On Health for Women

An estimated 6,000 women in the U.S. reach menopause every single day—that’s over 2 million each year! And an average of 27 million women between the ages of 45 and 64 experience menopausal symptoms. All this to say, you are not alone if you experience vaginal dryness and/or pain during sex. My goal today is to help you feel comfortable in your body and in your life by sharing what you need to kno...

As thoughtful consumers, we try to make the best decisions for ourselves and our families. And the bottom line is that we shouldn't have to twice about the possibility that the everyday products we use, from the cookware in our homes to our cosmetics, could pose any level of danger to our health and wellbeing. We should be able to have confidence in the brands that make these products, as well as...

Sensitivity to light, sounds, and sometimes smells, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes hours spent in darkened rooms. If you suffer from migraines, then you're all too familiar with these symptoms, which may affect you infrequently or as often as several times each week. Migraines are three times more common among women than men, and are worse prematurely and in menopause when women may experience th...

Motherhood is a lifelong role, during which there will be no shortage of opportunities to worry. Even before you give birth, your mama-bear radar is engaged, and you’re suddenly motivated to do all you can to protect this precious being growing inside of you. So as hard as it is to manage these worries while we're pregnant, it's also an ideal time to start developing inner practices to help us cop...

Content Warning: In this episode, we will be talking about maternal mortality, infant mortality, and the impact of racism on maternal health. 60% of all maternal deaths are fully preventable, and the complications women experience are not inherent to black or brown bodies. Yet Black and Brown women have been blamed for their "bad outcomes" instead of recognizing that these deaths all too often hav...

Welcome to the second half of our alcohol miniseries!  In part one, I focused on how alcohol metabolizes differently in women than men and how this increases women's alcohol-related health risks. I also talked about how alcohol can effect puberty, our hormones, and menstrual cycles.  If you haven’t already listened, it's a perfect prequel to today's episode, where I talk about how alcoho...

Alcohol. It's the kind of frenemy that many women have a love-hate relationship with. It may make us feel good in the moment—relaxed, more social, less anxious—but many women find that after a drink or several, they’re moody, irritable, don’t sleep as well, and feel overall kind of not-so-great. Are there reasons for this that are unique to women? And can alcohol have hidden effects on our estroge...

At some point, too many of us internalized the belief that being a woman means complete self-sacrifice, not setting healthy boundaries for our well-being, and not taking care of our fundamental needs – even for sleep, quality food, and relaxation. Further, as moms, we often take on the lioness's share of the household. As partners, we plan the dates and stay in touch with old friends. At work...

From a young age, we’re taught to be "good girls." We’re told to be polite, to be nice, not to interrupt, and to say thank you—even when we don't mean it. As little girls, we're best "seen", not heard and told that if you question authority or speak your mind, then you're bossy, too loud, or even a bitch.   And while we know this is all nonsense as adults, so many of us still hold onto t...

This week, I'm sharing a replay of my interview with New York Times bestseller, Dr. Emily @Nagoski , author of Come as You Are, because she's so interesting and because as we shift through seasons of our lives (and through pandemic seasons!) our s*xual needs and s*x lives shift and evolve, too. There are certain themes that we hear differently in each phase of our own lives.  One of my favori...

The thyroid is such a complex part of our endocrine system, involved in hundreds of processes that affect nearly every aspect of our health, so naturally there’s plenty of ground to cover. I’m so thrilled to be picking up where we left off in Part 1 and diving back into all things thyroid. Whether you’re in the midst of thyroid struggles or seeking some general guidance for your overall thyroid we...

How many times have you sat down to a meal already worried about the calories in the food you’re eating? Or plagued by feelings of guilt and feelings of loss of control instead of the pleasure and nourishment of eating?  If you often have an inner food battle, as do so many of us, and if you want to pass a healthy food relationship onto your now or future daughters, today’s episode is for you...

This year, staying well and preventing colds and flu is more important than ever. Not only is it expected to be a worse-than-average flu season, but we’re also entering another COVID winter. But what is it that you can do that really works to boost your immunity? Can you actually rely on herbs and supplements? What else can you do?   In this episode, I answer these questions and more. I...

Blood sugar balance. It's the starting place in my patient care, and it's the one core thread, other than eating 'whole foods,' that runs through how I personally think about what I eat.     Why? As your body’s preferred energy source, glucose is a substantial and essential piece of our biological puzzle. From your hormones, mood, energy, cravings, and overall health, your blood sug...

The thyroid is one of the most important and complex glands in our body. And as women, we need to know a thing or two about it because, statistically, 1 in 8 of us will suffer from thyroid issues during our lifetime, with significant impacts on our overall health and well-being. Naturally, we all have questions surrounding this precious anatomy, but the answers don’t always come as easily, leaving...

Every year, over 5 million parents visit the ER because their child has a fever and they're worried.. Sometimes those visits are necessary. But more often than not, we assume that we unnecessarily fear fever, and assume we have to treat it. As a seasoned physician and mama, my goal is to empower parents to trust their instincts while providing the necessary tools to help you feel more at ease when...

What do sleep, mucus, and, plant diversity have in common? They're all important aspects of a healthy gut and immune system, which is what I connect the dots on today with my guest-friend and sister MD, Dr. Robynne Chutkan. In this episode, Robynne and I dive deep into gut health with some very important and actionable takeaways. Right in time for cold and flu season, and all year round. You'll wa...

Human brains do a lot of thinking - to the tune of about 6200 thoughts per day! Most of these are just passing thoughts, but according to researchers, a lot of those that reach our consciousness can be classified as negative thoughts. This week, I’m sharing the science behind the phenomenon that explains this: negativity bias - because it’s a way of thinking that can affect our health, our well-be...

Every time you're fuelling your car or walking into your home and don’t have to worry about lead exposure, it’s thanks to my guest today, no less than one of my heroes, Dr. Phillip Landrigan. But the question still remains— how can you protect your children from environmental toxins? Chemicals are everywhere in today’s world, and it’s impossible to protect your child completely from the risks that...

George Floyd, Brianna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery—these are names you know. I hope. But what about Kira Dixon Johnson, Yolanda Kadima, and Tatia Oden French? These are names that you may not have heard. They are the names of Black women who needlessly died in childbirth, several of whom reported symptoms and concerns to their medical provider prior, but who were dismissed or ignored.  My guest toda...

Despite years of evidence about the incredible outcomes, safety, and cost-effectiveness of midwives, midwifery care is still not the standard for pregnancy and birth in the US, and access to birthing centers remains limited. Yet, studies show they are associated with a reduction in cesareans, preterm births, increased breastfeeding success, and an overall positive experience of birth. This is why...

Perfectionism. It's a common relentless inner stress that I know I'm not alone in experiencing. What you might not realize is that it's a common symptom of being stuck in mode of survival mode. In this episode I invite you to reframe Perfectionism, along with being a "Good Girl" and other traits of survival mode that can be causing us stress without our even knowing it, and take a deep dive into h...

Curious about vaginal seeding and whether it is safe and recommended for you and your baby? To date, more than 20 studies have found that the microbiome in cesarean-born babes is different than that of vaginally born infants. These differences can persist to 4 years of age and may pose lasting health consequences. I know this may sound scary but I have some great news to share: researchers and mic...

We are facing what continues to be a global cesarean section crisis. The overuse of cesarean sections, especially in the United States, is not new, but it has continued to become more prevalent here and globally over the past 30 years. Joining me this week is obstetrician/gynecologist and world leader in women's reproductive rights, Marleen Temmerman, MD. Listen in as we talk about the dual proble...

"It’s all in your head." "It’s normal for women to suffer." "We just don’t know what causes that." Chances are you’ve heard one of these medical myths before, and it has kept you from receiving important diagnoses and timely treatment. Medicine is, without a doubt, a cultural institution and a power structure, and like other systems, it has perpetuated myths that keep us believing in its power whi...