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 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 184: How to Use Your Breath to Manage Stress, Sleep Better and React Less with Maya Bahar Castle

In this episode, Dr. Lisa discusses the benefits of breathwork for ourselves and for our kids with certified breathwork coach Maya Bahar Castle. Listen in to find out how different breathing techniques can be used to: calm your nervous system down, lower cortisol, support mindfulness, enhance sleep, reduce anxiety and more! It doesn’t take long…even a few minutes of intentional breathing can have profound impacts on our mental, emotional and physical health and well-being. Maya also shares some ways to incorporate breathwork into you and your kids’ schedules. Every little bit helps!

Maya Bahar Castle (@breathingwithmaya) is a Certified Breathwork Coach and homeschooling mama. Prior to leaning into motherhood and breathwork practices, she enjoyed more than a decade long career in EdTech.  She’s honoured to guide journeyers through down-regulating forms of Breathwork that bring awareness back into one’s body, still the mind, connect to intention and restore the nervous system. She works with moms and children in Toronto, and when she has a spare moment, you’ll find her writing away.  

In today’s episode we cover:

  • Maya’s experience with homeschooling her son
  • How breathwork transformed Maya’s postpartum anxiety
  • The importance of grounding and responding instead of reacting to situations in your life
  • How you can breathe in a healthy way
  • The difference between healthy breathing and breathwork
  • The breathwork practice that has been proven to lower your cortisol level in 5 minutes
  • How breath can influence your hormones through your menstrual cycle and ease the transition through perimenopause and menopause
  • The importance of introducing breath work to your kids
  • How you can incorporate breath work into your day and remember to breathe properly

You can connect with Maya on Instagram @breathingwithmaya

Check out Maya’s 5-minute breathing exercises for kids: here and here.

Listen to the Hubermann Podcast episode on how to breathe properly here.

What 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 this fall. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register

Join Dr. Lisa’s Facebook 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!

Thanks for joining us!

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 180: Do You Need to Quit Coffee?

In this episode, Dr. Toni shares how caffeine affects her and how it may increase your anxiety levels and sleep challenges during perimenopause. There are some benefits to coffee, so listen in to find out what they are. Some people metabolize caffeine quickly, while others may feel lasting affects many hours later. Dr. Toni reviews just how much caffeine is in coffee and other foods and drinks; the amounts may just shock you! Many people are ingesting more caffeine then they think…is that you?

If you need it caffeine stay awake, then you will want to visit your Naturopathic Doctor or other licensed health care provider to figure out the reason for your fatigue.

In today’s episode, we cover:

  • The importance of your individual genetics on whether (and how much) coffee is good for you
  • How coffee can cause headaches or can be used to treat your headaches
  • Whether coffee is addictive
  • How drinking coffee can mask fatigue due to other health issues
  • Alternatives to coffee you can try if you want to reduce or stop your coffee consumption
  • Examples of caffeine sources:
    • 24 mg – 1 oz dark chocolate
    • 28 mg – 1 cup green tea
    • 34 mg – 1 can of soda eg. coke
    • 47 mg – 1 cup black tea
    • 65 mg – 1 shot espresso
    • 100 mg – 1 cup coffee
    • 135 mg – 1.5 cups coffee (average American daily consumption)
    • 150 mg – 1 grande Starbucks latte (16oz)
    • 160 mg – Rockstar original (16oz)
    • 200 mg – recommended limit for pregnant women
    • 300 mg – Rockstar endurance (16oz)
    • 360 mg – Trenta Starbucks cold brew (30oz)
    • 400 mg – recommended limit for non-pregnant people
    • 1200 mg – caffeine toxicity
    • 10-12 g – fatal dose

Today’s Mama Must-Have:

Dr. Toni is a big fan of hibiscus tea for its antioxidant properties and support of healthy skin and blood pressure.

What Else is Happening?

Join Dr. Lisa’s Facebook 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!

Thanks for joining us!

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 178: How to Do a Digital Detox (And Why You Need To)

In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni review the positive and negative effects that social media and screen time have on your body, mind and emotions.

Did you know that the average American watches TV for 4 hours/day and is on a digital device for 7.5 hours/day?!

Not only can being online impact your sleep, lower your mood, increase anxiety, and distract you from doing the things that really matter…it can also lead to “text neck”, “texting thumb”, inactivity and more!

Listen in to discover ways to do a digital detox by starting small and, ironically, using apps and technology along the way to get you off devices and be more efficient and productive with your time, energy and resources.

In today’s episode, we cover:

  • Why you need a digital detox – the negative impact of electronics and social media on your physical and mental health
  • How to set yourself up for a successful digital detox
  • The importance of practicing digital minimalism for your physical and mental health

Today’s Mama Must-Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of Biosteel electrolyte powder with water, ice and doTerra grapefruit oil for an energy pick-me-up.

Dr. Toni loves her SodaStream sparkling water maker for inexpensive bubbly water without cans or artificial flavours – she uses fruit or a drop each of lemon and fennel essential oil. 

What Else is Happening?

Join Dr. Lisa’s Facebook 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!

Thanks for joining us!

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.