Wines We're Drinking: Jessica: Ortega Family Wines Pinot Blanc, Carneros Valley, Napa Susie: Edgar Torres Wines Mourvèdre-Cab Blend, Paso Robles She's a licensed therapist with over 20 years of experience, a certified wellness menopause coach, and the kind of guest every woman in her 30s, 40s, and beyond needs in her corner. Susie Cortez, LCSW joins Jessica for a candid, unfiltered conversation about perimenopause, menopause, and everything our mothers never told us about our bodies, because nobody ever told them either. From panic attacks at a football game to building a coaching practice that fills the gap doctors leave behind, Susie shares her own journey into the menopause movement and why education, community, and speaking up are the most powerful tools women have right now. Jessica opens up about her own experience after her 2024 hysterectomy, including the HRT patch shortage, the ear itching nobody warned her about, and why she finally told her mom, "I'm so sorry." This is the conversation the women in your family needed to be having for decades. It starts right here. In This Episode We Cover: [00:00] Welcome & intro, Susie shares Edgar Torres Wines from Paso Robles, Jessica pours the last glass of Ortega Family Wines Pinot Blanc [10:00] Susie's origin story, 20 years as a therapist, working with teenage girls, and recognizing the hormone-mood connection she didn't have language for yet [15:00] What is perimenopause vs. menopause? Breaking down the timeline, what "the chaos" of hormone decline actually looks like, and why symptoms can start as early as 35 [25:00] The history of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the 2002 study that scared women off it, why that research has been largely debunked, and what the menopause movement is changing [35:00] Lifestyle shifts that actually help: movement, protein, fiber, sleep hygiene, and why walking to a podcast counts as self-care [45:00] The sleep struggle is real: waking at 2 and 4 AM, the brain fog that follows, the Oura Ring, naps, and the challenge of fighting your body when you have a dog in the bed [55:00] How menopause strains relationships and what partners can actually do: initiation, communication, the libido conversation nobody wants to have, and why rage during perimenopause is more common than anyone admits [1:05:00] Finding your voice at 50, letting go of people-pleasing, reevaluating friendships and values, and what it means to protect your peace in midlife [1:12:00] Common misconceptions about menopause, the emotional symptoms doctors dismiss, why "I just don't feel like myself" is a complete sentence, and the importance of community over suffering in silence [1:20:00] Halle Berry's Respin platform, supplements, hair loss, collagen, and the bad actors trying to profit off the menopause movement [1:30:00] Documenting your symptoms before your doctor's appointment, magnesium glycinate for sleep, progesterone as a sleep aid, mocktails, Agua Bonitas, and Susie's Menopause Mingles [1:40:00] Closing thoughts: you are not alone, reach out, and why talking about it is the most important first step Connect with Susie Cortez: Instagram: @WellnessCoachSusie Website: WellnessWithSusie.com Services: Individual coaching, group coaching, digital courses, Menopause Mingles (in-home workshops), therapist CEU training Connect with Wine & Chisme: Website: thewineandchismepodcast.com Instagram: @thewineandchisme Latiné Wine Brand Directory: thewineandchismepodcast.com/directory Sin prisa. Sin vergüenza. Con vino.
