Andrea Donsky is a registered holistic nutritionist with over 20 years of experience in the natural health space, a published menopause researcher, and the founder of Morphus. She is the author of Nourishing Menopause (Simon and Schuster) and Unjunk Your Junk Food, and the host of the Menopause Reimagined podcast, where she shares the latest science, real-talk strategies, and tools to help women thrive through perimenopause and menopause.

If you've ever been told it's just stress, just aging, or just in your head, this episode and Andrea's new book are what you've been waiting for.

In this very personal solo episode, Andrea shares the story behind her brand-new book, Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition and Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best. After 14 years in perimenopause (11 of them not even knowing it), she knew women like us deserved better. This book is the roadmap she wished existed when she was sitting on her couch, counting hot flashes or Googling symptoms at 3 AM.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The 103+ symptoms of perimenopause and menopause your doctor probably never mentioned
• Why phantom smells, anxiety, and digestive issues are often hormonal (not "in your head")
• The 17 real reasons women gain weight in midlife (and why eating less isn't the answer)
• Andrea's personal story with anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, PTSD, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis
• Why weight training matters more than cardio and how to start where you are

Chapters:

0:00 Why I Wrote Nourishing Menopause

1:30 The 103+ Symptoms Most Women Never Hear

3:10 Phantom Smells and Symptoms Doctors Dismiss

4:50 Why 1 in 5 Women Doesn't Know Her Stage

6:35 17 Real Reasons We Gain Weight

8:50 Stress, Anxiety, and Hashimoto's

11:15 Sleep, Protein, and Hormone-Supportive Eating

13:25 Why Weight Training Is Queen

Get your copy of Nourishing Menopause: www.nourishingmenopausebook.com

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Morphus: Menopause Reimagined

💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all

📖 Pre-order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026)

Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk

📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO
✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh
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FOLLOW US:

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Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky

Facebook: /wearemorphus

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.

You walked out of another appointment feeling unheard. Here's how to flip the next one.

In this week's episode of Menopause Reimagined, Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, published menopause researcher, educator, author, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, sits down with Shirley Weir, founder of Menopause Chicks and one of the original voices in the menopause conversation. Shirley has spent over a decade moderating questions from a community of more than 60,000 women, and she's distilled what she's learned into a practical framework called Script Tips, designed to help you stop being dismissed at the doctor's office and start getting the answers you actually need.

This is the conversation every woman in perimenopause and menopause needs before her next appointment.

What you'll learn:

• Why over half of women leave their health appointments feeling dismissed (and the two reasons they went in the first place)
• Shirley's Script Tips framework: the exact language to use when you walk into the room
• Why "impact" is the single most important word you can say to your doctor
• What's actually covered under Canada's new menopause hormone therapy Pharmacare program (BC and Manitoba launched March 2026)
• How preventing UTIs in menopause may help reduce dementia misdiagnoses

Chapters:

0:00 Why Women Feel Dismissed at Doctor Visits in Perimenopause

3:15 How Shirley Weir Built Menopause Chicks (And Why It Started in 2012)

8:00 Why "Doctor Google" Wasn't Enough: The Information Gap

12:30 Speak Menopause: Why the Right Vocabulary Changes Everything

17:00 Don't Blame Everything on Perimenopause (Phantom Smells, Swelling, More)

21:30 Script Tips: The Method That Flips Your Doctor Appointment

28:30 The Impact Statement: The One Thing Most Women Forget to Say

34:00 Free Menopause Hormone Therapy in Canada: BC and Manitoba Pharmacare

39:30 UTI Prevention in Postmenopause (And the Dementia Connection)

43:30 Tell Three People: The Grassroots Movement Changing Menopause

🌐 Connect with Shirley Weir at Menopause Chicks: https://menopausechicks.com 📱 Find Shirley on social: @menopausechicks

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Morphus: Menopause Reimagined

💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all

📖 Pre-order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026)

Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk

📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO
✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh
🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V

FOLLOW US:

TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus

Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky

Facebook: /wearemorphus

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.

You used to digest everything. Now a salad wrecks you. If perimenopause changed your gut overnight, this one's for you.

Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, published menopause researcher, menopause educator, author, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com sits down with nurse practitioner and bestselling author Cynthia Thurlow to unpack the gut-hormone connection nobody warned us about. Cynthia's brand new book, The Menopause Gut (out April 28), is the paradigm-shifting guide to why 94% of perimenopausal women suddenly have digestive issues, and what to actually do about it.

What you'll learn:

• Why you can't digest food properly if you're stressed (and the 4-breath trick that changes it)
• What the estrobolome is and how it's recycling your estrogen in ways that make bloating worse
• The fiber mistake that's making your gut feel worse, not better
• Why your gut suddenly looks more like a man's after menopause
• How PCOS and perimenopause collide (and why it's not "over" when your period stops)
• The difference between intermittent fasting and "digestive rest" and which one works better in midlife

Chapters:

0:00 Cynthia's Morocco Story: When Perimenopause Broke Her Gut

2:10 Why Gut Health Gets Worse in Perimenopause and Menopause

6:32 Digestion Starts in the Brain: The Parasympathetic Connection

11:10 Estrogen, Histamine, and Why You Suddenly React to Foods

15:58 Postbiotics 101: Butyrate, Urolithin A, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids

21:30 Fiber, Bloating, and Why You Can't Just Jump to 30 Grams a Day

26:15 The Gut-Bone Connection Nobody Talks About

29:58 Sleep, Stress, and the Cortisol-Constipation Loop

34:42 The Vagus Nerve: Your Gut-Brain Superhighway

39:00 Intermittent Fasting vs Digestive Rest: What Changed Her Mind

42:50 PCOS, Insulin Resistance, and Menopause: The Missing Conversation

46:40 Where to Find Cynthia and The Menopause Gut Book

📖 Get Cynthia's new book The Menopause Gut (out April 28): https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3

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Morphus: Menopause Reimagined

💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all

📖 Pre-order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026)

Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk

📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO
✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh
🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V

FOLLOW US:

TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus

Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky

Facebook: /wearemorphus

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.

In this interview, Andrea Donsky, a nutritionist, published menopause researcher, menopause educator, author, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, discusses PCOS and HRT with Dr. Felice Gersh, an integrative gynecologist and women’s health expert specializing in hormones, menopause, and the connection between lifestyle and hormonal balance.

Topics:

• Going back to basics with menstruation, periods, cycles, and PCOS.
• How the female moon rhythm relates to all body systems and hormonal cycles, not just fertility and reproduction, including metabolic and immune functions.
• The connection between PCOS and inflammation.
• Why having an imbalance of estradiol (deficient), progesterone (deficient), and progesterone (too abundant) creates a cascade of health issues, including but not limited to insulin resistance and high blood pressure, as well as accelerated aging and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, etc.
• It's not all bad news; by cycling hormones at physiological doses (equivalent to a younger woman), many chronic health conditions can be prevented or delayed.
• Discussion around GLP-1 and estradiol, as well as fertility and pregnancy outcomes.
• Windows of time where hormone replacement can and should happen, and how the data from the Women's Health Initiative is still skewing the data for these recommendations.
• Why Prempro is still dangerous despite the removal of the black label warning on hormone therapy.
• What you need to know about bleeding and HRT.

Links:

Learn more about Dr. Felice Gersh's Practice, Integrative Medical Group of Irvine https://integrativemgi.com/

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Morphus: Menopause Reimagined

💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all

📖 Pre-order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026)

Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk

📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO
✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh
🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V

FOLLOW US:

TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus

Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky

Facebook: /wearemorphus

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.

In this interview, Andrea Donsky, a nutritionist, published menopause researcher, menopause educator, author, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, discusses the challenges women face in the workplace during perimenopause and menopause with Lisa Boate, a menopause consultant, workplace educator, and host of the Transforming 45 podcast.

Topics:

• Lisa's journey from educator to menopause coach.
• The cost to businesses and organizations of losing female "assets" during perimenopause and menopause.
• When we are in perimenopause and menopause, our ability to handle stress isn't what it used to be, and tips for setting boundaries to help us.
• Changing the shoulds and expectations we were raised with.
• How a coach can help you move through the overwhelm of making decisions about big changes in your life.
• Understanding the ways in which we can impact the world without feeling frustrated that we aren't enough.
• Reflecting on who we want to be in the next phase of our lives.
• Pushing for policy change in businesses and organizations, so we don't have to advocate for ourselves when we're already feeling overwhelmed.
• Building alliances with male leadership.
• Creating open dialogue in our personal relationships, marriages, and relationships with our children, because these types of communications often weren't modeled for us in our families.
• Providing education on perimenopause and menopause as part of the high school curriculum is particularly important.

Learn more about Lisa Boate at https://www.liberatedmenopause.ca/

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Morphus: Menopause Reimagined

💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all

📖 Pre-order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026)

Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk

📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO
✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh
🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V

FOLLOW US:

TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus

Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky

Facebook: /wearemorphus

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.

Has your libido disappeared? You're not alone. Listen to this interview to learn why and what you can do about it.

Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, published menopause researcher, menopause educator, author, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, interviews Dr. Diane Mueller. Dr. Mueller is a naturopathic doctor and board-certified sexologist with two doctoral degrees and over 15 years of clinical experience helping more than 30,000 couples restore libido and intimacy. She founded the Hot and Modern Monogamy Club, wrote Want to Want It, and hosts the Libido Lounge podcast.

Topics:

• Breaking the taboo around pain, pleasure, and desire in perimenopause and menopause
• The importance of pleasure, desire, and why they are essential for overall well-being
• Keeping excitement alive in long-term and monogamous relationships
• Questioning traditional vs open relationship models and how communication makes them work
• How to express your needs clearly in a relationship
• The impact of physical, personal, and interpersonal factors on libido
• Key differences in arousal and desire between men and women
• Why women need to feel “in their bodies” and the role of foreplay in arousal
• Practical libido support strategies, habits, and prioritization
• Approaching communication without blame, shame, or pressure
• The evolution of relationships and intimacy across different life stages
• Reintroducing play, removing expectations, and reducing pressure around sex
• Physical changes, including circulation, pelvic floor health, and tissue health
• Interstitial cystitis symptoms and their impact on intimacy

Learn more about Dr. Diane Mueller here.

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Morphus: Menopause Reimagined

💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all

📖 Pre-order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026)

Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk

📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO
✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh
🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V

FOLLOW US:

TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus

Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky

Facebook: /wearemorphus

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.

So many symptoms in perimenopause and menopause can be traced back to hormones, including sex hormones and the thyroid. In this episode, we take a deep dive into thyroid health and PCOS, and we touch on bone health. Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, published menopause researcher, menopause educator, author of Nourishing Menopause, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, interviews with Dr. Damola Aje, a board-certified endocrinologist who specializes in PCOS, thyroid disorders, and menopause.

Topics:

• Thyroid Problems in Women - Thyroid problems in women can show up as fatigue, weight changes, feeling cold, dry skin, and low energy, especially during perimenopause and menopause. These symptoms are often mistaken for hormonal changes, which is why comprehensive thyroid testing beyond TSH is important.
• PCOS in Perimenopause and Menopause - PCOS in perimenopause and menopause remains a lifelong metabolic and hormonal condition, often linked to androgen imbalance, acne, hair thinning, and facial hair. Lean PCOS is also common and frequently overlooked.
• Insulin Resistance in Midlife Women - Insulin resistance in perimenopause and menopause is a key driver of PCOS, contributing to weight gain, stubborn belly fat, blood sugar imbalance, and metabolic dysfunction. Exercise supports glucose control and helps preserve muscle mass during aging.
• Hormonal Imbalance Symptoms in Women - Symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, fatigue, poor sleep, and heart palpitations can overlap between thyroid disorders, PCOS, and menopause, making hormonal imbalance in women harder to identify and often dismissed.
• Menopause Treatment and Hormone Support Options - Menopause treatment options may include hormone replacement therapy for hot flashes and night sweats, along with bone health support and proactive testing. Self-advocacy is key to getting proper diagnosis and care.

Follow Dr. Aje @hormoneswithdrdamijey

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Morphus: Menopause Reimagined

💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all

📖 Pre-order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026)

Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk

📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO
✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh
🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V

FOLLOW US:

TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus

Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky

Facebook: /wearemorphus

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.

Our Morphus research shows that 66% of perimenopausal and menopausal women feel more stressed and less able to cope with daily pressures than they did before entering this stage of life.

In this episode, Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, published menopause researcher, menopause educator, author, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com sits down with mentor Lisa Borden. Lisa is a business development consultant and founder of Borden Communications + Design Inc. She’s also an author, speaker, and creator of The Wellness Intelligence Collective.

They discuss how to reframe our lives by ditching rigid rules and finding curiosity-driven solutions for purpose, connection, and kindness.

Topics

• The Open Nest Transition
  A fresh way to think about the so-called “empty nest,” as children move in and out of our lives and create space for you to reconnect with yourself.
• The Freedom of Unmeditation
  Peace doesn't require a lotus pose or perfect stillness. Presence and breath connection can happen while lying down, walking, or moving through daily life.
• Self-Care Snacks
  Simple, doable two-minute practices, from unmeditation to gentle movement, can help regulate your nervous system and bring more calm into your day.
• Spotting Healthwashing
  How to look beyond polished marketing and identify products that truly prioritize wellness, integrity, and quality.
• Empathy Economics
  Lisa’s approach to conscious consumerism, rooted in understanding the story, values, and impact behind the products we choose.
• Building Community Through The Wellness Intelligence Collective (TWIC)
  Creating meaningful connection, shared learning, and support for women seeking a more informed wellness journey.
• The Power of Coopetition
  Why supporting, celebrating, and elevating other women creates stronger businesses, stronger communities, and greater collective impact.
• A Beginner’s Mindset
  Being willing to learn, unlearn, and start where you are is often the first step toward meaningful change in your health and your life.

Links

• The Wellness Intelligence Collective (TWIC) https://www.thewellnessintelligencecollective.com/

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Morphus: Menopause Reimagined

💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all

📖 Pre-order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026)

Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk

📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO
✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh
🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V

FOLLOW US:

TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus

Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky

Facebook: /wearemorphus

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.