Buckle up for a trip (pun intended) into the midlife brain. This week we sit down with neuroscientist Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley to connect the dots between cannabinoids, psychedelics, trauma, and the menopause transition. We cover CBD/THC for sleep, anxiety, pain, and inflammation; how the endocannabinoid system works, and how psychedelics like psilocybin act on serotonin pathways, reduce neuroinflammation, and promote neuroplasticity—potentially countering some brain changes seen with estrogen loss. We also dig into trauma (including why PTSD risk and expression differ by sex), the importance of set, setting, and skilled facilitation, who should not use psychedelics, the legal/clinical landscape, and much more. Curious about midlife brain health and whether these therapies are worth exploring? This one’s for you.

Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley is a neuroscientist with 12 years experience researching cannabis, cannabinoids, and psychedelics. Grace completed her PhD in Neuroscience at King's College London and currently serves as the Chief Scientific Officer at NWPharma Tech. She is the Research Director at Heroic Hearts Project, a charity that supports combat veterans with mental health challenges resulting from trauma and is also the founder of Hystelica, a community focused on understanding women's biology for safe and effective psychedelic use. In addition to her research and professional roles, she has served as an officer in the British Army Reserve. Dr. Blest-Hopley advocates for the therapeutic potential of these substances and strives to advance the field of psychedelic research. Her work contributes to promoting a better understanding of women's biology in relation to psychedelics. You can learn more about her and her work at hystelica.com

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Growing up in sport, this week’s guest was often told her body wasn’t “right”—too muscular, not tall enough, never thin enough—and those messages followed her into adulthood through the pressures of work, marriage, motherhood, and loss. Her turning point came in a hotel gym, where she discovered the power of fueling well, eating enough protein, and lifting heavy. What began as a shift from self-medicating with alcohol to self-empowering with weights eventually led her to bodybuilding, a sport that both celebrates and sometimes complicates women’s bodies. We dig into how eating more can transform health and performance, what it really takes to step on stage, how perimenopause shows up with rage, panic, and fatigue, and why muscle is the “metabolic 401k” every woman needs. This is a conversation about rewriting the script—replacing “small and skinny” with “strong and powerful”—and embracing the bodies we were meant to have. You can learn more about her work at AnneMarieChaker.com

Anne Marie Chaker is a veteran journalist and professional bodybuilder. During her two-decade career at The Wall Street Journal, she held reporting jobs all over the paper, from the Journal’s regional editions to the Spot News Desk during the September 11 attack. She has covered everything from politics to news events, consumer trends, education, the workplace, and the major sociological shifts of our time. Chaker lives in the Washington, D.C., area with her partner, Rick; daughters Juliette and Sylvie; and their overeager pup, Ninja. Her latest book is LIFT: How Women Can Reclaim Their Physical Power and Transform Their Lives.

Resources:

LIFT: How Women Can Reclaim Their Physical Power and Transform Their Lives here

Anne Marie Chaker Substack here

I Never Thought I’d Write This: I Am a Female Bodybuilder, Wall Street Journal

I’m 50, in Perimenopause—and About to Compete as a Pro Bodybuilder, Daily Beast

At 65, Diane Grim was the oldest woman competing at the Western States 100–widely considered one of the toughest organized trail runs in the United States–this year. It was her first ever 100 miler and she didn’t even start running till she was in her 50s, but as she says, every mile, every step is a gift, so why not? She didn’t have the day she hoped for, but she left filled with pride, hope of better days to come, and a newfound goal to wrap up some unfinished business. This week she shares her successes, failures, her crazy training days during menopause, and why you’re never too old to be young again.

Diane is a former bike racer turned trail runner at age 50, and she hasn’t literally or figuratively backpedaled since! Diane’s trail friends call her “MacGyver” thanks to her love of problem-solving and making things on the fly. She runs by the motto: If you can’t run fast, run smart. Every mile is a gift! Anywhere outside is Diane’s happy place and you can find her hammock camping, landscaping, building stuff or running through the woods like a kid! Diane is so grateful to be running Western States, proudly sponsored by the HOKA Outreach Program.

Resources:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLYYfiPPtw0/

https://trailsisters.net/women-of-wser/#:~:text=the%20Panelists%20%26%20Host-,Diane%20Grim,t%20run%20fast%2C%20run%20smart.

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She did it. At 10:06 a.m. on May 24th, two-time guest Jeannette McGill stood on top of the world. Jeannette, 52, summited Mount Everest after three years of navigating hot flashes, heavy, erratic periods, joint pain, stubborn injuries, brain fog, and maybe most difficult of all for a high altitude mountaineer–newfound fear that made tasks that once came easily feel overwhelming. Along the way, including two abandoned summit attempts, Jeannette learned that through the power and support of community and with patience, persistence, and practice you can get through even the darkest of tunnels to reach your goals. She shares her journey and the wisdom learned along the way this week.

Jeannette McGill is the first South African woman to summit Manaslu and the first-ever South African to climb Dhaulagiri - two of the 14 8,000-meter (26,000 feet) mountains in the world. She is passionate about supporting others to achieve their outdoor goals through her mountain mentoring and leads bespoke adventures in the Australian Alps and Nepal. Her portfolio career also includes industrial technology management, and she has a PhD from the Colorado School of Mines. You can learn more about her and her work as a mentor and guide at www.mcgillsmountains.com/

Resources

Menopause Lessons from the Mountains with Jeannette McGill (Episode 89)

Fear and the Quest for Everest in Menopause with Jeannette McGill (Episode 195)

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How many times have we heard that weight loss and maintenance is simply “calories in, calories out?” Well, the equation may be rooted in thermodynamics, but the reality is biology, history, hormones, and a whole lot more. This week, endocrinologist and Harvard obesity researcher Dr. Jody Dushay breaks down why this concept is far more complex than the numbers on a food label or how many calories our devices tell us we’ve burned. From how your body actually absorbs calories to how (or not) it expends them, we explore how and why weight gain and loss anything but straightforward—especially during menopause, when shifting body composition, gut microbiome changes, altered insulin responses, and evolving hormone levels, create a whole new metabolic landscape. As you’ll see, your body isn’t a calculator—it’s a dynamic, adapting system. We also revisit GLP-1 drugs, which are increasingly popular with midlife women, and where they fit in this whole equation (so to speak).

Jody Dushay, MD, MMSc, is an endocrinologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is also the founder and director of Well Powered, a comprehensive wellness and weight management program. Dr Dushay has studied the effect of pharmacotherapies and dietary interventions on body weight for years, including a large single-site study examining the effects of a glucagon-like peptide receptor agonist on body weight in obese women without diabetes. As a triathlete, she has qualified for Kona 3 times and came in 2nd in her age group at the 2020 Ironman World Championship in St George. You can learn more about her and her work at wellpowered.org.

Resources:

Dr. Jody Dushay’s research:

Short-term exenatide treatment leads to significant weight loss in a subset of obese women without diabetes

Weight Loss Outcomes Among Early High Responders to Exenatide Treatment: A Randomized, Placebo Controlled Study in Overweight and Obese Women

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For the longest time, endurance athletes avoided the weight room, afraid unwanted muscles would weigh them down, while strength athletes all but kicked cardio to the curb. Now we know that no matter if you’re running an ultra or competing in a CrossFit competition, the right blend of cardio and strength is the secret sauce for success–especially once you hit midlife and menopause. This week, renowned exercise physiologist Dr. Alyssa Olenick dives in on how our hormones impact our muscles, metabolism, and general physiology, and how the right blend of hybrid training can help you stay strong, fit, healthy, and injury free during and beyond the menopause transition.

This episode originally dropped on January 8, 2025.

Dr. Alyssa Olenick holds a PhD in exercise physiology and is a certified sports nutritionist and CrossFit Level 2 Trainer. Alyssa completed her doctoral training in exercise and human metabolism, sex differences, and menstrual cycle physiology. She also completed a postdoctoral research fellow investigating the areas of menopause and metabolism. As a coach she specializes in the areas of endurance, strength, and hybrid training. She runs her online business ‘Doc Lyss Fitness’ and training programs ‘The Lyss Method’. She is also a strength athlete, ultra-marathon runner, and all-around fitness lover who is passionate about educating people on science-based fitness to get them into the gyms and on the roads/trails — or often, doing both at the same time! You can learn more about Dr. Alyssa Olenick and her programs at www.doclyssfitness.com

Resources

How to exercise for menopause with Dr. Alyssa Olenick on YouTube

Menopausal Women Need Unique Muscle Making Guidelines, Feisty Menopause Blog

Resistance training alters body composition in middle-aged women depending on menopause - A 20-week control trial, BMC Women's Health

Effect of Concurrent Training on Body Composition and Gut Microbiota in Postmenopausal Women with Overweight or Obesity, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

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This episode originally dropped on February 12, 2025.

Bill Campbell, PhD, has spent his entire career as a fat loss researcher. So when his wife hit menopause and wanted help with body composition changes, he thought it would be easy. Spoiler alert: It was not. Which made him realize his field had a lot to learn, especially about active women whose bodies change even when their training and nutrition has not. Now he’s on a mission, diving into the literature and conducting research of his own to further our understanding of body composition changes during this time of life. We talk all about it, what he’s learned, and his work developing a Female Fitness Menopause Survey to learn more.

Bill Campbell, PhD is a Professor of Exercise Science and Director of the Performance and Physique Enhancement Laboratory at the University of South Florida. He is also a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist from the National Strength & Conditioning Association and former president of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (where he is also 1 of 35 individuals to be recognized as a ‘Fellow’ of the organization—an honor reserved for those individuals who have outstanding contributions to the field of sports nutrition). He has published over 200 scientific papers and abstracts, three textbooks, and 20 book chapters in areas related to physique enhancement, sports nutrition, resistance training, and dietary supplementation. You can learn more about him and his work at www.billcampbellphd.com

Resources

Estrogen modulates metabolic risk profile after resistance training in early postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial, here

Transdermal Estrogen Therapy Improves Gains in Skeletal Muscle Mass After 12 Weeks of Resistance Training in Early Postmenopausal Women, here

Metabolic effects of menopause: a cross-sectional characterization of body composition and exercise metabolism, here

Powerpenia Should be Considered a Biomarker of Healthy Aging, here

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We're sharing this episode of Feisty's weekly women's sports show, called The Feist, because we thought you’d enjoy this preview of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Even if you already know everything about cycling, we're sure you’ll find something you don’t know in today’s episode.

And be sure to subscribe and follow The Feist wherever you listen, so you don't miss any future episodes of the only showing covering *ALL* women's sports:

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-feist/id1821308242
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This week on The Feist it's all about previewing the biggest women's race of the year: The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

Kate Veronneau, director of women's strategy at Zwift, joins us to give a peak behind the curtain into what goes into the massive event, the kind of growth they've seen at TDFF, and who she thinks could win.

But first, it's our women's sports highlights from the week, including drama from the Euros soccer championship, gossip from the WNBA All-Star Weekend, and a deep dive into the doping sanction that was handed out to the marathon world record holder (and why it hurts more than just a couple of athletes).

From what women's sports we watched to what we want to watch, it's just another week of your favorite sports with your Feistiest friends!

Highlights:

• 0:00 - Welcome and What We Watched
• 13:00 - "Pay Us What You Owe Us"
• 21:57 - WNBA Insights and Gossip
• 25:02 - The Doping Downfall of Marathon World Record Holder, Ruth Chepngetich
• 34:43 - The Impact of Doping on Athletic Careers
• 43:20 - Kate Veronneau previews the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift
• 01:11:10 - Our Feisty Picks of the Week, including American Ninja Warrior

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