The Hotflash inc podcast
Hotflash inc is an evidence, expert and human-experience driven podcast looking for the true truth in perimenopause, menopause and beyond.
In more than 190 episodes menopause and midlife journalist and host Ann Marie McQueen has spoken to a wide range of experts from around the globe, including practitioners, activists, researchers, doctors and industry leaders about this perplexing transition we still know too little about. She’s talked about her own frustrations and personal experiences. And she has connected with a perimenoposse of powerful women in the midst of a perplexing transition.
The Hotflash inc Podcast is number 1 on GoodPods in Women's Health Podcasts. It is amongst the top 3% percentile on Listen Notes and in the Top 60 Menopause podcasts on Feedspot.
*Last updated January 2026
The Hotflash inc podcast
201 REPLAY: Dr Lara Briden unpacks what really matters in midlife
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This podcast originally ran on July 10th, 2025
In this episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, host and founder Ann Marie McQueen sits down with Dr Lara Briden – a naturopath, women’s health speaker, and author of Period Repair Manual, Hormone Repair Manual, and Metabolism Repair for Women. Together, they unpack some of the buzziest and most confusing midlife health trends: from hormone therapy + GLP-1 combos to supplement overwhelm, vaginal estrogen, and the sudden concern over labia shrinkage.
Dr Briden brings a refreshing and deeply grounded perspective to the conversation, challenging common narratives and reminding us of the biological brilliance of the female body – especially in midlife.
Highlights:- The overhyped narrative about hormone therapy and GLP-1s
- What GLP-1 medications really do, and why they’re fascinating to Dr. Briden
- Supplements as a security blanket, and why Ann Marie and her friends are rethinking them
- Taking a “supplement holiday” – what it is and why it helps
- The connection between GLP-1s and gut health
- What happens when you go off hormone therapy or GLP-1s?
- A naturopath’s minimalist supplement travel kit
- Vaginal changes in menopause: what’s real, what’s clickbait
- The difference in how men vs women are told to view their bodies as they age
- Vaginal estrogen and the truth about genitourinary syndrome of menopause
- The bizarre labia shrinkage trend and the pressure of “perfect” body parts
- Why menopause is not a mistake of evolution – it’s a feature
- The danger of over-identifying with health labels
- “Wear it lightly” – a powerful reframe from Dr. Briden
- The trend of diagnosing yourself through Instagram
- Not everyone suffers in perimenopause – and that’s okay
Connect with Dr. Lara Briden:- Website: www.larabriden.com
- Instagram: @larabriden
- X: @larabriden
- Books: Available wherever books are sold, including Bookshop.org, Amazon, and Pan Macmillan
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