What's Outdated in Women's Midlife Care? A DNP Gets Honest

What's Outdated in Women's Midlife Care? A DNP Gets Honest

What if the biggest problem with women's midlife healthcare isn't menopause itself, but the outdated information many women are still receiving? In this episode of the Wellness Growth Journeys Podcast, host Mialisa Garnes sits down with Dana Culp, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Nurse Practitioner, Certified Menopause Expert, and founder of Thrive Midlife Medicine, for an honest conversation about why so many women leave appointments feeling unheard. Despite working in healthcare for more than 25 years, Dana found herself dismissed during her own perimenopause journey. That experience led her to build a practice centered on evidence-based, personalized care for women navigating midlife. Together, they explore what has changed in menopause care, what outdated approaches still exist, and how women can advocate for the care they deserve. In this episode, you'll learn: ✔ Why many women feel dismissed during perimenopause ✔ What's outdated about traditional midlife care ✔ Why treating symptoms one by one often misses the bigger picture ✔ Common misconceptions about hormone therapy ✔ How menopause care has evolved over the last 25 years ✔ Questions to ask when choosing a menopause provider ✔ Why individualized care matters ✔ The benefits of evidence-based telemedicine ✔ What thriving in midlife can actually look like Whether you're beginning to notice changes in your body or want to better understand midlife health, this conversation offers practical guidance and reassurance that you don't have to navigate this stage alone. Connect with Dana Culp 🌐 Thrive Midlife Medicine: https://www.thrivemidlifemed.com/ [https://www.thrivemidlifemed.com/] (Take Dana's Perimenopause Quiz through her website.)

How Perimenopause Unmasks ADHD in Women | Dr. Agena Renee

What if the brain fog, forgetfulness, overwhelm, and loss of focus you've been experiencing in your 40s isn't "just stress" or burnout? In this episode of the Wellness & Growth Journeys Podcast, Mialisa Garnes sits down with board-certified OB-GYN and Perimenopause Rebirth Coach, Dr. Agena Renee, to explore the surprising connection between perimenopause and ADHD in women. Dr. Agena shares her own journey from academic medicine to receiving a late ADHD diagnosis during perimenopause, and explains why so many high-achieving women suddenly struggle with focus, memory, organization, and executive function during midlife. In this conversation, you'll learn: ✔️ How declining estrogen affects dopamine and executive function ✔️ Why ADHD often goes undiagnosed in women for decades ✔️ The difference between brain fog and ADHD symptoms ✔️ Why Black women are diagnosed later, if at all ✔️ How perimenopause can "unmask" ADHD that was always there ✔️ Practical lifestyle strategies to improve focus and mental clarity ✔️ The role of self-compassion during hormonal transitions If you've ever wondered why tasks feel harder, your memory feels different, or you're struggling to keep up in ways you never did before, this episode may provide the answers you've been looking for. About Dr. Agena Renee Dr. Agena Renee is a board-certified OB-GYN, certified life coach, and Perimenopause Rebirth Coach who helps high-achieving women navigate perimenopause, ADHD, and midlife transitions with greater clarity and confidence. Drawing from both her medical expertise and personal experience with a late ADHD diagnosis, she empowers women to understand their symptoms, embrace their strengths, and thrive in their next chapter.

"I Didn't Recognise My Own Menopause Symptoms - And I'm a Doctor" | Dr. Angela Sharma on Sex, Hormones & Midlife

What happens when a doctor goes through menopause and doesn't recognise her own symptoms? That's exactly where today's conversation begins. Dr. Angela Sharma is a GP with 22 years of experience, a BMS Accredited Advanced Menopause Specialist, a Clinical Sexologist, and a Fellow of the European Committee of Sexual Medicine. She's also the co-founder of Spiced Pear Health. This private online clinic does something rare: it treats menopause and sexual health as one integrated conversation, not two separate appointments. In this episode, we go deep on the part of menopause that almost nobody talks about – sex, desire, intimacy, and what actually happens to women's bodies and relationships during perimenopause and menopause. We cover: ✅ How Dr. Sharma went through menopause at 47 and didn't recognise her own symptoms – until her husband did ✅ Why sexual health is rarely properly addressed in menopause consultations, and what should be asked ✅ The hormonal, psychological, and relational causes of sexual changes in midlife, and why treating just one misses the full picture ✅ Why "your testosterone isn't working" might not be about testosterone at all ✅ What women over 65 who are thriving have in common and what that means for the decisions you make NOW ✅ Why perimenopause is your "pit stop" for self-care and the four types of movement every woman needs ✅ What wraparound care really looks like when a clinic actually supports women between appointments ✅ Why your tolerance to nonsense going out the window might be the best thing about menopause 😄 Dr. Sharma also shares what she wishes every woman who has quietly stopped feeling like herself – sexually, hormonally, emotionally – would hear today. This one is honest, warm, clinical, and a little bit funny. Share it with someone who needs it. 🎙️ ABOUT DR. ANGELA SHARMA Dr. Angela Sharma is a GP Partner, BMS Accredited Advanced Menopause Specialist and Clinical Sexologist based in London, UK. She is the co-founder and director of Spiced Pear Health, a private online menopause and sexology clinic offering bespoke, patient-led care that goes beyond just HRT. 🔗 Find Dr. Angela Sharma & Spiced Pear Health: 🌐 Website: www.spicedpearhealth.co.uk 📸 Instagram: @spicedpearhealth 👥 Facebook: Spiced Pear Health

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