Rethinking Your Relationship with Alcohol with Olivia Farrelly
The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca
Release Date: 02/21/2025
Empowering Women: Beyond the Estrogen Window
The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca
Hormones can be wild, especially in perimenopause and menopause, and sometimes it feels like no one talks about just how much they mess with your mind, mood, and energy. But there’s a real science behind why things feel off, and it’s not all in your head. I sat down with my friend and hormone expert, Dr. Betty Murray, to talk about the gut-brain-hormone connection and why it’s such a big deal for women in this season of life. She’s not only a Functional Medicine Pioneer with over 20 years of experience, she’s also the Founder of The Menrva Project, a game-changing platform rethinking...
info_outline
Unlocking the Power of Pelvic Light Therapy
The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca
You might not think of light as a healing tool, but red and near-infrared light can do some pretty amazing things, especially when it comes to pelvic health. From easing perimenopause struggles to helping your body bounce back after birth, this kind of light therapy is opening up a whole new world for women dealing with pain, discomfort, or intimacy issues. I had such a good conversation with Dr. Genevieve Newton (Fringe’s Scientific Director) and Elizabeth Frey (Pelvic Health Physiotherapist) about how this all works, and why more women need to know about it. If you’ve been dealing with...
info_outline
Cracking the Code of Hormone Health
The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca
Hormones are wild, especially when you realize they’re not just about how much you have, but how your body uses and processes them behind the scenes. That’s what hormone metabolite testing helps uncover, and honestly, it’s a game-changer. I’m sitting down with Dr. Liz Bartman, an incredible Naturopathic Doctor with a deep background in hormone science, to talk about how we can actually test our hormones in a meaningful way and what those results are really telling us. We chat about the different ways to test—blood, saliva, urine—and why each one tells a slightly different story....
info_outline
Innovative Treatments for Incontinence and Sexual Health
The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca
Bladder leaks, dryness, and low libido aren’t exactly dinner table topics… but maybe they should be. These issues are way more common than we think, especially during and after menopause, and they have a huge impact on how we feel day to day. That’s why I sit down with Dr. Rena Malik, a Board-Certified Urologist and Sexual Medicine Specialist who’s made it her mission to talk about the things most people won’t. We talk about everything from pelvic floor problems to how hormones like estrogen and testosterone affect our sexual health and bladder function. Dr. Rena shares why stress...
info_outline
Navigating Autoimmunity: Insights on MCAS
The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca
Hormonal shifts in perimenopause and menopause can do more than throw off your cycle—they can actually stir up inflammation, spark strange symptoms, and even trigger immune responses that leave you wondering, what is going on with my body? If you've ever felt like your symptoms don’t quite “fit in a box,” this conversation is for you. I sit down with Dr. Tania Dempsey—a brilliant MD and expert in complex, multi-system diseases—to talk about Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), why it’s often missed in women, and how hormones can play a huge role in triggering it. This episode...
info_outline
Breaking the Silence on Mental Health with Karena Dawn
The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca
Growing up with a mom struggling with severe mental illness, Karena Dawn learned early what it meant to carry heavy things in silence. That experience shaped so much of her life—including the dark years she rarely talked about. In this episode, she shares her journey from that painful silence to healing, forgiveness, and ultimately, purpose. We talk about how fitness became her lifeline and how she found her voice by telling the truth in her powerful memoir, The Big Silence. You may know Karena as the co-founder of Tone It Up, a wellness community that’s inspired millions of women—but...
info_outline
Reclaiming Sacred Sexuality
The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca
We’re back for part two of an eye-opening, soul-stirring conversation with Seren Bertrand. We’re talking sacred sexuality, feminine energy, and that beautiful, mystical power that lives in your body, especially in your vulva. Seren shares her own story of reclaiming her sensual energy and reminds us why our bodies are not only wise, but sacred. If you’ve ever felt disconnected or just a little curious about what it means to feel truly alive and sensual in your skin again, you’re in the right place. Seren is the brilliant Author of Womb Awakening and a guiding voice in the feminine...
info_outline
Awakening the Enchantress Within - Part 1
The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca
Menopause can feel like everything’s shifting—your body, your emotions, even your sense of who you are. It’s not just a phase to get through, it’s an invitation to slow down, listen in, and reconnect with the deeper wisdom within. In this conversation with Seren Bertrand, the award-winning Author of Womb Awakening, we talk about what it really means to step into this next chapter as a woman. Seren has walked with thousands of women through their feminine awakening and brings such grounded, mystical wisdom to the table. We talk about the “Dark Goddess” showing up at age 28, the...
info_outline
Navigating Menopause: The Pelvic Floor Connection
The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca
Most women don’t realize just how much menopause messes with their pelvic floor—until they’re leaking when they laugh or feeling like their body just isn’t working the way it used to. These changes can feel confusing, isolating, and even a little embarrassing—but they’re more common (and more fixable) than you think. This week, I sat down with my friend Kim Vopni—aka The Vagina Coach—to talk about what’s really going on with your body during this phase of life. Kim’s a certified personal trainer, menopause support practitioner, CEO of a Global Pelvic Health company, and...
info_outline
Is Pelvic Floor Health Essential for Life?
The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca
Most of us don’t think much about our pelvic floor—until we start leaking when we laugh or feel pain we can’t explain. That’s why I had such a powerful conversation with my friend Jana Danielson, who knows this topic inside and out. She shared how her own journey through chronic pelvic pain led her to discover the healing power of breath, movement, and mindset. Jana’s not just a wellness expert—she’s a woman who turned her pain into purpose. From teaching Pilates to creating the world’s first pelvic floor fitness tool (yes, the Cooch Ball is a thing—and it works), she’s...
info_outlineHave you ever stopped to think about what that evening glass of wine is really doing to your body? We’re told a little here and there is fine, but the truth about alcohol—especially for women in perimenopause and menopause—is eye-opening. Olivia Farrelly, host of the award-winning podcast ‘No More Booze’ and an expert in alcohol and health psychology, shares how ditching alcohol changed everything for her—more energy, clarity, better moods—and why so many women are rethinking their relationship with drinking. This is a real, honest conversation about what alcohol actually does to our hormones, brains, and overall well-being.
We’re breaking down the science (without the boring stuff) on why there’s no “safe” amount of alcohol, from its links to breast cancer to the way it messes with our sleep and hormones. Olivia also talks about “gray area drinking”—that space between social drinking and full-blown dependency—and how to know if alcohol is taking more from you than it’s giving. Plus, she shares simple, doable ways to cut back or quit without feeling like you’re missing out. If you’ve ever wondered whether alcohol is really worth it, this episode will make you think twice—in the best way possible.
And speaking of taking care of your body, you know I’m all about giving it the right support. That’s why I love Mighty Maca Plus—it’s packed with over 30 powerhouse ingredients to help with energy, mood, and hormone balance. So, if you’re feeling off and need a little reset, check it out at dranna.com/drinkmaca—your body will thank you!
Key Timestamps:
[00:00:00] Introduction.
[00:02:01] Alcohol consumption and estrogen dominance.
[00:04:52] Journey to alcohol awareness.
[00:10:02] Navigating alcohol-free social situations.
[00:12:41] Sober community support benefits.
[00:15:41] Grey area of drinking and health.
[00:20:00] The impact of alcohol on women.
[00:22:27] Alcohol-free lifestyle benefits.
[00:32:16] Cultural shift towards alcohol-free living.
[00:34:16] Personal growth without alcohol.
[00:40:07] Alcohol as "spirits" concept.
[00:42:11] Alcohol and personal transformation.
[00:45:05] Alcohol-free lifestyle tips.
Memorable Quotes:
"You will never meet a person who has given up alcohol, who's regretted it." [00:27:47] – Olivia Farrelly
"I think we have a culture of blaming the person and not the substance. But it's not, because like, I haven't behaved like that since. So obviously, it was the alcohol, it wasn't me." [00:41:50] – Olivia Farrelly
Links Mentioned:
Mighty Maca Plus: http://dranna.com/drinkmaca
Connect with Olivia Farrelly:
Website: https://greyareadrinker.ie/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greyareadrinker/
Connect with Dr. Anna Cabeca:
Website: https://drannacabeca.com/pages/show
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegirlfrienddoctor/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thegirlfrienddoctor
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drannacabeca
Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com