Radio Naturopath
Radio Naturopath Episode 491: Single Food Studies, Higher Carbs for Health in Menopause
This week, I talked about how you see this studies about how eating 2 cups of mango or 1 cup of blueberries or 1/2 cup pistachios EVERY DAY can affect this, that, or the other health parameter. I calmed the fire by letting you know that if the study says this, it might be a good idea to incorporate this food into your diet, but you don't have to worry about eating specific portions every day! But it's nice to know that certain foods have been studied to have specific health benefits.
Then I went into how it's not really healthy for peri- and post-menopausal women to eat a low carbohydrate and/or ketogenic diet. It can result in short term weight gain, but lowering carbs too much leads to increased stress, increased cortisol, increased weight gain, and increased symptoms! This doesn't mean eat donuts and candy bars. It DOES mean eat healthy carbs, like root vegetables, quinoa, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables. We also touch on some info about hormone replacement. Hint: estrogen is not ideal!
Radio Naturopath Episode 489: Sucralose and Appetite, Alzheimer’s & Sleep, Galveston Menopause Diet
This week I discussed how sucralose, the artificial sweetener, has been studied to INCREASE hunger even though it is basically non-caloric. It fools the brain into thinking it's going to get calories so sets up hormones to receive food. Better to use other alternative sweeteners, or small amounts of sugar! We then discussed how poor sleep can increase risk of dementia and Alzheimer's, and made suggestions on how to fix this. We finished with the Galveston diet, a lower carbohydrate diet that incorporates intermittent fasting for women in peri- and post-menopause.
Radio Naturopath Episode 486: Rest That Cold, Don’t Stress About Menopause Weight!
This week, we reviewed healing from a cold, and then went on to more information about how menopausal weight gain happens. It's possible to mitigate it but it's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that YOU FEEL GOOD, get your rest, do things that make you happy, and not worry so much about the numbers on the scale! The best diet is going to be one that suits you, that includes a lot of whole foods like veggies and fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains, and clean animal protein; adjust these to your tolerances and preferences. We'll get to some more specific information in the coming weeks!
Radio Naturopath Episode 485: No Escaping the Common Cold (but here’s help); Menopause: Weight Loss??!!
The past week I had the DREADED COMMON COLD, along with sinking into misery, lots of symptoms, wondering if I'd ever be well again, then after three days of that, feeling much better! The key is rest, rest, rest. We talk about good things like water, neti pots, things to break up mucus, spicy food, and more. Then we start on menopause and weight loss (and why you shouldn't make yourself crazy). There's a lot to unpack so we'll have more for you!
Radio Naturopath Episode 478: B Complex and Your Stomach, Menopause and More Comfortable Sex!
This week I talked about B vitamins. Sometimes taking specific B vitamins can cause stomach upset, and you have to figure out which ones are bothering you. Sometimes it's best to take a food based vitamin; sometimes a methylated blend; sometimes specific ones separately; and sometimes just get them from food! We help to sort this out. I then went on to discuss something very important to folks of a certain age: how to make sex more comfortable! Hormones, lubes, restorative activities, we lay it on the table.
Radio Naturopath Episode 461: Menopause and Weight Loss
This week I'm playing a lecture I recorded a while ago, about menopause and weight loss. I talk about how it's harder to lose fat after menopause, and why. It's all about the cortisol! Get that cortisol down and it will help. Also, having a little extra weight on after menopause is actually good, because the fat makes estrogen for you, and carrying it strengthens your bones. But, if you want to be at a lower weight, here's some tips! Just like all my advice about weight loss, the first rule of weight loss is to not focus on weight loss.
Radio Naturopath Episode 452: Low Impact Plyometrics, Exercise for Menopause and Osteoporosis
This week we went on to talk about plyometrics that you can do that don't affect the knees and hips especially if you have trouble with those. Hint: get a medicine ball! Carrying and tossing a heavy ball can be really helpful without the need for jumping. We also talked about more helpful exercises for menopause, especially dancing! And the important ways to build bone density.
Radio Naturopath Episode 451: Sunscreens and Toxicity, Menopause and Exercise
This week, I got deeper into sunscreens. Avobenzone and octabenzone: BAD. And I found out that one of my favorite SPF-containing face lotions has avobenzone in it! And I cleared out most of my sunscreens except for the ones with zinc oxide in them! Sheesh. Turns out those two are the worse offenders, and are hormonal disrupters, and if you go to the drugstore or supermarket and look at the display, most of the sunscreens contain either or both of those! BEST is too find sunscreens with either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, which sit on your skin, reflect the sun, and aren't absorbed. The only thing is to avoid sprays, because you can inhale the metallic microparticles.
We started by reviewing Stacy Sims's recommendations for post-menopausal women and exercise. What's best? Living heavy stuff, and short intervals! Intervals of at lest 60 seconds promote increased cortisol, so keeping it to around 30 seconds is best. She also recommends plyometrics, which can involve a lot of jumping. There ARE ways to do low impact plyometrics, and we'll talk about that next week!
Radio Naturopath Episode 375: Practice of Stillness/Weight Loss, Eat More Cinnamon, Ginger. Pumpkin!
This week, I talked about something dear to my heart and very important to a lot of people. Many patients, especially peri- and post-menopausal women, are talking about difficulty in fat loss. The fat hangs out right around their midsection. It's known as MENOBELLY! I didn't make that up. It's because our reduction in estrogen and progesterone reduce activity of fat-consuming enzymes, and we become more sensitive to cortisol. In our stressful lives, we spend too much time in high cortisol, and that adds fat to our midsections! So the short answer is to lower cortisol. One simple way to do that: A PRACTICE OF STILLNESS. That's any activity that you can do that involves being still and deep breathing! Listen to find out how.
I also talked about some more yummy foods that we eat around Thanksgiving and why they're good for you: cinnamon, ginger, and pumpkin. Listen and eat up!
Radio Naturopath Episode 358: Help for your Poison Ivy, Stool Shape and Your Health
This week it was about less fun but necessary topics. Poison ivy is no fun, super itchy, and can range from annoying to problematic to even dangerous. Here's some useful tips to deal with it naturally. Of course, if the rash is progressing over your whole body, going into your mouth, throat, nose, eyes, or genitals, it's time to go to the doctor or urgent care. Sometimes it's just safer to get a steroid pack. But if it's merely annoying and not in a dangerous spot, there's lots to try, from menthol to grindelia to clay! I also had an interesting question from Eliana, a listener in Israel. She wanted the lowdown on stool shape and consistency! So we talked about the Bristol Stool Chart and what conditions can cause various stool changes. Somewhat unpleasant but necessary. And wasn't the bathroom called the "necessary" in Revolutionary War times?