The Menopause Diet

09/02/2026

Read this week's article on how to tame cortisol before you even get out of bed.
https://pausedoc.substack.com/p/tame-cortisol-before-you-even-rise?r=6sbl7t

08/26/2026

Sometimes the Best Part of the Journey Is the Pivot
Today, our ship was headed into Tracy Arm Fjord to see one of Alaska’s magnificent glaciers.
Mother Nature had other plans.
The fog rolled in. Icebergs filled the water ahead of us. And apparently, fog + icebergs + cruise ship is not a combination the captain was willing to experiment with. 😂
So we turned around.
No glacier.
It would have been easy to call the day a disappointment. We had been looking forward to seeing that glacier up close—one of those bucket-list moments you imagine before you ever leave home.
But something I’ve learned about life is this:
You don't always get to choose what happens next.
But you almost always get to choose what you do with it.
So we pivoted.
And somewhere in that change of plans, something wonderful happened.
We met some great people.
We laughed. We talked. We shared stories with people who were strangers when the day began and people we won’t soon forget when this trip ends.
Funny, isn't it?
We started the day thinking the memory would be a glacier.
We ended it realizing the memory might actually be the people.
That's a pretty good metaphor for getting older, too.
Your Third Act probably isn't going to unfold exactly the way you pictured it. Plans change. Bodies change. Relationships change. Careers end. Kids grow up. Ships turn around.
Pivot.
There may be something waiting in the other direction that you never would have discovered if everything had gone according to plan.
We didn't get our glacier today.
But we got laughter, conversation, new friends, and another story to tell.
Sometimes the clouds roll in.
Sometimes the icebergs get in the way.
And sometimes...
Pivoting can be filled with sunshine.
—Doc Mac

08/21/2026

Where else in the world can you hike around a beautiful lake, stand beside a roaring waterfall, and listen to the thunderous crack of a living glacier? Add in a forest full of upside-down trees with roots reaching toward the sky, Bald Eagles by the dozens and you have Juneau, Alaska.

Today was one of those bucket-list adventures that reminds us how incredible this world really is. Nature has a way of making us slow down, look up, and simply be amazed.

Keep adding new experiences to your life. Every adventure checked off the list makes room for another one. That’s one of the secrets to living younger, longer. Alaska, you did not disappoint! ❄️🌲💦

08/18/2026

There’s something powerful about watching the Golden Gate disappear behind you as you cruise north toward Alaska. 🌉🚢

It’s a reminder that getting older doesn’t mean slowing down; it means getting better at choosing what makes life worth living.

See more. 👀
Explore more. 🧭
Move your body more. 🕺
Stay curious more. 📖
Laugh often more. 🤣
Spend time with the people you love more. ❤️

And never let a number on your birthday convince you that your best adventures are behind you. 🎂

We don’t just want to live longer. We want to live younger, longer.
Alaska, here we come! ❄️🌊❤️

08/11/2026

This morning, there were three.
Not three goals. Not three habits. Not three things on my to-do list.
Three symptoms at 2:30 am.
I’m 70 years old, and for some reason, feeling these things bothered me.
Because I realized something:
Getting older usually doesn’t announce itself.
It sneaks into our lives one tiny poke at a time.
A sore knee. An enlarged prostate. Shuffle walking. Another supplement.
Until one morning, we look around and realize our life has quietly changed.
I wrote about what happened to me this morning—and the decision I made because of it.
And Then There Were Three
👉 Read the full story: https://pausedoc.substack.com/p/is-this-how-your-husband-feels?r=6sbl7t
And when you finish it, I’d love to know:
What’s one thing you refuse to surrender to age?
—Doc Mac
Live Younger, Longer

Or does it describe you a bit too?

07/29/2026

Check out today's article on how to be yourself again.
Is it all about the hormones?
https://open.substack.com/pub/pausedoc/p/are-you-hormonally-balanced?

07/27/2026

Do you want to be dancing at your grandchildren's weddings?
Then you need to know more about estrogen's role.
Read today's Substack article by clicking the link.
https://open.substack.com/pub/pausedoc/p/lets-start-with-estrogen-chapter?

07/25/2026

They say retirement is about having "no plans." Turns out it's actually about having plans that got postponed... and somehow turning it into a spontaneous, joyous day.
Since yesterday's schedule got wiped clean, Vicky and I did what any responsible retirees would do: we called up our lifelong friends, declared it a free day, and headed straight for wine country. 🍷 Being members has its perks — free tastings of the good stuff, because apparently we've "arrived" (or at least our loyalty card has).
Then, because we clearly hadn't tested our luck enough for one day, we swung by the new Acorn Casino to see if the wine tastings would translate into winnings. (Spoiler: we were all winners.)
Here's the truth — it's not the wine or the casino lights that make days like this unforgettable. It's the friends who are always down for a last-minute adventure, no questions asked. Decades of friendship, and they still say yes to "wanna go do something dumb today?"
Blessed doesn't even begin to cover it. 🥂🎰😂

06/29/2026

Should postmenopausal women take GLP-1s?
My answer may surprise you.

After helping thousands of women through menopause, I don't think the biggest question is yes or no.

I think it's why.

In today's article, Vicky and I discuss if GLP-1 medications belong in the postmenopausal toolbox.

We also discuss why some women thrive while others plateau, and others don't lose any weight while using them.

If you're taking a GLP-1, considering one, or wondering if there's another way, I think you'll find this helpful.

​👉 "Postmenopause and GLP-1s—Yes? No?"

https://pausedoc.substack.com/p/post-menopausal-women-and-glp-1s?r=6sbl7t

06/28/2026

You’re not imagining it.

The body that once responded predictably to healthy eating and exercise may suddenly seem to resist every effort. Hunger feels different. Cravings feel stronger. Weight becomes more stubborn. Energy isn’t what it used to be.

And then came GLP-1 medications.

For some women, they’ve been life-changing. For others, they’ve raised important questions. Are they the answer? Are they a tool? What happens when you stop taking them? And how do they fit into the bigger picture of long-term health after menopause?

Tomorrow I’ll publish an article exploring the relationship between post-menopause and GLP-1s. My goal isn’t to cheerlead or criticize. It’s to help you understand what’s really happening in your body and how to make informed decisions that support both weight loss and lifelong health.

Knowledge is empowering. When you understand your physiology, you stop blaming yourself and start building a strategy that works.

I hope you’ll join me tomorrow. —Doc Mac

The Tools to Optimize Life After Menopause: The Hormones · The Weight · The Health · The Mind. Click to read Beyond Menopause, by Doc Mac, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.