Podcast Summary

The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast

Episode: Menopause, Hormones, and the Truth About Aging Gracefully with Dr. Tabatha Barber
Date: October 28, 2025
Guest: Dr. Tabatha Barber, triple board-certified OB/GYN, menopause and functional medicine expert

Episode Overview

This episode wraps up Season 11’s “Body and Soul” theme, featuring a candid and empowering conversation between Candace Cameron Bure and Dr. Tabatha Barber. The focus is on menopause, hormonal changes in aging women, the truth behind hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and how women can actively take charge of their health and gracefully navigate life’s transitions. Both myth-busting and highly practical, the discussion covers scientific, emotional, spiritual, and practical aspects of menopause.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Actually Is Menopause?

• Definition: Menopause is technically a single day—one year after a woman's last period. After that, you’re considered postmenopausal.
• Dr. Tabatha’s analogy: “It's kind of like reverse puberty. You went through this evolution... things started growing and turning on, and now things are shutting down and changing and regressing.” (07:26)
• The drop in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone affects the entire body, not just reproductive organs—memory, skin, mood, bone health, and more.

2. The Emotional & Spiritual Opportunity of Menopause

• Dr. Tabatha encourages reframing menopause as a new, empowered season:

  “I love menopause. I think it’s an opportunity to step into an entire new chapter of your life.” (09:12)

• Self-care Reframed: Caring for your health isn’t selfish, it’s about being able to fulfill your purpose and love others effectively.
• Candace reflects on Christian humility and self-care, expressing the tension some feel between “self-love” and faith (11:00).

3. Symptoms & Health Risks Beyond Hot Flashes

• Postmenopausal symptoms:
  • Vaginal dryness, pain, and urinary issues
  • Increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and dementia
• Dr. Tabatha:

  “A lot of these things you don’t get over, and it continues to get worse.” (14:06)

• The “fork in the road”: You can try managing naturally, or consider HRT to combat these risks.

4. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – Truth, Myths, & Approaches

• Controversy: After the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study linked HRT to breast cancer (mainly due to synthetic progestins), millions were taken off hormones, causing confusion and fear.
• Dr. Tabatha clarifies:

  “Estrogen is safe. Progesterone is safe. That’s the form your body naturally makes. There’s a small risk with progestins…” (22:32)

• Modern Understanding:
  • Bioidentical hormones (chemically identical to what your body makes) are preferred.
  • Delivery methods matter: patches, creams, pills, pellets—with patches favored for estrogen due to steady absorption (28:34).
• Individualization:

  “You are an individual. You cannot compare yourself to Candace, myself, or your best friend.” (41:18)

• HRT is not vanity—it can significantly improve quality of life and reduce disease risks.

5. Navigating Medical & Insurance Realities

• Functional and preventive medicine consults are often not covered by insurance—this creates access challenges (42:44).
• Advocacy and patient demand are pushing more physicians to learn and offer proper, updated menopause care.

6. Lifestyle & Functional Medicine—Beyond Hormones

• Hormone balance is affected by many things: stress, diet, sleep, gut health.
• “Healthy fats are essential for a healthy body... Cholesterol is actually the main ingredient to make our sex hormones.” (45:52)
• Undoing 80s diet myths: Low-fat, low-cal approaches can worsen hormone balance and metabolic health.
• Nutritional individuality: “Those women you’re watching on Instagram, they’re eating, they are lifting weights, they are enjoying their healthy fats.” (48:27)

7. Gut Health, Metabolism, and “Taboo Topics”

• Open discussions about digestion and gut health should be normalized:

  “If your doctor doesn’t ask you about your pooping, then they’re not doing their job.” (49:19)

• Improved diet and gut health can radically impact overall wellness and menopause experience.

Listener Q&A – Practical Takeaways

1. Fasting: Health & Spirituality (51:10)

• Intermittent fasting or spiritual fasting? Both have value.
• Fasting can heal the gut, reverse diseases, and deepen spiritual connection:

  “Fasting without faith is just another failed diet.” (53:06)

• The body thrives on metabolic flexibility and diet diversity—shake things up to break a plateau.

2. Infrared Saunas (56:04)

• Useful for cellular rejuvenation and detoxification, though more research is needed.
• Not all products are created equal: Look for a mix of near and far infrared for best results.

3. Best Time to Wake Up for Moms with Littles (57:22)

• Grace is essential: “The time to wake up is when your baby’s waking up.” (57:22)
• Establishing routines takes time and will shift as children grow.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the menopause survival mentality:

  “We need to stop looking at it as it’s self-centered... It’s way more than that.” – Dr. Tabatha (10:51)

• On hormone therapy choices:

  “There should be a conversation around it so you can have informed consent and decide for you... It’s an individual decision, and it’s not vanity.” – Dr. Tabatha (16:11)

• Candace on comparison culture:

  “My body’s different than your body. And what might be good for my body may not be good for your body... It’s so important not to just jump on the next trend.” (38:35)

• Dr. Tabatha on tackling root causes:

  “What you’re doing now is how you’re going to be at 50 years old.” (23:03)

• Normalizing digestive health talk:

  “I could talk about poop all day long. We need to normalize that.” – Dr. Tabatha (49:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:45 – Lighthearted intro, color analysis talk
• 06:52 – Candace’s hot flash story and growing empathy
• 07:09 – What menopause really means and how it impacts your body
• 09:12 – Reframing menopause and self-care
• 13:19 – What symptoms actually get worse after menopause?
• 14:06 – Menopause as a major “fork in the road”
• 20:01 – Pill, patch, or pellet? Dr. Tabatha’s nuanced HRT advice
• 22:32 – The WHI study, media fear, and estrogen’s true safety record
• 28:34 – Dr. Tabatha’s estrogen patch placement tip (“down low by your pubic hair…”)
• 41:18 – Individualization of menopause care
• 45:52 – Debunking low-fat diets and the importance of healthy fats
• 49:13 – Gut health and everyday normalization of “taboo” topics
• 51:10 – Fasting benefits for faith and health
• 56:04 – Infrared saunas explained
• 57:22 – Best wake-up time for moms

Conclusion

This episode fused heartfelt testimony, up-to-date medical insight, and actionable advice for women at any stage of life—whether approaching, in, or beyond menopause. Dr. Tabatha Barber encourages women to embrace this stage as an empowered “second act,” advocating for individualized care, open-mindedness about hormone therapy, and making self-care a spiritual and practical priority. Candace, ever relatable and real, takes listeners on her own journey of learning and encourages everyone to set aside comparison in favor of curiosity, compassion, and self-advocacy.

Resources & Where to Find Dr. Tabatha Barber:

• doctortabatha.com (“with three A’s”)
• Instagram: @thegutsydrtabatha
• Fasting program: fasttofaith.com

For the full “Body and Soul” guide and listener community:
www.candace.com – Together Community & resources

End of Summary.