Podcast Summary: "You Are Not Broken"
Episode 351: The Perimenopause Revolution
Host: Dr. Kelly Casperson, MD
Guest: Dr. Mariza Snyder
Date: December 28, 2025
Overview
This episode features Dr. Mariza Snyder, a chiropractor, functional medicine provider, and author of nine books, discussing her latest work, The Perimenopause Revolution: Reclaim Your Hormones, Metabolism, and Energy. The conversation dives deep into perimenopause, the power of mindset and movement, metabolic health, functional medicine, stress, nutrition, and the societal challenges women face in midlife. With humor and empathy, Drs. Casperson and Snyder aim to demystify perimenopause, empower women to advocate for themselves, and challenge the damaging cultural narratives around aging and female health.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Dr. Snyder's Journey to Hormone & Perimenopause Expertise
- Background: Dr. Snyder shares her personal and professional journey from chronic childhood migraines (linked to abuse and trauma) to becoming a chiropractor, and ultimately, a functional medicine practitioner specializing in women's hormonal health (03:31–05:51).
- Notable insight: Migraine sufferers are predominantly women, with perimenopause triggering the onset for many due to fluctuating hormones.
- "Migraines are the tip of the iceberg of what is going on here. That was the pivot that I made... we are failing women left and right." — Dr. Mariza Snyder (05:06)
- Personal Motivation: Her mother's harrowing struggle with perimenopause, being denied appropriate treatment, and her firsthand exposure to women's suffering propelled Dr. Snyder to address root causes and shift her practice toward hormone health (04:31–05:51).
The Multiplier Effect of Supporting Women
- Both hosts emphasize the ripple effect—helping women regain health transforms entire families and communities. (06:06–07:05)
- "You want to be a multiplier in this world, take care of women, because... we are taking care of our families... Women are the world changers." — Dr. Mariza Snyder (06:06)
Practical First Steps When You're Stuck in Perimenopause
Baby Steps for Overwhelmed Women:
- Dr. Snyder recounts her own experience of being “on the couch” after a major concussion and the steps she took to regain health: (07:34–09:41)
- Step 1: Envision your future self—imagine what you want your life to look like again.
- Step 2: Move, in any way possible. Walking and sunlight are accessible, transformative tools.
- “If there was anything that I could bottle today, Kelly, besides HRT and get it to all the women that need it, it's going to be movement… That’s the one thing I could do. So every day, I got my butt up and I walked.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder (09:17)
Functional Medicine Demystified
- What is a Functional Practitioner? Dr. Snyder defines it as root-cause medicine: addressing symptoms, history, goals, lifestyle, and running targeted labs (12:17–14:54):
- “I want to leverage labs to validate your experience... But it’s looking at the whole person; I’m not just treating a symptom—I’m trying to get to what's driving it to begin with.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder (13:28)
High-Achieving, Stressed Women & Hidden Trauma
- Discussion of how overwork, productivity, and pride in “handling it all” often mask underlying trauma (15:41–18:49).
- Dr. Snyder advocates meeting such women where they are, helping punctuate “wins,” prioritizing nutrition to “fuel the Ferrari,” and recommending therapy for deep-seated worthiness issues.
- “My trauma response is efficiency.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder (24:08)
- “I cannot tell you how many times I’m prescribing cognitive behavioral therapy or internal family systems... When I peel back the layers, it’s obvious there’s trauma there.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder (17:58)
- Both strongly normalize therapy for everyone.
"Adrenal Fatigue" vs. Modern Stress
- The hosts clarify that “adrenal fatigue” isn’t a medical diagnosis unless it's Addison’s disease. However, what people are describing is chronic sympathetic nervous system activation (“go, go, go”), leaving rest and relaxation feeling unsafe (19:07–22:01).
- “Chronic stress... It’s insidious because it’s packaged as productivity, as success. It looks good on paper.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder (20:28)
- Chronic stress drives metabolic dysfunction: insulin resistance, inflammation, sleep issues, and more.
The Ubiquity of Sugar & Metabolic Health in Perimenopause
- Both discuss the overwhelming prevalence of processed sugars and hidden metabolic dangers, especially as estrogen declines in midlife (25:31–29:44):
- Dr. Snyder recounts searching for plain water amid aisles of nutrient-poor, sugar-laden foods.
- “It's so pervasive that the sugar-forward processed food is at the front… It's rewarding to our brain. But, that's the heart disease, my friends... that is an independent risk factor for heart disease.” — Dr. Kelly Casperson (27:28)
- Statistics: 1 in 4 children are diabetic, 1 in 3 pre-diabetic (2025 data) (28:05).
- Hormonal Effects: Loss of estrogen amplifies insulin resistance in women; high insulin levels drive fat storage, especially in midsection.
Calories In, Calories Out Myth in Midlife
- The podcasters dismantle the oversimplified “calories in, calories out” message for midlife women (31:30–34:38).
- Declining estrogen fundamentally alters metabolism and insulin sensitivity; metabolic changes are not signs of laziness or failure.
- “I've been watching women in perimenopause and menopause put on five pounds overnight in that transition, despite busting their butt. If anything, I see women overdoing to try to make up for what they're gaining in that phase.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder (33:35)
The Transformative Power of Reading & Accessible Knowledge
- Dr. Snyder describes reading as her survival strategy and pathway to success, leading her to write nine books so others can access life-changing information affordably (35:35–40:33).
- “Book[s] saved my life... If I can put everything—labs, symptoms, research... to move the needle for you—into a book that is $20... I don’t know anything more potent.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder (40:22)
- Both advocate for reading (audible counts!)—even one book a month can transform self-understanding.
What’s New & Revolutionary in The Perimenopause Revolution?
- The central, mindset-shifting message: Perimenopause is not “the beginning of the end,” but a defining moment and a new beginning. The protocol starts with envisioning your ideal future self and seizing agency over this next chapter (43:05–45:16).
- “You get to decide how you want to live in the second half of your life. Don’t let someone else dictate that narrative for you.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder (44:34)
- Dr. Casperson adds, “It's really horrifically optimistic that we call this time in our life 'mid.' Take advantage of that... What do you want to do? The rest of this is yours.” (45:16)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Perimenopause and Agency:
- “One of the biggest lies women have been told is that this is the beginning of the end. This is a decline. It is so far from the truth.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder (43:05)
- On the Multiplier Effect of Women’s Health:
- “I change the world by helping women change the world. It’s a multiplier.” — Dr. Kelly Casperson (05:51)
- On Trauma’s Hidden Role:
- “The prevailing thing that I hear... women want me to understand that they are not lazy... it’s obvious there’s beliefs that they’re holding onto. There’s trauma that’s there.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder (17:58)
- On Modern Stress Culture:
- “Caretaking is exhausting. It’s a stress response system... packaged as productivity, as success. It looks good on paper, we celebrate it.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder (20:21)
- On Sugar & Metabolic Risk:
- “The number one independent risk factor for heart disease is insulin resistance.” — Dr. Mariza Snyder (28:05)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 03:31 – 05:51: Dr. Snyder’s migration from chiropractic to hormone health after personal and family experience
- 07:34 – 09:41: What to do when you’re “on the couch”—mindset and movement
- 12:17 – 14:54: What is a functional medicine practitioner, and how do they approach care?
- 15:41 – 18:49: Dealing with high-powered, overworked women and the role of trauma
- 19:07 – 22:01: The physiological reality behind “adrenal fatigue” and chronic stress
- 25:31 – 29:44: Navigating our hyper-sugary food environment and its implications in midlife
- 31:30 – 34:38: The failure of the “calories in/calories out” myth for midlife women
- 35:35 – 40:33: The life-changing accessibility of books and reading
- 43:05 – 45:16: The transformative message at the heart of The Perimenopause Revolution
Final Thoughts & Where to Find More
The episode ends with encouragement to seize midlife as a transformative opportunity, supported by science and a healthy mindset. Dr. Snyder invites listeners to access her resources:
- Podcast: Energized with Dr. Mariza Snyder
- Book: The Perimenopause Revolution (doctormariza.com/book)
- Instagram: @drmariza
This summary captures the episode’s major themes and empowering messages: Perimenopause is a pivotal transition, not a decline. Addressing root causes, embracing mindset shifts, movement, metabolic health, and choosing agency over one’s narrative are all essential in revolutionizing the perimenopausal experience.