Hello, Hot Flash: Christian Menopause, Weight Loss, Hormones & Midlife Health

Show Notes Grief in midlife is different. When you’re navigating perimenopause and you lose someone you love, the emotional weight doesn’t just sit in your heart—it moves through your body. Sleep changes. Blood sugar swings. Energy drops. Irritability rises. You question your strength. You wonder why you’re not “handling it better.” In this Tuesday solo episode of Hello Hot Flash, I share personal...

Show Notes Perimenopause doesn’t just affect the woman experiencing it—it shapes how the next generation understands their bodies, hormones, and health. Yet most daughters are left completely unprepared for what’s coming, while mothers are navigating it in real time with little support themselves. In this episode, Stephanie Shaw is joined by Lauren Tetenbaum, therapist, menopause educator, and aut...

Show Notes Many women in midlife are told that their only options are prescriptions, hormone therapy, or “just learning to live with it.” But what if healing doesn’t start with another pill—what if it starts with understanding how your whole body works together? In this episode, Stephanie Shaw is joined by Victoria Maizes, MD, founding executive director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative M...

Show Notes If you’re eating “healthy,” doing all the right things, and still dealing with stubborn weight, brain fog, fatigue, or digestive issues, your gut—not your willpower—may be the missing link. In this episode, Stephanie Shaw is joined by board-certified functional health coach Anu Simh, founder of Nine Arms of Wellness, to explore how gut health acts as a command center for hormones, metab...

Show Notes In this episode of Hello, Hot Flash, we unpack what’s really happening when you feel on edge during perimenopause and post-menopause. You’ll learn how shifting estrogen levels impact your brain, mood, and stress response — and why even small stressors can suddenly feel big. We also talk about the hidden role of blood sugar swings, poor sleep, and nervous system overload in anxiety and e...

Show Notes What if menopause wasn’t something to endure—but a story to embrace, reclaim, and even celebrate? In this powerful and deeply human conversation, storyteller, performer, and cultural icon Satori Shakoor shares her journey from the funk-filled stages of Parliament Funkadelic to the deeply personal, laugh-out-loud honesty of her one-woman film Confessions of a Menopausal Femme Fatale. Wit...

Show Notes If menopause has turned sleep into a nightly struggle, you’re not imagining it.  Midlife insomnia is deeply connected to hormonal shifts, nervous system overload, and rising stress hormones that make rest feel out of reach. This episode offers reassurance, clarity, and practical tools to help you reclaim deeper, more restorative sleep. We explore why sleep disruption becomes so common d...

Show Notes Intermittent fasting is often framed as a weight-loss shortcut—but in menopause, it’s far more nuanced than that. For midlife women, fasting can influence blood sugar, inflammation, hormone balance, stress response, and even mental clarity. Done thoughtfully, it can support health. Done aggressively or without context, it can backfire. In this episode of Hello, Hot Flash, we explore int...

Show Notes If you’ve ever felt like willpower isn’t enough—whether you’re trying to lose weight, stop smoking, or break long-standing habits—this episode offers a completely different approach. In this conversation, Stephanie Shaw sits down with Rita Black, a clinical hypnotherapist with more than 20 years of experience helping people create lasting change through subconscious reprogramming. Rita...

Show Notes For decades, women have been told their symptoms are “normal,” “just stress,” or something they need to push through. But what if the problem isn’t your body—it's a healthcare system that hasn’t been built with women in mind? In this powerful episode, Stephanie Shaw sits down with award-winning journalist and author Meghan Rabbitt to unpack why so many women in midlife feel unheard, dis...

Show Notes Life in midlife can feel like a constant sprint—especially during perimenopause and post-menopause. Between shifting hormones, changing energy levels, and the mental load of work, family, and health, many women find themselves simply trying to get through the day. But surviving is not the same as thriving. In this short but powerful episode, we explore what it really means to meditate o...

Show Notes  Menopause is often treated as a reproductive milestone—but the brain may be the most impacted organ of all. As estrogen declines, many women experience brain fog, memory changes, mood shifts, and rising concern about long-term neurological health. This episode reframes menopause as a critical window for protecting the brain, not something to simply “push through.” Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, n...

Show Notes There’s a moment many women in midlife know all too well. You finally get the doctor’s appointment. You’ve waited weeks. You’ve rehearsed your symptoms. You walk in determined to speak up—and then something shifts. The room feels cold. The appointment feels rushed. And suddenly, the woman who leads, manages, and carries so much… goes quiet. In this episode, we talk honestly about that h...

Show Notes If you’re eating “healthy,” trying to stay active, and doing all the right things—but your energy is low, the scale won’t budge, and your confidence feels shaken—this episode is for you. Menopause isn’t a personal failure; it’s a physiological shift that requires a different strategy. In this conversation, Stephanie Shaw sits down with Matt Jones, registered nutritionist and sports nutr...

Show Notes Stillness can feel almost impossible in midlife—especially for women navigating perimenopause or post-menopause. Hormonal shifts, fatigue, mental overload, and packed schedules often push us to do more, try harder, and stay constantly in motion. But what if that constant busyness is working against healing? In this solo episode, Stephanie reflects on a personal season of relentless acti...

Show Notes Migraines often become more frequent, more intense, or more unpredictable during perimenopause and menopause—and for many women, medication either stops working or introduces new problems. If you’ve ever wondered why your body feels harder to manage in midlife, this episode offers a new, compassionate lens. In this conversation, we explore migraines as more than isolated headaches. Horm...

Show Notes  In this solo episode, Stephanie Shaw explores how menopause, stress, and hormonal fluctuations can amplify our emotions and lead us to speak before we think. Learn how to pause, reflect, and let God guide your words—turning everyday interactions into moments of connection rather than conflict. What You Will Learn How hormone fluctuations during perimenopause and menopause affect your e...

Every New Year, women are told to make resolutions: eat better, move more, fix sleep, get disciplined. Planning matters—but many women enter midlife already feeling boxed in by rules, expectations, and pressure to “do it right.” What if this year isn’t about tighter boxes—but deeper alignment? It’s New Year’s Day. A blank calendar. A clean slate. And for many women in midlife, a quiet question und...

As we head into 2026, I’m excited to share that we’re expanding. Starting in Q1, we’re adding new Tuesday solo episodes—short, powerful teachings focused on what the Bible has to say to women in midlife. Then on Thursdays, we’ll continue bringing you conversations with amazing doctors, medical professionals, and coaches from around the world. In early 2026, you’ll hear from people like: • Dr. Rhon...

Perimenopause can bring weight changes, exhaustion, mood shifts, and a deep sense of “what is happening to my body?” In this conversation, author and entrepreneur Lynn Smargis opens up about the symptoms that shook her confidence—and the strategies that helped her reclaim her energy, purpose, and peace. In this episode, you will learn: • How processed sugar can intensify hot flashes and why stabil...

Welcome back to Hello, Hot Flash. I’m Stephanie Shaw, and before we close out the year, I just want to take a moment to say thank you. Because of you—your listening, your sharing, your reviews—this show has crossed more than 41,000 downloads and ranks in the top 3% of all podcasts. That is incredible, and it is absolutely because of this community. I’m so grateful you’re here. As we wrap up the ye...

Fasting doesn’t have to mean going without food. Registered Dietitian Renee Fitton breaks down how a Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) activates many of the same metabolic and hormonal benefits of fasting while still allowing you to eat. She explains the science behind FMDs, why they work so well for women in midlife, and how they support healthier aging, weight management, and metabolic repair. What Y...

Midlife often brings symptoms and struggles we don’t talk enough about—fatigue, brain fog, emotional overwhelm, and a sense of being “off.” In this episode of Hello Hot Flash, host Stephanie Shaw speaks with Lori Lisai, a human design coach and midlife mentor, about how human design offers women a new lens for self-awareness and empowerment. Instead of pushing through or relying only on logic, Lor...

In this empowering episode of Hello Hot Flash, host Stephanie Shaw sits down with Kate Wells, former science teacher turned hormone expert and co-founder of Parlor Games. Together, they explore how stress, hormones, and communication intersect during midlife—and what women can do to reclaim balance, energy, and joy. What You’ll Learn: Why managing stress is essential for hormone balance in perimen...

Bladder leaks, pelvic pain, and intimacy struggles in midlife? They’re common — but not inevitable. In this episode of Hello Hot Flash, sexual medicine expert Aleece Fosnight shares the truth about pelvic floor health, menopause, and sexual functioning — and how you can take charge of your well-being. What You’ll Learn: Why bladder leaks aren’t “just aging.” How pelvic floor therapy can help men a...