Her Time, Her Health with Dr. Jila

Many women with PMOS (formerly PCOS) are eating clean and working out and still dealing with bloating, fatigue, breakouts, and weight that won't move, while a friend on the same plan loses 10 pounds. The reason is usually insulin resistance, which shows up in most women with PMOS, lean women included, and changes how the body handles every meal. We dive deeper into this in Her Time, Her Health with registered dietitian Courtney Minors. We also chat about how to build a breakfast that prevents the afternoon crash, what GLP-1 medications can and can't do for PMOS, and the research behind myo-inositol, vitamin D, and spearmint tea. Courtney Minors is a registered dietitian and PCOS/PMOS specialist. She specializes in nutrition for hormone-related gynecological conditions, including PCOS/PMOS, endometriosis, and fibroids, with a focus on insulin resistance, inflammation, and gut health. If you're struggling with cravings, bloating, fatigue, breakouts, or weight that won't budge even though you're eating well, this episode is for you: What's Discussed: (1:09) Eating clean, working out, and still stuck: where to start. (2:17) The coffee-and-pastry breakfast and the blood sugar rollercoaster. (3:00) What a balanced PMOS plate actually looks like. (4:33) The patient who regulated her cycles with nutrition. (8:44) Why nutrition and lifestyle come before medication. (13:03) Why the same diet works differently with PMOS. (15:47) What a glucose monitor reveals about stress and blood sugar. (19:19) Vitamin D and myo-inositol: what the research supports. (24:05) GLP-1s and PMOS: who they help and what to watch. (29:47) Spearmint tea and flaxseed for acne and facial hair. (32:25) The one change with the biggest return. (34:54) How to eat with PMOS without guilt. Learn More About Dr. Jila Senemar: Website: jilamd.com  Podcast: jilamd.com/podcast  Instagram: @drjilasenemar  YouTube: @Dr.JilaSenemar Learn More About Courtney Minors: Instagram: @pcos.nutritionist.courtney Resources & Promos: linktr.ee/pcos.nutritionist.courtney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 15, she's told irregular periods are normal for teenagers, at 31 it's a fertility problem, and at 45 it's just perimenopause, even though it was the same condition the entire time. Roughly one in eight women of reproductive age has PCOS, now officially renamed PMOS, and up to 70% have never been diagnosed, often because each symptom is sent to a different specialist and no one connects the dots. I dive deeper into this in a solo episode of Her Time, Her Health, walking through what PMOS looks like in your teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond, and exactly what to ask for at each stage. I also talk about why the birth control pill can hide the diagnosis for a decade, why gestational diabetes is a warning light for your long-term metabolic health, and why your cardiometabolic risk doesn't retire when your periods stop. If you're struggling with irregular cycles, weight that won't budge, stubborn acne or chin hair, or blood sugar that keeps creeping up, and no one has connected the dots, this episode is for you: What's Discussed: (1:43) Same condition, three different explanations at 15, 31, and 45. (3:33) Why PCOS was renamed PMOS, and what each word in the new name means. (5:27) Your teens: the cycle ranges that are not normal. (9:23) The birth control pill question. (12:43) Why PMOS is not caused by weight gain. (15:18) The baseline labs to ask for in your 20s. (15:53) Your 30s: fertility, letrozole, and why to ask for help early. (17:42) Why gestational diabetes is a warning light. (18:52) The uterine lining risk when periods are far apart. (21:46) Your 40s: when perimenopause meets PMOS. (27:19) Why PMOS doesn't end at menopause. (32:01) Your decade-by-decade checklist. Learn More About Dr. Jila Senemar: Website: jilamd.com  Podcast: jilamd.com/podcast  Instagram: @drjilasenemar  YouTube: @Dr.JilaSenemar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Her Time, Her Health, I’m joined by Brooke Davis, creator of the Instagram page Marriage and Perimenopause and the Hormone-Informed Midlife Marriage course. With over 20 years in healthcare administration, Brooke translates relationship and hormone research into practical tools for couples navigating midlife. We dig into the staggering divorce statistics tied to perimenopause, why so many long marriages hit a breaking point in midlife, and how couples can become “hormone-informed” without using biology as an excuse to dismiss what’s really going on. Brooke shares her own path — from unexplained anxiety and brain fog in her mid-40s to building a platform that’s helped thousands of couples find language for a transition no one prepared them for. In this episode we cover: Why nearly 60% of divorces after 45 are initiated by women The patient story that reveals what’s at stake when perimenopause goes undiagnosed Why perimenopause doesn’t enter an “empty” marriage — it amplifies existing patterns The real meaning behind midlife resentment (and why it’s not just “hormones”) How to become a hormone-informed couple without explaining each other away The difference between real support and dismissive “it’s your hormones” comments Women’s shifting identity in midlife — and why it can feel threatening to a partner Can perimenopause actually strengthen a marriage? Renegotiating roles, intimacy, and expectations after decades together Timestamps: 00:00 – Cold open: the divorce stat that stops people cold 01:35 – Meet Brooke Davis: Marriage and Perimenopause, her background and mission 04:42 – Brooke’s own story: unexplained anxiety, brain fog, and self-diagnosing perimenopause 06:16 – The pattern she noticed across friends: resentment, disconnection, “roommate” marriages 07:03 – Why she went beyond menopause research into relationship science 08:36 – How “Marriage and Perimenopause” came to life 09:22 – The gray divorce / menopause divorce statistic, explained 10:55 – A patient story: divorced, dismissed, and finally diagnosed 12:32 – “I wonder if this would have saved my marriage” 13:20 – Why this feels different from PMS and PMDD — the unpredictability factor 14:07 – How perimenopause changes a relationship before either partner understands why 14:54 – Why partners take the changes personally 15:39 – We don’t react to behavior — we react to the meaning we give it 16:27 – Perimenopause doesn’t enter an empty marriage: roles, patterns, and sore spots 17:15 – Showing up to midlife “wrecked”: careers, kids, aging parents, financial pressure 18:01 – Why this transition can last 5–10 years and catch women off guard 18:48 – Where midlife resentment actually comes from 19:36 – The husband’s fear: “will she ever come back?” 20:24 – Reframing the question: do I want to keep living this way? 21:10 – Why one partner feels blindsided while the other has felt it building for years 21:55 – The invisible mental load most women carry — and why partners don’t see it 22:43 – How “who’s done more” arguments miss the real issue 23:32 – A better question than “is my marriage bad?”: what is resentment telling us? 24:20 – How to support a partner without finger-pointing or blaming hormones 25:07 – Becoming a hormone-informed couple: why credible education matters 26:41 – Building a plan together instead of guessing what helps 27:27 – The difference between real support and “you’re being hormonal” 28:15 – How self-awareness helps women catch overwhelm before it boils over 29:01 – Hormone-informed doesn’t mean hormone-excused 29:49 – Women’s identity in midlife: a deeply personal shift 31:23 – From “what do I need to get done” to “is this how I want to live?” 32:12 – Who am I when I’m not being useful to somebody? 32:58 – Questioning your marriage isn’t the same as wanting to leave it 33:45 – Connecting back to the divorce statistics: women choosing to walk away 35:19 – Did perimenopause give women the strength to make hard changes? 36:05 – Brooke’s personal reckoning: therapy, buried emotions, and feeling “like a different person” 37:39 – Seeing life “in Technicolor” and getting fired up in new ways 38:26 – Community, courage, and watching other women pivot 40:00 – Can perimenopause actually strengthen a marriage? 40:47 – Renegotiating unspoken agreements built over decades 41:34 – Better questions for long-term couples: what still works, what doesn’t? 42:21 – How asking harder questions transformed Brooke’s own marriage 43:07 – Letting your partner grow and change instead of staying “boxed in” 43:54 – When it’s time to consider couples therapy 44:42 – Where to find and work with Brooke Davis 45:28 – Her course and 5-week framework for couples 47:04 – Closing thoughts and how to support the show Connect with Brooke Davis: 📸 Instagram: @marriageinperimenopause 🎓 Hormone-Informed Midlife Marriage course + 5-week couples framework If today’s conversation inspired you, taught you something new, or helped you feel more empowered in your health journey, please subscribe, leave a five-star review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Women’s health is longevity. The choices you make today shape the quality of your tomorrows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Her Time, Her Health, I'm joined by Dr. Andrea Matsumura, a double board-certified sleep medicine physician, nationally recognized expert in sleep and menopause, creator of the Dream Sleep Method, and chief of sleep services at Monarch MD. Her work has been featured in The New York Times and CNN. We unpack why so many women who "used to be great sleepers" suddenly find themselves wide awake at 2 or 3am — and why the answer is rarely as simple as "just menopause." Dr. Matsumura breaks down the staggering rates of undiagnosed sleep apnea in midlife women, why the tools used to screen for it were built for men's physiology, the truth about melatonin and supplements, and her practical, five-part Dream Sleep Method for reclaiming real rest. In this episode we cover: Why so many women wake up in the middle of the night in midlife How estrogen and progesterone loss disrupts melatonin, oxygenation, and ventilation The "sleep syndrome of menopause" and its four telltale patterns Why 45–65% of midlife women may have sleep apnea — and 9 out of 10 don't know it Why women's sleep apnea and snoring look nothing like the male stereotype Restless leg syndrome, ferritin levels, and the new numbers to ask for Supplements, melatonin, and prescription sleep aids: what actually helps The Dream Sleep Method: habits, environment, emotions, archetype, and medical conditions Alcohol's real effect on REM sleep Sleep trackers (Oura, Whoop) — useful tool or obsession trap? Rapid-fire sleep myths, including the mouth tape trend she can't stand Her upcoming book, When Women Stop Sleeping Timestamps: 00:00 – Cold open: waking up at 2–3am and the sleep apnea stat that shocks everyone 01:34 – Meet Dr. Andrea Matsumura: credentials, Dream Sleep Method, and media features 02:21 – The most common sleep complaint in midlife women 03:10 – How estrogen and progesterone loss disrupts melatonin production 03:55 – Why midlife women get hit with sleep disruption from every angle 04:42 – The "sleep syndrome of menopause": four core patterns 05:30 – Hormones, stress, aging, or learned insomnia — untangling the causes 06:17 – How past trauma resurfaces as insomnia when estrogen drops 07:04 – Why most sleep providers were never trained on women's sleep 07:52 – Why sleep apnea screening tools were built for men, not women 09:26 – The staggering stat: 45–65% of midlife women may have sleep apnea 10:14 – Home sleep studies vs. in-lab studies — what gets missed 11:03 – The Dream Sleep Method and a low threshold for testing 11:51 – Restless leg syndrome: up to 30% of midlife women, mostly undiagnosed 12:38 – Why CBT for insomnia isn't as simple as it sounds 14:11 – Sleep supplements: what they can and can't do 15:00 – Prescription sleep aids, sedation, and promising DORA medications 15:45 – "We need sleep training for adults, not medication" 16:30 – Walking through the Dream Sleep Method step by step 18:03 – Are women over-supplementing instead of digging for the real cause? 19:38 – Melatonin, decoded: why it's controversial and what it actually does 21:10 – The master clock, circadian genes, and fragmented sleep 21:57 – Alcohol's real impact on REM sleep and recovery 23:32 – Restless leg syndrome and the hormone-ferritin connection 25:06 – Why ferritin cutoffs are changing (and what your number should be) 26:44 – Sleep trackers: Oura Rings, Whoop, and how to actually use the data 28:16 – Why "how you feel" matters more than your sleep score 29:48 – Orthosomnia: when chasing perfect sleep backfires 31:20 – Why so much of medicine (and sleep science) still centers men 32:05 – Sex, relationships, and sleeping next to a snoring partner 32:54 – Rapid-fire sleep myths: mouth tape, the "8 hours" rule, and more 35:15 – "Poor sleep is just part of menopause" — true or false? 35:15 – Her upcoming book, When Women Stop Sleeping 37:34 – The healthcare provider course launching March 2027 37:34 – What she wants every woman reading at 3am to understand 39:10 – Why sleep is "the original longevity tool" 39:58 – Her #1 tip: morning light exposure 40:46 – Where to find and follow Dr. Andrea Matsumura 41:35 – Closing thoughts and how to support the show Connect with Dr. Andrea Matsumura: 🌐 Website: AndreaMatsumuraMD.com 📚 Upcoming book: When Women Stop Sleeping 🎓 Provider course launching March 2027 If today's conversation inspired you, taught you something new, or helped you feel more empowered in your health journey, please subscribe, leave us a 5-star review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Women's health is longevity. The choices you make today shape the quality of your tomorrows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Her Time, Her Health, I sit down with Dr. Tracy Shevell — a board-certified OB-GYN and maternal fetal medicine specialist with over two decades in academic medicine, and founder of Blue Moon Perinatal, a high-touch concierge OB practice built around whole-person care. We dig into a topic that doesn't get nearly enough airtime: the surprising link between mast cells, histamine, and perimenopause. Dr. Shevell breaks down why so many women's symptoms — flushing, headaches, GI issues, palpitations, poor sleep — get dismissed as "just anxiety," and how a simple over-the-counter antihistamine trial can sometimes offer real relief while the medical system catches up. We also talk about medical dismissal, patient advocacy, the three life cycles of womanhood, and her deeply personal path from burned-out high-risk OB-GYN to entrepreneur and author of the upcoming book Labor and Deliverance. In this episode, we cover: The immune system's changing relationship with hormones across pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause Why estrogen aggravates mast cells, and progesterone stabilizes them Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), histamine intolerance, and Long COVID's role in bringing it to light The Pepcid/antihistamine "trial" approach and how to safely self-advocate How AI can help women translate medical jargon before their doctor visits Puberty and perimenopause as mirror-image hormonal transitions The patient encounter that pushed Dr. Shevell to leave traditional medicine Building a following, writing a book, and turning pain into purpose Timestamps: 00:00 – Cold open: where does the Pepcid/antihistamine trend really stand? 01:33 – Meet Dr. Tracy Shevell: training, career, and Blue Moon Perinatal 03:05 – Her upcoming book, social following, and advocacy work 03:52 – Setting up today's topic: the immune system in midlife women 04:40 – Pregnancy's unique hormone–immune system interplay 05:27 – Why perimenopause reactivates the immune conversation 06:13 – Estrogen aggravates mast cells, progesterone stabilizes them 07:00 – Hormonal instability and its effect on autoimmune conditions 07:49 – Why some immune issues quiet down after menopause 08:35 – Why perimenopause hormone therapy takes trial and error 09:24 – Menopause certification, MCAS, and how nuanced treatment really is 10:10 – Mast cells, Long COVID, and "it's not just anxiety" 10:56 – Walking the line between real science and internet trends 11:44 – The Pepcid/antihistamine reel that sparked backlash 12:30 – Framing antihistamines as a low-risk 2-week test 13:17 – Is histamine intolerance a real diagnosis? The two camps 14:02 – Why first-line therapy stays safe regardless of the "official" label 14:49 – How histamine builds up in the body 15:37 – Long-term stakes: bone, brain, and cardiometabolic health 16:23 – Using AI to decode medical research before your appointment 17:12 – Histamine overlap with perimenopause and PMDD symptoms 17:59 – The "overworked mom" analogy for hormone-triggered mast cell flares 18:45 – Puberty vs. perimenopause: mirrored hormonal transitions 19:31 – The maiden, mother, crone: reclaiming women's life cycles 20:20 – The heartbreaking patient moment that sparked a career pivot 21:07 – "I don't know who my doctor is": a system failing women 21:54 – Quitting medicine, burnout, and being diagnosed with her own mystery illness 22:43 – Realizing no one was caring for the "whole woman" 23:29 – Entering the "wild west" of medical entrepreneurship 24:15 – Becoming a relatable, natural voice on social media 25:02 – Talking to a phone but really talking to a patient 25:50 – Learning to post every day (and finally feeling excited again) 26:39 – Reaching women in underserved communities through content 27:26 – Turning pain into purpose 28:14 – Learning to actually rest instead of burning out again 28:38 – Writing the book: journaling, dinner-party stories, and finding the will 29:47 – The long, "soul-sucking" road to getting published 30:34 – Inside the book: medical, emotional, and spiritual well-being 31:22 – Publication date and why vulnerability felt scary 32:08 – Where to find and follow Dr. Tracy Shevell 32:53 – Closing thoughts and gratitude 33:40 – Sign-off and how to support the show Connect with Dr. Tracy Shevell: 📸 Instagram / TikTok: @tracychevellemd 🔗 Website: new site linked in her bio 📚 Upcoming book: Labor and Deliverance: Reclaiming the Healing in Women's Health (Harper One, January 2027) If today's conversation inspired you, taught you something new, or helped you feel more empowered in your health journey, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Women's health is longevity. The choices you make today shape the quality of your tomorrows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices