Menopause Reimagined with Andrea Donsky
Welcome to Morphus!
We created Morphus to spark change in the conversation around perimenopause and menopause wellness, to bring together women seeking support and information, and to provide research-backed supplements for women in perimenopause and menopause. As Health Experts with over 23 years of experience as wellness educators, we bring you expert insights on perimenopause and menopause, along with the latest evidence-based scientific research.
Our goals are to help you navigate this time in your life, empower you to take charge of your health, and arm you with the resources and education to make the right decisions for yourself and your changing body.
Our name was inspired by the symbolism of butterflies, which represent beauty, transformation, and hope. Morphus combines the words "metamorphosis" + "us" (Morph/us) to represent the transformation we are all going through.
Andrea Donsky & Randy Boyer
Co-Founders, Morphus, Inc.
Menopause Reimagined with Andrea Donsky
Ep #189: The Menopause Gut with Cynthia Thurlow, NP
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You used to digest everything. Now a salad wrecks you. If perimenopause changed your gut overnight, this one's for you.
Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, published menopause researcher, menopause educator, author, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com sits down with nurse practitioner and bestselling author Cynthia Thurlow to unpack the gut-hormone connection nobody warned us about. Cynthia's brand new book, The Menopause Gut (out April 28), is the paradigm-shifting guide to why 94% of perimenopausal women suddenly have digestive issues, and what to actually do about it.
What you'll learn:
- Why you can't digest food properly if you're stressed (and the 4-breath trick that changes it)
- What the estrobolome is and how it's recycling your estrogen in ways that make bloating worse
- The fiber mistake that's making your gut feel worse, not better
- Why your gut suddenly looks more like a man's after menopause
- How PCOS and perimenopause collide (and why it's not "over" when your period stops)
- The difference between intermittent fasting and "digestive rest" and which one works better in midlife
Chapters:
0:00 Cynthia's Morocco Story: When Perimenopause Broke Her Gut
2:10 Why Gut Health Gets Worse in Perimenopause and Menopause
6:32 Digestion Starts in the Brain: The Parasympathetic Connection
11:10 Estrogen, Histamine, and Why You Suddenly React to Foods
15:58 Postbiotics 101: Butyrate, Urolithin A, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids
21:30 Fiber, Bloating, and Why You Can't Just Jump to 30 Grams a Day
26:15 The Gut-Bone Connection Nobody Talks About
29:58 Sleep, Stress, and the Cortisol-Constipation Loop
34:42 The Vagus Nerve: Your Gut-Brain Superhighway
39:00 Intermittent Fasting vs Digestive Rest: What Changed Her Mind
42:50 PCOS, Insulin Resistance, and Menopause: The Missing Conversation
46:40 Where to Find Cynthia and The Menopause Gut Book
📖 Get Cynthia's new book The Menopause Gut (out April 28): https://amzn.to/4r2IDz3
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Morphus: Menopause Reimagined
💊 Shop Morphus Supplements: https://wearemorphus.com/collections/all
📖 Order "Nourishing Menopause: Powerful Nutrition & Lifestyle Strategies to Feel Your Best." (Simon & Schuster, May 5, 2026)
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DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider. This podcast contains affiliate links; Morphus may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.
