Episode 93: Essential Oils 101 with Barbara Rempel

In this episode, Dr. Toni talks with holistic nutrition professional and author Barbara Rempel about the basics you need to know about using essential oils for the health of you and your family. The use of highly concentrated plant extracts or aromatherapy has been around for hundreds of years and the interest in the therapeutic effects of essential oils is growing. Listen in to learn more.

A responsibility to improve lives through natural lifestyles nudged Barbara to leave her 18 year career in IT and follow her passion of “all things natural”, which led her to attain her certification as a Holistic Nutrition Professional in 2005. As director of a residential Health Retreat she saw noticeable evidence of improving attendees’ health in a matter of 5-14 days with simple detoxification protocols based on nutrition. On the behest of her clients asking “How do YOU eat?” she co-authored the book “Cleansing With Food”

When she started adding dōTERRA essential oils to her recommendations, her clients raved about their results. From there, Barbara found the easiest way to empower people to be in control of their own healthy lifestyles was to provide a “Ditch and Switch” education. Now she is a holistic health educator specializing in dōTERRA essential oils with a tribe of at least 4000.

In this episode, we cover:

  • The importance of quality and laboratory testing of essential oils, given the lack of regulation in the industry
    • For example, dōTERRA brand lavender is recognized as pharmaceutical grade due to less than 2% difference in active ingredients from batch to batch
  • The 3 main methods of essential oil use:
    • Aromatic or inhalation
    • Topical, applied on the skin neat or diluted with carrier oil 
    • Internal
  • How to reduce the impact of sun sensitivity that can increase with some essential oils
  • Some of the benefits of essential oils demonstrated in scientific research
    • The aromatic use of rosemary for supporting memory
    • The aromatic use of lemon for increasing dopamine levels, which can positively impact energy and mood
    • Lavender oil used in aromatherapy massage on pregnant women reduced stress hormone cortisol levels and increased immune function by raising secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels
    • Components of essential oils have been shown to be absorbed systemically be inhalation and topical application, and can cross the blood brain barrier 

Connect with Barbara and learn more at linktr.ee/blrempel and healthyoilz.com 

You can also sign up for her newsletter at healthyoilz.com/lets-connect

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Barbara is a big fan of having a good essential oil reference book like Modern Essentials and a box of essential oils to use

Dr. Toni loves to use the dōTERRA Breathe stick to apply the essential oil blend containing eucalyptus and peppermint. 

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Please tell your perimenopausal mama friends about us, too!

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this presentation is not meant to replace treatment with a licensed health care practitioner. It is for informational purposes only. Consult with a Naturopathic Doctor or other licensed health care professional to determine which treatments are safe for you.

Episode 92: Love-Led Nourishment & the Importance of Eating Live Food with Cristina Tahoces

In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa talks with holistic nutritionist Cristina Tahoces about Love-Led Nourishment. Learn how the intentional choice towards live food helps you connect to your own positive feelings of love and self-worth. Stuck in a cycle of mindless binge eating or feeling deprived? If you don’t have a positive relationship with food, you’re not alone. This episode is for you.

“The only why that is strong enough to counter stress and the voice of the inner critic is love”

Cristina Tahoces

Cristina Tahoces is a holistic nutritionist and owner of Thrive Nutrition Practice, a global online wellness business focused on building physical and mental health resilience to stress through a nutritional approach she calls “love-led nourishment”. A former corporate banker, Cristina turned to nutrition to help herself heal from chronic allergies & adrenal fatigue. Over the years, she has helped clients with high stress profiles improve sleep, immunity & energy levels, relieve irritable bowel symptoms and reverse high blood pressure – all through her in-depth knowledge about how to use food therapeutically.  In 2017, she shared her nutritional strategy “Sleep Love Poop” on the TEDx stage as part of the TED Women’s Global Conference. She uses the themes of Sleep Love Poop to help her clients both in private consultation and through her group programs, which she runs several times a year.

In this episode, we cover:

  • How the food choices we make, especially under stress, are dictated by emotion instead of logic
  • The importance of asking yourself what you could choose to eat that would show yourself love, kindness, compassion and respect
  • The difference between “live” food and “dead” food and their impact on your energy
  • How to get your kids excited about live foods like fruit and how to make an apple doughnut
  • The key to pressing pause on your inner critic and increasing self-compassion
  • How practicing is more important than knowing
  • The importance of re-labelling dinner time as an investment in your physical and mental health instead of a chore
  • How to trade up your food with nutrient dense foods to feel satiated and prevent overeating or feeling deprived
  • The importance of switching from fight or flight mode to rest and digest mode in order to practice intuitive eating and Love-Led Nourishment
    • Vagus nerve breathing exercise: inhale to count of 4, pause for count of 3, exhale through the mouth to count of 8
  • How drinking water can massively impact your mental clarity and energy level 
  • The importance of protein and a variety of vegetables with every meal

Watch Cristina’s TEDx talk Sleep Love Poop here: https://www.ted.com/talks/prahlad_kakkar_sleep_love_poop_nutrition_s_role_in_mind_body_strength

Connect with Cristina on Facebook at Thrive Nutrition Practice and Instagram at @thrivenpcristina

Check out Thrive’s “Sleep Love Poop” Group Coaching Programmes

https://www.thrivenutritionpractice.com/sleeplovepoopbootcamps

Thrive & AmyA Fitness Bootcamps: where the best in mindful fitness & nutrition is combined to give you the results you want on a platter. New Bootcamp coming in October. 

Women. Lead. Now.: a leadership coaching masterclass series for women looking to rewrite the rules of leadership and lead with clarity, confidence, competence and courage. Starts October 5th.

https://aspiring-growth.mykajabi.com/women-lead-now

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Cristina loves being glued to her 600ml Lifefactory glass water bottle instead of her phone and her Kitchenaid mini food processor for chopping veggies, dips and sauces.

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of super comfortable Smash and Tess Rompers. 

Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing info session for expecting parents looking to trust their instincts and their body during labour and birth is September 27. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register

Dr. Lisa’s Wild Collective begins again in Fall 2021: get on the waitlist: wildcollectivetoronto.com

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!

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this presentation is not meant to replace treatment with a licensed health care practitioner. It is for informational purposes only. Consult with a Naturopathic Doctor or other licensed health care professional to determine which treatments are safe for you.

Episode 91: The Journey to Self Love & Body Confidence with Kayla Marie

In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa talks with Self Love & Body Confidence Coach Kayla Marie about the judgement almost all of us experience when it comes to our bodies, especially after having kids and as we get older. Are you in a fight against your body and have a negative body image? This is an important conversation you need to listen to!

Kayla Marie is a Certified Access Bars Practitioner, Professional Photographer, and a Self Love & Body Confidence Coach for women. She’s passionate about inspiring women to get out of judgment of their bodies so they can finally stop worrying about what they look like and show up & shine in their lives. Her story of triumph over bullying, death, divorce, and poor body image has inspired many people around the world to experience the peace, joy & freedom that comes with true self-love and confidence.

In this episode, we cover:

  • How body neutrality and self acceptance is a great place to start on the journey to self love and confidence
  • The difference between body confidence and body positivity
  • How not to care about what other people think of you
  • Steps you can take to develop more self-awareness around social media, diversify your social media feed and prevent comparison-itis 
  • How the practice of gratitude can help shift you to a place of love
    • 3 statements of positivity to cancel out 1 statement of negativity
    • Hawaiian practice of Ho’oponopono
      • I’m sorry
      • Please forgive me
      • Thank you
      • I love you
  • The ups and down you can experience with self acceptance and body confidence
  • Stacking your work towards body confidence with your daily routine to develop your practice as a habit
  • Making your nutrition and health practices align with self love and body confidence
  • Tuning into your body to listen to eat more intuitively 

Connect with Kayla Marie on Facebook.

and Instagram: @confident.kayla.marie

or email her at confident.kayla.marie@gmail.com

Book a complementary discovery call with Kayla Marie to learn more about her Body Bliss Boot Camps and receive a free Body Love meditation to release judgement here:

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of using mini resistance bands to mix things up for my workouts, especially with videos on Heather Robertson YouTube channel.

Kayla loves prioritizing her sleep and might have a social media detox as a must have in the future!

Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing info session for expecting parents looking to trust their instincts and their body during labour and birth is this month. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register

Dr. Lisa’s Wild Collective begins again in Fall 2021! Sign up for one of the free master classes on Mon Sept 27th at 7pm or Thurs Sept 30th at 2pm at: wildcollectivetoronto.com

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!

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this presentation is not meant to replace treatment with a licensed health care practitioner. It is for informational purposes only. Consult with a Naturopathic Doctor or other licensed health care professional to determine which treatments are safe for you.

Episode 90: Community Medicine: How to Fight Loneliness to Live A Longer Healthier Life

In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni are discussing how community medicine is the wave of the future and often the missing link in your health care. You need connection and community to support your well-being and stick to healthy habits. Your kids also need community now more than ever. 

How does loneliness affect your health?

Loneliness and weak social connections:

  • associated with a reduction in your lifespan similar to that caused by smoking 15 cigarettes a day
  • can shorten your lifespan by 8 years!

Harvard research suggests feelings of social isolation are on the rise and that those hardest hit are older teens and young adults.

The results of an American study conducted in October 2020 showed 36 percent of people reported feeling lonely frequently, almost all the time or all the time in the prior four weeks, compared with 25 percent who recalled experiencing serious issues in the two months prior to the pandemic. 61 percent of those aged 18 to 25 reported high levels.

Also in the US, June data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 63 percent of young people reported experiencing substantial symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

  • “Being socially connected needs to be seen as much a part of a healthy lifestyle as eating right and exercising.” Julianne Holt-Kunstad

Stanford University’s Centre on The Demography and Economics of Health and Aging found that lonely people were more likely to:

  • Have extended hospital stays
  • Need more expensive treatments
  • Need support of skilled nursing facilities instead of in-home rehabilitation

Participants who were socially isolated had a 50% higher risk of death

Other negative outcomes of social isolation and loneliness demonstrated in research are:

  • 26% Higher risk of premature death
  • 29% increased risk for heart disease
  • 32% increased risk for stroke
  • 40% increased risk for Alzheimer’s
  • 25% increased risk for cancer

Loneliness:

  • affects 25% to 60% of older Americans, almost as prevalent as obesity
  • puts millions of Americans 50 and over at risk of poor health

Your social connections at age 50 predict your health status at age 80

How? Epigenetics!

Changes in the expression of hundreds of your genes can occur as a function of physical and social environment you inhabit.

Research indicates that perceived social isolation and loneliness heightens sensitivity to social threats and motivates the renewal of social connections, but it can also impair: 

  • executive functioning 
  • sleep 
  • mental well-being
  • physical well-being

The more isolated people are, the less happy they are, and brain function declines as well as physical health. Together, these effects contribute to higher rates of morbidity and mortality in lonely older adults.

What impact does connection and community have in your life?

Online groups are available to provide support to achieve a common goal during the pandemic while in person programs may not be available. Some examples include Wild Collective, Landmark Worldwide, Peloton, Alcoholics Anonymous, various book clubs

Habits are contagious!

  • Your habits are influenced by your community:
    • happiness, smoking cessation, suicide risk 
  • Happiness increases by:
    • 15% if you have a happy friend
    • a further 10% if their friend is happy

You may have the tendency to thrive and maintain a healthy lifestyle with the help and accountability of others. Sometimes it’s hard as a busy mom to generate that energy on your own.

For more info on habits, listen to Episode 72: Hard Habits to Break? How to Use The Four Tendencies For Lasting Change

Best-selling book The Daniel Plan:

  • Church congregation in California
  • Pastor couldn’t maintain a healthy weight
  • Enlisted help of Dr. Mark Hyman MD and Dr. Daniel Amen, MD
  • Met in small groups every wednesday night to introduce new behaviours and help each other stick to them
  • 15,000 congregation lost 250,000 pounds

The Look AHEAD trial, a diabetes prevention lifestyle program which encompassed a multi- disciplinary behavioural-focused intervention. The Intensive support group participants met:

  • Small groups of 10-20
  • 3 meetings per month for the first 6-months
  • 2 meetings per month between 6-months to 1yr
  • 1 meeting per month up to 8yrs

In addition to these monthly group sessions, subjects had individual sessions with an‘interventionist’ (which included registered dietitians, psychologists, and exercisespecialists) every month in person, with a second contact by phone or email 2-weeks thereafter

After 8yrs of follow-up, 39% of people maintained 10% reduction of body weight and 65% had maintained over 5% reduction of body weight

Dr. Jeffrey Geller:

  • Received funding from CDC and approval to research group medicine
  • Started a group for managing diabetes (in disguise for addressing loneliness)
  • Outcomes included:
    • Loneliness improved
    • Depression improved
    • Participants lost weight
    • Blood pressure was reduced by 5-10 points
    • HbA1C was reduced
  • Now, Dr. Geller has groups for heart disease, prenatal care, hypertension, depression, obesity, addiction

How do you foster connection and community in your life?

  • Create an habits accountability group
  • Become an active member in a positive, supportive Facebook group
  • Join a gym, yoga studio, meditation studio that fosters community
  • Sign up for a community class: for sport, knitting, cooking, gardening, etc..
  • Join or start a local or online book club

What is the Wild Collective about?

  • International and revolutionary women’s health community initiative 
  • Recipe for connection and community; remedy for loneliness; instruction manual for your body, health and lab testing
  • Actionable items to start to up-level your health, mindset and relationships
  • Empowered health education to be your own health advocate (and for your family), know which questions to ask and which lab tests to ask for
  • Learn in-depth about digestion, detox, thyroid, hormones, blood sugar/nutrition

Spots are limited to 20 women to establish connection and allow enough time for women to share

Beka describes Wild Collective:

“My favourite part of the Collective is the community created amongst the women there. There was almost an immediate feeling of safety and community that was created and it makes each session something to look forward to. Hearing other women’s experiences and thoughts really helps you work through your own thoughts and feelings. The info about our bodies is so insightful as well and every session I’m challenged to “up” my health game in both small and large areas.”

Dr. Lisa’s next Wild Collective begins again in September. Sign up for the next info session at wildcollectivetoronto.com

Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing info session for expecting parents looking to trust their instincts and their body during labour and birth is September 13 and 27. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register    

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of the book The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha.

Dr. Toni loves the book Breath by James Nestor. You check out more about the book and breathing techniques HERE.

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!

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this presentation is not meant to replace treatment with a licensed health care practitioner. It is for informational purposes only. Consult with a Naturopathic Doctor or other licensed health care professional to determine which treatments are safe for you.

Episode 89: Let’s Talk About Sex – In Conversation with Dr. Trina Read (previously released as Episode 23 on May 28, 2020)

Don’t feel like having sex? It’s time to listen to this re-release of Dr. Toni’s conversation with Dr. Trina Read, sexologist and CEO of the Business of Sex. They discuss the impact of perimenopause and stressful events (like a pandemic) on your sex life. This episode was originally released on May 28, 2020.

Dr. Trina has an unique perspective as a sex and relationship expert who has a corporate background in marketing and PR and who is also a perimenopausal mom.

In this episode, we cover:

  • How to use self care to bring libido back
  • Why you need to know your happy triggers for sex
  • The importance of knowing what you want out of sex and communicating it
  • Why you might want to take intercourse and orgasm off the table for better sex
  • How to have those awkward conversations around sex
  • Why personal lubricant makes all sex better
  • The importance of working your pelvic floor muscles

In perimenopause and in stressful times, you may find your libido is flatlined and don’t feel like sex.

Your body can only produce either cortisol (your stress hormone) or testosterone (your sex drive hormone). If you’re producing cortisol, you can’t produce testosterone.

In situations with great change, it’s important to connect with your partner and look for ways to be together, so that you don’t drift apart. Being proactive and finding pockets of time to be close with your partner helps your relationship, as well as feeling more powerful yourself.

Ask yourself – what can I do to help myself feel more sensual?

You can back into the groove and bring your body back to a place where you feel more centred and sensual by:

  • Taking a bath
  • Listening to your favourite music
  • Giving yourself some me time alone in your bedroom with a vibrator
  • Just making up your mind to connect with your partner (even if it feels forced at first)

The Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research (CeMCOR) was founded at the University of British Columbia (UBC) by endocrinologist Dr. Jerilynn Prior. There is lots of information about their research around menstruation and hormones at https://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/

UBC is also home to the Sexual Health Laboratory run by Dr. Lori Brotto that focuses on research around women’s sexual health. https://brottolab.med.ubc.ca/

Research shows that sexual desire is similar to happiness. For most women, in order to feel sexual desire, you needed to be triggered. You can learn positive triggers around sex and negative triggers around sex. You need to set up your positive triggers for sex.

Unfortunately, you may have been brainwashed to think that only 2 things available for sex is having intercourse and having an orgasm.

Sexual intercourse all the time can be a negative trigger for a lot of women, especially if you feel like it doesn’t quite do it for you.

When you can anticipate doing something that you want to experience, a happy trigger for sex can be created. Working on triggers for sexual desire and increasing your repertoire for sex are important for your sexuality to evolve.

Self care like meditation, yoga and tai chi lowers stress and cortisol and can increase your libido.

There are studies that prove that meditation improves your sex life!

Perimenopause is like reverse adolescence with wild ebbs and flows of estrogen and progesterone that can create mood swings, anxiety, hot flashes and insomnia. No wonder you don’t feel like having sex!

Once you hit 40 years of age, you produce less oxytocin. Oxytocin is a bonding hormone. With less oxytocin, you start being more “selfish” and focus on yourself. With more wisdom, self confidence and self care, you can feel more deserving and able to explain to your partner what you want.

This is your opportunity to create something different and better in your sex life! Your partner will be on board with you becoming a more engaged partner…it could result in you actively wanting sex more often.

If you’re experiencing vaginal dryness sometimes or all the time, sex can be painful. Trying out a few different brand of lubricants (silicone based, water based or a combo) can be a game changer for your sex life. Lubricant makes all sex better. You might even want to try a lubricating suppository.

If you don’t use it, you lose it! If you don’t use your vaginal canal, you could experience vaginal atrophy. Exercising your pubococcygeus muscle increases blood flow. Research shows that post-menopausal women who do Kegel exercises have bigger, better orgasms than women who don’t do Kegels. 

What’s the female equivalent to the towel test? 

Every woman’s uterus will prolapse to a certain extent. Greater levels of prolapse can create painful sex. 

There are options to address uterine prolapse other than surgery:

  • Herbal medicine like black cohosh
  • Pelvic floor physiotherapy
  • Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy
  • Laser rejuvenation

You can slide or decide: slide into painful sex or decide to do something different and exciting.

Too scared to talk to your partner about doing something different and new?

How can you start talking to your partner about sex when you feel awkward and uncomfortable. Dr. Trina’s website http://trinaread.com/ has many different articles you can share with your partner to stimulate conversation around sex and your own sex life.

Connect with Dr. Trina Read on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/trina.read and Twitter at @DrTrinaRead

Watch for the release of Dr. Trina’s self help fiction book Amy Finds Her Sex soon!

Today’s Mama Must Have: 

Dr. Toni is a huge fan of her local neighbourhood buy and sell groups on Facebook. These can be a lifesaver for moms on a budget. 

Thank you for joining us today! 

Find the show notes at perimenopausalmamas.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!

Stay safe and healthy everyone!