Childhood Trauma, Birth Control & Your Gut: The Perimenopause Reckoning with Cynthia Thurlow

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/

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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.

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