Libsyn Directory

Breaking the Silence on Mental Health with Karena Dawn

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Release Date: 06/27/2025

Women’s Biohacking and Longevity Secrets | Dr. Kathleen O’Neil

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

What if the future of women’s longevity wasn’t about fighting aging—but teaching the body how to adapt, regenerate, and thrive? In this deeply insightful episode of The Girlfriend Doctor Show, Dr. Anna Cabeca sits down with renowned longevity and regenerative medicine expert Dr. Kathleen O’Neil to unpack the cutting-edge science—and timeless fundamentals—behind women’s biohacking, immune resilience, and healthy aging. Dr. O’Neil shares her extraordinary journey from pathology and the morgue to elite performance medicine, explaining how understanding why people die transformed...

HRT in the Blue Zones and How to Solve the Adrenal Crisis | Dr. Sangeeta Pati

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Midlife has a way of getting your attention, especially when your body starts changing in ways no one really prepared you for, and menopause is often right at the center of it. In this conversation, we talk honestly about what’s really happening during this season and what women can do to feel more like themselves again. You’ll hear how small, intentional shifts can lead to more energy, clarity, and resilience over time. This episode is about moving from just getting through midlife to actually feeling good in it. I sat down with Dr. Sangeeta Pati, MD, FACOG, ABOIM, a...

The Girlfriend Doctor Podcast Best of 2025

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

As we look back on 2025, one thing became clear. The episodes that resonated most were not about quick fixes. They were about helping women finally understand their bodies. This year, you leaned into conversations that offered clarity instead of confusion, compassion instead of restriction, and real explanations for why your body responds the way it does. In this special Best of 2025 episode, we are revisiting the moments that moved you most. You will hear powerful clips on gut health, hormones, burnout, mitochondria, intimacy, alcohol, oral and eye health, and the nervous system. Again...

How to Increase Libido After Menopause Naturally | Gabriella Espinosa

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

So many women hit midlife and suddenly find themselves whispering about things they never thought they’d struggle with, like desire, dryness, disconnection, or feeling like a stranger in their own body. That quiet discomfort adds up, and it can take a real toll on intimacy and self-confidence. In this episode, we start talking about what’s actually going on with your hormones, your libido, and your relationships, so you can finally get clarity instead of guessing. Gabriella Espinosa, a Menopause Advocate, Women’s Health and Sexual Wellness Coach, and Host of Pleasure in the...

How to Increase Oxytocin levels + Why You Need To | Dr. Tyna Moore

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Oxytocin might get all the hype as the “love hormone,” but the way it quietly shapes our mood, relationships, and everyday well-being is honestly pretty incredible once you understand it. In today’s episode, you’ll get a clear look at what this hormone is actually doing behind the scenes and why it plays such a big role in how connected, calm, and joyful we feel. We break down the real science in simple language and talk about the places where oxytocin shows up in your life without you even noticing. I’m sitting down with my good friend, Dr. Tyna Moore, one of the smartest and...

Why You Probably Need to Drink Less | Dr. Brooke Scheller

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

It’s wild how easily alcohol becomes part of our routine, especially in midlife, yet so many women quietly wonder why their sleep, mood, or hormones suddenly feel out of sync. In this episode, we get real about what alcohol is actually doing behind the scenes and how a few simple nutrition shifts can change the way you feel (and even what you crave). I’m sitting down with Dr. Brooke Scheller, a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition and Founder of Functional Sobriety, whose work is helping women rethink their drinking habits with compassion and curiosity. Dr. Brooke opens up about her own...

You're Not Getting Enough Morning Sunlight | Jack Kruse

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

The fascinating intersections of circadian biology, quantum health, and women’s wellness really come alive as I sit down with Neurosurgeon-turned-Quantum-Biologist Dr. Jack Kruse. You’ll hear how simple things, like the light you see first thing in the morning, quietly shape your hormones, energy, and even how you age. Dr. Jack’s decades of surgical and biophysical knowledge make these concepts surprisingly practical for everyday health. By the end, you may find yourself rethinking your daily routines in the best way. Together, we get into why AM sunlight can make such a big...

How to Boost Fertility Naturally

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Fertility challenges are becoming all too common, and it’s not just about trying to get pregnant. It’s about the bigger picture of how our health today shapes the next generation. I sat down with my dear friend, Dr. Ann Shippy, a brilliant Functional Medicine Physician and Author of The Preconception Revolution, to talk about what’s really driving the rise in infertility and what we can do about it long before conception even happens. Dr. Ann has such a unique perspective. She started out as a chemical engineer before becoming a doctor, so she looks at the body like a system: one...

Can Trauma Cause Physical Pain?

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

You know that feeling when your body’s tired but your heart’s carrying the real weight? Yeah… that’s not just stress. It’s your body holding onto stories it never got to finish, the unprocessed stuff we call trauma. In this powerful and personal conversation, Dr. Shiroko Sokitch and I get into how emotional wounds can quietly shape your physical health, and how real healing starts when you finally listen to what your body’s been trying to say. Dr. Shiroko spent years in emergency medicine before following her intuition into acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine,...

The Truth About Osteoporosis and Osteopenia

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Strong bones do more than prevent fractures; they help you stay active, confident, and energized no matter your age. I caught up with Kevin Ellis, aka the Bone Coach, a Forbes-featured integrative health coach who’s helped thousands of people worldwide improve their bone health through his Stronger Bones Solution. We talk about what your bone density scores really mean, the difference between bone quality and bone density, and practical steps you can take today to strengthen your bones. Kevin also shares simple nutrition tips, supplements like vitamin D3, K2, and collagen, plus safe...

More Episodes

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 behind the fitness empire is a woman who's walked through deep grief, trauma, and recovery. She shares what it was like to care for her mom after a stroke, how she’s working to break the stigma around mental illness, and why mental wellness is now at the heart of everything she does—including her work with The Big Silence Foundation and the board of NAMI. She opens up about how trauma can sneak into our health—especially during perimenopause—and the things that actually helped her feel like herself again. You’ll also hear how she’s now using her story to help others speak up and get the support they need. Her honesty is refreshing, and her heart for mental wellness is contagious.

This one will move you, especially if you’ve ever carried pain quietly or felt like healing was out of reach. Karena’s story reminds us that there’s always a way forward—and it doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. And before you go, I’ve got a new favorite to share: Mighty Maca Mango just dropped, and it’s the zingy summer pick-me-up I’ve been loving lately. Throw it in sparkling water or popsicle molds… it’s a delicious way to feel good from the inside out—check it out at dranna.com.

Key Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Welcome to The Girlfriend Doctor.

[00:02:05] The Big Silence.

[00:03:14] Living with a parent with mental illness.

[00:06:40] Fitness becoming a therapy.

[00:08:59] Micro challenges build self-confidence.

[00:12:42] Mental health and perimenopause.

[00:15:36] Oxytocin and mental health.

[00:21:36] Food is medicine.

[00:24:18] Grieving a lost mother.

[00:28:25] Motherhood's diverse definitions.

[00:32:34] Preventing and healing from mental illness.

[00:35:06] Maiden, Mother, Magi and empowerment.

Memorable Quotes:

"I even have changed the story of being a victim of my mom's illness... I said, Mom, don't regret it because I love the woman I've become. And I became that woman because of what you had to go through. " [00:29:47] – Karena Dawn

"I believe our society is getting better at recognizing the different types of mothers... motherhood is such a bigger term now, and I think that's such an important thing to get out there is you can be a mother in so many ways. And to recognize Mother's Day is not a happy day for everyone." [00:39:06] – Karena Dawn

Links Mentioned:

Mighty Maca Mango: https://drannacabeca.com/products/mighty-maca

Listen to The Big Silence Podcast: http://www.thebigsilence.com/listen

Buy the memoir, The Big Silence: https://thebigsilence.com/pages/memoir

Connect with Karena Dawn:

Website: http://www.karenadawn.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenadawn/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenaDawn/

The Big Silence Foundation: https://thebigsilence.com/

Tone It Up: https://my.toneitup.com/

Connect with Dr. Anna Cabeca:

Website: https://drannacabeca.com/pages/show