Menopause and The Gut Microbiome with Cynthia Thurlow

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About the episode

“All these things that we think are adaptive, become maladaptive.” – Cynthia Thurlow

So many of the women we work with have spent decades being really good at pushing through. We can function on too little sleep, fit in the hard workout, restrict our food when our weight starts creeping up, take care of everyone, build a career, and keep going. Then we hit perimenopause and suddenly those same strategies don’t work the way they used to. Recovery is slower, sleep changes, body composition shifts, and our tolerance for stress is different. Trying harder won’t necessarily get us where we want to go.

There’s also a gut piece to this that we don’t talk about enough. As estrogen shifts through perimenopause and menopause, the gut microbiome changes too, with downstream effects on the immune system, brain, heart, bones, metabolism, and hormonal health. Then layer chronic stress, under-fueling, poor sleep, or too much intense exercise on top of that, and we can start to understand why simply prescribing more protein, more exercise, or intermittent fasting isn’t always the right answer. Sometimes the most therapeutic thing we can help a woman do is eat enough, recover better, slow down, and gradually rebuild resilience.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Cynthia Thurlow, nurse practitioner, Everyday Wellness podcast host, and author, to talk about the gut microbiome in perimenopause and menopause. We discuss how declining estrogen changes the microbiome, the connection between gut and immune health, autoimmune and post-viral conditions, and why stress management has to be part of the clinical conversation, how her approach to intermittent fasting has changed, when fasting may do more harm than good, the importance of eating enough protein and fiber, protecting muscle and bone as we age, diet culture and GLP-1s, why midlife often requires women to rethink the habits that got them here, and more.

Enjoy the episode, and let’s innovate and integrate together!

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Highlights

• Why the strategies that worked earlier in life often stop working during the perimenopause transition
• The role of gut and mitochondrial health in helping women thrive through menopause and beyond
• How the gut microbiome changes at key life stages like puberty, pregnancy, and menopause
• The connection between perimenopause, microbiome changes, immune function, and vulnerability to long COVID and autoimmune conditions
• The lifestyle shifts that support greater resilience in midlife
• Why chronic stress and achievement culture have a significant impact on gut health
• Perimenopause as an opportunity to reassess your priorities and make meaningful changes
• Cynthia’s evolving perspective on intermittent fasting
• The influence of diet culture on women’s relationship with food, exercise, and muscle building
• Why clinicians need to give patients space to work through body image and diet culture beliefs before focusing on muscle-building goals

Learn more about Cynthia Thurlow

• Cynthia Thurlow’s Website | CynthiaThurlow.com
• Cynthia Thurlow’s Podcast | Everyday Wellness™
• Cynthia Thurlow on Instagram | @cynthia_thurlow_
• Cynthia Thurlow on YouTube | @CynthiaThurlow
• Cynthia Thurlow on Substack | cynthiathurlownp
• Cynthia Thurlow on Facebook | CHTWellness
• Cynthia Thurlow on Twitter/X | @_CynthiaThurlow

About Cynthia Thurlow

Cynthia Thurlow is a nurse practitioner, host of the Everyday Wellness podcast, author, and international speaker, with over 15 million views for her second TEDx talk, Intermittent Fasting: Transformational Technique.

With over 25 years of experience in health and wellness, Cynthia is a globally recognized expert in perimenopause, menopause, and intermittent fasting. She has been featured on ABC, FOX5, KTLA, CW, Medium, Entrepreneur, and The Megyn Kelly Show.

Her mission is to help empower women to live their most optimal lives in perimenopause and beyond.

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