Menopause Reimagined with Andrea Donsky

Andrea Donsky, nutritionist
  • 5.0 (27)
  • Nutrition
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Morphus!We created Morphus to spark change in the conversation around perimenopause and menopause wellness, to bring together women seeking support and information, and to provide research-backed supplements for women in perimenopause and menopause. As Health Experts with over 23 years of experience as wellness educators, we bring you expert insights on perimenopause and menopause, along with the latest evidence-based scientific research.Our goals are to help you navigate this time in your life, empower you to take charge of your health, and arm you with the resources and education to make the right decisions for yourself and your changing body.Our name was inspired by the symbolism of butterflies, which represent beauty, transformation, and hope. Morphus combines the words "metamorphosis" + "us" (Morph/us) to represent the transformation we are all going through.Andrea Donsky & Randy BoyerCo-Founders, Morphus, Inc.

  1. 5d ago

    Ep #194: Tired of Fighting Food Cravings? Try This Instead with Sarah Kennedy

    If you have been watching the GLP-1 conversation explode and quietly wondering if there is another way, this one is for you. Andrea sits down with Sarah Kennedy, founder and CEO of Calocurb, for an honest, science-forward talk about appetite, cravings, and why our relationship with food shifts in perimenopause and menopause. Sarah explains why hunger is biology rather than a willpower problem, and how Calocurb uses a hops extract from New Zealand research to gently support your own natural appetite hormones. It is not a pitch for a magic pill, just a grounded look at one more option so you can decide what is right for you and your body. Topics Covered Why weight and appetite feel so different in perimenopause and menopauseThe willpower myth, and why hunger is biology, not a personal failingWhat GLP-1s are in plain English, and why everyone is talking about themWhere Calocurb came from, and the New Zealand science behind itHow a natural, hops-based option is different from the injectionsWhat it is actually like to use day to dayWhat the research has shown so farA straight answer on the canola oil questionSarah's honest story of making peace with foodWhy this is one tool, not a magic fix Use this link to save on Calocurb: https://www.calocurb.com/morphus Chapters 0:00 At peace with food (cold open) 0:50 Welcome and who is Andrea Donsky 1:46 Meet Sarah Kennedy, and life in New Zealand 3:24 What is a GLP-1, and why it is everywhere 5:59 Satiety hormones and what shifts in perimenopause 6:52 Willpower is a misnomer: the physiology of hunger 9:46 The Calocurb origin story: New Zealand government science 11:53 Bitter taste receptors all the way down the gut 13:20 1,000 extracts tested, and why hops won 14:46 The first human clinical: a 600% hormone increase 15:57 How it compares to semaglutide and Ozempic 16:59 How to take it: timing, empty stomach, and onboarding 19:10 Why it is considered gentle on the body 20:27 Building a routine and intermittent fasting 21:24 Can you take it with your medications 22:23 Side effects, bloating, and what they actually mean 23:37 Gastroparesis: how it differs from the synthetics 24:59 The clinical studies, including a women-only trial 28:11 Blood sugar, insulin resistance, and the newest trial 29:25 A message for women gaining weight in midlife 30:41 Sarah's personal story with food 32:45 Age limits and adolescent research 33:33 Do you take it forever, and the weight-regain question 36:44 The canola oil question, answered transparently 39:54 Hops and estrogen: is there an effect 41:08 Where to find Calocurb 42:13 A tool in the toolkit 43:12 Closing thoughts and how you can help Send us Fan Mail ====== Morphus: Menopause Reimagined 💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all 📖 Order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026) Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3  Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk  📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO   ✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh 🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V FOLLOW US:  TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky Facebook: /wearemorphus DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. This podcast contains affiliate links; Morphus may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.

    48 min

  2. May 22

    Ep #193: Nourishing Menopause Hit the Bestseller Lists, and Here's What That Really Means

    Andrea Donsky is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist with over 20 years of experience in health and wellness, a published menopause researcher, and the founder of Morphus. She is the author of Nourishing Menopause (Simon and Schuster) and Unjunk Your Junk Food, and the host of the Menopause Reimagined podcast, where she shares the latest science, real-talk strategies, and tools to help women thrive through perimenopause and menopause. Andrea shares her own perimenopause story, the messages from readers that brought her to tears, and the work still ahead for menopause education and care. If you have ever wondered "what is happening to me," this one is for you. In this episode: The emotional reality behind a bestsellerWhy women bought this book so fast, and the education gap it closesAndrea's own search for answers in perimenopauseThe tools in the toolbox: nutrition, lifestyle, supplements, mindset, exercise, and hormones, if you choose that pathA reminder that your voice, your experience, and your health all matterGet the book and join the community at wearemorphus.com. If it helped you, please leave a review so another woman can find it too. Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3  Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk  Send us Fan Mail ====== Morphus: Menopause Reimagined 💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all 📖 Order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026) Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3  Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk  📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO   ✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh 🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V FOLLOW US:  TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky Facebook: /wearemorphus DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. This podcast contains affiliate links; Morphus may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.

    9 min

  3. May 15

    Ep #192: Thyropause & Hashimoto's with Dr. Amie Hornaman

    Andrea Donsky is a registered holistic nutritionist with 20+ years of experience, a published menopause researcher, the co- founder of Morphus, the host of this podcast, Menopause Reimagined, and the author of Nourishing Menopause (Simon & Schuster) and Unjunk Your Junk Food. In this episode, Andrea sits down with Dr. Amie Hornaman, "The Thyroid Fixer," to unpack what happens to your thyroid in perimenopause and menopause. If you've been told your labs are "normal," but you still feel exhausted, foggy, freezing cold, and like your body isn't your own, this conversation is for you. Dr. Amie introduces a term every woman over 40 should know: thyropause. What you'll learn: Why so many perimenopause symptoms are actually undiagnosed thyroid issuesWhat thyropause is and why Hashimoto's often switches on after 40The five thyroid labs to ask your doctor for (and what to do if they refuse)Why T4-only medications like Synthroid may not be enough on their ownHow to find a provider who actually understands thyroid hormone replacementChapters: 0:00   Why your thyroid tanks after 40 (thyropause explained) 2:00   Welcome back to Menopause Reimagined & meet Dr. Amie Hornaman 5:10   What the thyroid actually does (from hair loss to heart rate) 8:45   Hypothyroidism vs hyperthyroidism: which one hits women hardest 12:00  Thyropause: the perimenopause and Hashimoto's connection 16:15  1 in 8 women? Why the real number is closer to 1 in 4 19:25  Medically gaslit: Andrea's story of being dismissed by her doctor 23:40  The thyroid tests your doctor probably isn't ordering (TSH, free T3, reverse T3, TPO, TG) 28:30  T3 vs T4: why Synthroid alone may not be enough 33:45  Why you can stay on thyroid medication for life (and why that's okay) 38:10  Finding the right dose: the trial-and-error reality 42:25  Inside The Thyroid Fix book and Fixer Formulas supplements 47:00  Where to find Dr. Amie and grab the book Links: The Thyroid Fix: The No-Nonsense Guide to Fix Fatigue, Fogginess, and Fat That Won't Budge https://amzn.to/3Prfxvr Learn more about Dr. Amie Hornaman here: https://dramie.com/ Send us Fan Mail ====== Morphus: Menopause Reimagined 💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all 📖 Order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026) Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3  Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk  📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO   ✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh 🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V FOLLOW US:  TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky Facebook: /wearemorphus DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. This podcast contains affiliate links; Morphus may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.

    51 min

  4. May 5

    Ep #191: The Perimenopause & Menopause Book You've Been Searching For

    Andrea Donsky is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist with over 20 years of experience in health & wellness, a published menopause researcher, and the founder of Morphus. She is the author of Nourishing Menopause (Simon and Schuster) and Unjunk Your Junk Food, and the host of the Menopause Reimagined podcast, where she shares the latest science, real-talk strategies, and tools to help women thrive through perimenopause and menopause. If you've ever been told it's just stress, just aging, or just in your head, this episode and Andrea's new book are what you've been waiting for. In this very personal solo episode, Andrea shares the story behind her brand-new book, "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition and Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." After 14 years in perimenopause (11 of them not even knowing it), she knew women like us deserved better. This book is the roadmap she wished existed when she was sitting on her couch, counting hot flashes or Googling symptoms at 3 AM. What you'll learn in this episode: The 103+ symptoms of perimenopause and menopause your doctor probably never mentionedWhy phantom smells, anxiety, and digestive issues are often hormonal (not "in your head")The 17 reasons women gain weight in midlife (and why eating less isn't the answer)Andrea's personal story with anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, PTSD, and Hashimoto's thyroiditisWhy weight training matters more than cardio and how to start Chapters:  0:00 Why I Wrote Nourishing Menopause  1:30 The 103+ Symptoms Most Women Never Hear  3:10 Phantom Smells and Symptoms Doctors Dismiss  4:50 Why 1 in 5 Women Doesn't Know Her Stage  6:35 17 Real Reasons We Gain Weight  8:50 Stress, Anxiety, and Hashimoto's  11:15 Sleep, Protein, and Hormone-Supportive Eating  13:25 Why Weight Training Is Queen Get your copy of Nourishing Menopause here: www.nourishingmenopausebook.com Download the resources mentioned in the book: https://wearemorphus.com/pages/book-resources   Send us Fan Mail ====== Morphus: Menopause Reimagined 💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all 📖 Order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026) Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3  Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk  📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO   ✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh 🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V FOLLOW US:  TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky Facebook: /wearemorphus DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. This podcast contains affiliate links; Morphus may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.

    16 min

  5. May 1

    Ep #190: Doctor Won't Listen? Try Shirley Weir's Script

    You walked out of another appointment feeling unheard. Here's how to flip the next one.  In this week's episode of Menopause Reimagined, Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, published menopause researcher, educator, author, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, sits down with Shirley Weir, founder of Menopause Chicks and one of the original voices in the menopause conversation. Shirley has spent over a decade moderating questions from a community of more than 60,000 women, and she's distilled what she's learned into a practical framework called Script Tips, designed to help you stop being dismissed at the doctor's office and start getting the answers you actually need.  This is the conversation every woman in perimenopause and menopause needs before her next appointment.  What you'll learn:  Why over half of women leave their health appointments feeling dismissed (and the two reasons they went in the first place)Shirley's Script Tips framework: the exact language to use when you walk into the roomWhy "impact" is the single most important word you can say to your doctorWhat's actually covered under Canada's new menopause hormone therapy Pharmacare program (BC and Manitoba launched March 2026)How preventing UTIs in menopause may help reduce dementia misdiagnosesChapters: 0:00 Why Women Feel Dismissed at Doctor Visits in Perimenopause  3:15 How Shirley Weir Built Menopause Chicks (And Why It Started in 2012)  8:00 Why "Doctor Google" Wasn't Enough: The Information Gap  12:30 Speak Menopause: Why the Right Vocabulary Changes Everything  17:00 Don't Blame Everything on Perimenopause (Phantom Smells, Swelling, More) 21:30 Script Tips: The Method That Flips Your Doctor Appointment  28:30 The Impact Statement: The One Thing Most Women Forget to Say  34:00 Free Menopause Hormone Therapy in Canada: BC and Manitoba Pharmacare  39:30 UTI Prevention in Postmenopause (And the Dementia Connection)  43:30 Tell Three People: The Grassroots Movement Changing Menopause 🌐 Connect with Shirley Weir at Menopause Chicks: https://menopausechicks.com 📱 Find Shirley on social: @menopausechicks  Send us Fan Mail ====== Morphus: Menopause Reimagined 💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all 📖 Order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026) Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3  Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk  📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO   ✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh 🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V FOLLOW US:  TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky Facebook: /wearemorphus DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. This podcast contains affiliate links; Morphus may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.

    44 min

  6. Apr 24

    Ep #189: The Menopause Gut with Cynthia Thurlow, NP

    You used to digest everything. Now a salad wrecks you. If perimenopause changed your gut overnight, this one's for you. Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, published menopause researcher, menopause educator, author, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com sits down with nurse practitioner and bestselling author Cynthia Thurlow to unpack the gut-hormone connection nobody warned us about. Cynthia's brand new book, The Menopause Gut (out April 28), is the paradigm-shifting guide to why 94% of perimenopausal women suddenly have digestive issues, and what to actually do about it. What you'll learn: Why you can't digest food properly if you're stressed (and the 4-breath trick that changes it)What the estrobolome is and how it's recycling your estrogen in ways that make bloating worseThe fiber mistake that's making your gut feel worse, not betterWhy your gut suddenly looks more like a man's after menopauseHow PCOS and perimenopause collide (and why it's not "over" when your period stops)The difference between intermittent fasting and "digestive rest" and which one works better in midlifeChapters: 0:00 Cynthia's Morocco Story: When Perimenopause Broke Her Gut  2:10 Why Gut Health Gets Worse in Perimenopause and Menopause  6:32 Digestion Starts in the Brain: The Parasympathetic Connection  11:10 Estrogen, Histamine, and Why You Suddenly React to Foods  15:58 Postbiotics 101: Butyrate, Urolithin A, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids  21:30 Fiber, Bloating, and Why You Can't Just Jump to 30 Grams a Day  26:15 The Gut-Bone Connection Nobody Talks About  29:58 Sleep, Stress, and the Cortisol-Constipation Loop  34:42 The Vagus Nerve: Your Gut-Brain Superhighway  39:00 Intermittent Fasting vs Digestive Rest: What Changed Her Mind  42:50 PCOS, Insulin Resistance, and Menopause: The Missing Conversation  46:40 Where to Find Cynthia and The Menopause Gut Book 📖 Get Cynthia's new book The Menopause Gut (out April 28): https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3 Send us Fan Mail ====== Morphus: Menopause Reimagined 💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all 📖 Order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026) Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3  Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk  📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO   ✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh 🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V FOLLOW US:  TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky Facebook: /wearemorphus DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. This podcast contains affiliate links; Morphus may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.

    52 min

  7. Apr 17

    Ep #188: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) & HRT with Dr. Felice Gersh

    In this interview, Andrea Donsky, a nutritionist, published menopause researcher, menopause educator, author, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, discusses PCOS and HRT with Dr. Felice Gersh, an integrative gynecologist and women’s health expert specializing in hormones, menopause, and the connection between lifestyle and hormonal balance. Topics: Going back to basics with menstruation, periods, cycles, and PCOS.How the female moon rhythm relates to all body systems and hormonal cycles, not just fertility and reproduction, including metabolic and immune functions.The connection between PCOS and inflammation. Why having an imbalance of estradiol (deficient), progesterone (deficient), and progesterone (too abundant) creates a cascade of health issues, including but not limited to insulin resistance and high blood pressure, as well as accelerated aging and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, etc.It's not all bad news; by cycling hormones at physiological doses (equivalent to a younger woman), many chronic health conditions can be prevented or delayed.Discussion around GLP-1 and estradiol, as well as fertility and pregnancy outcomes.Windows of time where hormone replacement can and should happen, and how the data from the Women's Health Initiative is still skewing the data for these recommendations.Why Prempro is still dangerous despite the removal of the black label warning on hormone therapy.What you need to know about bleeding and HRT.Links: Learn more about Dr. Felice Gersh's Practice, Integrative Medical Group of Irvine https://integrativemgi.com/ Send us Fan Mail ====== Morphus: Menopause Reimagined 💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all 📖 Order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026) Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3  Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk  📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO   ✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh 🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V FOLLOW US:  TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky Facebook: /wearemorphus DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. This podcast contains affiliate links; Morphus may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.

    1h 14m

  8. Apr 10

    Ep #187: Menopause in the Workplace with Lisa Boate

    In this interview, Andrea Donsky, a nutritionist, published menopause researcher, menopause educator, author, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, discusses the challenges women face in the workplace during perimenopause and menopause with Lisa Boate, a menopause consultant, workplace educator, and host of the Transforming 45 podcast.  Topics: Lisa's journey from educator to menopause coach.The cost to businesses and organizations of losing female "assets" during perimenopause and menopause.When we are in perimenopause and menopause, our ability to handle stress isn't what it used to be, and tips for setting boundaries to help us.Changing the shoulds and expectations we were raised with.How a coach can help you move through the overwhelm of making decisions about big changes in your life.Understanding the ways in which we can impact the world without feeling frustrated that we aren't enough.Reflecting on who we want to be in the next phase of our lives.Pushing for policy change in businesses and organizations, so we don't have to advocate for ourselves when we're already feeling overwhelmed.Building alliances with male leadership.Creating open dialogue in our personal relationships, marriages, and relationships with our children, because these types of communications often weren't modeled for us in our families.Providing education on perimenopause and menopause as part of the high school curriculum is particularly important. Learn more about Lisa Boate at https://www.liberatedmenopause.ca/ Send us Fan Mail ====== Morphus: Menopause Reimagined 💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all 📖 Order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026) Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3  Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4rFj7jk  📰 As seen in USA Today: https://bit.ly/43nrMwO   ✅ Fill out our surveys: https://bit.ly/4jcVuLh 🦋 SUBSCRIBE to our list: https://bit.ly/3VdDA0V FOLLOW US:  TikTok @andreadonsky & @wearemorphus Instagram: @wearemorphus | @andreadonsky Facebook: /wearemorphus DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. This podcast contains affiliate links; Morphus may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.

    46 min
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5
out of 5
27 Ratings

About

Welcome to Morphus!We created Morphus to spark change in the conversation around perimenopause and menopause wellness, to bring together women seeking support and information, and to provide research-backed supplements for women in perimenopause and menopause. As Health Experts with over 23 years of experience as wellness educators, we bring you expert insights on perimenopause and menopause, along with the latest evidence-based scientific research.Our goals are to help you navigate this time in your life, empower you to take charge of your health, and arm you with the resources and education to make the right decisions for yourself and your changing body.Our name was inspired by the symbolism of butterflies, which represent beauty, transformation, and hope. Morphus combines the words "metamorphosis" + "us" (Morph/us) to represent the transformation we are all going through.Andrea Donsky & Randy BoyerCo-Founders, Morphus, Inc.

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