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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineThe 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_outlineSometimes the signs of heart trouble in women don’t look like what we expect—they show up as hot flashes, brain fog, or even a racing heart. When I sat down with Dr. Jayne Morgan, an incredible Cardiologist and Women’s Health Advocate, we talked about how these often-overlooked symptoms during menopause can actually be clues about what’s going on with your heart. We’re so used to brushing things off as “just hormones,” but Dr. Jayne explains why now is the time to tune in and take them seriously.
Dr. Jayne —who’s not only a top Cardiologist but also Vice President of Medical Affairs at Hello Heart—is passionate about making sure women get the full picture when it comes to heart health. She breaks down how estrogen protects your heart, what happens when those levels drop, and why menopause can be a turning point for understanding your risk. We also talked about what real, thorough heart testing should include (because yes, there’s more to it than just cholesterol). Her approach is practical, empowering, and honestly—something every woman deserves to hear.
Women need to feel empowered, not dismissed, when they bring up symptoms—and that starts with education. We’re talking about prevention, clarity, and how to stop second-guessing what your body’s trying to tell you. And in line with this we’d like to empower our women, mothers especially, we’ll be having a Mother’s Day Sale from May 7-11 ‘25 where we’ll get you up to 25% off with bundles of your favorite products. Check out https://dranna.com for more information.
Key Timestamps:
[00:00:00] Introduction.
[00:05:38] Estrogen's role in heart disease.
[00:10:53] What entails an adequate cardiac workup?
[00:12:28] Prevention of heart disease.
[00:15:47] Aggressive management of risk factors.
[00:19:25] Statin therapy, hormonal management, lowering cholesterol.
[00:23:57] Pregnancy as a stress test.
[00:29:00] The connection of diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk.
[00:30:57] The relation of heart disease to early dementia and early stroke.
[00:32:22] Who can have hormone replacement therapy?
Memorable Quotes:
"All of these symptoms in perimenopause and menopause are actually biomarkers for heart disease, biomarkers for stroke." [00:06:47] – Dr. Jayne Morgan
"Heart disease is the number one killer of women, and you, as a patient or a member of the public, do not have the ability to discern whether your palpitations that you're having at home are related to your perimenopause or related to a real heart issue that could pose an impending heart attack." [00:09:08] – Dr. Jayne Morgan
Links Mentioned:
Mother’s Day Sale from May 7- 11 ‘25 – https://dranna.com
Connect with Dr. Jayne Morgan:
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/DrJayneMorgan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjaynemorgan/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJayneMorgan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaynemorgan/
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: https://www.evolvedpodcasting.com