This week on Thriving Thru Menopause, I am joined by Dr. Bill Rawls, a board-certified OBGYN known for his holistic expertise in helping women manage menopause.

Dr. Rawls shares his journey to alternative medicine, his personal battle with fibromyalgia and Lyme disease, and how his stressful situation led him to herbal practices.

He explains how every human body's function is cellular, and maintaining cellular health is crucial.

Drawing from his recent #1 bestselling book, The Cellular Wellness Solution: Tap Into Your Full Health Potential with the Science-Backed Power of Herbs, Dr Rawls discusses how our modern lifestyle and diet mean that crucial natural phytochemicals are missing from our diet  — and how they are the key to protecting cellular health, an essential component to living and ageing well.

Dr. Rawls discusses the benefits of combining low doses of bioidentical hormones with herbal therapy to manage menopausal symptoms.

He also encourages women to adopt healthy habits like regular physical movements and consuming a whole-food diet to improve their health.

Show Notes:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:49 Dr Bill Rawls' Journey to Holistic Medicine

05:07 Understanding Cellular Wellness

07:59 The Importance of Movement for Cellular Health

18:01The Role of Herbs in Cellular Health

23:31 The Impact of Modern Lifestyle on Cellular Health

24:55 Herbal Medicine and Hormone Therapy in Menopause Management

37:20The Importance of Foraging and Consuming Wild Plants

39:54 Conclusion and Further Resources

Dr Bill Rawls Resources:

Website: https://rawlsmd.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rawlsmd/

Book: Cellular Wellness

Clarissa Kristjansson

Website: https://www.clarissakristjansson.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivingthrumenopause/

In this episode, I am joined by Kim Rahir, a former journalist turned health coach, a survivor of MS turned European Champion in Master Weightlifting - and on a mission to help middle-aged women embrace muscle and strength as the one-stop-shop solution for a host of health problems often from our thirties onwards.

Her approach is to turn scientific knowledge about human health into actionable toolkits for everyday life.

Kim Rahir shares her inspiring journey of managing her Multiple Sclerosis (MS) through strength training and its tremendous benefits to her life.

After her MS diagnosis over ten years ago, she turned her situation around and even became the European champion in Masters weightlifting for her age group.

Kim emphasizes the importance of resistance and strength training in managing many health and well-being issues of midlife women, including maintaining bone density, managing blood sugar, and enhancing physical strength and mental health.

Additionally, she discusses how small, manageable steps in strength training can significantly transform the lives of many women, especially those in their midlife years, to become stronger and healthier.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation

00:37 Kim's Journey with MS

03:35 Facing the Fear of MS

04:37 The Power of Living in the Moment

05:04 The Role of Exercise in Managing MS

09:40 Kim's Introduction to Weightlifting

13:48 The Impact of Strength Training on Health

17:51 Overcoming Resistance and Empowerment

20:48 Understanding Resistance to Physical Activity

21:25 The Evolutionary Reason Behind Our Sedentary Lifestyle

22:38 The Consequences of a Sedentary Lifestyle

23:16 The Importance of Reactivating Unused Muscles

24:26 The Challenges of Starting an Exercise Routine

25:31 The Initial Steps to Starting an Exercise Routine

27:05 The Importance of Starting Slowly and Building Strength

27:45 The Challenges of Exercising in Midlife

28:07 The Importance of Adapting Exercise to Our Age and Lifestyle

32:53 The Importance of Acknowledging Where You Are At

37:03 The Power of Small Steps and Consistency

40:32 How to Get in Touch and Start Your Fitness Journey

Thriving Thru Menopause Social & Website

Instagram: @thrivingthrumenopause

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thrivingthrumenopause

LinkedIn: / clarissa-kristjansson

Website: https://www.clarissakristjansson.com

Kim Rahir

https://kimrahir.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-rahir/

https://www.facebook.com/kim.rahir/

How can slow living and botanicals help our skin in menopause?

Chwynyn Vaughn of Slow Botanicals (Pronounced “Quinin”) joined me on @thrivingthrumenopause to talk about how botanicals can be healing and nourishing for our skin as we age.

Chwynyn creates beautiful, handmade skincare products made from botanicals she grows in her organic garden and harvests in the wild, including flowers, plants, mushrooms, lichens, and seeds.

Chwynyn's dedication to both practices is a part of her commitment to slow beauty. She shares Slow Beauty and how it is part of a broader slow-living lifestyle.

Key Points in the Interview:

* What is Slow Living 00:6:17

* Defining Slow Beauty 00:9:48 3.

* How to use herbs internally and on your skin for maximum benefit 00:15:49

* Specific Skincare considerations for perimenopause and menopause 00:19:38

* How to align your skin care with circadian rhythms 00:23:30

You can find Chwynyn sharing her insights on slow beauty and skincare on the blog at Slow Botanicals and receive her free download with practical tips on creating your Slow Beauty Morning Ritual. https://www.slowbotanicals.com/

Subscribe to Heart of Menopause for more weekly information on managing menopause holistically.

Listen to this podcast on any of your favourite apps.

Check out my online course, Thrive and get on the list for my upcoming Women’s Wisdom series on managing peri/menopause from a traditional Chinese Medicine perspective.

As we age, it becomes increasingly difficult to become the "I can do anything" woman we aspire to be, especially after menopause.

This week, we have Kelly Howard, the Fitness Consistency Expert, joining us to discuss how women can prioritize their fitness and feel great in the second half of their lives.

Kelly shared her secrets to fitness:

* Why consistency is the key to achieving long-term fitness goals

* How starting small can be smart for beginners

* Why your brain is your biggest fitness asset

* Overcoming common myths about fitness

* How adventure can be incorporated to achieve fitness goals

With 2024 just around the corner, this episode is an excellent resource for those who want to get active, fit, and even step out of their comfort zone.

Kelly Howard is the fitness consistency expert with a touch of adventure, founder of Fit is Freedom, host of the Fit is Freedom Podcast, and bestselling author of FIT: Active & Ageless for Life.

For over 25 years, Kelly has helped thousands of women prioritize their fitness so they can feel great and have more fun in this second half of life. She loves helping women get active, fit, and out of their comfort zone (if they’re willing).

Listen to the podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Subscribe to Heart of Menopause

If you are looking for more support in menopause, connect with me

Join host Clarissa Kristjansson as she dives into holistic wellness with Dr. Christina Burns, a distinguished Doctor of Eastern Medicine and Herbalist specializing in women's health and fertility. With a wealth of experience featured in publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur, NY Post, and Bustle, Dr. Burns brings a unique perspective to menopause management.

This week's episode explores the realm of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) ‘s invaluable role in helping women flourish during menopause. Dr. Burns, who has immersed herself in mindfulness and Eastern medicine in remote areas of China, India, and Nepal, sheds light on the physiology of menopause and its impact on hormones, mind, skin, hair, and metabolism.

Discover how acupuncture can be a powerful ally in navigating the menopausal journey. Dr. Burns shares her expertise on the profound effects of Chinese herbs, providing natural solutions to enhance well-being during this transformative phase of life.

Whether you're seeking personalized mind-body programs, informed nutrition, or lifestyle management tips, our guest's wellness institute in NYC is dedicated to empowering women on their path to optimal health.

Tune in for a captivating conversation on menopause and the role that Traditional Chinese Medicine can play in women's health at this time.

You can connect with Dr Christina Burns at Naturna Life and get a copy of her book "The Ultimate Fertility Guidebook"

You can listen to this podcast here on Substack or on any of the apps you listen to podcasts on or go theThriving Thru Menopause YouTube Channel

Do subscribe to Heart of Menopause, where I share weekly guidance on managing menopause holistically.

Discover more about my coaching programme Thrive in Menopause and my 1:1 Qigong sessions over on my website

This week, we're going to take a look at unlocking menopause metabolism secrets. By understanding how your body changes during menopause, you can start to make healthy, nutritious choices that help you lose weight and keep it off.

If you're struggling with weight gain or nutrition concerns during menopause, this episode is for you! We'll cover everything you need to know about unlocking menopause metabolism secrets, from weight gain to nutrition to strength training.

By the end, you'll have all the information you need to start making healthy, sustainable changes to your diet and lifestyle!

This week my guest Rachel Freiman, the dynamic CEO of MindStrong Fitness and author of "Becoming MindStrong," spills the beans on why restrictive diets are a dead-end, how to be a healthy weight without giving up your favourite treats and the importance of strength training for maintaining muscle mass and keeping your metabolism strong.

Have you ever wondered how to ignite your metabolism, especially during menopause or post-menopause?

Rachel shares insightful tips and practical advice on why 90% of your weight management nutrition.

Learn from Rachel how to make nutrition a sustainable lifestyle.

No more short-term fixes! Discover the keys to long-lasting health and fitness without feeling deprived.

Menopause Myths Debunked: Is menopause a metabolism death sentence? Find out as Rachel dives into common misconceptions and provides empowering insights for women navigating this phase of life.

Breaking the Plateau: Feeling stuck despite trying everything? Rachel discusses strategies for overcoming plateaus and achieving breakthroughs in your fitness journey.

What about supplements during menopause? Rachel separates fact from fiction, guiding you on whether they're necessary.

Connect with Rachel and get a copy of her book: https://www.mindstrongfitnesscoaching.com/ and follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/getmindstrong/

Listen on your favourite app.

Subscribe to my Substack

Learn about my new menopause course ‘Thrive’ here

Trauma-informed, Somatic (body-based) Empowerment & Sexuality Coach Kim Coffin joins me this week to share her passion for helping women feel sexy in their lives and bodies again – aka get their sexy back!

Kim shares her own story of being sexually assaulted by her stepfather at 14, her mother’s denial of the experience and how that led her to develop what she describes as fake confidence in her 20s and 30s to get her through life.

As she approached midlife and perimenopause, she began to disconnect from her partner and children. In her own words, she became a ‘walking talking head’ wholly disconnected from her body and the signs that her body was giving out that she needed to address this childhood trauma - adrenal fatigue and exhaustion, reduced sex drive and emotional numbness.

After taking time out to work through her own trauma, she is now helping other women to feel sexy in their life and body again. They are reconnected to their body and sexuality, to the sacred feminine, their sensuality, the pelvic bowl, their pussy and their inner GPS.

Best quote

‘All the parts of us we have dismissed, shamed, shut down. We need to light them back up, bring them back online and cultivate safety and trust. Learn to liberate your truth and restore your natural bliss’.

Connect with Kim: https://getyoursexyback.ca/

This week, my guest is Dr Angela De Rosa, and we discuss why she believes testosterone is vital for women in perimenopause and menopause.

Testosterone is a highly misunderstood hormone in women. Even though Testosterone is one of the most abundant hormones in women, it is hardly ever discussed or given it's just due in the treatment of perimenopause/ menopausal women. Dr De Rosa shares her views on why the current guidelines for menopause treatment exclude testosterone except for low libido.

Dr DeRosa discusses how testosterone deficiency affects women's daily quality of life and puts them at risk for chronic illness. Sharing low testosterone levels can lead to several symptoms in women, including hot flashes, lower libido, and mood swings, amongst other symptoms.

She discusses the benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for women in this period and the importance of testosterone therapy for women in perimenopause and menopause. Dr. Angela DeRosa discusses essential issues related to testosterone therapy and hormone replacement and provides valuable information on how to get the most from these treatments.

We also talk about how birth control pills impact testosterone levels in women and how to consider them not only for the reproductive system but also for the overall body.  

Dr DeRosa also talks about the blatant gender bias that occurs in medicine and, in particular, the bias treatment of women in perimenopause and menopause.

Angela DeRosa, DO, MBA, CPE, founded the Hormonal Health Institute and DR/M Integrative Health. She is also the former founder and owner of DeRosa Medical, which was one of the first and most prestigious hormonal healthcare practices in the Southwest.

For more than 25 years, Dr. DeRosa has been advocating for a greater understanding of hormonal health, especially as it relates to menopausal women. She is the author of “How Your Doctor is Slowly Killing You.”

Connect with Dr Angela DeRosa https://drhotflash.com/

My guest today is Sheree Clark, a Midlife Courage Coach who calls her practice Fork in the Road. Sheree says she became a courage coach because she believes “it takes guts to live the second half of your life for you when you’ve lived the first half for everyone else.”

Sheree and I dive deep into:

Why it takes guts or courage for midlife women to live their lives for themselves? Shouldn’t that just come easily?

Sheree’s advice for someone listening who feels they are NOT their best versions of themselves, and they want more from life?

The traits of women who are most successful, who make the most and fastest progress toward their own goals-

The common mistakes women make…or ways of thinking that may not serve them-

Why self-love is part of the issue here. And how do we begin to address that?

Sheree shares a baby step that we can implement today.

Connect with Sheree fork-road.com

Continuing this month’s themes of uplifting and positive messages around menopause, I was delighted to have Dr. Prudence Hall as my guest. She is the medical director and founder of The Hall Center, a holistic medical centre specializing in women's health, detox, weight loss, and daily feeling full of life.

She started as a traditional gynaecological surgeon and transitioned her career to focus on regenerative and integrated medicine. Recognizing the urgent need to tackle stubborn ageing symptoms, she focuses solely on regenerative medicine, aiming to address root causes and promote optimal health without relying on pharmaceuticals.

Dr Hall is passionate about guiding clients to attain peak well-being and proactively ward off the expected decline, employing established natural and regenerative approaches.

We deep-dived into

* The Importance of a Holistic Approach to Health and Well-Being

* Regenerative Medicine and How It Aims to Address the Root Causes of Health Issues

* Ageing With Radiance, Including Vitality, Mental Well-Being, and Overall Life Quality

* Holistic Approaches to Managing Menopausal Symptoms

The advice is to know your symptoms, get the help and support you need.

The biggest takeaway was that there is a radiance to this transition. We are gifted with the opportunity to really know ourselves, love greatly and create relationships that we can’t as younger women.

Follow your bliss. Menopause is not the end but a beginning.