Ep. 219 - Reclaiming Your Metabolism (and your waistline) in Midlife with Siobhan Mitchell

Dr. Fiona Lovely welcomes back Dr. Siobhan Mitchell, Chief Scientific Officer of MitoQ and an expert in nutritional neuroscience, for a conversation that digs deeper into the metabolic shifts women experience at midlife. Dr. Mitchell explains how declining estrogen directly impacts mitochondrial health, which in turn affects everything from energy levels and muscle strength to where the body stores fat. Listeners will learn why the same diet and exercise routines may stop working during perimenopause, and why that stubborn belly fat is not a personal failure but a biological response to changing hormones. Dr. Mitchell discusses the protective role of estrogen, the emerging understanding of the estrobolome, and practical options for support including HRT, phytoestrogens from sources like soy, and the lesser-known compound S-equol. She also shares what she wishes she had known earlier about stress and risk-taking, offering a personal insight that may resonate with many listeners navigating midlife changes.

Episode Highlights:

• How declining estrogen leads to reduced mitochondrial function, affecting energy, muscle strength, and inflammation throughout the body

• Why women gain visceral belly fat during perimenopause even when diet and exercise have not changed

• How the estrobolome, or gut bacteria responsible for recycling estrogen, can be supported to improve metabolic outcomes

• The role of phytoestrogens and S-equol, including why only about twenty percent of Western women can produce this beneficial compound naturally

• How HRT, phytoestrogens, and targeted supplements can work together or separately to support women through the menopausal transition

This episode offers a clear roadmap for women who want to understand what is happening inside their bodies and take informed steps toward maintaining their health through the menopausal transition.

Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

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Dr. Fiona Lovely is a longevity, health and wellness expert with specialties in menopause medicine, functional neurology and functional medicine. She is speaking to the topics of women's health around perimenopause and menopause.

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