Menopause UnMuted

Dr. Erika M Pimentel
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

This podcast is where real life meets real science — where we mix evidence-based education with unfiltered conversations about what it really means to go through perimenopause and menopause. Every week, you’ll hear from women sharing their personal stories — the good, the messy, the in-between — along with experts in nutrition, fitness, mental health, and holistic care.

  1. 3d ago

    Is Bladder Prolapse Just Part of Aging?

    On this episode of Menopause Unmuted, I'm joined by my sister-in-law Jihan for an honest conversation about a part of perimenopause most women never see coming: pelvic floor changes. Jihan shares her bladder prolapse diagnosis, what her doctor explained and what he left out and what it's like navigating perimenopause in Honduras, where hormone therapy and reliable information are hard to find. We break down what estrogen has to do with your bladder, your pelvic floor, and your posture, and why "it's your age" isn't the whole story. If you are navigating perimenopause, this is exactly who I built the Midlife Reset Assessment for, to have an honest look at what's keeping you stuck, and where to focus your energy going forward. The call is free and the link is below. Midlife Reset Assessment

  2. Aug 20

    Doing Everything Right and Still Not Losing Weight in Perimenopause.

    She was disciplined. She tracked her food. She trained almost every day. And none of it moved the scale. In this episode I break down why that happens to so many women in midlife. It's not about effort. I walk through what chronic under eating does to your body when you're also training hard, why muscle is often the first thing your body sacrifices when it isn't getting enough fuel, and why pushing intensity without enough recovery works against you instead of for you. I also share the four shifts I use with my clients to turn this around, and what it actually takes, in terms of time and patience, before the results show up. If you're navigating perimenopause, this is exactly who I built the Midlife Reset Assessment for, to have an honest look at what's keeping you stuck and where to focus your energy going forward. The call is free and the link is below. https://pages.erikapimentelcoaching.com/home The information shared on Menopause Unmuted is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should replace a conversation with your own doctor or healthcare provider. Every woman's body and health history is different, and what works for one person may not be right for another. Please consult a qualified provider before making changes to your nutrition, training, or medication, including hormone therapy.

  3. Aug 13

    Does an Early Period Mean an Early Menopause? The Research Says Not So Fast.

    On this episode of Menopause Unmuted, I'm talking with Shamika Brown-Upshaw, founder of Spark Life Coaching and former Emmy Award winning Senior Director of Business Operations and Program Management for major sports and entertainment brands. Shamika got her period at 10 years old and is now 50 with none of the symptoms most of us associate with perimenopause. No hot flashes. No night sweats. We talk about what that means, and what it doesn't mean, since the connection between early periods, menopause timing, and overall health is nowhere near as clear as most women have been told. We also get into the years she spent chasing root causes instead of quick fixes, from mercury fillings to acupuncture to cutting dairy, gluten and processed meat, and how that same pattern recognition she built running corporate operations is exactly what she now brings to her own body. If you are navigating perimenopause, this is exactly who I built the Midlife Reset Call for, to have an honest look at what's keeping you stuck, and where to focus your energy going forward. The call is free . Just click on the link to get more information and book your call. https://pages.erikapimentelcoaching.com/home The information shared on Menopause Unmuted is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should replace a conversation with your own doctor or healthcare provider. Every woman's body and health history is different, and what works for one person may not be right for another. Please consult a qualified provider before making changes to your nutrition, training, or medication, including hormone therapy.

  4. Aug 6

    The Estrogen and Gut Connection Nobody Warned Her About

    On this episode of Menopause Unmuted, I sit down with Judy Jung, owner of Jung Family Painting and Decorating, a 22 year family business built on excellence and community in Naperville, Illinois. Judy entered menopause the day she turned 50, and the weight came fast, 20 pounds in three months, despite training five days a week and eating well. For years, she avoided hormone therapy because she had been told early on that it could raise her risk of cancer, and she didn't want to . She started HRT a month and a half ago after getting the same guidance from three people she trusted, and the shift was immediate: her hot flashes dropped significantly, her sleep deepened, and for the first time in years she is waking up rested instead of tired from a night of tossing and turning. We talk about the SIBO connection, the role of vaginal estrogen in gut microbial diversity, and why hearing the same guidance from more than one trusted source made the decision easier. Your symptoms are not random. There are physiological reasons behind what you are experiencing, and there are ways to support your body through this transition. If you are navigating perimenopause, this is exactly who I built the Midlife Reset Call for, to have an honest look at what's keeping you stuck, and where to focus your energy going forward. The call is free and the link to register is: https://pages.erikapimentelcoaching.com/home The information shared on Menopause Unmuted is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should replace a conversation with your own doctor or healthcare provider. Every woman's body and health history is different, and what works for one person may not be right for another. Please consult a qualified provider before making changes to your nutrition, training, or medication, including hormone therapy.

  5. Jul 30

    What Happens to Your Hormones After a Hysterectomy

    On this episode of Menopause Unmuted, I sit down with Prajwal to talk about what happened after her hysterectomy, and what nobody told her beforehand. Prajwal had a fibroid that led to a hysterectomy. Her ovaries stayed intact, so her doctor told her not to expect much change. She is experiencing night sweats and disrupted sleep and no one ever explained that removing the uterus can reduce blood flow to the ovaries and speed up the timeline to menopause. No one mentioned the importance of pelvic floor therapy either, even though she does resistance training with heavy weights. When she brought up HRT, her doctor pointed to normal labs and told her to wait until fifty. We talk about what happens to your hormones after a hysterectomy, why "normal" labs don't tell the whole story, why pelvic floor health matters even when your doctor doesn't bring it up, and what it looks like to keep asking questions when the answers you're given don't add up. If you've had a hysterectomy or are weighing one, this episode gives you the questions to ask before you're the one finding out after the fact. If you are navigating perimenopause, this is exactly who I built the Midlife Reset Call for, to have an honest look at what's keeping you stuck, and where to focus your energy going forward. Link to Book the Free Midlife Reset Call https://pages.erikapimentelcoaching.com/home

  6. Jul 23

    Nobody Asked About My Hormones

    In this episode I'm sharing something I've never talked about publicly before — my full two-decade journey through perimenopause that nobody named. For over two decades, my body gave every signal. A medically induced menopause at 29. Unexplained muscle fatigue after my first pregnancy. Two episodes of brain fog so severe a neurologist thought I might have had a stroke. A chronic eye condition I now know was preventable. A hysterectomy at 49. I'm not sharing this so you feel sorry for me. I'm sharing it because somewhere in these chapters, you're going to recognize yourself. A symptom you couldn't explain. A normal lab result that made you cry anyway. A moment where you started questioning yourself instead of questioning the information you were never given. Here's what I know now: naming what is happening doesn't stop the experience. But it stops the spiral. It's the difference between "something is wrong with me" and "something is happening to me — and there are things I can do." That distinction is everything. Because you cannot adapt around what you were never told. That moment has a name. And you deserve to know it. If any part of this story sounded familiar and you are navigating perimenopause, I would invite you to book a Midlife Reset Call to have an honest look at what's keeping you stuck, and where to focus your energy going forward. The call is free and here is the link to book the call: https://pages.erikapimentelcoaching.com/home

  7. Jul 16

    The Permission No One Gives You in Midlife

    A conversation with Karina on rewriting her identity, the truth behind the HRT fear, and building the next chapter instead of chasing the last one. At 52, Karina had crossed the bridge she calls perimenopause, but getting there meant unlearning almost everything she'd been told. In this conversation, we talk about the intrusive, looping thoughts she couldn't explain (and the estrogen science behind them), why she waited two years to launch her own podcast, and the crowning ceremony she did to mark her own rite of passage into what she calls her "empress" era. We also unpack the real story behind the Women's Health Initiative study, why so few women are on HRT today because of a headline that was never the full picture, and what it means to build a new identity instead of chasing the old one back. If you are navigating perimenopause, this is exactly who I built the free Midlife Reset Call for, to have an honest look at what's keeping you stuck, and where to focus your energy going forward.

  8. Jul 9

    Is It Just Me, or Does Menopause Change Your Body Odor Too?

    Today's guest is Kimberly, owner of Crystal Clear Cleaning. Nobody warns you that menopause can change the way your body smells, and Kimberly never expected this, especially in moments of stress or right before she has to speak in front of people, to the point where she carries wipes just in case. For a business owner who's constantly in the public eye, that's not a small thing. It's shaken her confidence in how she shows up, on top of a second change that's been just as frustrating: weight that won't move no matter how consistent she is with workouts and food. This is a real conversation about the parts of menopause nobody prepares you for, and a reminder that if you're dealing with something similar, you're not imagining it and you're not alone.

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About

This podcast is where real life meets real science — where we mix evidence-based education with unfiltered conversations about what it really means to go through perimenopause and menopause. Every week, you’ll hear from women sharing their personal stories — the good, the messy, the in-between — along with experts in nutrition, fitness, mental health, and holistic care.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Erika M Pimentel
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dr. Erika M Pimentel
  • Show Website
    Menopause UnMuted