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Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn

Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn

Di: Dr. Jenn Simmons
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Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn is a podcast dedicated to empowering women and promoting breast health through a functional medicine lens. Dr. Jenn is a leading functional medicine practitioner specializing in restoring health to the breast cancer population. She explores a range of topics related to breast health, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and holistic approaches to support overall well-being.

Whether you're a breast cancer survivor, a woman seeking to improve your breast health, a caregiver supporting a loved one, or you are just looking to thrive in this complicated world, this podcast is designed to meet your needs. Discover how functional medicine approaches can complement conventional treatments, support hormone balance, enhance nutrition, manage stress, optimize lifestyle choices, and promote overall well-being. Tune into Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn to gain the knowledge, tools, and resources to take control of your breast health journey. Remember, at the end of the day, breast health is health!


Note: The Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn podcast is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for personalized guidance and treatment recommendations.

© 2026 Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn Disturbo fisico e malattia Igiene e vita sana Medicina alternativa e complementare
Episodi
  • Hormones, Menopause, and the Cost of Saying No

    Hormones, Menopause, and the Cost of Saying No
    Oct 11 2026
    Dr. Jenn Simmons is joined by Dr. Louise Newson, a hormone-focused physician and menopause educator, for a wide-ranging conversation about the difference between bioidentical and synthetic hormones, why hormone fear persists in medicine, and how that fear affects women’s long-term health. They also dig into breast cancer, BRCA mutations, perimenopause, testosterone, compounding, and why shared decision-making matters more than blanket rules.Key topicsDr. Louise Newson shares how her medical path moved from internal medicine and pathology into general practice, medical writing, and ultimately menopause and hormone care.She explains why the Women’s Health Initiative and other early studies created lasting confusion by mixing synthetic hormones with bioidentical hormones.Dr. Newson breaks down the biological difference between endogenous hormones and synthetic compounds, using receptor biology and chemical structure to show why they are not interchangeable.The conversation examines why many clinicians still fear hormone therapy, including outdated warnings, guideline dependence, pharma influence, and professional ego.Dr. Newson argues that menopause is not just a “natural transition” but a hormone deficiency with real biological consequences, especially for bone, cardiovascular, brain, and metabolic health.They discuss the misconception that hormones should only be used briefly, and why some women benefit from continuing treatment based on symptoms, quality of life, and future risk reduction.The episode covers testosterone in women, including why it is underused, why it is often misunderstood as only a libido hormone, and how it can affect mood, energy, sleep, joints, and cognition.They explore how perimenopause is best approached by assessing progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone separately rather than relying on one broad label.Dr. Newson addresses compounding, explaining why individualized preparations can be useful and why “compounded” does not automatically mean unsafe.The discussion moves into breast cancer and BRCA mutations, with a focus on why hormone decisions should be individualized rather than ruled out by category.They emphasize that women need better information to make informed choices, and that refusing to offer hormone treatment can itself cause harm.Timestamps00:00 - Why Dr. Louise Newson is such a trusted voice on hormones01:17 - Losing her father young and the path into medicine03:39 - From prescribing HRT to becoming a medical writer04:04 - The WHI study and why it changed everything05:55 - Why antidepressants were replacing hormone care07:32 - Synthetic hormones versus bioidentical hormones09:33 - How receptor biology explains the difference10:32 - Chemical examples that show how small changes matter11:30 - Why WHO classified ethinyl estradiol as carcinogenic13:34 - Why warnings and guidelines keep the fear alive15:28 - The vacuum created when doctors stopped learning hormones16:41 - Training more than 33,000 clinicians in menopause care18:57 - Why gynecologists are not necessarily hormone experts19:24 - Why endocrinology and psychiatry often miss the issue20:49 - Is menopause a disease or a normal transition?22:15 - Why early menopause raises the stakes23:34 - Why hormone therapy should remain a choice24:27 - What happens when the body adapts to low hormones25:41 - Why supplements cannot replace estradiol, progesterone, or testosterone28:55 - What older women discover when they finally try hormones29:57 - The so-called window of opportunity after age 6031:31 - Why hormones may still help women with heart disease33:41 - Why there will never be a big randomized trial35:07 - Why medicine accepts some evidence standards and ignores others37:39 - The compounding controversy and why it makes no sense39:36 - Why testosterone can be safer as a pump or customized preparation40:03 - Why Dr. Newson dislikes the words menopause and perimenopause40:59 - Treating progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone separately42:38 - Why testosterone is so misunderstood in women44:03 - The limits of libido-only thinking45:28 - Testosterone data in men and why it gets ignored for women46:11 - BRCA mutations, ovarian cancer, and hormone eligibility48:56 - Why society guidelines are not the same as facts49:54 - The hidden harm of withholding hormones51:52 - The woman whose life changed after starting treatment53:09 - Why not prescribing can create real long-term danger54:11 - Women often know more than their providers now55:38 - The breast cancer population and refusing tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors56:46 - Estrogen receptor positive does not mean estrogen caused the cancer60:06 - Risks of tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors61:33 - Testosterone use after breast cancer63:05 - Why cancer and recurrence happen with or without hormones65:26 - Who Dr. Newson would refuse to treat66:55 - A breast cancer case where hormones supported mental health68:09 - Why old breast cancer treatments included ...
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    1 ora e 14 min
  • 158 : IBS, finding and treating the root cause of irritable bowel syndrome

    158 : IBS, finding and treating the root cause of irritable bowel syndrome
    Sep 28 2026
    Dr. Jenn Simmons speaks with pharmacist turned integrative health author Dr. Isabella Wentz about the hidden drivers of IBS, why so many people get mislabeled without answers, and how gut issues can connect to autoimmune disease, hormones, and chronic inflammation. Dr. Wentz shares her own path from conventional pharmacy into root-cause medicine, including how her personal experience with fatigue, IBS, and Hashimoto’s changed everything.We discuss the limits of standard IBS care, the most useful testing strategies, and the major causes she sees in practice, from SIBO and food sensitivities to protozoal infections and hormone disruption. This conversation is especially useful for anyone who has been told their digestive symptoms are “just IBS” and wants a more complete framework.Key topicsDr. Wentz shares how she entered pharmacy school wanting to invent drugs, not practice natural medicine, and how her own illness redirected her career.Her first major gut issue began in pharmacy school with fatigue and severe IBS symptoms, which improved after removing certain soy-based meal replacements.She explains IBS as a wastebasket diagnosis, not a true root-cause diagnosis, and says it often reflects a much bigger underlying problem.She notes that IBS can precede autoimmune conditions by 5 to 10 years, which is why gut symptoms should be taken seriously.She outlines red flags that should prompt further testing, including rectal bleeding, blood in stool, weight loss, fever, and new IBS symptoms after age 35 to 40.She recommends functional testing such as SIBO breath testing and comprehensive stool analysis like GI Map or Gut Zoomer to look for dysbiosis, low enzymes, and infections.She explains why SIBO often comes back if the true driver is not addressed, such as low thyroid function, low stomach acid, H. pylori, or protozoal infection.She cautions against overly restrictive diets, saying many people end up with “gluten-free junk food” patterns or elimination diets so strict they create new problems.She discusses food sensitivity testing, saying results vary widely by method, but she has seen strong practical value in IgG testing for symptom tracking.She highlights the role of parasites and protozoa, especially microscopic organisms like Giardia and Blastocystis, and her preference for testing rather than guessing.She and Dr. Simmons discuss hormone effects on digestion, including how progesterone decline and estrogen dominance may contribute to constipation and IBS symptoms.Dr. Wentz emphasizes that healing should support real life, not perfection, so people can travel, eat normally sometimes, and still feel well.Timestamps00:00 - Why Dr. Wentz wrote her fifth book on IBS 03:29 - From pharmacy school to the first signs something was wrong 04:42 - Fatigue, IBS, and the soy lecithin discovery 06:57 - When Hashimoto’s changed the entire direction of her career 08:21 - Why root-cause medicine became impossible to ignore 10:51 - How she found answers before functional medicine was mainstream 13:54 - Why IBS is often the wrong label for the real problem 18:39 - Red flags that should never be written off as IBS 21:26 - The two tests she relies on most: SIBO and stool analysis 23:15 - Why SIBO keeps returning when the root cause remains 26:53 - Protozoa, infections, and why SIBO is often secondary 28:18 - Movement, walking, and improving gut motility 29:06 - What IBS still gets wrong today 30:17 - Why gluten and dairy are often the first foods to remove 31:33 - When elimination diets become too extreme 33:30 - Processed “healthy” foods, artificial sweeteners, and gut irritation 36:27 - Birth control, IBS risk, and hidden hormone effects 42:26 - Progesterone, estrogen dominance, and constipation cycles 45:04 - Gut connections to anxiety, TMJ, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue 47:50 - Parasites, protozoa, and how Dr. Wentz tests for them 52:28 - Full moon timing and why collection method matters 54:28 - Why food sensitivity testing depends on the test used 57:17 - Getting foods back after elimination 59:33 - Her own shift away from perfectionism 62:50 - What the IBS book covers and who should read it 65:10 - Where to find Dr. Wentz onlineTo talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working with Dr. Jenn visit: https://calendly.com/stephanie-1031/clarity-callTo get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuideConnect with Dr. Jenn:Website: https://www.perfeqtionimaging.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmonsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons
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    1 ora e 4 min
  • 157 : Why Functional Medicine Went Mainstream After Being Dismissed for Years

    157 : Why Functional Medicine Went Mainstream After Being Dismissed for Years
    Sep 12 2026
    Dr. Jenn Simmons talks with Dr. Robin Berzin about her path from an unexpected pre-med background to conventional medical training, then into functional medicine and entrepreneurship. The conversation covers the roots of Robin's interest in prevention, her early exposure to health and nutrition, and how she built Parsley Health into a national, insurance-covered practice.In this episode, they discuss why functional medicine can work alongside conventional care, how to think about root causes instead of symptom suppression alone, and what it takes to scale a health care company without losing clinical rigor. Robin also shares the realities of fundraising, leadership, and protecting her own health while building a company and raising three kids.Key topicsDr. Robin Berzin's origin story, from international relations and economics to medicineHow a college thesis on hormone-treated beef helped shape her interest in public health, nutrition, and cancer riskWhy she did not initially see herself as a science person, and how she later reframed medicine as pattern recognition and synthesisThe role of her father's internal medicine background, and why she still did not assume medicine was her pathHow yoga, meditation, organic food, and personal health experiences deepened her interest in prevention and whole-person careWhat functional medicine means in practice: using the same medical tools, but focusing on root causes, personalization, and preventionWhy Robin saw a need to standardize and scale functional medicine through Parsley HealthThe tension between conventional medicine and alternative medicine, and why she rejects all-or-nothing thinkingExamples of root-cause thinking, including recurrent UTIs, migraines, autoimmune disease, infertility, and chronic fatigueThe challenge of building trust with insurers through outcomes data, cost savings, and reduced utilizationWhat it took to raise capital as a female founder with no MBA and no prior business backgroundHow leadership changed as Parsley grew from a small team to a 120-person companyThe importance of listening to patients, not just investors or skeptics, when making company decisionsHow Robin maintains her own health with sleep, supplements, meditation, food choices, exercise, and self-monitoringHer hope that evidence-based functional medicine becomes part of standard primary careTimestamps00:00 - Why Dr. Robin Berzin stands out in functional medicine 01:22 - The unexpected path from undergrad to medicine 02:26 - A thesis on hormone-treated beef and public health 04:35 - Early exposure to cancer prevention and health research 06:12 - Having a doctor father, but not seeing medicine as an obvious path 07:01 - Why medicine is more about synthesis than equations 09:22 - Strengths that matter in clinical practice 10:56 - From conventional med school to a functional medicine career 12:40 - What functional medicine actually means 14:14 - Yoga, food, and becoming more aware of health 16:18 - Research, ADHD trials, and early clues about her own ADHD 18:12 - Early exposure to Mark Hyman and Dr. Oz 20:31 - Why Parsley Health was built to fix access and consistency problems 21:24 - Real outcomes from functional medicine care 22:33 - Why medicine should use both conventional and functional tools 23:47 - Root-cause care for UTIs and migraines 25:09 - Functional medicine versus paint-by-numbers primary care 26:04 - Making functional medicine accessible through a national platform 27:24 - The courage required to build a company while practicing medicine 28:29 - Trial, error, and the first steps as a founder 31:20 - Bootstrapping the first version of Parsley 33:28 - Building a patient base and hiring the first team 34:32 - Raising a first round as a female founder 36:11 - The fear and pressure of taking investor money 37:30 - Learning fundraising with help from other women in venture 38:26 - Why fundraising never really ends 39:23 - How investor relationships changed as Parsley grew 41:28 - Why medicine did not prepare her for executive leadership 42:16 - The hardest lessons in hiring and management 44:15 - When investor priorities pushed the company off course 46:17 - Choosing company survival while staying true to the mission 47:45 - Parsley's broader mission and why health care costs are unsustainable 49:34 - Why functional medicine should become standard primary care 50:01 - Using outcomes data to win over insurers 52:25 - Why people assumed Parsley was only for the “worried well” 53:29 - How the medical community has responded over time 54:20 - The rise of longevity medicine and ongoing skepticism 56:52 - Dark nights of the soul during fundraising and board conflict 59:51 - How Robin protects her own mental and physical health 62:52 - Sleep, data, and the reality of life as a busy founder 64:03 - Travel routines, intermittent fasting, and skincare 65:53 - What she hopes medicine will look like when her career is done 68:17...
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    1 ora e 19 min
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