Jackie's Take: What's on My Mind in Women's Wellness ✍️ 🤔 📰 

💊 GLP-1 Glow-Up? Your Insurer Is Watching

If you read my last deep dive on GLP-1 microdosing, you already know: high-functioning women in midlife aren’t waiting for the system to catch up. We’re leveraging tools like semaglutide and tirzepatide to optimize metabolism, support body recomposition, regulate appetite, and—when used wisely—amplify the effects of hormone therapy.

But here’s something that’s flying under the radar:
Your insurer is taking notes.

Behind the scenes, life insurance companies are rethinking how they assess risk in the GLP-1 era. Because when you shift your biomarkers—A1c, cholesterol, BMI, inflammation—you also shift your perceived mortality risk.

That’s good… until it gets complicated.

Especially if your GLP use isn’t in your medical record, or your metabolic wins aren’t sustainable without ongoing treatment👇️ .

(P.S. Recent science tells us that your body remembers it’s metabolic set point after weight loss, even if it was unhealthy, and will fight to stay there).

Insurers aren’t waiting for the dust to settle on GLP-1s—they’re already rewriting the rules. Here’s how to make sure you’re not caught off guard.

Let’s get into it. ⤵️ 

🔍 Mirage Health: When GLPs Make You Look Healthier Than You Are (And Why That’s… Actually Useful)

Here’s what’s quietly happening behind the scenes in the life insurance world:

GLP-1s dramatically improve the very biomarkers that underwriters use to calculate your risk of dying early—A1c, BMI, cholesterol, and blood pressure. So when you apply for life insurance while on a GLP—and you’re well-managed, meaning stable labs, healthier weight, and no major red flags—guess what? You look like a damn good bet. Low risk = lower premiums. That’s good news.

But here’s where things get interesting:
If the insurer doesn’t know you’re on a GLP (and many DTC platforms don’t report to your central health record, especially if the medication is compounded), they assume your current status is baseline—and price your policy accordingly. That’s what they call a mirage of health.

Now imagine this:
Someone uses GLPs, loses 30+ pounds, stabilizes their markers, locks in a 20-year term life policy at premium rates, and then stops the meds a year later. Markers rebound. Risk returns. But the rate is already locked.

That’s what underwriters are trying to prevent. They call it "mortality slippage"—and they hate it.

They’re responding by asking more direct questions like:

And if the answer’s yes? Here is what we may start to see them do:

• Padding your BMI behind the scenes to account for possible rebound

• Requesting documentation that shows you’ve maintained results over time

• Or hitting pause on your application until you’ve proven stability without medication

Which means: if you’re not strategic in how you apply, the very thing improving your health could complicate your approval.

So let’s make this game work in your favor.

💡 What Smart Women Should Actually Do (and Know)

1. Apply when your labs and vitals are optimal.
Don’t wait. If you’re in your GLP glow-up era—with better metabolic markers, lower blood pressure, and stable weight—now is a great time to apply for life insurance. You want them to underwrite you at your best.

2. Know what you’re disclosing (and what you’re not).
We’ve all been there: getting your health records to actually follow you from provider to provider is still a mess. Between fragmented systems, HIPAA barriers, and the fact that most of us see multiple specialists (or use different care platforms entirely), it’s no surprise that insurers may not have the full picture. If you’re asked directly about GLP use, answer honestly. But you’re not required to volunteer extra info unless it’s on the form.

3. Keep personal records.
Track your weight changes, labs, and medication history. If you ever switch providers or need to validate a timeline for coverage, you’ll have receipts. Bonus: this also helps your future self if you take a break or adjust doses.

This printable PDF (via Etsy) is designed specifically for GLP‑1 users, or if you prefer digital over paper, Shotsy is a privacy-first iOS app built specifically for GLP‑1 medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Zepbound.

4. Prioritize sustained progress—microdosing is your strategic ally.
Real-world data show most people don’t stick with standard-dose GLPs long-term. One large study found that 64.8% of users without diabetes had discontinued GLP-1 receptor agonists within 12 months.

Stopping a GLP-1 often leads to weight regain and worsening metabolic markers—that same “mirage” insurers worry about.

This is where microdosing shines, and incentives align. A lower, long-term dose can preserve your metabolic gains, reduce side effects, and send a clear signal—not just to your insurance—but also to your body: “I’m stable. This isn’t a fling.”

🧾 Bottom Line

If you’re playing the long game with your health, it pays—literally—to understand how tools like GLPs show up in the fine print of your insurance profile.

Used wisely, these meds can support both your metabolic and financial future. Just don’t assume the system will automatically give you credit for your progress.

In midlife, we don’t get gold stars for effort—we get leverage from strategy.
This is how we build it.

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💬 Let’s keep the conversation going.
Are you using GLPs as part of your midlife vitality plan? Did you consider how it could impact your insurance?

👉 Hit reply and tell me what you’re navigating.

Whats that? You haven’t subscribed yet? Come join the ride. In the Saddle breaks down what’s happening in midlife wellness x culture, before it hits the algorithm.

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The Tea: What's Trending in Women's Wellness & Culture 🍵 📰 

🫠 Yes, Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause Might Be Shrinking Your Labia

This headline might read like clickbait—but as a sexual medicine expert (and in agreement with the clinicians quoted here), I can tell you it’s very real. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM = vulvovaginal dryness, painful sex, urinary symptoms) will affect almost ALL women post-menopause (at some future point) who do not opt for treatment.

And yet we still fail to proactively prescribe vaginal estrogen, despite the fact that symptoms such as loss of labial volume and other architectural changes are not only preventable—they’re often irreversible without invasive procedures (such as labia “puffing” 😵‍💫) once they set in. The fact that we're normalizing painful sex and disappearing labia instead of addressing hormone loss head-on? That’s the real scandal. (Self)

📊 Research Spotlight: Weighted Vests and Weight Loss Associated Bone Loss

Weighted vests are having a moment—but can they actually protect your bones during weight loss? A new JAMA study tracked 150 older adults (mean age 66, 75% were women) losing ~10% of their body weight. Some wore weighted vests all day (oof). Others hit the resistance training. A third group just dieted.

🦴 Result? Everyone lost bone at the hip.
The vest didn’t help. The strength training didn’t help. Even with high adherence and clean diets, bone loss still happened.

Jackie’s Take: Strength training is important—but it’s not a magic bullet. Resistance is the trigger. Hormones are the fuel. Without the hormonal support, muscle loads alone won’t preserve bone density in midlife.🏋️‍♀️ 

🎀 Everything You Need to Know About the New Breast Cancer Vaccine 💉 

A promising new breast cancer vaccine from Anixa Biosciences, developed with the Cleveland Clinic, has completed phase one trials and successfully triggered immune responses in high-risk patients. The vaccine targets a milk protein called alpha-lactalbumin—present in 70% of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cases—and aims to train the immune system to destroy cancer cells before they form tumors. Though early, the data suggest a potential breakthrough in preventing one of the most aggressive and hard-to-treat forms of breast cancer.

Here’s to hoping this paves the way for future vaccines that target estrogen receptor+ breast cancers which are not only more common, but also on the rise. (Vogue) 🙏 

Midlife Micro-Answer of the Week 🤏❓️ 

I’m trying a new section this week! I’ll answer one hyper-specific question. You’ll get one straight-up clinical truth. No runaround. 🏃‍♀️ 

Q: What does fiber have to do with estrogen and perimenopause symptoms?
A: Everything. Fiber fuels your estrobolome—the gut bacteria that process estrogen. When the estrobolome is healthy, excess estrogen is cleared efficiently. When it’s off (thanks to hormonal changes, stress, antibiotics, etc.), estrogen can stagnate, worsening symptoms like bloating, mood swings, and breast tenderness—especially during perimenopause.

💬 Have a weird midlife question you want answered next week? Let me know by clicking here or drop it in the comments. No shame, no algorithm—just real answers.

The Group Chat Edit 📲 👯‍♂️ 

💐 To Listen: Coastal Mother Summer Playlist 🎶 

This eclectic playlist from lifestyle blogger Kathleen Ashmore is giving barefoot elegance and main character energy. It’s the kind of soundtrack that makes even unloading the dishwasher feel like a Nancy Meyers montage. 🌊☀️

🛍️ To Buy: This Dual-Zone Cooling Mattress Topper 🛌 

Eight Sleep isn’t just a mattress topper. It’s a thermoregulating miracle for anyone navigating the night sweat Olympics of perimenopause—and yes, it will cost you. But if your bed has become a hormonal war zone, dual-zone cooling is the peace treaty. You stay cool, they stay cozy—and you just saved $$$ on the marriage therapist. 🆒 

💦 To Try: This Honeydew Hugo Spritz 🍈 

You’ve heard of an Aperol Spritz, but allow me to introduce her fresher, flirtier cousin: the Honeydew Hugo. She’s cool. She’s minty. She tastes like adulting without the burnout. Because at this stage? We don’t need permission to want things—especially if it involves frozen melon, elderflower liqueur, and a Prosecco float.🍹 

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