Aging Powerfully with Melissa Grelo

Last week, four powerhouse women joined me for the first ever Aging Powerfully Power Panel, and you told us loud and clear that you wanted more. So we're back for Part 2.

In this episode, a neuroscientist, a family physician who specializes in menopause, a fitness and menopause expert and a registered dietitian take on the hot topics you ask me about most. I put a bold statement on the table, and each expert weighs in from her own area of expertise. Sometimes they agree, and sometimes they don't. What you get is the science, the myths and what the evidence actually says.

In this episode:

Peptides: Are they the next frontier in anti-aging medicine, or the new wellness gold rush where buyer beware applies more than anywhere else?
Sleep: Does sleep matter more than diet or exercise after 40? Is poor sleep in midlife a hormone problem or a habits problem? And are melatonin and other sleep aids hiding the real issue?
Strength training as medicine: Why we may have been sold the wrong workout for decades, and whether you really can outtrain fluctuating hormones.
Alcohol: Is there any safe amount in perimenopause and menopause? The panel looks at the sober curious and zero proof movement, mindful drinking, and alcohol's effect on sleep and hormones.
Cortisol and stress: Has cortisol become the new scapegoat? What chronic stress is really doing to midlife hormones, and which online "cortisol fixes" have no evidence behind them.
Superfoods, protein and supplements: Marketing versus science, why protein may be the most underrated nutrient for women over 40, and whether you need supplements at all.
Plant based vs. meat based eating: Do women over 40 need more animal protein? Can a well planned plant based diet cover everything? And does red meat deserve a place at the table?

Meet the Power Panel

Dr. Sara Mitchell is a neuroscientist who researches how the brain changes during the menopause transition, including how hormonal shifts affect cognition, mood and long term brain health. She turns complex science into insights women can use.

Dr. Sheila Wijayasinghe is a family physician and menopause specialist dedicated to women's health across the lifespan. She gives evidence based guidance on hormone therapy and midlife care, and Canadians know her from the media for her clear, practical approach.

Amanda Thebe is a fitness and menopause expert and the bestselling author of Menopocalypse. With a background in personal training and years of researching menopause science, she is one of the most trusted voices on strength training and body composition through midlife and beyond.

Alissa Steinberg is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with more than 15 years of clinical and academic experience, including SickKids Hospital, Unity Health and the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine. She specializes in the metabolic, hormonal and digestive sides of women's health and shares her expertise with more than 785K followers.

Missed Part 1? Go back and listen to last week's episode first, where the panel took on access to care, perimenopause testing, hormone therapy, testosterone and GLP-1s.

Watch the full video of this episode on Substack, the home for all things Aging Powerfully with Melissa Grelo, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. If you love the show, please follow, rate and share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear this conversation.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please speak with your healthcare provider about your individual needs.

Producer: Melissa Grelo

Audio/Video Producer and Editor: Drew Garner

Why are so many women leaving their doctor's office with more questions than answers? For the first time on Aging Powerfully, I'm bringing together four powerhouse experts for one no holds barred conversation: a neuroscientist, a family physician and menopause specialist, a fitness and menopause expert, and a registered dietitian. Four lenses, one mission: helping you understand what is really happening in your body at midlife.

In Part 1, the panel takes on the hottest and most hotly debated topics in women's health. Is menopause care failing women? Should hormone therapy be a first line option? Are GLP-1s a breakthrough or a shortcut? And is the peptide boom the next frontier or the next wellness gold rush? The science, the myths and what the evidence actually says.

In this episode:
Access to care, medical gaslighting and the family doctor shortage as a women's health crisis
Why there is no reliable blood test for perimenopause, and the problem with at home hormone testing kits
Menopause hormone therapy: who it's for, when to consider it, and the truth about compounded and "bioidentical" hormones
Testosterone: the most overlooked hormone in women's midlife care?
GLP-1s: the promise, the muscle loss question, and whether they'll one day be as normal as statins
Peptides: anti aging breakthrough or ahead of the science?
Meet The Panel:
Dr. Sara Mitchell is a neuroscientist researching how the menopause transition affects cognition, mood and long term brain health. @doctor.sara.mitchell
Dr. Sheila Wijayasinghe is a family physician and menopause specialist known for her clear, practical approach to women's health. @drsheilaw
Amanda Thebe is a fitness and menopause expert and bestselling author of Menopocalypse. @amanda.thebe
Alissa Steinberg is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator specializing in the metabolic, hormonal and digestive sides of women's health. @healthyu_dietitian

This episode is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Please speak with your healthcare provider about your own care.

Watch the full video episode and join the conversation on Substack: melissagrelo.substack.com!

Find Melissa Grelo on Instagram @MelissaGrelo and @AgingPowerfullyWithMG, or on her website AgingPowerfullyWithMelissaGrelo.com.

Producer: Melissa Grelo

Audio/Video Producer and Editor: Drew Garner

One year ago, Dr. Omolayo Famuyide sat down with me to talk about why menopause is not the same for all of us. In the menoverse, a year is an eternity. Since then, the U.S. FDA has stripped most of the 20 year old black box warning off hormone therapy, a major new review has weighed in on hormones and dementia, Health Canada has authorized a new nonhormonal option for hot flashes, and social media has served up a fresh wave of miracle cures and scare stories.

So Dr. Famuyide is back for Menopause 2026: a clear, evidence based reset on what menopause actually is, what the science now says, and what it still doesn't. We go myth by myth, from "hormones cause cancer" to "hormones prevent dementia," and we tackle the question too many doctors still can't answer: why do women of colour often go through menopause earlier, longer and harder, and why are they still less likely to be treated?

If you're 40 or over, love someone who is, or treat women who are, this is your refresher course.

In this episode we cover

What menopause and perimenopause really are, and why most women are in the transition years before they realize it
What has changed in the last year: the FDA label change, what it means (and doesn't mean) for Canadian women, and new non-hormonal treatments
What hasn't changed: who is a good candidate for hormone therapy and why timing still matters
True or false: can hormone therapy prevent heart disease or dementia?
The misinformation still bamboozling women on social media, in supplement aisles and, yes, sometimes in the doctor's office
Menopause in women of colour: earlier onset, longer lasting hot flashes, higher heart disease risk, and the research and care gaps behind it
How to walk into your next appointment prepared, and why this stage can be your power up, not your power down

About Dr. Omolayo Famuyide

Dr. Omolayo Famuyide is a menopause doctor practicing in Winnipeg, Manitoba and one of the few menopause specialists in Canada who understands no two people will through this transition the same way. She first joined the podcast for Episode 61, "Why Menopause Is Not the Same for All of Us."

Find her on Instagram at @layocentre and @dr.famuyidemd, and at layocentre.com.

Listen, watch and join us

New audio episodes drop every Thursday. Full video episodes live on Substack, where paid subscribers also get Substack Live aftershows and first access to Aging Powerfully LIVE events. Find it here.

If this episode helped you, share it with one woman who needs it. That's how we change the conversation.

This episode is for education and information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Talk to your own health care provider about your health.

Tech and Audio producer: Drew Garner

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this is one conversation every woman needs to hear.

One in eight Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Chances are, it has already touched someone you love. But how much do we really know about where breast cancer stands in Canada today?

In this episode, I sit down with two powerhouse voices in the breast cancer community. MJ DeCoteau founded Rethink Breast Cancer in 2001 after losing her mother to metastatic breast cancer when MJ was just 22, and she has spent more than two decades championing young people, those living with metastatic breast cancer, and communities that have been historically underserved. And Dr. Christine Brezden-Masley, a medical oncologist and researcher, joins us to break down the science, the treatments, and what's coming next.

Together, we cover:

What breast cancer actually is, and the different types every woman should understand.

Whether diagnoses are increasing in Canada, and what's behind the numbers.

The risk factors we can and can't control.

The latest breakthroughs in treatment.

Whether access to care is improving, and for whom it still isn't.

What survivorship really looks like, long after treatment ends.

Why breast cancer in younger women is different, from diagnosis to treatment to life after cancer.

How menopause, hormones and breast cancer intersect

What the future holds for breast cancer diagnostics, treatment and survivorship.

And what's next for Rethink Breast Cancer.

Whether you're a survivor, a caregiver, or simply want to be informed and empowered about your own health, this episode will leave you knowing more, and ready to advocate for yourself and the women you love.

Resources

Rethink Breast Cancer: rethinkbreastcancer.com
Follow Rethink on Instagram: @rethinkbreastcancer
Canadian Cancer Society: cancer.ca

New episodes of Aging Powerfully with Melissa Grelo drop every Thursday on all your favourite podcast platforms. Watch the full video conversation on my Substack: www.melissagrelo.substack.com

Tech and Audio Producer: Drew Garner

She Doesn't Care About Your Excuses (And That's Why We Love Her)

October is Menopause Awareness Month! Welcome to it! 

Fair warning: this episode comes with a swear jar, and Beth Feraco filled it before we hit the ten minute mark.

Beth is the personal trainer who built a following of 1.3 million people across social media by doing something wildly radical in the wellness world: telling the truth. No filters, no fluff, no gentle whispers about "honouring your journey." Beth is brash, raw, hilarious, and allergic to nonsense, and midlife women can't get enough of her. Honestly? Same.

In this conversation, we get into:

Her mantra, "We can do hard things," and why it's the pep talk every woman in the menopause transition actually needs (not the one we've been getting).

Why Beth refuses to let influencers cast menopausal women as victims, and how that narrative keeps us stuck on the couch instead of under a barbell.

Her takedown of viral wellness claims, including the internet's current obsession with the idea that cortisol spikes are the enemy of women everywhere. Spoiler: Beth has thoughts. Loud ones.

The real pillars of aging powerfully, and what we SHOULD be focusing on instead of the latest trend in our feed.

How to finally flip the switch ON and turn it UP on strength training, because lifting heavy things is not optional anymore, ladies. It's the whole game.

If you've ever rolled your eyes at a wellness reel, felt talked down to about your own body, or needed someone to lovingly kick your butt into gear, this one's for you.

Listen on all your favourite podcast platforms, and watch the full video conversation on my Substack: www.melissagrelo.substack.com

Find Beth online at @bethferacofitness (just don't follow her if you're easily offended).

Tech and Audio producer: Drew Garner