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In this deep-dive episode, independent researcher and Energy Balance Podcast host Jay Feldman walks Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen through his bioenergetic approach to health, exploring how modern life disrupts our energy systems and misleads us around hormones.

Jay explains why perimenopause symptoms aren’t necessarily signs of estrogen deficiency, what progesterone’s underrated role is, and how metabolism, stress, and gut health all converge to influence the midlife transition.His work has been instrumental in helping Ann Marie connect the dots between her own thyroid, gut health, fatty liver, and hormonal changes. If you're curious, overwhelmed, or stuck between conflicting advice – this one’s for you.

Highlights:

Why the mainstream medical model didn’t cut it for Jay
How energy production impacts reproductive hormones
The cultural lie of “eat less, move more”
Seed oils, PUFAs and what they’re doing to your metabolism
Sunscreens, toenail polish, and endocrine disruption
Why low estrogen blood levels don’t tell the whole story
What your liver and gut have to do with your hormones
Why estrogen replacement might be a band-aid, not a solution
Progesterone as the overlooked hero hormone
A breakdown of the research around hormone therapy and prevention
What’s missing from the Women’s Health Initiative findings
The testosterone-for-everyone trend: risks and realities
Small shifts that support your hormones naturally
How the carrot salad really works
Alcohol, slow motility, gut health and estrogen clearance
The liver support and herbal options that actually help
A loving reminder: there is no magic pill

Special thanks to our sponsor MenoLabs
Get 20% off science-backed support for perimenopause and menopause at menolabs.com using code HOTFLASH20

Guest bio
Jay Feldman is a health coach, independent researcher, and the host of the Energy Balance Podcast. With a background in neuroscience and exercise physiology, he takes a bioenergetic approach to health that focuses on restoring cellular energy and dismantling modern myths around nutrition, metabolism, and hormones. Jay’s personal mission is to help people heal by reconnecting them with their bodies and understanding how modern life throws off our internal systems.

Work with Jay & explore more

• Website: jayfeldmanwellness.com
• Free Guide: jayfeldmanwellness.com/guide
• Podcast: The Energy Balance Podcast

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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In this episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, host and founder Ann Marie McQueen sits down with Dr Lara Briden – a naturopath, women’s health speaker, and author of Period Repair Manual, Hormone Repair Manual, and Metabolism Repair for Women. Together, they unpack some of the buzziest and most confusing midlife health trends: from hormone therapy + GLP-1 combos to supplement overwhelm, vaginal estrogen, and the sudden concern over labia shrinkage.

Dr Briden brings a refreshing and deeply grounded perspective to the conversation, challenging common narratives and reminding us of the biological brilliance of the female body – especially in midlife.

Highlights:

• The overhyped narrative about hormone therapy and GLP-1s
• What GLP-1 medications really do, and why they’re fascinating to Dr. Briden
• Supplements as a security blanket, and why Ann Marie and her friends are rethinking them
• Taking a “supplement holiday” – what it is and why it helps
• The connection between GLP-1s and gut health
• What happens when you go off hormone therapy or GLP-1s?
• A naturopath’s minimalist supplement travel kit
• Vaginal changes in menopause: what’s real, what’s clickbait
• The difference in how men vs women are told to view their bodies as they age
• Vaginal estrogen and the truth about genitourinary syndrome of menopause
• The bizarre labia shrinkage trend and the pressure of “perfect” body parts
• Why menopause is not a mistake of evolution – it’s a feature
• The danger of over-identifying with health labels
• “Wear it lightly” – a powerful reframe from Dr. Briden
• The trend of diagnosing yourself through Instagram
• Not everyone suffers in perimenopause – and that’s okay

Sponsor: Shoutout to our sponsor MenoLabs – makers of MenoFit, a science-backed probiotic designed to relieve hot flashes, night sweats and more. Hotflash Inc listeners get 20% off with the code HOTFLASHINC20.

Connect with Dr. Lara Briden:

• Website: www.larabriden.com
• Instagram: @larabriden
• X: @larabriden
• Books: Available wherever books are sold, including Bookshop.org, Amazon, and Pan Macmillan

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

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In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, founder and host Ann Marie McQueen talks with serial entrepreneur Carin Luna-Ostaseski – creator of Hot or Just Me?, a comprehensive online platform supporting women through perimenopause and menopause.

Carin’s path from successful whiskey founder to menopause advocate is anything but ordinary. After launching the first American woman and Hispanic-created Scotch whisky (SIA), and pioneering a grant program for underserved entrepreneurs, she found herself navigating hot flashes, anxiety, insomnia and more. Rather than suffer silently, she launched a new venture focused on offering trusted products, expert advice, and a supportive community for other women going through the same.

They talk candidly about hormonal sensitivity, the pressure to take HRT, entrepreneurial lessons, how to optimize sleep (even if your partner snores like a bear) and the most helpful (and unhelpful) products in the menopause space. If you'd like to check out Carin's marketplace Hot or Just Me? use our exclusive discount code for Hotflash inc listeners, HFINC, here for 25 percent off.

Episode highlights:

• Carin’s journey from tech and whisky to menopause advocacy
• How her own symptoms inspired Hot or Just Me?
• How she selects products for the site and what she avoids
• Her top-selling tools for cooling, comfort, and sexual wellness
• Why she’s cautious about one-size-fits-all supplements
• Thoughts on the “menopause gold rush” and consumer choice
• Why she isn’t on hormone therapy and how that’s played out
• Navigating hormonal sensitivity and IVF struggles
• The nuance around HRT pressure and platform responsibility
• Non-hormonal solutions that work for her (starting with sleep!)
• Caffeine and alcohol hacks that actually help

Sponsor shoutout: Has your doctor told you that you're too young for perimenopause, but you just don’t feel like yourself? You’re not alone – perimenopause can start earlier than you think. That’s why MenoLabs is here, to support you with a range of products and the information you need to confidently speak up and get the care you deserve. They also offer science-backed solutions like their best-seller, MenoFit, a probiotic designed to help relieve symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats and more – all while supporting your overall health and wellness. Visit menolabs.com and get 20% off your order using code: HOTFLASH20

This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Relevant links:

• Website → https://hotorjustme.com
• IG → @hotorjustme
• Find a certified menopause practitioner →

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
Newsletter: Hotflash inc. on Substack
TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack

See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information