Cynthia Thurlow

05/16/2026

💬 Comment 594 to listen to the full episode.

Skin changes rapidly during perimenopause and menopause, and most women are not told why.

In Episode 594, I sit down with board-certified dermatologist Dr Doris Day to discuss collagen loss, inflammaging, the skin microbiome, fillers, lasers, retinols, and what actually matters for midlife skin health.

We also explore facial balance, metabolic health, hydration, and why simplifying your routine can sometimes be more powerful than adding more products.

In this episode, you will learn:

✅ Why collagen declines so quickly during menopause
✅ The skin changes women notice in early perimenopause
✅ How hydration, sleep, and nutrition impact visible aging
✅ The role of inflammation and blood sugar in skin aging
✅ Why facial balance matters more than erasing every wrinkle
✅ How fillers can create unnatural results when overused
✅ How lasers, microneedling, PRF, and recovery protocols support collagen
✅ Why sun protection remains foundational

If your skin feels different in midlife, this conversation explains the physiology behind it.

🎓 CEUs are available via SapienCE.

05/15/2026

Intermittent Fasting Transformation, my first book, is currently available at a 44% discount on Amazon.

For those interested in a structured, evidence-based approach to intermittent fasting, this may be a helpful resource:

Designed specifically for women, this individualized six-week intermittent fasting program is the sustainable solution to help you feel and look your absolute best. Based on the scientifically proven 16:8 fasting model, what makes this program unique is that it is geared toward your hormonal n...

05/15/2026

Women between 40 and 60 report some of the highest stress levels of any demographic, and chronic stress is closely linked to inflammation, cortisol dysregulation, and increased visceral fat.

If your body feels tense even when nothing is wrong, or you find it difficult to fully relax, this is often not a mindset issue. It’s a nervous system pattern. When the body becomes conditioned to stress, it can remain in fight-or-flight mode long after the trigger has passed.

The vagus nerve plays a central role in helping the body shift back toward regulation. Supporting vagal tone may improve stress resilience, particularly during perimenopause and menopause when hormonal shifts make us more vulnerable to dysregulation.
tech is one of the tools I use to support vagal tone and autonomic balance during this transition.

Comment STRESS and I’ll send you a link with an exclusive offer.

05/15/2026

This is the final call on the two enrollment options I opened on Thursday.

RESTART $150 https://info.cynthiathurlow.com/restart_program_purchase
The full bundle $299 https://link.fastpaydirect.com/payment-link/6a02e12d1d5a394a682e4312

Enrollment closes tonight at midnight ET.

Every purchase includes a complimentary copy of The Menopause Gut.

05/15/2026

For many women, a PCOS diagnosis never fully explained what they were actually experiencing.

The conversation has traditionally focused on fertility and ovarian function, while many women were also struggling with insulin resistance, inflammation, weight changes, fatigue, and metabolic dysfunction.

This shift to PMOS reflects a broader understanding of how interconnected women’s hormonal and metabolic health truly is. And hopefully, it leads to earlier recognition, better conversations, and more comprehensive care for women over time.

Published in The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00717-8/fulltext

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the proposed name change.

05/14/2026

One of the most overlooked connections in midlife health is the relationship between the gut microbiome and bone health.

As hormonal changes occur, shifts in the microbiome can influence inflammation, nutrient absorption, and long-term bone density.

In a recent conversation with Dr. Meg Mill, we discussed why these systems cannot be addressed in isolation, and how this broader framework changes how we approach care in perimenopause and menopause.

This is an area that deserves more attention in both clinical and patient education settings.

You can listen to the full episode here:

Podcast Episode · A Little Bit Healthier | Hormone Balance, Brain Fog, Fatigue, Inflammation, Gut Health, Menopause & Weight Loss Resistance So · April 21 · 31m

05/14/2026

One of the most common things I see is people getting labs… and still feeling unclear about their health. But they’re not always told how to interpret it.

Numbers alone don’t tell the full story.

This is one of the reasons I’ve been paying more attention to programs like Toward Health.

They combine heart scans with comprehensive labs and physician-guided review, so you’re not left trying to interpret everything on your own.

If you’ve ever felt confused by your results or wanted a more complete picture, this may be helpful.

Learn more here:
https://go.toward.health/heartscan-toward-health?am_id=cynthia4071

I’m an affiliate of Toward Health. Informational only. Not medical advice.

Toward Health

05/14/2026

One of the biggest shifts that happens in midlife is that we become far less stress resilient.

Which means staying in constant fight-or-flight mode starts affecting everything: Sleep, mood, energy, cravings, inflammation, and how you experience menopause overall.

This is why learning how to regulate your nervous system becomes so important.

In The Menopause Gut, I talk about how stress, the nervous system, hormones, and gut health are deeply connected and what you can do to support them.

Comment "BOOK" and I’ll send you the link to get your copy.

And if you’ve already read the book, an Amazon review helps more women discover this information.

05/14/2026

I’ve opened something I have never offered before.

For a limited time:

✅RESTART at the alumni rate: $150
✅ The full bundle (RESTART + The Midlife Pause Program): $299
✅ A complimentary copy of The Menopause Gut with every purchase

Enrollment closes Friday at midnight ET.

Comment RESTART and I’ll send you the link.

05/13/2026

There’s a reason so many symptoms in midlife don’t fully make sense.

They’re not coming from just one place.

In this episode with Dr. Kelly Casperson (You Are Not Broken), we talked about how hormones, the microbiome, and lifestyle factors all intersect.

Watch the episode here:

Could your gut microbiome be worsening your menopause symptoms?Cynthia Thurlow joins Dr. Kelly Casperson to explore the powerful connection between menopause...

05/13/2026

Exciting news for those of you following The Menopause Gut from around the world.

Translations are currently underway in Spanish, Polish, Chinese, and Turkish, with additional languages to come.

Very grateful to see these conversations around midlife health reaching women globally.

More details coming soon.

Stay tuned!