Podcast | Cynthia Thurlow

Cynthia's Podcast

Ep. 210 – Understanding the Thyroid’s Effect on Your Hormones, Weight Loss Resistance and Metabolic Function with Amie Hornaman

I am thrilled to connect with Dr. Amie Hornaman today!

Dr. Amie, a.k.a The Thyroid-Fixer, is a woman on a mission to optimize thyroid patients around the world and give them their lives back using her proprietary transformational program: The FIX Method. She is also the founder of the Institute for Thyroid and Hormone Optimization.

When she was in her twenties, Dr. Amie did competitive fitness modeling. She had to work extremely hard to get herself in shape to compete in shows. While preparing for one of the shows, she started gaining weight instead of losing, so she went to the doctor. She ended up seeing many different doctors, all of whom misdiagnosed her. She continued searching until she eventually found a functional integrative practitioner who did the right tests, saved her life, became her mentor, and changed the entire trajectory of her career!

In this episode, Dr. Amie and I dive into thyroid health, the role of specific lab testing, and why checking reverse T3 is so important. We discuss molecular mimicry, weight-loss resistance, and why women need to check testosterone. We also talk about the controversy around iodine and discuss low-dose naltrexone, and the use of berberine, chromium, and inositol.

I hope you gain as much from this episode as I did!

Ep. 209 – The Importance of Leptin and How the Downstream Effects of Leptin Resistance can Impact Overall Health with Dr. Bindiya Gandhi

I am delighted to have Dr. Bindiya Gandhi joining me today! Dr. Bindiya is a Double Board Certified Family Physician & Integrative Medicine Practitioner with expertise in Functional & Holistic Medicine. She is also a Certified Yoga Instructor & Reiki Master and trained in obesity management. Dr. Bindiya is passionate about intertwining western medicine & yoga to heal the mind, body, and soul. Her mission is to educate, empower, and inspire people to live healthier lifestyles!
Dr. Bindiya struggled with various health issues while doing her residency. She had acne, menstrual irregularities, and unexpectedly started gaining weight. She also suffered from migraines, developed a rash on her face that would not go away, and discovered that she had celiac disease. Later, when trying to fall pregnant, she realized that there was more to fertility than what she had learned in medical school. Now, she helps women with weight-loss resistance and fertility issues by addressing leptin.
Leptin is the key satiety hormone. In this episode, Dr. Bindiya and I dive into why leptin is vital from a metabolic health perspective. We talk about what leads to leptin resistance and the impact of leptin on the body. We get into detoxification and how a dysregulated gut microbiome can influence food choices. We discuss inflammatory markers, the importance of protein, and why stress reduction is vital. We share tips for working towards better anti-inflammatory choices and some simple ways to tap into the parasympathetic nervous system. We also explain why you need to avoid too much fruit and over-fasting, and we clear up some common mid-life misconceptions.
As we record this podcast, Dr. Bindiya is two weeks away from the delivery date of her third baby! I hope you gain a lot from today’s illuminating conversation with her! Stay tuned for more!

Ep. 208 – The Underestimated Power of Breathing with James Nestor

I have the honor of connecting with James Nestor today! James is a science journalist and author of the book Breath. Breath was one of my favorite books to read in 2021! It was awarded the prize for Best General Nonfiction Book of 2020 by the American Society of Journalists and Authors and shortlisted for the Royal Society Best Science book of 2020. It explores the million-year-long history of how humans have lost the ability to breathe properly and why we suffer from issues like snoring, sleep apnea, asthma, autoimmune disease, and allergies.
James traveled the world in his effort to figure out what went wrong and how to fix our ability to breathe properly. He did not discover the answers in pulmonology labs but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of Sao Paulo.
In this episode, James and I dive into how humans have become poor breathers and how crooked teeth contribute to poor breathing. We discuss the nasal anatomy and the impact it has on poor breathing. We talk about alternate nostril breathing, the vagus nerve, the anatomical changes that occur with aging, how overeaters become over-breathers, chewing, and how our palates and facial bones have evolved and changed. We also get into James’s experience in the Paris catacombs and the impact of breathwork on the autonomic nervous system.
I hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as I did recording it! Stay tuned for more!

Ep. 207 – An Alternative Perspective on Beauty, Skincare, and Hormones with Dr. Keira Barr

I am thrilled to have Dr. Keira Barr joining me today! Dr. Barr is a dual board-certified dermatologist and menopause specialist. She is a prominent leader in women’s medicine, creating a bridge between hormones, skin, and mind-body medicine to optimize the mid-life experiences of women. She is a fierce patient advocate dedicated to uncovering the root cause of hormonal imbalances. Dr. Barr empowers women worldwide to take control of their health and hormones in menopause.

Dr. Barr takes a different approach to skin health. She realized that as women head north of thirty-five, the emphasis is always on the concept of anti-aging and finding ways to camouflage the effects of aging. So she helps women appreciate that their skin can be an ally because it can help them understand what happens in their bodies and empower them to make the changes that are within their control.

In this episode, Dr. Barr and I unpack the changes that happen to women’s skin from the age of thirty-five onward. We dive into skin physiology, the impact of hormones, and the changes that occur as we age. Dr. Barr explains how our skin reflects our physical, mental, and emotional well-being and talks about progesterone, stress, and regulating the nervous system. We discuss Botox, self-love, the social conditioning of women, the benefits of breath-work, getting enough sleep, and taking the time to enjoy yourself. We talk about psoriasis, food, choosing the best skin care products, and caring for your skin, and Dr. Barr shares her thoughts on skin peels, lasers, and bio-identical hormone supplementation.

I hope you gain a lot from this insightful conversation with Dr. Barr! Stay tuned for more!

Ep. 206 Pt 1: A Deep Dive into Perimenopause- Hormonal Imbalances and Birth Control with Dr. Tabatha Barber

Today, I feel honored to share the first of two episodes with one of my favorite women in the health and wellness space!

Dr. Tabatha Barber is a triple board-certified OB-Gyn specializing in perimenopause, menopause, and functional medicine. She is often affectionately referred to as the Gutsy Gynecologist, and she has a wonderful podcast called The Gutsy Gynecologist Show.

Dr. Barber is speaking out on behalf of middle-aged women! She does not focus on any specific age group because she prefers to think about women on a continuum.

In this episode, she talks with me about perimenopause, lifestyle management, and navigating the transition to middle age. We discuss the impact of oral contraceptives, their effect on the gut microbiome, and informed consent. We talk about vitamin and mineral depletion and therapies typically used in middle age- including IUDs, ablations, and hysterectomies. We dive into how to navigate cycle mapping and successfully integrate intermittent fasting during perimenopause. We also briefly touch on how to manage vasomotor symptoms.
I hope you will gain a lot from this invaluable podcast! We will be sharing the second part of this show later this summer.

Stay tuned for more!

Ep. 205 – Fructose – The Driver Behind Metabolic Disease with Dr. Rick Johnson

I am delighted to have the opportunity to connect with Dr. Rick Johnson today! Dr. Johnson is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado and is a clinician and researcher. He is an international expert on sugar and fructose and has made many discoveries on how sugar and fructose play a role in obesity and diabetes.

Dr. Johnson is a gracious, humble, and brilliant man! He is also extremely curious and loves diving into things! As well as running a clinical practice, he has been doing medical research throughout his career.

In this episode, we talk about his new book, Nature Wants Us to Be Fat. We get into how his curiosity has fueled his entire medical career, and talk about the intricate connection between fructose, weight gain, and re-gaining weight. We discuss the impact of obesity and hormonal regulation and how fructose lowers the ATP and impacts the mitochondria. We talk about artificial sweeteners, the polyol pathway, and uric acid. We dive into dehydration and explain how it can create fructose in the body. We also talk about the impact of alcohol and the Switch Diet.

I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I did while recording it! Stay tuned to find out all you need to know about the biological switch that drives obesity!