Did you know women make testosterone too, and that it starts quietly declining in your 20s?

Maybe you used to juggle work, kids, and everything in between without thinking twice. Now you're exhausted in a way sleep doesn't fix, you don't feel like yourself, and you can't remember the last time you actually wanted to have sex. If that's you, you're not alone, and most women have never even heard that testosterone could be part of the answer.

In this episode, Dr. Ade Akindipe, DNP, breaks down what testosterone actually does for women in perimenopause and menopause and what to ask before starting it. That decline can become part of the conversation around libido, energy, muscle, and overall hormone health. Fresh from a hormone and metabolic health conference in Miami, she covers the real research behind testosterone for desire, energy, mood, and more, plus the FDA's first-ever public meeting on testosterone for women and what it does and doesn't mean for you right now.

💡 In this episode, we cover:

• Why testosterone matters for women during perimenopause and menopause
• What testosterone can actually help with
• Total testosterone vs. free testosterone
• When vaginal estrogen may be more appropriate
• What testosterone may and may not do for energy, brain fog, mood, muscle, and weight
• How sleep, stress, medications, thyroid, iron, blood sugar, and alcohol can affect libido
• Testosterone side effects women should know about
• How testosterone is safely prescribed and monitored, including topical options and why pellets aren't always the first choice
• Common side effects to know about testosterone and why careful dosing matters
• The latest FDA discussion around testosterone for women
• Myths vs. facts about testosterone for women

⏱️ Chapters:
00:01 Intro
03:28 The FDA public comment period on testosterone for women
05:51 Do women actually need testosterone?
08:12 Why there's no magic testosterone number
10:38 What the research says about testosterone and libido
13:00 Testosterone vs. vaginal estrogen
15:23 What testosterone may help with beyond libido
17:50 What we know and don't know about long-term safety
20:10 Ruling out other causes before reaching for testosterone
22:28 How testosterone is prescribed, monitored, and adjusted
23:57 Common side effects and why careful dosing matters
24:55 What actually happened at the FDA's public meeting
27:18 Myths vs. facts about testosterone for women

🔗 Resources / Links

• FDA public comment period (open until October 19th) → https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FDA-2026-N-5479
• Book Your Hormone and Metabolic Consultation → https://bit.ly/rejuvenateassessment
• Book Dr. Ade for speaking -> https://womenbuiltstrategies.com/

If this episode helped you, share it with a woman in your life who's been quietly wondering about testosterone but didn't know where to start. And make sure to follow the podcast for more conversations around perimenopause, menopause, hormones, metabolism, libido, and women's health.

Note: This episode is for education and is not medical advice. Talk with your provider before starting or changing any hormone therapy.

You didn't hear a noise, but you still woke up in the middle of the night, staring at the ceiling and wondering why you can't go back to sleep.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Somewhere between 40 and over half of women in the menopause transition deal with insomnia, and most are quietly fixing the wrong thing.

In this episode, Dr. Ade Akindipe, DNP, breaks down what's actually driving those 3am wake-ups, from the hormonal shifts in progesterone, estrogen, and cortisol to the learned anxiety loop that can outlast the hormones that started it. She also covers the other causes that get missed, and walks through what actually helps, including the treatment shown to outperform medication and even estrogen for chronic insomnia.

💡 In this episode, we cover:

• Why so many women who used to be great sleepers suddenly can't sleep through the night in their 40s
• How declining progesterone can affect anxiety and sleep
• Why night sweats aren't always the reason you wake up feeling exhausted
• How blood sugar dips overnight can trigger a cortisol spike that jolts you awake
• What the "learned awakening loop" is
• What Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia is and why it can help
• Other causes of sleep problems that should not be overlooked
• The treatment shown to outperform antidepressants and even estrogen for chronic insomnia
• Practical ways to support better sleep during midlife
• Where hormone therapy fits in, and what to ask your provider

⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:39 Introduction and how common insomnia is in the menopause transition
02:23 Why perimenopause can disrupt your sleep
03:19 The hormones behind your sleep: progesterone, estrogen, and cortisol
07:19 How blood sugar dips can wake you up at night
08:06 The learned awakening loop and why fixing hormones isn't always enough
09:32 Other causes of sleep problems to rule out
10:21 Why CBT-I can be so effective for insomnia
13:12 Temperature, blood sugar, and alcohol
15:05 Light, hormones, and other treatment strategies
16:30 Final thoughts and when to seek support

🔗 Resources / Links

• Non-hormonal Sleep and Circadian Reset Recommendation: https://us.fullscript.com/s/akvip-dispensary/shop/plans/TXVsdGlQYXRpZW50UGxhbi0xNzA2Mjk=
• Non-hormonal Hot Flashes and Night Sweat Relief: https://us.fullscript.com/s/akvip-dispensary/shop/plans/TXVsdGlQYXRpZW50UGxhbi0xNzA2Mjg=
• Listen to all episodes → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoVU03xrDH8WODZsTZoQx0tUsvhT0XUui

If you know another woman who keeps waking up in the middle of the night and thinks she's the only one going through it.

Note: This episode is for education and is not medical advice. Talk with your provider before starting any treatment, especially if you have a personal or family history of hormone-sensitive cancers, blood clots, or cardiovascular or liver conditions.

You've finally found something that works. The scale is moving. Your appetite feels more manageable. But then you notice something: why do you feel weaker instead of stronger?

In this episode, Dr. Ade Akindipe, DNP, is having an honest conversation about GLP-1 medications, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, and what midlife women need to know beyond the number on the scale.

GLP-1 medications can be powerful tools, and she's seen them help women lose weight and improve chronic health conditions. But weight loss and improved health are not automatically the same thing. The real question is: what are you losing?

We're talking about the truth behind muscle loss, the often overlooked question of bone health, why rapid weight loss without a plan can be a concern, and the steps you can take to protect your muscle, bones, metabolism, and long-term health while using these medications.

This is not about fear or shame. It's about understanding how to use a powerful tool with a specific plan that lets you lose fat without losing the strength and bone density you need for the next 40 years.

💡 In this episode, we cover:

• Why midlife weight gain is different
• Why GLP-1 medications have become so popular specifically among women in their 40s, 50s, and beyond
• The truth about muscle loss with GLP-1 medications
• What people mean when they talk about “Ozempic face”
• Why losing weight too quickly can be a concern
• The overlooked connection between weight loss and bone health
• The four pillars for protecting muscle and bone during weight loss
• New research on hormone therapy combined with GLP-1s and what it means for stubborn visceral fat
• What weight regain looks like if you stop the medication without the right foundation
• What a real, supervised GLP-1 plan actually looks like

⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:40 Why midlife weight gain is different
04:58 Why GLP-1s became so popular with women 40s and beyond
07:20 The truth about GLP-1 medications
08:00 Are you losing muscle or fat?
09:44 Why moving less on GLP-1s puts your muscle at risk
11:29 The bone question nobody is talking about
14:28 Why these medications aren't right for everyone
15:00 The four pillars for protecting muscle and bone
19:17 New research on hormone therapy and GLP-1 weight loss
20:53 What a real, supervised plan looks like at Rejuvenate Wellness
23:55 The most important things to remember

🔗 Resources / Links
Book Your Personalized Wellness Assessment or Coaching Consultation → https://bit.ly/rejuvenateassessment

If you know a woman who's on a GLP-1 or thinking about one and wondering if she's trading one problem for another, share this episode with her.

Note: This episode is for education and is not medical advice. Talk with your provider before starting any treatment, especially if you have a personal or family history of hormone-sensitive cancers, blood clots, or cardiovascular or liver conditions.