79. Curing Hormonal Imbalance & Improving Vitality For Women with Dr. Shari Caplan

The brilliant Dr. Shari Caplan joins me today to talk about  hormone imbalances and much, much more. She’ll go into depth about different hormones, various conditions related to them, and what sorts of treatment options are available. Believe it or not, a simple hormone imbalance may be causing you to burn 300 fewer calories a day, leading to weight gain and difficulty with weight loss. She has dedicated much of her career to studying hormonal issues, and she’s here to share her wisdom with you!

Connect With Dr. Caplan:

Vitalitymd.com Dr. Shari Caplan on Facebook Dr. Shari Caplan on LinkedIn @vitalitymdtor on Twitter

• [02:44] - Dr. Caplan starts off by sharing a little about herself. She walks us through her career, from her conventional training in medicine to how she decided to shift into dealing with hormonal issues.
• [06:03] - What is the biggest issue that Dr. Caplan tends to see with women and hormones? She most often sees perimenopausal women, she answers.
• [09:12] - Dr. Caplan discusses whether perimenopause can start as early as a woman’s 20s. She also explains that menopause is a retroactive diagnosis.
• [13:15] - We learn about the main hormones and the powerful effects that they can have on us, especially when their levels are off.
• [17:16] - How fast can Dr. Caplan diagnose a patient and be able to treat them with the correct hormones?
• [19:02] - Orion points out that Dr. Caplan is nonjudgmental and works with her clients where they are, instead of trying to make them do more than they’re ready for.
• [19:47] - What is the difference between bioidentical hormones and synthetic hormones?
• [22:26] - Dr. Caplan talks about how she figures out exactly what to give each of her patients. It’s complicated, she explains, because it’s a moving target.
• [26:00] - Dr. Caplan discusses the role of detoxification pathways in what she does.
• [27:11] - Does Dr. Caplan think that hormonal imbalance affects the same percentages of men and women? As she answers, Dr. Caplan discusses some of the differences between men and women in this regard.
• [29:22] - We learn more about what Dr. Caplan meant about women coming to her with different kinds of stories.
• [30:25] - Can you restore your hormonal balance, or do you need to take supplements for the rest of your life?
• [31:12] - Dr. Caplan talks about some of the supplements and herbs she recommends for certain patients.
• [34:35] - We hear about thyroid issues, with Dr. Caplan explaining some of the symptoms of having low thyroid. She then explains how doctors check for this, and why the standard blood test may not give you the full picture.
• [37:50] - Dr. Caplan offers a visual metaphor to explain why you can have low thyroid function even if you have normal test results.
• [39:13] - Orion talks about her mom’s thyroid condition, then Dr. Caplan explains why one might have symptoms despite being treated.
• [41:01] - Is it possible to cure your thyroid naturally?
• [42:22] - Dr. Caplan talks about what adrenal fatigue is, and how you can combat it.
• [46:09] - Orion takes a moment to rave about the breadth of services available at Dr. Caplan’s clinic. Dr. Caplan then talks about her vision for the future of her clinics.
• [47:13] - What types of IVs does Dr. Caplan use at her clinic?
• [48:21] - You have to pick and choose your supplements, Dr. Caplan explains, and it can be a rotating system.
• [49:19] -  What are Dr. Caplan’s three top tips for living a stellar life? 1. Follow your dreams. 2. Do something you’re passionate about. 3. Optimize your health through diet, nutrition,and stress management.
• [49:38] - If people want to learn more about Dr. Caplan or her clinic, where can they go?