Perimenopause 101: The Symptoms, Tests & Fixes No One Tells You About

Melinda French Gates: Inside Her $600 Million Mission for Women's Health

Melinda French Gates joins Tamsen with a major announcement, a huge new donation toward women’s midlife and menopause care, and she’s making it right here on The Tamsen Show.  Melinda has pledged $2 billion to women and families in her lifetime, and this new commitment expands her women’s health work into menopause for the first time. In this episode she breaks down what the funding means for perimenopause and menopause care, why so many women get dismissed by their doctors, and how she plans to fix it, starting with the people we turn to first: our doctors. Right now only about a third of OBGYNs are trained in menopause. Less than one percent of aging research even looks at it. Melinda is putting real money and her name behind changing that, and this conversation is about what that shift will mean for you, your friends, your daughters, and the generations coming up behind us. We also cover: - Why the funding goes toward training doctors instead of going straight to women - Why it took Melinda three doctors to get the right care, even with every resource available to her - The bone health and cardiovascular risks no one warns you about - How menopause could have its own Susan G. Komen moment - What she learned about navigating big transitions and building your next chapter - The daily non-negotiables and decades-long friendships that keep her grounded Melinda’s latest book, The Next Day, is a must-read on navigating life’s biggest transitions. You can find it here [https://www.amazon.com/Next-Day-Transitions-Change-Forward/dp/1250378656] If you like this episode, then you will love: Perimenopause 101: The Symptoms, Tests & Fixes No One Tells You About [https://bit.ly/tts-tf-melinda-peri101] Follow Melinda on ⁠Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/melindagates] Follow Melinda on ⁠Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/melindafrenchgates] Stay connected with Tamsen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get ⁠Tamsen's newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-newsletter] filled with free tools⁠ to living better, feeling stronger, and knowing you’re never alone Get Tamsen’s NYT instant bestselling book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠How To Menopause⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-htm] ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Resources⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-hub] from Tamsen  Watch all the episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-yt] Follow Tamsen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-ig1]  The Tamsen Show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-ig2] Follow Tamsen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-tt]  This show is sponsored by Midi Health. Visit https://joinmidi.com/tamsen [https://joinmidi.com/tamsen] today to book your personalized, insurance-covered virtual visit. Midi. The Care Women Deserve. Go to https://www.leesa.com/ [https://www.leesa.com/] for 25% off select mattresses PLUS get an extra $50 off with promo code TAMSEN. Support our show and let them know we sent you after checkout! Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns or treatment options. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Tamsen Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

The Hormone Doctor: The Truth About Cortisol, Estrogen and Balancing Your Hormones

Most of what you've heard about hormone balance, perimenopause symptoms, and hormone therapy online is wrong. That misunderstanding is costing women years of unnecessary suffering through puberty, pregnancy, and menopause stages when effective solutions like testosterone for women already exist and can make a real difference. Endocrinologist Dr. Gillian Goddard is joining Tamsen Fadal on The Tamsen Show to cut through the noise and explain how your hormonal system actually works and what to do when it feels like it isn't. She breaks down the feedback loop mechanism that keeps your hormones self-regulating, why that process is far more dynamic than any "hormone optimization" trend on social media, and what happens when those loops are disrupted at key life transitions. In this episode, Tamsen and Dr. Goddard cover: - What a hormone actually is, and why the feedback loop model changes everything - The thyroid-immune system connection and why puberty, pregnancy, and perimenopause are your highest-risk windows for thyroid disease - The late reproductive stage: the perimenopause phase most doctors miss, and why it matters - HRT vs. birth control for perimenopausal symptoms, and why the right answer depends on where you are in your reproductive stage - Testosterone for women: what the science actually shows (and what it doesn't yet) - How to talk to your doctor about perimenopause, hormone therapy, and getting your symptoms taken seriously If you've ever left a doctor's office dismissed because your periods were still regular but you knew something was off, this episode is for you. The late reproductive stage affects roughly 50% of women between ages 37 and 45, and most women have never heard of it. Dr. Goddard's message is clear: you don't need to suffer. Whether you're navigating your first period or your last, your symptoms are valid and they can be addressed. If you liked this conversation, check out the rest of the How To Menopause series: ⁠⁠Estrogen Down There 101: Here's Everything You Need to Know⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-tf-htm-estrogen-101%E2%81%A0] ⁠Testosterone 101: Everything You Need to Know in 20 Minutes⁠⁠ ⁠Relationships 101: Is It Him or Is It Menopause? Here's How to Tell⁠ ⁠Perimenopause 101: The Symptoms, Tests & Fixes No One Tells You About⁠ Stay connected with Tamsen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get ⁠Tamsen's newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-newsletter] filled with free tools⁠ to living better, feeling stronger, and knowing you’re never alone Get Tamsen’s NYT instant bestselling book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠How To Menopause⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-htm] ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Resources⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-hub] from Tamsen  Watch all the episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-yt] Follow Tamsen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-ig1]  The Tamsen Show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-ig2] Follow Tamsen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-tt]  Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns or treatment options. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Tamsen Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Shannon Elizabeth: The American Pie Star on Starting Over & Getting Her Power Back

Shannon Elizabeth was the it girl of the early 2000s... American Pie, Scary Movie, Love Actually, That 70s Show. What we didn't know was how much Shannon was carrying underneath all of it. In this personal and unfiltered episode, Tamsen sits down with her cousin Shannon Elizabeth, for the first time with a microphone between them. They grew up together at their grandmother's house. They went through their divorces around the same time. They have been each other's people through all of it. And this conversation goes places neither of them planned. Shannon gets honest about what it was actually like being swept up in the entertainment machine at 25 and moving so fast through the biggest moments of her career that she barely lived any of them. Now in her 50s, she talks about the announcement that got everyone talking, joining OnlyFans, and the real reason she is doing it now after years of watching creator culture build around her and staying on the sidelines. She wasn't in a good place for a long time and she didn't want to fake it. Now she is and she is ready to be seen. You'll hear: - What it was actually like being Nadia from American Pie and the parts of that chapter Shannon almost doesn't remember - Why she built walls so high that even the people who loved her couldn't get through them and what finally made her put them down - How going through divorce at the same time brought Tamsen and Shannon closer than they had ever been - Why she is finally ready to share her real life publicly after years of saying no to creator culture - What her 50s feel like compared to every decade that came before - Why losing her dad changed how she understands community and family This one feels like sitting on a couch with two old friends finally saying the things they have been meaning to say. Because that is exactly what it is. Shop the products Shannon mentioned here [https://shopmy.us/collections/5568996] Learn more about Shannon’s foundation [https://shannonelizabeth.org/] Check out Shannon’s charity poker event [https://givebutter.com/2nd-annual-rhino-rumble-poker-championship] If you liked this conversation, check this out: Jamie Lynn Sigler: How to Forgive Yourself and Rewrite Your Story [https://bit.ly/tts-tf-jamie-shannon] Stay connected with Tamsen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get ⁠Tamsen's newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-newsletter] filled with free tools⁠ to living better, feeling stronger, and knowing you’re never alone Get Tamsen’s NYT instant bestselling book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠How To Menopause⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-htm] ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Resources⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-hub] from Tamsen  Watch all the episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-yt] Follow Tamsen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-ig1]  The Tamsen Show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-ig2] Follow Tamsen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-tt]  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Kachava: Code TAMSEN for 15% off your order ⁠https://www.kachava.com⁠ [https://www.kachava.com] Currentbody: Code TAMSENCB for 10% off ⁠https://go.shopmy.us/p-54389490 [https://go.shopmy.us/p-54389490] Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns or treatment options. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Tamsen Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Build Strength After 40: How to Future-Proof Your Body Starting Today

This conversation is for the woman who wants to make sure she is doing the right things for her health today so she can live longer, stronger, and more confidently well into her 80s and beyond. You'll learn the most effective strength training regimen, how to combat muscle loss in perimenopause and menopause, falls prevention techniques, and how to finally heal from chronic injuries like back pain and frozen shoulder. In this episode, Tamsen Fadal sits down with physiotherapist and best-selling author Will Harlow to explain the science of how muscle, bone, and joints change with age, what is actually driving those changes, and the specific, evidence-based protocols that reverse them. Will shares a precise, actionable framework for building strength, preserving mobility, and protecting skeletal health without spending hours in the gym. Will and Tamsen discuss: - Why muscle loss and strength loss in women starts at 30, not 50, and what that means for the choices you are making right now - The 3-2-1 method for building strength - The four pillars of independence - Why the pain going away does not mean the problem is fixed - The rule for finally breaking the cycle of recurring injuries in women over 50 - Why perimenopause and menopause make women more vulnerable to frozen shoulder (and what to do about it) - How to build balance and prevent falls - The one form of exercise that can transform your health - What a realistic strength training and mobility week looks like Plus, Tamsen opens up about her own recurring back injury, her experience with frozen shoulder, and what Will told her that she wishes someone had said two years ago. If you liked this conversation, check this out The Muscle Episode: Get Stronger, Look Better & Reverse Your Biological Age [https://bit.ly/tts-tf-shannon-will] and How Getting Stronger as You Age Can Change Everything [https://bit.ly/tts-tf-gabrielle-will] Stay connected with Tamsen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get ⁠Tamsen's newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-newsletter] filled with free tools⁠ to living better, feeling stronger, and knowing you’re never alone Get Tamsen’s NYT instant bestselling book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠How To Menopause⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-htm] ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Resources⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-hub] from Tamsen  Watch all the episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-yt] Follow Tamsen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-ig1]  The Tamsen Show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-ig2] Follow Tamsen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-tt]  This show is sponsored by Midi Health. Visit https://joinmidi.com/TAMSEN [https://joinmidi.com/TAMSEN%20]today to book your personalized, insurance-covered virtual visit. Midi. The Care Women Deserve. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at https://www.shopify.com/tamsen [https://www.shopify.com/tamsen]! Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns or treatment options. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Tamsen Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Perimenopause 101: The Symptoms, Tests & Fixes No One Tells You About

In the next 20 minutes, you are going to understand something that nobody told you. And once you do, nothing about the last few years is going to feel random anymore. Tamsen went through perimenopause completely alone. No one explained what was happening. No TikTok full of women going through the same thing. No doctor proactively connecting the dots. Just a message in her patient portal that said, “In menopause, any questions?” That was it. In this honest and personal episode, Tamsen shares the five things she wishes she had known, from why the belly fat was never her fault to why she was Googling dementia symptoms in a bathroom stall during the evening news, to the one thing that took her years to unlearn about hormone therapy that she thinks about every single day. You'll learn: - Why the belly fat and bloating were not your fault and what is actually behind them - How perimenopause changed every relationship in Tamsen's life before she even understood what was happening= - Why the psychological symptoms hit before the physical ones and what that means for the anxiety, irritability, and brain fog you may be feeling right now - The truth about the 2002 Women's Health Initiative study and why it kept millions of women from accessing tools that could have helped them - Why testosterone almost never comes up in the first conversation and why Tamsen thinks it should - What to do if your doctor has dismissed your symptoms or never brought up the perimenopause conversation at all - If you have ever felt like you were falling apart in slow motion and no one could see it, including yourself, this episode is for you. Download Tamsen's FREE ⁠How to Perimenopause guide [https://bit.ly/tf-perimenopause-guide]! If you liked this conversation, check out the rest of the How To Menopause series: Estrogen Down There 101: Here's Everything You Need to Know [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/estrogen-down-there-101-heres-everything-you-need-to-know/id1799976761?i=1000762353535] Testosterone 101: Everything You Need to Know in 20 Minutes [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/testosterone-101-everything-you-need-to-know-in-20-minutes/id1799976761?i=1000761051445] Relationships 101: Is It Him or Is It Menopause? Here's How to Tell [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relationships-101-is-it-him-or-is-it-menopause-heres/id1799976761?i=1000763766756] Stay connected with Tamsen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get ⁠Tamsen's newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-newsletter] filled with free tools⁠ to living better, feeling stronger, and knowing you’re never alone Get Tamsen’s NYT instant bestselling book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠How To Menopause⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-htm] ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Resources⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-hub] from Tamsen  Watch all the episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-yt] Follow Tamsen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-ig1]  The Tamsen Show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-ig2] Follow Tamsen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://bit.ly/tts-audio-tt]  Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns or treatment options. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Tamsen Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]