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In Part 3, Ronny Szelinsky moves into the frontier: AI-based endometrial diagnostics, the seeding event that shapes your baby's immune system at birth, the emerging theory that endometriosis may be a microbiome disease, and a clinical prediction for where gynaecological medicine is heading over the next decade. The episode closes with the curveball section, including book recommendations and perspectives on the gender health gap.

Key Topics
Seeding: how the birth canal colonises the newborn with foundational bacteria, and what C-section babies miss
How to manually replicate seeding — and why most hospitals don't
Why each successive birth reduces the mother's microbiome diversity
AI diagnostics: inferring endometrial microbiome state from a vaginal swab (no biopsy)
Applications for fertility clinics; pre-IVF screening; personalised probiotic protocols
What is scientifically established vs currently speculative in the gynecological microbiome field
Endometriosis as a potential endpoint of chronic microbiome dysfunction: the emerging theory
Antimicrobial resistance and gynecological probiotics
Why antibiotics sometimes trigger irregular bleeding — and the microbiome explanation
Clinical prediction: microbiome assessment as routine gynaecological practice within ten years
Curveball: recommended books, electrolytes, Rwanda project, ideal sidekick

Timestamps
[Part 3 start] — Seeding: the birth canal microbiome transfer
[~05:00 into part] — C-section, missed seeding, manual replication
[~08:00] — Why microbiome diversity declines with each birth
[~10:00] — AI diagnostics: vaginal swab inference for endometrial state
[~16:00] — Fertility clinic use cases; personalised probiotic prescribing
[~20:00] — What is established vs speculative in the field
[~23:00] — Endometriosis and the microbiome theory
[~27:00] — Antibiotics, irregular bleeding, antimicrobial resistance
[~30:00] — Ten-year clinical prediction
[~33:00] — Curveball questions

References and Resources
Get Happy website: www.get-happy.com
Ronny Szelinsky — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronny-szelinsky
Darm mit Charme by Jill Enders (English: Gut — The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ)
Herzenssache by Prof. Michael Becker (not available in English) — book on the female heart and gender differences in cardiovascular medicine
Boundless by Ben Greenfield — longevity and biohacking reference book; both Ronny and Judith recommend.

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In Part 2, Ronny Szelinsky explains the mechanism behind oestrogen-driven microbiome collapse at menopause — and what can be done about it. He introduces the estrobolome, details the research behind Get Happy's Happy Fem probiotic formula, and explains why oral probiotics colonise the gynecological tract as effectively as vaginal delivery. This is the translational bridge between the science of Part 1 and the practical interventions of Part 3.

Key Topics

• How oestrogen controls the thickness of the vaginal and endometrial tissue, and what happens when it drops
• Why UTIs become suddenly frequent after menopause — the biological mechanism
• Vaginal dryness and pain during sex: the mucosal layer explained
• The estrobolome: the bacterial community around the ovaries and its proposed role in oestrogen production
• The contraceptive pill and its long-term impact on microbiome colonisation after stopping
• Happy Fem: how the product was developed, the research methodology, and the fertility clinic partnerships
• Why oral probiotics achieve equivalent vaginal colonisation to vaginal administration — three pathways
• Lactobacillus CA-15: what the published research shows
• Who should take vaginal probiotics and under what circumstances
• When to pause: during pregnancy, and why
• Dosing: six-month courses for specific goals; ongoing daily use for post-menopausal women

Timestamps

• [Part 2 start] — Hormone-microbiome axis, oestrogen and tissue thickness
• [~05:00 into part] — Why UTIs spike at menopause
• [~10:00] — The estrobolome: ovarian bacteria and oestrogen production
• [~17:00] — Happy Fem: product development and research methodology
• [~22:00] — Oral vs vaginal administration — clinical study results
• [~27:00] — Lactobacillus CA-15: what it does
• [~30:00] — Who should take it; when to pause; dosing logic

References and Resources

• Happy Fem product: www.get-happy.com
• Lactobacillus CA-15

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In Part 1 of this conversation with Ronny Szelinsky, founder of Get Happy, we explore the gynecological microbiome — the bacterial community that spans the vagina, uterus, cervix, and urinary tract. Ronny explains why this microbiome operates by completely different rules to the gut, what happens when it becomes dysbiotic, and how its disruption can silently undermine fertility, hormonal health, and longevity. The science is newer than most people realise: the uterus was considered sterile until approximately 2018.

Key Topics

• What the gynecological microbiome is and which anatomical areas it covers
• Why Lactobacillus dominance — not diversity — is the marker of a healthy gynecological microbiome
• The discovery that the uterus is not sterile: what next-generation sequencing (NGS) revealed
• The bidirectional microbiome-hormone axis: how bacteria and oestrogen regulate each other
• What causes gynecological dysbiosis: the contraceptive pill, sexual intercourse, sex toys, antibiotics, thyroid medications, vaginal hygiene products
• Normal menstrual inflammation vs chronic pathological inflammation — and the difference between them
• How a dysbiotic microbiome attacks sperm and prevents embryo implantation
• Why 50% of bacterial vaginosis cases have no symptoms — and what that means for unexplained infertility

Timestamps

• 00:00 — Intro and episode overview
• 01:00 — What the gynecological microbiome is; the body's multiple microbiomes
• 03:00 — Reproductive ageing: what it means beyond fertility
• 06:00 — Ronny's background and why he entered this field
• 10:00 — Causes of gynecological dysbiosis: the pill, antibiotics, sexual activity, hygiene products
• 15:00 — How the mucosal lining absorbs compounds and why topical exposure matters
• 19:00 — The uterus is not sterile: the NGS sequencing revolution
• 22:00 — Inflammation: normal vs pathological, and the menstrual cycle
• 27:00 — Sperm attack and implantation failure: the fertility mechanism

References and Resources

• Get Happy website: www.get-happy.com
• Ronny Szelinsky — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronny-szelinsky
• NGS (Next-Generation Sequencing): technique referenced for identifying vaginal and uterine bacterial strains
• Bacterial vaginosis and Gardnerella vaginalis: standard medical references available on NHS/MedlinePlus

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In Part 2, Anna Butterworth completes the five menopause archetypes with the Post-Menopausal Visionary and the Uninformed Endurer, then explores climate impacts on hormonal health, the VC funding problem in women’s health, and the curveball questions.

Key Topics:

• The Post-Menopausal Visionary: ageing as purpose, not decline

• The evolutionary argument: why humans and whales go through menopause

• Skin and vaginal dryness, muscle loss, osteoporosis in post-menopause

• Anti-ageing culture vs. embodying age

• Home health suites and at-home biomarker diagnostics

• The Uninformed Endurer: the forgotten consumer

• Low-barrier, affordable, stigma-free menopause solutions

• Why generic, scalable tools matter as much as personalised ones

• Upskilling primary care teams to identify menopause symptoms

• Environmental factors: PFAS, toxins, climate change and menstrual irregularity

• Why a one-degree temperature rise disproportionately affects women

• VC funding models and why they’re stunting women’s health innovation

• The Phase app and cycle-based productivity

• Book recommendations: Invisible Women and Unwell Women

• Anna’s unusual habit: a lifelong fascination with Mormon culture

• Investing in your team as the highest-return decision

References & Resources Mentioned:

• The Future of Menopause 2035 – Ultraviolet Agency report - https://www.ultravioletagency.com

• Phase app (phaseapp.io) – cycle-based productivity tool

• Biohacking Eve earlier episode with Maggie McDaris, founder of Phase - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/15-aligning-work-with-biology-maggie-mcdaris-on-cycle/id1782080943?i=1000743385443

• Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez

• Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn

• Iris Apfel – referenced as cultural example of ageing visionary

• Pamela Anderson – referenced as example of natural ageing in public life

Guest Links:

• Ultraviolet Agency – https://www.ultravioletagency.com

• Anna Butterworth LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabutterworth

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In Part 1, Anna Butterworth introduces the first three of five menopause archetypes from her Future of Menopause 2035 report – the Peri Prepper, the Seeker and the High Performer – exploring who each woman is, what she needs and where the current system falls short.

Key Topics:

• The Future of Menopause 2035 report and why archetypes matter

• 48 symptoms of menopause and the problem with generic solutions

• The Peri Prepper: preparing for perimenopause in your mid-thirties

• GPs dismissing younger women who want to prepare early

• Millennials ageing into menopause with cycle-tracking literacy

• The AI slop era and the challenge of validating health information

• The Seeker: holistic wellness meets evidence-based rigour

• The gap between data-led tools and spiritually-oriented tools

• The High Performer: brain fog, boardrooms and the £150bn cost

• The link between menopause-related brain fog and long-term dementia risk

• Menopause benefits as the next frontier in talent retention

• The wisdom workforce: why younger women watch how companies treat older staff

References & Resources Mentioned:

• The Future of Menopause 2035 – Ultraviolet Agency report - https://www.ultravioletagency.com

• Bloomberg statistic: £150 billion global economic cost of menopause-related symptoms

Guest Links

• Ultraviolet Agency – https://www.ultravioletagency.com

• Anna Butterworth LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabutterworth

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Episode description

In Part 2, Yulia Mintchin gets practical — covering what women should actually do at every stage, the FemGene patient journey, her own health transformation on HRT at 31, and a surprising conversation about art, creativity and feminine power as the next frontier in women’s health

Key topics discussed

• Top three interventions for women aged 30–45
• When to start genetic testing, with Yulia’s view being post-puberty
• Cyclical nutrition: why carbs in the luteal phase support progesterone
• Why cryotherapy and cold exposure can backfire depending on genetic stress response
• Medical curriculum gaps: why perimenopause does not belong in sick care
• The gold standard perimenopause visit in 2030
• Will Be’s pharmacogenomic platform vision
• Insurance models and the economics of preventative medicine
• FemGene patient journey: telemedicine, test kits, Dr Vanessa consultation
• Can oestrogen receptors reactivate post-menopause? Emerging research
• Optimal hormones as a foundational baseline, not a longevity bonus
• Peptides: only stack after hormonal foundations are in place
• Yulia’s personal story: health crisis at 31, HRT and the endometriosis link
• Keto, sourdough and changing her mind on carbs
• The digital twin: which data streams matter and which are just noise
• Curveball: the billboard question — rewriting behaviour patterns through art
• Remember Who You Are — Yulia’s musical
• Joseph Campbell, the hero’s journey and stories as healing
• Spiral dynamics and collective consciousness
• A Russian utopian book by a female author written during the USSR period
• Peptides for mitochondria as a sub-$1,000 purchase recommendation
• Piano as an introvert’s creative practice
• Biohacking Eve episode on EMS (Episode 3)

Timestamps

00:00 Why Part 2 is the action plan
01:00 Top interventions before HRT
02:20 Keto, carbs and cyclical eating
07:00 What a gold standard perimenopause visit should look like
09:30 Insurance, self-pay and democratising access
13:20 The research questions FemGene wants to answer
18:10 Why Yulia started HRT at 31
23:10 “It’s not too early” for hormone optimisation
25:00 Female digital twins and meaningful data
27:10 Why optimal hormones are a baseline, not a luxury
30:40 Why fasting and cryo are not for everyone
33:35 One change healthcare professionals can make now
35:50 Art, feminine energy and women’s health
44:30 The spiritual experiences behind Yulia’s mission
49:45 Peptides, piano and personal rituals
53:40 What comes next for Will Be and FemGene

References and resources mentioned

• FemGene hormone genomic test — via Will Be: https://www.mywillbe.co.uk/
• Joseph Campbell — The Hero with a Thousand Faces
• Spiral dynamics — developmental model of collective consciousness
• Biohacking Eve episode on EMS / strength training, referenced as approximately Episode 3
• A Russian utopian book by a female author, written during the USSR period
• Remember Who You Are — musical by Yulia Mintchin
• Health Optimisation Summit, London
• Dr Vanessa — chief scientist at Will Be

Guest social links

• &n

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Episode description

Yulia Mintchin, Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur and creator of FemGene, reveals why perimenopause is an epigenetic reprogramming event — not just a hormone dip — and how genetic testing can predict your symptoms and HRT response before a single prescription is written

Key topics discussed

• Perimenopause as a communication breakdown between genes and hormones
• Why women were excluded from medical research and what that means today
• Hormone genomics and hormone genetics — a new medical category
• The three hormonal archetypes: Sensitive, Silent and Resilient
• The COMT gene variant and oestrogen clearance, affecting around 20% of the population
• Why HRT fails for 40% of women — and how FemGene aims to fix that
• Hormone metabolites vs hormone levels: the missing safety step
• Bioidentical vs synthetic oestrogen — the cherry Haribo analogy
• Endometriosis case study: progesterone and halted progression
• Oncology’s shifting stance on HRT and oestrogen during cancer treatment
• The WHI study and tamoxifen: historical context

Timestamps

00:00 Why perimenopause may be about genetic response, not just hormone decline
01:00 Meet Yulia Mintchin and the FemGene thesis
03:10 Why perimenopause is medicine’s biggest blind spot
05:05 Hormone genomics and hormone genetics explained
14:15 The three hormonal archetypes: Sensitive, Silent and Resilient
23:05 Why doubling HRT doses can backfire
24:10 COMT, oestrogen clearance and personalisation
31:40 When women should start testing
33:20 Endometriosis case study: progesterone and progression
37:20 How archetypes change HRT decisions
41:05 What the FemGene process looks like
45:00 Bioidentical vs synthetic oestrogen
51:20 Red flags that HRT is being managed poorly
56:05 Oncology, HRT and shifting views on oestrogen
58:10 Outro and disclaimer

References and resources mentioned

• FemGene hormone genomic test — via Will Be: https://www.mywillbe.co.uk/
  
  
• The WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) study — landmark trial that shaped HRT policy
• Biohacking Eve episode with Jennifer Garrison, referenced as approximately Episode 1, on hormonal changes affecting 80% of body systems
• COMT gene and oestrogen metabolism — widely studied SNP; Yulia references the slow COMT variant
• Tamoxifen and breast cancer treatment — historical context discussed

Guest social links

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yulia.mintchin/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliamintchin/
• Will Be website: https://www.mywillbe.co.uk/

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A Neuroscientific Approach to Menstrual Wellness with Dr Emile Radyte: Exploring Brain-Based Pain and Mood Therapies

In this episode, we welcome Dr Emile Radyte, a Harvard and Oxford-trained neuroscientist specialising in how the brain influences menstrual mood and pain

Dr Radyte discusses her extensive background, including her leadership at Harvard’s emergency medical service and the founding of Lithuania’s largest neuroscience NGO. She is the co-founder of a neuroscience company focused on a brain-first approach to menstrual wellness. The conversation dives deep into the neuroscience behind menstrual pain and mood, explaining how brain circuits, rather than just hormones, regulate these experiences

Dr Radyte elaborates on the innovative non-invasive brain stimulation techniques her team is developing to provide pain relief and mood stabilisation for women with conditions such as PMS, PMDD and endometriosis. She also shares insights on the interplay between hormones, neuroplasticity and brain circuits, as well as ongoing clinical trials and the personalisation of therapeutic protocols for different conditions

Throughout the episode, she highlights the crucial role of self-tracking and personal responsibility in women’s health optimisation

Timestamp

00:00 Introduction and guest welcome
01:05 Understanding the brain-first approach to menstrual health
02:57 Brain circuits and emotional regulation
06:54 Pain perception and sensitivity
09:19 PMS vs PMDD: clinical definitions and differences
12:54 Brain stimulation: a new approach to menstrual health
29:14 Devices and technology for menstrual wellness
35:50 Understanding women’s symptoms and tracking
37:32 Common user mistakes and how to avoid them
41:06 Clinical trials and research initiatives
50:33 User experience with the devices
01:00:43 Curveball questions and personal insights

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

1. Samphire Neurotechnology

• Samphire is a neurotechnology company focused on women’s brain health, particularly hormonal-cycle related symptoms such as:
  • PMS
  • PMDD
  • Menstrual migraines
  • Brain fog
  • Mood and cognitive disruption linked to hormonal changes
• The technology discussed is non-invasive neuromodulation, designed as a drug-free alternative for managing symptoms.

2. Neuroscience & Hormonal Health

• Discussion around how hormonal fluctuations impact the brain, not just reproductive organs.
• Emphasis on the lack of research funding and innovation in women’s neurological health.
• The gap between male-centric medical research models and women’s lived neurological experiences.
  
  

3. Clinical & Regulatory Context

• Samphire’s work within regulated medical frameworks.
• Importance of clinical validation, safety, and evidence-based design for women’s health technology.
• Barriers women face accessing care for cycle-linked neurological symptoms.

4. Lived Experience & Advocacy

• Emile shares the personal motivation behind building Samphire.
• Reframing “normal” suffering around periods and hormones.
• Advocating for women to expect better solutions, not just coping strategies.
  
  
  

Social Media Links

Samphire Website: https://url-shortener.me/4QQW
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eradyte/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/radytee/?hl=

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