Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn

In this episode of Keeping Abreast, Dr. Jenn Simmons sits down with Reed Davis, founder of Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN), for a no-comfort conversation about why so many women are told they’re “fine” while they feel anything but.
Together, they unpack the lie hiding inside “normal labs,” why diagnosis-chasing keeps you stuck in symptom management, and what Reed calls metabolic chaos - the slow breakdown that happens when chronic stress, inflammation, hormone disruption, digestion issues, and toxic burden stack up for years… until the body finally crashes. They also break down epigenetics (and why family history is not a life sentence), plus what it really means to “change the environment your breasts are living in.”
This is a conversation about root cause, medical sovereignty, and the hard truth that health doesn’t happen in a doctor’s office, it happens at home.

In this episode you’ll learn:
Why “normal labs” can still mean deep dysfunction
The difference between treating a diagnosis and treating the person
What “metabolic chaos” is and how it shows up as totally different symptoms in different people
How epigenetics works (and how to use it to break family patterns)
The FDN framework: HIDDEN stressors + DRESS (Diet, Rest, Exercise, Stress reduction, Supplementation)
Why exercise and nutrition have to be individualized (and how the wrong plan backfires)
Dr. Jenn’s perspective on prophylactic mastectomy and the underestimated cost of breast removal trauma

Episode Timeline:
00:00 Why “Normal Lab Results” Don’t Mean You’re Healthy
02:24 Reed Davis’ Journey Into Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN)
10:12 Root Cause Healing vs Diagnosis-Based Medicine
15:39 Why Conventional Medicine Stops at Symptom Management
19:06 Metabolic Chaos: How Chronic Stress Disrupts Hormones and Health
20:58 Epigenetics Explained: How Environment Overrides Genetics
28:01 Prophylactic Mastectomy, Breast Health, and Medical Trauma
32:48 The DRESS Protocol: Diet, Stress, and Lifestyle-Based Healing
45:48 Medical Freedom, Screening Pressure, and Patient Autonomy
54:13 The Future of Healthcare: Prevention, Wellness, and Self-Responsibility
1:01:04 What Is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN)?

Learn more about Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN): www.functionaldiagnosticnutrition.com
To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working privately with RHMD, visit:
https://jennsimmons.simplero.com/page/377266?kuid=327aca17-5135-44cf-9210-c0b77a56e26d&kref=vOKy0sAiorrK

To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide

To purchase the auria breast cancer screening test go here https://auria.care/ and use the code DRJENN20 for 20% Off.

Connect with Dr. Jenn:
Website: https://www.jennsimmonsmd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons

In this solo episode of Keeping Abreast, Dr. Jenn Simmons answers the exact questions women ask her every day about breast cancer risk, hormone therapy, aromatase inhibitors, and screening. She breaks down the difference between bioidentical and non-bioidentical hormones, what “high risk” actually means, why fear-based medicine keeps women stuck, and how to build a screening and prevention plan you understand and trust. If you’ve felt dismissed, confused, or pressured into one-size-fits-all choices, this episode gives you language, clarity, and next steps to advocate for your body.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Bioidentical vs non-bioidentical hormones, and what matters after breast cancer
The truth about estrogen, recurrence risk, and the “have vs had breast cancer” distinction
Why aromatase inhibitors feel brutal, what they’re doing, and how to support your body on them
What “high risk” really means, plus how breast density actually fits into risk
Safer screening options like QT and ultrasound, and what to do when QT isn’t available
How the ARIA tear test works, what a positive result means, and your next steps
What calcifications can signal and how to think about DCIS without panic
How to combine integrative care with conventional oncology without losing support
Why breast cancer is tied to inflammation and metabolic health, and what to track
Episode Timeline:
00:00 Introduction and Purpose of the Episode
03:05 Why Women Aren’t Getting Clear Answers About Breast Health
06:00 Bioidentical vs Non-Bioidentical Hormones
13:30 Estrogen, Hormone Therapy, and Breast Cancer Risk
20:10 Aromatase Inhibitors Explained
27:45 Supporting Quality of Life While on Aromatase Inhibitors
34:30 Understanding What “High Risk” Really Means
39:40 Breast Density Explained
45:30 Limitations of Mammograms and MRI
50:40 The ARIA Tear Test and Prevention-Based Screening
56:30 QT Scan, Ultrasound, and Safer Imaging Options
1:02:40 Screening After Breast Cancer Treatment
1:07:50 Breast Calcifications and DCIS
1:11:00 Integrative Care and Root Cause Healing
1:13:00 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Support
To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working privately with RHMD, visit:
https://jennsimmons.simplero.com/page/377266?kuid=327aca17-5135-44cf-9210-c0b77a56e26d&kref=vOKy0sAiorrK

To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide

To purchase the auria breast cancer screening test go here https://auria.care/ and use the code DRJENN20 for 20% Off.

Connect with Dr. Jenn:
Website: https://www.jennsimmonsmd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons

In this episode of Keeping Abreast, Dr. Jenn Simmons is joined by Dr. Erica Schwartz, a pioneer in hormone and integrative medicine, for a blunt conversation about menopause, hormone replacement therapy, and why women are still being denied care that protects their long-term health.
Together, they get real about why modern medicine still runs on a “wait until you’re sick” model, why hospitals can be the most dangerous place to heal, and how the system trains both doctors and patients to outsource responsibility. They break down the lasting damage of the Women’s Health Initiative, the fear-based messaging around estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, and the real-world consequences of medical gatekeeping from pharmacies to hospitals. 
This is a conversation about truth, autonomy, and what it actually looks like to practice medicine from the whole-body, whole-life perspective.

In this episode you’ll learn:
Why conventional medicine is built for acute care, not long-term health
How the Women’s Health Initiative changed hormone care for generations of women
Why “just deal with it” menopause advice is harmful (and wildly outdated)
What estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone actually do in the female body
Why testosterone for women is still restricted and why that matters
How medical errors and hospital systems put patients at risk
Why taking responsibility for your health isn’t optional anymore

Episode Timeline:
00:00 The Crisis in Conventional Medicine
03:54 Dr. Schwartz's Journey to Holistic Health
09:59 The Shift from Acute Care to Preventative Health
17:47 The Importance of Hormonal Health
25:29 The Impact of Alcohol on Health
28:10 Nutrition and Cancer: A Misunderstood Connection
30:55 The Role of Hormones in Health
36:06 Understanding the Importance of Hormones
40:24 The Truth About Cancer and Hormones
44:38 Empowering Patients in Their Health Journey
47:45 The Need for Compassionate Care in Medicine
51:03 Introduction to Breast Health Awareness

Dr. Erica Schwartz
Visit her Website: www.eshealth.com/
Follow her on Instagram: www.instagram.com/eshealth/
To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working privately with RHMD, visit:
https://jennsimmons.simplero.com/page/377266?kuid=327aca17-5135-44cf-9210-c0b77a56e26d&kref=vOKy0sAiorrK

To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide

To purchase the auria breast cancer screening test go here https://auria.care/ and use the code DRJENN20 for 20% Off.

Connect with Dr. Jenn:
Website: https://www.jennsimmonsmd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons

In this episode of Keeping Abreast, Dr. Jenn Simmons is joined by Dr. Eugene Shippen, hormone specialist best known for his early work in bioidentical hormone therapy and for authoring The Testosterone Syndrome. Together, they explore the overlooked biology behind endometriosis, breast cancer, and persistent hormonal imbalance, focusing on how aromatase-driven inflammation links these conditions and why standard treatments often miss the root cause.

The conversation covers individualized vitamin D dosing, iodine’s role in thyroid and breast health, testosterone in women, and a clear, evidence-based approach to hormone replacement therapy, who it’s right for, who should avoid it, and why many women are being denied care unnecessarily.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
How estrogen and inflammation drive hormone-positive breast cancer
Why breast tumors produce their own estrogen and what treatment often overlooks
What endometriosis reveals about aromatase activity and breast cancer biology
Why vitamin D functions as a hormone and how deficiency impacts breast cancer risk and outcomes
The role of iodine in breast tissue, dense breasts, and fibrocystic disease
When hormone replacement therapy may be appropriate after breast cancer and when it is not

Episode Timeline
00:00 Introduction to Hormonal Health
05:06 Understanding Endometriosis
12:28 Endometriosis and Breast Cancer Connections
17:33 The Coimbra Protocol and Vitamin D
22:15 Vitamin D's Role in Disease Prevention
27:55 Individualized Vitamin D Dosing
35:39 Monitoring Health Conditions
37:03 The Role of Testosterone in Women's Health
42:46 Understanding Iodine and Its Importance
50:50 Hormone Replacement Therapy: Current Perspectives
01:00:18 Breast Cancer and Hormone Replacement
01:03:39 Environmental Factors Influencing Breast Cancer Rates
To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working privately with RHMD, visit:
https://jennsimmons.simplero.com/page/377266?kuid=327aca17-5135-44cf-9210-c0b77a56e26d&kref=vOKy0sAiorrK

To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide

To purchase the auria breast cancer screening test go here https://auria.care/ and use the code DRJENN20 for 20% Off.

Connect with Dr. Jenn:
Website: https://www.jennsimmonsmd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons

In this episode of Keeping Abreast, Dr. Jenn Simmons is joined by Dr. Susan Brian, an Ivy League–trained endocrinologist, certified menopause specialist, and researcher, to discuss how GLP-1 medications are transforming the treatment of metabolic dysfunction.

They explore how therapies like semaglutide and tirzepatide work beyond weight loss, why metabolic disease often goes undiagnosed for years, and how GLP-1s impact diabetes, fatty liver disease, cardiovascular risk, and body composition. The conversation addresses appropriate versus inappropriate use, real risks versus media-driven fear, and why resistance training is essential to protect muscle during weight loss.

Dr. Brian also discusses emerging questions around GLP-1s in cancer outcomes and longevity, emphasizing the importance of individualized prescribing, proper screening, and patient education.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn
Why GLP-1 medications have fundamentally changed metabolic medicine
How GLP-1s compare to older treatments like metformin
Who is an appropriate candidate for GLP-1 therapy
How GLP-1–related weight loss may impact breast cancer
Why early screening for metabolic dysfunction matters
How to preserve muscle while losing weight
When microdosing or maintenance dosing may make sense
How to avoid common side effects linked to rapid weight loss

Episode Timeline:
00:00 Introduction to GLP-1 and Metabolic Health
06:32 Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Use of GLP-1
12:29 Understanding Metabolic Dysfunction
18:18 Menopause and Metabolic Health
31:42 Understanding Cardiovascular Protection and Hormonal Treatments
38:13 The Role of Newer Drugs in Weight Loss and Fatty Liver
48:50 The Importance of Appetite Regulation in Weight Management
53:26 Microdosing GLP-1s for Longevity: A New Frontier
01:00:19 Safe dosing, rate of weight loss, and best practices
To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working privately with RHMD, visit:
https://jennsimmons.simplero.com/page/377266?kuid=327aca17-5135-44cf-9210-c0b77a56e26d&kref=vOKy0sAiorrK

To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide

To purchase the auria breast cancer screening test go here https://auria.care/ and use the code DRJENN20 for 20% Off.

Connect with Dr. Jenn:
Website: https://www.jennsimmonsmd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons