095 - Beyond Statins: Holistic Cholesterol Management
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
Release Date: 06/27/2025
115 - Holistic Non-Hormonal Approaches to Menopausal Urinary and Vaginal Health, Part 2
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
Today we’re continuing our conversation about natural solutions for vaginal wellness after menopause. There are various issues that can arise after menopause due to a drop in estrogen, and vaginal lubrication is one of the main ones that women seek to address. The tissues in the vaginal canal and opening are very sensitive, and after menopause, the area can be dry and the skin begins thinning. One of my favorite solutions is DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)—a hormone typically made by the adrenal gland but that can also be obtained through supplementation. For purposes of vaginal wellness,...
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114 - Holistic Non-Hormonal Approaches to Menopausal Urinary and Vaginal Health, Part 1
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
There has been very little research done in the area of urinary and vaginal wellness for menopausal and perimenopausal women, despite the number of women experiencing these issues increasing. This week, I’m starting a series of episodes about non-hormonal options available to women to overcome these concerns. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) tend to increase as women age, and staying hydrated is one thing that can help flush bacteria from the bladder wall, reducing the instance of infection. Cranberry juice can also protect the bladder from bacteria, but it has to be unsweetened (or you can...
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113 - Restoring Comfort and Confidence in Menopause with Vaginal Estrogen, Part 2
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
We’re getting intro part 2 of our conversation about vaginal estrogen and its usefulness for treating GSM (genital urinary syndrome of menopause) symptoms in this episode. Last time, we began discussing the importance of timing for hormone replacement therapy, including estrogen therapy. When you act early—before your symptoms get worse—it can make a big difference. The vaginal walls and vaginal lining will lose lubrication and architectural support over time without estrogen. This is also called vaginal atrophy. The loss of moisture, which is the main symptom, is directly linked to a...
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112 - Restoring Comfort and Confidence in Menopause with Vaginal Estrogen, Part 1
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
Today we’re talking about GSM: genitourinary syndrome of menopause. This new term encompasses the vaginal and urinary changes that happen during menopause. These changes don’t just impact women during menopause—they have long-lasting implications post-menopause as well. Some of these changes include increased urinary frequency and urgency, plus recurrent vaginal infections. Menopausal women may also experience urinary tract infections differently: they aren’t as painful. While this could be seen as a positive, it also makes it much more difficult to identify when the woman is...
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111 - Understanding Hormone Therapy Timing: The Secret to Post-Menopausal Optimal Health
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
Get ready to learn all about the timing for estrogen therapy and exactly when you should start hormone therapy for menopause. Timing is crucial because many women don’t know when the best time to use it is, often realized when there have been irreversible changes and it’s too late to undo them. Previous studies done on estrogen have scared women away from taking advantage of its benefits as a therapy earlier on. Yet, one of the main studies that led to widespread misinformation used oral synthetic estrogens. Keep in mind this hormone was one of the main ones available at the time. As...
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110 - The Truth About Estrogen and Breast Cancer: What You Should Know - Part 3
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
In this episode we’re bringing our conversation about the WHI study about estrogen to a close. This study scared many health care professionals (and their patients) out of using estrogen therapy. Today, we’re focusing on the reality of the risks associated with estrogen replacement therapy, especially whether or not there are actually any cancer-related risks. The breast cancer incidence in the women who took part in this study but did not receive hormone therapy (the placebo group) was almost identical to the women who received hormone treatment. The results, percentage wise, presented in...
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109 - The Truth About Estrogen and Breast Cancer: What You Should Know - Part 2
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
Today we’re continuing our conversation about the WHI study that led to some serious misconceptions about estrogen therapy. This study involved oral estrogen, synthetically made from pregnant horse urine, given to women 10+ years past menopause. It’s important to remember that by this time, these women had experienced irreversible changes due to how far into menopause they had been. This study looked specifically at the effect of estrogen in cardiovascular health in women. Estrogen therapy can help improve various unwanted symptoms in women, even past menopause. However, once you have...
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108 - The Truth About Estrogen and Breast Cancer: What You Should Know - Part 1
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
For the next few episodes, I’m going to be focusing on the misconceptions around the relationship between estrogen and breast cancer. Many women are surrounded by people (even healthcare professionals) who tell them that estrogen is dangerous after menopause. However, this simply isn’t true. Recently, I have had a few women come to me with similar issues related to menopause. These patients spent years suffering as opposed to seeking options for support. But if we can prevent significant loss of function, why not try it? That’s where hormone replacement therapy comes in. Most women I see...
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107 - Why Women Aren't Told the Whole Truth About Estrogen
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
In this episode we’ll continue to explore the true value of estrogen and why it’s so important for women. It’s important to recognize that there are limiting factors as to why more women don’t invest in hormone replacement therapy treatments like estrogen. One of those factors is the cost, especially for women who put their wallet over their wellness. The health issues caused by menopause can be quite significant, and I believe hormone therapy should be much more accessible for women. It is the responsibility of health care professionals everywhere to convey why estrogen therapy is so...
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106 - Blind Leading the Blind: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Estrogen
W.O.W. MD - Your Wellness Optimizing Warrior
Today we’re talking about the value of estrogen, and this episode may introduce you to a whole new perspective on the value of it in your life and body. I recently met a patient who kept herself in good physical health. However, she started to notice signs of aging that felt incongruent with her self-image. She was also struggling to desire intimacy with her husband of many years. Until she listened to some podcasts that specifically focused on hormone replacement therapy, she never connected the dots between her symptoms and the loss of estrogen she was experiencing. I’m highlighting this...
info_outlineToday we’re continuing our conversation about cholesterol and debunking the myths around it. In their 50s, approximately 40-50% of men have some degree of coronary artery disease. This risk only increases as age advances. Poor food choices, sedentary lifestyle, and exposure to toxins also increases this risk.
Half of men who experience a heart attack don’t even have any symptoms prior to this event. For the men who don’t make it through the heart attack, they will never get the chance to do anything about it. This highlights the importance of early detection of heart disease, especially in men.
So, low cholesterol isn’t healthy, but neither is excessively high cholesterol. It’s time to start seeking support and get evaluated by your doctor. If you have high cholesterol, you will need to change your diet (low in saturated fats and high in vegetables, fiber, and protein). You also need to engage in regular activity.
Statins are widely used to help manage cholesterol levels, however they come with a fair amount of side effects. The most commonly reported side effect is muscle pain and weakness. It can also lead to constipation, bloating, and liver damage. Statins may also cause dizziness and could increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis.
If you want to improve your nutrition and lower your cholesterol, include more soluble fiber in your diet. Omega 3 fatty acids (found commonly in fish) offer heart-protective benefits. Vitamin B3 increases good cholesterol while lowering bad cholesterol, but this should be taken with supervision. COQ10 supports heart health and is especially helpful if you’re taking a statin.
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