BETTER! with Dr. Stephanie Estima | Strength, Body Composition & Perimenopause

If you’ve been eating less, exercising more, and still experiencing unwanted body changes, this episode is for you. Natalie Jill, a Licensed Master Sports Nutritionist and functional fitness trainer, joins Dr. Stephanie for a peer-to-peer conversation between two women in the fitness industry who have seen the same broken patterns and concluded that the plan most women follow is not suitable for them.

Natalie’s journey from rock bottom to 13 magazine covers in her 40s and 50s was not due to a better diet plan, but rather a complete overhaul of her False Assumed Truths (F.A.T.). She discusses the mechanics behind why chronic cardio is counterproductive in midlife, the accelerating bone loss caused by ellipticals, the falsehood of three sets of twelve, and the necessity of changing beliefs before any protocol can work.

This rare episode features two practitioners in the same space, with the same audience, comparing notes honestly.

Episode Overview:

(0:00) Intro/Teaser

(1:21) Two Midlife Women, One Honest Conversation — with Natalie Jill

(4:22) The Best Thing That Happened to My Body After 40: Natalie's Explant Story

(8:25) Toxic Load, the "Bucket" Theory & What We Blame on Menopause

(10:13) From Rock Bottom to 13 Magazine Covers: Natalie Jill's Origin Story

(19:24) Why Your Desire to Change Makes Other People Uncomfortable

(25:00) Did the Fitness Industry Do Midlife Women Dirty? Ignorance vs. Negligence

(29:36) Why Cardio Stops Working After 40 — and What's Actually Happening in Your Body

(32:32) The Real Problem with Cardio Machines, Calorie Counting & the Elliptical

(35:54) Where Cardio Actually Helps: Polarising Your Training & the Norwegian 4x4 Protocol

(38:54) Low Impact Is Killing Your Bones: Heels, Hip Pain & Babying Ourselves to Death

(42:34) Why Glutes Are the Central Problem — and Why Nobody Is Checking Them

(45:54) False Assumed Truths: The Belief System Running in the Background of Every Midlife Woman

(50:45) Is Menopause Weight Gain Inevitable? Becoming Your Own Health Detective

(52:42) GLP-1s, Muscle Loss & Why "Just Get Enough Protein" Isn't Enough

(1:03:48) This Is Why I Lift: Strength Training as Resilience for Whatever Life Throws at You

(1:07:05) What a Real Training Week Looks Like: Progressive Load, Planks & Pull-Ups

(1:10:37) After Party: Stephanie's Highlights 

Resources mentioned in this episode: https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep473

We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

YOUNG GOOSE - Skin aging isn't defined by wrinkles. It's defined by skin quality. Head over to https://drstephanieestima.com/younggoose and use code BETTER for 10% off your first purchase.

BON CHARGE - Achieve glowing skin, gain more energy, and uplevel your recovery practice with a suite of red light products. Get 15% off at https://boncharge.com/better with code BETTER.

PIQUE - Designed to deeply hydrate, enhance skin elasticity & firmness and support sustained energy—exactly what we need during this stage of life. Start your daily ritual today and elevate your routine. Head to https://piquelife.com/drestima.

INCREDIWEAR - Whether you're an athlete, dealing with chronic joint pain, or just someone who wants to feel better in your body — this is worth trying. Head to https://drstephanieestima.com/incrediwear and use code DRSTEPH20 for 20% off your order.

RAPID REBOOT - Weekend warrior, a competitive athlete, or a parent of one — this is a game-changer for the whole household. Go to https://drstephanieestima.com/rapidreboot and use code DRSTEPHANIE for 10% off.

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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.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Esther Blum, integrative dietitian and menopause expert, unpacks the estrogen supply chain crisis, leaving women without basic hormone care, while there are 25 erectile dysfunction medications on the market with zero shortages.

But the conversation goes deeper: if your gut and liver detox pathways aren't functioning first, HRT may not work the way you're hoping. Esther breaks down the gut-liver-hormone axis, explains why 70% of women aren't detoxing their hormones properly, and makes the case for eating more — not less — in midlife.

Plus: testosterone as the missing menopause hormone, why carbs at dinner might be the key to sleeping through the night, and why the zero F's era is the best-kept secret of menopause.

🎤 Episode Overview:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:31) The Estrogen Shortage Nobody Is Talking About

(06:54) The Case for Starting HRT in Perimenopause

(11:19) HRT and Connective Tissue — What Estrogen Can't Do Alone

(14:15) Testosterone: The Missing Menopause Hormone

(22:00) The Gut-Liver Axis and Why HRT Fails Without It

(29:20) What Happens When You Skip the Detox Step

(34:31) Ventilator Calories and Eating More in Midlife

(41:00) Carbohydrates, Cortisol, and Sleep

(01:00:32) The Lab Tests to Ask For

(01:03:13) One Thing to Do This Week

(01:04:27) The Zero F's Era

(01:11:00) After Party - Final Thoughts with Dr. Stephanie

📎 Resources mentioned in this episode: https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep472

🎁 We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

TIMELINE   - Timeline’s clinically proven formula is now available at a new, lower price . Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to https://timelinenutrition.com/better with code BETTER.

JUST THRIVE HEALTH - Take the Just Thrive FEEL BETTER challenge today, and save 20% on your first order. Go to https://justthrivehealth.com/better and use the code BETTER to see the difference for yourself.

LMNT  - Stay hydrated without the sugar, food dye, and other dodgy ingredients found in popular electrolyte and sports drinks. Get a special offer when you make a purchase at https://DrinkLMNT.com/Better

KENETIK - You think carefully about how you fuel your body but are you fueling your brain? Learn more about Kenetik and try it for yourself by going to https://drinkkenetik.com/BETTER and use code BETTER for 15% off your purchase.

ONESKIN - With age, skin becomes thinner, produces less collagen, proliferates at a slower rate, and accumulates damage. Fight back and save 15% at https://oneskin.co/better with code BETTER.

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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.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Rachel Zoffness is a pain psychologist, neuroscientist, and author of Tell Me Where It Hurts -- and she's here to dismantle the biggest lie medicine has sold us: that pain is a purely biomedical problem requiring a purely biomedical solution.

Dr. Rachel unpacks how trauma turns the nervous system into a pain megaphone, why the brain literally gets better at producing pain the longer it practices it, and why loneliness is as dangerous to your physical health as poor sleep or a bad diet.

This one is for every woman who did the surgery, took the pills, and still woke up hurting. The roadmap exists. You just haven't been given it yet.

Episode Overview:

(0:00) Intro/Teaser

(4:55) Why "Psychosomatic" Is a Dirty Word That Needs Retiring

(8:48) The Big Fat Lie: Pain Is Not Just Biology

(10:46) Biopsychosocial 101: The Three Ingredients of Every Pain Recipe

(13:48) Big Pharma, Back Surgery, and the $54 Billion Reckoning

(28:12) How Trauma Turns Your Brain Into a Pain Megaphone

(30:44) Central Sensitization: Why Your Brain Keeps Practicing Pain

(36:57) The Pain Recipe: How to Map Your Triggers and Take Back Control

(45:58) Loneliness Is a Pain Amplifier (Here's the Neuroscience)

(54:16) The Healing Science of Touch

(57:33) Emotions Need to Move: Swearing, Rage Rooms, and Trauma That Gets Stuck

(1:04:26) After Party: What Landed and Why I'm Getting Her Back

Resources mentioned in this episode: https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep471

We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

PIQUE - Designed to deeply hydrate, enhance skin elasticity & firmness and support sustained energy—exactly what we need during this stage of life. Start your daily ritual today and elevate your routine. Head to https://piquelife.com/drestima.

TROSCRIPTIONS - There’s a completely new way to optimize your health. Give it a try at https://troscriptions.com/BETTER or enter BETTER at checkout for a discount off your first order.

OXFORD HEALTHSPAN - A whole-food spermidine supplement that supports cell renewal and healthy aging. Save at https://OxfordHealthspan.com/DrStephanie with code DrStephanie.

INCREDIWEAR - Whether you're an athlete, dealing with chronic joint pain, or just someone who wants to feel better in your body, head to https://drstephanieestima.com/incrediwear and use code DRSTEPH20 for 20% off your order.

****************************
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.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you have been getting your skincare advice from 60-second reels and 18-year-old influencers, this episode is your reset.

Dr. Mamina Turegano is not your average dermatologist. Triple board-certified in dermatology, internal medicine, and dermatopathology, she has spent 16 years in practice connecting what shows up on the surface to what is happening inside the body. Today, she is here to de-influence your skincare routine and give you the science-backed truth about what perimenopausal skin actually needs.

This is the episode to send to every Betty who has ever felt overwhelmed in the skincare aisle. The answer is simpler -- and more internal -- than the industry wants you to believe.

Episode Overview:
0:00 Intro/Teaser
5:03 How to actually wear sunscreen
8:05 What estrogen loss does to skin in perimenopause
16:40 Estrogen cream on the face
20:55 Melasma and hyperpigmentation
30:00 Retinol vs tretinoin, how to onboard, and the skin-thinning myth busted
49:00 Eczema, psoriasis, gut health, fiber, and stress-triggered skin conditions in midlife
1:09:33 Collagen peptides, niacinamide, polypodium leucotomos, urolithin A
1:25:32 Home device ratings: red light therapy, microneedling, microcurrent
1:36:13 Why strength training and glutes improve your skin
1:41:08 After-party with Dr. Stephanie

Resources mentioned: https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep470

We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

BIOPTIMIZERS (NEW read) - Go to https://bioptimizers.com/better and use code BETTER for 15% off your entire order. Plus a free bottle of Masszymes — BiOptimizers' best-selling digestive enzyme — will be added to your order automatically when you use our exclusive code.

ONESKIN - With age, skin becomes thinner, produces less collagen, proliferates at a slower rate, and accumulates damage. Fight back and save 15% at https://oneskin.co/better with code BETTER.

APOLLO  - The Apollo wearable supports energy, focus, relaxation, and sleep by syncing with your rhythms. Go to https://ApolloNeuro.com/BETTER to get $99 off Apollo with Smart Vibes AI.

COZY EARTH (jogger set + clogs) - Give yourself the kind of comfort that lives with you all day — not just the moment you get home. Head to https://cozyearth.com and use my code BETTER for up to 20% off.

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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.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Stephanie Estima gives a masterclass on the often-overlooked role of lactate in how our bodies work during exercise. She’s redefining lactate as a key metabolic signal that can help us get stronger, age better and think sharper.

In this solo episode, Dr. Stephanie gets into how lactate is made, how it fuels our energy and why it’s so important when we push ourselves hard. Dr. Stephanie is a big fan of sprinting because it helps us build metabolic power and stay strong, and she’ll also talk about how to use it right and how to recover well.

Episode Overview:

(0:00) Introduction — Lactate Is Not the Enemy

(2:15) Welcome & Episode Roadmap

(4:30) The Myth: How We Got Lactate Wrong

(7:00) What Lactate Actually Is (The Biochemistry)

(9:30) Why Lactate Forms Even With Oxygen

(15:00) The Gear Analogy — Don't Be Metabolically Polite

(18:00) Metabolic Flexibility & Why HIIT Matters

(22:00) How to Dose Your Sprints (Beginner to Advanced)

(24:30) The Lactate Shuttle — Redistribution, Not Waste

(28:30) Mitochondrial Biogenesis & Longevity Signals

(32:00) Lactate and Your Brain — BDNF, Fog & Cognitive Edge

(38:30) Dosing, Recovery Rules & Programming

(46:00) Closing — You Are Remodelling Yourself

Resources mentioned in this episode: https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep469

We couldn’t do it without our sponsors:

BON CHARGE - Achieve glowing skin, gain more energy, and uplevel your recovery practice with a suite of red light products. Get 15% off at https://boncharge.com/better with code BETTER.

MUSE - Train your nervous system with feedback, the same way you’d train muscles with resistance. If you are ready to unlock your brain's potential, go to https://choosemuse.com/BETTER or use code BETTER at checkout to get started.

PIQUE LIFE - If you want to redefine your afternoon and evening rituals and still feel like yourself the next day, you can get 10% off at https://piquelife.com/better

TIMELINE   - Timeline’s clinically proven formula is now available at a new, lower price . Mitopure now starts at $79, when you go to https://timelinenutrition.com/better with code BETTER.

****************************
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.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.