The Second Spring: Reframing Menopause as a Season of Renewal, Wisdom, and Power with Dr. Suz Bozzone

What if menopause isn't an ending, but the beginning of your finest self? In Japan, the transition is called Konenki — the season of renewal and regeneration, a "second spring" that elevates women into a higher stature of wisdom and influence. Yet here in the West, nearly a third of women consider quitting their careers at the very height of their power, convinced that brain fog, anxiety, and hormonal chaos mean something has gone terribly wrong.

Dr. Beth welcomes back Dr. Suzannah (Suz) Bozzone, a board-certified family and lifestyle medicine physician, educator, and opera singer — for an honest, hope-filled deep dive into perimenopause and menopause. Together they unpack the science of the hormonal "orchestra," the neuroplastic transformation of the menopausal brain, and the practical lifestyle shifts that help women not just survive this transition, but step into a new chapter of clarity, leadership, and authentic becoming.

What You'll Learn:

• Why perimenopause is a brain transformation — like puberty in reverse — and what the temporary three-year dip really means for the decade that follows

• How to picture your hormones as a vocal trio inside a full endocrine orchestra, and why "one pill for every ill" falls short

• The Japanese concept of Konenki and how reframing this season as renewal, not loss, changes everything

• The gut–hormone connection: how your microbiome and "estrobolome" shape symptoms, and why 30+ plant species a week matters more than any single superfood

• Dr. Suz’s signature "crazy salad" — the daily, medicine-like meal that supports estrogen balance

• Why midlife women are uniquely positioned to lead, and how to advocate for yourself at home, at work, and at the doctor's office

About the Guest

Dr. Suz Bozzone is a board-certified family and lifestyle medicine physician, speaker, and mom of three who partners with workplaces and women's groups nationwide. Her e-book and journal Chronic Power to Perimenopause releases late May 2026. 

Connect with Dr. Suz:

• Website: drsuzb.com
• Instagram: @drsuzb
• YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@drsuzb
• Get Konenki: Power to Perimenopause and Beyond

If you're navigating puberty in your kids, perimenopause in yourself, or new caregiving roles with aging parents — this episode is a gentle reminder that you are not losing your mind. You are becoming. Press play, take what resonates, and share this with a friend, daughter, mother, or colleague who needs to hear that her finest self is still ahead. Visit neverperfect.org for more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices