Perimenopause 101: Understanding Anxiety, Stressors, and Identity Shifts with Dr. Blake Myers

Chronic Illness & Eating Disorders: How Sick Is "Sick Enough" with Tamie Gangloff

In today’s episode, I am joined by therapist, author, and educator Tamie Gangloff to blow the lid off a massive blind spot in women's healthcare: the intersection of chronic illness and disordered eating. When you live with chronic pain, inflammation, or conditions like endometriosis, adenomyosis, or hEDS, your relationship with food automatically gets complicated. We try so hard to control our symptoms through what we eat that we can easily slide into disordered patterns without even realizing it. Tamie opens up about her own journey, from hearing the word "deformity" and it shaping her experience throughout life to her recent hysterectomy where Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) made recovery much longer and harder than expected, triggering intense post-surgical anxiety. We dive deep into why the "sick enough" mentality is keeping you from getting the help you deserve and how to actually rebuild body trust when healing isn’t linear. In This Episode, We Discuss: * The Intersection of Chronic Illness & Disordered Eating: Why living with a chronic condition automatically complicates your relationship with food and movement. * Eating Disorders vs. Disordered Eating: Unpacking the crucial nuance between a clinical diagnosis and the survival-driven food anxieties that develop around chronic pain. * The "Sick Enough" Trap: How internal gatekeeping and medical dismissal convince women their pain isn’t severe enough to warrant deeper lab investigations or specialist care. * The Control Fallacy: How to use food as a supportive tool for your health without slipping down the slope of self-blame when a diet doesn’t "cure" your chronic illness. * Weight Bias in Medicine: The dangerous assumption that thin equals healthy and heavy equals unhealthy, and how this bias delays care. Connect with Tamie: * Website: https://www.tamiegangloff.com/ [https://www.tamiegangloff.com/] * Book: Chronic Illness and Eating Disorders: Assessment, Clinical Skills, and Lived Experiences [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1032812265?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_587EG7SRDHAFPQXGE0WR&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_587EG7SRDHAFPQXGE0WR&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_587EG7SRDHAFPQXGE0WR&bestFormat=true&previewDoh=1] As mentioned in class: * National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders [https://anad.org/] * Free Medical Appt Pre-Planning Guide [https://www.tamiegangloff.com/resourcelibrary/p/medical-appointment-pre-planning-guide] * Insight Timer [https://insighttimer.com/] * EDS Conference at University of Virginia [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OphdtQRNxoo&list=PLlf42T0Kv6Sr4FS-ReUGotYgSLAo2k3js]

Cycle Syncing: Your Guide to a Cyclical Life with Amy Dave

If you’ve ever been told that heavy bleeding, debilitating cramps, and "zombie-level" fatigue are just part of being a woman, you’ve been lied to. This week, we’re joined by Amy Dave, a Physician Assistant of 25 years turned Women’s Wellness Coach. After decades in the medical field and a personal battle with severe PMS, Amy discovered that "normal" symptoms are often just signs of a body out of sync. We’re adopting Amy's "Phoenix" mindset in this episode: burning down the old habits that drain you and rise stronger by working with your biology, not against it. What we cover: * Amy's Extended Education: Why 25 years in medicine still wasn't enough to solve her own hormonal crisis. * Cycle Syncing 101: How to flexibly eat, move, and schedule your life around your four hormonal seasons. * The Phoenix Metaphor: Learning to cycle with your internal seasons and rise stronger each time. Connect with Amy: * Podcast: This Incredible Mom Life [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-incredible-mom-life/id1789854849] * Website: https://thewealthofwellness.com/ [https://thewealthofwellness.com/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewealthofwellnessllc/ [https://www.instagram.com/thewealthofwellnessllc/]

The Missing Gap in Endometriosis Care: Why Surgery Isn’t the End of the Story with Jessica Doto

This conversation with Jessica Doto, APRN, ANP-C, BSN, MSN is a masterclass in what total care for endometriosis should actually look like. As the Medical Director at Elysara, Jessica brings her high-intensity background in ER and ICU medicine to the world of functional health, and the result is a no-nonsense, deeply compassionate look at how we untangle this complex disease. We’re moving past the "what next?" gap that so many of us feel after surgery. We’re talking about the science of why your body feels the way it does and how to advocate for yourself in a system that often relies on outdated data. In this episode, we dive into... * The Post-Surgical Gap: Why surgery is just one piece of the puzzle and how Elysara builds a post-op roadmap for multidisciplinary treatment. * The BHRT & Estrogen Myth: Breaking down the fear-based narrative around estrogen and why bioidentical hormone replacement is a game-changer for long-term health. * Progesterone Resistance: Why so many endo patients feel "crazy" on synthetic birth control and why our blood tests show normal hormone levels. * IVs: The science behind IV infusions for endometriosis and how they can be better for absorption. CHEAT SHEET: DECODING THE TERMINOLOGY During our chat, we used some heavy-hitting clinical terms. Here is a quick breakdown of what they mean: * BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy): Hormones that are chemically identical to those your body produces naturally, used to restore balance without the side effects of synthetics. * Neurosteroid: Steroids produced in the nervous system that act rapidly to regulate the brain. These play a huge role in mood, anxiety, and how you perceive pain. * Mast Cells: Type of white blood cells in your immune system that releases chemicals (like histamine) during an inflammatory response. In endo patients, these are often overactive. * Angiogenesis: The creation of new blood vessels. Endo lesions use this to "feed" themselves and grow. * Prostaglandins: Hormone-like substances that are over-produced in endometriosis patients. They can sensitize nerve endings to signal pain. * N-acetylcysteine (NAC): A powerful antioxidant that helps the body produce glutathione. Research shows it can help reduce the size of endo cysts and lower systemic oxidative stress. Connect with Jessica & Elysara Medical: * Website: https://elysarawellness.com/ [https://elysarawellness.com/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elysaramedical/ [https://www.instagram.com/elysaramedical/] About This Series: This is part three of our collaborative series with Elysara Medical & Wellness [https://elysarawellness.com/]. We are dedicated to bringing you the experts who are filling the gaps in endometriosis care and helping you move out of survival mode for a healthier, happier life. Listen to the Nicoletta's episode [https://thcsdpod.riverside.com/e/beyond-surgery-a-whole-body-approach-to-endometriosis-nicoletta-rasizzi] Listen to Dr. George's episode [https://thcsdpod.riverside.com/e/what-does-cardiology-have-to-do-with-endometriosis]

Perimenopause 101: Understanding Anxiety, Stressors, and Identity Shifts with Dr. Blake Myers

Why does society expect women to "shrink" just as they are reaching their most powerful years? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Blake Myers, a licensed naturopathic doctor and graduate professor, to dismantle the "taboo" around perimenopause. We dive deep into why anxiety is often the very first indicator of hormonal shifts, the way our bodies adapt (or struggle) with modern stressors, and why picking up heavy weights is a radical act of self-love and feminism. IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS: * The ND Difference: Why Naturopathic Doctors are the "Systems Biology" experts your healthcare team might be missing. * The Anxiety Connection: Why the brain often reacts to hormonal shifts before your period ever changes. * Homeostasis: How our bodies adapt to stressors in our 20s and 30s, and why that can change so drastically during perimenopause. * Identity Reclaimed: Navigating the spiritual and emotional "ego death" that happens during the menopausal transition. * Muscle as Resistance: Why strength training is about so much more than aesthetics: It's about metabolic freedom and fighting back against a system that wants women to stay small. * Normalizing the Conversation: How to talk to the next generation so they enter midlife with clarity instead of fear. Even if you're years away from these key hormonal shifts, it's important to know what they are, how they can show up in the body and brain, and how to best take care of your hormone health now to make the transition as smooth as possible later. Whether you're a young person who wants to prepare for their future or someone currently in the throes of perimenopause, this episode has a lot to offer. Dr. Blake's Website: https://www.thebridgesystemmethod.com/ [https://www.thebridgesystemmethod.com/] Follow Dr. Blake on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebridgesystem [https://www.instagram.com/thebridgesystem]

Pleasure is Your Birthright: The Sex & Intimacy Repair Kit with Xanet Pailet

Is a sexless marriage just an inevitable part of getting older, or is it a sign that something deeper is going on that can be reversed? In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Xanet Pailet, a former high-powered healthcare attorney turned sex and intimacy coach. After spending 26 years in a marriage that was lacking true intimacy, Xanet transformed her life to figure out why desire actually disappears and how to rebuild it. We dive into the "roommate syndrome" that so many of us fear, the difference between a trauma response and a gut feeling, and why your Type A analytical brain might be the very thing blocking your pleasure. Whether you’re single and looking for a long-term love or in an established partnership trying to find that spark again, this conversation is a masterclass in reclaiming pleasure as your birthright. IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS: * The Sexless Marriage Epidemic: Why sex is the ultimate "canary in the coal mine" for the health of your relationship. * The Analytical Trap: Why high-achieving, "Type A" women struggle to drop into their bodies and how to train the brain to find pleasure. * Roommate Syndrome: How to identify the warning signs of a fading connection before your relationship becomes devoid of intimacy. * The Safety Factor: Why emotional safety is the most important prerequisite for desire (and how to create that safety). * Pleasure as a Practice: Using self-touch, sexy playlists, and "micro-pleasures" throughout the day to heal your relationship with your sexuality. Xanet wants us all to remember—pleasure is our birthright. If you've been feeling disconnected from the pleasure, sexuality, and magic of life, this episode is for you. * Order Xanet's new book: The Sex & Intimacy Repair Kit [https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Intimacy-Repair-Kit-Communication/dp/1963667417] * Read the bestseller: Living an Orgasmic Life [https://www.amazon.com/Living-Orgasmic-Life-Yourself-Pleasure/dp/1633538265] * Work with Xanet: Passionate Intimacy Retreats [https://www.passionateintimacyretreats.com/] * Follow Xanet on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xanetpop/ [https://www.instagram.com/xanetpop/]