Originally published on YouTube on 13 August 2026.

Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJV7O5hnKos

One 2002 study shaped how millions of women think about menopause hormone therapy.

In Part 1/2, I sit down with Steve Goldring, RPh, The Hormone Pharmacist, to unpack what the Women's Health Initiative actually found, how pills, patches, gels, vaginal estrogen and pellets differ, and why taking hormones and not taking them both involve trade-offs.

Get the free APOE4 Woman's Guide: https://thephoenix.community/guides/womens-guide

RESOURCES:

Apply to join Phoenix: https://apoe4.link/Therapy

Essential APOE4 Guide: https://apoe4.link/TherapyG

Weekly Newsletter: https://apoe4.link/TherapyN

More about Steve Goldring

The Menopause Solution: Your 7-Step Roadmap to Feeling Like Yourself: https://apoe4.link/stevegoldring

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimpleHormones

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Opening highlights

00:29 Podcast introduction

03:16 The Conversation

07:39 The Women's Health Initiative: What Went Wrong?

11:58 Does HRT Really Increase Breast Cancer Risk?

16:08 Why the FDA Removed HRT Warnings

20:48 Can Women With a History of Breast Cancer Take HRT?

26:15 Is Duavee a Better Alternative to Progesterone?

29:10 Different HRT Options & Common Mistakes

34:05 What's the Best HRT Method & Can You Combine Them?

39:32 Does Hormone Stability Matter for Brain Health?

43:40 Why Are Estrogen Patches Wearing Off Too Soon?

46:53 Can Estrogen Patches Survive Heat, Sweat & Swimming?

48:44 How Should You Apply Estrogen Cream?

51:30 Should You Increase HRT If You Have No Symptoms?

56:26 What If You Can't Tolerate Progesterone?

01:03:22 Why Are Hot Flashes Coming Back?

01:06:31 Testosterone Replacement for Women and Men

01:11:30 Outro

John lost both his parents to Alzheimer's. His mom. Then his dad. He retired early to care for his father, watched the disease take everything, and then got his own genetic test.

The result? APOE 3/4 carrier.

Most people would spiral. John did the opposite. He overhauled his entire life (diet, exercise, supplements, sleep, alcohol, wearables) and joined The Phoenix Community to find others on the same path.

In this conversation, John shares:

- What it was like caring for both parents through Alzheimer's

- How genetic counseling became the spark that changed everything

- The alcohol realization most APOE4 carriers relate to

- Why he retired at 55 and made health his full-time mission

- His p-tau test results (and why he was brave enough to take it)

- How the Neuronic photobiomodulation study became a daily habit

- His advice for busy people who can't go "all in"

- Why Phoenix became his "genetic family"

John's philosophy is simple: even if none of this prevents Alzheimer's, these are still the best 13 years of his life. And that's worth everything.

📚 RESOURCES

→ Join the Phoenix Community: https://apoe4.link/John

→ Free APOE4 Guide: https://apoe4.link/JohnG

→ Weekly Newsletter: https://apoe4.link/JohnN

Timestamps :

00:00 Introduction

00:30 John shares his experience with his parents who had Alzheimer’s

03:01 Getting tested for the APOE4 gene

13:40 How the APOE4 result changed his life

17:25 The lifestyle changes he made after the test

26:32 Alzheimer’s biomarker p tau test

30:40 Advice for people who do not have time for prevention

35:35 The brain health technologies he uses

44:00 How he stays motivated to stay healthy

51:44 The importance of community for APOE4 carriers

Dr. Gertrude Behan spent decades as a family medicine physician in Australia. She diagnosed patients with Alzheimer's. She saw firsthand how little the medications helped.

Then in 2016, she diagnosed her own mother.

Two years later, while battling breast cancer and searching for the BRCA gene, she discovered something else: she carries APOE4.

In this Phoenix Member Stories episode, Dr. Behan shares:

→ The moment she diagnosed her mother (and what happened next)

→ Why discovering APOE4 after her mother's diagnosis felt "believable"

→ How she juggles breast cancer prevention AND Alzheimer's prevention

→ Her surprisingly skeptical view on supplements (as a doctor)

→ Why she says "do it now" (the 6-8 years realization)

→ The "wild variant" reframe: APOE4 carriers as tough humans built for survival

→ Her current stack: activated B vitamins, vitamin D, NR (and why she's tempted by lithium)

→ Why she thinks APOE4 testing should be population-wide at age 30

→ Her message to anyone who just found out they carry the gene

📚 RESOURCES

→ Join the Phoenix Community: https://apoe4.link/Gertrude

→ Free APOE4 Guide: https://apoe4.link/GertrudeG

→ Weekly Newsletter: https://apoe4.link/GertrudeN

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Episode Trailer

01:20 Podcast Introduction – Gertrude Behan and Her Work

02:32 Diagnosing Her Mother with Alzheimer’s & Learning She Has the ApoE4 Gene

05:10 Researching Alzheimer’s & Treatment Options

07:20 Finding Positivity After Learning About ApoE4

09:25 Diet, Exercise & Alcohol and Brain Health

12:38 Fat, Glucose & Entering Ketosis

17:50 Phoenix Community Health Tracking App

20:18 Managing ApoE4 and Breast Cancer Together

22:08 How to Choose the Right Health Interventions

24:21 Cognitive Testing, Brain Training & Placebo Effect

31:37 How Dr. Behan Evaluates Supplements

39:10 Lithium Research & Final Thoughts