Do your hormones decide whether you can workout? To close out the season, I’m joined by Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, a researcher who studies female physiology, exercise, and nutrition. She’s known for cutting through the fitness myths aimed at women. We talk about what female hormones actually do, and don’t do, when it comes to strength training. We also cover why the basics of building muscle don’t change with your cycle, birth control, or menopause.

In this episode:

- What the research says about estrogen, progesterone, and muscle growth in women

- Cycle syncing: why changing your training around your cycle may cost you consistency

- Lifting through perimenopause and menopause, and what actually matters for muscle and bone

-How to spot hormone-based marketing that’s built on fear, not evidence

About Dr. Lauren:
Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple holds a PhD in Integrative Physiology and is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. She co-owns the MASS Research Review and writes a free weekly newsletter, Fact Check Fridays.
🌐 drlaurencs.com | 📸 @drlaurencs1

Connect with me: @drnatashamehta | natashamehtamd.com

That’s a wrap on this season of Brain & Body Things. Thank you for listening. We’ll be back next year with a new season, so subscribe so you don’t miss it!

For the full experience, check out the episode on YouTube!

You sent in the questions, and this episode is all yours. Dr. Natasha Mehta, a double board-certified physician, is joined by not one but two friends and fellow moms, who ask the questions. Nadia Kahn-Singla & Mukti Lavu do not work in medicine. They bring a fresh, real-world perspective as 40-something year old consumers trying to sort out what’s worth their time, money, and energy. Together, they cover how to train smarter as you age, recovery tools, plus wellness & nonsense trends filling your feed. As always, the lens is function first: what actually helps your brain and body move, heal, and perform.

YouTube link to watch us in this beautiful Venice, CA studio.

The podcast episodes drop weekly on Monday's in seasonal chunks. Subscribe to stay up to date, and tune in when you can! Be sure to rate, review, and follow on your favorite podcast app and let me know what other brain & body things you'd like to hear about.

For more information about me, check out my website.

Follow me on Instagram or Tik Tok @drnatashamehta.

This episode is not sponsored.

What does it take to build a practice that actually reflects your values? This week I sit down with Denise Beckers, CEO of BLAKE Physical Therapy & Wellness, a Los Angeles practice built on an integrated, team-based approach to physical therapy and wellness.

We talk about what it means to turn purpose into a working practice model: how care teams can collaborate instead of working in silos, where traditional medicine and rehab fall short for patients, and what has to change in the way we practice. We also get honest about being women leading in healthcare: building teams, growing a business, and holding it all together outside the clinic too.

YouTube link to watch us in this beautiful Venice, CA studio.

The podcast episodes drop weekly on Monday's in seasonal chunks. Subscribe to stay up to date, and tune in when you can! Be sure to rate, review, and follow on your favorite podcast app and let me know what other brain & body things you'd like to hear about.

For more information about me, check out my website.

Follow me on Instagram or Tik Tok @drnatashamehta.

This episode is not sponsored.