HOT FLASHES & COOL TOPICS

Storytelling has the power to transform how we understand our bodies and our lives. On this week’s episode, we welcome Lidia Yuknavitch, acclaimed author and editor of the new book The Big M: 13 Writers Take Back the Story of Menopause, for a bold conversation about reclaiming menopause through personal storytelling. Lidia brings together 13 raw, insightful, and deeply personal stories that challe...

Did you know that nearly 50% of women experience hair changes during menopause? In this expert-led conversation, we uncover the truth behind menopausal hair thinning, shedding, and texture changes with Dr. Isabelle Raymond, SVP of Clinical and Medical Affairs at Nutrafol. Dr. Raymond is dedicated to advancing women’s health, with a particular focus on the biological and lifestyle factors that impa...

It's another "pinch me" week! We are thrilled to welcome iconic actress Annabeth Gish to the podcast for an inspiring and deeply relatable conversation. Best known for her memorable roles in film and television, Annabeth opens up about important midlife topics that resonate with so many women today. In this episode, she candidly shares her menopause journey, her experiences navigating life in the...

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We believe that women of any age deserve to feel beautiful, confident, and empowered in their skin. Aging is natural—and so are the many noninvasive skincare and anti-aging options available today. Feeling your best doesn’t have to mean Botox, fillers, or cosmetic surgery. So what are the best noninvasive treatments for aging skin, especially for women who want natural results? Thi...

13% of women over 50 struggle with the symptoms of an eating disorder. * Whether it is a recurrence or brought on by life transitions, hormones or stress, the numbers are rising. For our last episode of 2025, we are joined by Mallary Tenore Tarpley. Mallary is an assistant professor of journalism at the University of Texas and author of the new book, Slip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Rec...

At this time of year, we could think of no better guest to join us than Marlo Thomas. Marlo is an actress, producer, author and perhaps, she is best know as the National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Founded in 1962 by her Dad, Danny Thomas, St. Jude continues to be on the world's leading research hospitals for children with life threatening illnesses. Marlo Thomas t...

You know we love Carla Hall!  Her energy and love of life is contagious and we always enjoy when she joins us on Hot Flashes & Cool Topics podcast. This week, Carla is joined by her business partner Deb Riegel to share her new project, MeMenu. The MeMenu is a guided personal growth program for women. 50+.  The program offers a sous chef AI coach that leads you through 6 "flavors" of growth: op...

Holiday Gift Guide: Link Who wants to age well? Of course, we all do!  This week, we are speaking with Dr. Mindy Pelz, author of the new book AGE LIKE A GIRL: How Menopause Rewires Your Brain, Increased Confidence, and Renewed Energy.  Dr. Pelz gives us her vision of what is happening to and for women during this turning point in life.  She also offers science backed solutions to improve women's v...

HFCT 7th Annual Holiday Gift Guide: Link How many of you were fans of 90210?   Of course, we all watched the drama!  We are excited to share this week's conversation with Actress, Trade Union Leader, Gabrielle Carteris.  Many will remember Gabrielle as Andrea Zuckerman on 90210 (and the reboot)and she shares great stories of her time as Andrea.  We also talk about her roles as President of SAG/AFT...

Seasoned female musicians are another group of women who are often overlooked in the professional world. This week's guest is singer and founder of Wavemakers, Lurleen Ladd. Lurleen created Wavemakers- Women in Music 40+ as a platform to amplify women's voices, their talents and to address the challenges they face in the industry. Learn more about the organization, the yearly grants they offer, an...

Hot Flashes & Cool Topics Holiday Gift Guide for Midlife Women: LINK Threadneedle Alley Foundation: LINK Who is ready to save some money on this year's holiday shopping?   This week, we invite back shopping and money saving experts, Trae Bodge.  Trae shares with us the top gifts of 2025, where and when to get them and best of all, how to save money while doing it. We address the Tariffs and po...

It has been a very big week for women's health.   After years of experts like Dr. Rachel Rubin fighting to have the black box warnings on vaginal estrogen products removed, the FDA has agreed to remove it from select HRT products. This week, we are replaying Dr. Rachel Rubin's episode where she shares the importance of vaginal estrogen for women's health.  Dr. Rubin is a nationally-recognized urol...

Long before she played mom Kristina Braverman on Parenthood, our guest this week, Monica Potter, was juggling young parenthood and her busy 90's career. Working alongside actors like Robin Williams and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Monica's career was on fire.  Abruptly, she made the decision to take her young family back to her hometown in Cleveland for a break.  Monica returned to Hollywood and resta...

*Check out our Top 25 Advent Calendars for 2025: ADVENT CALENDARS EPISODE: Today's grandparents face challenges that may surprise you. Our guest this week, DeeDee Moore, knows all about these challenges. DeeDee founded More Than Grand to help new grandparents become the support that new parents need. Her insight and resources provide practical guidance that helps families navigate those generation...

We are all too familiar with the 15 minute patient appointment.  The doctor typing away quickly while we rattle off symptoms, little to no eye contact and this feeling of disconnect when we leave. We wanted to understand the reasons behind many physicians disconnect to their patients.  Our guest this week is Dr. Jessi Gold, a leading voice in mental health and the author of How Do You Feel?: One D...

Many will remember this week’s guest, Mel Harris, for her role as Hope Steadman in Thirtysomething. That show influenced the lives of not only the actors involved, but the viewers who were loyal for its 4 year run.  Mel started her career in modeling and then transitioned into acting.  While the role of Hope shot her in the public eye, she has consistently been a working actor for decades.  She ha...

Menopause may be having its "moment", but what about the years leading up to the big event, aka perimenopause? What is happening to our bodies during this radical change? We invited back one of our favorite guests, Dr. Heather Hirsch to educate us on all things perimenopause. The reality is that many women over 35 start this hormonal rollercoaster ride and they don't even realize it. In her new bo...

Neurodiversity is a term that was recently coined in 1998 but the existence of differences in brains is as old as time. In this episode, we explore neurodiversity with Dr. Thomas Armstrong, author of The Power of Neurodiversity, Unleashing the Advantages of Your Neurodivergent Brain.  Dr. Armstrong explores 7 varieties of neurodiversity: Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Dyslexia, Intellectual Disab...

What happens to your mindset when you add the word "yet" to goals you have not reached? I have not written that book...yet I have not traveled to Europe...yet We are changing the narrative this week with our guest, Jana Short. Jana is the Editor of Best Holistic Life Magazine and the new, Ageless Living Magazine.  We talk to her about her personal journey and how she is inspiring others to achieve...

Get Ready for SEASON 6 because we are starting off with a bang! This week, our guest is the incredible actress, comedian and musician Margaret Cho. Did you know that Margaret started her stand up career at the young age of 14 and that within the first two years, she had performed 300 concerts. Her career expanded into acting with in 1994 with the sitcom, All American Girl. Margaret has continue to...

"What If" your worst fear happened?  Our guest this week, Alison Larkin, was terrified of finding true love. What if she fell in love and her heart was broken?  Alison was so afraid that she did not find true love until she was over 50 year old.  She did meet her true love, Bhima, and for 2 glorious years they were happy.  Unfortunately, Bhima died of a heart attack a few days after he proposed to...

It is exciting when new products come to market that speak directly to our demographic.   Our guest this week, is Laura Yecies, CEO of Osteoboost. Osteoboost is the first FDA-cleared drug-free prescription treatment for osteopenia in postmenopausal women.  How does it work?  Laura explains that Osteoboost works with precision vibration in the hip area to dramatically reduce loss of bone strength a...

There are far too many examples in history when a man has overshadowed a woman's achievements. Our guests this week, Lori Zimmer and Maria Krasinski, authored and illustrated a book which highlights the achievements of 31 women artists and visionaries who experienced this.  I'M NOT YOUR MUSE: Uncovering the Overshadowed Brilliance of Women Artists & Visionaries, shares stories of women in musi...

We love sharing our conversations with inspiring women like Nicole Eggert. You may remember Nicole from her roles in Charge in Charge and Baywatch and we talk about both of those journeys. From despicable behavior from a fellow cast member to slow motion running on the beach, she shares her journey with honesty and humor.  She also shares her current battle with Cribriform Breast Cancer, a slow gr...

Women over 50 are getting the message that we are not invisible.  In fact, we have stories to share and many new adventures still to enjoy. Our guest this week is 50+ essayist and speaker Kerri Devine.  Kerri is the creator of Hot in Charleston, an intergenerational community of women sharing their stories, struggles and insights on midlife, motherhood and menopause.  She is also a producer for th...