Health Trip Podcast | Jill Foos Wellness

What if you could go back to your 20s or 30s and actually prepare for menopause? Most women aren’t told that menopause doesn’t just arrive overnight—it’s the result of years of subtle hormonal shifts that begin much earlier than you think. This episode is especially important for women in their 20s, 30s, and early 40s who want to take control of their long-term health before symptoms show up. Whet...

Episode #115 is all about diving into the midlife woman's brain—your most vital, complex, and vulnerable organ—and why protecting it matters more than ever. Here’s a fact that doesn’t get enough attention: two out of three people with Alzheimer’s are women. And this isn’t just about old age. The seeds of cognitive decline can start as early as your 40s—or even sooner. We’ll talk about: • Why women...

As women move through perimenopause and postmenopause, desire can shift dramatically. When it comes to arousal and intimacy, the brain is your most powerful intimacy organ, especially for women. My guest today is Dr. Emily Jamea, nationally recognized sex and relationship therapist, clinical sexologist, and author of Anatomy of Desire. She walks you through the steps to finding your sexual flow st...

One of the most common — and frustrating — symptoms of midlife is insomnia during menopause. If you’ve found yourself staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m. or struggling to fall asleep even when you’re exhausted, you’re not alone. Sleep disruptions affect up to 60% of women in perimenopause and postmenopause, largely due to shifting hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol. Poor sleep can lea...

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One of the most empowering topics for women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond: longevity through the lens of personalized health. Midlife is not a decline — it’s a recalibration. This is the perfect window to tune into your body's needs, optimize your biology, and set the stage for decades of vitality. As the science of longevity continues to evolve, women are no longer sidelined in the conversat...

In this episode, we dive into the complex relationship between ADHD and menopause, exploring how hormonal shifts can intensify ADHD symptoms. Many women with ADHD find that perimenopause brings heightened struggles with focus, executive functioning, and emotional regulation. As estrogen declines, so does dopamine—an essential neurotransmitter for motivation and attention—worsening ADHD-related bra...

Many women struggle to discuss their sexual health and pleasure with their providers, friends, and family members. And for good reason. They're sensitive topics to bring up. Women are navigating various physiological changes during the menopause transition (weight gain, hair loss, insomnia), and to further complicate things, changes are happening in their vagina and vulva - not exactly coffee talk...

Sifting through the overwhelming amount of books, news articles, social media influencers, pop-up speaker events, and retreats for menopause is overwhelming, confusing, and expensive. How should midlife women navigate menopause feeling lost, alone, and confused by conflicting information that is supposed to make us healthier, stronger, and more resilient? There’s a lot of trial and error and good...

As midlife women transition through menopause and adverse physiological changes start to take over, they find less time and motivation to get in the kitchen and prepare healthy, balanced meals. Many midlife women feel stumped around what to eat, how to shop, and how to prepare nourishing meals during this phase of life. Prioritizing nutrition that will support heart and brain health, body composit...

Menopause may bring its fair share of challenges, but it also comes with rewards. Having no more menstrual cycles, more freedom, and a fresh mindset of not caring about the little things all come to mind. This episode is here to inspire you to embrace the next decades of your life with a fresh perspective. We are connecting with other women to share our experiences and deepen our understanding of...

Testosterone therapy is often overlooked in midlife women’s health but plays a key role in libido, energy, mood, and cognition. As testosterone declines with age, symptoms like fatigue, low libido, and muscle loss emerge. While estrogen gets more attention, testosterone is vital for vitality and sexual well-being. Properly dosed therapy enhances desire, arousal, bone density, and mental clarity wi...

As we navigate midlife and beyond, our bodies change, our hormones shift, and unfortunately, many of us have been conditioned to believe that sexual pleasure naturally fades with age. Some of you may have never experienced true sexual pleasure at all. But here’s the truth: pleasure is a right to all women, right now, in whatever season of life you’re in. Understanding your body, your desires, and...

In 2015, I discovered my cholesterol levels were rising, my APOB was high-risk, and I was prediabetic. I also carried the APOE4 allele, a risk factor for Alzheimer’s, and was a hyper-absorber of cholesterol. By 2020, post-menopause, my numbers had doubled, and in 2022, I learned I was also a hyposynthesizer, meaning my body now overproduced cholesterol. Despite a lifelong healthy lifestyle, I face...

At-home devices have become an innovative and accessible way for women to target solutions for menopause-related challenges. Red light therapy caps, designed to stimulate hair follicles, can be a game-changer for women experiencing thinning hair due to hormonal fluctuations. These caps use low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to promote blood flow to the scalp, encouraging healthier and fuller hair grow...

Deep sleep is crucial for changing your body composition, brain function, and overall health and well-being, but hormonal changes during menopause can make achieving it more challenging. In this episode, I discuss three strategies to consider when working on sleep during menopause and beyond. Together, these practices—avoiding alcohol, embracing morning sunlight, and removing electronics—can help...

The menopause transition offers a unique opportunity to pause, reflect, and reshape what health and vitality mean to you. It’s not about chasing old ideals or adhering to outdated standards; instead, it’s about creating a personalized roadmap for thriving in every physical, mental, and emotional dimension. Whether navigating hormonal changes, rethinking your fitness goals, or exploring aspects of...

One of the team members to consider on your menopause journey is a preventive cardiologist. While your GP or internist may be ordering annual labs for you, they are not experts in lipidology. Most women will see their cholesterol increase steadily during the menopause transition and not have the proper labs taken to assess their cardiovascular disease risk, which is the leading cause of death amon...

Did you know that less than 10% of the people who create New Year's resolutions successfully keep them? And, only about 30% of people even set them up to begin with. Most people tap out of their new healthy habit by the third week (23%). The most popular resolutions focus on exercising more, eating more nutritious foods, and losing weight. Midlife women are experiencing a variety of negative physi...

Menopause brings to the table a variety of physiological symptoms, including gut health issues. Women in perimenopause start to experience increased constipation, diarrhea, gas, and bloating. Other signs that a woman’s gut health may be in dysbiosis are hair loss, skin changes like acne, joint pain, newly diagnosed autoimmune conditions, and weight gain. How many of you have tried different medica...

Understanding risk factors is key to staying proactive about skin health during menopause. This episode examines how hormonal changes, such as decreased estrogen levels, may affect skin elasticity, immune response, and overall vulnerability to damage. We’ll highlight the importance of regular skin checks, recognizing warning signs like unusual moles or persistent lesions, and understanding how a h...

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection that can affect women of all ages, including those in midlife. Over 42 million people are infected with the HPV virus in the US alone. At least 80% of sexually active women will have been infected with HPV at some point in their lives, and at least 4 out of every 5 women will have been infected by age 50. Most HPV infections clear up o...

If you're a midlife woman, you've likely felt the impact of increased stress, especially during the transition through menopause. This phase brings a host of physical, emotional, and hormonal changes, making self-care and stress management essential. In this episode, we explore how mindfulness can serve as a powerful tool for grounding, self-awareness, and resilience, helping you navigate this per...

Menopause is this phase of life that brings about significant physical, emotional, and psychological changes, from hormonal shifts, and body composition changes, to sleepless nights and brain fog, and evolving family and work dynamics. Feeling overwhelmed or disconnected is easy, but mindfulness offers practical tools to help you regain balance, stay grounded, and navigate these changes with great...

Perimenopause is a transitional phase that marks the beginning of a woman’s journey toward menopause, often starting in the late 40s, but could start as early as mid-30s. As hormone levels, particularly estrogen and progesterone, begin to fluctuate, women experience a variety of symptoms, including weight gain. This weight gain is often due to hormonal changes that affect metabolism, insulin sensi...