Nicolé Thompson donated a kidney to her husband Constantine five days after their wedding in 2011. He has polycystic kidney disease (PKD), and his father died after 10 years on dialysis. Fifteen years later, they're both doing well.

Nicolé is a Morphus customer, life coach, and professional singer, and her story is one of the most interesting conversations we've had on the show. She walks Andrea through living donor testing, surgery day (including a nurse who mistook her husband for a stranger), her recovery, and what life after a transplant looks like for him. Then she talks about the part so many of us know: when perimenopause arrived in 2020, she blamed her anxiety and fatigue on COVID, stress, and having one kidney.

What you'll learn:
- What living kidney donor testing actually involves
- What recovery felt like after donating a kidney
- What polycystic kidney disease is and why it runs in families
- Why kidney transplant patients avoid grapefruit
- Why perimenopause anxiety and fatigue are so easy to blame on something else

Chapters:
2:00 A kidney donation love story
5:18 Her fiancé's polycystic kidney disease diagnosis
7:43 Living kidney donor testing: what really happens
13:56 Married 5 days before the kidney transplant
19:33 Kidney donor recovery: the first 6 weeks
21:17 What is polycystic kidney disease (PKD)?
23:23 Life after a kidney transplant: meds, grapefruit, colds
29:01 One kidney and perimenopause: anxiety, fatigue, insulin resistance
32:39 How kidney donation has changed, and would she do it again?
40:19 Her message if organ donation scares you

Take our new research survey, Perimenopause & Menopause Across Ethnicities: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeETDntSjZxIpJ8smhR8n6RoOJVFqTPkSUnfP_oP4nKW_P4Hw/viewform

This episode shares one person's experience and is not medical advice.

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My thyroid labs are "normal," but my hair's falling out, and I'm exhausted. Is this menopause or my thyroid?

If that sounds familiar, you're in good company. Andrea Donsky, nutritionist and bestselling author of Nourishing Menopause, has had Hashimoto's for more than 20 years, and once she hit menopause, her thyroid symptoms changed completely. The cold hands and weight gain she'd learned to watch for were replaced by a hoarse voice, fast weight loss, and depression.

So she sat down with Dr. Jade Guerra, a chiropractor and family nurse practitioner who has spent decades in functional medicine. They talk about what Hashimoto's actually is, why so many doctors don't check thyroid antibodies, and the kinds of testing Dr. Jade uses to look for what's behind your symptoms. Then they get into blood sugar: why insulin resistance gets more common in menopause, which fruits spike you (watermelon did it to Andrea), and why a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can tell you more than any food list.

And if you've ever walked out of an appointment feeling brushed off, Dr. Jade's closing message is for you.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- Why your thyroid symptoms can look different in menopause
- What Hashimoto's is and why a thyroid antibody test is worth asking about
- How mold and other toxins can sneak into everyday food
- Why insulin resistance gets more common after menopause
- Which fruits are easier on your blood sugar, and how to get a CGM without a prescription in the US

CHAPTERS
4:04 Why Doctors Don't Test Thyroid Antibodies
7:27 Meet Dr. Jade Guerra + Andrea's Hashimoto's Story After Menopause
9:45 Normal Thyroid Labs? Testing That Looks for the Root Cause
12:52 What Is Hashimoto's? 3 Things Every Woman Should Know
14:42 Plastics, Air and Water: Lowering Your Toxic Load
16:32 Mold in Your Food, Mold Testing and Why Daily Poops Matter
19:48 Insulin Resistance in Menopause: Why Is It Happening?
23:11 Eating for Steady Blood Sugar: Fruit, Watermelon and CGMs
26:25 Hair Loss, TSH and Being Dismissed by Your Doctor
29:35 It's Not Your Fault: Finding a Provider Who Listens

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Dr. Jade Guerra on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjadeguerra/
Ep #192, Thyropause & Hashimoto's with Dr. Amie Hornaman: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374700/episodes/19178901-ep-192-thyropause-hashimoto-s-with-dr-amie-hornaman
Ep #207, Insulin, GLP-1s & Menopause with Dr. Sarah Wilson, ND: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374700/episodes/19818368-ep-207-insulin-glp-1s-menopause-dr-sarah-wilson-nd

Nothing in this episode is medical advice. Talk to your own provider before starting or stopping any medication or supplement.

#thyroid #menopause #hashimotos

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Everyone's suddenly drinking hydrogen water. Is it hype, or is there actually science behind it?

Andrea met Paul Barattiero more than ten years ago at a health show in Toronto, back when almost nobody was talking about hydrogen water. Now it's everywhere, and a practitioner friend of Andrea's has been sending her studies about it almost daily. So she invited Paul on to explain what molecular hydrogen actually is, why he says it's not the same thing as the hydrogen in H2O, and what happens in the body when you drink it.

Paul's route into this was personal. His wife spent the first decade of their marriage with heavy, painful periods, adenomyosis and significant anemia, losing about a week of every month to her bed. On a cruise in 2005, friends handed her a jug of water they couldn't really explain, and something shifted. That sent Paul down a twenty-year path that inspired him to launch Echo Water.

In this conversation they talk about gut health, oxidative stress and inflammation, why hydrogen might behave more like a signal than a supplement, how much to drink and when, and what the menopause-specific research does and doesn't say yet.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

- What molecular hydrogen (H2) is, and why "isn't hydrogen already in water" is the wrong question

- Why your gut may be the reason you're not making hydrogen the way you used to

- What oxidative stress and chronic inflammation actually mean

- How much hydrogen water to drink a day, and why timing it around your workout may matter

- What the menopause research covers so far, including bone density, sleep, blood sugar and heart health

CHAPTERS

3:10 Isn't Hydrogen Already in Water? Why the Answer Is No

4:15 Why We're Talking About Hydrogen Water in Perimenopause

9:03 Heavy Periods, Anemia and a Cruise Ship: How Echo Water Started

14:40 Your Colon Is a Hydrogen Ecosystem: The Gut Hydrogen Connection

20:00 Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Explained

23:55 Hydrogen, Ghrelin and Brain Fog: The Gut to Brain Signal

31:37 How Much Hydrogen Water Should You Actually Drink a Day?

41:17 Does Hydrogen Water Go Flat?

45:40 Hydrogen Water and Menopause: Bone, Sleep, Belly Fat and Heart Health

51:05 Final Thoughts

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Save 10% on Echo Water: https://echowater.com/?ref=Morphus

Hydrogen research database Paul mentions: https://hydrogenstudies.com

Paul Barattiero on Instagram: @dr.paulbarattiero

Echo Water on Instagram: @echohydrogen

Affiliate disclosure: The Echo Water link is an affiliate link. Morphus earns a commission if you buy through it, at no extra cost to you, and you save 10%. Nothing in this episode is medical advice, and hydrogen water is not a treatment for any medical condition. Talk to your own provider about what's right for you.

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Are Your Hormones Really Out of Balance in Perimenopause? Dr. Sharon Stills, ND, Explains What's Happening and What to Do

Told, "It's just aging"? Dr. Sharon Stills says perimenopause isn't a disease, and there's a real answer for your hormones.

Dr. Sharon Stills spent her twenties as, in her own words, "a hot mess": PMS for two and a half weeks a month, migraines, allergies, asthma, and so much bloating that strangers asked when her baby was due. There was no baby. That was her hormones. Twenty-five years, one naturopathic medical degree, and a menopause of her own later, she's a licensed ND who's helped thousands of women rebalance their hormones, and she just opened a 7,000-square-foot healing center in Scottsdale with her son.

In this episode, Andrea and Dr. Stills get into what bioidentical hormones actually are, why the cream your doctor gave you might not be working (hint: it's probably where you're putting it), and why she believes hormone decline, not "aging," is the real root cause of most perimenopause and menopause symptoms. They also cover the messy realities: insurance that won't cover hormone therapy, social media misinformation about compounded hormones, and why Dr. Stills had to fight her own insurance company over a continuous glucose monitor.

If you've ever been told your hormones are "probably fine" without ever being tested, this one's for you.

What you'll learn:

• Why perimenopause and menopause aren't a "disease," and what's actually declining in your body
• The real difference between bioidentical hormones (BHRT) and synthetic HRT, and why your body can tell
• Why rubbing hormone cream on your arms or belly might mean you're getting almost none of the benefit
• Does vaginal estrogen go "systemic"? Dr. Stills settles the debate that's all over social media right now
• What individualized hormone testing looks like, and why "here's a patch, see you in a year" isn't it

Chapters:

3:11 Why Perimenopause and Menopause Aren't a "Disease"
4:51 Meet Dr. Sharon Stills, ND: Naturopathic Medicine's Menopause Expert
8:41 From Hormonal Chaos to Naturopathic Doctor: Dr. Stills' Own Story
19:11 What Is Bioidentical Hormone Therapy? Estrogen, Progesterone & Testosterone Explained
30:11 The Hormone Cream Mistake Almost Everyone Makes
39:11 Hormone Testing, Insurance Battles & the CGM Loophole
47:41 What "Bioidentical" Really Means + Inside the Lasting Wellness Center
52:41 The Free Menopause Summit & Where to Find Dr. Stills
57:31 Final Thoughts: Please Rate & Share the Show

Learn more about Dr. Stills: drsharonstills.com

Learn to register for The Future Of Meno(pause) Medicine Summit. Visit: https://drtalks.com/summits/menopause?uid=981&oid=114&ref=2584

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Can You Start Over in Midlife? Kaurie DiBerardino Rebuilt Her Entire Life at 50 After a Career-Ending Injury

"I used to be a hottie. Now I'm only hot in flashes." If that made you laugh and wince at once, this one's for you.

Kaurie DiBerardino spent years as a pediatric physical therapist, a biologist, and a holistic nutritionist. Then, at 44, a back injury ended her career overnight. What followed was a decade she describes as heavy, dark, and more life than she knew how to carry. Her kids grew up and stopped needing her the way they used to. Her body stopped cooperating. And somewhere in there, menopause arrived.

So she opened an Instagram account and started posting jokes. Her kids mocked her relentlessly. She had ten followers, one of whom was her cat.

On Mother's Day 2025, a reel went viral, and the Former Hotties Club was born. Today, it is a community of thousands of women who show up in black leggings and messy buns to laugh together about the absurdity of getting older.

This one is for you if you have ever thought it's too late, or that starting something new at 50 is embarrassing, or that everybody else has friends and you're the only one who feels this alone.

What you'll learn:

Why so many women feel invisible in midlife, and what actually shifts that feeling
How to start something new after 50 when you're terrified and have no followers yet
Why menopause loneliness hits hardest once the kids are out of the house
What actually changes mentally in menopause, and why so many women say they like themselves more afterward
How to find your people again when school pickup is no longer your social life

Chapters:

2:00 Hot in Flashes: The Menopause Design Flaw Nobody Warned Us About
3:20 Meet Kaurie DiBerardino, the 54-Year-Old Accidental Midlife Influencer
5:10 The Career-Ending Back Injury That Forced a Total Reinvention
9:20 How the Former Hotties Club Got Its Name
13:00 Gen X vs the Golden Girls: Why We Don't Look Like Our Mothers Did
16:30 The Zero Fs Era: Losing Estrogen and Gaining Confidence
20:00 How to Start Something New in Midlife When You're Scared
24:10 Midlife Loneliness After the Kids Leave, and Why Community Helps
27:10 Where to Find Kaurie and Join the Former Hotties Club

Find Kaurie:
Former Hotties Club: https://formerhottiesclub.com
Instagram: @theaccidentalmidlifeinfluencer
TikTok: @formerhottiesclub

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You're eating the same. Moving the same. But the scale is climbing and your belly is suddenly hard as a rock!

Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, author of the bestseller Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best, 7x published menopause researcher, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, has been there. At 46, she was 20 pounds heavier than she'd been before perimenopause, and she was a nutritionist who had been teaching healthy living for decades. She still couldn't figure it out, and she blamed herself.

In this solo episode, she has the conversation she wishes someone had had with her back in 2016. This episode isn't another lecture about calories but rather an honest explanation of what actually shifts in your body during perimenopause and menopause, and what you can do about it.

What you'll learn:

• Why you're gaining weight in perimenopause when you haven't changed a thing about how you eat.
• What changing estrogen has to do with where your body stores fat, and why it lands on your midsection.
• Why "eat less, exercise more" is the wrong advice for women in this stage of life.
• How sleep, muscle loss, stress, insulin resistance, inflammation, and gut health all quietly feed into weight gain.
• What Andrea's B.A.L.A.N.C.E. Blueprint approach to eating actually covers and how it works.
• And why "not recognizing yourself" in the mirror is grief, not vanity.

Chapters:

0:00 Eating the Same, Exercising the Same, Still Gaining Weight
1:50 20 Pounds Heavier at 46: Andrea's Own Weight Gain Story
2:35 The 17 Reasons We Gain Weight in Perimenopause and Menopause
3:49 Estrogen, Belly Fat, and Why Your Jeans Don't Fit Anymore
4:34 It's Not Vanity, It's Grief: Not Recognizing Your Own Body
5:16 Gen X, Diet Culture, and the 2016 Video That Made Her Face It
7:28 Sleep, Muscle Loss, Insulin Resistance, and Menopause Belly
8:14 Why "Eat Less, Exercise More" Fails Women in Midlife
8:57 The B.A.L.A.N.C.E. Blueprint: What You Can Actually Do About It
9:50 You're Allowed to Want to Lose Weight and Still Have Compassion For Yourself

Get Andrea's book here: "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026)

U.S. & Europe: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk
Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3

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"I'm doing everything right, and the scale still won't move." If that's you, the scale might be the wrong thing to watch.

Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, bestselling author of Nourishing Menopause, 7x published researcher, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, sits down with Daphne Bascom, MD, PhD, a former head and neck surgeon who left the operating room for lifestyle medicine and is now Chief Operations Officer of The Vegan Gym. Daphne is 59, competes as an IFBB Bikini Pro, and has been putting on muscle for a decade on a fully plant-based diet. She is also blunt about the parts that are hard.

This one is for you whether you're vegan, plant-curious, or a total carnivore. Nobody is asking you to give up meat. The question is whether you're getting enough protein and enough different plants, and whether you're measuring the right thing.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

- Can you get enough protein on a plant-based diet in menopause, and what the newest muscle research actually found

- Why the scale lies, and what body composition means in plain English

- What body fat percentage is healthy for women in midlife (the published ranges may surprise you)

- Why you can't out-exercise a bad diet, and the minimum strength training that still moves the needle

- What a full day of plant-based eating looks like when you're aiming for 100+ grams of protein

- Why 30 different plants a week matters more for your gut than any single "superfood"

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Why Plants Have Power in Perimenopause

3:03 Meet Dr. Daphne Bascom: Surgeon Turned Plant-Based MD

6:07 Why Doctors Get Almost No Menopause Training

7:36 Going Plant-Forward: What Changed for Her at Nearly 60

10:27 Can You Get Enough Protein Without Meat in Menopause?

13:29 Why the Scale Lies: Body Composition vs Weight

14:37 What Body Fat Percentage Is Healthy in Menopause?

16:59 You Can't Out-Exercise a Bad Diet

22:15 A Full Day of Plant-Based Eating With 100+ Grams of Protein

27:34 30 Plants a Week, Your Gut, and Your 90-Year-Old Self

CONNECT WITH DAPHNE BASCOM, MD, PhD

Instagram: @wingmandaphne

Website: wingmanwellness.com

The Vegan Gym: thevegangym.com

The Vegan Gym on YouTube (free full days of eating, recipes, shopping lists): youtube.com/@thevegangym

Thrive on Plants podcast: thriveonplants.buzzsprout.com

Rate and review the podcast if this helped. It's how other women find us.

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Morphus: Menopause Reimagined

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DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. This podcast contains affiliate links; Morphus may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.