About this episode

Dr. Mary Claire Haver discusses the challenges of perimenopause and offers solutions for common symptoms like belly fat and brain fog.

Perimenopause isn't the waiting room for menopause. It is its own biological storm. Here's what it does to your body, and exactly what to do about it. In this episode I'm joined by Dr. Mary Claire Haver, board-certified OB-GYN and Menopause Society certified practitioner, and we break down exactly why women in this transition feel like they've lost themselves and how to get back and live their best life. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN • Why do you feel fine one day and awful the next in perimenopause • What is the "zone of chaos" and why your brain feels it first • Why anxiety, brain fog and sleep disruption are the first signs of perimenopause • Does estrogen work better than antidepressants for mood • When to start hormone therapy and where to begin • How long can you stay on HRT • Why belly fat increases in perimenopause and how to address it • How the gut microbiome changes through the menopause transition • Which supplements actually help women over 40: creatine, vitamin D, fiber and more • What vaginal estrogen does and why most women need it VALUABLE RESOURCES • Take the BioSyncing Quiz to help you understand what’s actually happening in your body — and how to fix it. 👉…

People in this episode

Host: Angela Foster

Guest: Mary Claire Haver, M.D

Topics covered

• perimenopause
• hormone therapy
• belly fat
• brain fog
• gut microbiome
• women's health

Keywords

• perimenopause
• hormone therapy
• brain fog
• belly fat
• gut microbiome
• supplements
• anxiety
• sleep disruption

Sponsors

Timeline

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Menopause Society

Products: BioSyncing Quiz, Timeline Mitopure

More episodes of High Performance Health

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• Why Eating Tomatoes Shrinks Belly Fat in Perimenopause (The Brown Fat Trigger) | Dr. William Li · April 24, 2026 · 14 min
• Why Your Gut Is the Missing Link in Perimenopause | Cynthia Thurlow · April 20, 2026 · 1h 10m
• The Real Reason Women Over 40 Can't Lose Abdominal Fat (It's Not Calories) | Sarah Berry · April 17, 2026 · 8 min
• How Estrogen Decline Destroys Your Energy in Perimenopause (And How to Reverse it) · April 13, 2026 · 51 min
• Why Leg Strength Is the Best Predictor of Brain Health for Women Over 40 | Dr. Tommy Wood · April 10, 2026 · 8 min

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