BETTER! with Dr. Stephanie Estima | Strength, Body Composition & Perimenopause

Dr. Stephanie Estima gives a masterclass on the often-overlooked role of lactate in how our bodies work during exercise. She’s redefining lactate as a key metabolic signal that can help us get stronger, age better and think sharper.

In this solo episode, Dr. Stephanie gets into how lactate is made, how it fuels our energy and why it’s so important when we push ourselves hard. Dr. Stephanie is a big fan of sprinting because it helps us build metabolic power and stay strong, and she’ll also talk about how to use it right and how to recover well.

Episode Overview:

(0:00) Introduction — Lactate Is Not the Enemy

(2:15) Welcome & Episode Roadmap

(4:30) The Myth: How We Got Lactate Wrong

(7:00) What Lactate Actually Is (The Biochemistry)

(9:30) Why Lactate Forms Even With Oxygen

(15:00) The Gear Analogy — Don't Be Metabolically Polite

(18:00) Metabolic Flexibility & Why HIIT Matters

(22:00) How to Dose Your Sprints (Beginner to Advanced)

(24:30) The Lactate Shuttle — Redistribution, Not Waste

(28:30) Mitochondrial Biogenesis & Longevity Signals

(32:00) Lactate and Your Brain — BDNF, Fog & Cognitive Edge

(38:30) Dosing, Recovery Rules & Programming

(46:00) Closing — You Are Remodelling Yourself

Resources mentioned in this episode: https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep469

We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

BON CHARGE - Achieve glowing skin, gain more energy, and uplevel your recovery practice with a suite of red light products. Get 15% off at https://boncharge.com/better with code BETTER.

MUSE - Train your nervous system with feedback, the same way you’d train muscles with resistance. If you are ready to unlock your brain's potential, go to https://choosemuse.com/BETTER or use code BETTER at checkout to get started.

PIQUE LIFE - If you want to redefine your afternoon and evening rituals and still feel like yourself the next day, you can get 10% off at https://piquelife.com/better

TIMELINE   - Timeline’s clinically proven formula is now available at a new, lower price . Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to https://timelinenutrition.com/better with code BETTER.

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P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:
Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The single biggest lie women have been told about perimenopause? That it's a gynecological problem. Dr. Heather Hirsch — board-certified internist, Harvard faculty, and founder of one of the first hospital-based menopause clinics in the US — is done with that framing.

In this episode, Dr. Hirsch joins Stephanie to dismantle the assumption that perimenopause begins and ends with a reproductive doctor. This is a cardiometabolic transition. Full stop. Estrogen isn't just a period hormone — it's a vasodilator, a bone protector, an insulin sensitizer, and a vessel guardian for your brain and heart. When it starts to shift, so does everything else.

This conversation goes deep on what's actually happening in your body during perimenopause — and what to do about it before the downstream consequences become irreversible.

Episode Overview:

(0:00) Intro/Teaser

(1:13) Full intro + guest bio

(4:19) The biggest lie about perimenopause

(5:30) Early signs to watch for

(7:39) Brain fog vs. hot flashes

(10:26) HRT as a diagnostic tool

(16:16) The cardiometabolic case

(22:39) What the WHI actually shows

(30:47) Why doctors resist HRT

(38:13) HRT at 60, 70+

(40:36) Bone health and the DEXA gap

(50:54) Weight gain is hormonal

(56:38) Dr. Hirsch's personal inventory

(1:03:43) The menopause types framework

(1:09:51) Why postmenopause can be the best chapter

(1:12:55) After Party: Dr. Stephanie's takeaways

Resources mentioned in this episode: https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep468

We are grateful to our sponsors:

KENETIK - You think carefully about how you fuel your body but are you fueling your brain? Learn more about Kenetik and try it for yourself by going to https://drinkkenetik.com/BETTER and use code BETTER for 15% off your purchase.

QUALIA CREATINE+ - If you want to feel stronger, sharper, and more resilient, Qualia’s Creatine+ is my recommendation.Go to https://qualialife.com/better  and use code BETTER to save up to 50%, plus an additional 15% off. 

OXFORD HEALTHSPAN PRIMEADINE - Support memory, hormones, and hair growth. Save 15% at https://OxfordHealthspan.com/DrStephanie with code DrStephanie15.

LMNT  - Stay hydrated without the sugar, food dye, and other dodgy ingredients found in popular electrolyte and sports drinks. Receive a free LMNT Sample Pack with any order when you make a purchase at https://DrinkLMNT.com/Better

INCREDIWEAR - Whether you're an athlete, dealing with chronic joint pain, or just someone who wants to feel better in your body — this is worth trying. Head to https://drstephanieestima.com/incrediwear and use code DRSTEPH20 for 20% off your order.

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P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:
Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you've written creatine off as a supplement for guys at the gym, Dr. Dan Pardi, sleep researcher, neuroscientist, and Chief Health Officer at Qualia Life, will change your mind. Dan has spent decades studying what creatine actually does in the body — and what the research reveals for midlife women is genuinely surprising. It's not about muscle. It's about energy. And energy is foundational to everything.

Try Qualia Creatine+: https://qualialife.com/better — use code BETTER for 15% off.

Episode Overview:

0:00 Introduction — Who Is Dan Pardi?

5:29 Creatine 101: From Olympic Track to Every Body

8:11 Myths Busted: Bloating, Bulking, and What's Actually Happening

14:51 The Kidney and Hair Loss Myths

21:49 Where Does Creatine Go? (The Concrete Slope Analogy)

29:58 How Creatine Buffers Energy: The ATP Mechanism

51:55 Women, Hormones, and Creatine Deficiency

57:57 When and How to Take It

1:04:45 Formulations: Monohydrate vs. Everything Else

1:17:29 How to Start, What to Track, and Dan's Full Supplement Stack

1:35:23 After Party — Dr. Stephanie's Takeaways

Resources mentioned in this episode: http://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep467/

We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

TROSCRIPTIONS - There’s a completely new way to optimize your health. Give it a try at https://troscriptions.com/BETTER or enter BETTER at checkout for 10% off your first order.

TIMELINE   - Timeline’s clinically proven formula is now available at a new, lower price . Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to https://timelinenutrition.com/better with code BETTER.

JUST THRIVE HEALTH - Take the Just Thrive FEEL BETTER challenge today, and save 20% on your first order. Go to https://justthrivehealth.com/better and use the code BETTER to see the difference for yourself.

PIQUE - Designed to deeply hydrate, enhance skin elasticity & firmness and support sustained energy—exactly what we need during this stage of life. Start your daily ritual today with 20% off for life—plus a free gift to elevate your routine. Head to https://piquelife.com/drestima.

COZY EARTH  - Give yourself the kind of comfort that lives with you all day — not just the moment you get home. Head to https://cozyearth.com and use my code BETTER for up to 20% off.

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P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:
Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Your gut doesn't lie — and in perimenopause, it's sending distress signals most doctors completely ignore.

Nurse practitioner, two-time TEDx speaker, and Everyday Wellness podcast host Cynthia Thurlow joins Dr. Stephanie for a conversation that starts in Morocco (food poisoning, a hospitalization, and a perimenopause wake-up call nobody saw coming) and ends with a clear-eyed framework for supporting your gut, your bones, your immune system, and your sleep through the hormonal chaos of midlife.

Episode Overview:

(0:00) Intro/Teaser

(7:00) How a Parasite Became a Perimenopause Wake-Up Call

(11:00) Why Women Resist the Word “Perimenopause”

(16:00) The Gut-Hormone Connection Nobody’s Talking About

(21:00) The Medical System Was Never Built for Middle-Aged Women

(30:00) Body Composition, the Scale, and the Comments That Stick

(34:00) The ACE Study: How Childhood Trauma Rewires the Gut and Immune System

(41:00) Oral Contraceptives, Antibiotics, and the Developing Microbiome

(48:00) The Estrobolome

(53:00) The 6–12 Window

(56:00) Sleep, Stress, and Nutrition — The Three Biggest Levers in Perimenopause

(1:02:00) Advice for Mothers of Daughters

(1:05:00) Cynthia’s Personal Daily Protocol

(1:13:00) The Menopause Gut: Elevator Pitch and Where to Find It

(1:15:00) After Party — Dr. Stephanie’s Key Takeaways

Resources mentioned in this episode can be found at https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep466/

We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

ONESKIN - With age, skin becomes thinner, produces less collagen, proliferates at a slower rate, and accumulates damage. Fight back and save 15% at https://oneskin.co/better with code BETTER.

BIOPTIMIZERS - Magnesium Breakthrough contains multiple types of magnesium plus cofactors like B6 to enhance absorption. Visit https://bioptimizers.com/better and use code BETTER to save 15%.

JUST THRIVE HEALTH - Take the Just Thrive FEEL BETTER challenge today, and save 20% on your first order. Go to https://justthrivehealth.com/better and use the code BETTER to see the difference for yourself.

LMNT  - Stay hydrated without the sugar, food dye, and other dodgy ingredients found in popular electrolyte and sports drinks. Receive a free LMNT Sample Pack with any order when you make a purchase at https://DrinkLMNT.com/Better

COZY EARTH  - Cozy Earth helps you feel better by keeping your temperature perfect overnight to facilitate deep restorative sleep. Head to https://cozyearth.com and use my code BETTER for up to 20% off.

****************************
P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:
Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if your sexual health was as important as your heart rate? What if understanding your sexuality was the final frontier of truly knowing yourself?

In this groundbreaking conversation, Dr. Juliana Hauser—sex therapist, author of A New Position on Sex, and expert in sexual agency—challenges everything we've been taught about sexuality, pleasure, and desire.

Dr. Hauser explains why sexual wellness isn't something you add to your to-do list (if you're breathing, you're already a sexual being), and why the real work is about developing sexual agency: the skill of knowing your yeses and nos, listening to your body, and showing up authentically in all your relationships.

Episode Overview (timestamps are approximate):

(0:00) Intro/Teaser

(4:00) Why Sexual Wellness Is a Vital Sign for Women’s Health

(8:00) If You’re Breathing, You’re Sexual: Reframing Sexuality

(9:00) Sexuality as the Final Frontier of Self-Development

(21:00) Sensuality & Self-Discovery: Learning Your Yucks and Yums

(25:00) Why Knowing Your Anatomy Is Essential for Sexual Health

(32:00) Genital Show and Tell: Celebrating Anatomical Diversity

(35:00) Labiaplasty & Cosmetic Surgery

(44:00) The Arousal Cycle & Why the Standard Model Is Flawed

(50:00) Menopause & Sexuality: What Changes

(57:00) Aging Vulvas & Why We Need Better Education

(59:00) UTIs, Sepsis & Sexual Health: The Hidden Mortality Risk

(1:07:00) After Party: Dr. Stephanie’s Reflections on Sexual Wellness

Resources mentioned in this episode can be found at https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep465

We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

OXFORD HEALTHSPAN PRIMEADINE - A whole-food spermidine supplement that supports cell renewal and healthy aging. Save 20% at https://OxfordHealthspan.com/DrStephanie with code DrStephanie.

COZY EARTH  - Cozy Earth helps you feel better by keeping your temperature perfect overnight to facilitate deep restorative sleep. Head to https://cozyearth.com and use my code BETTER for up to 20% off.

TIMELINE   - Timeline’s clinically proven formula is now available at a new, lower price . Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to https://timelinenutrition.com/better with code BETTER.

APOLLO  - The Apollo wearable supports energy, focus, relaxation, and sleep by syncing with your rhythms. Go to https://ApolloNeuro.com/BETTER to get $99 off Apollo with Smart Vibes AI.

PIQUE LIFE - If you want to redefine your evening ritual and still feel like yourself the next day, you can get 10% off for life. Yes, for life at https://piquelife.com/better

****************************
P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:
Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.