Menopause Chicks

What we discussed:

• How Dr. Pawa’s car accident was a catalyst in shifting her career focus to women’s health and hormones
• Why the Canadian healthcare model is lacking when it comes to holistic, integrative, and preventative health and how led to a system where doctors are reimbursed for treating a symptom, rather than looking at the whole person
• The ongoing struggle medical doctors face because time and resources are limited 
• Dr. Pawa shares her latest project: Creating a new preceptorship program for practitioners focused on women’s health with a subset for menopause specialists where the information is credible, consistent, standardized, and evidence-based
• Why heart disease symptoms in women often go ignored, even though women’s risk for heart attacks are actually higher than men
• How hot flashes, which are vascular events, should be viewed as a “check engine light” and an invitation to get to your doctor so you have the opportunity to be preventative around your heart health
• The importance of treating (and not enduring) hot flashes 
• Dr. Pawa shares why the biggest question she gets asked is about hormone therapy and she explains both the short-term and long-term benefits of finding out if hormone therapy is right for you

Links from this week’s episode: 

Dr. Pawa’s website

Follow Dr. Pawa on Facebook

Find more information about Dr. Pawa’s clinic here

BIG thanks to the following for sharing my passion for women’s health:

VICHY

Ferapro Iron

Feel Amazing Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer

Intimate Wellbeing

Oh Boy Productions

©Menopause Chicks

🎙️ASK YOUR QUESTION: Join the podcast LIVE or leave us a voicemail: MenopauseChicks.com/podcast

Join the Menopause Chicks Private Community on Facebook:
👉 MenopauseCommunity.com

This is where thousands of women gather to learn evidence-based content and ask questions/seek clarity to inform their health decisions.

If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with three people: someone older, someone younger, and a peer. That's how we create change.

Shirley Weir is the founder of Menopause Chicks and a passionate advocate for women's health education. She's on a mission to change the narrative around menopause and empower women to become their best health advocates.

What we discussed: 

• Dr. Pawa dissects stress and explains what the allostatic burden load is and how it impacts the ovaries
• How you can use Dr. Pawa’s “BMW Method” to engage the vagus nerve in order to reduce stress
• Why Dr. Pawa wants all of us to create a “to be” list instead of a “to-do” list
• Dr. Pawa shares how she incorporates mindfulness and stress reduction practices in her own life
• How stress and hormones affect sleep
• How sleep helps to boost our immune systems
• How our relationship with stress impacts sexual desire (you will love Dr. Pawa’s airplane cockpit analogy!) 

Links from this week’s episode: 

Dr. Pawa’s website

Follow Dr. Pawa on Facebook

Watch Dr. Pawa’s TEDx Talk here

Find Dr. Pawa’s book on Amazon.ca or Indigo.ca or Amazon.com

https://www.sexandu.ca/

Find more information about Dr. Pawa’s clinic here

BIG thanks to the following for sharing my passion for women’s health:

VICHY

Ferapro Iron

Feel Amazing Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer

Intimate Wellbeing

Oh Boy Productions

©Menopause Chicks

🎙️ASK YOUR QUESTION: Join the podcast LIVE or leave us a voicemail: MenopauseChicks.com/podcast

Join the Menopause Chicks Private Community on Facebook:
👉 MenopauseCommunity.com

This is where thousands of women gather to learn evidence-based content and ask questions/seek clarity to inform their health decisions.

If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with three people: someone older, someone younger, and a peer. That's how we create change.

Shirley Weir is the founder of Menopause Chicks and a passionate advocate for women's health education. She's on a mission to change the narrative around menopause and empower women to become their best health advocates.

Do you know your numbers?

What we discussed:

• Why women shouldn’t assume that everything they’re experiencing as they are getting older is related to aging or hormone changes
• Why Dr. Alex recommends having conversations about your family history and personal health history early–even before perimenopause and definitely before postmenopause
• The importance of understanding the definition of heart disease risk factors vs. heart disease
• Why women who reach menopause prematurely should discuss proactive changes regarding heart health with their doctor
• Why we need to change the conversation and teach women’s heart health proactively with more emphasis on prevention 
• The two main health markers to monitor in order to understand our heart health
• Dr. Alex’s advice on when you should get a blood pressure monitor to use at home and how often you should use it
• What steps women can take if their cholesterol and blood pressure numbers are a concern,, and why Dr. Alex says that the best treatment is a good diagnosis
• Why eating well and exercising regularly doesn’t give you a “get-out-of-jail-free card” when it comes to your cardiovascular health, and what the American Heart Association’s “Essential Eight” can teach us about that
• This year cardiovascular health is the theme for World Menopause Day (October 18, 2023) Dr. Alex shares what she'd like us to know and what she would like to see happen in the media to draw attention to women’s heart health

Links from this week’s episode: 

Follow Dr. Alex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexvergend/

BIG thanks to the following for sharing my passion for women’s health:

VICHY

Ferapro Iron

Feel Amazing Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer

Intimate Wellbeing

Oh Boy Productions

©Menopause Chicks

🎙️ASK YOUR QUESTION: Join the podcast LIVE or leave us a voicemail: MenopauseChicks.com/podcast

Join the Menopause Chicks Private Community on Facebook:
👉 MenopauseCommunity.com

This is where thousands of women gather to learn evidence-based content and ask questions/seek clarity to inform their health decisions.

If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with three people: someone older, someone younger, and a peer. That's how we create change.

Shirley Weir is the founder of Menopause Chicks and a passionate advocate for women's health education. She's on a mission to change the narrative around menopause and empower women to become their best health advocates.

Listen in and learn…

• How the negative language and dialogue around menopause leaves an impression on all women–especially younger women
• How my own experience with perimenopause affected the way I interacted with my family and made me realize I needed to take action & prioritize my health
• How Amy views her IUD (intrauterine device) as an investment in her quality of life and why she thinks it’s one of the best health decisions she’s made
• How the financial responsibility of contraception and birth control is inequitable for women
• How a business case led the province of British Columbia to make contraceptive options free for those women who want or need
• Amy and Keira’s tips for using critical thinking as you read health information online
• How Keira’s PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) diagnosis led her to find a community on social media and how she guards against misinformation online

Links from this week’s episode: 

Learn more about my work and Menopause Chicks here: https://www.MenopauseChicks.com/

Join the Menopause Chicks private community here: https://MenopauseCommunity.com

BIG thanks to the following for sharing my passion for women’s health:

VICHY

Ferapro Iron

Feel Amazing Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer

Intimate Wellbeing

Oh Boy Productions

©Menopause Chicks

🎙️ASK YOUR QUESTION: Join the podcast LIVE or leave us a voicemail: MenopauseChicks.com/podcast

Join the Menopause Chicks Private Community on Facebook:
👉 MenopauseCommunity.com

This is where thousands of women gather to learn evidence-based content and ask questions/seek clarity to inform their health decisions.

If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with three people: someone older, someone younger, and a peer. That's how we create change.

Shirley Weir is the founder of Menopause Chicks and a passionate advocate for women's health education. She's on a mission to change the narrative around menopause and empower women to become their best health advocates.

Are you ready to be your own best breast advocate?

Listen in and learn… 

• What dense breasts are, how common they are, what you need to know and what the implications of having dense breasts can be.
• Why having dense breasts can make it harder to spot cancer on a mammogram
• The advocacy work Dense Breasts Canada is doing to get provinces to inform women of their breast density status 
• Province-to-province disparities for minimum recommended age to begin breast cancer screening.
• What supplemental screening is and the differences between an ultrasound and an MRI.
• Province-to-province disparities for supplemental screening and why we need to advocate to make supplemental screening mandatory for all women with dense breasts.
• How to find out your breast density if your province isn’t automatically reporting that information, and where to find this information if you don’t have a family doctor.
• How this important information impacts women of colour
• Jennie’s wish for breast health in Canada.

Links from this week’s episode: 

Dense Breasts Canada Website

Dense Breasts Canada Advocacy Tookit

Dense Breasts Canada on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/densebreastscanada/

BIG thanks to the following for sharing my passion for women’s health:

VICHY

Ferapro Iron

Feel Amazing Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer

Intimate Wellbeing

Oh Boy Productions

©Menopause Chicks

🎙️ASK YOUR QUESTION: Join the podcast LIVE or leave us a voicemail: MenopauseChicks.com/podcast

Join the Menopause Chicks Private Community on Facebook:
👉 MenopauseCommunity.com

This is where thousands of women gather to learn evidence-based content and ask questions/seek clarity to inform their health decisions.

If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with three people: someone older, someone younger, and a peer. That's how we create change.

Shirley Weir is the founder of Menopause Chicks and a passionate advocate for women's health education. She's on a mission to change the narrative around menopause and empower women to become their best health advocates.

We ALL have a role to play in un-doing biases standing in the way of women’s health.

Are you ready to reframe the conversation about inclusivity?

Listen in and learn…

• How the culture and vibe in gym settings have felt exclusionary and off-putting for many people, making access to fitness inequitable for people who live in larger bodies 
• How Big Fit Girl aims to change fitness culture through educating kinesiology students, wellness professionals, and personal trainers. 
• How weight & anti-fat bias is a social justice issue that creates inequities in health, and what Louise is doing to change this through education and inclusive programming. 
• How to tell when brands are genuine in their size inclusivity or if they’re doing it on a surface level to tick boxes in their marketing strategy, and how we can use our spending power to promote brands that have inclusivity as part of their DNA
• Why the fitness industry is resistant to size inclusivity and what it means to shift away from diet culture and weight loss as the primary conversation we’re having when we talk about fitness 
• Why Louise feels hopeful when engaging with younger generations–whether it’s within the fitness industry, or in every other conversation that matters to women’s health and quality of life

Links from this week’s episode: 

Louise’s website: https://bigfitgirl.com

Louise’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisegreen_bigfitgirl/

Louise’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LouiseGreenBFG

Louise’s Book: https://www.amazon.ca/Fitness-Everyone-Exercises-Every-Type/dp/1615648992/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=FITNESS+FOR+EVERYONE&qid=1611448360&sr=8-1

BIG thanks to the following for sharing my passion for women’s health:

VICHY

Ferapro Iron

Feel Amazing Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer

Intimate Wellbeing

Oh Boy Productions

©Menopause Chicks

🎙️ASK YOUR QUESTION: Join the podcast LIVE or leave us a voicemail: MenopauseChicks.com/podcast

Join the Menopause Chicks Private Community on Facebook:
👉 MenopauseCommunity.com

This is where thousands of women gather to learn evidence-based content and ask questions/seek clarity to inform their health decisions.

If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with three people: someone older, someone younger, and a peer. That's how we create change.

Shirley Weir is the founder of Menopause Chicks and a passionate advocate for women's health education. She's on a mission to change the narrative around menopause and empower women to become their best health advocates.

Ready to Feel Amazing? 

Listen in & learn…

• Why the Women’s Health Initiative Study set women’s health care back in 2002, and why we don’t need to be afraid of hormone replacement therapy as a treatment for the most common symptoms of hormone decline. 
• Why your family doctor might not have the answers you’re looking for, and may feel as frustrated about that too, and what you can do about it. 
• How women can take well-being into their own hands with a “self-contract” to live fully and stay healthy through midlife and beyond. 
• Why we need to be advocating to have provincial governments cover the cost of hormone replacement therapy given the preventative aspect of this kind of treatment. 
• Why generalizations don’t work when discussing treatment options for women’s health and why it’s important to consider each individual separately. 
• Why living with the discomforts caused by hormone decline is not something women need to accept - it is absolutely possible to feel vibrant & energetic as we age. 
• How ventures capitalized on the desperation of women seeking relief in the wake of the deeply flawed propaganda that followed the Women’s Health Initiative study, making it difficult for factual information to compete. 
• Why we need to become our own “fact checkers” when we read any information about menopause due to the proliferation of misinformation.

Links from this week’s episode:

Learn more about my work and Menopause Chicks here: https://www.MenopauseChicks.com/

Join the Menopause Chicks private community here: https://MenopauseCommunity.com

BIG thanks to the following for sharing my passion for women’s health::

VICHY

Ferapro Iron

Feel Amazing Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer

Intimate Wellbeing

Oh Boy Productions

©Menopause Chicks

🎙️ASK YOUR QUESTION: Join the podcast LIVE or leave us a voicemail: MenopauseChicks.com/podcast

Join the Menopause Chicks Private Community on Facebook:
👉 MenopauseCommunity.com

This is where thousands of women gather to learn evidence-based content and ask questions/seek clarity to inform their health decisions.

If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with three people: someone older, someone younger, and a peer. That's how we create change.

Shirley Weir is the founder of Menopause Chicks and a passionate advocate for women's health education. She's on a mission to change the narrative around menopause and empower women to become their best health advocates.

Ready to put your pelvic health at the top of your to-do list? 

Listen in and learn… 

• What it means to prioritize our vulva, vagina, bladder and overall pelvic health
• What incontinence means, what incontinence can cost, and your options for preventing AND treating
• How to tell if you might be one of the 50% of women who have pelvic organ prolapse and what you can do! 
• Why your lower back pain might be a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction
• What you can expect when you visit a pelvic floor therapist for the first time 
• What to do BEFORE you (and after) you opt for surgery
• Why vulva and vaginal dryness occurs and why it’s important to prioritize
• Are kegel exercises right for you? And if so, how to incorporate them correctly, consistently and with movement in order to get the full benefit 

Links from this week’s episode: 

Kim’s website: www.vaginacoach.com

Find Kim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vaginacoach/

Follow Kim on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VagCoach

Learn more about Kim’s Buff Muff app: https://www.vaginacoach.com/buffmuffapp

BIG thanks to the following for sharing my passion for women’s health:

VICHY

Ferapro Iron

Feel Amazing Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer

Intimate Wellbeing

Oh Boy Productions

©Menopause Chicks

🎙️ASK YOUR QUESTION: Join the podcast LIVE or leave us a voicemail: MenopauseChicks.com/podcast

Join the Menopause Chicks Private Community on Facebook:
👉 MenopauseCommunity.com

This is where thousands of women gather to learn evidence-based content and ask questions/seek clarity to inform their health decisions.

If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with three people: someone older, someone younger, and a peer. That's how we create change.

Shirley Weir is the founder of Menopause Chicks and a passionate advocate for women's health education. She's on a mission to change the narrative around menopause and empower women to become their best health advocates.

Welcome to the very first episode of This Show is Not About Menopause!

I’m your host, Shirley Weir. I'm 56 years old. I reached menopause when I was 49, and I am the founder of MenopauseChicks.com, an online educational platform, trusted for quality health information and designed to remind everyone: WE DESERVE to FEEL AMAZING!

In this welcome episode, I talk about the meaning behind the name of my show and all the aspects of women’s health I’m excited to dive into with you and my guests in future episodes. 

Sexual health, hormone health, heart, brain, bone and vaginal health…regardless of your age and stage, I promise there is something here you haven't heard before!

We live in the health information age. That sometimes means misinformation from media, marketers–and even the medical community. How are we to know what is trustworthy and what is perpetuating old and outdated myths? Rest assured, my mission is to share only evidence-based information so that you can make the health decisions that are right for YOU!

It is possible to navigate perimenopause-to-menopause-to-postmenopause with confidence and ease, and this webcast/podcast will help you do exactly that!

Links from this week’s episode: 

Learn more about my work and Menopause Chicks here: https://www.MenopauseChicks.com

Join the Menopause Chicks private community here: https://MenopauseCommunity.com

Follow me on Instagram at @MenopauseChicks & @MoisturizeYourVagina

Thank you to the following for sharing my passion for women’s health::

VICHY

Ferapro Iron

Feel Amazing Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer

Intimate Wellbeing

Oh Boy Productions

🎙️ASK YOUR QUESTION: Join the podcast LIVE or leave us a voicemail: MenopauseChicks.com/podcast

Join the Menopause Chicks Private Community on Facebook:
👉 MenopauseCommunity.com

This is where thousands of women gather to learn evidence-based content and ask questions/seek clarity to inform their health decisions.

If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with three people: someone older, someone younger, and a peer. That's how we create change.

Shirley Weir is the founder of Menopause Chicks and a passionate advocate for women's health education. She's on a mission to change the narrative around menopause and empower women to become their best health advocates.

Are you ready to change the conversation around menopause? 

Listen in and find out…

• How my first experience with AI (artificial intelligence) was when my name was printed beside words I didn’t write
• How throwing every adverse health concern into a bucket and labeling it “menopause symptoms” is not only setting women’s health back; it is dangerous to women’s future heart health, brain health, bone health, vulva & vaginal health and urinary/bladder health.
• How vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) are like the “check engine light” in our car, and why they are dangerous to ignore
• How misinformation about vulva & vaginal health, and the cause of vaginal dryness may lead women misinterpreting their experiences as their fault 
• Why continuing to share quality, verified, evidence-based information from reputable sources serves everyone… because, when we know better we do better. 

Links from this week’s episode: 

Learn more about my work and Menopause Chicks here: https://www.MenopauseChicks.com/

Join the Menopause Chicks private community here: https://MenopauseCommunity.com

BIG thanks to the following for sharing my passion for women’s health:

VICHY

Ferapro Iron

Feel Amazing Vulva & Vaginal Moisturizer

Intimate Wellbeing

Oh Boy Productions

©Menopause Chicks

🎙️ASK YOUR QUESTION: Join the podcast LIVE or leave us a voicemail: MenopauseChicks.com/podcast

Join the Menopause Chicks Private Community on Facebook:
👉 MenopauseCommunity.com

This is where thousands of women gather to learn evidence-based content and ask questions/seek clarity to inform their health decisions.

If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with three people: someone older, someone younger, and a peer. That's how we create change.

Shirley Weir is the founder of Menopause Chicks and a passionate advocate for women's health education. She's on a mission to change the narrative around menopause and empower women to become their best health advocates.