Episode 110: Tracking Your Signs and Symptoms: How To Be In the Know

In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni discuss the importance of tracking signs and symptoms you experience, such as: migraines, periods, bloating, food intake, sleep habits and water intake. They cover different technology and apps, in addition to old-school methods like paper calendars and journals, rubber bands and gold stars, so you can really see what is going on with your health and foster healthy habits. If you can track it, you can attack it!

In this episode, we cover:

  • Oura ring to track sleep, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), body temperature
  • Apps like MyFitnessPal and Cronometer, plus food journal or Excel spreadsheet to record food intake and track macronutrients 
  • Apps like Period Tracker and MyFLO, plus period tracking sheets to record your cycle and other signs and symptoms like basal body temperature, cervical fluid, and PMS
  • Staying hydrated with simple methods using rubber bands and gold stars or tracking habits with a bullet journal
    • For more information about bullet journaling, see Episode 11

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of her cordless handheld vacuum to allow Stuart to help clean up around the house.

Dr. Toni is grateful for hydrotherapy techniques like wet sock treatment, neti pots and steam inhalation, as well as homeopathy to manage symptoms and support immune function while she and Frankie recovered from Covid. 

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. You can also support us by visiting our Patreon page.

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 109: How to Foster Leadership Skills in Your Kids and Lead by Example with Nicole North

In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa welcomes back Nicole North to discuss how to model leadership skills in your kids to foster their self-confidence, compassion and ability to communicate with others while allowing them to feel safe to express their authentic selves. If you want your kids to feel limitless so they can defy the odds in front of them, listen in to learn more about communicating feedback and providing opportunities for decision making. 

Nicole was a previous guest on Episode 11: How to Get Your Kids to Bed, Effortlessly, Using Process Improvement; Sleep Better and Reduce Stress Using Bullet Journaling and Digital Minimalism

Nicole is the President and Founder of Whiteboard consulting and has been leading large-scale leadership training initiatives with Whiteboard since its inception. Nicole’s formal education includes an honors BA from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University. She is also certified as a Coach and as a practitioner in Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator assessments and training, Method Time Motion studies, and Appreciative Inquiry.

She is the creator, designer, and lead facilitator of The Limitless LeaderTM program that creates leaders and teams that feel limitless to create and innovate paired with accountability and grace. Nicole has been designing and delivering online and in-person human skills content for the last 10 years and is a top-rated facilitator for her engagement and passionate approach to delivery. 

Whiteboard’s clientele includes: IMAX, Volkswagon, Mitsubishi, Hain-Celestial, Toronto Hydro,  Toronto General Hospital, Canada Council for the Arts, WSIB, The Ontario Public Sector, The University of Toronto, Georgian College, and Humber College.

Nicole is a retired fitness instructor who dances on her Peloton, she is a cottage-country lover, a vegan cook, and can out-karaoke almost anyone.

In this episode, we cover the importance of:

  • Setting personal and work boundaries to prevent burnout (again!)
  • Tapping into the skill sets and productivity of others as a leader so others feel like they can accomplish anything
  • Coaching and asking questions to guide your kids’ actions and have them own their decisions
  • 5x more positive reinforcement compared to negative feedback with ASBI model
    • Ask permission to ensure you have your kid’s focus
    • Describe the situation, behaviour and impact specifically
  • Trial and error, and repeating the things that work with your kids
  • Accountability for maintaining consistency in your household
  • Flexing and bending to your kids’ personality type, letting them thrive in their natural state so they feel limitless, rather than forcing them to fit the mold you think is right
  • Psychological safety in your home

You can connect with Nicole on Instagram and at https://www.whiteboardconsulting.ca/

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of the Zulay kitchen frother to mix nut milks in teas and collagen powder in decaf coffee. 

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!

You can also support us by visiting our Patreon page where you can find out how you can join us for our monthly patron webinar where we do a deeper dive discussion about all things perimenopause,

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 108: 5th Wave of the Pandemic Survival Kit: How to Reduce Stress and Anxiety When You Don’t Have Any Time

In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni review simple yet effective ways to manage your stress and anxiety, especially when there is still so much uncertainty around the latest wave of the pandemic. If you’re feeling worried and overwhelmed dealing with unexpected school closures and online learning, listen in to learn how to support your mental, physical and emotional health during this challenging time.

In this episode, we cover the importance of:

  • Lowering your expectations
    • Use the “good enough” mantra to help you get through
    • Get clear on your non-negotiables or deal breakers 
    • Have a “not now” list 
  • Celebrating your successes with a “Ta-da” list, not matter how small it is
  • Getting outside daily
  • Making the mundane fun by injecting play and fun into your day with your kids
    • pairing up activities – dance and sing along with your kids’ favourite movie 
  • Prioritizing and planning one thing you enjoy doing each day, even if it is for 5 minutes at the end of the day
  • Getting the kids involved with age appropriate chores around the home like sweeping and cleaning up, making beds, emptying dishwasher, fold laundry, putting groceries away
  • Quick nutrition hacks like hard boiled eggs, 30 second smoothie bowl (mix protein powder with yogurt and berries), buying whole roasted chicken, buy frozen veggies and fruit, make things in bulk, getting meal delivery
  • Deep breathing throughout the day to increase your ability to be calm and mindful
    • Pair with activities like doing dishes, washing hands, sitting in meeting
  • Activating your vagus nerve with humming, singing and gargling
  • Using essential oils to support calm and stress reduction
    • in bath with epsom salt, back of tub during shower, on tissue or diffuser: lavender, citrus like orange, lemon and grapefruit, peppermint, Easy air, Serenity
  • Enjoying a cup of relaxing tea
    • tulsi and lavender, chamomile, lemon balm, kava, ginger
  • Completing the stress cycle with releasing emotion 
    • Cry it out to your favourite song or sad movie
    • Moving your body, even if it’s jumping jacks or punching a pillow
    • Laughter
    • Hugging for at least 20 seconds
    • For more info, see this episode of Brene Brown’s Podcast with Emily and Amelia Nagoski and this episode of the Ten Percent Happier Podcast.
  • Talking to your kids about feeling different emotions and how to deal with them
  • Setting yourself up for a good sleep with relaxing bedtime activities:
    • Meditation to sit with your feelings without judgement
    • Gratitude practice or journal
    • Journal for brain dump to get out your worries and things to do list

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of dry shampoo to get away with washing her hair less frequently.

Dr. Toni loves the Beatles documentary Get Back on Disney+ featuring some fitting songs like I’ve Got a Feeling I’ve Got A Feeling – The Beatles Rooftop performance in 1969 #ivegotafeeling #getback #thebeatles and Let It Be – The Beatles – Let It Be (Official Music Video)

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!

You can also support us by visiting our Patreon page where you can find out how you can join us for our monthly patron webinar where we do a deeper dive discussion about all things perimenopause,

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 107: How to Survive Perimenopause: What the Research Says

In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni discuss what research tells us about different treatments for symptoms in perimenopause like hot flashes, depression and poor sleep. In this part 2 of 2 episodes, we talk about treatments like acupuncture, hormone replacement and supplementing with soy, flax, omega 3 fish oil, melatonin and creatine.

In this episode, we cover how:

  • soy intake can reduce hot flashes in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, as well as supporting your mood, brain function, cholesterol levels and bone health
  • flax seed can impact your estrogen levels
  • beer can reduce hot flashes – for more info, see Episode 106
  • omega 3 fish oil can improve mood
  • melatonin can improve your sleep and other perimenopausal symptoms – providing benefit even if you get a good night’s sleep
  • creatine can support your muscle mass, mood and sleep
    • for more about the importance of muscle mass, see Episode 103
  • acupuncture can reduce depression and hot flashes, plus improving mood
  • you can discuss with your doctor what kind of hormone replacement might be beneficial for you to positively impact your hot flashes, sleep and mood, while supporting your bone and cardiovascular health (and the newly assessed risks of different hormone combinations)

Don’t forget, treatments for symptoms in perimenopause are not one size fits all! What works for one person might not work for you…it can take time to figure out what treatments works best for you.

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Lisa loves reading daily and was inspired by Gretchen Rubin to read 13 books so far in 2021.

Dr. Toni is a big fan of reality TV shows like Survivor and Selling Sunset. 

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!

You can also support us by visiting our Patreon page where you can find out how you can join us for our monthly patron webinar where we do a deeper dive discussion about all things perimenopause,

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.