Ep. 200 Digging into The Root Causes of Low Libido with Dr. Renee Wellenstein

Published: March 23, 2022, 7 a.m.

b"I am delighted to have Dr. Renee Wellenstein joining me today! Dr. Renee is a double board-certified doctor who has been working with women for over 20 years. Due to her own health challenges, she stepped outside the box of conventional medicine to take a radically different approach to heal herself from the deep depths of burnout. She has had her fair share of obstacles throughout her journey, and she has mastered the art of leaping into transitions with each pivot! Now Dr. Renee empowers women to take control of their health, jump-start their energy, improve their confidence, and reignite their libido!\\nLow libido in women is a topic that is grossly misunderstood on many levels and does not get discussed often enough between doctors and patients. Research has shown that 43% of women experience low libido at some point in their lifetime. That is why we need to discuss it and keep the conversation open. We have to talk about low libido even though most women feel some degree of stigmatization around it and tend to feel uncomfortable talking about it with their girlfriends, loved ones, and especially their significant others.\\nIn this episode, Dr. Renee dives into connection, intimacy, sleep, exercise, and the influence of food choices on libido. She gives her specific recommendations for women who have experienced vaginal changes and the effects of hormone replacement therapy. She discusses options that can help support women who have had breast cancer treatment whose healthcare providers do not advocate hormonal replacement therapy. Dr. Renee and I explain why we do not love pellets. We also discuss some of the physical reasons for women having low libido, including the effects of certain types of medication, alcohol, gynecological surgery, the impact of hormonal changes and fluctuations, and neurotransmitters.\\xa0\\nI hope you will learn a lot from this conversation and enjoy it as much as I did! Stay tuned for more!\\n\\nIN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:\\n\\nWhere did Dr. Renee's desire to talk openly to women about libido and their sexual issues stem from?\\n\\nHow do the synthetic hormones in contraceptives dampen a woman\\u2019s desire to have sex?\\n\\nMedications other than oral contraceptives could also cause low libido in women.\\n\\nHow does alcohol consumption contribute to low libido in women?\\n\\nSometimes, gynecological surgery can result in women having low or no desire for sex.\\n\\nHow the rhetoric around hormones being harmful hurts women.\\n\\nSome of the synthetic and bioidentical hormone options.\\xa0\\n\\nWomen who suspect they might have too much estrogen should consider changing their diet.\\n\\nDr. Renee discusses the types of progesterone she usually recommends for women at different stages of their lives, their side effects, and their benefits.\\n\\nFeeding the gut microbiome can help prevent a low libido. Dr. Renee talks about the foods that will assist in keeping the gut microbiome healthy.\\n\\nSupplements can boost and support libido.\\n\\nWhat can women do about vulva/vaginal atrophy?\\n\\nMindset is often a contributor to low libido.\\n\\nThe problems with pellets.\\n\\n\\nConnect with Cynthia Thurlow\\n\\nFollow on Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn\\n\\n\\nCheck out Cynthia\\u2019s website\\xa0\\n\\n\\nConnect with Dr. Renee Wellenstein\\n\\nOn her website\\xa0\\xa0\\n\\nOn InstagramOn Facebook\\n\\n\\nOn TikTok\\n\\n\\nOn YouTube\\n\\n\\nThe Real Heal Podcast\\n\\n\\n\\nResources:\\nBooks mentioned:\\nEstrogen Matters by by Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavris\\nThe XX Brain by Dr. Lisa Mosconi"