In this episode, Dr. Lisa walks through the benefits of using a vacation departure plan and vacation optimizer plan. Do you ever feel like you need a vacation after coming home from vacation? Being intentional around your holidays can make your time away more enjoyable, plus you get to avoid the stress and burnout that can happen before and after vacation time! You need and deserve time off, so listen in to make it work for you to fill your cup and feel re-energized.
In today’s episode, we cover:
What is included in a vacation departure plan
Wrapping up work tasks
Do it, defer it or delegate it
Automated vacation responder for email
Tech detox plan
What is included in a vacation optimizer plan – the fun part!
3 words to describe your ideal vacation
Rest vs. activity
Relationships
Where to eat
Nurturing your mind and heart
Find the 5-4-3-2-1 mindfulness meditation with Amy Fowler at Episode 96
Dr. Lisa loves her Kitchen Aid food processor for making coleslaw, salad dressings with ginger, smoothies, energy balls, coconut milk ice cream and one-bowl crepes.
What’s Else is Happening?
Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing session for expecting parents looking to decrease fear and anxiety to support their natural instincts around labour and birth is happening this fall. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register
Join Dr. Lisa’s new Meetup group Wild Woman Adventures Toronto if you want to get out in nature, connect with other women and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Activities include: sunrise/sunset SUP, tree-top trekking, a new moon workshop and more!
Dr. Lisa’s Wild Collective in Fall 2022: get on the waitlist: wildcollectivetoronto.com
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 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.
In this episode, Dr. Lisa chats with parenting coach, France Tailleur, about how to parent your child “their way”: consciously and based on who your child truly is and who you truly are. There are huge differences in patterns of eating, morning routines and extracurricular activities to navigate as a parent. Listen to learn how Human Design can help guide you to parent in a way that allows your child to thrive.
France Tailleur is The Human Design Parenting Coach. Her mission is “heal the parent & the children will thrive.” She guides her clients to challenge anything that takes away their freedom & makes them less than they could be. She has an innate gift at finding unconventional & practical solutions to parenting challenges that arise. She focuses on Inner child healing, Conscious Parenting tools, Human Design & more. What happens when you learn & embody these modalities is you become confident & connected as a parent, you create an environment for your child & yourself to Thrive in & you tap into unconditional love & acceptance & of course deeper connection with yourself, your child & your partner.
France is a #1 Amazon Best selling author with her Journal Sparkle Time. She is also the host of the Intentional Parenting Podcast.
In today’s episode, we cover:
What it means to consciously parent
Reparent yourself
Parenting your child intentionally
What is Human Design
Remembering who you are
Why you see parenting differently than your spouse or co-parent
Why siblings can be completely different and need different parenting
How to find out your Human Design type
Mybodygraph.com
How Human Design can help you recognize your strengths and your challenges, as well as your child’s strengths and challenges
The important role Human Design can play for you to create and maintain healthy boundaries in your relationships and parenting
Dr. Lisa loves her Instant Pot to make her own apple sauce.
France is a big fan of having a backpack full of snacks, water and activities for her daughter.
What’s Else is Happening?
Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing session for expecting parents looking to decrease fear and anxiety to support their natural instincts around labour and birth is happening this fall. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register
Join my “5-Day COLD SHOWER CHALLENGE”. Includes a 60-min virtual workshop with a Cold Water Therapy Expert!
Join Dr. Lisa’s new Meetup group Wild Woman Adventures Toronto if you want to get out in nature, connect with other women and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Activities include: sunrise/sunset SUP, tree-top trekking, a new moon workshop and more!
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 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.
In this episode, Dr. Toni discusses why it’s so important for perimenopausal mamas and their kids to get enough iron. Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide and is crucial for optimal energy, mental health, sleep and brain function.
What is the Difference Between Iron Deficiency and Anemia?
Iron deficiency is a broad term and refers to low iron stores that do not meet the body’s iron requirements, regardless of whether anemia is present or not.
Iron deficiency anemia is when hemoglobin levels fall below the laboratory reference range.
Iron deficiency without anemia is when iron storage falls below ideal levels, but anemia is not present.
What are the Top 5 Reasons Why Iron is so Important?
Reduce fatigue and increase energy
Iron helps move oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body and helps your muscles store and use oxygen
Reduce heavy periods
low iron can impact your clotting and be a factor in your heavy periods, creating a vicious cycle
Mental Health
Being anemic can increase your risk of a mental health diagnosis and can increase your risk of experiencing an anxiety disorder, depression, psychotic disorders
Taking iron supplements if you’re anemic can reduce your risk of developing psychiatric disorders
Taking iron supplements of iron if you’re not anemic can decrease the risk of future mental health diagnoses
Anemic mothers were less responsive and had negative feelings towards their children than non-anemic mothers
Low hemoglobin is associated with postpartum depression
Low ferritin is linked with more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms
Brain and cognitive performance
Iron deficiency (with and without anemia) has been connected to poor cognitive performance in adolescents
Low maternal iron intake at the time of conception is associated with a greater risk of autism in the offspring
Low iron intake during the second trimester has been shown to increase the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring by 30%
Infants born with low serum ferritin have been shown to have poorer recognition memory, poorer school performance, difficulty with planning and attention and a higher risk of cognitive and socio-emotional problems including anxiety and depression into young adulthood
Sleep and restless legs
Being anemic can increase your risk of a mental health diagnosis and can increase your risk of experiencing a sleep disorder
Taking iron supplements if you’re anemic can reduce your risk of developing a sleep disorder
Restless Leg Syndrome is associated with low iron levels
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Iron Deficiency?
Pale skin
Fatigue
Cold hands and feet
Slowed growth and development
Poor appetite
Abnormally rapid breathing
Behavioral problems
Frequent infections
Unusual cravings for substances like ice, dirt, paint or starch
How can you Test your Iron Status?
Blood work can test for levels of:
hemoglobin (as part of the Complete Blood Count)
circulating iron and transferrin saturation – needs to be above 20%
ferritin (iron stores) – needs to be above 35
You can still be iron deficient if your levels of the above fall within the lab’s reference ranges!
How can you prevent iron deficiency in yourself and your kids?
Serve iron-rich foods – after beginning your baby on solids
Don’t overdo milk
Enhancing absorption – with foods rich in acid like vitamin C (ascorbic acid), such as citrus fruits, cantaloupe, strawberries, bell pepper, tomatoes and dark green vegetables, or apple cider vinegar.
Consider iron supplementation – unfortunately, an iron-rich diet does not provide enough iron to correct iron deficiency or anemia
Food Source:
Iron content (in mg Fe) per 100 g
Animal sources (bioavailability about 20%)
Liver (pork or veal)
18
Dry beef
9.8
Shells
8.0
Egg yolk
5.5
Beef fillet
2.3
Trout
2.0
Chicken
0.7
Plant sources (bioavailability about 5%)
Wheat bran
16.0
Sesame seeds
14.6
Soy beans
9.7
Lentils
8.0
White beans
7.0
Dried apricots
5.2
Spinach (limited due to oxalate content)
2.7
Whole grain bread
2.4
Green beans
1.0
Source: SPOG Pediatric Hematology Working Group
Today’s Mama Must Have:
Dr. Toni is a big fan of aloe gel to soothe the skin.
What’s Else is Happening?
Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing session for expecting parents looking to decrease fear and anxiety to support their natural instincts around labour and birth is happening this fall. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register
Join Dr. Lisa’s new Meetup group Wild Woman Adventures Toronto if you want to get out in nature, connect with other women and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Activities include: sunrise/sunset SUP, tree-top trekking, a new moon workshop and more!
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 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.
In this episode re-release from June 2020, 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!
What’s Else is Happening?
Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing session for expecting parents looking to decrease fear and anxiety to support their natural instincts around labour and birth is happening this fall. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register
Join Dr. Lisa’s new Meetup group Wild Woman Adventures Toronto if you want to get out in nature, connect with other women and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Activities include: sunrise/sunset SUP, tree-top trekking, a new moon workshop and more!
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 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.
Recent Comments