If you're doing everything "right" and your body still feels like it's falling apart in perimenopause, this one is for you.

Andrea sits down with Dr. Cassie Smith, a dual-board-certified endocrinologist who grew tired of watching women get normal lab results and zero answers. She wrote the book "Fix Your Gut, Fix Your Hormones" because she was one of those women, too. This conversation goes deep into why your gut is running the show behind your hormones and what you can actually do about it.

We get into the stuff nobody explained to you: why your "UTI" might not be a UTI, why insulin is the domino that knocks over your estrogen, your progesterone, your thyroid, and your sleep, and what microdosing a GLP-1 really means (with real numbers, not hype).

What you'll learn:

• Why perimenopause belly fat and stubborn weight gain often start in your gut, not your willpower
• What "microdosing GLP-1s" actually means, the real dose ranges, and who it may help
• Why recurring "UTIs" in perimenopause are sometimes due to estrogen deficiency, not infection
• How your gut bacteria change the way your body metabolizes estrogen and thyroid hormone
• The fasting insulin test most doctors skip, and exactly what to ask for at your next appointment

Listen to this next:

Ep #195: GLP-1 and Muscle Loss in Perimenopause: What to Eat to Protect It with Natalie Bean: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ep-195-glp-1-and-muscle-loss-in-perimenopause-what-to

Chapters:

0:00 Why your gut controls your hormones in perimenopause
3:31 What damaged your gut before perimenopause: birth, antibiotics, everyday meds
9:37 The "UTI" that isn't: estrogen deficiency vs infection
13:20 Good vs bad bacteria: inflammation, thyroid, and estrogen
19:14 Insulin, cortisol, and the "metabolic dumpster fire"
28:14 How to lower insulin without "eat less, move more"
35:33 Microdosing GLP-1s for PMOS: the actual doses
42:06 PMOS, medical gaslighting, and the 103 symptoms doctors miss
46:51 How Dr. Cassie works with patients + where to find her

Learn more about Dr. Cassie Smith here: https://www.modern-endocrine.com/

Dr. Cassie Smith's Book: Fix Your Gut, Fix Your Hormones: The Critical Connection Your Doctor Is Missing… And Why You Still Feel Terrible Despite “Normal” Labs https://amzn.to/44GLALR

Educational only, not medical advice. Dr. Smith's GLP-1 dosing reflects her clinical practice and is individualized for each patient. Talk to your own provider before changing anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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Morphus: Menopause Reimagined

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

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

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

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

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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.

Have you spent your whole life saying yes when you meant no? You are not alone, and midlife might be the best time yet to change that.

In this episode of Menopause Reimagined, Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, author, soon to be 10x published menopause researcher, educator, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, sits down with her childhood friend, Sharon Neiss-Arbess, a copywriter-turned-novelist who finally wrote the book she had been carrying around for years. They have known each other since grade five, so this one feels less like an interview and more like hanging out with two old friends over coffee.

Sharon's newest book, How I Learned to Pee in the Forest, is a collection of 18 short, true stories about everyday moments that taught her how to stand up for herself, set boundaries, and stop apologizing for taking up space. It is real talk about people-pleasing, asking for help, and giving yourself permission to start something new, no matter your age.

Topics:

• Why "no" really is a full sentence, and how to stop being a people-pleaser in midlife
• How to set boundaries without guilt (and why so many women learn this late)
• A simple bedtime habit that may help you wind down for better sleep
• What it actually takes to start something new after 40 or 50, in any area of life
• The difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing, in plain language

Chapters:

0:00 Intro: Empowering Yourself in Perimenopause and Menopause
2:30 From Sears Copywriter to Self-Published Author
7:00 The First Three Books and Where the Ideas Came From
11:30 "How I Learned to Pee in the Forest": 18 Real-Life Stories
14:30 Boundaries, People-Pleasing, and Why "No" Is a Full Sentence
18:30 Short Stories for Better Sleep at Night
21:00 Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing
25:30 Why Art Can Bring People Together
29:30 Where to Find the Books + Final Thoughts

Learn more about Sharon and her books at sharonneissarbess.com

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Morphus: Menopause Reimagined

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

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

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

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

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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.

I wore the Leela Quantum necklace for months before recording this episode because I wanted to experience it day to day before sharing it with you. I took it to California and had a really interesting experience with my daughter that I'll tell you about in this interview with Todd Shipman, a wellness entrepreneur who came into this space as a skeptic and stayed because of what he found. We explore what "quantum energy" actually means, what EMFs from your phone, car, and AirPods may be doing to your body, and how to stay both open-minded and discerning. I ask the questions you'd want answered.

What you'll learn:

• Whether "quantum energy" is woo-woo or actually rooted in real physics (and what the 2022 Nobel Prize did and didn't prove)
• Why some people wonder whether everyday EMF from phones, cars, and AirPods affects how they feel, and what the open questions are
• What Todd says his company's own testing looks at, like HRV.
• How sleep and brain fog in perimenopause relate to the nervous system, as general education
• The honest questions to ask before you spend money on any "energy" wellness product

Chapters:

0:00 Is Quantum Energy Woo Woo? Why This Isn't What You Think
3:04 Meet Todd Shipman + What Quantum Energy Actually Means
7:08 The 2022 Nobel Prize, Entanglement & Why He Tried to Debunk It
10:17 EMF and How You Might Feel: Sleep, Stress & the Questions to Ask
16:06 The Tesla Headache Story: My Daughter and the Necklace
24:12 Food Sensitivities, Structured Water & the Claims to Question
32:54 Inside the Necklace: Brass, Titanium Spheres & Frequency Recipes
42:24 Bloating, Digestion, Sleep & Wearing It Every Day
51:43 Where to Start, the Discount & Final Thoughts

Learn more about Leela Quantum.

A quick note: this is an education-first conversation, not medical advice. Todd is sharing his company's research and personal experience—nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. If you have a serious health condition or a food allergy, always work with your doctor and never substitute any wellness product for medical care or your EpiPen.

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Morphus: Menopause Reimagined

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

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

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

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.