Beyond Hot Flashes: Thriving Through Menopause into Your Best Years

Mark Hyman

Aug 25, 2025

Episode description

As women enter perimenopause and menopause, hormonal shifts—declining estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone—can ripple through nearly every system in the body, impacting bone density, cardiovascular health, metabolism, brain function, and sexual wellbeing. Misinterpretation of past research left millions fearful of hormone therapy, yet newer evidence shows that bioidentical hormones, started within a specific “window of opportunity,” can protect the heart, brain, bones, and quality of life. Supporting this transition in a woman’s life also means addressing nutrition, gut health, stress, sleep, and strength training—powerful tools that work alongside hormones to restore vitality. With the right knowledge and care, this phase of life can be transformational, leading to renewal, resilience, and long-term health protection.

In this episode, I explore, along with Dr. Mary Claire Haver and Dr. Cindy Geyer, how we can shift our thinking of peri-menopause and menopause to one of renewed health and vitality.

Mary Claire Haver, MD, FACOG, CMP, is a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, and Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner. A graduate of Louisiana State University Medical Center with residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch, she is the founder of Mary Claire Wellness, a clinic dedicated to comprehensive menopause care. In 2023, she launched ThePauseLife.com, a global resource for menopausal women, and became a #1 New York Times bestselling author with The New Menopause. Her first book, The Galveston Diet (2023), reflects her passion for evidence-based lifestyle strategies to support women’s health. With over 4 million social media followers, Dr. Haver is a leading voice in “demystifying menopause,” empowering women to self-advocate and thrive through every stage of midlife.

Dr. Cindy Geyer received her bachelor of science and her doctor of medicine degrees, with honors, from the Ohio State University. She completed residency in internal medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. and is triple board certified in internal medicine, integrative medicine and lifestyle medicine.

This episode is brought to you by BIOptimizers.

Head to bioptimizers.com/hyman and use code HYMAN to save 15%.

Full-length episodes can be found here:

Your Guide to Menopause: What to Expect and How to Thrive

Menopause Relief: Hormone Tips Every Woman Needs To Know

Is Hormone Replacement Therapy in Menopause Helpful or Harmful

Episode description

In this episode, I explore, along with Dr. Mary Claire Haver and Dr. Cindy Geyer, how we can shift our thinking of peri-menopause and menopause to one of renewed health and vitality.

This episode is brought to you by BIOptimizers.

Head to bioptimizers.com/hyman and use code HYMAN to save 15%.

Full-length episodes can be found here:

Your Guide to Menopause: What to Expect and How to Thrive

Menopause Relief: Hormone Tips Every Woman Needs To Know

Is Hormone Replacement Therapy in Menopause Helpful or Harmful

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Supplement testosterone to enhance libido, bone health, and muscle mass in women

Women naturally have higher levels of testosterone than estradiol, and supplementing it can improve not just libido but also bone health and muscle mass.

#supplement

#testosterone

Develop medications to extend ovarian function with AMH hormone

New biotech research is focused on developing medications that work with the AMH hormone to potentially extend the functional life of the ovaries.

#fertility

Implement continuous hormone monitoring for personalized health insights

A future of personalized health could include a continuous hormone monitor, similar to a glucose monitor, to provide real-time data on hormonal fluctuations.

#hormones

#testing

Consider hormone therapy for long-term health benefits regardless of symptoms

Even women without classic menopausal symptoms should consider hormone therapy for its long-term protective benefits for bones, brain, and heart health.

#HRT

#menopause

Address systemic health beyond 'bikini medicine' focus

The concept of 'bikini medicine' criticizes the medical field for wrongly focusing only on women's breasts and reproductive organs while neglecting systemic health like cardiovascular disease.

#healthcare

#women

Start hormone therapy within menopause window for heart and brain benefits

There is a 'window of opportunity' to start hormone therapy, typically within the first 5-10 years of menopause, to gain protective benefits for the heart and brain.

#HRT

#menopause

Reassess hormone therapy misconceptions from flawed Women's Health Initiative study

The influential Women's Health Initiative study was flawed because it used older women (average age 63) and synthetic hormones, which wrongly scared doctors and patients away from hormone therapy for decades.