40s and 50s: GLP-1 medications, hormone replacement therapy, protein intake, and ADHD. They cluster together because they share the same root drivers — hormonal instability, insulin dysregulation, inflammation, and nervous system overload. We go deeper into this at 01:02. Connect With Us: Website: advancedwomenshealth.ca (http://advancedwomenshealth.ca) Instagram: @drsarah_nd (https://instagram.com/drsarah_nd) | @advancedwomenshealth (https://instagram.com/advancedwomenshealth) Book an appointment: advancedwomenshealth.ca (http://advancedwomenshealth.ca) Email for programs: info@advancedwomenshealth.ca (mailto:info@advancedwomenshealth.ca) Leave a review: wherever you are listening, it helps other women find this episode

3. 

   24 Sept 2026

   Episode 99: What Is the Late Reproductive Stage and Why Is Nobody Talking About It? A Perimenopause and Menopause Chat with Andrea Donsky

   If you have been told you are too young for perimenopause, your labs look fine, and you should just manage your stress — this episode is the conversation your doctor should have had with you. In This Episode, We Answer: Can you have perimenopause symptoms before your periods change? Why do my hormone labs look normal if I feel terrible? What does insulin have to do with menopause weight gain? Should I do a nutrition program before starting a GLP medication? Why do I feel like a completely different person? Key Takeaways: You can be fully symptomatic with anxiety, brain fog, sleep disruption, and mood changes years before you are technically perimenopausal by lab criteria. The late reproductive stage is real, it is under-discussed, and standard FSH and LH testing on a single day will miss it. You deserve help regardless of whether you fit a label. Insulin has been more directly associated with hot flashes, night sweats, menopausal weight gain, anxiety, and cognitive changes than reproductive hormones. A normal HbA1c does not rule out insulin dysregulation. A fasting insulin test is inexpensive and changes everything about how a plan is built. The best-performing GLP-1 studies had a three-month nutrition primer built in before starting medication. That nutritional education and habit formation is what produced better sustained results. This is what the headlines do not tell you. Quick Answers (FAQ): Q: Can you have perimenopause symptoms before your periods change? A: Yes. The late reproductive stage can begin in the late 30s and early 40s. Hormone levels on a single blood draw may appear normal while daily fluctuations are already causing anxiety, brain fog, sleep disruption, and mood changes. We go deeper into this at 06:43. Q: Why do my hormone labs look normal if I feel terrible? A: Standard FSH, LH, and estradiol testing on one day gives a single snapshot. Hormones genuinely fluctuate day to day in this stage, meaning a normal reading does not confirm a normal experience. We go deeper into this at 07:47. Q: What does insulin have to do with menopause weight gain? A: Insulin is a storage hormone. When it stays elevated, fat cells are locked in storage mode regardless of how little you eat. Eating less when insulin is high is like making less money when your savings account is locked — the checking account still feels empty. Lowering insulin unlocks fat burning. We go deeper into this at 14:04. Q: Should I do a nutrition program before starting a GLP medication? A: The trials that produced the best GLP-1 results included a three-month nutrition primer before the medication started. Participants learned macronutrient principles, built habits, and changed their relationship with food before the drug was introduced. Results were significantly better at 12 and 24 months. We go deeper into this at 22:38. Q: Why do I feel like a completely different person in perimenopause? A: Hormone fluctuations affect brain function, mood regulation, sleep, and stress response. The late reproductive stage adds a layer of inconsistency — good days and bad days with no predictable pattern — that makes women feel like they no longer know themselves. We go deeper into this at 06:43. Resources Mentioned: Andrea Donsky: @ (https://instagram.com/andreadonsky)andreadonsky (https://www.instagram.com/andreadonsky/?hl=en#) on Instagram Menopause Reimagined Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/menopause-reimagined-with-andrea-donsky/id1541865659) Nourishing Menopause (https://wearemorphus.com/pages/nourishing-menopause-powerful-nutrition-and-lifestyle-strategies-to-feel-your-best-by-andrea-donsky?srsltid=AU7gw4V2sJTMucdEQj2H2xFTRv4_6VkK2BaBFevIhPhgiC_fy7EYmanC) by Andrea Donsky: available at most Canadian bookstores and on Amazon in the US Website: wearemorphis.com⁠ (https://wearemorphis.com/) Connect With Us: Website: advancedwomenshealth.ca (http://advancedwomenshealth.ca/) Instagram: @drsarah_nd (https://instagram.com/drsarah_nd) | @advancedwomenshealth (https://instagram.com/advancedwomenshealth) Book an appointment: advancedwomenshealth.ca (http://advancedwomenshealth.ca/) Leave a review: wherever you are listening, it helps other women find this episode The Advanced Women's Health Podcast is hosted by Dr. Sarah Wilson, ND, naturopathic doctor, clinic founder, and obesity and immunology researcher. This episode is crossposted with the Menopause Reimagined podcast by Andrea Donsky.

Inside a recent episode

Episode 57: Why Women Deserve Their Own Sports Shoes — with Lindsay Housman of Hettas

Published 13 Nov 2025 · Transcript excerpt

[…] The big brands all have very large R&D departments. What they're not necessarily doing is publishing what they're learning to increase the knowledge base. They're looking at it more as a competitive advantage, maybe. I don't know. But I was like, this information, women need to understand how as we learn about their body. So we partnered with Simon Fraser and the first two studies they did, one was a literature review of published research from 1970 to 2021, which we did the study in 2022. What is out there related to women and running performance and footwear? It was very, very limited. Anatomical information did exist. […]

Who has been a guest on The Advanced Women’s Health Podcast

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

• Vee Mistry
• Dr Laura Carabott
• Lauren Reimer
• Dr Sarah Wilson
• Dr. Bianca Breiding

Reach and audience

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

YouTube views

34,879

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 66 / 100

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

Quality

71

Social presence

94

YouTube

76

Engagement

32

Contact The Advanced Women’s Health Podcast

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

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

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