The Midlife Metabolic Reset: Understanding Cardiometabolic Health in Menopause (Part 1)

Navigating Menopause with a focus on Comprehensive Heart Health Strategies.

The Midlife Metabolic Reset: Understanding Cardiometabolic Health in Menopause (Part 1)

Navigating Menopause with a focus on Comprehensive Heart Health Strategies.
In this episode, Kate, alongside Dr. Polly Watson, discusses the often-overlooked link between menopause, metabolic changes, and women’s cardiovascular health. Kate highlights the importance of looking beyond “normal” lab results to understand how estrogen loss, rising triglycerides, insulin resistance, and lifestyle factors can silently increase heart disease risk during midlife.
“Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women around the world.” says Kate Willis, NP.
The episode covers how nutrition, alcohol intake, stress, and metabolic markers like triglycerides and A1C shape cardiovascular health during the menopause transition. Dr. Watson and Kate shed light on why metabolic health and heart health are deeply intertwined—and how small, sustainable changes such as optimizing protein sources, adding fiber-rich vegetables, reducing alcohol, and using tools like continuous glucose monitoring can dramatically improve long-term wellbeing.
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Watch The Conversation!

In this episode, Kate, alongside Dr. Polly Watson, discusses the often-overlooked link between menopause, metabolic changes, and women’s cardiovascular health. Kate highlights the importance of looking beyond “normal” lab results to understand how estrogen loss, rising triglycerides, insulin resistance, and lifestyle factors can silently increase heart disease risk during midlife.
“Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women around the world.” says Kate Willis, NP.
The episode covers how nutrition, alcohol intake, stress, and metabolic markers like triglycerides and A1C shape cardiovascular health during the menopause transition. Dr. Watson and Kate shed light on why metabolic health and heart health are deeply intertwined—and how small, sustainable changes such as optimizing protein sources, adding fiber-rich vegetables, reducing alcohol, and using tools like continuous glucose monitoring can dramatically improve long-term wellbeing.
Whether you’re 40, 50, or beyond, this episode empowers you with the knowledge to protect your heart, support your metabolism, and thrive through menopause using a functional, whole-person approach.

Quotes:

  • “Half of heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol.” – Dr. Polly Watson
  • “Normal doesn’t mean that labs are in the right place…there are clues all over those labs about the state of our health.” – Kate WIllis NP-C
  • “Triglycerides are a clue that something is going on with metabolic health.” – Kate WIllis NP-C
  • “Women who drank more than eight drinks a week had a 45% higher risk of heart disease compared with those who reported a low intake.”  – Kate WIllis NP-C
  • “As women we’re so socialized to ‘you need to eat less,’…and sometimes it has nothing to do with food.”  – Dr. Polly Watson
  • “If you have had gestational diabetes, you have a higher risk for developing diabetes in the future…we want to be screening.” – Kate WIllis NP-C

Resources:

Cardiometabolic Food Plan
Cardiometabolic Food Plan Weekly Planner and Recipes

Resources: https://hormonewellnessmd.com/podcast-resources

Disclaimer: https://hormonewellnessmd.com/podcast#Disclaimer

Meet the host!

Dr. Polly Watson is a board certified OBGYN who has additional training in menopausal medicine, sexual medicine and functional medicine. She looks forward to sharing her knowledge with you to help find a solution to address the imbalance in your system and restore your health.
In 2019 I left my job as an employed physician with a large organization and started Hormone Wellness MD. I started with no staff working out of a single room. Since then, my staff has grown to a team of 5 and we’ve helped over 1,100 people on their health journey.
Dr. Polly Watson

MD FACOG NCMP, Hormone Wellness MD

Dr Polly Watson Podcast Bio - cardiometabolic
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Meet the Guest Speaker!

Kate Willis, NP-C, IFMCP is a virtual nurse practitioner for Hormone Wellness MD. She’s been working in women’s health for 15 years in the field of gynecologic oncology and sexual wellness.

In 2021, Kate received her certification through the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), and is thankful for such solid and evidence-based training. She uses it daily in her care for patients as she works to address the root cause of disease and dysfunction in the body. As of 2024, she is also a Menopause Society Certified nurse practitioner who is ready to help with your perimenopause and menopause questions. Click here to become a patient!

 

I love working with women because I think women change the world.
Kate Willis

NP-C IFMCP, Hormone Wellness MD

Kate Willis, NP Podcast Bio
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Meet the host!

Dr Polly Watson Podcast Bio - cardiometabolic
Dr. Polly Watson is a board certified OBGYN who has additional training in menopausal medicine, sexual medicine and functional medicine. She looks forward to sharing her knowledge with you to help find a solution to address the imbalance in your system and restore your health.
Facebook
In 2019 I left my job as an employed physician with a large organization and started Hormone Wellness MD. I started with no staff working out of a single room. Since then, my staff has grown to a team of 5 and we’ve helped over 1,100 people on their health journey.
Dr. Polly Watson

MD FACOG NCMP, Hormone Wellness MD

Instagram
Linkedin

Meet the Guest!

Kate Willis, NP Podcast Bio

Kate Willis, NP-C, IFMCP is a virtual nurse practitioner for Hormone Wellness MD. She’s been working in women’s health for 15 years in the field of gynecologic oncology and sexual wellness.

In 2021, Kate received her certification through the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), and is thankful for such solid and evidence-based training. She uses it daily in her care for patients as she works to address the root cause of disease and dysfunction in the body. As of 2024, she is also a Menopause Society Certified nurse practitioner who is ready to help with your perimenopause and menopause questions. Click here to become a patient!

I love working with women because I think women change the world.
Kate Willis

NP-C IFMCP, Hormone Wellness MD

Instagram
Linkedin
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