Show notes
Why does nobody prepare us for perimenopause and menopause? One minute we’re managing our lives just fine, and the next we can’t sleep, can’t remember a word, feel irritated by literally everyone, and wonder what is happening to our bodies.
We were so excited to talk to board-certified OB-GYN and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner Dr. Mary Claire Haver to talk about what’s actually happening during the menopause transition, from brain fog, mood changes and weight gain to hormone therapy, sleep and long-term health. We get into the confusion around HRT, why hormone blood tests aren’t the answer everyone thinks they are, and how to know when it’s time to ask for help.
Plus, Dr. Haver shares why strength training and protein matter, and what we can do now to feel stronger and healthier as we age. Because we’re not just trying to survive our 40s and 50s. We want to feel good at 60, 70 and beyond.
If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s you, your hormones, or everyone around you suddenly becoming unbearable, this episode is for you. You’re not crazy, you’re not alone, and you do not have to suffer through it.
Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a #1New York Times bestselling author of The New Menopause and The New Perimenopause and founder of The ‘Pause Wellness, a clinic dedicated to comprehensive menopause care. She also hosts unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver and is a leading voice in menopause education, translating complex science into accessible, evidence-based information for women. For more on Dr. Mary Claire Haver follow her @drmaryclaire. You can find her books and so much more at https://thepauselife.com/.
Keywords
perimenopause, menopause, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, hormone therapy, HRT, brain fog, bone health, osteoporosis, vaginal estrogen, menopause symptoms menopause, perimenopause, hormone replacement therapy, HRT, GLP-1, bone density, muscle, visceral fat, women's health, strength training
Key topics
- Dr. Haver explains why perimenopause’s effects on sleep, mood, cognition, and the whole body were historically under recognized in medical training.
- The conversation distinguishes common brain fog, such as losing words or keys, from dementia-related loss of understanding; Haver notes that brain fog is not itself a formal diagnosis.
- Dr. Haver describes steadier moods, stronger boundaries, and positive changes in her own post-menopause life.
- Dr. Haver says hormone levels fluctuate too much for a simple perimenopause blood-test baseline; diagnosis relies on symptoms, clinical assessment, and tests to check for other causes.
- Dr. Haver says every woman deserves an individualized conversation, not a default prescription.
- Dr. Haver emphasizes that hormone therapy is not a weight-loss drug and that body composition, including muscle and bone, matters beyond the scale. Weight alone can be misleading; maintaining bone and muscle matters, with strength training and adequate nutrition as important supports.
- She describes increased visceral fat accumulation during the menopause transition and explains why waist measurements and body-composition tracking can reveal more than appearance or scale weight.
- Dr. Haver says hormone therapy may slow visceral fat accumulation but does not melt fat; she discusses GLP-1 medications as another clinical tool, alongside attention to muscle and bone.
- She outlines a clinic approach she calls “GPS”: GLP-1 medication, protein tailored to body composition, and strength training.
- Dr. Haver explains that people with a uterus need endometrial protection when using systemic estrogen, such as with a progestogen or, in some cases, an IUD; she also notes progesterone may be calming and support sleep.
- The conversation highlights gaps in clinician menopause training, ways to seek informed care, and Haver’s advocacy for better education, care, and insurance coverage.
- Dr. Haver frames long-term health around strength, quality nutrition, sleep, community, boundaries, and putting health ahead of thinness.
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