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Empowering Women: Beyond the Estrogen Window

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Release Date: 08/01/2025

The Story Behind Magic Menopause: Reintroducing Dr. Anna

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Menopause isn’t the end of your vibrant life—it’s the beginning of a new chapter. In this inspiring episode of The Girlfriend Doctor, I’m sharing my personal journey through early menopause, the challenges I faced, and the discoveries that helped me reclaim my health, vitality, and joy. Too often, women are told to simply “endure” menopause, but I believe suffering is optional. With the right questions, symptom tracking, and intentional lifestyle changes, this transition can become a time of renewal. That’s why I created my Magic Menopause program—to help women...

Eye Health and Migraine Relief (Live Community Call)

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Did you know your eyes can actually tell the story of your overall health? My guest today, Dr. Rudrani (Rani) Banik, is a Board-Certified Neuro-Ophthalmologist and Functional Medicine Expert who blends the best of science with everyday lifestyle changes. She’s sharing how the food on your plate, the supplements you take, and even your daily routines can protect your vision as you age. And the best part is that it’s not complicated, just small steps that make a big difference. If you’ve ever dealt with dry eyes, struggled with screen fatigue, or worried about your eyesight getting...

Navigating Health in a Tech-Heavy World

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

We’re surrounded by technology every day, but few of us stop to think about how it might be impacting our bodies. From the phone at your bedside to the Wi-Fi running all night, EMFs (electromagnetic fields) could be quietly affecting your hormones, energy, sleep, and even fertility. That’s why I sat down with Dr. Stephanie McCarter, a physician who has spent years studying how our environment shapes our health. She makes this complex topic surprisingly relatable and gives us plenty of reasons to start paying closer attention. Dr. Stephanie shares some eye-opening stories and...

Toxicity to Vitality: Root Cause Healing

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Women’s health is complicated, isn’t it? Between stress, hormones, and all the changes that come with midlife, it can feel like we’re constantly trying to put puzzle pieces together without seeing the full picture. That’s why I loved sitting down with Dr. Margaret Christensen to talk about what’s really going on beneath the surface. She’s sharing a perspective on health, intimacy, and connection that every woman deserves to hear. Dr. Margaret walked this journey herself. After facing serious health challenges from toxic mold exposure, she shifted from being a traditional...

My 92 Hours Alone in Darkness

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

This might be the most personal story I’ve ever shared with you. I spent 92 hours in complete darkness, no phone, no light, no distractions, and what I came away with completely shifted how I see my life and make decisions. In this episode, I’m opening up about the surprising moments, the deep stillness, and the kind of clarity you can only find when everything else fades away. If you’ve ever felt pulled in a hundred directions, I think you’ll really connect with this one. When I finally stepped out into the first light of dawn, it was like the world was brand new. Every sound,...

Did You Say Over 100 Menopause Symptoms?

The Girlfriend Doctor w/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Brain fog, itchy ears, and phantom smells? Yep, those are real menopause symptoms, and chances are no one warned you about them. That’s why I sat down with Andrea Donsky, a brilliant Menopause Researcher, Nutritionist, and Host of the Menopause Reimagined podcast. With nearly 350K TikTok followers and decades in the wellness space, Andrea’s on a mission to change the way we talk about this season of life, and trust me, you’ll feel so seen after hearing what she shares. We chatted about the 100+ symptoms women are dealing with (some that honestly blew my mind), how to support your body...

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...

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...

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....

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...

More Episodes

We talk about the stuff most doctors skip, why testing your hormones (not just guessing!) matters, how your gut health plays into your symptoms, and how stress totally hijacks your body. Dr. Betty shares what she’s seeing work in real time with her clients and why truly personalized care makes all the difference. If you’ve ever been told “it’s just aging” or felt brushed off, this one’s for you.

She also gives some real-life tips like what to eat, what to watch out for, and simple things that can actually help you feel like yourself again. It’s not about fixing you (because you’re not broken) but about understanding what your body needs in this new chapter. Whether you're just starting to notice changes or you're deep in the hormone rollercoaster, there's something here for you.

And if you're looking for something fun (and seriously good for you), I’ve been loving the new Mighty Maca Mango! It’s everything I love about Mighty Maca Plus, but with a zesty mango twist that’s perfect for summer. Try it with sparkling water, pour it over ice, or even make popsicles with the kids. It’s delicious and loaded with the good stuff your body will thank you for. You can check it out at dranna.com.

Key Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Introduction.

[00:04:04] Exploring the journey to functional medicine.

[00:09:44] Hormonal health and individualized care.

[00:12:20] Hormones and women's health.

[00:15:38] Testing hormone levels effectively.

[00:18:25] Estrogen dominance and microbiome health.

[00:20:11] Hormones and gut microbiome connection.

[00:24:26] Post-tubal syndrome and hormone disruption.

[00:27:01] Estrogen's role in fat loss.

[00:31:01] Insulin resistance and dietary changes.

[00:34:06] Airway health and sleep quality.

[00:36:09] Hormone replacement therapy considerations.

[00:39:24] Hormone metabolism and cancer risk.

[00:44:33] Progesterone's protective properties.

[00:48:14] Gut-brain connection in women.

[00:49:17] Hormones and mood disorders.

[00:53:00] Hormone management and detoxification.

Memorable Quotes:

"Our hormones are so much more powerful than the neurotransmitters that we associate with mood." [00:49:17] – Dr. Betty Murray

"In order for us to really, I think, fix the women's health care crisis, we need to have women have that control of their own body as an N of one, right? Because we're all different." [01:01:47] – Dr. Betty Murray

Links Mentioned:

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

Menrva Project: https://www.getmenrva.com/home

Connect with Dr. Betty Murray:

Website: https://www.bettymurray.com/

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

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettymurray/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drbettymurray

Connect with Dr. Anna Cabeca:

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

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