LLN Episode #320: Dr. Jaime Knopman – Midlife Hormone Chaos? How To Advocate For Better Care
Release Date: 01/12/2026
Living Life Naturally
If caffeine suddenly makes you anxious, sugar cravings feel louder than ever, and alcohol disrupts your sleep more than it used to… you’re not imagining it. In this Tea & Truth episode, Lynne breaks down what’s really happening in midlife — and why everyday stimulants can feel so different during perimenopause and menopause. You’ll learn how hormones, blood sugar, and the nervous system all play a role, plus gentle, realistic ways to support your body without extremes. Show Notes: In midlife, it can feel like your body has a new “volume setting.” Coffee that once felt...
info_outlineLiving Life Naturally
If you’re over 40 and feel like the old “eat less, move more” advice isn’t working anymore, you’re not alone. In this episode, I’m joined by Alicia Jones to talk about why most women are falling short on protein in midlife — and the simple, realistic shifts that can support muscle, metabolism, and steady energy without extreme dieting. If you’re over 40 and feel like your energy, strength, or body composition has shifted — you’re not imagining it. One of the biggest gaps I see in midlife women is protein intake. Most women are simply not getting enough, and in perimenopause...
info_outlineLiving Life Naturally
Midlife digestion changes can feel confusing — bloating, constipation, reflux, cravings, brain fog, and inflammation that seem to come out of nowhere. In this episode, we unpack the gut–hormone connection in perimenopause and menopause, and I share a gentle framework to feel better: Calm • Feed • Support, plus a free 14-day gut reset. If perimenopause or menopause has you feeling like your digestion has changed overnight — bloating by lunchtime, stubborn constipation, reflux out of nowhere, new food sensitivities, cravings, brain fog, or feeling inflamed and puffy — you’re...
info_outlineLiving Life Naturally
Perimenopause isn’t just hot flashes and mood shifts — for many women, it can be a silent fertility disruptor. In today’s episode of Living Life Naturally, Lynne Wadsworth sits down with Dr. Jaime Knopman, double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and fertility expert, to talk about what’s really happening with egg quality, ovulation, IVF outcomes, and why so many women feel dismissed or misdiagnosed in midlife. We also explore practical ways to advocate for better care — from tracking cycles and symptoms, to bringing a “plus one” to appointments, to understanding why...
info_outlineLiving Life Naturally
If you’ve spent years — or decades — starting diets on Monday, feeling “good” or “bad” based on what you ate, or letting the scale decide your mood for the day… this episode is a deep breath of fresh air. In this powerful Tea & Truth conversation, Lynne invites you to gently step out of diet culture and into a new way of relating to food, your body, and your midlife health: nourish, don’t punish. You’ll learn why strict dieting backfires in midlife (especially with shifting hormones), how it impacts your metabolism, mood, cravings, and self-worth — and what it looks...
info_outlineLiving Life Naturally
About Dr. Glenn Livington: Dr Glenn Livingston, Ph.D. is a veteran psychologist and longtime CEO of a multi-million-dollar consulting firm which has serviced several Fortune 500 clients in the food industry. Doctor Glenn’s work, theories, and research have been published in major periodicals like The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and The Chicago Sun Times. Disillusioned by what traditional psychology had to offer overweight and/or food obsessed individuals, Doctor Livingston spent several decades researching the nature of bingeing and overeating via work with his own patients AND a...
info_outlineLiving Life Naturally
Series: Tea & Truth: Honest Talk for Women in Midlife Host: Lynne Wadsworth, Holistic Health Coach If you’ve been feeling inflamed, tired, foggy, or just not like yourself lately, this episode will feel like a deep exhale. In today’s Tea & Truth, we’re breaking down exactly what to eat in midlife to balance hormones naturally, reduce inflammation, boost energy, stabilize mood, and finally feel at home in your body again. This is your personal guide to midlife nutrition that works with your changing hormones, not against them — no dieting, no deprivation, no guilt. Just...
info_outlineLiving Life Naturally
So many women in midlife say the same thing: “I feel heavier inside, and I don’t know why.” The truth is, hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause can profoundly affect your emotions — often in ways no one ever warned you about. In this compassionate episode of Tea & Truth, Lynne breaks down the real science behind the emotional weight of hormonal change, including how fluctuations in estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and neurotransmitters influence your mood, stress tolerance, sleep, and overall emotional stability. We also explore the human experience — the overwhelm,...
info_outlineLiving Life Naturally
In today’s heartfelt and empowering episode of Tea & Truth, we dive into one of the deepest — and most confusing — questions women face during perimenopause and menopause: Who am I now? Midlife often brings a surprising emotional and spiritual awakening. Many women suddenly feel different inside… questioning their identity, their purpose, their desires, and the life they’ve built. If you’ve felt “off,” restless, or disconnected from the woman you once were, you’re not alone — and nothing is wrong with you. In this episode, we explore the real reasons midlife triggers...
info_outlineLiving Life Naturally
If you’ve been feeling anxious, moody, or emotionally “off” lately, you are not alone. Midlife can bring sudden waves of anxiety, sleepless nights, irritability, and even sadness — all of which can leave you wondering what happened to your old self. But here’s the truth: your body isn’t betraying you — it’s speaking to you. In this heartfelt episode of Tea & Truth, Lynne dives into the emotional and biological changes that fuel midlife anxiety and mood swings — and how you can find calm again, naturally. She explains how shifting hormones, stress, and blood-sugar...
info_outlinePerimenopause isn’t just hot flashes and mood shifts — for many women, it can be a silent fertility disruptor. In today’s episode of Living Life Naturally, Lynne Wadsworth sits down with Dr. Jaime Knopman, double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and fertility expert, to talk about what’s really happening with egg quality, ovulation, IVF outcomes, and why so many women feel dismissed or misdiagnosed in midlife.
We also explore practical ways to advocate for better care — from tracking cycles and symptoms, to bringing a “plus one” to appointments, to understanding why hormones can be tricky to measure in a single blood draw. And if someone you love is navigating infertility, Dr. Knopman shares one of the most powerful reminders: presence matters more than perfect words.
You’ll learn:
- How perimenopause impacts fertility and IVF success
- Why cycles become irregular and timing gets harder
- What egg freezing can do (and when it’s most effective)
- Why symptom + cycle tracking can be more helpful than “one lab test”
- How to advocate for yourself at the doctor — and what to bring to appointment
- How to support a loved one going through infertility (without saying the wrong thing)
Guest: Dr. Jaime Knopman — Medical Director of Chick Mission; former Director of Fertility Preservation at CCRM NY; Castle Connolly Top Doctor; author of Own Your Fertility.
In this episode, we cover:
Perimenopause & fertility
- Why egg quantity and quality decline in perimenopause
- How irregular ovulation can make conception harder
- What it means for IVF outcomes and pregnancy viability
Egg freezing & planning ahead
- Why freezing eggs earlier can change options later
- “Serving as your own egg donor” — what that really means
Why women get missed or dismissed
- Menopause “having its moment” — and why that matters
- Why infertility deserves to be part of the menopause conversation too
How to support someone in infertility
- The power of simply showing up
- What to say when you’re afraid of saying the wrong thing
- Being present in someone else’s discomfort
Hormone testing + advocating for care
- Why hormones aren’t a simple snapshot
- The value of tracking cycles + symptoms
- Why progesterone can swing dramatically
- Questions to bring to your appointment + why a “plus one” helps
HRT, bioidenticals & pellets
- Why symptom relief often matters more than chasing a number
- Different options work for different bodies (no one-size-fits-all)
Mentioned in this episode:
· Book: Own Your Fertility: From Egg Freezing to Surrogacy — How to Take Charge of Your Body and Your Future (also available at Amazon or Barnes & Noble)
Connect with Dr. Jaime Knopman
Website: https://drjaimeknopman.com/
Connect with Lynne
Join the Facebook community: Energized Healthy Women’s Club
Website: https://holistic-healthandwellness.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holistichealthandwellnessllc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynnewadsworth
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnewadsworth
👉 Get your free copy of Lynne's Flourish in Midlife eGuide.
Disclaimer: This episode is for education only and isn’t medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for personal guidance
Did You Enjoy The Podcast?
If you enjoyed this episode please let us know! 5-star reviews for the Living Life Naturally podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Pandora, are greatly appreciated. This helps us reach more women struggling to live their happiest and healthiest life even through midlife and beyond. Thank you. Together, we make a difference!