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

* See Episode 177 for more info about migraines

* 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 ...

In this re-released episode from 2021, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni discuss the atopic triad of allergy, asthma and eczema that both perimenopausal moms and their kids can experience. Find out what you can do to prevent and treat these inflammatory issues today.

What is an allergy?

Hypersensitivity disorder of your immune system, where you react to normally harmless substances in the environment that most people won’t react to.

Allergic symptoms include:

Itchy, watery, red eyes

Runny nose

Sneezing

Headache or pressure in sinuses

Itchy throat

Postnasal drip

Constant clearing of throat

More serious symptoms include:

Eczema - inflammatory skin condition

Asthma - immune reactivity and inflammation in airways causing wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath

Hives and anaphylaxis

The prevalence of allergic symptoms is increasing!

Allergic rhinitis, including runny nose, dark circles under eyes and throat clearing, affects as many as 40% of kids in US

CDC reported food allergies increased by 18% in US since 1990s

Eczema affects about 1 in 5 kids in US, with rates tripled in past 3 decades

Asthma affects at least 1 in 8 kids in US, with rates tripled between 1980 and 2008

Increased immune system reactivity causes may include:

* Hygiene Hypothesis or Microbiome Disruption

* Your immune system needs to learn to respond to components in dirt and soil

* Babies born by C section are 5x more likely to develop allergies than vaginal birth, since they are not exposed to mom’s vaginal microbiome

* Also influenced with breastfeeding

* Good bacteria are needed for “oral tolerance” and immune tolerance, so you are less reactive to foods and environmental allergens

* Reduced gut flora diversity linked with increased risk of eczema, damage to gut lining allows foreign particles to trigger more immune reactions since more than half of your immune system is found along your gut - see Episode 8

* Germ phobia can make kids more allergic

* Insufficient micronutrient and antioxidant intake

* Environmental pollution and compromised liver detoxification pathways

* Liver filters all the blood in the body from the digestive system and removes toxins, allergens, hormones, chemicals, drugs, etc.

* Your liver contains the Reticuloendothelial System (RES) containing immune cells that remove antigens from the digestive system

* If overworked with high levels of chemicals and pollution, your liver will not be able to remove allergens appropriately - see Episode 33

* Stress and adrenal function

* Adrenal glands produce stress hormone cortisol, which is needed for an appropriate immune response

* If overstressed or burnt out, you produce less cortisol resulting in more inflammation - for more info, see

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.

In today’s episode (re-released from May 2020), Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni talk about migraines, something that too many women experience.

It’s not in your head! The pain is real!

In this episode, we cover:

* Possible causes of your migraines

* Stress causing magnesium deficiency and muscle tension

* Structural alignment of neck and tailbone

* Insomnia

* Weather or barometric pressure changes (example: Chinook winds in Calgary)

* Dehydration

* Blood sugar imbalance

* Food sensitivities and histamine intolerance, including alcohol, caffeine, cheese, food additives like nitrites

* Brain inflammation and nerve irritation

* Hormones: estrogen/progesterone imbalance

* Dr. Toni’s personal experience growing up with migraines and they are linked with her diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse, a common heart murmur (hint: magnesium!)

* Current and new conventional treatments for migraines offered by family doctors and specialists

* The importance of figuring out the factors that are impacting your migraines

* Natural ways to address your migraines:

* Track your migraines using a migraine diary to help figure out your triggers

* Support your sleep – see Perimenopausal Mamas Podcast Episode 4: Sleep Solutions for Perimenopause

* Increase your hydration

* Avoid any allergies, food sensitivities and address possible leaky gut – see Perimenopausal Mamas Podcast Episode 8: Leaky Gut and Your Microbiome – How These Impact Your Health and What to Do About It

* Replace any nutrient deficiencies from your medications

* Balance your blood sugar levels – see Perimenopausal Mamas Podcast Episode 15: How to Not Gain Weight During Times of Stress – Part 1

* Reduce inflammation in your body

* Support your mitochondria

* Balance your hormones

* Reduce your stress and muscle tension

* Get acupuncture and other bodywork therapies like chiropractic, craniosacral therapy, physiotherapy, osteopathy

* Lower your daily caffeine intake to use it as an acute treatment

* Consider nutrients like magnesium, riboflavin, coQ10, 5-HTP, melatonin, fish oil and herbs like ginger, feverfew, butterbur

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Lisa relies on her home gym, which has simple and inexpensive equipment including an exercise ball, 

In this episode, Dr. Lisa talks with yoga teacher and habit-based transformational mentor Trish Krause about the benefits yoga can have on your blood sugar metabolism and hormone levels. Having an evidence based technique to manage stress and nervous system regulation can make a huge difference in how you experience symptoms of perimenopause like insomnia, anxiety and hot flashes. Listen in and learn how less is more and you don’t have to spend hours on the yoga mat to get all the benefits for your brain and hormones.

Trish Krause is the founder of Bite out of Life Wellness, a trusted source for evidence-informed health and lifestyle information and practical strategies for change. As a habit-based transformational mentor and coach with a specialty in nutrition, hormone health, and insomnia relief, she enables busy professionals, particularly women in the prime of life, to overcome the overwhelm and progress toward a life of calm and courage by recognizing and reclaiming their wild and making their own health and lives a priority, one step at a time. Trish is a certified holistic nutritionist and firmly believes food forms the foundation of health. She is also a certified yoga teacher and encourages the inclusion of a variety of yogic principles and practices to support the brain and the body and enhance healthy habits.

Trish lives in Kingston, ON with her partner and their two retired racing greyhounds. A late-in-life runner, yogi, piano student, author and community creator, she believes in the power of reinvention at any age or stage of life and tries to be guided by the poet Mary Oliver’s beautiful question “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”. Trish educates and coaches individually and through her group health program The Wild Collective. She works locally and virtually, serving clients across Canada. She can be reached at [email protected].

In today’s episode, we cover:

* Trish’s rocky road through perimenopause into menopause and how yoga and running improved her symptoms

* How yoga can reduce symptoms of perimenopause that you might be experiencing, as well as your brain health

* The importance of breath in any yoga practice and how it can help you manage stress

* How consistency of your yoga practice is more effective than spending long amounts of time in practice

* Different types of breath work and yoga that you can incorporate in your self care routine

* How your mood and body pain can be reduced by supporting your brain health through BDNF

Connect with Trish through her website https://biteoutoflife.ca/

Today’s Mama Must-Have:

Dr. Lisa loves Mindvalley for access to inspirational teachers.

Trish is a big fan of taking 5 minutes of self care for simple self care.

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 next month. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register

Join Dr. Lisa’s new 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,

In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni discuss their current bedtime routines, as well as what has helped in the past. Sleep can be tricky as a perimenopausal or menopausal mama, with insomnia and disturbed sleep from your kiddos. Your kids need a bedtime routine and so do you! It doesn’t have to be complicated or long - listen in to get tips on how to create your optimal bedtime routine for your best night’s sleep.

In today’s episode, we cover:

* What works for our current bedtime routines, including nutrients, herbal teas and supplements

* What has worked in the past that we no longer need for a good night’s sleep

* What doesn’t work before you go to bed, including exercising, eating or feeling stressed before bed

* What we need to do during the day to feel the benefits at nighttime

* How to start creating your bedtime routine for your best sleep

For more info on sleep, see Episode 73

For more info on hot flashes and night sweats, see Episode 32

For more info on magnesium, see Episode 83

Today’s Mama Must-Have:

Dr. Lisa loves her home exercise equipment: mini bands, exercise ball, pilates mini ball, free weights, yoga mat, resistance bands

Dr. Toni is a big fan of The Work by Bryon Katie and her podcast At Home with Byron Katie - a profound way of questioning your thoughts, especially around your relationships. 

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 next month. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register

Join Dr. Lisa’s new 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...

In this episode, Dr. Lisa talks with spiritual and somatic movement coach Sharmeen Abeysinghe about what you can do about low libido in perimenopause. Stress and unresolved emotional issues can impact how you behave in the world, especially your sexual expression and libido. Current negative feelings can be related to past trauma and can use up precious energy. Listen in and experience how movement medicine can reignite the pleasure that you deserve.

Sharmeen was previously on Episode 79

Sharmeen Abeysinghe is a Spiritual & Somatic Movement Coach for women.  Her areas of focus are the interplay between the body, brain, emotional & energetic self; and how we can influence these through movement. Having experienced developmental trauma growing up, and complex trauma in adulthood, Sharmeen has a deep understanding of how trauma can shape your life. While being an educator for nineteen years, she is adept at simplifying complex information so that it is not only easily digestible, but fun as well! Sharmeen has two brilliant boys aged twelve and nine and is in a committed loving relationship of over twenty years with her loving and supportive husband, Sanka. Sharmeen offers individual & group coaching services through her business MyAlignedLife.ca  

Sharmeen is an advocate of total health for all; in herself finds this through movement. Since 2022, she has been exploring and re-finding her connection to Universal Energy Source…. Where she has experienced what can only be described as miracles. 

In today’s episode, we cover:

* Important causes of your low libido in perimenopause, including stress

* How current stress and past trauma can impact your libido

* What is movement medicine and how you can experience increased libido as a beneficial by-product of practice

* How your need to analyze everything can be related to denying yourself pleasure 

* The importance of somatic movements practices to increase your connection with your body and your confidence, as well as your ability to experience relaxation and pleasure

* How to experience pleasure and your own touch in a non-sexual way

* The importance of slowing down and moving mindfully

* How research links mindfulness with sexual function in women

You can connect with Sharmeen on Facebook and Instagram

Join Sharmeen’s Facebook group

Free Moving Meditation  

Free Align into Wealth Frequency 5-day Challenge (begins May 8, 2023): 

Today’s Mama Must-Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of Bee keeper’s naturals propolis throat spray and gargling

What’s Else is Happening?

Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing session for expecting parents looking to decrease fear a...

In this re-released episode from 2022, Dr. Lisa talks to pharmacist and Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) Teresa Isabel Dias about how to support vaginal and urinary health in perimenopause and menopause. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) impacts up to 80% of women and can be an embarrassing result of the hormone fluctuations. It can start in perimenopause causing: vaginal dryness, pain with or without sexual intercourse, burning, irritation, frequent urinary tract infections, urinary urgency and discomfort. Learn how you can address and reverse symptoms of GSM; you don’t have to suffer! 

“Do not let your vagina ruin your marriage” – Teresa Isabel Dias

Teresa Isabel Dias is a registered pharmacist with over 25 years of professional experience in community pharmacy and drug information in Toronto.

In 2013 she became a Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) through the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) and founded MenopausED to help women navigate the change.

Teresa raises awareness about menopause, provides education, and supports women in midlife (40+). She helps women understand what’s going on in their bodies and minds during the menopause transition to decrease fear and anxiety about this natural but sometimes challenging phase of life. She educates women about healthy lifestyles and symptom management options so women can make informed decisions about their care to improve quality of life, relationships, and work.

Teresa has delivered education and training to the Royal Bank of Canada, Maple Leaf Foods, the University of Waterloo, University of Toronto, Brock University, Stantec, Women in Government, and other major employers and associations. I have also written and presented to several pharmacy associations and the Pharmacy Practice + Business magazine.

In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Teresa cover:

* The importance of awareness and education around symptoms you may experience in perimenopause and menopause

* How lower levels of estrogen in perimenopause and menopause can change the cells of your vagina and vulva 

* The role of lubricants and moisturizers to deal with vaginal dryness and pain with sex

* Why Teresa recommends silicone based lubricants and doesn’t recommend using cooking oil as a lubricant

* The role of hyaluronic acid and vaginal estrogen to address vaginal estrogen

* What to look for in a compounding pharmacy when looking for vaginal estrogen products

* How seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist can help with vaginal pain and reduce urinary symptoms

* Why you should not douche!

You can connect with Teresa at https://menopaused.org/ and find the Please Yourself – Six Tips For An Easier Menopause guide. Her IG handle is: @menopausedtid

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of using red light bulbs and night lights. 

Teresa loves doing at least 5 minutes of stretching before bed to improve sleep.

What else we’re up to:

Join Dr. Lisa’s new 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!

Dr.

In this episode, Dr. Toni discusses how setting and enforcing boundaries is essential to prevent burnout with Dr. Liz Bolen. If you are exhausted and find yourself automatically saying yes when you mean no, it’s time to look at your boundaries. Too many of us put the needs and feelings of others ahead of our own. It’s time to reclaim your space and energy, instead of hoping and wishing that someone will do it for you.

Dr. Liz Bolen is a naturopathic doctor and the founder of the Bolen Health Institute. Liz is a wonderful guide on the journey of bridging science, medicine and magic in the field of Quantum Healing. Feeling trapped and a black sheep all her life, Dr. Liz fostered her inner resilience by pushing herself to find freedom that allows her to thrive. The poster child for perfectionist and overachiever, Dr. Liz has adopted imperfect action and finds triumph through wielding the magic of being high functioning. She is a truly authentic soul that sees everyone’s inner magnificence and listens nonjudgmentally while holding a sacred space for transformation. She has the ability to call people out for their BS as she compassionately guides people forward, despite themselves, to guarantee their success. 

In today’s episode, we cover:

* The difference between putting a wall up and setting healthy boundaries

* Why listening to yourself is the foundation for having healthy boundaries

* The magic formula for setting and enforcing boundaries

* How no is a complete sentence

* Why you are responsible for being clear with conditions and consequences in order to create safety and respect around your boundaries

* How feeling anger and experiencing drama and chaos relates to your boundaries

* Why 99% of boundary breaks are about you

* The importance of re-programming yourself out of being a good girl

* How practice is key for setting your boundaries 

* See Episode 143 on your personal needs

Connect with Dr. Liz for a Zoom tea at https://bolenhealthinstitute.com/

Today’s Mama Must-Have:

Dr. Liz recommends locking out time for yourself at least one day a week

Dr. Toni is a big fan of overnight chia pudding jars for a quick healthy breakfast at home or to go

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

Join Dr. Lisa’s new 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 

In this episode, Dr. Lisa talks with holistic nutritionist Cristina Tahoces about burnout and perimenopause. Women in perimenopause are more likely to experience professional and personal burnout, especially when experiencing hormone fluctuations and symptoms like fatigue, brain fog and sleep deprivation.

Dr. Lisa previously talked with Cristina about love led nourishment in Episode 92

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 today’s episode, we cover:

* How burnout is possible even when you love your job

* Why you need to listen to the signals your body is giving you, especially when you eat

* The similarities between symptoms of perimenopause and symptoms of burnout

* Why the likelihood of experiencing burnout increases when you are in perimenopause

* Important strategies you can use to prevent burnout

* Why it’s important for you to get blood work done through a medical or naturopathic doctor

* The importance of pooping every day and “clear pee, clear mind”

Today’s Mama Must-Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of the Insight timer app for meditation and for break in the day.

Cristina loves her Air Pods to listen to her music, podcasts, audiobooks while making dinner.

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 next month. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register

Sign up for Dr. Lisa’s free webinar: "How to Thrive in Perimenopause and Beyond" (on Mar 29th or Apr 3rd) here

.

Join Dr. Lisa’s new 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