109. Metabolism, Fasting, Perimenopause, and The Menopause Gut with 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 her mission is to help empower women to live their most optimal lives in perimenopause and beyond. In her new book, The Menopause Gut: Balance Your Microbiome to Reclaim Your Health in Midlife and Beyond (Avery, on sale April 28, 2026), Thurlow offers a roadmap to reclaim balance and immune resilience after menopause.We’re welcoming Cynthia in this episode to explore how women’s health shifts in midlife and why the gut may be the missing piece to massively better health. We hear why she emphasizes “digestive rest” over aggressive fasting, especially for women who struggle to build muscle or meet protein needs. She explains how perimenopause alters the microbiome, how the “microgenderome” evolves across puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, and why hormone replacement therapy can reshape the gut in meaningful ways. We also dig into hidden gut disruptors like alcohol, ultra-processed foods, antibiotics, and unresolved stress, along with the gut-brain connection, brain fog, and mitochondrial health. Cynthia challenges us to rethink restriction, prioritize muscle and sleep, and finally factor the gut into every hormone discussion. Topics discussed in this episode include:Who Cynthia’s upcoming book is meant to help.Why digestive rest is replacing aggressive fasting strategies.The risk of sarcopenia during extended fasting windows.How inadequate protein intake limits muscle preservation.Why muscle mass plays a huge role in determining long term metabolic independence.The influence of insulin resistance on fasting recommendations.What follicular and luteal phases signal about stress tolerance.Why perimenopause represents hormonal volatility before menopause stability.The importance of aligning fasting with stress and sleep status.Why estradiol modulates immune resilience and inflammation.The role of antibiotics, alcohol, and other irritants of microbiome health.The connection between unresolved trauma and gut dysfunction.How vagus nerve signaling links gut and brain health.Why hydration and electrolyte balance support performance.The necessity of sleep rituals for nervous system regulation.A very common yet overlooked source of fatigue that can be fixed today. Cynthia’s website (get The Menopause Gut here): https://www.cynthiathurlow.com  Follow our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lexiyoonp or visit us at https://www.yoodirecthealth.com