The Luminescence Podcast with Schuyler Grant

Why does perimenopause feel like you're losing your edge?

This is part two of the conversation on your brain during hormonal transitions. Schuyler Grant, Dr. Sarah de la Torre, Dr. Somi Javaid, and Elena Brower get into what's actually happening in your brain and nervous system as estrogen shifts — and what you can do to feel like yourself again, including one of the most underreported findings in menopause research.

They discuss:

Simple breathing and hands-on techniques to activate your rest-and-digest mode — practical tools for a nervous system that's genuinely overloaded right now

How HRT can restore mood, focus, and cognitive function — often faster than most women expect, and what to do when it's not enough

The emotional and professional impact of neurological changes — what workplace accommodations actually matter, and how to navigate relationships when your brain feels different

Why empathy and emotional intelligence tend to increase after menopause — what the science says about how your brain's wiring shifts in ways that are worth knowing about

Nutrition and supplement truths for brain health — carbs, phytoestrogens, and the brain boosters most women overlook

For any woman who wants to understand that what feels like decline might actually be rewiring — and how to work with your brain instead of against it.

For information on our upcoming events, retreats, and to connect with specialists and other women in our online community, visit www.luminescence.health.

Presented by our sponsors:

Stripes:

Visit stripesbeauty.com and use the code COMMUNE20 for 20% off the entire product line.

Genova Connect:

Save 20% on testing with code COMMUNE20 so you can stop guessing and make adjustments to support what matters. Visit connect.gdx.net.

LivOn Labs:

Get 15% off your first order of elite-absorption, foundational supplements that fit into your routine with code COMMUNE15 (valid through 6.30.26) at LivOnLabs.com.

BiOptimizers:

Go to bioptimizers.com/luminescence and use code LUMINESCENCE for 15% off.

You're capable. You're high-functioning. And then something shifts. You can't remember words, you're snapping at everyone, you're lying awake at 3am soaked in sweat, or you're so flattened by anhedonia that nothing feels worth doing.

In this episode of the Luminescence Podcast, Schuyler Grant sits down with Dr. Sarah de la Torre, Dr. Somi Javaid, and Elena Brower to get personal and then scientific about what perimenopause and menopause actually do to the brain. Dr. Somi opens with losing her speech mid-presentation on stage. Elena talks about white-hot rage that arrived at 47 with no warning. Dr. Sarah describes the moment she realized she could no longer tolerate the chaos she'd always managed with ease.

They discuss:

How estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone regulate dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and glutamate — and what happens when these hormones fluctuate wildly

Why perimenopause can look like depression in one woman, anxiety in another, and new-onset ADHD in a third — and how clinicians tell the difference between hormonal changes and underlying psychiatric conditions

How hot flashes and night sweats are actually a brain regulation problem, not just an ovary problem — and why sleep fragmentation is both symptom and accelerant

The real cost of untreated menopausal symptoms — 900,000 women left the UK workforce, and $1.8 billion lost in the US economy

How GLP-1 medications are unexpectedly quieting anxiety and rumination in midlife women — and why neuroinflammation might be the missing link

For any woman wondering if she's losing her mind, or if there's a reason for the rage, the fog, and the 3am spiral.

For information on our upcoming events, retreats, and to connect with specialists and other women in our online community, visit www.luminescence.health.

Presented by our sponsors:

Stripes:

Visit stripesbeauty.com and use the code COMMUNE20 for 20% off the entire product line.

Genova Connect:

Save 20% on testing with code COMMUNE20 so you can stop guessing and make adjustments to support what matters. Visit connect.gdx.net.

LivOn Labs:

Get 15% off your first order of elite-absorption, foundational supplements that fit into your routine with code COMMUNE15 (valid through 6.30.26) at LivOnLabs.com.

BiOptimizers:

Go to bioptimizers.com/luminescence and use code LUMINESCENCE for 15% off.

Most women are handed lube and told the changes are normal. This episode goes considerably further than that.

This is part two of the conversation on sexual health in midlife. Schuyler Grant, Dr. Somi Javaid, and Dr. Sarah de la Torre go through the full toolkit for vaginal health, pelvic floor strength, and sexual function.

From red light therapy and testosterone delivery methods to why most women are doing their Kegels wrong.

They discuss:


How red light therapy stimulates collagen, elastin, and blood flow in vaginal tissue — why it works similarly to estrogen and what the research actually shows


The difference between stress and urge incontinence — why the fix is different for each, and what pelvic floor PT, wands, and vibration devices can do that Kegels alone can't


How Botox for vaginismus works — why the success rate is remarkably high, and what the treatment actually involves


Testosterone delivery methods — pellets vs. gels vs. injections, absorption differences, and why estradiol, FSH, and DHT labs are non-negotiable for monitoring


What DHT is and how your genetic predisposition affects hair loss, acne, and facial hair — the trade-offs of testosterone therapy most women don't expect

For any woman who wants solutions that go beyond "use more lube" — your sexual health deserves the same attention as everything else you're tracking.

For information on our upcoming events, retreats, and to connect with specialists and other women in our online community, visit www.luminescence.health. 

Presented by our sponsors:

Stripes:

Visit stripesbeauty.com and use the code COMMUNE20 for 20% off the entire product line.

Genova Connect:

Save 20% on testing with code COMMUNE20 so you can stop guessing and make adjustments to support what matters. Visit connect.gdx.net.

LivOn Labs:

Get 15% off your first order of elite-absorption, foundational supplements that fit into your routine with code COMMUNE15 (valid through 6.30.26) at LivOnLabs.com.

BiOptimizers:

Go to bioptimizers.com/luminescence and use code LUMINESCENCE for 15% off.

Lube Recommendations: 

Foria

Plant-based intimacy oils and arousal products (including CBD options) designed to enhance sensation and relaxation.⁠ https://www.foriawellness.com⁠

Joylux — Let’s Spin

A water-based intimacy gel focused on hydration and comfort, created with women’s hormonal changes in mind. ⁠https://joylux.com⁠

Stripes Beauty — Oh My Glide

An oil-based lubricant formulated with nourishing ingredients like squalane for longer-lasting glide. ⁠https://iamstripes.com⁠

Playground

A gentle, water-based lubricant with a clean ingredient profile and an approachable, modern feel. https://itsplayground.com

Nécessaire — The Sex Gel

A simple, aloe-based intimacy gel designed to support hydration and pH balance. ⁠https://necessaire.com⁠

Maude

Minimal, design-forward lubricants including both water-based and oil-based options.⁠ https://getmaude.com⁠

Überlube

A high-quality silicone-based lubricant known for its long-lasting, ultra-smooth glide.⁠ https://uberlube.com⁠

When estrogen starts to decline, the vagina is one of the first places you feel it, and one of the last things women talk about. In this episode, we're going there.

In this episode of the Luminescence Podcast, Schuyler Grant sits down with Dr. Somi Javaid and Dr. Sarah de la Torre — two OB-GYNs who specialize in women's sexual health — plus Elena Brower, who brings the honest, personal perspective we all need.

Together they break down what's actually happening inside the body, from tissue changes and UTIs to libido that's gone quiet and orgasms that feel out of reach.

They discuss:


What genital urinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) actually is — why estrogen and testosterone are essential to vaginal tissue health, sensation, and lubrication, and why this affects nearly everyone


The difference between spontaneous and responsive desire — why most women have always been wired for the latter, and what that means for navigating changes in midlife


How low libido shows up before you even realize hormones are involved — and why your Peloton seat may tip you off first


What happens to fibroids, endometriosis, and PMDD during perimenopause — the changes to expect and what shifts after menopause


The truth about orgasm in midlife — what the data says, what anatomy has to do with it, and why inattention may be the biggest factor

For any woman who wants the real conversation about sexual health in midlife — no awkwardness, no hedging, zero judgment.

For information on our upcoming events, retreats, and to connect with specialists and other women in our online community, visit www.luminescence.health. 

Presented by our sponsors:

Stripes:

Visit ⁠stripesbeauty.com⁠ and use the code COMMUNE20 for 20% off the entire product line.

Genova Connect:

Save 20% on testing with code COMMUNE20 so you can stop guessing and make adjustments to support what matters. Visit ⁠connect.gdx.net⁠.

LivOn Labs:

Get 15% off your first order of elite-absorption, foundational supplements that fit into your routine with code COMMUNE15 (valid through 6.30.26) at ⁠LivOnLabs.com⁠.

BiOptimizers:

Go to ⁠bioptimizers.com/luminescence⁠ and use code LUMINESCENCE for 15% off.

Lube Recommendations: 

Foria

Plant-based intimacy oils and arousal products (including CBD options) designed to enhance sensation and relaxation.⁠⁠ https://www.foriawellness.com⁠⁠

Joylux — Let’s Spin

A water-based intimacy gel focused on hydration and comfort, created with women’s hormonal changes in mind. ⁠⁠https://joylux.com⁠⁠

Stripes Beauty — Oh My Glide

An oil-based lubricant formulated with nourishing ingredients like squalane for longer-lasting glide. ⁠⁠https://iamstripes.com⁠⁠

Playground

A gentle, water-based lubricant with a clean ingredient profile and an approachable, modern feel. https://itsplayground.com

Nécessaire — The Sex Gel

A simple, aloe-based intimacy gel designed to support hydration and pH balance. ⁠⁠https://necessaire.com⁠⁠

Maude

Minimal, design-forward lubricants including both water-based and oil-based options.⁠⁠ https://getmaude.com⁠⁠

Überlube

A high-quality silicone-based lubricant known for its long-lasting, ultra-smooth glide.⁠⁠ https://uberlube.com⁠⁠

Women are medically dismissed every single day, and knowing that doesn't help you unless you know what to do about it.

This is part two of the conversation on what's changing inside your body. Schuyler Grant, Dr. Somi Javaid, and Dr. Sarah de la Torre break down the thyroid-hormone connection that conventional medicine consistently underestimates.

Because brain fog, fatigue, hair changes, and weight gain could be perimenopause, or your thyroid, and the answer is often both.

They discuss:


Why thyroid dysfunction and perimenopause symptoms are so easily confused — and the full thyroid panel you should be asking for beyond just TSH


How estrogen and thyroid hormone influence each other — why fluctuating hormones destabilize both systems, and why autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's surface during perimenopause


How to advocate for yourself in short appointments — what to say when your doctor says no, why asking them to put a refusal in writing might be your most powerful move


The case for tracking your symptoms and bringing your own data — how to frame difficult conversations with providers and when to get a second opinion


Lightning round on saunas, grip strength, nasal breathing, Brazil nuts, and yes, the tequila protocol

For any woman who's tired of being dismissed and wants concrete strategies for getting better care inside a broken system.

For information on our upcoming events, retreats, and to connect with specialists and other women in our online community, visit www.luminescence.health. 

Presented by our sponsors:

Stripes:

Visit stripesbeauty.com and use the code COMMUNE20 for 20% off the entire product line.

Genova Connect:

Save 20% on testing with code COMMUNE20 so you can stop guessing and make adjustments to support what matters. Visit connect.gdx.net.

LivOn Labs:

Get 15% off your first order of elite-absorption, foundational supplements that fit into your routine with code COMMUNE15 (valid through 6.30.26) at LivOnLabs.com.

BiOptimizers:

Go to bioptimizers.com/luminescence and use code LUMINESCENCE for 15% off.