My Gynecologist Dr. Stephanie McClellan
Answers Our Questions & Some Will Surprise You!
Welcome back to a very special episode of Loving Later Life!
Today, I have an incredibly special guest joining us! My Gynecologist Dr. Stephanie McClellan published author, advocator and creator of innovative care models for women answers our questions!
Dr. McClellan has a 30+ year career as a practicing, board certified OBGYN advocating and caring for the needs of women while integrating the world of research and academia with frontline care delivery.
Trained at the University of Southern California, she quickly began creating innovative care models for women as she founded the Doctor’s Office for Women in Orange County, CA in 1987. Dr. McClellan practiced in this setting for 17 years, before starting another private practice bearing her name in 2004.
As a result of the success of the Doctor’s Office for Women model, she collaborated with Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, CA to design and develop a premier women’s healthcare program.
Her evolving interest in good health and vibrant aging led to co-authoring a book on the science and clinic effects of chronic stress published by Simon & Schuster called “So Stressed: The Ultimate Stress Relief Plan for Women”.
Recently Dr. McClellan served as the Chief Medical Officer of Tia, and the first practicing OB/GYN at Tia’s NYC Clinic — an outpatient gynecology, primary care and wellness practice.
Following Tia she served as Co-Founder and CMO for another growing tech-driven, women’s health start-up, Plenish.
Dr. McClellan continues to see patients in her private practice, while serving as a consultant and Medical Advisor for companies across the country. She is sought-after on both the speaking and consulting circuits for her expertise in women’s health, hormone therapy and menopause.
And, last but not least, she is my very own gynecologist! You are going to learn so much and also be very surprised by some of what she has to say! Let’s get to it!
Not be missed take-ways:
1- Do older women need a Pap smear every year? Some do and some don’t. It depends on many factors. Listen to hear why.
2- Either pick a gynecologist who has integrated thinking and training, or you find an internist who thinks this way because if push comes to shove you’re better off with a smart internist because you can always go to a gynecologist for a Pap smear.
3- The final journey from reproductive hormone levels to post reproductive hormone withdrawal is more than hot flashes.
4- Mood changes, contextual memory changes, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, social phobia, ringing in the ear, weight gain, sleep disturbance, brain fog, and of course hot flashes are some of the symptoms of menopause.
5- One area that has been grossly under-discussed and understudied is the effect of menopause on the microbiome.
6- The less that you eat foods that you don’t make, the better. She’s convinced that much if not nearly all the chronic illnesses that we’re dealing with, centers around a disrupted and malfunctioning micro biome in the gut.
7- Women who are using HRT in their 50’s to early 60’s have a have a lower death rate from all-cause mortality including breast cancer.
8- Women in their early menopause transition should consider hormone therapy unless they have a specific contraindication to using it.
9- The earlier in the menopause transitioning you start HRT, the better. What we don’t know is, is there an end point. Sometimes there is no reason to stop, but instead slowly reduce the dose.
10- Health and vitality foundationally center around social connectedness, friendship and faith. Faith matters. Communing has been shown to have anti-inflammatory messaging from brain to body, it allows for cellular repair, creates a sense of empathy and one with community as opposed to isolation and loneliness.
11- Sleep, following social connectedness, is second most important. Followed by nutrition and exercise. And then, medication.
12- Very few chronic diseases are the result of simple inherited genetics.
And your mission, that I hope you’ll choose to accept…
If you have more questions for Dr. McClellan, please send them to me at nancy@lovinglaterlife.com so that we can have her back to answer them!
Thank you so much for listening! And until the next time, live passionately, vulnerably, and keep loving later life!
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