This episode of unPAUSED was recorded live at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles in front of an audience gathered to talk about perimenopause, menopause, hormones, sex, brain health, and bone health. Dr. Mary Claire Haver is joined on stage by Dr. Rena Malik, a board certified urologist, pelvic medicine specialist, and sexual health expert, for a wide ranging conversation about what is actually happening in women's bodies during the menopause transition, and what every woman navigating midlife health should know.
The conversation moves through the zone of chaos that is perimenopause, the hormonal unpredictability behind mood changes, sleep disruption, brain fog, and rising inflammation. Dr. Haver traces how estrogen loss drives increases in cholesterol, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular risk, and explains why the fastest rate of bone loss happens in perimenopause, two years before a woman's final period, making a bone density baseline in your forties, not your sixties, the smarter move against osteoporosis later in life.
Guest links:
The ‘Pause Life https://thepauselife.com/
The 'Pause Wellness https://thepausewellness.com/
Dr. Mary Claire Haver (Instagram) Instagram: drmaryclaire
Dr. Mary Claire Haver (Facebook) Facebook: drmaryclaire
Dr. Mary Claire Haver (YouTube) @drmaryclaire
Dr. Mary Claire Haver (Substack) https://drmaryclairehaver.substack.com/
unPAUSED (Apple Podcasts) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Books:
“The New Menopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/New-Menopause-...
“The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/New-Perimenopa...
“Estrogen Matters: Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve Women's Well-Being and Lengthen Their Lives -- Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer,” by Dr. Avrum Bluming https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316481203?...
For full show notes, please visit: https://bit.ly/4cHx3E9
00:00:00 – Live From the Wiltern: Understanding Perimenopause
00:03:00 – Why Perimenopause Has Been Overlooked
00:07:00 – What Is the “Zone of Chaos”?
00:14:00 – Mood, Anxiety, Brain Fog & Sleep
00:24:00 – How Menopause Changes the Brain
00:28:00 – Hormone Therapy in Perimenopause
00:30:00 – Estrogen, Inflammation & Metabolic Health
00:33:00 – The Truth About the Women’s Health Initiative
00:45:00 – Sex, Libido & Vaginal Estrogen
00:53:00 – Protecting Your Bones Through Menopause
01:04:00 – Audience Q&A: HRT, Hot Flashes & Menopause Myths
01:10:00 – Libido, Birth Control & Hormone Levels
01:15:00 – GLP-1s, Heart Palpitations & Skin Changes
01:19:00 – Vaginal Health & Preparing for Menopause
01:22:00 – Perimenopause Is Inevitable—Suffering Is Not
Never miss an episode—sign up for The ’Pause Life Newsletter: https://thepauselife.com/pages/newsle...
Medical Disclaimer: The information, including opinions and recommendations, on this platform is meant for informational and educational purposes only. Mary Claire Media, LLC, the unPAUSED podcast, and The ’Pause Life are not medical organizations. Medical advice or medical diagnosis cannot be provided to you through the platform, any associated website, or customer portals. Using this platform does not establish a patient-physician relationship.
This episode of unPAUSED was recorded live at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles in front of an audience gathered to talk about perimenopause, menopause, hormones, sex, brain health, and bone health. Dr. Mary Claire Haver is joined on stage by Dr. Rena Malik, a board certified urologist, pelvic medicine specialist, and sexual health expert, for a wide ranging conversation about what is actually happening in women's bodies during the menopause transition, and what every woman navigating midlife health should know.
The conversation moves through the zone of chaos that is perimenopause, the hormonal unpredictability behind mood changes, sleep disruption, brain fog, and rising inflammation. Dr. Haver traces how estrogen loss drives increases in cholesterol, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular risk, and explains why the fastest rate of bone loss happens in perimenopause, two years before a woman's final period, making a bone density baseline in your forties, not your sixties, the smarter move against osteoporosis later in life.
Guest links:
The ‘Pause Life https://thepauselife.com/
The 'Pause Wellness https://thepausewellness.com/
Dr. Mary Claire Haver (Instagram) Instagram: drmaryclaire
Dr. Mary Claire Haver (Facebook) Facebook: drmaryclaire
Dr. Mary Claire Haver (YouTube) @drmaryclaire
Dr. Mary Claire Haver (Substack) https://drmaryclairehaver.substack.com/
unPAUSED (Apple Podcasts) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Books:
“The New Menopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/New-Menopause-...
“The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/New-Perimenopa...
“Estrogen Matters: Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve Women's Well-Being and Lengthen Their Lives -- Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer,” by Dr. Avrum Bluming https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316481203?...
For full show notes, please visit: https://bit.ly/4cHx3E9
00:00:00 – Live From the Wiltern: Understanding Perimenopause
00:03:00 – Why Perimenopause Has Been Overlooked
00:07:00 – What Is the “Zone of Chaos”?
00:14:00 – Mood, Anxiety, Brain Fog & Sleep
00:24:00 – How Menopause Changes the Brain
00:28:00 – Hormone Therapy in Perimenopause
00:30:00 – Estrogen, Inflammation & Metabolic Health
00:33:00 – The Truth About the Women’s Health Initiative
00:45:00 – Sex, Libido & Vaginal Estrogen
00:53:00 – Protecting Your Bones Through Menopause
01:04:00 – Audience Q&A: HRT, Hot Flashes & Menopause Myths
01:10:00 – Libido, Birth Control & Hormone Levels
01:15:00 – GLP-1s, Heart Palpitations & Skin Changes
01:19:00 – Vaginal Health & Preparing for Menopause
01:22:00 – Perimenopause Is Inevitable—Suffering Is Not
Never miss an episode—sign up for The ’Pause Life Newsletter: https://thepauselife.com/pages/newsle...
Medical Disclaimer: The information, including opinions and recommendations, on this platform is meant for informational and educational purposes only. Mary Claire Media, LLC, the unPAUSED podcast, and The ’Pause Life are not medical organizations. Medical advice or medical diagnosis cannot be provided to you through the platform, any associated website, or customer portals. Using this platform does not establish a patient-physician relationship.