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...
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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...
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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....
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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_outlineCan you be 10 to 20 pounds overweight and still be considered healthy? Ben Azadi says yes—but it all depends on where that fat is located. I had such a powerful conversation with Ben, FDN-P—he’s the Founder of Keto Kamp and someone who’s helped thousands (maybe millions!) of people break free from what he calls “metabolic prison.” We talked about the kind of fat that really puts your health at risk, and why looking lean doesn’t always mean you're healthy. This one really made me rethink how we define “healthy”—especially as we get older.
Ben shared how he lost 80 pounds and completely turned his life around, and now he’s teaching others how to do the same—without crash diets or gimmicks. His book, Metabolic Freedom, is packed with real strategies to help you feel better, think clearer, and age in a healthier way. We got into the nitty-gritty of insulin resistance (something so many women in midlife are dealing with), how to become a fat burner instead of a sugar burner, and why fasting is more than just skipping meals—it’s about giving your body a chance to heal. And he makes it all so doable, even if you’re just getting started.
I also asked Ben about his own routine—he shared some simple habits that make a big difference, like hydration tips, gratitude journaling, and how building muscle can help keep your metabolism humming. Oh, and speaking of feeling good… there’s a brand-new flavor of my fave superfood drink, Mighty Maca Mango—it’s zesty, refreshing, and just in time for summer. I’ve been loving it in sparkling water or frozen as popsicles (total game-changer). You can grab it at dranna.com and give your body that extra support it deserves!
Key Timestamps:
[00:00:00] Introduction.
[00:02:50] Metabolic freedom journey.
[00:05:57] Metabolic prison explained.
[00:08:04] Insulin resistance in women.
[00:12:06] Strategies to remove the waist gain.
[00:14:08] Ketones benefits and the issues it addresses.
[00:19:36] Muscle is magic post-menopause.
[00:20:31] Keto, inflammation, and thyroid health.
[00:25:47] Autophagy as the key to cellular health.
[00:30:00] What a typical day looks like for Ben Azadi.
[00:34:05] Gratitude's impact on health.
[00:35:39] Where is your fat located?
Memorable Quotes:
"Calories matter. Don't get me wrong. They're just not the most important thing. Hormones and inflammation are the most important thing." [00:12:32] – Ben Azadi
"We need to flex out and have a flexible metabolism because that's another form of a metabolic prison is only burning fat and ketones and not sugar." [00:21:57] – Ben Azadi
Links Mentioned:
Mighty Maca Mango: https://drannacabeca.com/products/mighty-maca
Metabolic Freedom Book: https://metabolicfreedombook.com/
Connect with Ben Azadi:
Website: https://www.benazadi.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebenazadi/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebenazadi/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benazadi/
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