Brain Biohacking with Kayla Barnes — Dr. Poonam Desai: The 5 Labs Women Need, Heart Disease Risk, Microplastics, and Perimenopause

Most women have had bloodwork done. What most women haven't had is the right bloodwork.

In this episode, Dr. Poonam Desai, double board certified in lifestyle and emergency medicine, NAM certified in menopause care, and founder of Longevity Place and Her Longevity, breaks down the five labs she runs on every female patient, the optimal values most physicians aren't targeting, and why the standard panel tells you almost nothing about long-term cardiovascular risk, metabolic health, or inflammation. This is one of the most practical longevity conversations I've had for women who want to know where they actually stand.

We also go deep on the three female life phases medicine consistently underserves, how women's cardiac symptoms are still being dismissed in clinical settings, and what a real foundational protocol looks like before any advanced intervention enters the picture. The perimenopause section is worth your full attention, what is shifting hormonally and metabolically, why those symptoms should not be pushed through, and why the window for acting is earlier than most women are told.

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In This Conversation:

-Why women need a different longevity lens than men

-The cardiovascular markers Dr. Desai wants women tracking early

-Why blood pressure, resting heart rate, HRV, and snoring matter more than people think-

How to use bowel movements as a simple gut-health signal

-Why she starts with fiber before protein

-The overlooked role of toxins, plastics, and hormone disruptors

-What women should not ignore in perimenopause

-Why knowing your numbers early changes everything

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