Your doctor offered you the pill for your perimenopause symptoms but said no to MHT. Why? It's one of the questions we get most.

Dr. Jen Zelovitzky is back to explain how these treatments differ and the factors that should be considered when exploring each of these options for symptom management in perimenopause. She also explains why the one-year-without-a-period rule shouldn't be the gatekeeper for your treatment.

In this episode:

• Why so many women are offered the pill but not MHT in perimenopause
• When the pill is the right tool, and why it can stop working as well
• How an IUD or progestin-only pill can be paired with estrogen
• Why there's no age or time limit on MHT
• What the Women's Health Initiative missed about women with symptoms
• What LOOP events are, why you might get them, and what you can do about them

Dr. Jen's bottom line: there is no woman out there who doesn't have an option. You deserve a good quality of life.

And don’t miss a LIVE This Is Perimenopause podcast recording with Dr. Jen Zelovitzky at the National Menopause Show on Sunday, October 18 at 2:10 p.m. on the podcast stage. We’re talking about Breast Cancer and all the choices available to survivors who are suffering with through menopause. This is just one of the incredible expert speakers lined up. Tickets are only $35/day or $45 for both days. Buy your tickets today!

Connect with Mikelle & Michelle at This is Perimenopause

• Subscribe to our Substack
• Become a TIP Insider
• Email us and let us know what you think of the podcast and what topic you want us to cover next.
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Instagram
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Facebook

Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky

Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky is a certified Menopause Specialist and the Clinical Director of Women’s Health at Medcan Toronto. Follow her on socials @DrJenZelo where she helps women better understand their bodies and advocate for their needs in the Canadian Healthcare system. She is also the mom of 2 amazing daughters and 3 fur babies.

Links for this episode

• Dr. Jen Zelovitzky on Instagram
• Medcan Women’s Health
• www.drjenzelo.ca
• Read Dr. Jen’s Blogs

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where did this belly suddenly come from? And is a GLP-1 the answer?

Everyone's talking about GLP-1s, but few people actually understand how they work. Dr. Sean Wharton is an internal medicine physician, a pioneer in obesity medicine, and founder of the Wharton Medical Clinic. He's here to give us the facts.

Dr. Wharton explains what GLP-1s do in your body, why midlife belly fat is a health issue and not just a cosmetic one, and what to consider before you ask your doctor for one.

In this episode:

• What a GLP-1 is and how it works
• Why your body changes shape in midlife
• Why some women struggle with weight more than others
• When belly fat becomes a health risk
• What happens when you stop taking a GLP-1
• How to decide if a GLP-1 is right for you
• What to consider before you ask your doctor for one

Want to learn more? See Dr. Wharton live at the National Menopause Show on October 17 & 18 at the International Centre in Toronto. He’s just one of the incredible expert speakers lined up. Tickets are only $35/day or $45 for both days. Buy your tickets today!

Connect with Mikelle & Michelle at This is Perimenopause

• Subscribe to our Substack
• Become a TIP Insider
• Email us and let us know what you think of the podcast and what topic you want us to c
• over next.
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Instagram
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Facebook

Dr. Sean Wharton

Dr. Wharton has his doctorate in Pharmacy and Medicine from the University of Toronto in

Canada. He practices internal medicine and is the director of the Wharton Medical Clinic, a

community based weight management and diabetes clinic. He is an assistant professor at the

University of Toronto and adjunct professor at McMaster and York University. He is the lead

authour of the 2020 Canadian Obesity Guidelines, which has been recognized around the world

and has published many peer-reviewed articles in international medical journals, including lead

author on several New England Journal of Medicine articles Dr. Wharton is involved in advocacy to achieve health equity in medicine.

Links for this episode

Wharton Medical Clinic

Rushed appointments. Leaving your doctor’s appointment with no real answers and more questions than before. Have you thought about seeing a nurse practitioner?

Dr. Roberta Heale has been a nurse practitioner for 27 years. She holds a PhD, co-founded Canada's first nurse practitioner-led clinic, and was the first president of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada. Today she runs a virtual menopause clinic for women in Ontario and Alberta.

And she’s here to share with us what an NP can do to support you in perimenopause.

In this episode:

• What a nurse practitioner can do for you in perimenopause
• What to expect at your first appointment
• How to find an NP who really knows menopause
• Why your provider might be following outdated guidelines
• Plus a sneak peak into her talks at the National Menopause Show:
• Hypnosis for hot flashes, and why it works
• How perimenopause is affecting women at work

Want to learn more? See Roberta Heale live at the National Menopause Show on October 17 & 18 at the International Centre in Toronto. She’s just one of the incredible expert speakers lined up. Tickets are only $35/day or $45 for both days. Buy your tickets today!

Connect with Mikelle & Michelle at This is Perimenopause

• Subscribe to our Substack
• Become a TIP Insider
• Email us and let us know what you think of the podcast and what topic you want us to cover next.
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Instagram
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Facebook

Roberta Heale Bio

Roberta Heale is a nurse practitioner, a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner and owner of the Virtual Menopause Clinic where she provides care to women in Alberta and Ontario for symptoms of perimenopause through to post menopause. Not only does her practice include hormones, treatment for insomnia, weight management and more, women may choose Clinical Hypnosis. Roberta is also a university professor and has used her academic role to conduct research about the impact of the symptoms of menopause on work.

Links for this episode

• Follow Roberta on Instagram
• Roberta's Virtual Menopause Clinic
• Take Roberta's survey on menopause and work
• Find a Menopause Society certified provider

This episode will change how you think about that itch you've been ignoring down there.

Join us for an eye-opening conversation with Dr. Amanda Selk, gynecologist and one of the leading voices in vulvar skin conditions, as she breaks down lichen sclerosus. It’s a common but wildly under-recognized chronic skin condition that can permanently change your anatomy if it goes untreated.

In this episode:

• What is lichen sclerosus?
• Symptoms to watch for
• Why your doctor probably isn't checking for this, even during a Pap smear
• The permanent anatomical changes that can happen if it's left untreated
• How lichen sclerosus is diagnosed and treated
• The genetic and hormonal factors at play, including why perimenopause and postpartum estrogen drops can trigger symptoms
• How to become "a looker" with Dr. Selk's simple monthly self-exam habit to catch problems early

Connect with Mikelle & Michelle at This is Perimenopause

• Subscribe to our Substack
• Become a TIP Insider
• Email us and let us know what you think of the podcast and what topic you want us to cover next.
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Instagram
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Facebook

Dr. Amanda Selk

Dr. Amanda Selk is one of Canada’s leading experts in vulvar skin disorders and HPV-related disease. As a gynecologist, educator, and advocate, she is dedicated to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of conditions that can have a profound impact on women’s health and quality of life.

Through her clinical practice, research, and teaching, Dr. Selk cares for women with complex vulvar conditions, including lichen sclerosus, and works to advance awareness of HPV prevention, screening, and management. She is passionate about closing knowledge gaps for both patients and healthcare providers, ensuring women receive timely diagnoses, evidence-based care, and the support they need to navigate often misunderstood conditions.

A sought-after speaker and educator, Dr. Selk is committed to breaking down stigma and creating more open conversations about women’s health. Through her social media platform, @drselkdownthere, she shares evidence-based information on vulvar health, HPV, menopause, sexual health, and gynecologic care, helping women access trustworthy health information where they are already seeking it.

Bottom line: Dr. Selk is passionate about helping women feel informed, supported, and confident in their healthcare while driving meaningful change in vulvar health and HPV care.

Links for this episode

Dr. Amanda Selk on Instagram

Dr. Amanda Selk Podcast - The Vulva Diaries

Lichen Sclerosus Guide (patient information)

Lichen Sclerosus: ISSVD Practical Guide to Diagnosis and Management

We know Gina Livy as the weight loss expert. So when she told her community she was writing a book, we assumed we knew exactly what it would be about. We were wrong.

Liv Lighter: The Art of Living Well in Your Body, Home, and Mind is out September 8, co-written with home designer Lynne Knowlton and travel planner Norma Thiessen. It's a book about the weight women actually carry. The guilt. The permission we're still waiting for. The house we keep clean for people who aren't even coming over.

In this episode:

• Why weight loss is so much more than the numbers on the scale
• How your home is a wellness partner
• Why travel is about perspective, not sightseeing
• Why sleep and stress are the actual midlife levers
• Why Gina's back at the National Menopause Show in Toronto this October, and what she's moderating on the main stage

This conversation went places we didn't plan for, and we're keeping all of it.

Connect with Mikelle & Michelle at This is Perimenopause

• Subscribe to our Substack
• Email us and let us know what you think of the podcast and what topic you want us to cover next.
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Instagram
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Facebook

Gina Livy Bio

Gina Livy is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, podcast host, and founder of The Livy Method, one of North America’s largest weight loss and wellness communities. A two-time recipient of WXN’s Canada’s Most Powerful Women award, Gina has spent more than 30 years helping hundreds of thousands of women create lasting change through a practical, lifestyle-first

approach to health and wellness. Her newest book, Liv Lighter , expands that conversation beyond weight loss, exploring what it means to live well in your body, your home, your relationships, and your everyday life.

Links for this episode

• Liv Lighter: The Art of Living Well in Your Body, Home, and Mind Get 30% off at Indigo when you pre-order before September 7.
• The Livy Method - $10 Off Program Code To access your $10 off discount, head to the website, click Get Started and choose either the Fall Program or Monthly Membership. Enter code PERPODF26 at checkout and click Apply.
• Follow Gina on Instagram
• Follow Gina on Facebook
• Follow Gina on YouTube

In the second part of this incredible episode with Master’s level clinician and eating disorder specialist, we dive even deeper into how disordered eating shows up in ways we never expected – especially during the hormonal chaos of midlife.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why "clean eating" (clinically called orthorexia) is becoming increasingly problematic
• The deeper psychological roots beneath our food and body struggles
• How to model healthy eating behaviors for your children without passing on your own issues
• That freedom from these patterns is absolutely possible, no matter how long you've been stuck

We live in a culture that normalizes disordered eating. Luckily Kyla is here to show us what true food freedom actually looks like.

Connect with Mikelle & Michelle at This is Perimenopause

• Email us and let us know what you think of the podcast and what topic you want us to cover next.
• Sign up for our weekly newsletter
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Instagram
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Facebook

Kyla Fox Bio

Kyla Fox has established herself as a visionary and innovator, when it comes to re-framing the way Canadians think about and treat eating disorders. As someone who struggled herself with an eating disorder, Fox identified care gaps and fundamental flaws in the treatment and recovery approach. Kyla is a Master’s level clinician with degrees from both the University of Toronto in the Master’s of Social Work program as well as an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Women’s Studies. Kyla is a member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers and is registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. She is also a member of the Academy of Eating Disorders and the National Eating Disorders Association. With such deep and varied experience in the field, Kyla is regularly called on by Canada’s top media outlets as a special commentator on a broad list of topics, including eating disorders, self-esteem, women’s health, body image, pregnancy and body confidence and more. For more information please visit www.kylafoxcentre.com.

Links for this episode

Instagram: @KylaFoxRecovery

Facebook: @KylaFoxCentre

Twitter: @KylaFoxCentre

The Centre