Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset. Today I sat down with Dr. Jila Senemar, a board-certified OB/GYN with over 20 years of clinical experience and the founder of JilaMD and the Miami Menopause Collective. For most of her career, Dr. Jila practiced traditional OB/GYN medicine — she joined a father-son practice as its first female partner and delivered over 5,500 babies. But she kept running into the same gap: once her patients hit perimenopause, she had nowhere to send them, because menopause care was never really part of her own training either. So she left the practice she'd built, taught herself through the Menopause Society, and started a concierge practice from scratch — built entirely around the idea that women shouldn't have to just suffer through this. In this episode, Dr. Jila breaks down what perimenopause actually is and why it can start a decade before most women expect it, why the hot flash isn't even the real story, and what happened in 2002 when a single study scared a generation of women and their doctors away from hormone therapy — a fear that outlived the science for over twenty years. She also talks about testosterone's role in women's health beyond libido, why GLP-1 medications aren't a one-size-fits-all answer, and the unregulated corners of the wellness world she warns her own patients about. This is a conversation, not medical advice — always talk to your own doctor about what's right for you. This is the episode for the woman who plans to live past fifty, which is all of us. Key Topics Covered: — From traditional OB/GYN practice to building a concierge menopause practice from scratch — Being the first female partner in a father-son practice team — What perimenopause actually is, and why it can start in your mid-to-late 30s — The symptoms nobody connects to menopause: brain fog, sleep, mood, unexplained rage — The 2002 study that scared a generation off hormone therapy, and what got lost in translation — Why she calls estrogen "the hero hormone" — Metabolic health, muscle, and bone in the midlife window — GLP-1 medications — her take on who they're actually right for — Testosterone in women's health, beyond libido — The unregulated wellness trends she warns her own patients about — Why she calls this decade a performance window, not a decline — Lightning round Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Dr. Jila Senemar 01:59 – The 2002 Study That Scared a Generation Off Hormone Therapy 07:01 – What Perimenopause Actually Is & When It Starts 10:14 – The Symptoms Nobody Connects: Brain Fog, Sleep, Mood & Rage 11:45 – From Traditional Practice to Building Her Own Concierge Model 14:18 – Estrogen as the "Hero Hormone" 13:15 – Metabolic Health, Muscle & Bone in Midlife 48:06 – GLP-1 Medications: Who They're Actually Right For 14:10 – Testosterone in Women's Health Beyond Libido 53:40 – Unregulated Wellness Trends She Warns Her Patients About 56:23 – Lightning Round 59:45 – Where to Find Dr. Jila Senemar Tags : Dr. Jila Senemar, JilaMD, Miami Menopause Collective, menopause, perimenopause, hormone therapy, hormone replacement therapy, women's health, midlife health, estrogen, testosterone in women, GLP-1, metabolic health, longevity, OB/GYN, women's wellness, STACKED podcast, Emily Dempsey, Brickell Babes, female founder podcast, midlife wellness, health education Disclaimer: The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.
