In this replay from December 2021, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni discuss all things perimenopause…what it is, what’s happening and how to test for it. Not sure if you’re in perimenopause or what is happening with your hormones? Experiencing hot flashes, irregular periods, mood swings and insomnia? Listen in!
What is the difference between menopause and perimenopause?
Menopause is when you have not had a menstrual period for 12 months.
Perimenopause is the transition period before you reach menopause and can last for 4 years, 8 years or longer.
What is happening with your hormones in perimenopause?
Perimenopausal symptoms, as well as your hormones, can be unpredictable and might fluctuate throughout perimenopause:
You may get PMS symptoms some months, not others
You may get other menopausal symptoms some months and not others
Changes that can happen around perimenopause and menopause includes bone loss and osteoporosis, shifts in weight and metabolism, brain and mood changes
The most common symptoms you may experience include:
Insomnia
30-60% of women experience in perimenopause
Research show correlations between plastic exposure and body care products and self-report insomnia (testing urinary phthalate levels – Hatcher 2020)
Your body’s normally predictable hormone cycle that happens over the month changes during perimenopause:
You might not ovulate every month or you might ovulate early
You have changes in your menstrual cycle length of 7 days or more (shorter or longer cycles) then have longer cycles and more skipped periods until you reach menopause
Your estrogen levels can go up and down more than usual
Your progesterone levels tend to decrease overall
Your FSH level may elevate or fluctuate
Your stress hormone cortisol and thyroid hormones can be impacted
See more info about stress and cortisol: Episode 24
Does every woman experience the transition from perimenopause to menopause the same way?
No!
You can have one of 4 different patterns of estrogen and 3 different patterns FSH levels, as well as different combinations of other symptoms at different stages of perimenopause.
Dr. Lisa is a big fan of this paleo crepe recipe that Stuart also loves:
Dr. Toni loves seeing Frankie play with simple wooden blocks and hand-me-down Lego blocks
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.
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.
In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni discuss all things perimenopause…what it is, what’s happening and how to test for it. Not sure if you’re in perimenopause or what is happening with your hormones? Experiencing hot flashes, irregular periods, mood swings and insomnia? Listen in!
What is the difference between menopause and perimenopause?
Menopause is when you have not had a menstrual period for 12 months.
Perimenopause is the transition period before you reach menopause and can last for 4 years, 8 years or longer.
What is happening with your hormones in perimenopause?
Perimenopausal symptoms, as well as your hormones, can be unpredictable and might fluctuate throughout perimenopause:
You may get PMS symptoms some months, not others
You may get other menopausal symptoms some months and not others
Changes that can happen around perimenopause and menopause includes bone loss and osteoporosis, shifts in weight and metabolism, brain and mood changes
The most common symptoms you may experience include:
Insomnia
30-60% of women experience in perimenopause
Research show correlations between plastic exposure and body care products and self-report insomnia (testing urinary phthalate levels – Hatcher 2020)
Your body’s normally predictable hormone cycle that happens over the month changes during perimenopause:
You might not ovulate every month or you might ovulate early
You have changes in your menstrual cycle length of 7 days or more (shorter or longer cycles) then have longer cycles and more skipped periods until you reach menopause
Your estrogen levels can go up and down more than usual
Your progesterone levels tend to decrease overall
Your FSH level may elevate or fluctuate
Your stress hormone cortisol and thyroid hormones can be impacted
See more info about stress and cortisol: Episode 24
Does every woman experience the transition from perimenopause to menopause the same way?
No!
You can have one of 4 different patterns of estrogen and 3 different patterns FSH levels, as well as different combinations of other symptoms at different stages of perimenopause.
Dr. Lisa is a big fan of this paleo crepe recipe that Stuart also loves:
Dr. Toni loves seeing Frankie play with simple wooden blocks and hand-me-down Lego blocks
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.
In this episode, Dr. Toni is joined by registered herbalist and cannabis educator Jeananne Laing. More and more women are becoming interested in cannabis use, and yet there still is a stigma when it comes to using cannabis, especially when compared with other legal drugs.
Jeananne Laing is a registered herbalist, cannabis educator and integrative nutrition health coach. Jeananne is a founding member and past President of the Alberta Herbalists Association, as well as a past board member with the Canadian Council of Herbal Associations. Jeananne’s interest in the medicinal use of cannabis and other plants began at an early age. After being involved in the herbal industry for over 15 years, the time was right for Jeananne to focus on helping people understand and utilize cannabis as part of their health care protocol.
In this episode, we cover:
The importance of the right time, place and dosage for cannabis products, like all things we consume
How cannabis is not just one product; it’s a category of products
The cannabinoid molecules found within the cannabis plant
CBD is psychoactive with no potential for impairment like how coffee impacts your brain, can sharpen your senses, can be calming
THC is psychoactive with the potential for impairment
The factors involved in how your body reacts to THC and CBD
Method of intake
Potency of product
Your individual genetics
The importance of experimenting with different cannabis products and timing to figure out the best product for you, since there is no one size fits all
The 3 main intake methods for cannabis products
Inhalation – breathing in cannabinoids released from plant through heat, quick acting with full effects felt within minutes, great for quick results for pain, anxiety, sleep, nausea vomiting or appetite stimulation, lasts for 2-4 hours
Smoking – least desirable due to negative impact of breathing in smoke
Dried herb vaporizing – easier on the lungs to breathe in vapor
Ingestion – your liver transforms cannabinoids and increases potency, lasts 4-12 hours for sustained results
Edible products include liquid with dropper, drinks, chocolates, gummy bears, popsicles
Topical – can be used on specific areas for local relief of menstrual cramps, digestive discomfort, joint and muscle pain
Includes creams, gel, patches
The regulation and testing of legal cannabis products market in Canada
Retail stores – provide pre-packaged products, unable to give you recommendations based on your health concerns
Cannabis educators – can advise you on best products for your health concerns
Cannabis clinics – run by cannabis aware physicians to obtain medical authorization, often get supported by cannabis educator in addition to doctor, cannabis products ordered online and received by mail only
Grow your own for personal use
The potential for more scientific research on cannabis products
The safety concerns around products with THC for children and teens
Some children’s brains are more susceptible to damaging effects of THC when under the age of 25
The use of products with CBD for children and teens to manage medical conditions like seizures, anxiety and appetite stimulation
Jeananne is a big fan of using 10-25mg of CBD first thing in the morning with some fatty food to think more clearly, manage stress and reduce any aches and pains from inflammation.
Dr. Toni loves documentaries, especially a new documentary called the Wisdom of Trauma featuring Dr. Gabor Mate online as I’m recording, go to wisdomoftrauma.com to see how you can view this fantastic film about trauma and addiction.
Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing info 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
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 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 today’s episode, Dr. Lisa talks with Valeri Hall-Little, Efficiency Business Coach and Tech Guru, about how busy mamas can leverage routines, mindfulness and technology to maximize productivity, efficiency and energy while minimizing overwhelm and mental exhaustion.
Valeri discusses how to use simple tech tools (such as apps for: meditation, note-taking, task-management and streamlining to-do lists) to help you step back from the daily grind and improve the flow of your day (even if you are working from home right now and are trying to care for your kids at the same time!). She also emphasizes the importance of taking breaks from work and technology, when needed, to recharge and refocus.
In today’s episode, we cover:
The importance of sticking to a routine, juggling your schedule with your partner according to the times each of you are the most productive and harnessing the times when you can focus on work
Different morning routines to set the tone for a productive day, even if you only have 2 minutes
How combining movement and mindfulness can jump start your focus and attention during the day
The importance of using technology that serves you and makes your life easier (and avoiding technology that drains and overwhelms you)
How to easily compile and access all your online resources using tagging with Pocket
Why now is a good time to play with your technology and increase your mastery with tech tools that help you like Evernote
How taking the time to “sharpen your saw” and plan is key so that you’re working on the right things and doing it as effectively and efficiently, and not getting stuck in busy work
The need to recognize that the most productive thing you could be doing right now is to stop working and take a break
The importance of the ergonomics of your workspace at home
How noise-cancelling headphones can Increase your focus and decrease interruptions while working from home
Valeri is using the Calm app as a sanity saver – not only to meditate, but also to fall asleep to the ocean soundscape function. She is also listening to Calm’s sleep stories and masterclasses, starting and ending her day with it.
She is also loving Zoom to connect with family and friends, especially for special birthday celebrations.
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!
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