Decoding Women's Health with Dr. Elizabeth Poynor

Sex is supposed to be fun and feel good. So why are pain, low desire and changes in arousal so often treated as something women should simply live with?  Dr. Poynor is joined by urologist and sexual medicine specialist Dr. Rachel Rubin for a candid, joyful conversation about women’s sexual health. They unpack what’s behind common sexual concerns, available treatments, and why thes...

Heart disease is the number one killer of women, but unlike many other major diseases, there’s no single screening test that can tell you if you’re at risk. So how do you know where you stand? Dr. Poynor is joined by cardiologist Dr. Anuradha (Anu) Lala-Trindade (Lala), the program director for the Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Fellowship at Mount Sinai and a professor of cardi...

How can the research behind intermittent fasting help us rethink the way we approach our nutrition and our daily habits? Dr. Chris Rhodes has spent much of his career studying the science of fasting. He joins the show to unpack how fasting works in the body and what the research tells us about its potential benefits. Dr. Rhodes earned his PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry at UC Davis and is also the...

What can you do to make the most of your annual medical visit? Dr. Poynor is joined by Dr. Jennifer McGugins Hill, an internal medicine specialist at the Atria Health and Research Institute, to discuss how preventive care can help identify health concerns early. Plus, we unpack which labs and screenings are worth discussing with your primary care physician, why it's important to know your calcium...

Many women are turning to cannabis to help with sleep, anxiety, chronic pain, and other major health concerns. But figuring out what actually works for your individual needs can be surprisingly complicated.  Dr. Poynor speaks with neuroscientist and world-renowned medical cannabis expert Dr. Staci Ann Gruber about the science behind THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids. Together, they break down...

What if aging isn't something that simply happens to us, but something we can actually influence? Dr. Poynor is joined by Dr. Eric Verdin - the President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, the world's first institution dedicated solely to understanding why we age and how to do it better. We break down the science behind why we age, the role of NAD in cellular energy and repair, h...

What happens to a woman's mental health when she experiences a major hormonal shift and what can she actually do about it? Dr. Ruta Nonacs is a reproductive psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School. Her work sits at the intersection of hormonal health and women's mental well being.  We break down how changes across a woman's reproductive li...

Dr. Poynor answers listener questions about HPV, UTIs, hormone support, self breast exams, pelvic floor therapy, and GLP-1s. Plus we address several questions about the condition, PCOS, recently renamed PMOS. Joining Dr. Poynor for this discussion is Atria Health Institute’s Chief Content Officer Siobhan O’Connor.  Links to resources mentioned in this episode: HPV Vaccination:&nbs...

Could the secret to better health be hiding in your gut? Today, we’re exploring the powerful role the gut microbiome plays in overall well-being with Dr. Megan Rossi.  Dr. Rossi is a researcher and clinician at King's College London and founder of The Gut Health Clinic. She translates cutting-edge research into practical, everyday advice—including what to eat, what to avoid, and w...

Have you considered getting plastic surgery? We’re separating the social media hype from the surgical reality with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Troy Pittman.  He walks us through some of the most common procedures he performs, including his specialty: aesthetic and reconstructive surgery of the breast.  We also discuss how to spot red flags when looking for qualified surgeon...

What can we do today to protect our bones, our muscles, and our joints for the future? Joining the show today is Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein - a clinician and researcher at Duke University, whose work sits at the intersection of women's health and musculoskeletal health. We break down the latest research, while outlining the effects of estrogen loss on muscle mass and function. But most importantly, we...

Sleep in midlife can be complicated — shaped by stress, hormone fluctuations, and a lifetime of habits that may not be serving you. Dr. Jade Wu offers a reframe that challenges how many of us approach sleep. It’s not a problem to be solved. Sleep is your friend, one that responds better to patience than control.  Dr. Wu also explains why the real measure of sleep doesn’t com...

Figuring out how to take care of your skin shouldn’t be so hard. Leading dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Hale joins the show to give us all the crucial information we need to take care of our skin all year around.  Dr. Hale also walks us through the various regenerative treatments that are in high demand, from exosomes and red light therapy to microneedling, to other mainstays like Botox&tr...

What if you could actually delay the process of aging? Dr. Nir Barzilai hopes to identify interventions that could do just that. He believes a class of drugs known as gerotherapeutics could be real game changers. Dr. Barzilai walks us through his pioneering research and explains why your biological age may actually be different from your chronological age. And we break down the buzziest trends in...

Integrative health expert & naturopathic physician Dr. Robert Kachko shares his powerful framework for better understanding our biology, our ecology and our biography. His holistic approach helps patients navigate PTSD, trauma, and chronic conditions.  His work centers on some really powerful questions: Why does a body get sick? What are our symptoms trying to tell us? And how can that in...

We’re tackling your questions about midlife hormone support. We’ll debunk common myths, unpack the research, and break down the basics of hormone support. We’ll also discuss some of the systemic benefits that may come with taking hormones, as well as important considerations for people with a history of health conditions, like cancer or stroke. Joining Dr. Elizabeth Poynor for th...

Leading preventive neurologist Dr. David Dodick joins the show to unpack what alcohol is really doing inside the body. We dive into how it affects the brain, why it’s linked to an increased cancer risk, how it influences the immune system, and what makes alcohol especially impactful for women navigating perimenopause and menopause. If you’ve ever wondered what alcohol use might mean fo...

We’ve talked a lot on this show about health issues midlife women face. But what about the other people who often have a front-row seat to these changes, and can play a key supporting role? This week, a conversation about supporting a partner who’s going through menopause—with none other than Elizabeth’s own partner: Dr. Richard Shapiro (who also happens to be a pioneering...

What if psychedelics could transform the way we treat trauma, chronic pain, and insomnia? This week, neuroscientist and psychedelic researcher Grace Blest-Hopley joins the show to break down the research on psychedelics and female biology. She discusses how psychedelics work in the brain, and the ways that psychedelic-assisted therapies might be beneficial for women in midlife. Links to resources...

What if we reframed the way we approach exercise? On today’s show, Dr. Elizabeth Poynor is joined by Robert Brace - founder of Brace Life Studios. He’s also Elizabeth’s trainer. They discuss how he tailors his workouts to women in midlife, the benefits of exercising in a group and how movement and exercise connect to our mental and spiritual well-being. Robert also gives advice a...

Midlife can be a period of immense change and, sometimes, challenging emotions. But it’s also an opportunity to cultivate deeper, more lasting happiness. In today’s episode, Dr. Laurie Santos — renowned psychologist, happiness expert, and host of The Happiness Lab — shares insights on how midlife women can thrive. She breaks down the components of happiness, explains why we...

GLP-1s are everywhere. But are they the only medical weight loss intervention worth considering? On today’s episode, Dr. George Fielding - a pioneer of laparoscopic adjustable band surgery and a patient of the procedure himself - offers an insider’s look at the world of weight loss surgeries. How do these surgeries work? Who are they really for? And how should we think about them along...

Almost two-thirds of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are women. Shifting hormones make us especially vulnerable. But what if there were ways to lower your risk? Preventive neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson believes nearly half of dementia cases can be avoided. He shares how to know if you’re at risk for Alzheimer’s and what steps to take for better long-term brain health. Links...

Why does your body start “shape shifting” in midlife, even if you’re doing everything “right”? And what’s really behind all the GLP-1 buzz? Endocrinologist and weight-management specialist Dr. Beverly Tchang explains the science behind midlife metabolism, why BMI alone doesn’t tell the full story, what GLP-1s actually do in the body, and what women should...

Can cannabis really improve your sleep, help regulate your mood, and treat chronic pain? Neuroscientist Dr. Staci Gruber explains how cannabis works in the brain, what the latest research reveals about its therapeutic potential, and how different cannabinoids and delivery methods can make all the difference. Links to resources mentioned in this episode:  Women’s Health Initiative at Min...