hol+ with Dr. Taz MD | The Future of Medicine is Holistic

Age Like a Girl: The Brain Reset Behind Menopause, Mood Shifts, and Why Women Reinvent Themselves After 40 with Dr. Mindy Pelz

Many women hit midlife and feel something they cannot name. They are still doing the right things, eating well, exercising consistently, showing up for everyone, yet life suddenly feels harder and less familiar. Age Like a Girl gives language to this experience and explains why it is not a failure, but a shift happening beneath the surface.This is not a motivation problem.This is not a discipline issue.And it is not “all in your head."In this hol+ conversation, Dr. Taz sits down with New York Times bestselling author and leading voice in women’s health Dr. Mindy Pelz, host of the hit podcast The Resetter Podcast, to explore the core message behind Age Like a Girl: menopause is not a decline, it is a biologically wired reinvention.Instead of treating perimenopause and menopause as a crisis to manage, Dr. Mindy reframes the transition as a neurochemical and cognitive remodel designed to make women more focused, emotionally resilient, and aligned with who they truly are. She breaks down why modern life often clashes with this primal design, and why brain fog, mood shifts, and emotional intensity are not random symptoms, but signals that the brain is asking for a new way of living.This episode explores why women can feel anxious, disconnected, or unlike themselves even when they are “doing everything right,” and how metabolism, stress chemistry, and neurotransmitters shape mood, clarity, and identity. Dr. Taz and Dr. Mindy discuss why many women initiate big life and relationship changes after 40, why community and connection become essential, and why reinvention is not a midlife crisis, but biology.From perimenopause into postmenopause, this conversation reframes aging as an awakening. Not the end of youth, but the return of clarity, boundaries, and self-trust. If you have ever felt dismissed, confused, or afraid that something is wrong with you, this episode offers a validating and hopeful roadmap forward.Dr. Taz and Dr. Mindy Pelz discuss: • The core message of Age Like a Girl and why it reframes menopause • Why the female brain is biologically wired for reinvention after 40 • Brain fog and mood shifts as signals of a cognitive remodel • How modern life clashes with primal biology • Why women often make major life decisions in midlife • The role of neurotransmitters in clarity, calm, and confidence • Why community and deep connection matter more than ever • How to reclaim vitality without another exhausting checklistAbout Dr. Mindy PelzDr. Mindy Pelz is a New York Times bestselling author, visionary educator, and trailblazer in the field of women’s health and hormone science. With over two decades of experience, she’s built a global movement to help women understand the power of their bodies at every stage of life. Her bestselling books, including Fast Like a Girl, The Menopause Reset, and Eat Like a Girl, have helped millions of women use fasting, nutrition, and lifestyle shifts to balance hormones, boost energy, and take back control of their health. Her newest release book, Age Like a Girl, redefines what it means to grow older as a woman.Rooted in the latest science and rich in personal story, the book challenges outdated narratives about menopause and aging offering instead a roadmap for awakening. Dr. Mindy shows women how to use the neurochemical shifts of midlife as a launchpad for purpose, leadership, and bold reinvention. Dr. Mindy’s Resetter Podcast consistently ranks among Apple’s top U.S. science shows, with guests ranging from LeAnn Rimes and Rachel Hollis to Dr. Rangan Chatterjee. Her YouTube channel has surpassed 110 million views, and her teachings have reached hundreds of thousands through workshops, online programs, and live events.Order the book: Age Like a Girl Stay Connected:Connect further to Hol+ at https://holplus.co/- Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes of hol+.Follow Dr. Mindy PelzInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.mindypelz/Website: https://drmindypelz.com/ Podcast: The Resetter PodcastFollow Dr. Taz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtazmd/https://www.instagram.com/liveholplus/Subscribe to the audio podcast: https://holplus.transistor.fm/subscribeSubscribe to the video podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@DrTazMD/podcastsGet your copy of The Hormone Shift: Balance Your Body and Thrive Through Midlife and MenopauseHost & Production TeamHost: Dr. Taz; Produced by ClipGrowth.com (Producer: Pat Gostek)

Longevity and Living Longer ≠ Living Better: How Cellular Health, Gut Function, Stress, and Community Shape Healthy Aging

What if the real question isn’t just how to live longer, but why so many people are living longer and healthier lives on paper, yet feel depleted, inflamed, disconnected, or cognitively foggy in daily life?In this solo episode, Dr. Taz reframes what longevity really means and why healthy aging has far less to do with chasing more years and far more to do with protecting cellular health, vitality, and resilience across decades. She explains why humans are living longer than ever before, yet not necessarily living better, and how focusing only on disease management or biohacking trends misses the real drivers of aging.You’ll learn why longevity is not defined by a number, but by biological age, health span, and cellular aging, and how inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, gut imbalance, nervous system stress, emotional disconnection, and loss of community quietly accelerate aging long before symptoms become diagnoses.This episode reframes longevity as a full body system, not a supplement stack or a protocol. One that integrates physical health, brain function, emotional regulation, spirituality, and community. When these systems fall out of sync, aging speeds up. When they are supported together, living longer becomes living with clarity, strength, and purpose.Dr. Taz shares: • What longevity actually means and why lifespan and health span are not the same • Why humans are living longer but not necessarily healthier • How cellular aging, inflammation, and metabolic stress drive chronic disease • Why diet quality, gut health, liver function, movement, sleep, and nervous system balance matter more than biohacking • How cognitive reserve, dopamine regulation, and emotional health protect the aging brain • Why community and spirituality are overlooked but essential pillars of healthy aging • Where peptides, hormones, and modern longevity tools fit and where they don’t • How to build a longevity plan that is realistic, accessible, and sustainableWhether you’re thinking about how to live longer, worried about aging faster than you should, or simply want to protect your health span as you move through midlife and beyond, this episode offers a grounded, integrative roadmap.Longevity is not about optimizing harder. It’s about supporting the systems that keep you well, year after year.Stay Connected:Connect further to Hol+ at https://holplus.co/- Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes of hol+.Follow Dr. Taz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtazmd/https://www.instagram.com/liveholplus/Subscribe to the audio podcast: https://holplus.transistor.fm/subscribeSubscribe to the video podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@DrTazMD/podcastsGet your copy of The Hormone Shift: Balance Your Body and Thrive Through Midlife and MenopauseHost & Production TeamHost: Dr. Taz; Produced by ClipGrowth.com (Producer: Pat Gostek)Chapters00:00 Longevity is not about more years00:50 Are humans really living longer01:49 The global aging reality03:31 Why aging became something to fear05:17 Aging on a spectrum, not a number06:07 The hidden disease burden of aging08:31 Cellular aging explained09:45 Why biohacking misses the foundation11:10 The five-body approach to longevity13:10 Community, emotion, and aging14:05 Diet, inflammation, and cellular health16:19 Medications, gut health, and aging16:49 Fasting, calories, and longevity18:52 What eating for longevity actually means19:39 Movement and aging well21:35 Sleep, repair, and brain health22:50 Dementia, cognitive reserve, and prevention24:20 Dopamine, emotion, and brain aging26:49 Spirituality, community, and vitality30:05 Peptides, hormones, and future medicine31:58 A new vision for positive aging32:48 Longevity is built day by day (00:00) - Longevity is not about more years (00:50) - Are humans really living longer (01:49) - The global aging reality (03:31) - Why aging became something to fear (05:17) - Aging on a spectrum, not a number (06:07) - The hidden disease burden of aging (08:31) - Cellular aging explained (09:45) - Why biohacking misses the foundation (11:10) - The five-body approach to longevity (13:10) - Community, emotion, and aging (14:05) - Diet, inflammation, and cellular health (16:19) - Medications, gut health, and aging (16:49) - Fasting, calories, and longevity (18:52) - What eating for longevity actually means (19:39) - Movement and aging well (21:35) - Sleep, repair, and brain health (22:50) - Dementia, cognitive reserve, and prevention (24:20) - Dopamine, emotion, and brain aging (26:49) - Spirituality, community, and vitality (30:05) - Peptides, hormones, and future medicine (31:58) - A new vision for positive aging (32:48) - Longevity is built day by day

Fertility, Motherhood Without the Myth, and Finding Peace After Loss | Whitney Port’s Real Story After The Hills

Fertility, motherhood, and grief are rarely experienced in isolation. They overlap, compound, and quietly reshape how a woman sees herself, her body, and her future.Many women move through loss while still being expected to function. They carry grief while building families. They navigate pregnancy, postpartum, and fertility decisions while holding careers, relationships, and public identities together. From the outside, it can look composed. Inside, it often feels fragile, confusing, and deeply human.This is not failure.This is not weakness.And it is not something that needs to be fixed.In this hol+ conversation, Dr. Taz sits down with Whitney Port for an honest, grounding conversation about motherhood without the myth, and finding peace after profound loss. Whitney shares what unfolded after The Hills, including the loss of her father, who was also her business partner, and how grief reshaped her identity, marriage, and mental health during a pivotal season of life.Together, they explore the realities that are often softened or skipped entirely. Pregnancy that does not feel joyful. Postpartum that feels disorienting. Breastfeeding struggles that take a real toll on mental health. And the invisible pressure women carry to do motherhood and fertility “the right way.”Whitney also opens up about her fertility journey, including recurrent miscarriage, IVF, surrogacy, and failed transfers. She speaks candidly about the emotional spiral that can happen when you are someone used to achieving goals, but suddenly face something you cannot control. Rather than centering the story on struggle alone, this conversation focuses on what helped her find steadier ground: learning to stop future-spiraling, returning to the present, and holding gratitude alongside grief.This episode is a reminder that healing does not mean bypassing pain. It means allowing space for it, while slowly reconnecting to meaning, relationships, and self-trust. It reframes fertility and motherhood not as tests of worth or discipline, but as deeply relational, emotional, and embodied experiences.Dr. Taz and Whitney Port discuss: • Life after The Hills and the identity shift that followed • Losing a parent and navigating grief while building a family • Motherhood without the myth of constant joy • Pregnancy, postpartum, and mental health honesty • Breastfeeding pressure, pumping, and maternal burnout • Fertility, IVF, surrogacy, and the emotional weight of uncertainty • Why high-achieving women struggle most with loss of control • How to stop future-spiraling and return to the present • Sharing your story publicly while protecting what is sacredAbout Whitney PortWhitney Port is a television personality, entrepreneur, podcast host, and creative consultant. Known for starring on The Hills and The City, she now uses her platform to speak openly about grief, anxiety, fertility, body image, and modern motherhood, helping women feel less alone in experiences that are often hidden.Stay Connected:Connect further to Hol+ at https://holplus.co/- Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes of hol+.Follow Whitney Port:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneyeveportTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whitneyportWebsite: https://whitneyport.com/Podcast: With WhitFollow Dr. Taz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtazmd/https://www.instagram.com/liveholplus/Subscribe to the audio podcast: https://holplus.transistor.fm/subscribeSubscribe to the video podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@DrTazMD/podcastsGet your copy of The Hormone Shift: Balance Your Body and Thrive Through Midlife and MenopauseHost & Production TeamHost: Dr. Taz; Produced by ClipGrowth.com (Producer: Pat Gostek) (00:00) - Grief after dad’s diagnosis and loss (00:30) - Dr. Taz introduces Whitney Port (01:30) - Pregnancy was not “the best time” (02:00) - Fertility pressure, self-blame, finding the right team (02:30) - Dr. Taz fan-girl moment and why Whitney’s story matters (04:30) - Reality TV then vs now (06:30) - Who Whitney is beyond the show (08:00) - Losing control of your narrative (editing + portrayal) (10:15) - The gifts of the show and creative platform (11:30) - Dad’s illness, grief, identity shift (13:30) - “I Love My Baby, But…” and being vulnerable on YouTube (16:00) - Marriage, grief fog, and coping (18:00) - Breastfeeding, pumping, mastitis, mental health (21:00) - What we’re not telling new moms (trust + noise) (23:00) - Body image, female bodies, and acceptance (27:30) - Fertility journey begins: miscarriage cycle (29:30) - Surrogacy conversation and failed transfers (32:00) - Age, hope, and continuing the journey (33:30) - Shame, grief, staying sane, gratitude shift (37:30) - Finding the right doctor and the lab factor (42:30) - Preparing physically and emotionally this time (44:00) - Privacy boundaries in public life (46:00) - Advice: purpose, staying in your lane (50:30) - Businesses, creative consulting, entrepreneurship (56:30) - What makes you hol + where to follow

GLP-1s Aren’t Metabolic Health: How Gut, Hormones, Stress, Muscle, and Cellular Energy Shape Long-Term Weight and Longevity

What if the fatigue, stubborn weight changes, brain fog, inflammation, or burnout you’re experiencing isn’t a failure of willpower, but a signal that your metabolism is under strain? In this solo episode, Dr. Taz unpacks what metabolic health actually means in the age of GLP-1 medications. She explains why weight loss alone is not the same as healing, and how focusing only on the scale can quietly erode muscle, gut function, hormonal balance, cellular energy, and nervous system resilience.You’ll learn why so many people lose weight but still feel exhausted, inflamed, anxious, or disconnected from their bodies. Dr. Taz breaks down the six core metabolic engines that regulate energy, fat storage, blood sugar, hormones, stress response, and longevity, and why ignoring even one of them can stall long-term health.This episode reframes metabolism as a full body system. One that includes the gut microbiome, hormone signaling, mitochondrial function, liver detoxification, muscle health, and the nervous system. When these systems fall out of sync, weight becomes a symptom, not the root issue.Dr. Taz shares: • Why GLP-1 medications support weight loss but do not repair metabolic dysfunction • How up to 25% of weight lost on GLP-1s can come from muscle, impacting long-term health and longevity • Why the gut is the foundation of metabolic health and how digestion, bile flow, and microbiome balance shape hormones and inflammation • How hormone shifts, especially in midlife, can rapidly disrupt blood sugar, cholesterol, energy, and weight • The role of cellular and mitochondrial health in fatigue, brain fog, and metabolic slowdown • Why liver function is central to detoxification, fat metabolism, and insulin regulation • How stress and nervous system dysregulation can drive cravings, poor sleep, and metabolic instability • How to identify which metabolic engine needs attention first so your plan stays targeted and sustainableWhether you’re currently on a GLP-1, considering one, struggling after coming off, or simply want to build metabolic health that lasts for decades, this episode offers a grounded, integrative roadmap. You don’t need to chase trends or stack solutions. You need to understand the system you’re living in.You may not control every variable that shaped your metabolism, but you can change how it functions moving forward.Stay Connected:Connect further to Hol+ at https://holplus.co/- Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes of hol+.Follow Dr. Taz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtazmd/https://www.instagram.com/liveholplus/Subscribe to the audio podcast: https://holplus.transistor.fm/subscribeSubscribe to the video podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@DrTazMD/podcastsGet your copy of The Hormone Shift: Balance Your Body and Thrive Through Midlife and MenopauseHost & Production TeamHost: Dr. Taz; Produced by ClipGrowth.com (Producer: Pat Gostek)

Normal Labs but Nothing Makes Sense? PCOS, Mood & Brain Health Explained with Dr. Sarah Oreck

Many women describe a pattern they are never able to explain. They eat well, exercise consistently, and follow every recommendation they are given. Yet their weight fluctuates, their mood shifts unpredictably, and their focus disappears for weeks at a time. Anxiety creeps in. Depression settles quietly. Brain fog becomes normal. And eventually, shame takes over.This is not a motivation problem.This is not a discipline issue.And it is not “all in your head.”In this hol+ conversation, Dr. Taz sits down with reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Sarah Oreck to reveal why PCOS is not just a hormonal or reproductive condition, but a whole-body mental health story that has been overlooked for decades.Instead of viewing PCOS through isolated symptoms like irregular cycles, acne, or fertility struggles, Dr. Oreck explains how insulin resistance, inflammation, cortisol dysregulation, and androgen shifts directly affect brain chemistry, cognition, emotional regulation, and stress tolerance. She breaks down why women with PCOS experience significantly higher rates of anxiety, depression, brain fog, and eating disorders, even when routine labs appear normal.This episode explores how blood sugar instability alters neurotransmitter production, why inflammation may be a core driver of mood disorders, and how chronic stress and cortisol overload reshape the nervous system over time. Dr. Taz and Dr. Oreck also examine the role of medical gaslighting, delayed diagnosis, and the psychological toll of being told symptoms are imagined, exaggerated, or self-inflicted.From adolescence through fertility journeys, pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause, this conversation reframes PCOS as a condition that affects the brain, gut, metabolism, and nervous system together, not in isolation. It highlights why symptom masking often fails, why talk therapy alone is not enough during hormonal dysregulation, and why true healing requires integrated, compassionate care.You will learn why weight swings are not about willpower, why mood changes often track with insulin and cortisol rather than character, how gut health and microbiome shifts influence cognition, and what it means to become hormone-literate early, for yourself and for your children.Together, Dr. Taz and Dr. Oreck offer a clear, validating roadmap for anyone who has felt dismissed, confused, or trapped in a body that will not respond the way it is supposed to.Dr. Taz and Dr. Sarah Oreck discuss: • Why PCOS has a major mental health component that is rarely addressed • How insulin resistance and blood sugar swings impact mood and cognition • The link between inflammation and anxiety, depression, and brain fog • Why cortisol and chronic stress intensify PCOS symptoms • How medical gaslighting delays diagnosis and fuels shame • Why fertility journeys often uncover long-missed PCOS patterns • The connection between PCOS and eating disorders like bulimia • How gut health and microbiome shifts affect brain function • Why birth control can help some women and worsen symptoms for others • The importance of hormone literacy across the lifespan • How to advocate for yourself when symptoms are dismissed • Why healing requires integrated care, not isolated fixesAbout Dr. Sarah Oreck Dr. Sarah Oreck is a reproductive psychiatrist and the founder of Mavida Health. She specializes in the intersection of female reproductive hormones and mental health, with a focus on conditions like PCOS, fertility-related mood disorders, pregnancy, and postpartum mental health. Through clinical care, education, and community building, she works to close the gap between psychiatry, endocrinology, and whole-person medicine.Stay Connected:Connect further to Hol+ at https://holplus.co/- Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes of hol+.Follow Dr. Sarah OreckInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahoreckmdWebsite: https://www.sarahoreckmd.com/ & https://mavidahealth.com/ Follow Dr. Taz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtazmd/https://www.instagram.com/liveholplus/Subscribe to the audio podcast: https://holplus.transistor.fm/subscribeSubscribe to the video podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@DrTazMD/podcastsGet your copy of The Hormone Shift: Balance Your Body and Thrive Through Midlife and MenopauseHost & Production TeamHost: Dr. Taz; Produced by ClipGrowth.com (Producer: Pat Gostek) (00:00) - Doing everything right but nothing changes (00:18) - Shame and medical gaslighting (00:37) - PCOS as a mental health story (01:16) - Inflammation and brain chemistry (02:00) - Focus, memory, emotions, and PCOS (04:21) - Origin story: hormones and gaslighting (06:11) - Why PCOS is missed (07:52) - PCOS and depression/anxiety rates (09:22) - Why fertility journeys reveal PCOS (11:30) - Labs and patterns clinicians ignore (12:59) - Diagnosis criteria explained (14:57) - Blood sugar swings and mood (15:56) - Insulin resistance and cognition (18:18) - Cortisol, stress, and PCOS (20:51) - Pregnancy exposure and cortisol (27:11) - Why we need screening tools (30:49) - Supplements that may help (32:15) - Microbiome and brain fog (44:31) - Rehearsing your story with doctors (46:10) - PCOS and bulimia connection (49:42) - Become hormone literate early