Energized with Dr. Mariza

Latest Episodes:

781: What If It’s Not Anxiety, Burnout, or “Just Your Hormones”? The Hidden Signs of ADHD in Women with Dr. Jolene Brighten Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

What if the brain fog, overwhelm, time blindness, racing thoughts, and shorter emotional fuse showing up in your 40s aren’t just perimenopause?

For many women, ADHD has been hiding in plain sight for decades.

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down with women’s hormone expert and author Dr. Jolene Brighten to unpack why ADHD looks so different in women, why so many girls learn to mask their symptoms, and why changing estrogen levels during perimenopause can make those coping strategies suddenly stop working.

Dr. Brighten explains how ADHD in women may look less like the stereotypical hyperactive child and more like people-pleasing, perfectionism, constantly running mental lists, interrupting because you’re afraid you’ll forget your thought, chronic overwhelm, and appearing completely put together while internally struggling.

They also dive into the fascinating overlap between ADHD, perimenopause, PMDD, sleep, mitochondrial function, glucose metabolism, neuroinflammation, and emotional regulation.

And perhaps most importantly, they discuss what women can actually do: how movement can support brain energy, why sleep matters so much for the ADHD brain, how to build habits that work with your executive function instead of against it, and exactly how to advocate for a proper evaluation when your concerns are dismissed.

Because if your brain suddenly feels harder to manage in midlife, there may be more going on than “just hormones.”

DR. JOLENE BRIGHTEN

Dr. Jolene Brighten is a board-certified naturopathic endocrinologist, women’s hormone expert, educator, and bestselling author whose work focuses on helping women better understand the relationship between their hormones, brain, and overall health.

Her newest book, ADHD and Women: A Guide to Optimizing Your Hormones and Thriving with ADHD, explores how female hormones can influence ADHD symptoms throughout puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause.

In this conversation, Dr. Brighten brings both clinical expertise and personal experience to the complicated intersection of ADHD, hormonal transitions, PMDD, emotional regulation, sleep, and women finally receiving answers after decades of believing they simply needed to try harder.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why ADHD in women can hide behind people-pleasing, perfectionism, and looking “high-functioning”

How declining estrogen in perimenopause can make masking ADHD symptoms much harder

Why girls with ADHD are often diagnosed with anxiety or depression instead

The connection between ADHD, mitochondrial function, brain glucose metabolism, and neuroinflammation

Why movement can temporarily improve focus and cognitive performance in the ADHD brain

How sleep disruption can compound brain fog, emotional dysregulation, and ADHD symptoms

Why ADHD and PMDD so often overlap and may worsen during perimenopause

How hormones may influence impulsivity, mood, executive function, and premenstrual ADHD symptoms

What to track and say to your doctor if you suspect ADHD but keep getting dismissed

QUOTES

“Build pleasure into your day.”

“It is not just a hormone story.”

“High functioning is the label that society puts on women so that they can feel comfortable asking for more from her.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Stop surviving and start thriving! Join the Midlife on Fire Collective and get 30 days free:

https://drmariza.com/trial

Join my brand-new Substack: for the woman everyone depends on who is wondering why everything feels harder in midlife:

https://drmariza.substack.com/

ADHD and Women by Dr. Jolene Brighten:

https://amzn.to/4zxqcq0

Dr. Jolene Brighten Website

https://drbrighten.com/

Dr. Jolene Brighten Substack:

https://drbrighten.substack.com/

Dr. Jolene Brighten Instagram

RELATED EPISODES

769: Is It Perimenopause or Something Else? How to Finally Connect the Dots with Dr. Mariza

763: Why So Many High-Functing and Achieving Women Miss the Signs of Hormone Imbalance with Anastasia Sartan

744: The Midlife Brain Reset: How to Protect Your Memory, Focus, and Mental Sharpness Starting Now

661: When “Normal” Isn’t Normal: How to Be Heard (and Taken Seriously) at the Doctor’s Office

780: The New Rules of Resilience: Energy, Recovery & Thriving in a Full Life with Angela Foster Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

What if you’re not burned out?

You’re still working. Still exercising. Still taking care of your family. Still getting everything done.

From the outside, you look like you’re handling it all.

But underneath that competence, your body may be keeping a very different score through your sleep, recovery, energy, mood, stress tolerance, and heart rate variability.

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down with nutritionist, health and performance coach, and High Performance Health podcast host Angela Foster to unpack the difference between true resilience and simply becoming incredibly good at pushing through.

Angela explains why changing hormones in midlife can expose the cost of years of chronic under-recovery, how HRV can offer clues about whether your training and lifestyle actually match your capacity, and why the workout that once energized you may now leave you depleted for days.

They also share practical ways to build more recovery into a full life without abandoning your ambition, including walking, strength training, strategic HIIT, box breathing, the physiological sigh, morning light, intentional pauses, boundaries, and what Dr. Mariza calls “mindfulness snacks.”

Because the goal isn’t to build a smaller life.

It’s to build the energy, resilience, and capacity to keep living the big life you’ve worked so hard to create.

ANGELA FOSTER

Angela Foster is a nutritionist, health and performance coach, and host of the High Performance Health podcast. Her work focuses on helping ambitious women optimize their energy, hormones, resilience, and longevity without sacrificing the full lives they love.

Drawing from her own journey through major depressive disorder and perimenopause, Angela combines lifestyle medicine, exercise, recovery, nervous system regulation, and performance data such as HRV to help women understand their individual capacity and build greater resilience.

IN THIS EPISODE

How to distinguish true resilience from simply getting really good at pushing through

Why hormonal changes in midlife can expose years of chronic under-recovery

How HRV can reveal whether your training load actually matches your recovery capacity

Why HIIT may energize some women while leaving others depleted for days

How walking, strength training, box breathing, and intentional recovery can support resilience

Why small “mindfulness snacks” throughout the day can help regulate your nervous system

What to investigate when you’re doing everything right but your HRV still isn’t improving

How boundaries, asking for help, and taking things off your plate can actually expand your future capacity

Why sustainable ambition doesn’t require giving up the career or life you’ve worked hard to build

QUOTES
“The biggest stress for us is when we don’t feel that sense of self-agency.”

“When you put intentional pauses into your day, you can slow that down and be present.”

“Where in your life can you put an anchor in your day that just grounds you back to what’s important?”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Find inspiration, connection, and meaningful reads. Join the Book Club now!

https://drmariza.com/bookclub

Join my brand-new Substack: for the woman everyone depends on who is wondering why everything feels harder in midlife:

https://drmariza.substack.com/

High Performance Health Podcast

https://angelafosterperformance.com/podcasts/

Angela Foster Website

https://angelafosterperformance.com/

Angela Foster Instagram

RELATED EPISODES

772: The Cost of Holding It All Together: How Overfunctioning Changes Your Hormones, Brain & Metabolism with Dr. Mariza

776: What Changes When Your Body Can’t Keep Pushing Like It Used To? with Dr. Taz Bhatia

737: Why You Still Feel Off in Midlife (Even When You’re Doing Everything Right) with Dr. Melissa Sonners

758: Why Your Body Can’t Heal Until It Feels Safe: The Nervous System Shift That Changes Everything with Dr. Dave Rabin

779: How Did We Get Hormones So Wrong? The HRT Story Every Woman Should Know with Dr. Louise Newson Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

How did hormones become something women were taught to fear?

For decades, hormone therapy has been surrounded by confusion, conflicting recommendations, and sweeping assumptions that lump very different hormones and formulations together. Meanwhile, women continue walking into doctors’ offices saying, “I don’t feel like myself anymore,” and too often leave without answers or options.

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down in London with physician, women’s hormone specialist, educator, bestselling author, and advocate Dr. Louise Newson for a powerful conversation about how women’s hormone care got here and what needs to change.

They unpack why menopause has been reduced to hot flashes and night sweats, why estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone need far more nuance, and why Dr. Newson believes hormones deserve a place in the conversation about long-term health, not simply symptom relief.

They also go deep into one of the most controversial areas of women’s hormone care: testosterone, why the conversation so often begins and ends with libido, and what Dr. Newson has observed in women taking it for broader symptoms.

Most importantly, this episode is about informed choice: giving women accurate information, acknowledging where evidence is strong or still evolving, and creating healthcare relationships where women can participate fully in decisions about their own bodies.

DR. LOUISE NEWSON

Dr. Louise Newson is a physician, women’s hormone specialist, educator, bestselling author, and advocate working to transform the way women understand and access hormone care.

Her newest book, The Power of Hormones, explores the history of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, hormone therapy, inflammation, and the medical decisions that have shaped women’s healthcare. Dr. Newson also focuses heavily on helping women understand their options and participate more actively in decisions about their health.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why menopause and hormone loss need to be viewed as more than hot flashes and night sweats

How decades of medical history shaped today’s fear and confusion around hormone therapy

Why lifestyle and hormone therapy should not be treated as an either-or decision

The controversy around testosterone for women and why the conversation extends beyond libido

Why the specific hormone and formulation matter when discussing benefits and risks

How hormone changes may influence metabolic health, inflammation, and healthy aging

The differences Dr. Newson draws between bioidentical hormones and synthetic hormone formulations

Why younger women with hormonal conditions such as PMDD deserve a deeper hormone conversation

How women can use knowledge, evidence, and informed choice to advocate for better healthcare

QUOTES

“You can only decide when you’ve got knowledge.”

“It’s all about choice based on evidence and fact.”

“We really need to grow up and think we need to prevent disease.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution

http://drmariza.com/book

Stop surviving and start thriving, join Midlife on Fire Collective now

https://drmariza.com/trial

Join my brand-new Substack: for the woman everyone depends on who is wondering why everything feels harder in midlife:

https://drmariza.substack.com/

Stop guessing, start testing. Explore Joi & Blokes personalized labs with code DRMARIZA.

https://joiandblokes.com/labs-with-dr-mariza-snyder/

Use code ENERGIZED and get 10% off on your MitoQ Order

https://www.mitoq.com/energized

The Power of Hormones by Dr. Louise Newson

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Hormones-misinformation-hormones-healthier

Dr. Louise Newson Website

https://www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/

Dr. Louise Newson Instagram

RELATED EPISODES

656: The Dangers Of NOT Prescribing Bioidentical HRT + Migraines, Testosterone and Mitigating Inflammation with Dr. Louise Newson

680: You Are Not Broken: Why Women Need Testosterone to Feel Strong, Sexy & Energized with Dr. Kelly Casperson

605: Breaking the HRT Confusion: The Truth Behind Hormone Replacement Therapy for Perimenopausal Women with Karen Martel

592: Menopause, HRT, and Breast Cancer + How to Advocate for Yourself with Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz

778: The Fatigue Problem No One Is Solving for Women Over 40 (And The Labs I Order First) Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

You’re exhausted by 2 or 3 PM. Your workouts suddenly wipe you out. Your hair is shedding, your brain feels foggy, and even climbing a flight of stairs leaves you more winded than it used to.

Then you finally ask for help and hear: “Your labs are normal.”

In this solo episode, Dr. Mariza breaks down one of the most commonly missed contributors to persistent fatigue in women: iron deficiency, even before anemia develops. She explains newly released American Society of Hematology ferritin thresholds and why women who were previously told their iron was “normal” may deserve a closer look.

But iron is only one part of the conversation.

Dr. Mariza walks through the bigger clinical picture she considers when a woman says, “I don’t feel like myself anymore,” including thyroid function, mitochondrial energy production, blood sugar, sleep, nutrition, stress physiology, and HPA-axis regulation.

Most importantly, she explains why fatigue is a symptom, not a diagnosis and why neither stress, aging, nor perimenopause should automatically become the explanation for everything you’re experiencing.

Listen now to learn what may be hiding behind your exhaustion and how to have a more productive conversation with your healthcare provider.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why iron deficiency can exist before you become anemic

The new ferritin thresholds women should know about

Why a lab’s reference range and a diagnostic threshold are not always the same thing

Why heavy perimenopausal periods can increase your risk of depleted iron stores

The fatigue, brain fog, headaches, hair shedding, and exercise intolerance that can overlap with perimenopause

How iron, thyroid hormones, nutrition, blood sugar, sleep, and recovery influence mitochondrial energy production

Why “adrenal fatigue” oversimplifies what may actually be happening with the HPA axis

How under-fueling, over-training, poor sleep, circadian disruption, illness, and caffeine can add to the body’s total stress load

The questions to ask when you know something has changed but your labs keep coming back “normal”

QUOTES

“You can be iron deficient before you ever become anemic.”

“Two things can be true at once.”

“I don’t want mitochondrial dysfunction to become another vague label we give an exhausted woman.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Find inspiration, connection, and meaningful reads. Join the Book Club now!

https://drmariza.com/bookclub

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution

http://drmariza.com/book

Stop surviving and start thriving, join Midlife on Fire Collective now

https://drmariza.com/trial

RELATED EPISODES

769: Is It Perimenopause or Something Else? How to Finally Connect the Dots with Dr. Mariza

664: The Hidden Reason You’re Exhausted: How to Fix Cortisol and Boost Stress Resilience in Perimenopause

661: When “Normal” Isn’t Normal: How to Be Heard (and Taken Seriously) at the Doctor’s Office

755: What If Your Body Isn’t Broken, Just Undernourished? The Missing Link Between Nutrients, Hormones & Energy with Ryan Woodbury

777: What We Know Now: The Midlife Lessons No One Taught Us with Jenn Pike Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

What happens when the woman who has always been able to handle everything suddenly realizes her body won’t let her operate that way anymore?

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down with functional diagnostic nutritionist, medical exercise specialist, bestselling author, and women’s health educator Jenn Pike for a deeply personal conversation about the capacity shift that can happen in perimenopause.

Jenn shares the subtle signs she noticed in her late 30s: alcohol suddenly disrupting her sleep, slower workout recovery, increased soreness, less patience, and a shorter emotional fuse. Eventually, she realized she wasn’t simply stressed. Her body needed her to operate differently.

They unpack what happened when Jenn stopped forcing intense workouts, began respecting her changing energy, reduced her workload, asked for help, and started saying no, even when disappointing people felt uncomfortable.

But this conversation goes even deeper into the identity so many high-functioning women carry: “I’ve got this. I don’t need help.”

Listen now to discover why perimenopause may be an invitation to protect your energy, trust your body, and stop treating exhaustion as the price of a full life.

JENN PIKE

Jenn Pike is a functional diagnostic nutritionist, medical exercise specialist, bestselling author, and women’s health educator who has spent years helping women in perimenopause and menopause better understand their hormones and bodies.

She is also the host of The Simplicity Sessions podcast. In this conversation, Jenn shares her own experience of entering perimenopause in her late 30s and how it forced her to rethink exercise, work, motherhood, boundaries, identity, and the belief that she always had to be the one who could handle everything.

IN THIS EPISODE

The subtle perimenopause signs Jenn started noticing before age 40

Why intense workouts stopped feeling good and how she changed her training

What overstimulation and a shorter emotional fuse revealed about her capacity

How overcommitment and constantly being needed contributed to burnout

Why Jenn had to dramatically rethink how much she could put on her calendar

Learning to ask for help, delegate, and disappoint people without falling apart

Why perimenopause can bring your deepest patterns around productivity and self-worth back up for review

How Jenn moved from being “smart” to feeling wiser, calmer, and more trusting of herself

QUOTES

“The nutrient is actually doing less, and figuring out how to do less better.”

“I taught people to expect that of me.”

“I don't have to be that person to be loved.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution:

https://drmariza.com/book

Join my brand new Substack: for the woman everyone depends on who is wondering why everything feels harder in midlife >>

https://drmariza.substack.com/

The Simplicity Sessions Podcast:

https://jennpike.com/podcast/

Jenn Pike Website

https://jennpike.com/

Jenn Pike Instagram

RELATED EPISODES

776: What Changes When Your Body Can’t Keep Pushing Like It Used To? With Dr. Taz Bhatia

775: Wide Awake at 3 A.M.? What’s Really Disrupting Your Sleep in Midlife with Morgan Adams

774: Training for Your Grandma Self: How to Build a Body That Lasts

769: Is It Perimenopause or Something Else? How to Finally Connect the Dots with Dr. Mariza

776: What Changes When Your Body Can’t Keep Pushing Like It Used To? With Dr. Taz Bhatia Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

What if perimenopause isn’t simply changing your hormones, but revealing everything your body has been compensating for for years?

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down with integrative medicine physician and women’s health expert Dr. Taz Bhatia for an incredibly personal conversation about what happens when the strategies that helped high-functioning women push through for decades suddenly stop working.

Dr. Taz shares how her own perimenopause began with incredibly heavy periods, fatigue, anemia, hair loss, mood changes, and unexpected weight gain.

But one of her biggest surprises came later: as progesterone and estrogen declined, her blood sugar, insulin, cholesterol, A1C, and liver enzymes began creeping upward, revealing just how interconnected hormones and metabolic health really are.

They also explore the emotional transformation of midlife: letting go of people-pleasing, protecting your energy, releasing the need to be the “good girl,” and becoming clearer about who you are and what deserves your attention.

Listen now to rethink perimenopause as an opportunity to understand your body, protect your health, and step powerfully into what comes next.

DR. TAZ BHATIA

Dr. Taz Bhatia is a board-certified integrative medicine physician, women’s health expert, and bestselling author of several books, including The Hormone Shift. Her work explores the connections between hormones, metabolism, stress, nutrition, and whole-body health.

Through her Whole Plus clinics and podcast, Dr. Taz advocates for a more collaborative approach to women’s health that looks beyond symptoms to cognitive, metabolic, cardiovascular, bone, mental, and hormonal health.

IN THIS EPISODE

How extremely heavy periods became Dr. Taz’s first undeniable sign of perimenopause

Why weight gain in midlife isn’t necessarily something women simply have to accept

How estrogen and progesterone shifts can intersect with blood sugar, insulin, cholesterol, and visceral fat

Why the “silent” cardiometabolic changes of menopause deserve more attention

Why your body may stop tolerating the stress, sleep debt, and depletion you once pushed through

How perimenopause helped Dr. Taz stop people-pleasing and build stronger boundaries

Why knowing your own patterns and tracking changes can help you advocate for yourself

How midlife can become an opportunity to redefine your identity, purpose, and power

QUOTES

Perimenopause is really where women come into their own.”

“These are not my battles. This is not my fight.”

“We gotta redefine what fine is.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Find inspiration, connection, and meaningful reads: Join my Soulful Shelf Book Club (no cost) here:

https://drmariza.com/bookclub

Join my brand-new Substack: for the woman everyone depends on who is wondering why everything feels harder in midlife:

https://drmariza.substack.com/

The Hormone Shift by Dr. Taz Bhatia:

https://amzn.to/4xJ5VfK

The Superwoman Rx by Dr. Taz Bhatia:

https://amzn.to/4hHkZpn

Dr. Taz Website:

https://doctortaz.com/

Dr. Taz Instagram

Hol+ Wellness Podcast

RELATED EPISODES

775: Wide Awake at 3 A.M.? What’s Really Disrupting Your Sleep in Midlife with Morgan Adams

774: Training for Your Grandma Self: How to Build a Body That Lasts

771: Beyond Hot Flashes: The 103 Symptoms of Perimenopause No One Talks About with Andrea Donsky

769: Is It Perimenopause or Something Else? How to Finally Connect the Dots with Dr. Mariza

775: Wide Awake at 3 A.M.? What’s Really Disrupting Your Sleep in Midlife with Morgan Adams Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

If you keep waking up at 2:00, 3:00, or 4:00 AM and can’t fall back asleep, your hormones may only be one piece of the puzzle.

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down with sleep expert Morgan Adams to unpack why sleep can suddenly fall apart in midlife and what you can actually do about it.

Morgan explains three major forces affecting women’s sleep: declining estrogen and progesterone, rising anxiety and depression, and the enormous demands of being part of the “sandwich generation,” often juggling a career, children, and aging parents simultaneously.

They dig into one of the biggest complaints among midlife women: middle-of-the-night wake-ups. From blood sugar dysregulation and overheating to overlooked breathing issues, Morgan reveals why repeatedly waking at the same time deserves a closer look.

You’ll also learn what not to do when you wake up, the cognitive trick that may interrupt 3 AM rumination, why your wearable can’t replace a sleep study, and whether sleeping separately from your partner could actually protect your health and your relationship.

Listen now for practical strategies to finally get the deeper, more restorative sleep your body needs.

MORGAN ADAMS

Morgan Adams is a sleep coach who helps women struggling with insomnia and disrupted sleep improve their sleep using evidence-based behavioral strategies.

Her work includes cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) principles and practical approaches to middle-of-the-night wake-ups, rumination, evening routines, and sleep optimization. In the episode, she also offers listeners a guide specifically for 3 AM wake-ups and an opportunity to connect with her about insomnia support.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why sleep can suddenly fall apart for women in midlife

What “revenge bedtime procrastination” is and why busy women do it

The surprising reasons you may keep waking up around 3 AM

How blood sugar dysregulation may contribute to nighttime wake-ups

Why overheating may be disrupting your sleep even without night sweats

The overlooked breathing problems that can leave healthy women exhausted

What to do when your brain starts spiraling in the middle of the night

Why a “sleep divorce” might actually become a sleep alliance

QUOTES
“My big thing is mindfulness snacks.”

“Sleeping separately doesn’t mean the marriage has failed.”

“It’s not a template. It’s really an individualized kind of puzzle that you kinda have to put together for yourself.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Find inspiration, connection, and meaningful reads. Join the Book Club now!

Awake Again at 3am by Morgan Adams

Morgan Adams Website

Morgan Adams Instagram

RELATED EPISODES

774: Training for Your Grandma Self: How to Build a Body That Lasts

771: Beyond Hot Flashes: The 103 Symptoms of Perimenopause No One Talks About with Andrea Donsky

769: Is It Perimenopause or Something Else? How to Finally Connect the Dots with Dr. Mariza

750: The Underlying Cellular Cause of Midlife Fatigue, Brain Fog & Low Motivation with Andrew Salzman

774: Training for Your Grandma Self: How to Build a Body That Lasts with Dr. Stephanie Estima Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

What if one of the biggest questions of perimenopause isn’t simply “How do I feel better right now?” but “Who do I want to be 20, 30, or 40 years from now?”

In this deeply personal conversation, Dr. Mariza sits down with women’s health expert Dr. Stephanie Estima to talk about the side of midlife that rarely makes it into conversations about hormones.

They explore what happens when the high-functioning woman who has always been able to handle everything begins to notice that her capacity has changed. Stephanie shares how she can no longer work the same 10- or 12-hour days she once could, why movement has become essential for her mental clarity, and how perimenopause has made her more discerning about where she puts her energy.

But this conversation goes much deeper than symptoms.

From female friendship and motherhood to living according to your values, Stephanie and Mariza ask what it actually means to build a life and body capable of carrying you through the second half of your life.

You’ll also hear Stephanie’s non-negotiables for longevity, including strength, mobility, joint health, pelvic floor health, and the small habits that compound over decades.

Listen now and start training for the woman you still want to become.

DR. STEPHANIE ESTIMA

Dr. Stephanie Estima is a women’s health expert, chiropractor, bestselling author of The Betty Body, and host of the Better with Dr. Stephanie podcast.

Her work focuses on helping women understand their bodies, optimize health and performance, and build strength and resilience throughout the different stages of life.

In this conversation, Stephanie gets especially personal about her own experience of midlife, motherhood, changing capacity, friendship, fitness, and becoming increasingly comfortable being fully herself.

IN THIS EPISODE

Why your mental and work capacity can feel different in perimenopause

The emotional reality of motherhood as your children grow up

Why female friendship and connection matter more in midlife

The powerful realization that your mid-40s may represent your halfway point

How to tell if your calendar actually reflects what you say you value

Why strength training is one of Stephanie’s longevity non-negotiables

The overlooked role of mobility and joint health as you age

Why pelvic floor health deserves your attention long before older age

QUOTES
“I think I have, like, lactic acid of the soul.”

“I really do need people.”

“Are you living in alignment with the things that you say are important to you?”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution

Stop surviving and start thriving, join Midlife on Fire Collective now

The Betty Body by Dr. Stephanie Estima

Better with Dr. Stephanie Podcast

Stephanie Estima Website

Stephanie Estima Facebook

Stephanie Estima Instagram

RELATED EPISODES

773: What’s Really Driving How Fast You Age? The Science of Biological Aging with Nikolina Lauc

771: Beyond Hot Flashes: The 103 Symptoms of Perimenopause No One Talks About with Andrea Donsky

769: Is It Perimenopause or Something Else? How to Finally Connect the Dots with Dr. Mariza

750: The Underlying Cellular Cause of Midlife Fatigue, Brain Fog & Low Motivation with Andrew Salzman

773: What’s Really Driving How Fast You Age? The Science of Biological Aging with Nikolina Lauc Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

What if perimenopause isn’t only changing your hormones, but also changing how your body is aging underneath the surface?

In this episode, Dr. Mariza sits down with Nikolina Lauc, CEO and co-founder of GlycanAge, to explore emerging research on immune aging, chronic low-grade inflammation, and the menopause transition.

Nikolina shares research showing just how dramatically markers of “inflammaging” can shift when estrogen declines. In one hormone-blocking study, women gained 9.1 years on GlycanAge markers within six months, while research following twins found the rate of immune aging accelerated during the transition from perimenopause to menopause.

They unpack why this inflammation may be happening even when your traditional labs look normal, what glycans can reveal about how your immune system is functioning, and why biological age is more complex than a single number.

They also explore the research around HRT, exercise, weight loss, fasting, GLP-1 medications, nutrition, and why the same intervention doesn’t work the same way for every woman.

Listen now to discover what may be happening beneath the surface in perimenopause and how better data could help you become more proactive about how you age.

NIKOLINA LAUC

Nikolina Lauc is the CEO and co-founder of GlycanAge, a longevity biotechnology company focused on glycans, immune aging, chronic inflammation, and biological age.

GlycanAge’s research focuses specifically on “inflammaging,” the chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation associated with aging. Its work examines glycan structures on antibodies to better understand whether the immune system is behaving in a more pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory way.

IN THIS EPISODE

What biological age actually means and why there isn’t one universal biological-age number

How chronic low-grade inflammation can develop without obvious symptoms

Why immune-aging markers may accelerate during the menopause transition

How declining estrogen influences inflammation and immune function

Why your hormone and traditional inflammatory labs can look normal while something is shifting

What glycans can reveal about your immune system and inflammaging

What the research suggests about HRT, exercise, weight loss, fasting, and GLP-1s

Why interventions for healthy aging need to be personalized

QUOTES

“There’s never going to be one biological age.”

“Not everybody experiences perimenopause in the same way.”

“There’s no universal diet.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Use Code ENERGIZED and Get 10% Off on your GlycanAge Single Order or Subscription

https://www.glycanage.com/dashboard/shop

GlycanAge Website

GlycanAge Instagram

GlycanAge LinkedIn

RELATED EPISODES

771: Beyond Hot Flashes: The 103 Symptoms of Perimenopause No One Talks About with Andrea Donsky

770: The Heart Disease Risk Factor Most Women Aren’t Watching: What Your Blood Sugar and Insulin Can Reveal with Dr. Philip Ovadia

769: Is It Perimenopause or Something Else? How to Finally Connect the Dots with Dr. Mariza

750: The Underlying Cellular Cause of Midlife Fatigue, Brain Fog & Low Motivation with Andrew Salzman

772: The Cost of Holding It All Together: How Overfunctioning Changes Your Hormones, Brain & Metabolism with Dr. Mariza Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever looked at the same life you were managing a year ago and wondered, “Why does everything suddenly feel so hard?”

You’re still ambitious. You’re still capable. You’re still the woman everyone depends on. But the stress you once brushed off gets under your skin. Your brain doesn’t feel as sharp. Sleep is changing. Your patience is shorter. And keeping all those plates spinning suddenly requires far more energy.

In this solo episode, Dr. Mariza explores what happens when the profound hormonal and neurological changes of perimenopause collide with decades of over-functioning.

She introduces what she calls the midlife capacity gap: the disconnect between the enormous load many women are carrying and the biological capacity they currently have to sustain it.

You’ll learn why simply pushing harder may widen that gap, how Dr. Mariza is redefining resilience, and why supporting your hormones, brain, metabolism, muscle, and sleep is only part of the conversation.

Because the goal isn’t to make your life smaller. It’s to build a body capable of sustaining the life you actually want while becoming far more discerning about what deserves your energy.

Listen now to rethink what resilience looks like in midlife and start protecting your capacity for what truly matters.

IN THIS EPISODE