In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa talks with holistic nutritionist Cristina Tahoces about Love-Led Nourishment. Learn how the intentional choice towards live food helps you connect to your own positive feelings of love and self-worth. Stuck in a cycle of mindless binge eating or feeling deprived? If you don’t have a positive relationship with food, you’re not alone. This episode is for you.
“The only why that is strong enough to counter stress and the voice of the inner critic is love”
Cristina Tahoces
Cristina Tahoces is a holistic nutritionist and owner of Thrive Nutrition Practice, a global online wellness business focused on building physical and mental health resilience to stress through a nutritional approach she calls “love-led nourishment”. A former corporate banker, Cristina turned to nutrition to help herself heal from chronic allergies & adrenal fatigue. Over the years, she has helped clients with high stress profiles improve sleep, immunity & energy levels, relieve irritable bowel symptoms and reverse high blood pressure – all through her in-depth knowledge about how to use food therapeutically. In 2017, she shared her nutritional strategy “Sleep Love Poop” on the TEDx stage as part of the TED Women’s Global Conference. She uses the themes of Sleep Love Poop to help her clients both in private consultation and through her group programs, which she runs several times a year.
In this episode, we cover:
How the food choices we make, especially under stress, are dictated by emotion instead of logic
The importance of asking yourself what you could choose to eat that would show yourself love, kindness, compassion and respect
The difference between “live” food and “dead” food and their impact on your energy
How to get your kids excited about live foods like fruit and how to make an apple doughnut
The key to pressing pause on your inner critic and increasing self-compassion
How practicing is more important than knowing
The importance of re-labelling dinner time as an investment in your physical and mental health instead of a chore
How to trade up your food with nutrient dense foods to feel satiated and prevent overeating or feeling deprived
The importance of switching from fight or flight mode to rest and digest mode in order to practice intuitive eating and Love-Led Nourishment
Vagus nerve breathing exercise: inhale to count of 4, pause for count of 3, exhale through the mouth to count of 8
How drinking water can massively impact your mental clarity and energy level
The importance of protein and a variety of vegetables with every meal
Thrive & AmyA Fitness Bootcamps: where the best in mindful fitness & nutrition is combined to give you the results you want on a platter. New Bootcamp coming in October.
Women. Lead. Now.: a leadership coaching masterclass series for women looking to rewrite the rules of leadership and lead with clarity, confidence, competence and courage. Starts October 5th.
Cristina loves being glued to her 600ml Lifefactory glass water bottle instead of her phone and her Kitchenaid mini food processor for chopping veggies, dips and sauces.
Dr. Lisa is a big fan of super comfortable Smash and Tess Rompers.
Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing info session for expecting parents looking to trust their instincts and their body during labour and birth is September 27. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register
Dr. Lisa’s Wild Collective begins again in Fall 2021: 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.
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.
We refer to this past episode from October 8, 2020 so often that we decided to re-release it! Is your thyroid the reason you are exhausted, depressed, constipated, forgetful and gaining weight? We discuss signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism, how to properly diagnose imbalances, how to eat to support thyroid health and how we approach assessment and treatment as Naturopathic Doctors.
One in eight women will develop thyroid disease at some point in their life and women are 5-8 times more likely than men to experience thyroid issues.
As Dr. Lisa shared previously in Episode 3, she realized that her thyroid wasn’t functioning properly after giving birth to her son. It is common for women to discover thyroid issues in the postpartum period. Proper blood work, addressing stress and taking dessicated thyroid were crucial for Dr. Lisa to feel her best.
Why is your thyroid so important?
Your thyroid gland regulates your temperature, energy production and metabolism. When your thyroid is under functioning, it is called hypothyroidism. High thyroid function is called hyperthyroidism.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
Fatigue and exhaustion
Unexplained weight gain
Increased sensitivity to cold and temperature changes
Constipation
Dry skin and thinning hair
Puffy face
Cravings for sugar and carbohydrates
Muscle weakness, aches, tenderness and stiffness
Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods
Depression and anxiety
as many as 15% of women on antidepressants have an undetected thyroid problem as the cause of their depression
Brain fog, poor memory and concentration
Studies of women in their 60s have shown that low thyroid function can cause dementia-like symptoms and treatment can improve cognitive function and have a protective effect on the brain
High cholesterol
Increased risk of heart attack, cardiac arrhythmias and congestive heart failure due to the regulatory control of the thyroid on heart rate and rhythm
Fertility issues, increased risk of miscarriage and preterm birth
Increased risk of prenatal and postpartum depression
Why do so many women have thyroid issues?
Possible Causes of Your Thyroid Issue Include:
Environmental exposure to different chemicals, xenoestrogens and heavy metals
Certain medications including birth control pill
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
Iodine, selenium, vitamin D, zinc, iron, vitamin A
Low calorie diets
Infections
Stress
High cortisol levels due to chronic stress:
reduces thyroid hormone production
inhibits your conversion of the inactive form of thyroid hormone T4, to the active form T3
Gut issues
Leaky gut (also known as intestinal hyperpermeability) and imbalances in your gut microbiome have both been shown to impact hormone imbalances and fluctuations, like when you are postpartum or in perimenopause
Autoimmunity
Environmental toxins, chronic stress, nutritional insufficiencies, leaky gut, food intolerances and having chronic inflammation are all factors that can contribute to autoimmune disease
Your immune system is triggered to produce antibodies that can attack your thyroid, which is what is happening when you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
How do you properly test your thyroid function and the underlying causes of thyroid issues?
Blood work:
Full thyroid panel: TSH, free T4 and T3, thyroid peroxidase antibodies, thyroglobulin antibodies, reverse T3
Vitamin D, iron
Celiac screen
Gluten and other food sensitivity
Saliva and urine testing for hormones including cortisol, estrogen, progesterone
Urine testing for heavy metal exposure (eg. cadmium, mercury)
Temperature checks every 3 hours during the day to see if your body is using your thyroid hormones properly
What can you do about an underfunctioning thyroid?
Avoid raw goitrogenic foods – soy and Brassica family veggies like broccoli and cauliflower
Increase your intake of thyroid supporting foods
Seaweed like dulse for iodine, brazil nuts for selenium, pumpkin seeds and oysters for zinc
Reduce toxin exposure
Replace nutrient deficiencies
Consider adrenal and stress support:
Address your throat chakra – speaking your truth, asking for help
Herbal support with ashwagandha, kelp, bladderwrack, Coleus forskohlii
Thyroid hormone replacement with Synthroid or Dessicated thyroid
Take in the morning, on an empty stomach, away from caffeine
Why would you consider dessicated thyroid?
If you’re on monotherapy like Synthroid (T4), you still night suffer from anxiety and depression even if your TSH levels are normal
T4 may not be enough to restore your T3 levels in your blood and target tissues
It contains all four natural thyroid hormones – T4, T3, T2, T1, plus iodine, thyroglobulin
Today’s Mama Must Have:
Dr. Toni loves having a healthy and easy recipe like Egg Muffins from Amanda Naturally that the whole family will eat for breakfast or a snack. Check out Episode 5 for more tips for healthy food habits from Amanda.
Dr. Lisa knows that Dessicated Thyroid is an absolute must have for her!
Thank you for joining us today!
Connect with us at our website www.perimenopausalmamas.com, on Facebook and on 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!
This episode was originally released on June 18, 2020. We had such great feedback on the tips provided that we decided to re-release it. Even if you had previously listened to this episode, it is still useful to listen again to be reminded how powerful simple daily habits can make a world of difference when it comes to your health. (Note: for the month of August, we are re-releasing some “oldies but goodies” – popular previously recorded episodes. We will go back to releasing new episodes in September 2021).
The majority of your health, energy and vitality is determined by the small, consistent habits that you incorporate daily. In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni “go back to the basics” and uncover 10 simple (and free!) things you can do to support energy, immunity, hormone balance, mood, digestion, disease prevention and more. Pick 1 or 2 health habits that resonate with you and that are easy to incorporate. Every little bit helps!
In this episode, we cover:
Deep breathing
Prioritizing sleep
Drinking water
Practicing Hydrotherapy
Adding fresh herbs and spices to your food
Eating more veggies
Getting in “exercise snacks” throughout the day
Connecting to nature
Practicing gratitude
Being a part of a community
Deep Breathing
Dr. Lisa’s favourite technique is Box Breathing aka 4-4-4-4 Breath
This technique is simple and easy. You can notice benefits of box breathing even after 1-2 minutes
You can practice deep breathing while you are showering, working, walking, watching tv, driving or stressful transitions with your kids, like bedtime
It helps to reduce stress, anxiety, possibly blood pressure and cortisol
Boosts feeling of well being and ability to be calm and present
Dr. Toni’s enjoys repurposing the HypnoBirthing Calm Breath (inhale to count of 4, pause, exhale to count of 6-8) in addition to the HypnoBirthing guided relaxation track available on HypnoBirthing Institute website as a free download
Prioritizing sleep – aim for about 7-8 hours
Sleep is essential for mental and emotional health, in addition to proper metabolism and immune system function
Give yourself permission to make sleep a priority over other things you could be doing – let yourself sleep!
Add in an afternoon nap if you need to (especially if you have little ones still napping)
Drinking Water
Hydration first thing in morning can make a huge difference in your energy, reduce your frequency of headaches and migraines, improve your digestion function and bowel movements
You can increase the quality of your tap water by using a filtration system
Adding lemon or other citrus fruit can add in flavour and more benefits for your health:
D-limonene is the essential oil found in the rind of citrus shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant anti-stress and anti-anxiety properties, plus in animal studies shown to reduce triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure, protect against stomach ulcers
Practicing Hydrotherapy aka “water therapy”
30-60 seconds cold water spray at end of your shower
Boosts your alertness, energy and mood
Helps your skin and hair to have a healthy glow (flattens follicles)
Supports your immunity and circulation to our internal organs
May support your weight loss with the production of more brown fat that produces heat, increasing your metabolism and temperature
Reduces your muscle soreness and can speed up your recovery post-workout
Other hydrotherapy options include cold spray on your feet while waiting for shower water to warm up or wet warming socks at the first sign of a cold
You can check out the free mini-class online by Wim Hof with focus on breathing, cold showers and power of your mind
Adding spices and fresh herbs to your food
Provides extra antioxidants for a quick and easy win for your health
Cinnamon can lower your blood sugar level and reduce inflammation
Ginger – supports digestion, good for nausea (even in pregnancy), can reduce pain and inflammation associated with arthritis, migraines and menstrual cramps
Add cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger to your chia pudding, yogurt, oatmeal or smoothie in the morning
Oregano – antibacterial properties, helps prevent against damage to your DNA and cells, plus has nutrients like calcium, vitamin K, manganese, iron, tryptophan
Add oregano and thyme to pasta sauces
Turmeric- used to reduce pain and inflammation for menstrual cramps, arthritis, may help to prevent against cancer and dementia
Add turmeric powder to hummus, baba ghanouj, scrambled eggs or omelettes with some black pepper and/or a bit of healthy fat)
Garlic – antimicrobial properties can help treat and prevent candida, fungus and other infections, support cardiovascular health
Enjoy roasted whole and spread on bread or crackers
Add garlic, parsley and cilantro to salad dressings with lemon juice, olive oil, coconut aminos, salt and pepper
Add dill to homemade coleslaw or salads
Add rosemary to barbequed meat to reduce advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and roasted veggies like squash, sweet potato and potatoes
Eating more vegetables
Aim for at least 8 servings a day with a rainbow of colours
More variety of veggies provides more nutrients
Higher fruit and vegetable intake (5 servings or more) is linked to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, especially:
Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, mustard greens
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy and kale
Also provides more fibre for improved digestion, balanced blood sugar and can help prevent hypertension, diabetes, cancer
How can you get more in? Try one new veggie per week
Add spinach or greens to smoothies or “green eggs”
Switch out a serving of pasta, rice, bread for cauliflower rice, vegetable pasta or konjac noodles/rice
Research shows that intake of starchier vegetables like potatoes, corn, and peas were linked with more weight gain
Getting in “exercise snacks” throughout the day
Great for switching up your emotional state, maintaining your muscle mass, your cardiovascular and lymphatic health, and spending time with your kids
Walking or running, outside or doing stairs or laps inside!
Indoor dance party in your living room
Set a timer to do some push ups, lunges and/or squats for 1-2 minutes every hour to reduce the amount of time you’re sitting during the day
Connecting to Nature
calming, connects me with something bigger than myself and my little problems, simple as being mindful and observing the trees in the yard and the neighbourhood park, grateful to live with large pine trees in front and back yard
Aim for at least 20 minutes 2 times a week
Studies show getting outside can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels while boosting mood and memory
Induces calm and relaxation by reducing rumination
Can be done alone or with others (while physically distance as necessary)
Can include taking a nature walk in a park, forest bathing, sitting in your backyard or balcony, listening to nature sounds, looking at pictures of nature scenes or hugging trees (as they were urged to do in Iceland to help overcome social isolation
Doctors are starting to write prescriptions for getting out in nature
Practicing gratitude
Research shows that grateful people experience less pain and depression, plus better sleep and self-esteem
Can be as simple as feeling thankful for hugs from family, connecting to family and friends online, summer weather, having time to listen to a podcast for new information or getting to drink your coffee or tea while it’s hot!
Gratitude practice can include a gratitude journal or mental review in the shower or in bed before sleep
“Where your attention goes, your energy flows”
Being part of a community
Social isolation and loneliness has a bigger health impact than smoking on your risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease
Reduces stress and anxiety
Options include:
Talking with friends and family over phone, WhatsApp or Zoom
Playing games with friends online
Online book clubs
Online groups like Mom Halo, Mamas and Co, Camp Hoo-ha, Business Networking International (BNI)
Volunteering
Today’s Mama Must Have:
Dr. Toni is thankful to have Arnica homeopathic pellets and ointment to safely manage the inevitable falls, bumps and bruises that happen in daily life with a toddler.
Dr. Lisa finds a real benefit from a gratitude journal and writing down what she’s grateful for in a regular ringed notebook from the dollar store. In the morning, she reflects on, and writes down: what would make today great; three amazing things that happened yesterday; plus people and opportunities that she’s grateful for.
Thank you for joining us today!
Find the show notes at stephanies48.sg-host.com 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!
In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni talk about how nutrition is crucial for having a healthy, balanced hormones.
As perimenopausal mamas, it can be tough to eat healthy when life is busy. Preparation can be key, especially to help make it easier at the end of the day after working and running around picking up kids from school or daycare.
Quick tips for food prep:
Pick a day on the weekend to do quick meal prep for the week, make a grocery list and get your groceries for the week
Keep frozen veggies on hand to roast, steam or saute as an option for quick nutrient boost to meals
What does a healthy, balanced diet look like? Macronutrients found in food include:
Protein – animal and plant based
Fats – animal and plant based, unsaturated and saturated (avoiding trans fats!)
Carbohydrates – simple and complex including fibre
There is no one size fits all when it comes to a healthy diet! There is no one master diet that is the right way to eat for everyone and your nutritional needs can change depending on the stage of life you are in.
While a healthy diet can vary from person to person, there are some nutrition guidelines to consider:
Aim for covering half your plate in vegetables, especially colourful veggies and leafy greens
Eat more Brassica family veggies to support estrogen detoxification, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kale
Cover a quarter of your plate with healthy sources of protein like wild caught fish, organic chicken, grass fed beef, beans and legumes
Complex carbohydrates like whole grains or starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, squash and beets can cover the remaining quarter of your plate
Add healthy fats like avocado, coconut and olive oil, ghee, nuts and seeds like almonds and walnuts
Start your kids early with healthy eating to avoid having to make more than one meal – see Episode 5 with Amanda Beatty for more tips!
Remember that your portion control and balance of carbs in your meals will most likely be different than your kids! Your kids may need more simple carbs in the form of fruit and grains.
Read the label when you’re picking out processed foods and looking for healthy snacks. A snack may say gluten free or natural, but can still have a whole lot of added sugar in it in the form of evaporated cane juice, sucrose, glucose, fructose or other words that end with “ose”.
Are you eating enough protein?
Protein is important for hormone balance for a number of reasons:
Acts as essential building block for hormones and enzymes
Supports muscle mass, which is metabolically active tissue that burns more calories!
Has higher thermic effect of food, which means that your body will burn more calories when digesting and processing food with higher levels of protein
Make sure you have a breakfast that contains protein with:
Eggs in scrambled, omelette, frittata or hard boiled form
Quinoa porridge with seeds like hemp and ground flax
Chia seed pudding
Smoothie with nut butter, protein powder
Adding in an extra scoop of collagen or protein powder to any of the above
Other goals to use your food as medicine can include:
Balance your blood sugar to prevent energy dips, insulin release and fat storage
Stay more full and satisfied with protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates and fibre
Get a mood boost with complex carbohydrates and tryptophan-containing foods like chia and sesame seeds
Avoid inflammatory foods like processed sugar and find out if your body is not happy with other normally healthy foods
Common food sensitivities can include dairy, gluten, corn, soy, eggs and even almonds!
Avoid drinking too much water with your meals so that you’re not diluting your stomach acid which can impact your ability to digest and absorb your food properly
Today’s Mama Must Have:
Dr. Toni believes that every mama needs a go-to healthy snack to fuel yourself and your kids and her go-to snack is her hemp protein power balls. Here’s her recipe:
Dr. Toni’s Hemp Protein Power Balls:
½ cup hemp protein powder (from Manitoba Harvest)
1 tbsp organic cocoa powder (from Camino Cuisine or Rodelle)
½ cup sunflower seed butter (from Nuts to You, or use almond/pumpkin seed butter)
½ tbsp hemp seed oil (from Manitoba Harvest, or use MCT/flaxseed oil)
Optional:
Coconut flakes
Ground flaxseed
Dried cranberries (sweetened with apple juice from Patience)
Mix dried ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then add wet ingredients. Consider adding more oil if using optional ingredients. Roll into bite sized balls and store in the refrigerator.
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!
In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa speaks with holistic nutrition and health coach Amanda Beatty about creating healthy food habits for the whole family, how to get picky eaters to try new foods, and the importance of modelling good food habits in the home. In addition to being a mother of two little ones, she is a self-professed science nerd, food aficionado, lover of fitness and embracer of all things natural.
Powerful Mama Advice from Amanda:
It is not your job to stop your kids’ crying all the time. Crying can be an important release of stress and tool for processing of emotions. You can be a safe space for your children when they need to cry.
When her daughter was 6 months old, Amanda realized that her daughter was a big deep feeler like her mama. Her daughter didn’t sleep well during the night if Amanda acted to stop her daughter’s crying with nursing. Her daughter would be able to sleep peacefully at night when she started helping her daughter to navigate her early emotions by telling her she was safe. Managing her newborn’s crying was easier the second time around!
Mealtime can be difficult for your family!
Challenges around food can include:
Trying new foods
Kids unhappy about being taken away from playtime
Kids not wanting to sit at the dinner table
Not enjoying different flavours and textures
How do you create healthy habits for your family around food?
The earlier, the better! But don’t worry, it’s never too late!
Strategy #1:
Amanda recommends staying focused on the long game, developing habits over weeks, months and years instead of worrying about each meal or each day. Trust your child’s instincts (within reason!) and pay attention to what your child eats over 4 or 5 days, instead of expecting all macronutrients to be balanced in one day or the same volume of food eaten every day.
Leave your child’s unfinished meal plate on the table in case they are hungry and want a snack an hour after they said they were done eating.
Strategy #2:
While not always possible, try to eat together as a family as often as possible. Also eat the same food, instead of cooking multiple meals for different family members. Adjust the parents’ meal instead of adjusting what your children eat, especially when you are still introducing foods to your little ones. Have your favourite foods or treats when you’re not with your kids or after your kids are in bed.
Strategy #3:
Avoid using bribes, rewards or punishments around food. As a result, you can prevent your child from associating their goodness with clearing their plate or ignoring their own innate understanding if they are hungry or full. Bribes tend to become less and less successful over time. Watch what words you use.
Examples:
“First lunch, then popsicle” instead of “If you finish your meal, you get dessert”
“It’s not time for cookies” instead of “Cookies aren’t healthy for breakfast”
“That’s ok, maybe when you’re older” when your toddler says “I don’t like that”
Strategy #4:
Involve your kids as much as possible in growing their food in a garden or choosing their food at the grocery store or farmers market, especially veggies. Amanda’s daughter got really excited about eating salad after helping to make a yummy salad dressing of honey, frozen strawberries, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Letting her lick a spoonful of honey really helped.
Amanda started her daughter on salad by using her favourite vegetable, cucumber, as a base with diced greens on top. She then gradually added more and more veggies over time. She now eats the exact same salad that Amanda does!
Strategy #5:
What you do is way more important than what you say. You have to model the behaviour you want to see. Amanda and her husband Jon see raising kids as an opportunity to check in on your own habits and your own biases.
Identify what you want your kids’ health habits to be and what your own health habits are. If you identify as a picky eater or are biased against having veggies as breakfast, you can’t expect your children to not have those same habits and beliefs. Consider repatterning or retraining yourself and your own food habits.
Quick hacks for expanding the horizons of picky eaters:
Serve vegetables at every meal
Let your kids see you eat vegetables at every meal
Create a Share Plate – let your kids pick their favourite food from a large plate of a variety of foods that the whole family eats and add new foods over time (shout out to @holistic_leigh on Instagram for this awesome tip!)
Dr. Lisa’s favourite brand of spices is Simply Organic. There’s a lot of great variety of high quality of spices that you can use to get your kids acquainted with different flavours without worrying about pesticide residues.
As an Amazon Associate Dr. Toni earns from qualifying purchases, which helps to keep this podcast up and running!
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!
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