About this episode

Dr. Fiona Lovely discusses metabolic shifts in midlife with Dr. Siobhan Mitchell, focusing on the impact of declining estrogen on women's health.

Dr. Fiona Lovely welcomes back Dr. Siobhan Mitchell, Chief Scientific Officer of MitoQ and an expert in nutritional neuroscience, for a conversation that digs deeper into the metabolic shifts women experience at midlife. Dr. Mitchell explains how declining estrogen directly impacts mitochondrial health, which in turn affects everything from energy levels and muscle strength to where the body stores fat. Listeners will learn why the same diet and exercise routines may stop working during perimenopause, and why that stubborn belly fat is not a personal failure but a biological response to changing hormones. Dr. Mitchell discusses the protective role of estrogen, the emerging understanding of the estrobolome, and practical options for support including HRT, phytoestrogens from sources like soy, and the lesser-known compound S-equol. She also shares what she wishes she had known earlier about stress and risk-taking, offering a personal insight that may resonate with many listeners navigating midlife changes. Episode Highlights: How declining estrogen leads to reduced mitochondrial function, affecting energy, muscle strength, and inflammation throughout the body Why women gain…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Fiona Lovely

Guest: Dr. Siobhan Mitchell

Topics covered

• metabolism
• midlife
• hormones
• estrogen
• nutrition
• perimenopause

Keywords

• metabolism
• midlife
• estrogen
• mitochondrial health
• perimenopause
• phytoestrogens
• S-equol
• belly fat
• nutrition

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: MitoQ

More episodes of Not Your Mother's Menopause with Dr. Fiona Lovely

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• Ep. 226: Mental Health and Iron, what's the connection with Dr. Fiona Lovely · July 7, 2026 · 30 min
• Ep. 225 - Menopausal Medicine Update with NP Shelby Sheppard · June 30, 2026 · 1h 27m
• Ep. 224 -Patriarchy Stress Disorder and Menopause with Jeffrey Tambor · June 23, 2026 · 1h 17m
• Ep. 223 - Nervous System Regulation for Menopausal Health with Dr Navaz Habib · June 16, 2026 · 1h 19m

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