In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa talks to Dr. Jen Newell, Naturopathic Doctor and founder of Connected Health and Skin. They discuss: how hormones affect our skin; why we get wrinkles, age spots and acne; the best ways to prevent premature aging; which foods, drinks, and supplements are good for your skin and which ones may harm it; and how to properly cleanse and moisturize.
Dr. Jen sought out a Naturopathic approach to skin health when she became dissatisfied with oral contraceptives, antibiotics and other conventional treatments for her own hormonal cystic acne and mild rosacea. Dr. Jen helps women overcome acne and other skin disorders to achieve a clear, radiant complexion, restored hormonal balance and renewed digestive function.
In this episode, we cover:
How your skin changes due to hormonal and structural changes in perimenopause including:
Acne on chest, back, jawline or hairline
Age spots
Dryness
Wrinkles and aging
Thinning skin
How different hair products you use could cause inflammation and impact your skin health
Why daily mineral sunscreen use is a key component for maintaining skin health
Why it’s important to protect you skin from UVA rays that travel through windows
Why eating colourful fruit and vegetables is important for your skin
Why drinking too much coffee and alcohol is not great for your skin
Why you may want to drink more herbal tea like nettle, hibiscus, spearmint, licorice root
The biggest factors that impact how your skin will age, outside of genetics (hint: they start with the letter S – sugar, sun, smoking, stress)
How prescription medications like anti-depressants and insulin can impact your skin health
How antioxidant supplements, like: lycopene, CoQ10, astaxanthin, quercetin may benefit your skin and why you may want to talk to your Naturopathic Doctor about adding some into your regime
Why supplementing with biotin could be aggravating your acne
Which ingredients you may want to look for in your skin care products, like retinoids, vitamin C, green tea extract, niacinamide
Which skin care products are the most important to use
Why oil cleansing can help your skin health when you use it with another gentle cleanser
If it’s worth it to use a collagen supplement
Today’s Mama Must-Have:
Dr. Jen cannot live without a creamy milk cleanser to keep her face feeling fresh and healthy
Dr. Lisa loves Consonant hand cream to protect and hydrate her hands with the extra hand washing and use of hand sanitizer
Visit the NaturalDermStore for healthy, evidence based natural skin care products. You can receive a 15% discount off your order using the code: Perimenopause. Reach out to them for help to find the right products for you.
Thank you for joining us today!
Email us or connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. We’d love you to subscribe, leave us a review and a 5-star rating if you enjoyed this episode.
Please tell your perimenopausal mama friends about us, too!
The majority of your health, energy and vitality is determined by the small, consistent habits that you incorporate daily. In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni “go back to the basics” and uncover 10 simple (and free!) things you can do to support energy, immunity, hormone balance, mood, digestion, disease prevention and more. Pick 1 or 2 health habits that resonate with you and that are easy to incorporate. Every little bit helps!
In this episode, we cover:
Deep breathing
Prioritizing sleep
Drinking water
Practicing Hydrotherapy
Adding fresh herbs and spices to your food
Eating more veggies
Getting in “exercise snacks” throughout the day
Connecting to nature
Practicing gratitude
Being a part of a community
Deep Breathing
Dr. Lisa’s favourite technique is Box Breathing aka 4-4-4-4 Breath
This technique is simple and easy. You can notice benefits of box breathing even after 1-2 minutes
You can practice deep breathing while you are showering, working, walking, watching tv, driving or stressful transitions with your kids, like bedtime
It helps to reduce stress, anxiety, possibly blood pressure and cortisol
Boosts feeling of well being and ability to be calm and present
Dr. Toni’s enjoys repurposing the HypnoBirthing Calm Breath (inhale to count of 4, pause, exhale to count of 6-8) in addition to the HypnoBirthing guided relaxation track available on HypnoBirthing Institute website as a free download
Prioritizing sleep – aim for about 7-8 hours
Sleep is essential for mental and emotional health, in addition to proper metabolism and immune system function
Give yourself permission to make sleep a priority over other things you could be doing – let yourself sleep!
Add in an afternoon nap if you need to (especially if you have little ones still napping)
Drinking Water
Hydration first thing in morning can make a huge difference in your energy, reduce your frequency of headaches and migraines, improve your digestion function and bowel movements
You can increase the quality of your tap water by using a filtration system
Adding lemon or other citrus fruit can add in flavour and more benefits for your health:
D-limonene is the essential oil found in the rind of citrus shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant anti-stress and anti-anxiety properties, plus in animal studies shown to reduce triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure, protect against stomach ulcers
Practicing Hydrotherapy aka “water therapy”
30-60 seconds cold water spray at end of your shower
Boosts your alertness, energy and mood
Helps your skin and hair to have a healthy glow (flattens follicles)
Supports your immunity and circulation to our internal organs
May support your weight loss with the production of more brown fat that produces heat, increasing your metabolism and temperature
Reduces your muscle soreness and can speed up your recovery post-workout
Other hydrotherapy options include cold spray on your feet while waiting for shower water to warm up or wet warming socks at the first sign of a cold
You can check out the free mini-class online by Wim Hof with focus on breathing, cold showers and power of your mind
Adding spices and fresh herbs to your food
Provides extra antioxidants for a quick and easy win for your health
Cinnamon can lower your blood sugar level and reduce inflammation
Ginger – supports digestion, good for nausea (even in pregnancy), can reduce pain and inflammation associated with arthritis, migraines and menstrual cramps
Add cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger to your chia pudding, yogurt, oatmeal or smoothie in the morning
Oregano – antibacterial properties, helps prevent against damage to your DNA and cells, plus has nutrients like calcium, vitamin K, manganese, iron, tryptophan
Add oregano and thyme to pasta sauces
Turmeric- used to reduce pain and inflammation for menstrual cramps, arthritis, may help to prevent against cancer and dementia
Add turmeric powder to hummus, baba ghanouj, scrambled eggs or omelettes with some black pepper and/or a bit of healthy fat)
Garlic – antimicrobial properties can help treat and prevent candida, fungus and other infections, support cardiovascular health
Enjoy roasted whole and spread on bread or crackers
Add garlic, parsley and cilantro to salad dressings with lemon juice, olive oil, coconut aminos, salt and pepper
Add dill to homemade coleslaw or salads
Add rosemary to barbequed meat to reduce advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and roasted veggies like squash, sweet potato and potatoes
Eating more vegetables
Aim for at least 8 servings a day with a rainbow of colours
More variety of veggies provides more nutrients
Higher fruit and vegetable intake (5 servings or more) is linked to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, especially:
Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, mustard greens
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy and kale
Also provides more fibre for improved digestion, balanced blood sugar and can help prevent hypertension, diabetes, cancer
How can you get more in? Try one new veggie per week
Add spinach or greens to smoothies or “green eggs”
Switch out a serving of pasta, rice, bread for cauliflower rice, vegetable pasta or konjac noodles/rice
Research shows that intake of starchier vegetables like potatoes, corn, and peas were linked with more weight gain
Getting in “exercise snacks” throughout the day
Great for switching up your emotional state, maintaining your muscle mass, your cardiovascular and lymphatic health, and spending time with your kids
Walking or running, outside or doing stairs or laps inside!
Indoor dance party in your living room
Set a timer to do some push ups, lunges and/or squats for 1-2 minutes every hour to reduce the amount of time you’re sitting during the day
Connecting to Nature
calming, connects me with something bigger than myself and my little problems, simple as being mindful and observing the trees in the yard and the neighbourhood park, grateful to live with large pine trees in front and back yard
Aim for at least 20 minutes 2 times a week
Studies show getting outside can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels while boosting mood and memory
Induces calm and relaxation by reducing rumination
Can be done alone or with others (while physically distance as necessary)
Can include taking a nature walk in a park, forest bathing, sitting in your backyard or balcony, listening to nature sounds, looking at pictures of nature scenes or hugging trees (as they were urged to do in Iceland to help overcome social isolation
Doctors are starting to write prescriptions for getting out in nature
Practicing gratitude
Research shows that grateful people experience less pain and depression, plus better sleep and self-esteem
Can be as simple as feeling thankful for hugs from family, connecting to family and friends online, summer weather, having time to listen to a podcast for new information or getting to drink your coffee or tea while it’s hot!
Gratitude practice can include a gratitude journal or mental review in the shower or in bed before sleep
“Where your attention goes, your energy flows”
Being part of a community
Social isolation and loneliness has a bigger health impact than smoking on your risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease
Reduces stress and anxiety
Options include:
Talking with friends and family over phone, WhatsApp or Zoom
Playing games with friends online
Online book clubs
Online groups like Mom Halo, Mamas and Co, Camp Hoo-ha, Business Networking International (BNI)
Volunteering
Today’s Mama Must Have:
Dr. Toni is thankful to have Arnica homeopathic pellets and ointment to safely manage the inevitable falls, bumps and bruises that happen in daily life with a toddler.
Dr. Lisa finds a real benefit from a gratitude journal and writing down what she’s grateful for in a regular ringed notebook from the dollar store. In the morning, she reflects on, and writes down: what would make today great; three amazing things that happened yesterday; plus people and opportunities that she’s grateful for.
Thank you for joining us today!
Find the show notes at stephanies48.sg-host.com or connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. We’d love you to subscribe, leave us a review and a 5-star rating if you enjoyed this episode.
Please tell your perimenopausal mama friends about us, too!
Many of us are in a state of grieving right now for: the life that we once knew; the loss of a loved one; the loss of a job; a lack of social connection; the end to a relationship; unrequited love… the list goes on and on. Today’s episode will open your eyes up to: the purpose of grieving; different types of grief; how to practice self-compassion; and how to embrace your own, individual grieving process. Dr. Aoife also shares some valuable tips on how to work through your grief using; rituals, physical movement, mementos, and by allowing yourself to find joy and new meaning during the process.
Dr. Toni talks all about grief with Dr. Aoife Earls, a Naturopathic Doctor practicing in Oakville, Ontario. Dr. Aoife has gone through her own, personal grieving process and has extensive undergraduate training in psychology and biology and postgraduate training in psychoneuroimmunology.
In this episode, we cover:
Why you grieve to help your brain feel safe when you lose someone or something you feel attached to
Different types of grief you might be experiencing right now
Bereavement – death of a loved one
Collective – understanding of how we think the world should work
Ambiguous – leaving without saying goodbye or closure, for example with divorce, natural disasters like pandemic, losing relationships with co-workers after being laid off
Anticipatory – when a loved one is seriously or terminally ill
How your mind processes emotions in a non-linear way and grief can show up in different ways years after a loss
The difference between people who get stuck in their grieving process and people who move on with health (hint: it’s self-compassion, which includes self-love and self-care)
Different ways people experience grief, including
Feeling numb, anger, rage, sorrow, fear, despair
Needing connection vs. needing space
Rituals you can use to integrate grief and loss to: release, say goodbye, honour yourself and create a new story about yourself. Some rituals include:
Journaling and destroying your writing by ripping it up and flushing it down the toilet or burning it with fire
Meditation
Washing your hands
Taking a shower
Connecting with others online or outside with physical distancing during the pandemic
How grief acts like a stressor or fearful problem in the amygdala of your brain that creates physical symptoms
During the first 6 months of grief, there is a rise in cortisol, the stress hormone, resulting in:
The need to pull back to nurture
An Increase in heart rate and blood pressure
A heightened risk of heart attacks or other cardiovascularproblems
A weakened immune system
Digestive issues such as nausea and IBS
Headaches and body pain
Changes to your sleep, energy, mood and memory
How suppressed emotions from trauma and grief can get stuck in your physical body and that you may need to process and release them, physically (see the work of Peter Levine)
How connecting to genuine joy and finding a new meaning after loss is a step in the right direction and not something you need to feel guilty about
How experiencing joy and laughter shuts down sadness and activates the nervous system to rest and rejuvenate, creating more resilience and opportunity for healing
Why using mementos can help to: heal your brain; integrate the old you with the new you; and support a continued connection to your loved one or past life
How cortisol can impact your other hormones resulting in:
Sudden hormonal changes, such as triggering perimenopause or menopause
Night sweats and hot flashes
Shorter menstrual cycles and wonky periods
Weight gain
“Grief is like a door. Once you go through it, you can’t go back”
Find the show notes at stephanies48.sg-host.com or connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. We’d love you to subscribe, leave us a review and a 5-star rating if you enjoyed this episode.
Please tell your perimenopausal mama friends about us, too!
In today’s episode, Dr. Toni and Dr. Lisa discuss: the benefits of some stress in your life; how stress becomes toxic; and how it impacts your libido, energy, mood, memory, immunity and more. Discover how to test for stress hormone imbalances and what you can do about is using lifestyle changes, meditation, exercise, nutrition, herbs and more.
In this episode, we cover:
What stress is and why you need good stress
How your adrenal glands work
What cortisol, your main stress hormone, does in your body
How you can test your adrenal function
How you can decrease toxic stress and the negative impact of stress on your hormones and health
Why is stress important to talk about?
There are downstream effects in body from stress, including hormonal changes
Stress is related to up to 90% of all illness
Chronic stress is linked to the six leading causes of death in the U.S.: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide
More than 75 percent of all physician office visits in the U.S. are for stress-related ailments and complaints
Your ability to handle stress can be impacted by: events in your childhood; genetics; and tendencies and learned behaviours from your family and loved ones.
How Some Stress Can Serve Us In the Short-Term
Stress can be both physical and emotional. Not all stress is bad!
Why do you have stress? You need it to survive!
If you came across a predator like a bear in the wild, the fight or flight response (sympathetic nervous system response) kicks in the release of adrenalin and results in:
Heart rate and blood pressure increases
Blood vessels dilate to increase blood flow to large muscles (arms and legs)
Pupils dilate to see more clearly
Blood flow to your core organs of digestion is shut down since it’s not a priority
Reproduction and fertility is on hold so your energy is focused on immediate survival
Ideally, stress is temporary, allowing your stress hormones to go down and your body has time to recover and repair.
When Stress Becomes a Problem
Stress can become chronic when you are presented with one stressful situation after another and don’t have time to recover. It is important to note that it can be triggered by perceived threats or actual threats. Stress can build up and be too much for your system to handle, especially if you’re experiencing a combination from different sources like:
Being stuck in traffic
Running late for work
Doing a presentation at work
Not getting enough sleep
Managing kids and home life
Dealing with sick kids or ill parents
Good stress has positive effects in your body!
When stress is very temporary and you’re looking forward to something that gives you “butterflies” in your stomach, like going for a job interview, writing an exam or going on a date, it can be a good thing for your body!
Good stress can:
trigger feelings of reward in your brain after it is over
support your immune system by increasing heat shock proteins
increase your wound healing ability and effectiveness of vaccination
increase your resistance to infection and cancer
reduce inflammation and allergic reactions
boost your energy
support your productivity (to a point)
control your sleep-wake cycle
regulate blood pressure
manage how your body uses carbs, fats and protein
Sources of stress can include:
Mental (worry, anxiety, depression, past trauma)
Chemical (medications, heavy metals, toxic chemicals, mold exposure, chronic bacterial or viral infection)
Physical (dehydration, vitamin deficiency, fasting, pain, injury, structural misalignment, lack of sleep, time zone change)
What are your adrenal glands and what do they do?
Your adrenal glands are triangular-shaped glands located above your kidneys that produce your stress hormones: adrenaline and cortisol (among other hormones as well).
Cortisol reaches its’ maximum level 15 minutes after a stressful situation occurs and:
Increases gluconeogenesis (increases blood sugar levels breaking down glycogen in liver)
Decreases insulin sensitivity
Decreases growth hormone
Decreases T3 thyroid hormone
Decreases your immune system and inflammatory response
Increases fat and protein metabolism
3 phases of the stress response curve:
Alarm phase – adrenalin increases then decreases after acute stress
Resistance phase – cortisol increases and stays high with longer term stress, like work or school deadlines, car accidents, illness or death of loved ones
Can have you feeling hot and wired with issues like:
Too much nervous energy and unable to wind down
Feeling warm or hot
Sweating at night
Different parts of your body feeling red and inflamed
High blood pressure
Weight gain in the mid-section
Needing caffeine or sugar to increase your energy and keep going
Needing alcohol to unwind in evening
Getting sick as soon as you relax or go on vacation
Exhaustion phase – cortisol decreases as you get into burnout
Can have you feeling cold and tired with issues like:
Fatigue and exhaustion
Feeling weak
Get dizzy upon standing
Experiencing low blood sugar
Dark circles under the eyes
Tongue and face appear pale and puffy due to retaining water
Are you stuck in the Resistance phase of the stress response curve?
How do you make the “Resistance” phase of stress tolerable instead of toxic?
Chronic stress can be manageable with enough personal resources and support system
Tend and befriend
Spending more time feeling zen and relaxed in the spa in your mind (parasympathetic nervous system) instead of staying in the emergency room in your mind (sympathetic nervous system)
Toxic stress can happen when you don’t have personal resources and/or support system to deal with it and can result in:
uncertainty and feeling lack of control
physical and mental illness
Your normal daily/diurnal cortisol curve:
Cortisol is highest in morning in response to morning light, giving you energy to get up and take on the day
It decreases over the day and has an inverse relationship with melatonin (your sleep hormone)
If cortisol is high at night, then melatonin can’t be properly produced and released by pineal gland
The World Health Organization (WHO) is bringing attention to the problem of work-related stress. WHO is updating its definition of burnout in the new version of its handbook of diseases, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) which will go into effect in January 2022. The WHO:
specifically ties burnout to “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”
defines burnout as “feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.”
Chronic toxic stress causes your brain to change!
It shrinks your hippocampus and impairs memory
It weakens the connections in your prefrontal cortex (your rational self) to decrease your concentration, focus, impulse control, decision making ability, regulation of stress response
It increases activity in your amygdala resulting in more hypervigilance, more sensitivity and reactivity to stress (like a toddler having a tantrum)
It induces cerebrovascular changes and increases: neuro-inflammation, oxidative stress and blood brain barrier permeability resulting in brain fog, mood disorders and accelerated aging of your brain tissue.
Other negative health effects from chronic toxic stress include:
Weight gain in midsection
Blood sugar issues and increased risk of diabetes
IBS including gas, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea
Reflux and heartburn
Muscle tension and headaches
Insomnia
Reduced immunity
Mood disorders
Increased blood pressure
Lower bone density
Accelerated aging
How are your hormones impacted by stress?
You need the appropriate amount of cortisol for your thyroid to work properly
If stress and cortisol levels are high, you can’t make enough of your other sex hormones like testosterone and progesterone causing:
How do you find out what is happening in your body?
Testing for stress hormone imbalances includes:
Orthostatic hypotension
Pupillary response
Questionnaires like Identi-T Stress Assessment
Lab tests for adrenal function
Urine – DUTCH and CHI testing for cortisol production and breakdown plus other hormones, multiple samples throughout the day (4 or 5 point testing)
Saliva – multiple samples throughout the day (4 or 5 point testing)
Blood – cortisol AM is of limited value, best for testing thyroid function
How do you keep stress tolerable instead of toxic? How can you prevent burnout?
Keep a regular daily routine
Sleep – aim for at least 7 hours, avoid screens at night, use blue-blocker glasses
Get enough natural light and sunlight during the day
Get in the right types of exercise at the right time of day, avoiding over-exercising
Avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms like alcohol, caffeine, sugar
Stay hydrated and consider adding pinch of salt in water
Practice mindfulness, meditation and journaling to reduce: worry, negative thoughts and rumination
Get therapy or counselling from a psychologist or psychotherapist. Also, take advantage of the Government of Canada’s free online mental health portal, Wellness Together Canada, to access free online mental health resources and support, including access to therapy, apps, meditations and more.
Talk to your Naturopathic Doctor or licensed healthcare practitioner about taking supplements such as: vitamin C, B vitamins, magnesium, adrenal glandulars, and adaptogenic herbs like: Siberian ginseng, ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil, licorice, maca, reishi, cordyceps, shatavari, schisandra.
Get outside: walking in nature and practice “Forest Bathing”.
Today’s Mama Must Have –
Dr. Toni enjoys Traditional Medicinal’s Stress Soother Tea to relax and get into the “spa” state of mind.
Dr. Lisa likes Traditional Medicinal’s Chamomile with Lavender Tea, and their Lemon Balm Tea to wind down in the evening.
Thank you for joining us today!
Find the show notes at stephanies48.sg-host.com or connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. We’d love you to subscribe, leave us a review and a 5-star rating if you enjoyed this episode.
Please tell your perimenopausal mama friends about us, too!
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