How to Fix the Root Causes of Menopause Symptoms (Before Starting HRT) with Dr. Deanna Minich

Are your symptoms really “just your hormones”—or is your body asking you to go deeper? In this episode, Brigid sits down with internationally recognized nutrition scientist Dr Deanna Minich to unpack hormone replacement therapy (HRT), perimenopause, and menopause through a functional medicine lens. You’ll learn why hot flashes, brain fog, fatigue, and body composition changes aren’t simply a hormone deficiency problem—and how nutrition, gut health, inflammation, and your endocrine system all shape your hormone health at midlife and beyond.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

1. Why jumping straight to hormone replacement therapy can miss the root cause
2. How the endocrine system actually works in women’s health
3. The connection between menopause, chronic inflammation, and musculoskeletal pain
4. How nutrition, phytonutrients, and an anti-inflammatory diet support hormones
5. What Femmenessence and maca phenotypes are—and how they may support hormone balance
6. Why fiber, gut health, and mineral status (like magnesium and iron) are non-negotiables
7. How functional medicine lab testing can personalize your hormone and nutrition plan
8. Simple ways to improve energy, support blood sugar, and eat for longevity

Timestamps

1. 03:10 – Why “it must be my hormones” is an incomplete story
2. 06:30 – The endocrine system explained: thyroid, adrenals, ovaries & brain
3. 11:40 – HRT as “shiny object”: what it helps and what it doesn’t
4. 13:30 – Feminessence, maca phenotypes & supporting hormone balance naturally
5. 20:20 – Perimenopause, menopause, and why personalization in hormone care matters
6. 27:30 – Phytonutrients, inflammation & the power of eating the rainbow
7. 34:00 – Why diet diversity, fiber & gut health shape women’s health outcomes
8. 39:50 – Omega-3s, hydration, minerals & hormone-related symptoms
9. 46:20 – Iron, fatigue & why lab interpretation needs a nuanced approach
10. 51:50 – If you do one thing for your health, make it this
11. 57:15 – Food as medicine, connection, spirituality & how we relate to eating
12. 1:00:10 – Where to find Dr. Minich and learn more about her work

Next Steps & Links

If this conversation helped you think differently about perimenopause, menopause, and hormone health, share it with a friend who needs more than a band-aid approach. And if you’re ready to lean into functional nutrition, gut health, and root-cause healing, be sure to follow along for more episodes.

1. Watch the full episode on YouTube
2. Brigid’s Website
3. Brigid’s Instagram
4. Dr Deanna Minich’s Website
5. Dr Deanna Minich’s Certification Program
6. Dr Deanna Minich’s Facebook
7. Dr Deanna Minich’s Instagram
8. Dr Deanna Minich’s YouTube
9. Discover Feminessence