In this episode of Practically Healthy, Dr. Melina Jampolis sits down with cognition dietitian Barbie Boules, RDN, to talk about how women can protect their brain health in midlife and beyond.

They break down the real science behind menopause, hormones, cardiometabolic health, sleep, exercise, and nutrition for dementia prevention — without the biohacking hype.

You’ll learn why midlife is a critical window for brain health, how everyday habits like strength training, fiber intake, and quality sleep make a difference, and what the evidence actually says about supplements, hormone therapy, and GLP-1 medications.

Practical, realistic, and evidence-based — this episode is all about doable steps for a healthier brain and body. For more great brain (and body) info, follow Barbie on IG @the_cognition_dietician

In this episode, Dr. Kara Meister, Co- Clinical Chief of Pediatric Otolaryngology at Stanford who also runs a lab exploring some of the tough questions about plastics and children’s health, discusses her research on microplastics in children's tonsils. She found microplastics in almost every sample, including Teflon, polyethylene, and polystyrene. The presence of plastics in the environment, particularly in food packaging and household dust, is concerning and Dr. Meister discusses some of the associations with brain health, heart health, inflammation and autoimmune disease. She emphasizes practical steps to reduce exposure, such as avoiding heating plastics, using natural fibers, and minimizing single-use plastics. She encourages listeners not to panic, and she highlights the importance of maintaining a balanced diet and lifestyle to optimize health, despite the challenges in proving causation between plastics and health outcomes.

In the latest episode of Practically Healthy, Dr. Melina is joined by preventive cardiologist Dr. Danielle Belardo. Dr. Belardo, founder of the Precision Preventive Cardiology Group, discusses women's heart disease, emphasizing its significance as the number one cause of death for both men and women. She highlights the historical lack of representation of women in clinical trials, risk factors/modifiers like pregnancy and menopause that are unique to women, and the robust data guiding risk reduction for women. Dr. Belardo stresses the importance of lifestyle interventions, including dietary fiber and reduced saturated fat, and the role of statins in preventing heart disease and dementia, which is more common in women than men. She also advises all women to know their numbers (blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol) and monitor them closely, especially during menopause.

For more information and advice from Dr. Belardo, follow her on IG @daniellebelardomd or visit her website www.precisionpreventivecardiology.com