
Today I’m talking with my long-time friend and hormone expert Esther Blum. She’s the author of several books, including her newest “See You Later Ovulator” and was voted the best nutritionist by Manhattan Magazine. She helps women balance their hormones and get to the root cause of their health issues, specifically menopause and perimenopause.
While I’m not at that age yet, I want to do everything I can to prepare for a healthy transition to the menopause years. Some women experience menopause as early as their 20s now though (which is also something we cover). If you’re not in menopause yet there’s plenty we can do now, but if you’re already there then there’s hope for symptom relief.
Every day 6,000 women start their menopause journey. That’s a lot! Many of the uncomfortable symptoms women experience during these years can be avoided. The key is hormone testing (test don’t guess!), proper nutrition, and healthy movement. Esther is a wealth of information when it comes to hormone health, and I hope you’ll join us today as we explore this topic!
Episode Highlights With Esther Blum
- The average age of menopause and early signs to look for
- Why menopause can start really early for some women in today’s world
- Hormones to look at to get a baseline for mitigating menopause symptoms
- When supplements like chaste tree, DIM, and calcium d-glucarate can be helpful
- How cruciferous vegetables help hormones
- What to know about hormone replacement therapy and the forms she does and does not recommend
- How cyclical progesterone in the second half of the cycle can be helpful pre-menopause, especially after birth control use
- Why lifting weights has such a big impact on hormone levels for women
- The supplements she recommends that are helpful for most women
- How brightly colored foods help hormones and feed beneficial bacteria in the gut
- The one beneficial bacteria in the gut that helps avoid weight gain and how to support it
- More support for morning sunlight, strength training, and eating protein
- A reason to go for a ten minute walk after eating (it lowers glucose by 17%!)
- Her three “meno-laws” for avoiding fat gain during menopause (or anytime)
- Why many women develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in menopause and how to avoid it
- Things that are helpful for alleviating hot flashes
- Hysterectomies are the new c-sections… are they necessary? Are they avoidable? What to try instead
Resources We Mention
- Esther Bum – Website
- Esther Blum – Instagram
- See ya later, Ovulator!: Mastering Menopause with Nutrition, Hormones, and Self-Advocacy by Esther Blum
- BrocElite
- BerbElite
- Just Thrive
- Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene? Brown
- Outrageous Openness: Letting the Divine Take the Lead by Tosha Silver
- Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn
- Estrogen Matters: Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve Women’s Well-Being and Lengthen Their Lives — Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer by Avrum Bluming
- Ryan Holiday books
More From Wellness Mama
- 452: Esther Blum on How to Navigate Menopause Without All the Negative Symptoms
- 317: Tackling Insomnia, Anxiety, Weight, and Hormones Naturally With Esther Blum
- 312: What to Expect & How to Prepare for Menopause with Dr. Lyla Blake-Gumbs
- 474: Aimee Raupp on The Egg Quality Diet for Fertility & Healthy Pregnancy
- 109: Dr. Anna Cabeca on Vaginal Health, Menopause, & Hormone Therapy
- Natural Remedies for Menopause: How to Reduce Hot Flashes & Other Menopause Symptoms
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