The Hidden Trauma of Caregiving Nobody Talks About | Nurse Consultant Kathleen Brathwaite

We Are Who We've Needed: A Menopause Specialist on Redesigning the Blueprint for Midlife Women

Most clinicians were trained in the years after the 2002 WHI study and were taught that hormone therapy was dangerous, so they stopped offering it. Generations of women have paid the price. Dr. Deepti Gandhi is one of the physicians who refused to leave her patients without answers. She trained herself, got the certification, and became the specialist she could not find for the women she was treating. In this episode of the Wellness and Growth Journeys podcast, Mialisa Garnes talks with Dr. Gandhi about why a generation of doctors lost menopause knowledge, the silent risks hidden behind hot flashes, the blueprint of acceptance, non-resistance, and problem-solving she teaches her patients, why no one is coming to give us medals for suffering through it, and how to redesign the second half of your life on your own terms. About Dr. Deepti Gandhi Board-certified family medicine physician with over 22 years of experience, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP), and personal development coach. She blends holistic care with evidence-based medicine, coaches fellow physicians on preventing burnout, and teaches future doctors how to build joyful careers.

More Women Die of Heart Disease Than Breast Cancer After 45. Why Aren't We Talking About It?

The biggest health risk facing women in midlife isn't breast cancer but cardiovascular disease. In this eye-opening conversation, menopause specialist Dr. Carys Sonnenberg joins me to discuss why menopause should be viewed not only as a hormonal transition but also as a major cardiovascular event. Together, we explore the surprising statistics linking menopause, heart disease, stroke risk, cholesterol changes, blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, early menopause, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Dr. Sonnenberg explains how declining estrogen affects the heart and blood vessels, why women in perimenopause and menopause may experience symptoms like heart palpitations, and what every woman should know about protecting her long-term health. The discussion also tackles common misconceptions about HRT, cardiovascular risk, and why women under 40 experiencing menopause symptoms are often overlooked. Dr. Carys Sonnenberg is an NHS General Practitioner, British Menopause Society Registered Menopause Specialist, co-author of Women's Health Made Easy, and Founder of Rowena Health, an online menopause clinic supporting women across the UK. If you're in your late 30s, 40s, 50s, or beyond, this conversation could change how you think about menopause and healthy aging. In This Episode: ✔ Why cardiovascular disease is the leading health threat for many women in midlife ✔ The connection between menopause, cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes ✔ Early menopause and cardiovascular risk ✔ Heart palpitations during perimenopause ✔ What the evidence says about HRT and heart health ✔ Why sleep matters for cardiovascular protection ✔ Lifestyle changes that support long-term health ✔ Questions every woman should ask her doctor

They Said Women's Health Data Didn't Exist. So She Built a $Million Practice to Prove Them Wrong

For years, women struggling with menopause symptoms, low libido, brain fog, urinary issues, and hormonal changes were told there wasn't enough research, enough data, or enough solutions. Dr. Somi Javaid refused to accept that answer. In this episode of the Wellness & Growth Journeys Podcast, Dr. Somi shares how she left academic medicine, built HerMD from the ground up, collected the real-world data the industry said didn't exist, and created a healthcare model that attracted women from 35 states and 3 countries. Dr. Somi is a board-certified OB-GYN with nearly 20 years of clinical experience. She's also the founder of HerMD, the host of the Webby-winning Disrupt Her podcast, and one of the most respected voices in sexual health care. We discuss the menopause care gap, sexual health stigma, women's health research, medical education, patient experience, entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to build a healthcare practice that changes lives. Whether you're navigating perimenopause, menopause, running a women's health practice, or advocating for better healthcare, this conversation is packed with insights. In This Episode ✔ Why Dr. Somi left academic medicine ✔ The shocking gaps in menopause and sexual health care ✔ Why women are still being underserved by healthcare systems ✔ The real reason women's health data is lacking ✔ How HerMD grew into a nationally recognized women's health company ✔ What clinic owners can learn about patient experience and retention ✔ The future of menopause care and FemTech ✔ Why women need to stop suffering in silence Connect with Dr. Somi Javaid Instagram: @drsomijavaid Free Resource If you're a women's health practitioner or clinic owner wondering where patients may be slipping through the cracks in your practice, download the free Patient Experience Gap Report: WellnessGrowthAgency.com/gap-report [http://wellnessgrowthagency.com/gap-report]

Why Is My Hair Thinning? Menopause Hair Loss with Dr. Rachael Causon

Your hair is thinning, your part is widening, and your hairdresser keeps telling you it's "just stress" — but something feels off. This conversation is for every woman in perimenopause and menopause who's been quietly losing her hair and not knowing where to turn. In this episode of the Wellness & Growth Journeys Podcast, host Mialisa Garnes sits down with Dr. Rachael Causon, UK-based GP, hair restoration surgeon, and founder of The Hair Restoration Doctor, to unpack what's actually happening to women's hair in midlife and what to do about it. Hair loss in perimenopause and menopause is one of the most common, most distressing, and most dismissed symptoms women experience. Dr. Causon brings clinical precision and a deeply human approach to a topic that's usually buried under product ads and Facebook group guesses.

The Real Reason Diets Fail Women Over 35 (It's Not Willpower)

Why do so many women struggle with weight loss, motivation, stress eating, and staying consistent with healthy habits, especially after 35? In this empowering episode of Wellness & Growth Journeys, I sit down with certified health coach and Happy Food founder Samantha Hua to unpack the emotional side of wellness, sustainable weight loss, cortisol, perfectionism, and healing your relationship with food and your body. This conversation goes beyond dieting and quick fixes. Samantha shares why emotional healing matters just as much as nutrition, how stress impacts the body, and practical ways women can build healthy habits without shame, restriction, or burnout. ✨ In this episode, we discuss: ✔️Why traditional diets often fail ✔️Emotional health and weight loss ✔️Cortisol and chronic stress explained ✔️The impact of perfectionism on wellness ✔️How to build sustainable, healthy habits ✔️Why women over 35 struggle differently ✔️Healing body image and self-talk ✔️Small lifestyle shifts that actually work ✔️Why wellness should feel compassionate, not punishing If you've ever felt stuck in cycles of dieting, emotional eating, guilt, or starting over, this episode is for you.