E164: Dr. Nicole Shirvani on Women’s Mental Health, Hormones, and Strength Training

Welcome to the Get Healthy Tampa Bay Podcast with Dr. Kerry Reller! This week, I am joined by psychiatrist Dr. Nicole Shirvani, who specializes in women’s mental health and integrative psychiatry.In this episode, we explore how hormonal changes throughout a woman’s life can impact mental health, including anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and brain fog during the perimenopause and menopause transition. Dr. Shirvani explains how estrogen affects neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, why these changes can influence mood, and how treatments such as hormone therapy and SSRIs may work together.We also discuss the powerful role of lifestyle medicine, including strength training, sleep hygiene, nature exposure, and stress reduction. Dr. Shirvani shares practical strategies that women can implement right away, including how just 10 minutes of strength training a few times per week can improve mood, reduce inflammation, support metabolic health, and protect long-term brain health.Tune in to learn how small, consistent habits can support women’s mental health and resilience at every stage of life.Dr. Nicole Shirvani is a board-certified psychiatrist with a passion for Women’s Mental Health. She uses a compassionate and holistic treatment approach tailored for you and may include traditional medications, supplements, mind-body practices including sleep, diet and nutrition, and strength training.00:00 Introduction and guest welcome01:20 Dr. Shirvani’s journey into psychiatry04:10 Why women’s mental health deserves special focus07:00 Hormonal transitions and mood changes10:40 Estrogen, serotonin, and dopamine explained15:00 Perimenopause anxiety and depression20:20 Why strength training improves mental health26:30 Insulin resistance, inflammation, and mood32:00 Sleep, brain health, and cognitive fog36:40 Integrative psychiatry: nature, supplements, and habits41:50 One simple habit women should start this weekConnect with Dr. NicoleInstagram: @healinghermdWebsite: https://healinghermd.com/Connect with Dr. RellerPodcast website: https://gethealthytbpodcast.buzzsprou... LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerryrellermd/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClearwaterFamilyMedicineInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/clearwaterfamilymedicine/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kerryrellermdClearwater Family Medicine and Allergy website: https://sites.google.com/view/clearwa...Podcast: https://gethealthytbpodcast.buzzsprou...Subscribe to the Get Healthy Tampa Bay Podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Amazon music, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Pandora.