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Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) sends about 4% of women into premature menopause before the age of 40. Yet, the condition is little understood and for those experiencing it, incredibly isolating. This week we talk about the struggles women with premature menopause face with athlete and entrepreneur Christy Napolitano Wernau, who experienced premature menopause at age 38. We also talk with her doctor, national expert and leader in menopause, Jewel Kling, MD, MPH, about the unique care women with premature menopause require, especially when it comes to menopausal hormone therapy.Christy Napolitano Wernau is an accomplished entrepreneur and advocate for women’s health. With 27 years of experience at McDonald’s, she became a franchise owner, managing multiple restaurants and teams. She serves as a board member for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), contributing to impactful community work. Diagnosed with premature ovarian failure and experiencing menopause at 38, she is passionate about raising awareness and building a supportive community for women navigating non-traditional menopause. A dedicated wife, fitness enthusiast, and mother, she balances her personal and professional life with a love for travel and wellness. Currently, she’s pursuing a degree in Organizational Leadership with a minor in sociology, and she’s an advocate for self-growth and resilience. Jewel Kling, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Medicine, Chair of the Division of Women’s Health Internal Medicine, Assistant Director of the Mayo Clinic Women’s Health Center and Dean of the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine AZ campus at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. Her clinical and research interests are in menopause, sexual health, LGBT care, education, as well as efforts to expand the discipline of Sex and Gender specific medicine. Dr. Kling is recognized as an institutional and national expert and leader in menopause. She is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, a fellow and board member of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH), and board member of the American Medical Women’s Association Sex and Gender Health Collaborative. She is also part of the transgender and intersex specialty clinic committee at Mayo Clinic Arizona and has been a past co-chair of the LGBTI Mayo Employee Resource Group.ResourcesPremature ovarian insufficiency (sciencedirectassets.com)Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

We’re celebrating four years and 200 episodes together at Hit Play Not Pause! It’s like we’re finishing up peri/menopause high school and now we’re off to college. Actually, it is a lot like that when you consider how much our knowledge about this pivotal life transition has grown and keeps expanding. So, this week host Selene Yeager sits down with Hit Play Not Pause producer Carrie Barrett to talk about what we’ve learned, our hopes for the future, and a whole lot more. Here’s to four more years!Carrie Barrett is the producer of multiple Feisty podcasts as well as a self-proclaimed, reluctant triathlete. Today, she splits time between Bend, Oregon and Austin, Texas where she’s a coach, writer, producer, and podcast host of I Could Never Do That.Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

This week, Morgan Adams, a holistic sleep coach and two-time breast cancer survivor, shares her journey from prescription pills to natural sleep solutions. She discusses the unique sleep challenges women face during menopause, including night sweats and anxiety. Morgan emphasizes the importance of circadian rhythms and creating a calming bedtime routine. They explore the negative impacts of alcohol on sleep quality and introduce cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia as an alternative to medication, empowering women to reclaim restful nights.

The messages we see and hear about hormone therapy are often head spinning, as headlines seemingly say one thing and guidelines say another. Medical experts themselves spend days arguing on Instagram. And women are left wondering how to make the best decisions for their health and well being. We feel it, too. So this week, host Selene Yeager opens up about her own journey through menopause and hormone therapy and has a sit down, candid conversation with the podcast’s resident hormone specialist Dr. Carla DiGirolamo to get to the root of the confusion and discuss what women should consider as they’re sorting through all the information coming their way. Carla DiGirolamo, MD, PhD, is a Double Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Obstetrician/Gynecologist specializing in infertility and menopausal medicine. She is also a Crossfit Level 1 trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach, and member of CrossFit Health. She is a MedFit Care provider and provides weekly workouts and medical updates at her Substack Athletic Aging. She is an Endocrine Consultant for Wild Health. Most recently, she has launched her own private practice specializing in helping active and high-performing women reach their performance potential from puberty through menopause. You can find her at www.drcarlad.com/ResourcesWorld Menopause Day 2024The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone TherapyThe Feisty Menopause Performance Retreat Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

Female athletes of our generation have been told a lot of bullsh*t stories about what we’re supposed to look like; how much we’re supposed to weigh; what we’re supposed to eat (or more often not eat), and what we should or shouldn’t do in sports and training and life. We’ve lived through diet culture, sport diet culture, menopause diet culture. It is really hard to unlearn all those messages, but we owe it to ourselves to try. To liberate ourselves from the old bullsh*t that wasn’t even ours to begin with and rewrite our story in a way that is authentic and true. To help, we sat down with sport psychologist Dr. Erin Ayala, who shares how she helps women find self compassion and radical self acceptance for success and growth in midlife and beyond.Erin Ayala, PhD, LP, CMPC is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) offering virtual mental health therapy for athletes aged 14 and above. She provides one-on-one performance coaching, CMPC mentorship, clinical supervision, and group workshops for teams and sport organizations. She supports athletes in injury recovery, managing performance anxiety, depression, pre-competition stress, confidence, and self-criticism. Located in Minnesota, she is licensed to work with athletes in 40 states. You can learn more about Dr. Ayala and her work at www.skadisportpsychology.comEnter to win a FREE spot at the annual Feisty Menopause Retreat: https://www.feistymenopause.com/giveawaySign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

For literally decades, active women like Natalie Perkins have suffered through night sweats, mood swings, low mojo, injuries, and disruptive symptoms because everyone was scared off hormone therapy by outdated information. Unfortunately, though the tide is turning, it’s been a slow process and millions of women are still suffering for no good reason. That’s why Natalie became a midlife women’s health advocate and founded PAUZ, a company devoted to empowering and educating women through and beyond perimenopause. We dive into her own perimenopause journey, the soul searching she finds herself doing as a struggling endurance athlete, and how she believes it’s time that we all step into our power and become the women we want and deserve to be. Dr. Natalie Perkins is the founder of PAUZ Health, a women's menopause health and wellness digital platform. With her PhD in health behavior change science and decades of professional experience in healthcare including as the Vice President of the largest global telemedicine company, she is passionate about transforming women's health. PAUZ is founded on a mission of every woman stepping into who they want to be, including getting access to treatments and support for lifestyle enhancements that will let each woman grab life by the ovaries. You can learn more about her and her work at PAUZ Health.Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

Frozen with fear. That’s how many active women can find themselves on mountain bike trails, ski slopes, and wherever they recreate as our hormones fluctuate and decline in the menopause transition. That’s something high altitude mountaineer Jeannette McGill knows all too well as she summits some of the tallest mountains in the world and sets her sights on Everest. She’s also come to learn that fear can be trained like a muscle, and instead of giving into it–and giving up on her lofty goals–she works on her fear muscle to regain her nerve. This week we talk all about her history in the mountains, how she’s training to continue reaching high summits into her 50s, and how she coaches the midlife women she guides to do the same. Jeannette is the first South African woman to summit Manaslu and the first-ever South African to climb Dhaulagiri - two of the 14 8,000-meter (26,000 feet) mountains in the world. She is passionate about supporting others to achieve their outdoor goals through her mountain mentoring and leads bespoke adventures in the Australian Alps and Nepal. Her portfolio career also includes industrial technology management, and she has a PhD from the Colorado School of Mines. You can learn more about her and her work as a mentor and guide at www.mcgillsmountains.com/ResourcesLearn more about the 3 Passes Trek with AWExpeditionsHit Play Not Pause Menopause Lessons from the Mountains with Jeannette McGillSign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

Menopause is a confusing, sometimes isolating time. We have more information than ever, but can still feel in the dark about exactly what’s going on and what we should or maybe shouldn’t be doing about it. To help, Feisty Menopause and Hit Play Not Pause host Selene Yeager have created an 8 week course called Navigate Menopause that guides women through menopause physiology, hormonal and other therapies, and the exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies that can help smooth the transition, as well as help them create a plan of action for this time of life. Hundreds of women have taken the course since we launched earlier this year, and they’ve shared some moving stories worth sharing. So this week we do just that: We sit down with four women from our latest cohorts to hear about the obstacles they’ve encountered in their menopause transition and discuss the blueprint they’ve created for their future.Abby Huggins Mowinski, 49, is a veterinarian, professor, and mother of two teenage sons. She’s an avid triathlete and trail runner, and loves all outdoor activities. She volunteers with Swim Across America, Scouts, as a high school assistant cross country coach.DeAnn Barlow, 53, is an E-Commerce Merchandising Specialist who took up gravel cycling at age 47 and has been hooked ever since. She documents her menopause journey on her substack: www.aventyr.ccIris McCormack, 53, is a competitive golfer, who also runs, strength trains, hikes, and walks her dogs daily. She is also a knitter, bread baker, and active mom to an athletic teenage daughter and son. Heather Benning, 51, is a lifelong athlete who after nearly two decades of coaching collegiate soccer and teaching, transitioned into the role of commissioner for a DIII athletic conference. She is currently an avid road and trail runner and enjoys CrossFit and gravel cycling.You can sign up for Navigate Menopause at feistymenopause.com/navigate-menopauseSign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

Of all the things women worry about when it comes to hormone therapy, breast cancer, for many, tops the list. Our current understanding of breast cancer risk–even among at-risk women–has changed dramatically in recent years and continues to evolve. To fully understand hormone therapy and breast cancer risk, we need to understand that hormone therapy is not all the same, nor is breast cancer. There are many forms and formulations of hormone therapy and there are many variations of the disease we call breast cancer. This week we break it all down with the Director of the Gynecology Center for Cancer Survivors and At-Risk Women at UCSF, Dr. Mindy Goldman, who wants all women to know, no matter their situation, they do not have to suffer with menopausal symptoms. Mindy Goldman, MD, is Chief Clinical Officer & Clinical Professor Emeritus at UCSF. For almost three decades, Dr. Goldman has been a Clinical Professor in the Department of OB/GYN at UCSF, where she is also the Director of the Gynecology Center for Cancer Survivors and At-Risk Women. In addition to her role as Midi’s Chief Clinical Officer, she is a nationally recognized expert in the management of women’s health issues, including menopause, for women with cancer or at high risk. She has helped author guidelines in these areas for the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG). She is on the survivorship panel for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) where she is the Chair of the menopause panel and the Co-Chair of the sexual functioning panel, which provide guidelines in these topic areas for practicing oncologists. Throughout her career, Dr. Goldman has received numerous recognitions, including: San Francisco Magazine: Top Doctors (2015-2022), America's Top Doctors for Cancer (7th-10th Edition) and Exceptional Women In Medicine (2019-2021). You can learn more about her and her work at Dr. Mindy Goldman. Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

Many of us going through menopause at the moment were the latchkey kids of Generation X, who came of age without a whole lot of supervision and (though it certainly wasn’t all bad!), more than our share of angst, body image issues, eating disorders, and cultural BS about how women were supposed to look and behave. It wasn’t always easy, but it also taught us how to fend for ourselves, be resilient, and forge our own way–qualities that are very helpful as we navigate the menopause transition and beyond. This week’s guest, Jody Trostler, owner of Just Train, has been through all of it and is committed to helping women get fit and strong, find their power, advocate for themselves, and be the best version of themselves right now. She also walks her talk, competing in her first CrossFit event at age 48, and is still hitting PRs in the weight room at 55.Jody Trostler, owner of Just Train Personal Training, is a Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor, Certified Online Coach and Master Health Coach and has completed Stacy Sims Menopause For Athletes course. Her practice features a 16-week Online Group program called Ignite the Fire! for women entering their perimenopause years and beyond. Her current personal fitness passion is Obstacle Course Racing and trail running with friends and her dog Charlie. You can learn more about her and her work at justtrain.net.Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr