Things I Wish More Women Over 40 Knew About Exercise
The Flipping 50 Show
Things I Wish More Women Over 40 Knew About Exercise This is what I wish more women over 40 knew about exercise and that it starts when women are teenagers. So, I’ll start there. I’ve worked with women for 40 years in private sessions, partner sessions, group sessions, with both husbands and wives, and with 17-year-old volleyball players and 14-year-old golfers, with pregnant women, those who recently had breast implants and those who wanted to lose weight and were already a size two and those who needed to and were a size 20. I’ve done thousands of fitness tests and consultations and...
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The Book Busting Menopause Myths That Women (and Their Doctors) Believe
The Flipping 50 Show
Busting Menopause Myths Estrogen causes breast cancer, gaining weight and belly fat which are inevitable… Today we are busting menopause myths just like this. In this episode, I interview a pair of authors offering refreshing insight to midlife and beyond women who are often sheltered from all the health options available to them and misinformed, or incompletely informed. Stay tuned to the end, if fat burning is something you want to know more about … and I know.. Trick question right? Kristin and Maria present the concept of fat burning and becoming fat adapted in a way that makes it easy...
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Fit or Fat? Training and Measuring Fitness in Menopause
The Flipping 50 Show
Measuring fitness in menopause is complicated. I’m going to take a stab at this and let you know that if you’re not measuring beyond your weight, body composition, inches, and muscle mass at regularly scheduled intervals, you’re doing a disservice. We get all up in the business of burning calories (wrong goal), having it “feel hard” (sometimes the wrong goal), and forget to measure strength (did you see Olympians test grip strength??? Impressive!) and how well your training is actually helping your HEART. Let’s go there. Yes, you want to gain lean muscle. It immediately improves...
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Running Long in Midlife and Beyond One 50-mile Run for a 50th Birthday
The Flipping 50 Show
50 miles for 50th bday? Running long in midlife isn’t the first thing (or second) I recommend to women. But what happens when your peak estrogen levels were at least a decade ago? What if you’ve got a crazy goal, want to go for it, and you know how to interpret reactions and respond accordingly? Come on this unique trail as I interview a friend and colleague around her idea of a fun birthday party that not all of us will appreciate the same way. My Guest: Margaret Floyd Barry is a functional nutritionist, author, speaker, educator and advocate of optimal health through nutrition of adult...
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5 Non-Exercise Ways to Boost Fat Burn
The Flipping 50 Show
This simple list of non-exercise ways to boost fat burn has turned my YouTube channel subscribers upside down! Meaning they’ve flipped over them! It’s crazy! Secretly my hope is that YOU are using these as extra insurance, and not your only line of defense. Increase Water Intake to Boost Hydration Increase Protein Intake Thermogenic effect of food - almost 30 percent of it goes to digest and breakdown Muscle protein synthesis even - 30% of it toward digestion Even without resistance training there is a muscle protein synthesis Sleep More Consistently Release of testosterone and growth...
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Natural Solutions to Restorative Sleep in Menopause
The Flipping 50 Show
Natural Solutions to Restorative Sleep in Menopause Restorative sleep in menopause can be elusive, I think we can all agree on that! Whether perimenopause or post, fluctuating hormones combined with chaos that midlife can be, can kiss sweet dreams goodbye. But it’s the exact opposite of what you need to most easily make weight loss or muscle gain and focus easy to access again. My Guest: Dr. Eric Dorninger is a Registered Naturopathic Doctor and Licensed Acupuncturist, graduated from Bastyr University, after earning a B.A. in Kinesiology from the University of Colorado and completed EMT...
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Research About Menopause: What's Real and What’s Marketing?
The Flipping 50 Show
Research about menopause right now is finally beginning to really get its moment. Or is it? What’s something you can trust? And what’s stated as “science-based” or “science-backed”? What can you trust and what should you question? Think of this as a crash course in Research 101. In fact, I think that was a required course my first semester in grad school. The content is as important or more today when you have influencers talking about studies, in fact sponsoring their own to back up their products. You see both experts and influencers on line and are left to sort out one from the...
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How To Defy Aging Naturally without Needles or Knives
The Flipping 50 Show
Do you want to defy aging naturally and not with botox or fillers? This is a no-judgment zone. I am guessing that if you have opted for Botox or filler, you think twice about it. Wondering about somewhere more fun to spend that $500 with no toxic effect or superficial fake and dead-giveaway that a frozen face is? This is your episode if you love health, wellness and you want to look and feel your most beautiful. My Guest: Trina Felber is a Clean Beauty Expert and the Founder of Primal Life Organics, where she creates natural dental and skincare products. She empowers women to achieve youthful,...
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Can You Wear a Weighted Vest with Osteoporosis?
The Flipping 50 Show
The short answer is yes. The long answer here in this episode is how. Using a weighted vest with osteoporosis comes up frequently as a question. Whether or not you have osteoporosis, stay with me, as I will talk about the overall benefits and science that’s been out since at least 2000, perhaps as long as I’ve been using my weighted vest. Questions I’ll Answer in this Episode: Can you use a weighted vest with osteoporosis? [00:06:20] If so, how do you get started safely? [00:09:30] What weight should you be using? [00:39:00] What if you have already fractured? [00:06:30] What if you...
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TRAVELING ALONE AFTER 50 OR WITH FRIENDS? Safe vs Not Safe
The Flipping 50 Show
Dreaming of traveling but your friends aren’t? How can we step up our game and really get the adventure and bucketlist life we want? I challenge you… and me to take the trip we want. Traveling alone is not just a destination trip, it’s very possibly a destination to yourself. How liberating would that be. My Guest: Peter Mangan is a visionary leader in the positive aging sphere, bringing a wealth of experience in fostering meaningful connections with older adults and igniting their passion for travel. Inspired by his father, Peter's journey highlights the transformative power of travel...
info_outlineIn this episode I’m sharing my recent lab test, 23 lab tests in menopause, to be exact. I’ll share why so many, how often, what I’ll learn from them. If you’re at a loss for what to order or really, what you need and want a doctor to run this will help.
Connecting the dots is not always easy! Though I ran almost all of these as a part of writing You Still Got It, Girl! Almost a decade ago, by ordering self-directed labs and doing the research to interpret them and take actions to either follow up with a physician or to consider dietary, exercise, and natural solutions that would improve results, I recommend you utilize a physician who’s willing to and not threatened by your desire to learn more about the what, why and when for these tests.
You know how you feel and what’s right for you. Hopefully you’re not settling for less than feeling great. Signs that you’re not doing okay, in spite of your efforts include unexplained weight gain, inability to lose it, feeling lethargic/tired either on a regular basis or after exercise. Add to that insomnia, dizziness, brain fog, gut issues, and so many more.
Having a basic understanding of the tests, that often are not ordered by Western trained docs, and why you want them, may help you be a detective and an advocate for your own health.
Recent Lab Tests in Menopause
Fasting Glucose
Fasting levels above 125 are indicative of diabetes. Those 100-125 indicate prediabetes. Knowing this is helpful for monitoring your habits.
A continuous blood glucose monitor can be a fantastic tool for you. https://www.flippingfifty.com/myglucose
Fasting Insulin
Metabolism issues or weight loss resistance are good reasons to check fasting insulin (beyond just fasting glucose). Insulin resistance can promote additional weight gain.
A1C
This number can indicate how well controlled sugar levels have been over the past 3 months and also can indicate a prediabetic or diabetic condition.
Serum Ferritin
Reliable indicator of body’s iron stores. Low or very high ferritin may have a condition that results in fatigue.
Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy
This is important for energy and gaining muscle, particularly fast twitch muscle, as well as energy. Falling into “norms” is under optimal levels so this one can be important for women in midlife and beyond to know.
Uric acid
Optimal levels may support antioxidant activity but too high can be linked to oxidative stress.
Vitamin A
Concentrations of uric acid and vitamin A are closely associated. This test may be used to indicate a reason why uric acid levels are high.
CRP
A major marker of inflammation. Risk of disease increases significantly with high CRP.
A Fasting Lipid Panel
Looking at cholesterol, LDL, HDL and the total/HDL ratio can tell you what’s happening in your body. It might be genetic, lifestyle or also occurring during menopause as the body generates more cholesterol to attempt to produce hormones.
Free Testosterone
This is the testosterone immediately available. Can support weight loss and improve memory and strength.
Testosterone
Elevated testosterone can lead to hair growth, acne, moodiness. But too low can lead to difficulty gaining muscle and bone density.
DHEA-S
Your precursor to the sex hormones and also an indicator of adrenal function.
Variety of Lab Tests in Menopause
Estradiol
Check for optimal levels for some women, confirming they’re in menopause and for others like me doing hormone replacement, that hormone levels are optimized.
Estrone
The estrogen product after menopause.
Progesterone
Can lower post menopause and make sleep and relaxing harder.
Thyroid Hormone Tests
TSH
Released by your brain to signal your thyroid gland. It can be used to monitor dosing of your thyroid medication or as a screening test for the presence of thyroid disease.
Free T4
The thyroid makes predominately T4. Free T4 is what your body uses to make the active thyroid hormone called free T3. These are advanced biomarker tests, not routinely done, but very helpful to determine if the thyroid can be affecting how you feel.
Free T3
Symptoms (constipation, weight gain, tiredness, low libido) of low thyroid may be missed (passed off as normal or something else) unless the active thyroid hormone (free T3) is measured. High levels may indicate hyperthyroidism. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include fatigue, anxiety, sudden weight loss, rapid heartbeat, irritability, more frequent bowel movements, difficulty sleeping, sweating and tremors. Free T3 is an advanced screening biomarker that helps screen routinely missed thyroid issues.
TPA (Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies)
Thyroid disease has become very common and we can often pick up inflammation in the thyroid years before the thyroid fails. This is important because natural interventions may help reverse the inflammation of the thyroid gland.
TA (Thyroglobulin Antibodies)
This test can be positive in people with inflammation of the thyroid gland, and it can be seen years before complete thyroid failure – giving you time to take action!
Reverse T 3
Reverse T3 is the storage form of the active thyroid hormone. Many conditions can cause you to store thyroid instead of use it as active free T3. If your reverse T3 is high then you may need to address the reasons why.
Broader Selection of Lab Tests in Menopause
**FSH (**Follicle-stimulating hormone)
Levels of this hormone indicate phases of hormones including puberty, reproduction and menopause. Levels rise significantly after menopause. ****This test can be helpful for someone who isn’t sure what’s happening or wants to confirm levels are dropping.
**SHBG **(**Sex Hormone Binding Globulin)
SHBG is used to keep excessive free estrogen out of the blood stream, looking at these levels can help identify if hormone control health habits can improve your overall health. Sex hormone binding globulin is a protein mainly produced by the liver, and studies show that diets high in simple sugars cause the liver to produce less SHBG. Low levels of SHBG are seen in obesity, prediabetes, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Other Tests
Total Cortisol
Early morning cortisol screen for adrenal gland function.
4 Sample Saliva Test
Measures throughout the day to get a more accurate picture of your stress hormone pattern.
ACTH Stimulation Test
Administered by a physician to test response
Omega 3 and 3/6 Index
For muscle and joint aches and pains, and brain health, knowing your omega 3 and 6 index can help you improve overall health and decrease inflammation.
Food Sensitivity Testing
Depending on which level of comprehensive test you do, you can test for 90 common food sensitivities (or more) and learn what is low, moderate, and highly sensitive for you. Avoiding moderate and higher food sensitivities for 3 months while also taking extra care of your gut can help reduce symptoms of gas, bloating, or other digestive issues stemming from leaky gut situation. Adding probiotics, glutamine, oregano oil and foods known to support gut bacteria can all help improve the gut before attempting to reintroduce.
GI-Map
For gut issues that aren’t resolved with dietary changes, scores will tell you your gut bacteria levels and which may be out of balance so you can choose very specific probiotics to help rebalance, as you avoid foods that show moderate and high on your sensitivity results.
Other Episodes You Might Like:
When Exercise & Diet Aren’t Working: Which Lab Tests Should I Get?:
https://www.flippingfifty.com/which-lab-tests/
Adrenal Fatigue Talk with the Hip Hop Energy Doc, Tricia Pingel:
https://www.flippingfifty.com/adrenal-fatigue-talk/
Is a Food Sensitivity Getting in the Way of Your Fitness After 50?
https://www.flippingfifty.com/is-a-food-sensitivity-getting-in-the-way-of-your-fitness-after-50/
Resources:
**Link to Ultimate Assessment: https://www.flippingfifty.com/store**
https://www.flippingfifty.com/store/coaching-programs/private-coaching-90-min/