Episode 196: How to Get Your Kids to Bed, Effortlessly, Using Process Improvement; Sleep Better and Reduce Stress Using Bullet Journaling and Digital Minimalism

We’re finally re-releasing one of our favourite past episodes! In this pre-pandemic-shutdown episode, Dr. Lisa talks with process improvement consultant (and mom of almost 3) Nicole North of Whiteboard Consulting about how process improvement makes your life easier and reduces mom stress – from getting your kids to bed at night and out of the house in the morning to keep track of all of the important and mundane things that are stuck in your head.

In this episode, we cover:

  • How Nicole made going to bed fun for her step-daughter
  • The importance of off-loading mom burden and increase your kid’s responsibility
  • How creating checklists makes routines like getting out of the house with your kids in the morning way less of a nightmare
  • The wonders of bullet journaling for creating the world’s best to-do list to keep track of your grocery list, your daily health habits, appointments, personal goals, meeting notes, and everything else in your life
  • How bullet journaling reduces your mental workload and stress level as a busy mama
  • The difference between using a computer or phone versus using a paper journal
  • How to maximize your kid’s naptime and not waste your time on email
  • The benefits of practicing digital minimalism on your stress level and sleep quality

Today’s Mama Must Haves:

Dr. Lisa loves her Costco membership for stocking up on toilet paper, organic produce and healthy food staples like chia and hemp seed.

Nicole loves to reduce the messiness of kids’ activities with Melissa and Doug Water Wow! Mess-Free Reusable Colouring Flip Pads and Crayola Color Wonder Mess Free Markers and Paint.

How to Find Nicole North/Whiteboard Consulting:

Find Nicole and Ruth of Whiteboard Consulting on Instagram @whiteboardconsult

Here is the link to Nicole and Ruth’s podcast “At The Whiteboard”

Here is Nicole’s blog post on “How I Used a Process Map to Make a Kid Go To Bed”.

FREE online courses from Whiteboard Consulting:

Here is Nicole and Ruth’s free online course: “Show Your Inbox Who is Boss”.

Here is Nicole and Ruth’s free online course: “Bullet Journaling: The Ultimate Organizational Hack”

Thank you for joining us today! 

Have any comments, suggestions or burning questions? 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!

Episode 195: Are we ever truly satisfied? How to find joy in the everyday moments (and accept our bodies the way they are)

In this new episode, Dr. Lisa discusses how to connect with ourselves and others in meaningful, satisfying and pleasurable ways. She was inspired to record this episode after listening to Glennon Doyle’s podcast episode 239 of, “We can do hard things”, where Glennon interviews adrienne maree brown (writer, activist and facilitator) about finding satisfaction and pleasure in our everyday.

Dr. Lisa shares:

  • How what we have been taught about satisfaction from the media and from our families has shaped our definition of satisfaction and pleasure
  • How to experience pleasure in our daily lives even with all the challenges and hardships going on in the world
  • The importance of savouring the “little” moments and how to do that
  • Simple ways to connect and be present with your partner and kids, even if you only have a few minutes in the day
  • How to experience collective joy by attending a sporting event, concert, a play and more

Mama must-have:

  • Dr. Lisa loves having a “smoothie bowl” for a snack. Some days she just mixes goat yogurt and fruit with PB fit powder or PB2 powder; other days she adds hemp protein powder, organic soy milk, ground flaxseeds and fruit to make more of a smoothie bowl.

Thanks for listening!

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 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 194: The Connection Between Birth and Menopause (And How Hypnosis Helped Dr. Toni Through Both)

In this new episode, Dr. Toni shares a new insight about the connection between birth and menopause in her experience. How we feel about birth and menopause may be linked by the messages we are programmed with from a young age about our bodies, as well as how we cope and manage stress. 

Previous episode about Dr. Toni’s journey through perimenopause into menopause: Episode 169

In this episode, Dr. Toni discusses:

  • How programming from society, culture, media and your family can create fear and distrust of your bodyThe importance of harnessing the power of your mind to work for you not against you to decrease stress and reduce symptoms in perimenopause and menopauseWhat is hypnosis and why you would want to use it

Today’s Mama Must-Have:

Dr. Toni is a big fan of the work of Dr. Gabor Mate and highly recommends his latest book The Myth of Normal

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

Thanks for listening!

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 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 193: Lose Your Cool Less: Parenting with Educator Tara Gratto

In today’s re-released episode from last year, Dr. Lisa discusses everyday tools for feelings and kindness with educator Tara Gratto to support parents. As parents, we have a whole range of feelings and our patience is tested over and over. Social and emotional intelligence is a skill like learning a language – it needs to be practiced! Listen in to learn more.  

Tara Gratto M.S.Ed, MA, OCT is the founder of Raising Resilient Children. A long time educator and former preschool owner, she supports parents with tools and skills for feelings, kindness and everyday mental well-being. Her signature framework, the Language of Kindness makes parenting easier while fostering connection and building essential life skills with children. Tara focuses on supporting busy parents with tools for today, tomorrow and life. 

In this episode, we cover:

  • How to lose your cool less
  • What you can do in the moment when you are losing your cool
    • Awareness of triggers (where and when?)
    • Breathe and counting backwards from 10 or 5 (model tools for emotional regulation to your kids)
      • Five Finger breathing, Butterfly breathing or Dragon breathing
    • Name it to Tame it
  • The principles of the Language of Kindness
  • kindness to self (your inner voice and self-confidence)
  • kindness to others (how we treat each others in calm and conflict)
  • kindness to the planet (to encourage thinking about food and consumption)
  • Setting yourself up for an action plan to deal with big feelings

Connect with Tara and her free workshops for parents at https://www.taragratto.ca/Transitions%20Parenting%20Workshop

Today’s Mama Must-Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of having a public library card to get books and DVDs 

Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing session for expecting parents looking to decrease fear and anxiety around labour and birth is happening this summer. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register

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 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 192: What You Need to Know About Wildfire Smoke

In this new episode, Dr. Toni reviews how wildfire smoke impacts the health of you and your kids. The particle matter in wildfire smoke has been found to be up to 10 times more harmful to your health than the particle matter from other sources. Not only can it cause headaches and irritate your eyes, throat and respiratory system, it can increase inflammation and oxidative damage, leading to higher risk of reproductive issues, cardiovascular disease, neurological and immune disorders. Listen in to find out how you can protect yourself and your kids from this growing problem in the summer.

National Association of Environmental Medicine (NAEM) Wildfire Resources: https://envmedicine.com/wildfire-smoke/

Today’s Mama Must-Have:

Dr. Toni loves her local farmers markets in the parks for fruit, veg and flowers!

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

Thanks for listening!

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 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 191: Ten Ways to Easily Feed Yourself and Your Kids Healthy Food (AND Get Your Kiddos To Try New Things!)

In this new episode, Dr. Lisa shares some of the best nutritional advice she has received from previous guests on how to incorporate nourishing foods into your family’s diet that your kids will actually eat. She shares some of her favourite meal prep hacks to save you time and frustration. A great listen for preparing to go back to school or work, after getting off track with a routine during summer holidays.

In today’s episode, we cover:

  • How you can make breakfast on Sunday for the whole week
    • Roasted Root Paleo Crepes recipe can be found HERE
  • Why you would want to give your kiddo dessert after breakfast instead of after dinner
  • How you can put food or supplements your kids won’t otherwise take into a smoothie or popsicle
  • The importance of letting your kids pick out food at a farmer’s market, a summer festival or even at Costco, without you intervening
  • The importance of talking with your kids about how they might like something they don’t like right now in a month or year
    • Give them an example of how your own taste buds changed
  • Why you don’t want to make any foods forbidden
  • How to slowly wean your kids off juice or slowly switch from cow’s milk to goat or non-dairy milk
  • How buying 2 lunch containers can make your life easier
  • Why you want to ask your kids what their friends bring for lunch or what they are having at school or daycare
  • The importance of getting your kids involved in cooking, baking and meal prep with you

Check out these past Perimenopausal Mamas Podcast episodes about nutrition:

Episode 5: Healthy Food Habits for Your Family – Interview with Amanda Beatty, Holistic Nutritionist and Health Coach

Episode 68: Intuitive Eating for Kids with Jay Baum

Episode 84: Overcoming Your Child’s Picky Eating Challenges with Rebecca Oliver

Today’s Mama Must-Have:

Dr. Lisa loves her ice cream maker

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

Thanks for listening!

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 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 190: Are You Drinking Too Much? What You Need To Know About Alcohol

In this re-released episode (from Oct 2022), Dr. Lisa and Toni discuss who is and isn’t drinking alcohol and why. Did you know that any consumption of alcohol increases your risk of cancer and can impact symptoms of perimenopause like hot flashes? There are new recommendations for drinking alcohol in Canada based on new research and it might be time to question our culture around drinking alcohol, especially for moms.

Research shows that any alcohol intake over 100 grams/week can increase your risk of death and reducing your alcohol consumption from 196 g per week to 100 g per week or below may increase your life by 1–2 years when you are 40 years of age.

100g of alcohol = less than 7 standard drinks

14g of alcohol per standard drink

  • 12 oz of 5% beer, cider or cooler
  • 5 oz of 12% wine
  • 1.5 oz of 40% liquor/distilled alcohol – gin, vodka, rum, etc

Standard Alcohol Calculator: https://therightamount.ca/sensible-guidelines/standard-drink-calculator/

Signs of alcohol use disorder include:

  • Blacking out or not remembering things that happened.
  • Continuing to drink even if it causes distress or harm to you or others.
  • Drinking more or longer than you planned.
  • Feeling irritable or cranky when you’re not drinking.
  • Frequent hangovers.
  • Getting into dangerous situations when you’re drinking (for example, driving, having unsafe sex or falling).
  • Giving up activities so you can drink.
  • Having cravings for alcohol.
  • Having repeated problems with work, school, relationships or the law because of drinking.
  • Needing to drink more and more to get the same effect.
  • Not being able to stop drinking once you’ve started.
  • Spending a lot of time drinking or recovering from drinking.
  • Wanting to cut back but not being able to.
  • Obsessing over alcohol.

Women have a different metabolism of alcohol!

Women have lower activity of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase in the stomach than men, which leads to a higher absorption of alcohol in women by up to 30% when the same volume is consumed compared to men.

How Alcohol Can Impact You in Perimenopause:

  • Affects hormones
    • Increases estrogen levels through aromatization
    • Increases stress hormone cortisol
  • Decreased libido
  • Increased fat storage and weight gain
  • Increased risk of cancer:
    • Low (1 drink daily or less) alcohol consumption increases the risk of esophageal cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer
    • Moderate (1-2 drinks daily) alcohol consumption increases the risk of colon cancer, rectal cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, breast cancer
    • High (over 2 drinks daily) alcohol consumption is linked to almost all cancer incidence and increased cancer mortality
  • Poor sleep
  • Worsens hot flashes
  • Nutrient deficiencies
  • Worsens mood swings, feeling stress and anxiety
  • Worsens blood sugar swings/feeling hangry
  • Poor impulse control “say, do” things you otherwise may not
  • Increased risk of accidents
  • Disrupts your gut microbiome and can lead to leaky gut
  • Increased inflammation

Alternatives to Drinking Alcohol:

  • Enjoy other drinks like tulsi tea, kombucha, sparkling water
  • Avoid triggers
  • Connect with friends over coffee, tea or an activity like walking or sports
  • Enjoy dry bars or mocktails at a cocktail bar
  • Attend social events that don’t revolve around alcohol like Jaybird, othership, sober music festivals

Today’s Mama Must-Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of 24gooddeeds.ca charity advent calendar.

Dr. Toni loves getting outside on the weekend to enjoy the fall colours at local parks.

 

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

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 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 189: Get Outside: What You Need To Know About Forest Bathing with Dr. Cyndi Gilbert (Re-Release)

In today’s episode re-release from 2020, Dr. Toni talks with Dr. Cyndi Gilbert about the health benefits of nature exposure. Getting outside is so important to reduce stress and stress related health conditions for both you and your kids. Listen in to learn more.

Dr. Cyndi is a naturopathic doctor, the mom of 2 kids and the author of two books, the Essential Guide to Women’s Herbal Medicine and Forest Bathing. Dr. Cyndi’s naturopathic medical practice in Toronto has a clinical focus in mental health, trauma, addiction, sexual/reproductive health and LBGT2SQ health.

In this episode, we cover:

  • The impact of quarantines and stay-at-home orders, in addition to what neighbourhood you live in, on access to green space
  • How less access to green spaces makes you at higher risk for a number of different health conditions related to stress
  • The health benefits of just sitting outside for both you and your kids
  • How your immune system can benefit from smelling the essential oils of the trees, as well as the vitamin D your body makes from sun exposure
  • The importance of mindfulness and getting away from your daily responsibilities to decrease your level of stress
  • How you experience nature and green spaces is impacted by your sense of nature connectedness and safety, which can also depend on your sex, gender and racial identity or level of mobility
  • The importance of considering and acknowledging the history of the land you are on and people who have cared for that land
  • Creating your own mindful practice for self-care and self-reflection in nature
    • Five Senses Forest Bathing – use each of your five senses to acknowledge what is around you
  • How nature can provide a place for both self-care and building community

You can order Dr. Cyndi’s books on her website https://cyndigilbert.ca/

You can find Dr. Cyndi on social media @drcyndind or on a hike or in a canoe with her family.

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Toni is grateful for her neighbourhood park to spend time outside with her family with a ball or bottle of bubbles. 

Dr. Cyndi recommends introducing more green into your life, even if it is as simple as having a potted plant. She always brings a plastic bag and glove to clean up garbage in the green spaces she enjoys.

Thanks for listening!

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 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 188: Unknown Nutritional Mess-ups You Might Be Making in Perimenopause (Part 2)

In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni share 6 more nutritional mess-ups you may be making that could be sabotaging your hormone health in perimenopause and beyond. They discuss: the importance of timing your food intake to support your hormones; getting enough calories and healthy fats; how not getting enough fibre may be impacting your period, skin and gut health and more.

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

Thanks for listening!

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 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 187: Unknown Nutritional Mess-ups You Might Be Making (Part 1)

In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni share 5 nutritional mess-ups you may be making without realizing they could be sabotaging your health outcomes in perimenopause and beyond. They discuss: the benefits of tracking your protein and how including organic soy in your diet can reduce perimenopausal symptoms; how not to “drink” all your calories unintentionally; the importance of staying hydrated (and options other than just plain, old,boring water); and how the timing of your last meal or snack may be impacting your sleep, worsening your hot flashes and more.