The Advanced Women’s Health Podcast

Do you feel like a different person for one or two weeks before your period? In this episode, Dr. Natalie Scheer, ND (Sudbury, Ontario) and Dr. Ashley Stapleton, ND (Vancouver, BC) break down the difference between PMS and PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), and why "it's just your period" is not the whole story. In this episode:What PMS is: physical, emotional and behavioral symptomsHow PMDD differs from PMS (and why severity matters)What causes PMDD: sensitivity, serotonin, GABA and allopregnanoloneWhy hormone testing often looks "normal"Blood sugar, inflammation, gut health and histamineIntrusive thoughts and how PMDD is diagnosedSSRIs used only in the luteal phaseSaffron, chaste tree (Vitex), magnesium, B6, vitamin D and calciumWhy progesterone can make PMDD worseAntihistamines vs mast cell stabilizers (quercetin and resveratrol)Low endorphins, stress and exerciseHow perimenopause can turn PMS into PMDDWhy tracking your cycle in real time matters Mentioned in this episode:Advanced Men's Health: advancedmenshealth.ca If you are struggling: PMDD can bring intrusive or suicidal thoughts. If you are in Canada and need support right now, call or text 988 (Suicide Crisis Helpline), available 24/7. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

Do you know what you were actually tested for at your last pelvic exam, or what your results mean? In this episode, Dr. Michelle Mussar, ND (Ontario) and Dr. Sasha Sirianni, ND (Vancouver, BC) break down cervical cancer screening so you can walk into your next appointment informed.They explain the difference between a Pap test and an HPV test, why HPV testing is now the standard, and how screening differs between Ontario and BC, including BC's at-home HPV self-swab. They walk through what NILM, ASCUS, LSIL and HSIL results mean, why "watch and wait" can feel so scary, and what you can do to support your immune system while you wait.They also clear up common misconceptions: an abnormal Pap does not mean you have cancer, HPV is incredibly common, and having it does not mean you or your partner did anything wrong.In this episode:What a Pap test is and what happens during oneWhy HPV testing has become the new gold standardHow cervical screening differs in Ontario and BCThe at-home HPV self-swabWhy a Pap test is not an STI screenTrauma-informed care and reclaiming agency in pelvic examsHPV 16 and 18 and what happens after a positive resultUnderstanding Pap results: NILM, ASCUS, LSIL and HSILSupporting your immune system to clear HPVWhy the HPV vaccine can still help later in lifeSymptoms you should never ignoreIs HPV an STI?What a LEEP procedure is and what recovery looks likeMentioned in this episode:Advanced Men's Health: advancedmenshealth.caBC Cancer at-home HPV self-swab (BC residents ages 25 to 69)Ontario cervical screening guidelines

Is it perimenopause, or is it something else? In this episode, Dr. Tracy-Lynn Reside, ND sits down with Dr. Natalie Scheer, ND, who focuses her practice on perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause, to talk about what this transition really feels like and where naturopathic medicine can help.They talk about how perimenopause is actually diagnosed (no, you do not always need blood work), the symptoms that surprise women most, and why anxiety and waking up in the middle of the night are often the first signs. Dr. Natalie walks through how progesterone and estrogen shift, who is a good candidate for hormone therapy, and why HRT works best when the other pieces are in place.They also dig into perimenopause weight gain: why weight moves to the midsection, whether hormone therapy causes weight gain, and why muscle matters more than ever. They finish with PMS and PMDD in your late 30s and 40s, the nutrient deficiencies that are easy wins, and what every woman in her 30s should start doing now.In this episode:Is it perimenopause, or perimenopause and something else?How perimenopause is diagnosed, and the myth that you need blood workLooking at the whole picture: blood sugar, the nervous system, the gut, the liver and nutrientsAnxiety and insomnia: the two symptoms that surprise women mostWhy your capacity shifts in your late 30s and 40sProgesterone, estrogen and the hormone rollercoasterWho is a good candidate for hormone therapy (HRT)Weight loss resistance and weight gain around the midsectionDoes hormone therapy cause weight gain?Why muscle loss and stress catch up with usPMS, PMDD and severe luteal phase symptomsVitamin D, B12 and iron: the low-hanging fruitWhat to do in your 30s so perimenopause feels less overwhelming

What do naturopathic doctors actually talk about behind the scenes? In this episode, we (Dr. Alessandra Autieri, Dr. Lauryn Dingwall and Dr. Maryellen Tedeschi) sit down together to share the biggest lessons we have learned from working with women every day at Advanced Women's Health.We talk about why the boring basics still matter most, why "my blood work is normal" is rarely the full story, and why a normal A1C does not always mean your blood sugar and insulin are working well. We also share why the women who get the best results usually have an aligned care team and a strong community behind them.Then we finish with a little fun: the wellness trends we actually love, our most non-ND habits, and our favourite part of being naturopathic doctors.In this episode:Why you have to major in the minors: sleep, movement, water, fibre and proteinWhy we talk about sleep before we send you to the gymLifting weights, starting small and picking one habit you actually enjoySetting health goals that match your valuesHow we read blood work to find dysfunction, not just diseaseNormal A1C but still insulin resistant? Why we run an insulin glucose challengeWhy insulin is often the hormone to test before estrogen and progesteroneYour symptoms are real, even when the labs surprise youHow collaborative care works, and why it helps you get better fasterCommunity, support and why habits stick when you are not doing it aloneWellness trends we love: wearables, red light therapy for endometriosis and lymphatic drainage massageOur most non-ND habits (yes, dairy, gluten and balloon arches)What working with women has taught us about resilienceMentioned in this episode:The insulin glucose challenge test at Advanced Women's HealthThe Advanced Women's Health app and community programsClinically guided programs at Advanced Women's Health, including Advanced Metabolic Rehab and fertility programming: [email protected] Habits by James Clear

Do you need hormone replacement therapy? It is the question we get asked more than any other at Advanced Women's Health, so in the final part of the midlife core four, I answer it.In 2002, one study stopped hormone replacement therapy in its tracks. Prescribing dropped, research slowed, and a whole generation of women were told hormone replacement therapy would give them cancer or blood clots. When I started practice ten years ago, women were begging for it because their doctors would not consider it. Since then, that data has been analyzed again and again, and the risks were not what we were told for most women. The FDA has now removed the black box warning from some forms of hormone replacement therapy.So the pendulum is swinging. And now that hormone replacement therapy is having its moment, everyone is being told to just take it. Neither extreme serves you. In this episode, I walk through the safety research, the timing question, how we use hormones in perimenopause, and why hormones alone will make you feel better without necessarily making you healthier.In this episode:The 2002 Women's Health Initiative study, and why its conclusions did not apply to most womenWhat hormone replacement therapy actually is: estradiol, progesterone, progestins and all the acronymsBioidentical vs synthetic hormones, and why we prescribe bioidentical at Advanced Women's HealthIs hormone replacement therapy safe? Why topical estradiol is the gold standard right nowHow the risk of hormone replacement therapy compares to obesity and to drinking more than four drinks a weekWho should work with an oncologist or cardiologist before starting hormone replacement therapyIs it too late to start hormone replacement therapy? The old 7 to 10 year window, and why it is being rethoughtThe four big reasons women stay on hormone replacement therapy long term: bone, brain, heart and hot flashesWhy vaginal hormones are an option at any ageHormone replacement therapy in perimenopause: progesterone, the estrogen rollercoaster and low-dose hormonesWhy we test hormones, blood sugar, nutrients, gut and inflammation before we prescribeOn-label vs off-label use, and what informed consent really meansWhy hormones are brush strokes, not a set-and-forget prescriptionA recap of the full midlife core four seriesMentioned in this episode:Strategic consults at Advanced Women's Health, to map out all of your optionsAt-home serial urine hormone testingListen to the rest of the Core Four series:Episode 100: Is It Perimenopause or ADHD? Every Woman in Her 40s Needs to Hear ThisEpisode 101: GLP-1s and Protein in Perimenopause: What to Know Before You Start