top of page
Search

The Menopause Gut: How Your Microbiome Controls Your Hormones, Mood, and Metabolism

  • Writer: Dr. Mindy Pelz
    Dr. Mindy Pelz
  • 2 days ago
  • 3 min read

EP336 with Cynthia Thurlow



We’ve talked a lot about estrogen. We’ve talked a lot about the microbiome. But nobody has brought these two conversations together – until Cynthia Thurlow sat down to write The Menopause Gut.


Cynthia is a nurse practitioner, host of the Everyday Wellness podcast, and one of the most trusted voices in women’s health today. And in this conversation with Dr. Mindy, she unpacks something most women have never heard of: the estrobolome.


The estrobolome is the collection of gut microbes whose specific job is to metabolize, detoxify, and reactivate estrogen. When it’s working well, your hormones are usable by your cells and excess estrogen gets packaged up and eliminated. When it’s not – because of birth control pills, antibiotics, chronic stress, ultra-processed food, or environmental toxins – estrogen gets recirculated inflammation builds, neurotransmitters stop being produced properly, and the entire hormonal transition of perimenopause and menopause gets a whole lot harder.


Show me any woman that’s not sleeping well in middle age – they’re not managing their stress. That is absolutely how it shows up.

-Cynthia Thurlow


Here's what you'll learn in this episode:


  • What the estrobolome is and why it may be the missing piece in your menopause conversation

  • How birth control pills and antibiotics damage the gut microbiome — and what that means for your hormone health decades later

  • Why leaky gut is 4 to 5 times more likely in menopause — and how it connects to autoimmune conditions, mood disorders, and brain fog

  • How the gut produces the majority of your neurotransmitters — including serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and melatonin

  • Why perimenopause is a litmus test for everything that hasn't been working in your life

  • The role of fiber in supporting your microbiome (and why it's become the new F word in wellness circles)

  • What carbohydrates actually look like when they're supporting your gut — and which ones don't belong in that conversation

  • How insulin resistance, belly fat, and metabolic health all connect back to the microbiome

  • What to do if you've spent years depleting your gut health and want to start rebuilding it now


This is one of those episodes that reframes everything. If you've been doing all the "right" things and still not feeling better, this conversation might be the missing piece.




Resources Mentioned




Meet the Guest

Cynthia Thurlow


Cynthia Thurlow is a nurse practitioner, host of the Everyday Wellness podcast, author and international speaker, with over 15 million views for her second TEDx talk (Intermittent Fasting: Transformational Technique).


With over 25 years of experience in health and wellness, Cynthia is a globally recognized expert in perimenopause/menopause and intermittent fasting, and has been featured on ABC, FOX5, KTLA, CW, Medium, Entrepreneur, and The Megyn Kelly Show.


Her mission is to help empower women to live their most optimal lives in perimenopause and beyond.



More on Cynthia Thurlow




Never Miss an Episode

If these conversations support you, I’d love to keep them coming directly to you.



This is where we explore hormones, brain health, fasting, midlife, and what it really means to trust your body, together.

Comments

bottom of page