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Welcome to the Hotflash inc Podcast! I’m Ann Marie McQueen, journalist and founder of Hotflash Inc, and today I’m joined by Dr Tiffany Duffing, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist, US Army Veteran, and co-founder of GI Psychology. Dr Duffing is an expert in the gut–brain connection, integrative therapy and clinical hypnosis for GI disorders, chronic pain, insomnia, and anxiety. There is such an intersection with everything we are facing in perimenopause, so stay tuned as we dive into the science behind one of the most practical tools for healing.

Highlights

• Dr Duffing’s path to GI Psychology and clinical hypnosis
• Overcoming skepticism: “If you don’t show me the data, I’m gonna go collect some information.”
• Dr Duffing’s personal experience with gut issues and family history
• The emotional and mental toll of GI distress
• Perimenopause, menopause, and the gut: what the research says
• The gut–brain connection explained: enteric nervous system, vagus nerve, and more
• How stress, trauma, and hypervigilance affect gut health
• The power of clinical hypnosis and how it works
• Self-hypnosis, apps, and how to find a qualified provider
• Dr Duffing’s advice: “If you have physical distress, Google Scholar that and see how clinical hypnosis can help. Boom.”

Sponsor shoutout: Has your doctor told you that you’re too young for peri/menopause, but you know 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. Don’t settle for less during this season of your life. Visit Menolabs.com and get the support you need today! Hotflash inc listeners get 20% off with code: HOTFLASH20

Where to find Dr Tiffany:

• Website: gipsychology.com
• IG: duffing4gastrohealth
• LinkedIn: Dr. Duffing
• American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH)
• Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH)

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This week on the Hotflash inc Podcast, I’m talking with board-certified pelvic floor physical therapist Dr Sara Reardon, aka The Vagina Whisperer. With 650,000 followers on Instagram and 8 million TikTok views, Sara has become a trusted source for breaking down pelvic floor health in a way that’s clear, empowering and, yes, even fun.

Her upcoming book, FLOORED: A Woman’s Guide to Pelvic Floor Health at Every Age and Stage (out June 10 from HarperCollins Park Row), is an honest, comprehensive guide to the often-ignored foundation of our bodies. In our conversation, we get into how stress, childbirth, perimenopause and menopause affect the pelvic floor — and how we can take back our strength and vitality at every age.

From the perils of peeing too fast to disappearing orgasms, Dr Sara brings science, compassion and truth to a topic most of us were never taught about.

Episode highlights:

• Understanding Stress and Pelvic Floor Tension
• Intro to the Hot Flash Ink Podcast
• Pelvic Floor 101: Anatomy and Function
• Pelvic Floor Health During Perimenopause
• The Role of Hormones and Stress

Sponsor shoutout: Has your doctor told you that you’re too young for peri/menopause, but you know 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. Don’t settle for less during this season of your life. Visit Menolabs.com and get the support you need today! Hotflash inc listeners get 20% off with 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.

Where to find Dr Sara

• Preorder FLOORED by Dr Sara Reardon (HarperCollins, June 10)
• Instagram: @the.vagina.whisperer
• Website: thevagwhisperer.com
• TikTok: @thevaginawhisperer

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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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On this episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, journalist and founder Ann Marie McQueen is joined by Dr Heidi Lescanec, a naturopathic physician based in Vancouver, BC, who brings over two decades of experience blending the latest scientific research with natural, clinically proven forms of medicine.

Heidi has coined the term The Pink Zones to describe the cultural, emotional, physical, and communal conditions that allow women to not only navigate perimenopause and menopause – but to thrive. She’s been listening to older, wiser women, and noticing the powerful patterns that emerge when we prioritize meaning, connection, and nervous system support over the relentless push to do more, be more, fix more.

From hormone health and adrenal burnout to grief, rage, and the unprocessed emotions that surface at midlife, this conversation goes beyond symptom lists and into what it really means to design this season of life, rather than just survive it.

Heidi and Ann Marie also dig into the nocebo effect, why outdated menopause narratives can actually make us feel worse, and how to reframe this transition as a gateway – not a decline.

Highlights:

• Dr. Heidi Lescanec’s integrative approach to hormone health, combining science, spirituality, and food-as-medicine
• Introduction to The Pink Zones: envisioning supportive environments that celebrate women's aging
• Exploration of how past generations managed menopause, transforming stigma into strength

About Dr Heidi Lescanec:

Dr Heidi Lescanec is a licensed naturopathic physician practicing in Vancouver, BC. With more than 20 years of experience, she blends science-backed natural medicine with a holistic, whole-person lens – addressing mind, body, and spirit.

Where to find her:

Website: thepinkzones.com

Substack: substack.com/@thepinkzones

IG: @drheidilescanec

Episode sponsor: Thanks to Menolabs for sponsoring this episode. Perimenopause can start earlier than you think. That’s why Menolabs is here to support you with trusted information and science-backed products like MenoFit, a probiotic designed to help relieve symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and more, all while supporting your overall wellness. Use code HOTFLASH20 for 20% off at menolabs.com

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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, Ann Marie McQueen speaks with globally recognized strategist Dr Lydia Kostopoulos, whose work spans emerging technology, national security, and macrotrends. But it’s her deep interest in human performance and healthy aging that brings her into the perimenopause conversation.

Lydia shares her experience preparing for this life phase with intention, data, and strategy – including a military-style “perimenopause game plan”. Through her Project N of 1 series and personal research, she’s built a unique, highly organized approach to symptom tracking, risk assessment, and hormone therapy prep – while emphasizing emotional and psychological resilience.

What we cover:
• Why Lydia created her Perimenopause Game Plan series as part of Project N of 1
• Her strategic approach to tracking symptoms, health data, and preparing for hormone therapy
• Insights from interviewing women across generations, disciplines, and cultures
• Why mental and emotional health are critical pillars of healthy aging

Quote:
“If you don’t know you have choices, then you never had a choice.” – Dr Lydia Kostopoulos

Resources & Links:
Perimenopause Game Plan YouTube Playlist
Dr Lydia Kostopoulos on LinkedIn
Instagram: @hilydiak
X @lkcyber

Episode sponsor: Thanks to Menolabs for sponsoring this episode. Perimenopause can start earlier than you think. That’s why Menolabs is here to support you with trusted information and science-backed products like MenoFit, a probiotic designed to help relieve symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and more, all while supporting your overall wellness. Use code HOTFLASH20 for 20% off at menolabs.com

*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.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend who’s navigating big transitions. Leave a review, subscribe, and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram at @hotflashinc for daily inspiration and support in midlife and beyond.

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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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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Are psychedelics a missing key to personal transformation in midlife?

This week, I speak with Rob Grover and Gary Logan, the founders of The Journeymen Collective, a luxury guided psilocybin retreat company based in the mountains outside Vancouver, BC. These two have helped entrepreneurs, performers, couples—and yes, many women navigating perimenopause, menopause, and midlife transitions—use guided mushroom journeys to reconnect to themselves and release emotional burdens that therapy, medication, or self-help books haven’t resolved.

We talk grief, depression, anxiety, the inner critic, and how to tap into the body’s sacred intelligence when everything feels disconnected. Rob and Gary explain the difference between “tripping” and undergoing a true guided journey, and why that distinction matters so deeply for healing and growth.

Highlights:

• “Most people who find us have done the therapy, read the books, tried the biohacking—and still feel stuck.”– Rob Grover
• “This isn’t about escaping—it’s about meeting yourself more deeply than ever before.” – Gary Logan
• How grief led both Rob and Gary to their first journeys with magic mushrooms—and why it changed everything.
• Why psilocybin is not a shortcut or magic bullet, but a profound reset for the nervous system.
• The science, spirituality, and deep preparation that goes into their luxury retreats.
• Why talk therapy for 10 years often gets outpaced by 4 days of immersive guided work.
• A frank and beautiful discussion about anger, sadness, menopause symptoms—and how they’re often calls to listen to the body, not suppress it.

Links + resources:

• Learn more: The Journeymen Collective
• Follow Rob and Gary on Instagram and LinkedIn
• Mentioned: Red School: Menstruality Education
• Research: MAPS – Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
• Use code HOTFLASH20 for 20% off at MenoLabs.com

Episode sponsor: Thanks to Menolabs for sponsoring this episode. Use code HOTFLASH20 for 20% off at menolabs.com

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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 honest and energizing conversation, Ann Marie sits down with 64-year-old Australian naturopath, speaker, and wellness rebel Jennifer Jefferies – aka @presentdaywisewoman – to talk about how women can embrace midlife and menopause without fear, extremes, or pharma dependency.

Jen brings over 30 years of clinical experience, a surfboard, and a no-BS attitude to the conversation. Once a burned-out pharmaceutical rep, she made a full 180 after hitting the wall in her 20s and rebuilding her health using naturopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and her beloved “bare-ass minimum” (BAM) approach to wellness.

This is a must-listen episode for any woman feeling confused, overwhelmed, or exhausted by the barrage of menopause messages out there.

Highlights include:

• Why we’re told menopause is a disaster – and why it doesn’t have to be
• How adrenal burnout is at the core of crappy perimenopause (even if your doctor won’t admit it)
• The truth about estrogen “deficiency” and why we’re not meant to keep producing it forever
• What Western medicine gets wrong about hormone therapy
• The rise of adrenal fatigue in the pandemic aftermath
• Jen’s Bare-Ass Minimum Plan to restore vitality, joy, and hormonal balance
• Why she swears by: going to bed before 10 p.m., eating close to nature 80% of the time, and having fun – yes, fun!
• What happens when we stop outsourcing our health and tune into our own wisdom

About Jennifer Jefferies:
Jennifer Jefferies is a veteran naturopath, speaker, author, and wellness educator with over three decades of clinical experience. Based on the Gold Coast of Australia, she’s known for her refreshingly simple, radically realistic, and unapologetically fun approach to health and aging. She surfs at sunrise, gardens in her downtime, and helps women around the world step into their power.

Where to find her:

IG @thepresentdaywisewoman
Learn more: jenniferjefferies.com

Episode sponsor: Thanks to Menolabs for sponsoring this episode. Use code HOTFLASH20 for 20% off at menolabs.com

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This podcast originally ran on July 11, 2024

In this episode, host and midlife and menopause journalist Ann Marie McQueen speaks with iconic American model Kim Alexis.

They explore Kim's extensive career when she dominated the modeling industry. They talk about what it was like to appear on over 500 magazine – sometimes all of them at once – and cover her journey through competitive sports, her faith, clean living, marriage and menopause.

Kim shares personal stories about her transition into menopause, her choice to use hormone therapy – and the controversial delivery method of pellets – and how she navigates various health claims and misinformation prevalent in the social media age.

They also discuss the impact of environmental disruptors on health and, possibly, menopause, the evolving standards of beauty and self-image in aging, and the importance of self-care, self-inquiry, adaptation and outreach in midlife.

Highlights:

02:32 Kim Alexis on Social Media and Going Viral

03:01 Natural Beauty and Aging Gracefully

06:06 The Modeling Industry Then and Now

10:54 Health, Fitness, and Post-Modeling Career

12:30 Navigating Nutrition and Wellness Trends

21:13 Adapting to Life's Changes

21:19 Skincare from the Inside Out

22:32 Personal Skincare Routines

23:45 Hormonal Shifts and Menopause

28:33 Hormone Therapy Controversy

33:21 Emotional and Soul Searching

36:49 Finding Love Later in Life

39:02 Advice for Reinventing Yourself

42:40 Future Plans and Giving Back

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc

Episode website: Hotflashinc

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This podcast originally ran on August 1, 2024

You may have been hearing a lot about testosterone lately – what it is, why we need it, why we can’t get it… I’ve gone to Melbourne, Australia to ask an expert in women’s hormones across our lifespan, and one of the few people who has studied testosterone in-depth.

Professor Susan Davis is a clinician researcher, consulting endocrinologist and head of the Monash University Women’s Health Research Program in Melbourne.

She is going to help us to tackle the current confusion – and hype – over testosterone, armed with what she knows best: the evidence. We talk about it all: the evidence, benefits, and potential misconceptions about testosterone supplementation for women, especially during menopause and perimenopause; the difficulty in measuring testosterone accurately, the placebo effect, risks and benefits of different hormone therapies, including testosterone pellets and creams, and the critical importance of credible sources of information. Professor Davis also highlights her extensive research, including studies on the cardiovascular effects of low testosterone and the physiological impacts on women's health.

Highlights:

03:38 Testosterone's role in a women's hormone structure

06:35 Challenges in measuring testosterone

19:50 Testosterone and cardiovascular health

30:02 The misleading promises of testosterone therapy

32:55 The controversy surrounding pellets

36:17 Breast cancer risks and hormone therapy

40:15 Testosterone for menopausal symptoms

42:12 The role of DHEA in hormone therapy

44:49 The impact of birth control pills

46:26 Navigating hormone therapy and misinformation

50:50 Current research and future directions

53:33 The Influence of social media on health information

56:10 Conclusion and credible resources

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Join the Hotflash inc perimenoposse:

Web: hotflashinc.com
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TikTok: @hotflashinc
Instagram: @hotflashinc
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Episode website: Hotflashinc

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See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information