Happy Friday!
This week, we're de-influencing one of wellness Instagram's latest obsessions—olive oil shots—and explaining why eating your olive oil is smarter (and less dramatic) than drinking it straight.
We're also looking at a heart risk test most women have never heard of but should ask about, what your mouth might be trying to tell you about your immune system and hormones, and the nasal spray habit that can lead to dependence. Plus, how stress affects your hormones (and what helps).
As always, we share women’s health and wellness news that’s evidence-based and thoughtfully explained.
Wishing you good health and happiness!
Nicolle
Editor
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🥕 WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE?
Should you be taking olive oil shots? Let’s de-influence this one.
If you’ve scrolled Instagram lately, you’ve probably seen someone knocking back a shot of olive oil and calling it a wellness miracle. Heart health! Brain health! Digestion! Longevity! The vibe is very ancient Mediterranean secret, discovered via ring light.
Here’s the calm, evidence-based truth: olive oil is incredibly good for you, but drinking it straight isn’t doing anything special that eating it with food doesn’t already do better.
Nutrition researchers and dietitians are pretty aligned on this. The benefits of olive oil—heart protection, anti-inflammatory effects, blood sugar support, even brain health—show up most clearly when it’s used consistently in meals, not swallowed solo like a supplement. In fact, taking it on an empty stomach can upset digestion for some people and add a lot of extra calories without much payoff.
So yes, olive oil deserves its gold-star status. The shot trend? Mostly wellness theater.
The way olive oil helps you
It’s rich in monounsaturated fats that support heart health and healthy cholesterol
It contains polyphenols that help reduce inflammation (especially relevant for women dealing with midlife shifts, metabolic stuff, or autoimmune-adjacent issues)
It helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins from vegetables (this part is underrated and very real)
What to do instead (the effortless, grown-woman version)
Aim for 1–2 tablespoons a day, spread across meals
Use it to replace butter or creamy dressings—not stack it on top of them
Drizzle it on vegetables, soups, grains, eggs, beans, yogurt bowls, toast—anywhere it makes food taste better
What to buy at the store
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) in a dark bottle or tin (best flavor and highest quality)
A fresh bottle you’ll use in 4–8 weeks (buy smaller if you’re not a daily user)
An everyday EVOO + a “finishing” EVOO (one for cooking, one for salads/drizzling)
❤️ HEART HEALTH
A Heart Risk Test Most Women Have Never Heard Of
Most women are told their heart disease risk is low — until it suddenly isn’t.
A long-term study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that very high levels of lipoprotein(a) — a genetically inherited cholesterol particle — were linked to a significantly higher 30-year risk of heart attacks and other major cardiovascular events, even in women who were healthy at midlife.
Unlike cholesterol, lipoprotein(a) levels are largely set early in life and don’t respond much to diet, exercise, or standard medications. That makes a one-time blood test especially powerful: it can help reveal risk decades before symptoms appear.
The increased danger was concentrated at the highest levels, suggesting that testing may be most useful for identifying women at the extreme end, particularly those with a family history of early heart disease.
Why this matters: Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in women, and risk is often underestimated. Knowing your lipoprotein(a) level may help explain risks that traditional cholesterol tests miss and open the door to closer monitoring and future therapies now in development.
🦷 ORAL HEALTH
Your Mouth is Trying to Tell You Something
Tooth decay, strange tastes, metallic bitterness, or food suddenly tasting “off” aren’t just annoying — they may be early signals of what’s happening in your immune system, hormones, or gut.
A bitter, metallic, or dull taste is often brushed off, especially by women, who are frequently told it’s “stress” or “nothing serious.” But physicians are increasingly recognizing taste changes as early indicators of inflammation or immune activation.
Research now links altered taste to:
Respiratory infections and postnasal drip
Chronic sinus inflammation
Gum disease and oral infections
Acid reflux (GERD)
Immune signaling molecules, which can directly alter bitter taste perception
During illness or chronic inflammation, the immune system releases cytokines that don’t just fight infection but also can change how your taste buds function. This is especially relevant for women navigating autoimmune conditions, perimenopause and menopause, chronic inflammation or long COVID, and medication changes.
Hormonal shifts affect saliva production, oral bacteria balance, and inflammation levels. Dry mouth, gum sensitivity, and taste changes are more common in midlife but are rarely discussed in routine care.
Your mouth isn’t separate from the rest of your body. It’s a front-line sensor.
What to know (and what to watch)
Persistent bitter or metallic taste → worth checking sinuses, reflux, gums, and meds
Recurrent cavities despite good hygiene → oral chemistry may have a bigger impact than brushing technique
Dry mouth + taste changes → common in menopause, autoimmune conditions, and with many medications
Emerging research suggests future toothpastes and mouthwashes may focus less on killing bacteria and more on supporting beneficial oral chemistry.
The takeaway
If something feels “off” in your mouth, don’t ignore it and don’t let it be dismissed. Oral health is increasingly recognized as a window into immune, metabolic, and hormonal health, not just dental hygiene.
📺 WHAT TO WATCH
How Stress Messes With Your Hormones
If you’ve ever felt like stress is running your body behind the scenes, this episode is for you. In this conversation, fertility specialist Dr. Natalie Crawford breaks down how chronic stress affects your hormones—from ovulation and cycle regularity to cortisol, thyroid function, and overall reproductive health. She explains why stress doesn’t just live in your head, how the body prioritizes survival over reproduction, and what helps calm the stress–hormone feedback loop (hint: it’s not just “relax more”). It’s reassuring, evidence-based, and especially validating for women who feel they’re doing everything “right” yet still struggle.
🍎 APPLE OF THE DAY
If You’re Still Using That Nasal Spray…Read This
That decongestant nasal spray you reach for when you can’t breathe? Pharmacists say it’s meant for short-term rescue, not daily use. Most sprays should be stopped after 4–5 days, even though many people keep using them far longer, and end up dependent without realizing it.
The reason: decongestant sprays constrict blood vessels in the nasal lining. Over time, the nose adapts, meaning congestion rebounds the moment you stop. Eventually, some people feel like they can’t breathe without the spray. Long-term use can also dry out the nasal lining, increasing the risk of nosebleeds and infections.
Today’s Hack
If you’ve been using a decongestant spray longer than a few days:
Step down, don’t quit cold turkey.
Switch to a children’s version for a few days (lower dose).
Then transition to a saline or seawater spray to keep the nose moist while your lining resets.
If you’ve been using it for months or years, pharmacists can gradually dilute your spray to help you taper in very small steps.
Saline sprays don’t lead to dependence the way decongestant sprays do—they hydrate rather than constrict, making them safe for regular use.
A few things worth knowing…
Instead of choosing between plant-based and meat-based options, researchers say hybrid proteins may deliver better nutrition, better flavor, and a smaller environmental footprint.
FDA-approved at-home tests for common STDs, including HPV, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, are making screening more accessible, especially for people who delay or avoid in-office care.
Glucose and fructose affect the body differently—glucose raises insulin, fructose is processed in the liver—but both can raise triglycerides, making how and when we eat sugar (ideally with meals, in moderation) more important than cutting it out entirely.
Just five extra minutes of moderate exercise a day and 30 fewer minutes of sitting were linked to a roughly 10% reduction in premature death—showing that even small lifestyle shifts can meaningfully extend lifespan, especially for the least active.
New research suggests the brain constantly predicts what might happen in the next few seconds, sharpening our timing when events are likely and loosening it when they’re not.
A long-elusive fungal compound with anti-cancer properties has finally been synthesized in the lab, potentially fast-tracking new treatments for aggressive brain cancers.
