Episode 119: Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause with Pharmacist Teresa Isabel Dias

In this episode, Dr. Lisa talks to pharmacist and Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) Teresa Isabel Dias about how to support vaginal and urinary health in perimenopause and menopause. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) impacts up to 80% of women and can be an embarrassing result of the hormone fluctuations. It can start in perimenopause causing: vaginal dryness, pain with or without sexual intercourse, burning, irritation, frequent urinary tract infections, urinary urgency and discomfort. Learn how you can address and reverse symptoms of GSM; you don’t have to suffer! 

“Do not let your vagina ruin your marriage” – Teresa Isabel Dias

Teresa Isabel Dias is a registered pharmacist with over 25 years of professional experience in community pharmacy and drug information in Toronto.

In 2013 she became a Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) through the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) and founded MenopausED to help women navigate the change.

Teresa raises awareness about menopause, provides education, and supports women in midlife (40+). She helps women understand what’s going on in their bodies and minds during the menopause transition to decrease fear and anxiety about this natural but sometimes challenging phase of life. She educates women about healthy lifestyles and symptom management options so women can make informed decisions about their care to improve quality of life, relationships, and work.

Teresa has delivered education and training to the Royal Bank of Canada, Maple Leaf Foods, the University of Waterloo, University of Toronto, Brock University, Stantec, Women in Government, and other major employers and associations. I have also written and presented to several pharmacy associations and the Pharmacy Practice + Business magazine.

In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Teresa cover:

  • The importance of awareness and education around symptoms you may experience in perimenopause and menopause
  • How lower levels of estrogen in perimenopause and menopause can change the cells of your vagina and vulva 
  • The role of lubricants and moisturizers to deal with vaginal dryness and pain with sex
  • Why Teresa recommends silicone based lubricants and doesn’t recommend using cooking oil as a lubricant
  • The role of hyaluronic acid and vaginal estrogen to address vaginal estrogen
  • What to look for in a compounding pharmacy when looking for vaginal estrogen products
  • How seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist can help with vaginal pain and reduce urinary symptoms
  • Why you should not douche!

You can connect with Teresa at https://menopaused.org/ and find the Please Yourself – Six Tips For An Easier Menopause guide. Her IG handle is: @menopausedtid

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of using red light bulbs and night lights. 

Teresa loves doing at least 5 minutes of stretching before bed to improve sleep.

What else we’re up to:

Dr. Lisa’s next Wild Collective Toronto group is starting in a few weeks. Sign up for one of her sneak peak sessions HERE.

Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing class series starting in April – for more info on a free online masterclass to reduce fear and anxiety around birth, go HERE.

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!

Episode 116: Traditional Chinese Medicine and Perimenopause: A Yin-Yang Disharmony

In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni discuss how the philosophy and practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can help with symptoms of perimenopause like hot flashes, insomnia and anxiety. Find out how supporting your TCM organs and balance of yin and yang are important for your hormone balance in perimenopause. 

Yellow Emperor’s Classic (2600 BC):

At seven times seven a woman’s heavenly dew wanes;

the pulse of her Conception channel decreases.

The Qi that dwelt in the baby’s palace moves upward into her heart,

and her wisdom is deepened.

In today’s episode, we cover:

  • The philosophy of TCM and its holistic nature
  • What is chi/qi?
  • How imbalance of yin and yang can cause hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness
  • What your emotions and waking up in the middle of the night mean according to TCM
  • How the function of organs like Liver, Kidney and Spleen are important for hormone balance in perimenopause
  • The importance of seasonal eating and using food to balance yin and yang
  • Some of the scientific research supporting the use of acupuncture in perimenopause and menopause 

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of using an ear syringe to help safely clean excess wax from your ear canal. 

Dr. Toni loves tracking her physical activity with The Conqueror Virtual Challenges and is starting the Stand With Ukraine challenge. 

What else we’re up to:

Dr. Lisa’s next Wild Collective group is starting later this spring – get on the waitlist at https://www.wildcollectivetoronto.com/

Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing class series starting in March and – for more info on a free online masterclass to reduce fear and anxiety around birth, go to https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/

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 115:  Nine Steps to a Healthier Heart in Perimenopause and Beyond

In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni discuss why you need to pay attention to your heart and cardiovascular health as you move through perimenopause into menopause. Learn what research is telling us about how you can reduce your risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease, one of the main silent killers in women. 

Why is your heart health important?

February is Heart Month in Canada and the United States

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, responsible for about 1 in every 5 female deaths.

A woman dies of heart disease in Canada every 20 minutes. Retrospective research shows that early signs of an impending heart attack were missed in 78% of women. Two-thirds of heart disease research focuses on men.

Women’s heart disease tends to appear in the smaller blood vessels of the heart rather than the major coronary arteries. This means that symptoms might not fit the classic textbook picture of heart disease. Women are more likely to experience chest discomfort (rather than a crushing pain), shortness of breath, fatigue, indigestion or nausea, back or neck pain.  

Angiograms are not effective at diagnosing disease in the smaller blood vessels and stress tests are less sensitive for women.

Women’s hearts are impacted by pregnancy, menopause and hormonal changes throughout their lives.

The decrease in your estrogen levels in perimenopause and menopause can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. 

See Episode 107 for more information on using estrogen in menopause to support your cardiovascular health

See Episode 61 for more information about cholesterol – cholesterol is a crucial building block for your hormones

9 Steps to a Healthier Heart:

  1. Address your cholesterol, oxidation and inflammation 
    • Quit smoking or don’t start!
  2. Focus on healthy body composition, not just your weight
    • Reduce inflammatory visceral fat around your abdomen
    • Aim for waist circumference of 80cm or 31.5” or less
  3. Increase your fruit, veggies and omega 3 fatty acids
    • Mediterranean diet – more veggies, fruit, olive oil, fish
    • Reduces cardiovascular disease by 25%
    • 2 servings of fish = 300-450mg EPA+DHA
    • Research based intake of omega 3 supplement = 2000-2500mg EPA+DHA
  4. Optimize your blood pressure
    • DASH diet with lower daily sodium intake (1500mg or ⅔ tsp salt)
    • Potassium – dates, bananas, plantain, papaya, raisins, avocado, potato, sweet potato, bok choy, spinach, parsnip, chickpeas, lentils
    • See food sources of potassium HERE 
    • See Episode 10 for Dr. Toni’s Hemp Protein Power Balls
  5. Manage your stress
    • Reduce social isolation and loneliness with community and connection programs like Wild Collective
    • Spending time in nature – 2 hours weekly
  6. Watch your alcohol consumption
    • Maximum intake for women to not increase cardiovascular disease risk is 1 drink daily – 5 oz wine, 1.5 oz liquor, 1 can beer
  7. Be more physically active and less sedentary
    • Less sitting and more standing in the afternoon
  8. Optimize your blood sugar
    • See the above steps!
  9. Enhance your sleep

Lab Testing to Consider:

Cholesterol (or lipid) panel – total, HDL, LDL, triglycerides

Cholesterol particle size including VLDL

Oxidative stress – oxidized LDL, urinary 8-OHdg (8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine)

Inflammation – High sensitivity C Reactive Protein 

Homocysteine – marker for cardiovascular health and B vitamin status

Thyroid panel – TSH, free T4 and T3 – for more info, see Episode 42

Blood sugar – HbA1c, fasting glucose and insulin – for more info, see Episode 45

Food sensitivity testing, Celiac screen

Hormone testing including cortisol levels

Omega 3 Index

Framingham Score for Cardiovascular Risk: 

Heart health calculator

Dr. Lisa’s Super Mom Moment Recipes:

Honey Buttercream Frosting

Almond Flour Cake

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Toni loves the new Disney animated movie Encanto

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of her Hario cold brew coffee pot

What else we’re up to:

Dr. Lisa’s next Wild Collective group is starting later this spring – get on the waitlist HERE.

Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing class series starting in March – for more info on a free online masterclass to reduce fear and anxiety around birth, click HERE

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 111: Metabolic Flexibility and the Keto Diet with Dr. Bonnie Nedrow, ND

In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa is discussing keto diet and metabolic flexibility with best-selling author and Naturopathic Doctor Bonnie Nedrow. As you age and have hormone fluctuations, it can be challenging to dial in the right amount of carbs while still supporting ideal fat-burning and metabolism. Listen in to learn how you can achieve stable energy without eating frequently, reduce your dependence on carbs and train your body to burn fat in perimenopause and menopause.

Dr. Bonnie Nedrow lives in the redwoods of northern California, her home base for naturopathic tele-medicine, her membership platform and on-line courses. She is passionate about the effects of environmental chemicals on health, the core subject of lectures she has presented nationally and internationally to the public and her peers. Dr. Nedrow is President of the National Association of Environmental Medicine and the co-author of three books, Metabolic Flexibility: How to Heal Your Metabolism with a Ketogenic Diet, The Cleanse Companion Cookbook and The Seasonal Cleanse Workbook. For more about her work, visit DrBonnieNedrow.com. 

In this episode, we cover:

  • How metabolic flexibility helps you to easily shift from using carbohydrates for fuel to burning fat for fuel 
  • The importance of intelligently experimenting with your macronutrient balance, caloric intake and eating patterns for your metabolism and enjoyment of life
  • How to listen to your body so you can gravitate towards the best healing foods for you
  • The importance of getting a physical exam and blood work to prepare your body for a ketogenic diet
  • How other factors like your levels of exercise, alcohol intake, sleep, gut microbiome and your sleep have an impact on fat metabolism
  • The importance of testing levels of ketones through blood to get an accurate picture of what your keto diet looks like – without tracking, you don’t know
  • How getting off the blood sugar roller coaster with a higher fat diet takes the stress off your adrenal glands so your hormones can be supported during the menopausal transition
  • The benefits of being fat adapted in perimenopause and menopause, including fat metabolism, weight loss, higher energy, improved sleep and mood
  • When to think about intermittent fasting during your menstrual cycle
  • How staying on a keto diet too long is harmful for your metabolism 
  • The pros and cons of using exogenous ketones or keto snacks when you are using a keto diet to get fat adapted
  • What to eat for breakfast to support your fat metabolism 
  • How being keto adapted is important if you are intermittent fasting so you don’t lose your muscle mass
  • The importance of liver detoxification for fat metabolism

You can purchase Dr. Bonnie’s Metabolic Flexibility book here

Visit drbonnienedrow.com for more info about Dr. Bonnie.

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Bonnie is a big fan of nurturing bidirectional respect with her kids 

Dr. Lisa loves her Month of Love activity of cutting out hearts to write something she loves about another family member and posting it on their door.

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!

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.