There’s no shortage of opinions out there on hormones and weight-loss meds, and most of them are loud. So, for this episode of the Spectruss Speakeasy, I sat down with Dr. Patricia McLelland, a Vanderbilt-trained, Emory-residency physician with more than 27 years in women’s health, to bring things back to reality.
Her story is remarkable, it starts at age 16, on a hospital bed in Africa fighting malaria and typhoid, and turns into a lifelong mission to help women feel better, think clearer, and live stronger.
Dr. McLelland breaks women’s health down into a six-part framework: diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, supplements, and medical care, used in the right order. Simple, steady, and practical.
We talk about what actually works when symptoms hit hard: night sweats, brain fog, energy crashes, and how hormone therapy can help when used carefully. We cover how early studies led to confusion around HRT, what’s changed since then, and why balance, not hype, matters most.
She also gets real about GLP-1 meds like semaglutide and tirzepatide. They can do more than just help with weight, but they come with trade-offs—especially if muscle isn’t protected. Her advice? Focus on protein, strength training, and consistency so progress lasts.
From there, we talk about everyday habits, how to sleep better by resting before your “second wind,” easy swaps to limit chemical overload, and what to watch for with pop-up clinics and quick-fix prescriptions.
This is the kind of conversation that replaces confusion with calm.
If you’re done with the noise and want a plan that actually fits your life, this one’s for you.
Listen now, share it with a friend sorting through hormone advice, and drop a comment with one change you’re making this week.
