The Flipping 50 Show

The podcast for women in menopause and beyond who want to change the way they age. Fitness, wellness, and health research put into practical tips you can use today. You still got it, girl!

Exercise Timing Improves Exercise Benefits in Menopause 12/20/2024

Exercise Timing Improves Exercise Benefits in Menopause The timing of your exercise hurts or improves exercise benefits in menopause. If this is new stay with me! If this is like a review or you’re a trainer and you’re unsure of how to relate these things to your clients, you stay with me too! This is a great refresher and for some trainers the first time they’re ever hearing it! If you’re a trainer or health pro, don’t miss the , and be sure if you’re not getting results for your midlife and beyond clients you’re aware of our sponsor of this show, the . Since 2018 we’ve been providing the course and CECs, and now, this is not a course, it’s a business. . Questions I Answer in This Episode: Why type and timing of exercise matters more in menopause? [00:07:56] The normal curve of hormones during the day (and night) [00:08:48] How exercise affects hormones [00:10:06] Some examples of how exercise timing change has supported symptoms of menopause [00:15:38] First steps to try if you’re a little “addicted” to your exercise [00:38:49] Let’s review hormones related to exercise (in menopause or any stage): Cortisol is at its highest level at 8am and lowest at 2am when you’re functioning optimally. During times of stress, whether chronic or acute cortisol levels spike (also increasing blood sugar). Insulin levels will increase if blood sugar rises, in order to lower blood sugar levels. By late afternoon, cortisol levels are low and not providing the energy we’ve enjoyed during the morning. So if we exercise, your body will convert another hormone into cortisol. In the evening, progesterone levels rise to help facilitate the chill and relaxation that helps provide a sound night sleep. During deep cycles of sleep, we release testosterone and growth hormones which improve muscle growth and repair. Why Doing Intense Exercise Early Improves Exercise Benefits in Menopause So you don’t misinterpret, this isn’t a suggestion for intense exercise every day. Doing intense exercise early improves exercise benefits in menopause. Also true, intense exercise late might interfere with exercise benefits in menopause. The two keys in the conversation on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) are: cortisol during exercise cortisol after exercise What does cortisol do? Cortisol is responsible for physiological changes, such as the quick breakdown of fats and carbohydrates and a rise in blood sugar for immediate energy, and repressing the immune system to focus your energy on whatever you’re doing at the moment. The blood sugar elevation you see on your Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor is normal and not a bad thing (provided you’re recovering quickly from that spike that is caused by a legitimate need). The glucose has been released so it can be used: It’s when you see your CGM continue to be elevated after your HIIT session, or crash, that you want to be concerned about. The quality of your recovery is important. In menopause, particularly perimenopause, recovery can be slowed or insufficient simply because of the changes in hormones. The same stressors in your life can potentially have a greater negative impact on your cortisol. Additionally, some of the keys to recovery are hard to get in midlife: Sleep Down time for Meditation and breath-slowing exercises Foam rolling or massage Decades of conditioning work against us getting adequate nutrition and hydration. If we still operate with “eat less, exercise more,” we generally don’t have enough fuel to recover, and hydration could be impeded by low sodium intake. So many of us grew up with messaging about low salt, low sodium being the goal and have taken it so far that we’re not actually hydrating by drinking water only, or worse, water with sugary substances. Exercise Early Improves Exercise Benefits in Menopause But Not If… One big mistake women make with HIIT is doing it too much or doing it after a workout that was lower intensity, assuming it’s short and feeling you didn’t work hard enough. We often assume feeling good after exercise is wrong. We’ve been conditioned by the media that it should be hard or hurt to be effective and should be under that threshold of cortisol elevation. There is a psychological effect from HIIT that differs from cardio activities. Studies on HIIT and high intensity weight training show these are safe and create positive feelings. The brain gets bathed in neurotransmitters after HIIT sessions that give a boost of creativity or problem solving. While you CAN do HIIT and strength training on the same day, it is not recommended daily. Hard exercise is more beneficial at your capacity. When you’re in a period of extremely high stress (emotional and or physical) because of that overall load, the allostatic load interferes with recovery. During Perimenopause, the roller coaster of hormones can mean HIIT is not even ideal for you at all. If you do it and respond positively, 1-3 short sessions a week of not more than 45 minutes of HIIT is ideal. Beyond that point, injury rates go up significantly. Tendons can become more rigid and connective tissue is reduced thanks to lower estrogen. Awareness about this sweet spot of enough - not too much - is really important. I call it the MVP, MINIMUM VIABLE PHYSICAL activity to get results. Doing more gives you less ROI, it might tip your bucket so much that you are headed to breakdown instead of a more resilient body. During post menopause, the hormone roller coaster has generally calmed down and you can potentially include HIIT. You may be able to increase it up to 4 short sessions a week. First Steps to Improve Exercise Benefits in Menopause Skeptical or a creature of habit that it’s hard to change even if you’re not getting the results you want? If you say, your belly fat is not budging, in fact seems to get worse, here’s my suggestion. Let's use the analogy of science by the Glucose Goddess (we’ll link to that episode). If you have a plate of food and change nothing but the order you eat that food, you can change the impact of your blood glucose by up to 75%. Let’s say you find it hard to give up your exercise habits. Change to exercise intensely only in the morning and light exercise or movement late in the day. Two things to keep in mind: Intensity comes from duration too. So hiking 2 or more hours may also spike your blood sugar. Lack of fuel before, during or after exercise (for recovery) will also increase the negative impact on your cortisol. There you have it, keys to improve the exercise benefits in menopause: Time intense exercise early in the day Even low to moderate intensity exercise can become intense if the cardiac drift is prolonged enough to elevate cortisol and it remain elevated, or if The habits before, during or after don’t facilitate quick recover with the right fuel and rest to avoid muscle breakdown References: Resources: My Favorite CGM: Flipping 50 Membership: Flipping 50 STRONGER 12-week program: Other Episodes You Might Like: Cortisol Hormone: Don’t let it derail your fat loss efforts: Best HIIT Workouts for Women Over 50 | Fat Burning: The Blood Sugar Belly Fat Loss Connection for Women Over 40: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/34545725

Turning Your Personal Drama and Trauma into Transformation 12/17/2024

Increase Longevity and create a life you look forward to without Heavy Lifting 12/13/2024

Increase Longevity and create a life you look forward to without Heavy Lifting Having a better menopause experience alone ensures you increase longevity and your health span. Usually we talk about preserving muscle, reversing bone loss, and enhancing walking speed to do so. Today, it’s a lot less sweat and breathlessness. but probably the hardest exercise I could ask you to do. Research shows that older individuals with more positive self-perceptions of aging, measured up to 23 years earlier, lived 7.5 years longer than those with less positive self-perceptions of aging. If you don’t like what you see, change it. Change the people around you, change what you’re doing or not doing. The research study consisted of 660 individuals aged 50 and older who participated in a community-based survey, the Ohio Longitudinal Study of Aging and Retirement (OLSAR). By matching the OLSAR to mortality data recently obtained from the National Death Index, the authors were able to conduct survival analyses. The findings suggest that the self-perceptions of stigmatized groups can influence longevity. If perceptions about aging are formed by the age of 6, you might want to consider that we’ve likely contributed to our children’s and grandchildren’s early death or improved longevity, one or the other. You and I have either helped them live longer stronger or believe the little things we’ve said, and I quote from people and potentially myself having said this: “I’m getting old,” which we don’t usually say with a positive spin. This is most likely first said often at age 25 or at 30 when you have at least ⅔ or ¾ of your life left to live. “It’s hell getting old.” -said at any age “Just you wait.” -said to younger women about trying to get or stay fit “Grandma is old, honey, you have to be careful.” “There’s nothing good about it.” -in reference to getting old “So, that’s when it happens/when things start falling apart.” “I am my mother.” But, how important are these offhanded, casual, lighthearted comments really? Increase Longevity Through Growth and a Positive Outlook A 2018 Plus One study found that the chances of dementia can be lowered by 49.8% if a positive outlook is maintained. Who do you surround yourself with? What are your own thoughts? Do you think about yourself in 20, 30 or 40 years? What do you see? How does it feel? What are you doing and who are you doing it with? Physical exercise and nutrition are the two most important of the tangible things you can do. Your mindset, however, is number one. Yes, you should move every day and we eat every day. We think 60-70,000 thoughts a day and 90% of those are the same as yesterday. We continue living the same pattern and change becomes hard. While preparing for a class reunion, I looked through old yearbooks filled with messages like, “keep being you” or “don’t forget who you are when you go to…. [university].” In reality, we didn’t intentionally do it, but that advice is some of the worst we could have given each other. “Keep changing and evolving, growing and becoming” would have been wise beyond our years but even teachers didn’t write things like that. Increase Longevity With a Youthful Mindset Dr Ellen Langer, the Mother of Mindfulness, tells us that we will stay stuck getting the same results, changing very little, if those habits aren’t changing WHO we are. Unless your best habit is to break habits that keep you doing and repeating thoughts that aren’t getting you results, you’ll continue on the path you’re on now. Virtually, you won’t change much. The reframing of anything is possible. You’ve probably done it. For instance, you may have had to run in high school for punishment if you lost or you made mistakes or talked too much in class. Running then was bad. As an adult you may have come to love running maybe because someone you loved or envied did it and seemed to enjoy it. Not eating for a long period of time seemed so difficult, it was like dieting, which has a negative connotation stemming from deprivation. But today we know not eating between meals and going 12 hours between dinner and breakfast without calories is positive, and that some often go 16 or more hours without consuming calories and call it intermittent fasting. So when I go in for a fasting blood test and all that means is I haven’t eating after dinner and it’s 7:30 and they ask if I’m fasting or the phlebotomist asks what I’m going to eat first, as if I must be starving, I’m always a bit surprised they refer to it as a hardship not to have eaten for 11 hours, while I was sleeping most of the time. A reframe, right? Dr Ellen Langer’s well-known Counterclockwise study (there’s a book by the same title) with older adults asked to pretend “as if” they were their younger selves for a short time. They were exposed only to music, periodicals, movies of the time they were younger and by the end of the week older adults who arrived using canes, moving slowly, could hear better, see better, were playing touch football. Simply by changing their thoughts about aging. References: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2002, Vol. 83, No. 2, 261–270 Copyright 2002 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 0022-3514/02/$5.00 DOI: 10.1037//0022-3514.83.2.261 Levy BR, Slade MD, Pietrzak RH, Ferrucci L (2018) Positive age beliefs protect against dementia even among elders with high-risk gene. PLoS ONE 13(2): e0191004. Other Episodes You May Like: Think You’re Too Old? Ageism Dismantled with Ashton Applewhite: The Senior Games | Off The Scale and Onto a Starting Line: Positive Aging Sources: How to Change the Way You Age | Bolder is Better: What, When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+ Challenge Bundle Resources: Flipping 50 Membership: Flipping 50 STRONGER 12-week program: Discovery Call with Debra: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/34428430

Empower & Energize Yourself with The Colors You Wear 12/10/2024

Building Muscle During Menopause: A Protein and Exercise Review 12/06/2024

Building Muscle During Menopause: A Protein and Exercise Review Building muscle during menopause takes a unique stimulus compared to PRE menopause and is also unique during peri and post menopause. Of course there’s more. Are you trying to lose weight, gain muscle, prevent osteoporosis, reduce or avoid medication, do you have adrenal fatigue or long haul? In this episode I’ll discuss the research on protein and call back to a recent episode about exercise volume for building muscle during menopause. Questions I answer in this episode: How have protein recommendations changed over time (then and now)? [00:08:00] What are women’s protein needs during menopause? [00:17:30] What are the effects of protein on building muscle during menopause? [00:11:00] As a refresher, what is the resistance training volume for pre, peri and post menopause? [00:19:50] How important is recovery—and are you doing it right? [00:30:20] Based on RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance), protein consumption is 0.8g per kg (of body weight) per day. This is about 55 grams of protein for a 150-pound woman — but that’s only enough to maintain nitrogen balance and prevent deficiency in sedentary women. It is not enough to help you build muscle. Let me explain why that is true. The reason for that recommendation is important to understand. As you age, anabolic resistance increases, meaning you need more protein and stimulus for muscle protein synthesis. More emerging research indicates “that amount may no longer be an appropriate recommendation.” That statement was the conclusion of a 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis addressing the protein needs of people who are exercising and/or trying to lose weight. Researchers concluded, “The RDA for protein of 0.8g of protein / kg / day may no longer be an appropriate recommendation.” Scientific Research on Building Muscle During Menopause An interview with Bill Philips, PhD, in May 2024, on the What, When & Why to Exercise for Women 40+, with his primary research focus shifting to that of midlife women, he could already say that the single simplest way to support fat loss and optimal body composition is to increase protein even if you didn’t change your caloric intake. A 2022 meta-analysis recommends adults should consume nearly 1.5g of protein / kg / day of protein to maintain and/or augment muscle strength along with resistance training. Small-statured women with low reserves may need even more to prevent muscle loss, strength decline, reduced activity, and increased risk of falls or disease. For active women, whether you are competing or you are intentionally exercising more than 3 times a week for a purpose of achieving fitness or reduced fatness, the 2023 International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends at least 1.5g of protein / kg / day and maybe even more. “Daily protein intake should fall within the mid-to-upper ranges of current sport nutrition guidelines (1.4–2.2 g of protein / kg / day) for women at all stages of menstrual function (pre-, peri-, post-menopausal, and contraceptive users) with protein doses evenly distributed, every 3 to 4 hours, across the day.” One thing to note is that hitting the “ballpark” is not enough. You need to meet the threshold. Whether it’s reaching muscle fatigue, breathlessness during exercise, or consistent protein intake, falling short means missing the full benefits. For women in perimenopause, it requires less stimulus than for postmenopausal women with the most hormone decline and most advanced age contributing to anabolic resistance. (inability to gain lean muscle). Training and Protein: Building Muscle During Menopause When it’s recommended to have at least two total body resistance training sessions a week, that minimum may best serve: Women in perimenopause Those with adrenal fatigue or long haul Time constricted Others who require a longer recovery period And within those workouts, there needs to be adequate volume achieved with a number of muscle groups, sets, and weight to muscle fatigue. Postmenopausal women require greater stimulus to build lean muscle. You can aim for 4 HIIT sessions per week and increase resistance training volume if 2 sessions aren’t enough, provided protein, sleep, and stress are optimized. The biggest obstacle to exercise is time. The second though is time for recovery. An aging muscle needs more stimulus overload. It needs greater recovery to repair the microtears that are innate to workout out intensely. If you’re an active 150 lb postmenopausal woman who wants to improve lean muscle and decrease fat, to reach the upper range of protein that would be 2.2g of protein / kg body weight / day. 68 kg x 2.2 g of protein = 150 g of protein To get this, here is a sample protein consumption per day 50 g x 3 meals 35-40 g x 4 meals For strength training, 15-minute weight training sessions likely lack adequate volume in a session, unless focused on one muscle group. This is useful for beginners learning form or those with adrenal stress or special conditions but may not provide adequate stimulus for muscle growth. In a minimum, do 5-8 sets with some rest between puts you at a need for 15-20 minutes. That’s no warm up and cool down. Again, that’s a single muscle. Even 30-minute sessions may not allow you adequate stimulus for your muscles. Where to Find Support for Building Muscle During Menopause Personal trainers and fitness instructors, even with degrees or certifications, lack training on menopause and hormonal influences. They’re entering the field with the minimum viable knowledge. But eager to help solve a problem like weight loss or earn money, they may only do as well as they know. Advice or training from a 20, or 40-something woman showing what’s working for her may not work for the goal you have and the hormone status you’ve got. Someone trained solely in nutrition on clinical recommendations may not necessarily be up to date on contemporary needs of older women and their hormonal status. It’s coming, but until we start demanding it, here’s how to advocate for yourself: To determine protein and exercise needs consider: Activity level and goals Current hormone status What you’ve been doing and how it’s working 2.2 g protein per kilogram for active and or postmenopausal women Volume of exercise – from sets of major muscle groups – increases with age Recovery from exercise is as important as the exercise itself In an upcoming podcast, I’ll share how to start increasing protein, how to plan a day of protein and position it for support of muscle protein synthesis and blood sugar control. Watch for masterclasses monthly where we deep dive with our members References: Other Episodes You May Like: My Post Menopause Workout Week Experiment | What I’m Doing: Protein Consumption in Menopause (Revisited): Resources: Stronger: Tone & Define Flipping 50 Membership: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/34314150

Connection Between the Sex Hormones and Bone Density 12/03/2024

Connection Between the Sex Hormones and Bone Density Today’s episode is a refresher course or your introduction if you’re new to Flipping 50 and not quite sure you can make the connection between sex hormones and bone density. Share this with younger women to understand “more than seen and felt symptoms” of perimenopause. Many women aren’t aware of the options, pros and cons of hormone health. The more we know, the more we can make our own informed decisions. Bone density declines at menopause, and postmenopausal increases fracture risks. But do you know the importance of estrogen and testosterone in your bone health? Stay tuned to review the relationship between your sex hormones and bone density. My Guest: Dr. Doug Lucas is a double board-certified physician specializing in osteoporosis reversal and hormone replacement. After training at Stanford University, he transitioned from orthopedic surgery to anti-aging and regenerative medicine, gaining a fellowship in Anti-Aging and Metabolic Medicine and started Optimal Human Health MD (OHH) which is his nationwide telehealth practice. Dr. Doug educates the world through The Dr. Doug Show: Bones, Hormones and HealthSpan (YouTube), HealthSpan Nation and other platforms, while also mentoring physicians to prioritize patient-centered care. Questions We Answer in This Episode: What is the role of sex hormones in maintaining or improving bone density? [00:15:22] Can hormone replacement therapy (HRT) improve bone health? [00:18:32] What is the relationship between hormone decline and bone density? [00:14:17] What are the best strategies to maintain bone density with low hormone levels? [00:30:09] Connect with Dr. Doug: On Social: Facebook: YouTube: Instagram: Other Episodes You Might Like: Bone Health, Osteoporosis, Osteopenia Tips You’ve Never Heard: Build Bone After Osteoporosis: Can I Still Start Hormones 10 Years After Menopause? Doctors Respond: Resources: Flipping 50 Membership: Flipping 50 STRONGER 12-week program: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/34261265

Exercise for Menopause Brain Fog, Memory, Depression and Anxiety 11/29/2024

Exercise for Menopause Brain Fog, Memory, Depression and Anxiety If you deal with menopause brain fog, mild depression or anxiety any time of year, this is for you. It’s also for anyone who wants the latest science on exercise and brain health. The evidence around how movement affects mental well-being is growing, and I want to share some of the most impactful insights with you. Almost all types of exercise seem to show benefits on mental well-being. Activities like resistance training, yoga, other mind-body activities, aerobic exercise, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can support brain health to some extent. In this episode I’ll share which exercise helps most, specifically on menopause brain fog, mood, or anxiety. No matter when you’re listening to this episode, it’s relevant for multiple reasons and seasons. But as I release it during the holiday season, it can have more impact. Whether you might be facing memories of loved ones you’ve lost, whether it was this year or in years past, or the traditions, memories, or emotions that come with the season that make this time of year bittersweet. While holidays can be magical and full of warmth, they can also feel heavy, bringing sadness, anxiety, or emotional struggles to the surface. For women with menopause brain fog and memory issues, the holidays can have an even greater impact. Beyond Menopause and Brain Fog Global prevalence of depression in perimenopausal women are at 33.9% and 34.9% in postmenopausal women. Why? This may be due to estrogen and progesterone fluctuations, sleep disturbances and greater susceptibility to negative effects of stress. Most adults with depression don’t receive adequate care - due to the stigma or the fact that they don’t respond well to antidepressants. And pharmaceuticals don’t address the physical comorbidities associated with depression. Exercise is well accepted as an alternative or complement due to accessibility, acceptability and safety. Even physical activity below public health recommendations can yield significant mental health benefits [and is a necessary place to start]. Menopause Brain Fog, It’s Not Just You A recent study published in the Biomedical Central Public Health Journal of over 200 randomized controlled trials show exercise interventions may have more potent antidepressant effects than SSRIs. A study examined which of 5 exercise interventions helped reduce depression levels most in postmenopausal women and if certain population characteristics responded differently. The Exercise Interventions: Stretching Exercise Aerobic Exercise Resistance Training Mind-Body Exercise Multi Exercise Mind-Body Exercise had the greatest effect on easing anxiety, followed by Aerobic Exercise. Exercise helps because it creates a controlled stress response, increasing resilience to anxiety. Years ago, I shared a study showing yoga boosts cognitive function more than muscle conditioning. A study published in Menopause: The Journal confirmed that mind-body exercises reduce fatigue, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Why mindbody? Yoga increases melatonin levels, balances nervous system and improves brain-derived neurotrophic which improves cognition and memory. Best Exercise for Menopause Brain Fog The menopause brain fog experienced by many women may improve most with HIIT, being characterized by periods of “all out” exercise to breathlessness. A study in the Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry in 2018 showed a Wingate protocol study on HIIT: Exercise Structure 30 seconds of all-out effort (fast-paced or against resistance) per interval 4 - 6 intervals per session, with 4 minutes of recovery between intervals Total Intense Exercise Time 2 - 3 minutes of intense exercise per session lasting a total of 20 minutes, including rest periods Training Frequency 3 sessions per week (totaling 15 minutes of high-intensity work per week) Results 2 Weeks - Improved skeletal muscle oxidative capacity 6 Weeks - Equivalent to traditional endurance training (40 - 60 minutes, 5 sessions per week) Additional Benefits for Midlife Women: Time - HIIT sessions take 1.5 hours a week, compared to other traditional endurance training 4.5 hours a week Cortisol - Short HIIT sessions avoid the cortisol spike (40 - 60 minutes is the tipping point where cortisol spikes negatively) Most women say they feel more energized, lighter, and more focused after HIIT compared to long endurance sessions. Studies on postmenopausal women with osteoporosis found that high-intensity, high-impact protocols led to positive responses, with low injury rates and high retention. Other Exercises for Menopause Brain Fog Resistance training also proves popular among women with anxiety, potentially due to the fact that the increase in heart rate and intensity is temporary, strength gains are made fairly quickly for a beginner and that carries over to increasing motivation, improved sleep. Walking outdoors with friends combines three sources of serotonin for women, particularly: movement, sunlight, and venting/talking. References: Han, B., Duan, Y., Zhang, P. et al. Effects of exercise on depression and anxiety in postmenopausal women: a pairwise and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Public Health 24, 1816 (2024). Min Chul L, Sung Ki L, Suk Yool J, Hyung Hoon M. New insight of high-intensity interval training on physiological adaptation with brain functions. J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2018 Sep 30;22(3):1-5. doi: 10.20463/jenb.2018.0017. PMID: 30343552; PMCID: PMC6199482. Xu, Hong MM; Liu, Jian MD; Li, Peishan MD; Liang, Yujie MD. Effects of mind-body exercise on perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Menopause 31(5):p 457-467, May 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002336 Resources: BLISSMAS 12-Day Challenge: Other Episodes You Might Like: Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain: Six Powerful Ways To Keep Your Perimenopause Brain Sharp: Exercise Your Way to a Better Mood in Menopause: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/34196610

Fitness Then and Now: A Look at Fitness Routines as You Age 11/26/2024

My Morning Routine and How It’s Changed Over Time 11/22/2024

My Morning Routine and How It’s Changed Over Time In my 20s, I would go for a run within an hour of waking. But as the years went by, I would linger over coffee and my studies or work. Even though I still wanted to move in the morning, I realized the best quality creativity and focus were accessible to me in the first hours of the morning. It wasn’t the same later. Eventually, I realized that if I focus on studying or work on a project and delay my workout until later, I could get another boost of focus when I return, refreshed and showered from exercise. Even when I was training for Iron -distance triathlons, 3 to 4-hour long sessions of running, biking, or swimming could be tiring. I may have had some good ideas on the bike, but overly long sessions left both mind and body drained and exhausted. The science behind this has a lot to do with cortisol, which helps our brains handle stress and concentrate more effectively earlier in the day. Mental focus is best between 10am and 2pm, but this may vary based on whether you’re a morning or night person. For me, it’s the quiet of early morning.. typically between 5am and 9am.. that offers the best focus. But if you’re a night owl, you may find focus and get things done later. But only a few of us can focus really well late at night. P.S. Waiting a little while before exercise has another benefit backed by science: it reduces the risk of back injuries. After an hour of moving around before getting to the gym (like getting dressed or driving) the pressure on spinal discs lessens, lowering the chance of herniation. You can check out the link of another episode below for Myths, Causes, and Solutions for Back Pain. My Morning Routine and Clear Thinking A fascinating article on sleep cycles, naps, shorter sleep spans and no naps might make you a believer in naps. Even me, as a fairly proclaimed non-napper, I find it difficult to wake up and re-engage in the day after a nap. But the science behind napping is compelling. There’s something about working too long. When we push through long work hours without breaks (a common Western habit), it disrupts the potassium-sodium balance and keeps us in a Beta brain wave state. Beta waves are for analyzing and alertness. When we sleep, we get Theta waves which are for creativity and higher mental functions. If you study meditation at all, you’ll hear about different waves. As we fall asleep, our brains move from Beta (awake and analyzing) to Alpha (calmer and quiet mind), then Theta (half-awake or half-asleep), and finally Delta (deep sleep). Research says, we cycle through these stages in 90-minute intervals during sleep and even during the day, our brains naturally focus best in 90-minute bursts. So, if your mind starts wandering after about 90 minutes, it’s normal. We do better with a 20-minute break for productivity and creativity than powering through. The quality of the work is better. I discovered this myself by pure accident, and then began to lean into it more as I learned more about the brain. What is hard for me is to honor the habit of meditation first thing because when I wake, I tend to want to start my usual habits. It’s true for most of us. And if you have a dog, your habits change real fast! If you are finding you aren’t as productive or energetic as you like, and you’re ready to try a new routine, here are some suggestions so you can find a morning routine that works for you. 4 Steps to Create Your Own Personal Instead of Adopting My Morning Routine! Learn your personal patterns: keep a track of your energy during different parts of the day, and you’ll eventually see which are the best moments for you to work and rest. We all have this Basic Reset-Activity cycle, but you can learn more about your own personal best routine, even within the confines of work, kids or dogs! Now, this is not going to work best until you’ve begun optimizing habits like high protein/low carb breakfasts; avoiding coffee-only till noon rituals, avoid skipping meals. You’re not using wine to wind down every night. None of this is going to help you as directly with day time energy if you’re sabotaging yourself. Maximize your peak cycles: plan your day in order to take advantage of the moments where you have the most energy. I share this with health coaches and trainers in our Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist program and with our team members too. Though there are things that have to be done on a 12 and 24-hour period within our business, we allow flexibility in our team members to do them. Where we have issues is if there are too many errors, oversights, and it becomes obvious someone isn’t firing on all cylinders, assuming they are the right person for the job. Take a break: When you’re in a down cycle, it’s better to rest than power through. Rest is not optional. My personal mental breaks from work are physical movement. After 3 or 4 hours of morning focus, I’ll break to workout. In the afternoon, between sessions, I’ll get Moses outside and play fetch with him or do one of what I’ve coined our 10-minute Longevity snacks. The dynamic balance and agility moves actually require thought, but of an entirely different kind, and definitely away from a screen. Get enough sleep: Sleep deprivation results in a prolonged cycle, lowering your productivity. My Morning Routine Can be Different to Yours For me, sleep has always been non-negotiable. Even in high school, I didn’t “sleep in” well. Slumber parties wrecked me for the next couple days. And I was in bed by 10:00pm most high school nights. I just preferred it. Now, all of us were teens with different sleep habits at one point, but even in high school and college, I was up irritatingly early for my dorm roommates at least. Women in Midlife are more susceptible to negative effects of stress. That’s going to impact our brain as well as our physical body. Doing either of these types of stressful work early in the day will reap better rewards. For women in midlife, working with cortisol levels in this way is also beneficial. You can avoid the conversion of other hormones necessary for sleep and rest to cortisol to supply the energy in late-day intense exercise. It seems to go well for women during, but the quality and quantity of sleep is negatively affected. By studying scientific processes and anecdotally having thousands of clients flip their intense workouts to am, we’ve seen improvements in their energy, fitness, and fatness. References: Other Episodes You Might Like: Morning Routines, Training to Fatigue, and Defining “Fueled”: Successful Habit Change for Health, Fitness, & Wellness After 50: Myths, Causes, and Solutions for Back Pain with Dr. Stuart McGill: Resources: BLISSMAS 12-Day Challenge: Flipping 50 Membership: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/34106161

What You Do and Don’t Know About GLP-1 11/19/2024

What You Do and Don’t Know About GLP-1 What you don’t know about GPL-1 drugs may hurt you, or your opportunity to improve your health. Misconceptions could limit your ability to make an informed decision about whether they’re right for you. Whether you’re someone considering these medications for your own health or a fitness professional trying to better understand how they fit into the broader health landscape, this episode will offer valuable insights on what you don’t know about GPL-1. We’re not having a persuasive argument here. Instead, we want to provide a balanced and nuanced discussion, offering you the information needed to make a well-rounded decision. We are opening up the conversation again with a physician who's been using GLP-1 for a long time. She’s sharing what she’s seen and experienced and if you’re a health and fitness professional, stay tuned as we have something special for you too. My Guest: Dr. Tami Meraglia MD is a leader in Functional Medicine specializing in Hormones, Weight Loss and non-surgical facial rejuvenation. She is the best selling author of The Hormone Secret, published by Simon and Schuster, has appeared on Good Morning America, Fox, ABC, NBC and many podcasts and summits as a health expert. She lectures nationally and internationally and is the Medical Director of BioThrive Life that offers personalized medical programs in person in Seattle and virtually across the USA. Questions We Answer in This Episode: What are the risks and benefits of these medications? [00:11:01] (Benefits), [00:33:10] (Risk) If you use them do you need to take them for life? [00:11:19] If you use them does the weight loss involve muscle loss? [00:40:48] Future of GLP1 medications [00:28:23] Connect with Dr. Tami: On Social: Facebook: Instagram: Other Episodes You Might Like: How to Spot Menopause Misinformation: A Doctor Talks: Your Glucose Levels in Menopause with the Glucose Goddess: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33993482

Menopause Fasted Exercise Pros and Cons 11/15/2024

Menopause Fasted Exercise Pros and Cons Our stance: Flipping 50 believes each woman is unique. That said, we favor fed exercise over fasted exercise when it is intense. That is, high intensity interval training, or strength training with the intent of preserving lean muscle mass and avoiding frailty or fragility occur within the eating window and ideally bookended by protein consumption if for muscle or bone mass. We do acknowledge that exercise may “feel hard” when exercise is performed fasted giving the perception of “working hard.” However, we suggest based on research and 4 decades of primary observation, women actually exercise harder related to their capacity for exercise when fueled. That is, they will go faster if being timed, go further within a timed test, lift more weight or perform more reps to muscular fatigue. Fasted Exercise Pros and Cons During Perimenopause A 27% muscle loss has been reported between early and late stage perimenopause. This is most likely due to multifactors: insomnia disrupting anabolic hormones and together with other signs and symptoms of menopause interfering with desire to workout, as well as a drop in estrogen, testosterone and growth hormone levels, and an increase in cortisol levels. This is an important consideration when looking at fat loss vs lean muscle gain and priorities. Mitigating potential loss of muscle is a critical factor in aging well and overall metabolic health. What Science Says Some studies (review of literature) suggest that before prolonged exercise, fueling provides more benefit but before short exercise, results are inconclusive. A 2013 study on sumo wrestlers eating a ultra high calorie, 50% fat diet burned more fat after exercise done fasted. However, we’ve got to consider…. How like you are that? Extremely high calorie and 50% fat? In almost the same time frame, college women were fed vs fasted in exercise and showed no difference. Their diets probably reflected at least a little closer to yours and their hormone profiles also at least slightly more like you. The problem is, few studies about fasting and exercise exist on midlife or postmenopausal women. Women who are at risk for accelerated muscle and strength losses. In studies for the last 10 years, fasted vs fed with the same hypocaloric diet there was no difference in increased fat loss due to fasted vs fed. I hear comments from women who believe they are burning fat for fuel when they’ve fat-adapted, however, without measuring this, we don’t know it to be true. The crossover is only visible when you’re measuring in a lab. It would mean that at the same speed and intensity previously (watts) you were burning fat vs carbs for fuel. We can see that in clinical lab testing during progressive exercise testing using stages. Your cardiovascular fitness level may also improve meaning for the same speed your heart rate isn’t as elevated. That’s another way to hypothesize you’re burning more fat for fuel at higher levels. I want to remind you that at a certain point we all cross over. If you’re “working hard” in high intensity interval training you are NOT burning fat during. You’re burning a lower percent of fat for fuel during. Because you’re burning calories - that is your energy expenditure is higher - you are still burning more fat. Your goal is not to burn a high percent of fat for fuel during.. Or you’re doing that best at rest. The data is not there to support higher fat burning during HIIT fasted. It’s not there to support higher fat burning after HIIT if fasted. What seems most important is a hypocaloric diet, performing optimal exercise intensity for energy expenditure. And resistance training improves post workout FFA circulation most compared to HIIT. To support anabolic response to strength training, especially for women when more prone to anabolic resistance, fed exercise makes the most sense. Fasted Exercise Pros and Cons with Obese Women For women who can’t seem to lose fat weight, and are in good adrenal health, after employing a foundation of high protein, 3 meals no snacks, fasting at least 12 hours overnight, extending the fast and testing can help shake a plateau. The approach needs to be unique to individual needs and goals to lose fat weight and gain lean muscle mass. It may need to be addressed step by step to first improve metabolic health (blood lipids, blood pressure, insulin, glucose), with close observations on skeletal muscle to determine success. For other women though, recomposition is best addressed by focus on gaining lean muscle mass and not slowing progress. We do know strength can be gained during fasting, at least in the beginning. Muscle mass doesn’t improve during fasted exercise. Again, important to remember, the research featuring women in menopause and post, with anabolic resistance is minimal. Anabolic resistance is the resistance to gaining lean muscle mass. Basically, the older we get the more you have to work for it. So, if you focus on losing fat, you may also lose lean muscle if you’re doing it by fasting. Like many things including exercise, the solution may be cycling fasting duration with alternating periods of time (weeks/months) with primary focus on muscle gains vs fat loss. But the one constant should be monitoring your personal results. Is your lean muscle mass going up or down? Is your body fat going up or down? Is your gut health/digestion/elimination improving? To Unpack Your Personal Fasted Exercise Pros and Cons, Prioritize Prioritize goals: Longevity (autophagy) Avoidance of frailty, fragility Improvement of balance and stability Increase in bone density Gut health Emotional eating/relationship with food Consuming inadequate fuel can make women store more fat. It may depend on whether you are in perimenopause vs postmenopause. According to Stacy Sims, it’s the hypothalamus related to the kisspeptin hormone. Thyroid hormone gets down-regulated within a short period of a few days. You feel like you’re exercising “hard.” But you’re not necessarily exercising to your capacity. You’re simply struggling. It’s not the same as a quality intensity workout. If you’re more athletic, you want to do more endurance or more peak performance, the more you have low calories while taxing your system. Increasing protein without changing anything, even without exercise, body fat loss will be facilitated within 3 months. For women who struggle with dieting or a history restrictive eating or binge-purging, using a time restricted eating window can be complicated by the desire to also restrict calories. The low fuel intake means low micronutrient intake. Frequent testing would be extremely beneficial for women who also ideally will monitor their skeletal muscle mass, body fat percent and blood glucose levels on a daily/weekly basis. For extremely active women, fasted exercise reflects poorer performance: Slower walking pace Lower endurance Longer recovery periods Less muscle mass gains Less fat loss (compared to fed exercise at higher intensity) Resources: Smart Scales: Dr. Mindy Pelz: 5 Day Flip: References: . Other Episodes You Might Like: How to Pair Intermittent Fasting and Exercise After 40: How Emotional Eating Can Be the Hidden Reason for Weight Gain: End Diets, Food Rules, and Emotional Eating: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33944127

Intermittent Fasting: Solution or Sabotage Emotional Eating? 11/12/2024

Intermittent Fasting: Solution or Sabotage Emotional Eating? Intermittent fasting can be very sexy. But does it help or sabotage emotional eating? Some emotional eating experts we’ve hosted have strong feelings about intermittent fasting and those who have emotional eating anchoring their relationship with food have a strong aversion to it. In this episode we tap into, if intermittent fasting, how, and how not to potentially. My Guest: Laurie Lewis, Wellness Coach, shares how to maintain exceptional self-care while dealing with life's complicated and fast-paced circumstances. By using Intermittent Fasting, Laurie encourages the chance to break free from diet models, connect with the body’s inner intelligence and experience improvements in every aspect of life. With an eating window every day for seven years, now at 61 years old, Laurie’s biological age (at the cellular level) of 40 years old. From her menopausal struggles to vibrant health serves as an inspiration, embodying the potential for profound change through Intermittent Fasting. Questions We Answer in This Episode: What is your history of emotional eating? 00:04:50 What’s your definition of intermittent fasting? Do you think there are optimal windows? 00:10:30 How could having an (optimized) Eating Window improve every aspect of your life? 00:09:30 What are the challenges for women with disordered eating and emotional eating trying to use Intermittent Fasting? 00:21:30 Why do you think the focus on menopause and hormone replacement overlooks emotional eating, emphasizing physical fixes instead? 00:18:50 What is the root cause of most women’s challenges with their weight loss and health? 00:15:50 Do you find that many women treat Intermittent Fasting more like a diet, leading to a dramatic decrease in caloric intake and a lack of nutrient-dense foods and adequate protein? 00:27:40 What are your top 3 tips on how to start Intermittent Fasting TODAY? How does a woman know that she should or shouldn’t? 00:20:10 Connect with Laurie: On Social: Facebook: Instagram: Other Episodes You Might Like: How Emotional Eating Can Be the Hidden Reason for Weight Gain: Midlife Changes with Intermittent Fasting Expert Gin Stephens: Low Energy Availability in Menopause? Eating Too Little to Feel Good or Age Well: Resources: Hot Not Bothered Challenge: STRONGER 12-week program: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33895782

My Post Menopause Workout Week Experiment | What I’m Doing 11/08/2024

My Post Menopause Workout Week Experiment | What I’m Doing My post menopause workout has been working. Let me say that first. I’m lean, as lean as I comfortably want to be, and my muscle remains high, I’m not losing it. If anything, I’ve gained more in the last 2 years as I bumped intensity and recovery in my routine. By that, I mean more volume in my workouts but also more recovery time between sessions. It’s about being smart with rest as much as it is with pushing through the actual workouts. Recovery time between strength sessions by the way isn’t just a lazy couch potato time. It's an active recovery. I’m doing sprint intervals, agility drills, mobility work, and lots of walking or hiking. These kinds of activities help me stay conditioned, keep my metabolism going, and ensure that my body remains strong. But in doing it, I’ve also had the opportunity to see my readiness score soar. Meaning, I’m ready for a high quality workout. I'm primed for high-quality sessions. That readiness translates into better results over time. Some accidental discoveries have made me question if I was assuming what worked for me was the BEST for me. So here I am, using the last 90 days of 2024 to testing and experimenting and sharing it all with you. Questions We Answer In this Episode: How it started. [12:25] What I’m trying. [13:35] Why I’m personally testing. [21:15] What are the results - any difference in muscle, fat, mindset, sleep etc. [22:35] I’ll update you on my progress via social media - most often in short stories on Instagram. For a longer video, I’ll summarize it on the podcast. So if you prefer audio you have it and if you want to see a little more demonstration of exercises to help illustrate the video, you’ll have it in the YouTube video which will be short. And we’ll do a cheat sheet for you. My Post Menopause Workout: Total Body Walking or 10 minutes of brief interval walk/run Walking lunges, lunge matrix, spyders, light core engagement 3 sets each wall sit and single leg Squat 5 sets of leg press in a monster/drop set 5 super sets of chest, 5 sets bent over row with a dynamic balance exercise 5 sets of triceps 3 sets of biceps 4 sets of lat pull downs 5 sets of ham curls 3 sets of limited ROM leg extensions Total of 38 sets Notes: You may bump from 5 to 6 sets or from 3 or 4 to 5 reaching 40 and changing it up. Some days, I might do less lower body and focus more on upper body work, but it’s always a total body workout. Never do squats without doing a hamstring-specific exercise. Most people, both men and women, tend to be quad-dominant, and only doing squats can make this imbalance worse. Fire up that rear kinetic chain - —this means incorporating movements like hip thrusts, deadlifts (within your safe range of motion), or ham curls to really target the hamstrings and glutes. Switching to only UPPER or LOWER during workouts is really hard. First, it ties me to the gym. which I’m not a huge fan of. I love my flexible schedule and need it. So for the first two weeks here’s how I did the FLIP. In baby steps. I took a gradual approach, starting with one total body workout, similar to the plan I’ve outlined. After that, I introduced one upper body-only workout and one lower body-only workout each week. This change bumped up my total workout time by about 1.5 hours per week, which allowed me to add more sets and volume to each session. Each of the upper and lower body workouts required additional time because to ensure I was doing enough sets for each muscle group, I had to expand the time spent on both. So here’s what each day looked like. My Post Menopause Workout: Split Routine Leg Day looked like this: (not including warm up because that stayed relatively the same) 6 sets Leg press monster 5 sets hamstring curls 5 sets limited ROM leg extension 5 sets Side lunges 5 sets single leg squats 3 sets of seated calf raises 5 sets hip thrusts Total of 34 sets Upper Body Day looked like this: 2 sets of Chest Fly and push up 5 sets Chest Press superset with 5 sets Bent Over row 5 sets Lat pulldown with 5 sets biceps curls 5 sets of triceps supersets (a super set) 4 sets shoulder exercises (a super set) 3 sets Cable row alternate with 3 sets 1 minute hang Total of 37 sets During Month Two, I will switch things up considerably. Instead of one total body day and a mix of upper and lower, I’ll be doing two leg days and two upper body days each week. I can tell you right now that this will be hard. This shift is going to be tough, and I already know it. The challenge won’t just be physical—it’s also about finding the time and energy. I have a busy schedule, so the commitment to consistently hit these sessions will be a challenge. Balancing workouts with work and personal life is tricky. Being tied to having to go to the gym or even just getting a workout at home is hard. Since I work at home, I try to get out unless I’m shooting videos or tight on time. The other challenge is timing. My days start early and sometimes can stretch into the evening, go late and I don’t do high intensity work late in the day. But, if you’re someone who prefers evening workouts or if that’s the only time you have, go for it! Make your schedule work for you. The only thing to keep in mind is that evening workouts can shoot your adrenaline up, which might make falling asleep a little bit harder. Resources: Discovery Call: Ultimate Assessment: Other Episodes You Might Like:. 5 Menopause Workout Tips from Recent Exercise Studies: Your Perimenopause Workout vs Your Post Menopause Workout: What They Don’t Teach Women About Strength Training and should: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33846197

Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain 11/05/2024

Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain If you or someone in your family deals with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or you’re simply in midlife dealing with changing hormones, this episode and the book we’re discussing, Heal your gut, save your brain, will be one you don’t want to miss. My Guest: Dr. Partha Nandi, M.D., F.A.C.P is the creator and host of the internationally syndicated medical lifestyle television show, Ask Dr. Nandi. He is the Chief Health Editor at WXYZ ABC Detroit, a practicing physician, renowned international speaker, appearing at TEDx, medical conferences like Digestive Disease Week and keynotes for organizations such as Medtronic, Phathom Pharmaceuticals, and Eli Lilly. Dr. Nandi partners with global health organizations, including the Ministry of Health in Jamaica and India and WHO. He give inspiring talks to international conferences and symposia, meeting global health leaders. His mission, “To Be Your Own Health Hero,” incourages individuals to take control of their health. His latest book, “Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain”, explores the connection between gut and brain health. Questions We Answer in This Episode: What inspired you to write "Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain"- [00:05:25] Explain the gut-brain axis and why it is so critical for overall health?- [00:09:26] How did your father’s stroke influence your research?- [00:06:38] What are the most surprising connections between the gut and brain? - [00:10:15] How does the gut influence conditions like depression and anxiety? - [00:12:41] What are some practical steps to improve gut and brain health? - [00:18:43] How do lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and stress management play a role in maintaining a healthy gut-brain connection? - [00:22:10] Can you talk about your Five Pillars for Optimal Health? - [00:19:16] Can you share real-life gut health success stories? - [00:34:08] What are the key takeaways of your book, “Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain”? - [00:42:01] Connect with Dr. Nandi: On Social: Facebook: Instagram: Tiktok: LinkedIn: Twitter: Other Episodes You Might Like: Your Brain Better | A No Negative Side-Effects Method: Get and Keep Your Brain Fit, Healthy, and Strong: Lose Weight, Gain Energy and Eliminate Pain with a Gut Cleanse: Dr Vincent M. Pedre: Events or Affiliate partnership we're promoting in this episode: Resources: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33790827

I Asked Chat Gpt for 3 Menopause Strength Workouts - Here’s What I Got 11/01/2024

I Asked Chat Gpt for 3 Menopause Strength Workouts - Here’s What I Got Here are three strength training workouts designed specifically for women in menopause. These focus on maintaining muscle mass, boosting bone density, and supporting hormone balance. Each workout should be done 2–3 times a week, allowing at least one rest day between sessions. Workout 1: Full Body Strength (45 min) Warm-up (5-7 minutes): March in place or light walking Arm circles, leg swings, and hip openers Main workout: Squats (with or without weights) – 3 sets of 10-12 reps Push-ups (on knees or toes) – 3 sets of 8-10 reps Bent-over rows (with dumbbells or a resistance band) – 3 sets of 10-12 reps Step-ups (use a sturdy chair or bench, alternate legs) – 3 sets of 10 reps per leg Plank hold – 3 sets of 20-30 seconds Bicep curls (dumbbells or resistance bands) – 3 sets of 10-12 reps Deadlifts (with dumbbells, focus on glutes and hamstrings) – 3 sets of 10-12 reps Cool down: (5 minutes of stretching) Focus on hamstrings, quads, chest, and back. Workout 2: Upper Body Strength (40 min) Warm-up (5-7 minutes): Light arm swings, shoulder shrugs, and walking lunges Main workout: Dumbbell chest press – 3 sets of 8-10 reps Lat pull-down (or assisted pull-ups if available) – 3 sets of 8-10 reps Dumbbell shoulder press – 3 sets of 8-10 reps Tricep dips (use a bench or sturdy surface) – 3 sets of 10 reps Hammer curls – 3 sets of 10-12 reps Renegade rows (dumbbells in a plank position) – 3 sets of 8-10 reps per side Lateral raises – 3 sets of 10-12 reps Cool down: (5 minutes of stretching) Stretch shoulders, chest, and arms. No Lower body Workout 3: Lower Body & Core Focus (45 min) Warm-up (5-7 minutes): Light squats, hip circles, and side lunges Main workout: Glute bridges – 3 sets of 12-15 reps Lunges (stationary or walking) – 3 sets of 8-10 reps per leg Leg press (if at the gym) or goblet squats (at home) – 3 sets of 10-12 reps Side leg raises (with or without ankle weights) – 3 sets of 12 reps per side Plank with leg lift – 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg Russian twists – 3 sets of 20 twists Bird-dog – 3 sets of 10-12 reps per side Cool down: (5 minutes of stretching) Focus on hamstrings, glutes, and core stretches. Notes from Chat Gpt for 3 Menopause Strength Workouts “These workouts are designed to help women in menopause maintain lean muscle, improve bone health, and boost metabolism. Encourage the women to lift heavier weights as they feel stronger while maintaining proper form. Always leave room for rest and recovery to support hormone balance.” For menopause metabolism, a total body workout is generally better. Here's why: Boosts overall metabolism: Total body workouts engage multiple large muscle groups, which means more calorie burn both during and after the workout. This is great for combating the slower metabolism that often accompanies menopause. Time-efficient: A total body routine lets you hit all the major muscle groups in one session, perfect for those with busy schedules. Hormonal balance: Engaging the whole body in one session can help with better regulation of hormones like cortisol and insulin, which are crucial during menopause. More frequent stimulus: With total body workouts, you're stimulating your muscles more frequently, which helps preserve muscle mass key for maintaining a healthy metabolism. Split routines can be effective too, but total body sessions may offer more metabolic bang for your buck during menopause. Resources: 5 Day Flip: Discovery Call: Ultimate Assessment: Other Episodes You Might Like:. Fit or Fat? Training and Measuring Fitness in Menopause: Too Much or Not Enough Variety in Exercise in Menopause: 5 Exercise Changes in Menopause to Overcome a Plateau: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33725417

Better Sex In Menopause and Beyond 10/29/2024

Better Sex In Menopause and Beyond How’s better sex in menopause sound? For many it sounds like a distant and foreign trip. Sex is one of the most popular topics on the show. Many women tell me their partners are glad they’re attending. Sex is such a hot topic (see what I did there?) that low libido was a topic answered one of the first three episodes of the . Did you know there are two types of desire? And did you know that sex never has to stop? My Guest: Dr. Kelly Casperson is a urologist, public speaker, sex educator, and top international podcaster whose mission is empowering women to live their best lives. Dr. Kelly identified the need for better resources and developed a sex education class for women that covers topics like sexual health, intimacy, mind work, and the science of desire. She combines education, humor, and candor in her podcast "You Are Not Broken" where she dismantles the myths women have learned and normalizes healthy, enjoyable sex worth desiring, in addition to essential education on midlife health and hormones. Questions We Answer in This Episode: What is the science of desire? [00:18:05] What are the common myths women believe about their sexuality? [00:07:25] Is there a dramatic or distinct fall off of sexual interest for women related to menopause or when does that occur? [00:13:15] What are the reasons women stop being intimate in midlife? [00:12:45] What are the two different types of desire? [00:18:05] What is the most important thing to know about desire mismatch in a couple? [00:19:25] How to find a doctor or talk to your doctor about sexual health issues and hormones [00:28:25] Does a woman recognize an “issue” with sexual health? [00:26:35] Connect with Dr. Kelly: On Social: Facebook: Instagram: YouTube: Other Episodes You Might Like: Sex Dysfunction in the City Just Like That: Intimacy and Incontinence with The Girlfriend Doctor: Juicy New Menopause, Libido, & Intimacy Solutions: Resources: Stronger: 5 Day Flip: 90 Day Planner: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33644607

Caregiver to Midlife Crisis to Over 50 Fitness Athlete 10/25/2024

Caregiver to Midlife Crisis to Over 50 Fitness Athlete The Doctor is in the house and she’s an over 50 fitness athlete. She’s juggled all the balls you may have from a caregiver and midlife crisis like me. But she’s returned to her prior passion for fitness competitions. Or has she? I’ll ask that question - is it the competition or the training or the being on top of your game? This over 50 fitness athlete is prepping not just for a November competition but serving patients and clients and hosting a summit. How does she fit it in? This is a perfect episode to share with you just before the holidays. We cover quite a bit of tips and tricks for dealing with getting fit and sticking to your own goals during the holidays while still enjoying them. My Guest: Dr. Venus, The Fit Foodie M.D., is a board-certified Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physician trained at Yale, Univ. of Miami, and UC-Irvine. With a thriving California medical practice, she's been a national-level fitness athlete and respected trainer serving clients from single moms to pro athletes, and even an action film star. A repeat guest on "The Doctors" TV series, Dr. Venus has also appeared on NBC's "Today" and "American Gladiators," and contributed to outlets like and Oxygen Magazine. Questions We Answer in This Episode: How did you handle your mid-life crisis? [00:07:10] Have you experienced this competitive edge? [00:23:20] What's your personal secret to staying young? [00:11:50] Having been a fitness competitor for so long, what does being fit mean to you? [00:39:20] What role does stress play for you in your training now and your midlife body? [00:40:20] What part of training do you love the most? [00:41:00] Connect with Dr. Venus for Fitness Mastery Summit (Nov. 7-10, 2024) On Social: Facebook: Instagram: YouTube: LinkedIn: Other Episodes You Might Like: 7 Simple Interval Training Workouts for the Holidays 10 Ways Fitness Pros Stay Motivated To Exercise, Holidays or Not Avoid Falling Off the Bandwagon this Holiday (and Getting Run Over By It) Resources: Infrared Sauna: C60 Purple Power: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33610057

An Intermittent Fasting Update with Cynthia Thurlow 10/22/2024

Optimizing Hormones Early in Perimenopause 10/15/2024

Optimizing Hormones Early in Perimenopause My Guest: Emily Sadri is a Board Certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife, and the founder of Aurelia Health, a modern telemedicine practice for women over 35. Aurelia Health provides comprehensive hormone replacement therapy and weight loss support with long visits and un-rushed care. Emily is passionate about making complex hormonal topics accessible and believes that great health starts with happy hormones and a balanced stress response. Questions We Answer in This Episode: Why do you think there still so much confusion about hormone replacement therapy and if it's "good" or "bad"[00:18:56] You suggest there are downsides to hormone testing… and I’m curious about why you’d say so? [00:22:50] I’m also shocked to find some believe testing is unnecessary with estrogen and progesterone replacement therapy, that seems like a big fat game of trial and error and any woman on HRT knows that getting your cocktail right already is a course-correcting journey as it is - say more about these people who are shooting darts in the dark.. Who does that? [00:24:29] First of all, what is balanced? How do you know when all of the major hormones are "balanced"? [00:27:52] Do you think every woman benefits from testosterone replacement therapy? [00:34:26] What additional factors do you focus on with your patients to help them be successful with HRT? [00:35:08] Few women were optimizing hormones early in perimenopause a decade ago. But the health outlook for those that do stands to be significantly better than for those women who experience drops then boost it again. Are you doing HRT in perimenopause? Or Did you? Connect with Emily and The Perimenopause Revolution Summit On Social: Instagram: Facebook: Other Episodes You Might Like: Can I Still Start Hormones 10 Years After Menopause? Doctors Respond: What Women Need to Know about Hormone Replacement Therapy: Hormone Testing Started It: What My GI Doctor Suggested I Do Next: Resources: 5 Day Flip: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33464502

Why Am I Sore in Menopause and What to Do About It 10/11/2024

Why Am I Sore in Menopause and What to Do About It In this episode you’ll hear me respond to one of our Flipping 50 members asking a question about being sore in menopause, for no reason. If you’re sore, stiff, or even have a little niggle or “catch,” this is for you. If you’ve passed this kind of thing off for arthritis or getting old, stick around. If not you, a girlfriend or sister needs to hear this. Paulette asked: “I'm looking for suggestions about what helps with muscle stiffness and soreness unrelated to injury. I have noticed in my transition to menopause that I have much more muscle stiffness and less flexibility, despite being quite active and doing yoga several times a week. It's mostly my legs and hips...and low back...well, probably every muscle...lol. I wake up stiff and it generally improves within a few minutes of movement, but I notice it throughout the day when I bend down, or try to get down on the floor or up from there. I'm sure this is a common complaint among 50 plus women...what helps with this?” Reasons for Being Sore in Menopause Some women experience this and it can be due to a lot of things… The changes in estrogen during menopause can lead to various symptoms. Specifically, estrogen deficiency can cause a snowball of symptoms. Some of the habits we thought were good, are actually not, or not going to match the status of our hormones and their influence on muscles, bones, connective tissues, gut health, sleep, sex and every cell in our body. Over time, women are finally getting more savvy. As we find more women less willing to accept weight gain, belly fat, frequent injuries, stiffness, or in this podcast, soreness as normal processes of aging… and instead as clues we need a pivot from prior habits or beliefs, we’ll all start making aging better instead of dreaded! Reduce or eliminate: Dairy Gluten / Wheat Eggs Soy Peanuts Corn Nuts (including almonds and almond flour or almond milk) Oxalate consumption can also be a problem. The body makes oxalate acid that can contribute to muscle pain or soreness as well as gut issues. (Listen to the podcast for a food high in oxalate and the flips) If you have any other leaky gut signs (gas bloating, constipation, diarrhea). But.. you don’t have to have these gut signs, by the way, to have a problem with the gut or these oxalates. They’re sneaky little things. Lack of Gut Issue Doesn’t Mean You Won’t Be Sore in Menopause Here are some suggestions for increasing your anti-inflammatory response. Add or increase: Salmon Omega 3 supplements Magnesium Vitamin D Antioxidant rich brightly colored veggies Matcha tea (a clean, tested for mold and heavy metals ceremonial grade is super high in antioxidants having one of the highest ORAC values) Habits: Epsom salt baths Longer warm up and cool down Infrared Sauna Pay a little more attention to your mobility work As a side note: Genetics play a part in whether you tend to get sore or not. There are two specific genes identified with this. Certainly with conditioning, you’ll experience less soreness. But a unique workout, involving small muscles you don’t use often will cause more muscle soreness than something that focuses on glutes or quadriceps that are used to a lot of activity. Other Episodes You Might Like: 6 Secrets to Less Stiffness and Muscle Soreness After 50: Current Status: Fatigued and Want to be Fit!: 4 Step Process to Resolve Fatigue Naturally: Resources: Lisa Barr: Teri Cochrane: My Sauna: References: Wright, V. J., Schwartzman, J. D., Itinoche, R., & Wittstein, J. (2024). The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. Climacteric, 1–7. /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33417782

How I Choose Podcast Guests and Controversial Topics 10/11/2024

How I Choose Podcast Guests and Controversial Topics In this episode, it’s all about how I choose podcast guests. First before we get started, I appreciate your thoughts. I work hard on keeping an open mind and listening to suggestions. Though I can’t take action on all of them, we are here because of you. There’s this dance between the expert, experienced, the educated individual in me giving advice even creating programs in a way that may go in opposition of what you want. That is because I’m applying 40 years of science studies, combining the physiology of fitness with physiology of menopause, and with the science of human behavior and change. We’ve created things that will make some of you contest the way we deliver them. I wanted to share how we come to accept or reject for now guests who apply for the show or who are pitched by PR firms. How we reach out to find professionals who can not only share science but share stories, theirs and clients or patients they’ve worked with. Someone recently was upset hearing a guest used Ivermectin to overcome C-19. Others have suggested that Ozempic or semaglutide, drugs were black and white. Another listener and social media follower said though she’d followed for years, she thought I’d lost it (meaning marbles) when I hosted someone discussing energy frequencies. I have experts who want to come on and talk about Keto and intermittent fasting. I have professional opinions about both based on my 40 years of experience working with midlife women and our community of more than 300K women. But I won’t just turn them away. I’ll ask if they’re open to a conversation about when and how and why it might not be appropriate for everyone all the time. If they’re willing to agree to disagree and to help a listener hear both sides of the story and decide for themselves what and when and why, I still may bring them on. I also reserve the right to not publish recordings that are poor sound quality, or a discussion that was terribly awkward when a guest didn’t answer questions I asked but followed some hidden agenda. How I Choose Podcast Guests and Topics for You In response to the Ivermectin question: Actually, many of the function physicians I work with use this personally if they've caught it soon enough. I don't know that we have to agree with 100% of what any expert or human does or says. But I do think personally we have to keep listening and taking in another set of thoughts. Otherwise, we'd still be believing that the retracted study data suggesting that HRT, specifically bHRT was a threat vs a life-preserving option for women. All said with respect. I wish I had the luxury of not listening to someone because I didn't agree with every thought: it would relieve a lot tension! But I've had to be willing to adjust my thinking and see science interpreted from all sides. Certainly, hope this isn't irritating and lands as intended for you as the means of my own filter for women. I've hosted Intermittent Fasting experts knowing fed exercise is more optimal for women in midlife and beyond for 8 years.. and guess what... they've come around, and two big proponents are now agreeing with the science suggesting that we have to choose priorities and timing of everything. That wouldn't have happened without someone challenging their thoughts and listening to the conversation. I must host those I agree with, those I don't, and be transparent about that. Not long ago, hormone replacement therapy was very misunderstood. Recently, someone I know well consulted with her physician and was told, going on would be more risky than not because it’s been too long since menopause. Other doctors are adamant that this is not the case. I’ll continue to bring them on. You DO have choices. One physician only has the experience they have and the degree to which they’re comfortable making changes in thoughts, information and actions …. Is the medical care you’ll receive from them. I’d love to hear your response to this episode. Resources: 5 Day Flip: Discovery Call: Ultimate Assessment: Other Episodes You Might Like:. Can I Still Start Hormones 10 Years After Menopause? Doctors Respond: One Thing I Would Change After 40 Years Working with Women in Menopause: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33489787

Six Powerful Ways To Keep Your Perimenopause Brain Sharp 10/08/2024

Six Powerful Ways To Keep Your Perimenopause Brain Sharp Whether you or your daughter, or someone you know, the perimenopause brain can be a “thing. If you’ve been tuning in to Flipping 50 long enough, you’re familiar with symptoms of menopause. In this episode, I explore the connections of symptoms to brain health. With my guest, we’ll share how bHRT or Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy could benefit not just your brain, but also your cardiometabolic health. Tune in to discover what we can do to improve your perimenopause brain power and cardiometabolic health. My Guest: Dr. Mariza Snyder is a functional doctor, perimenopause and menopause expert and the author of eight books. Her recent book, The Essential Oils Menopause Solution, focuses on solutions for women in perimenopause and menopause and the #1 National Bestselling book, The Essential Oils Hormone Solution, focuses on optimizing women’s health. Dr. Mariza is also the host of the top-rated Energized Podcast, (with over 12 million downloads) designed to empower women to claim agency over their health. Questions We Answer in This Episode: You’re in a unique niche I think we’ll see more and more of - the blending of perimenopause and postpartum or young children which is a whole other animal than comparing women who are otherwise asymptomatic until mid or late 50s… and wow! I can’t imagine.. Having been a mom to an infant or toddler I can’t imagine what women who have severe or stacked symptoms during perimenopause and young children too, might face. [00:03:59] What has been your perimenopause journey and how has your journey inspired you to support women in midlife? [00:07:56] What are some of the biggest symptoms that you find show up for women in midlife you’re serving and how are so many of them related to their brain? [00:10:13] How can BHRT be beneficial for brain and cardiometabolic health? [00:15:16] What are other habits you like to recommend a woman use to improve her resilience, strength and cardiometabolic health? [00:27:37] First, let’s define cardiometabolic health and how that plays out for women more used to hearing and using metabolism. Metabolic flexibility, cardio as so many women know is related to heart, but a vocabulary lesson is in order here. Let’s just assume it's the first day of midlife women’s health class and we want to define all of these terms so we don’t do any assuming. [00:18:32] What are the most powerful levers for boosting our perimenopause brain energy and capacity? [0030:32] Connect with Dr. Mariza: Thriving in Perimenopause and Menopause Summit: On Social: Facebook: Instagram: YouTube: Twitter: Pinterest: Other Episodes You Might Like: Restore Hormones to Factory Settings? More Science for bHRT: Your Brain Better | A No Negative Side-Effects Method: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33373422

Timetable for Strength Training Benefits in Menopause 10/04/2024

Timetable for Strength Training Benefits in Menopause You’re just a workout, even a warm up set, away from strength training benefits in menopause. In this episode you will learn or get a refresher on just how soon you can expect to get those immediate results we all crave. Unlike Amazon you can’t get them dropped on your doorstep in a few hours, but you will be pleasantly surprised (or reminded) by the fact that some changes happen in seconds. Within Minutes these are Happening: Increased Heart Rate - which means increased blood flow to brain and because of that a decreased level of pain and increased sense of alertness and creativity and problem solving Release of Anabolic Hormones - testosterone and growth hormone blood sugar reduction - it's used for the fuel for the exercise, even 10-15 air squats works so of course, if you're lifting with a load or tempo that causes more muscle stress Release of Neurotransmitters - this occurs more with intense exercise and may take a few minutes but by the end of your workout, dopamine, and Improved Neuroplasticity - if you're trying to learn a new language or absorb new information you might want to push play while you're working out. How to amplify these while you workout? Want more "feel good" hormones ? Play music you love, workout with a friend (and yes, even an if you feel like the instructor "gets you" and is more than a drill sergeant could do this) Want to take advantage of learning or inspire a little creativity? If you're already working on a project, absorb a little content about it before the workout and don't necessarily dwell on it while you workout. Your brain may actually answer questions you ask while you're taking a break from it. But also, listen to that Spanish lesson or informative podcasts while you exercise. Within days or weeks these strength training benefits occur Reduce Hot Flashes - in the 24 hours after a moderate or higher intensity workout. The same is not true of low or leisurely activity. A 2012 study in the medical journal Menopause. Continued Neural Connection - studies show a large part of initial gains - up to 8-12 weeks of training - are still due to that stronger neural connection. During this time, heavier may not be better, especially for women in midlife with history of injury or tendency toward injury. Blood Sugar Control Improves - reducing insulin resistance issues that negatively impact visceral belly fat, so you will be on the path to reducing total fat as well as directly impacting visceral fat Strength Increases - due primarily to the neural connection as your brain learns or also strengthens the signaling between brain and muscle while you're learning a new movement pattern or waking up an old one. This isn't yet due to size (or hypertrophy) so the first few weeks you may not see noticeable change but you will already be picking up a heavier weight. Fiber Size Increases - after those first weeks and as that neural connection continues, muscle fiber size increases, and you'll likely see more tone as evidence. Changes in Fiber Type - less noted but the anaerobic exercise improves your type two or fast twitch fibers. So important for aging because these are lost without intentional stimulation. These changes will continue and enable more powerful speed and agility work that further enhances your aging process. Tendons And Ligaments Improve - a big bonus for midlife women who have lost estrogen and are thus more prone to injury. You'll be improving resilience in those for every day activities as well as preparing to do heavier work that will be a greater stimulus for bone and metabolism boosts. Over Months and (lasting) Years....these strength training benefits occur Reversed Aging Effects of 179 Genes Associated with Aging - hello game-changer. If you start October 1 by April 1 (no kidding) you'll be younger. Increased Bone Density - with the right progressive protocol (we don't jump in at the end and we can't stay at the beginning if you're able to do more) significant changes take 9 months to a year for the bone remodeling process. But if you're having an annual DEXA (and I highly recommend you do), you'll have noticeable change with strength training as you also fix any gut issues. Reduced Risk of Both Sarcopenia and Osteoporosis in Late Life - muscle and bone loss historically have been issues related to metabolic disease and structural issues related to falls, fractures, bedrest, weakness and injury directly related to falls or consequent falls. Resistance training is proven to decrease this risk. But ? Pilates and yoga may be on the continuum... they are on the left... not the right. Psst. Sarcopenia and osteoporosis BOTH begin in your 30s. Muscle peaks at 25, bone at about 30. Losses of each begin around 30 and 35, respectively. Think about what you were doing. Were you consuming adequate protein? Doing high impact and high intensity resistance training? Were you prioritizing sleep? Or were you on weight loss diets one after the other, skipping meals or skimping on calories, or making poor choices? You may have been doing the best you knew then, or may have been ignoring best in search of short cuts to skinnier obsessions so many women have. You can support a young woman from making the same mistake. Her bones could be better thanks to you. Other Episodes You Might Like: What They Don’t Teach Women About Strength Training and should: How Does Strength Training Increase Your Metabolism?: Importance of Strength Training for the Midlife Woman: References: . . /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33310757

From Managing Menopause to Winning Menopause What’s Your Story? 10/01/2024

From Managing Menopause to Winning Menopause What’s Your Story? Just to be clear, this podcast is less about managing menopause in the physical sense of the term and more about what you might be telling yourself about it. If you are stuck in the messy middle, or you’re itching for a change, and perhaps just don’t know what that is, this is for you. If you think life right now is hard or you are overwhelmed, I think this episode will be one you’ll find rather awesome in the real sense of the word. We’ll dive into the mindset shifts and emotional resilience to navigate this phase, helping you embrace the possibilities that lie ahead. “After surviving a triple devastation in losing the love of her life, her job, and her health all at once, Dr. Marjah Simon-Meinefeld began a 10+ year journey studying, reading and listening to everything she could on deliberately creating a new life.” My Guest: Marjah Simon is the visionary behind Author Writer’s Academy, where successful entrepreneurs, entertainers, and executives become authors effortlessly. With a rich background in law, military service, modeling, and business, Marjah is a seasoned attorney and international speaker. Marjah's impressive portfolio includes not only 5 of her own books but creating 100+ published authors, making her a prolific coach, writer, and a dedicated mentor to aspiring writers. Join her at Author Writer’s Academy to share your amazing story with the world. Questions We Answer in This Episode: Say more about “deliberately creating a new life” for women managing menopause changes [00:09:40] Do you think hitting bottom is required to get to the top? [00:12:50] Discipline and drive would seem to be common denominators in your background and history, talk about intentional health decisions and actions daily [00:08:50] Connect with Marjah: On Social: Facebook: Facebook: Instagram: Instagram: YouTube: TikTok: Other Episodes You Might Like: Ironman Dexter Yeats About Being 72, Unstoppable, and Unique: Think You’re Too Old? Ageism Dismantled with Ashton Applewhite: Starting Over Better Than Ever Over 50 Resources: Marjah’s Amazon book ‘Next Life Next’ Stronger 12-week program: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33275762

2 Big Obstacles to Gaining Lean Muscle and Fat Loss After 40 09/27/2024

2 Big Obstacles to Gaining Lean Muscle and Fat Loss After 40 Chances are if you tuned into this based on the title you’re not exactly where you want to be right now. Fat loss after 40 could be a challenge in spite of your best effort. Gaining lean muscle could feel like it’s slipping through your fingers. To those regular listeners who are here no matter what, I thank you too, even if you’re not necessarily dealing with failed results, maybe you’re loving life right now! Someone you know may be and you can help them understand it is my hope from this episode. Spoiler alert, I’m going to tell you the two most common endocrine-related reasons right up front. And, there’s more to the story. Because just knowing isn’t enough. One, most of us when we do know what to do have to overcome habit gravity and decades of dogma about the messages you’ve been given. But for you listener, it’s possible that you have limiting beliefs acquired simply by living and being subject to the environment you were. You may be listening and have always worked hard and believe hard and more is the answer. Or… You may be under the impression, “girls don’t run” or lift, or fear injury from exercise. Ironic, that we can have grown up in the same era but have such diverse beliefs but I’ve found working with women over 40 for 4 decades, there is definitely a wide continuum of belief about exercise success. That… if you’re willing or open… can change. We all harbor some limiting beliefs. Once we recognize them we can still hold onto them. Why Gaining Lean and Fat Loss After 40 are More Challenging Too little anabolic hormone influence Too much catabolic hormone influence (by exercise, nutrition and lifestyle habits) Questions We Answer in this Episode: What are the biggest obstacles to fat loss after 40? [00:14:30] Why do we hear this and struggle to implement it? [00:17:20] How do you know which you might be doing? [00:25:40] How do you deal with prior injury and fear of reinjury? [00:29:40] What makes you more prone to struggle with fat loss after 40? [00:21:20] These alone are not the problem... Anabolic hormones include: Estrogen Testosterone Growth Hormone Insulin (to a small extent) Catabolic hormones include: Cortisol Insulin Let’s look at the physiology of menopause. Hormonal Shifts: Estrogen, testosterone, and growth hormone decrease related to your age and lifestyle habits than menopause alone. Collectively though those three hormones can make or break your progress. Insulin’s Role: While insulin helps regulate blood sugar, too much can lead to fat storage, especially if muscles and the liver can’t absorb it efficiently. Liver Health: A liver overloaded with toxins or processed foods may struggle to support metabolism and hormone function. Muscle: If you have little muscle and don’t move regularly, your body has limited capacity to store glycogen (which insulin uses to lower blood sugar) and is instead stored as fat. Cortisol and Stress: This stress hormone can break down muscle and increase fat storage. Prolonged exercise elevates cortisol, while short, intense workouts raise it temporarily but allow it to drop post-workout. Exercise Balance: Overdoing endurance activities might increase fat storage. Finding balance in your workouts is key. Strength Training: Essential for maintaining muscle mass and bone density, strength training should complement other activities like Pilates or yoga. Other Episodes You Might Like: What They Don’t Teach Women About Strength Training and should: Muscle is an endocrine organ – Muscle is HRT for Women 40+: 21 Reasons Weight Training Should Be Mandatory Exercise After 50: Resources: STRONGER: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33211827

What is Glutathione and How Can it Support Menopause? 09/24/2024

What is Glutathione and How Can it Support Menopause? What is Glutathione and How Can it Support Menopause? What is glutathione? Not to be confused with glutamine, it may be something you are less aware of and it certainly doesn’t make it into conversations where creatine and amino acids are. So is glutathione one of the cool kids you need to hang out with? In 2019, glutathione became a regular in my refrigerator. I was in need of detoxing from mold exposure and using everything in my arsenal including charcoal, sauna, only pure filtered water, reducing food sensitivities in order to allow my body to heal. If you don’t quite know how to answer, what is glutathione, my guest today will clear it all up! My Guest: Dr. Gina Nick is a world-renowned Naturopathic Physician, Researcher, and Formulator based in Newport Beach, California. With a dedication to holistic wellness, she’s known for her expertise in treating autoimmune diseases, addiction recovery, anxiety, and more. After graduating from medical school, she became the Director of Research for a leading supplement company. She also held the roles of Executive Healthcare Consultant and President Emeritus of the California Naturopathic Doctors Association. She is the Founder and Director of Healthbridge. Her practice was awarded “Top Medical Practice 2017,” a testament to her commitment to excellence. She’s licensed in both California and Hawaii and is excited to share her journey with you… Questions We Answer in This Episode: What is glutathione?[00:05:15] Why is sugar a problem?[00:24:00] How can Glutathione help women going through menopause or dealing with muscle, bone and brain health?[00:13:34] Glutathione was first on my radar during mold exposure in 2019… what’s its role in helping detox?[00:07:18] How does glutathione support inflammation?[00:13:05] Connect with Dr. Gina: On Social: Instagram: and Facebook: and Twitter: and Other Episodes You Might Like: Detoxifying Your Body from the Damage of Diets in Menopause: Is Mold the Reason for Your Weight Gain? How chronic inflammation can interfere with your best life after 50! Resources: Best Daily Ever Pixie Sticks: Sauna: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33182707

Training for Adventure Retreats Heat, Altitude, Oh My 09/20/2024

The Real Reason for Migraines and Constipation in Menopause 09/17/2024

The Real Reason for Migraines and Constipation in Menopause The Real Reason for Migraines and Constipation in Menopause Do you experience migraines and constipation in menopause? Did they begin with more frequency during perimenopause? Why does this happen? Are these common or is it just me? Migraine and constipation can be symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. These may get in the way of our daily lives and even affect our mood and behavior. Today, ladies, let’s talk about why these happen, how we can prevent these issues and what to do when they hit. We’re going to talk about what is going on with our bodies during this time and discuss what are the effective ways to get relief. Tune in to get some helpful insights on how to avoid or cure migraines and constipation. Together, let’s heal and control our well-being during this phase of life! My Guest: Diane Ducarme is a master in migraine investigation, combining Eastern Medicine, Western science, and technology to uncover the root causes of migraines. With an MBA from Harvard, fluency in 7 languages, and dual studies in TCM, she focuses on the power of functional foods, adding rather than eliminating. Diane hosts the "Migraine Heroes" podcast and leads Nectar Health in pioneering migraine relief and wellness. Questions We Answer in This Episode: How do migraines, vertigo and dizziness evolve in perimenopause and menopause?[00:13:20] Why are women more constipated in perimenopause and menopause?[00:15:54] Does constipation relate to migraines in perimenopause and menopause?[00:28:01] What are the traps to not fall into when tackling constipation?[00:32:27] Can some migraine solutions exacerbate constipation?[00:22:39] What are quick fixes to address constipation and migraines in this stage of life?[00:16:37] Connect with Diane: Website: App: On Social: Instagram: Instagram: Facebook: TikTok: Other Episodes You Might Like: Identify the Reason for Your Headaches and Migraines: Midlife Gut Solutions from Bloat to Colitis and Crohn’s: Resources: Taking the free online test: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33074957

Things I Wish More Women Over 40 Knew About Exercise 09/13/2024

Things I Wish More Women Over 40 Knew About Exercise 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 trained trainers and fitness instructors to do the same. I have seen a big slice of what women, including fitness instructors and trainers, think about themselves, their bodies and exercise. I’ve seen exercise be a way to burn off cookies and earn dinner or not. I’ve seen exercise be addictive and despised. What I wish more girls over 10 knew about exercise is that the women to aspire to be like were more like those represented at the Paris Olympics than the runways in New York. That fast and strong and fit and unapologetic about winning or wanting to is not something that stays with their younger years. Things I Wish More Women Over 20 Knew About Exercise The confidence you want comes easier strong vs skinny. The window for most easily laying down bone density is still open: use it The secret to looking and feeling good and healthier babies someday is in the weight room. Get a smart scale and understand the value of knowing skeletal muscle, body fat percent together with weight. A 20-something woman who can do a pull up is more likely to be a 50-something woman who is aging like a badass. Things I Wish More Women Over 30 Knew About Exercise Strength will help balance your hormones if you change your workouts with your monthly cycle Get a baseline bone density scan at least and a hormone level. Right now, you’re making your next 60 years better or worse Oh, and there is still time to get that pull up that your menopause self will thank you for. Things I Wish More Women Over 40 Knew About Exercise There’s a chance of losing 27% of your muscle from early to late stages of perimenopause but isn’t inevitable if you’re resistance training and maintaining protein. Measure your success by your handgrip, your skeletal muscle mass, body composition and waist measurement, not simply by the scale. Walking and weight training together may be two of the most powerful components for supporting your hormone balance (and avoiding muscle loss, fat and specifically belly fat gains). Things I Wish More Women Over 50 Knew About Exercise Strength and muscle losses can accelerate significantly during the menopause transition. That’s the last two years of perimenopause and first two post menopause. Prioritize strength training and recovery time and habits to help it. Bone density losses also accelerate from between 1-3% prior to 3-5 % during the 2-4 years that are the MT. Things I Wish More Women Over 60 Knew About Exercise Aging causes an accelerated loss of muscle and strength at 60 and a slowing of metabolism, if you don’t offset it with strength training (and protein). You don’t need to reduce intensity; you need to increase it. You may need more recovery time (between exercises, between sets, between high intensity life and workouts, and between workouts. If you haven’t added power, agility, dynamic balance, mobility training regularly to an existing strength training program, now is the time to start. You lose fast twitch muscle twice as fast with age as you do slow. So only moving slow in exercise is actually accelerating aging and increasing risk for falls compared to using fast twitch regularly. Resistance training is indeed everything that resists gravity but using external loads that require few repetitions with heavier weights to reach or get close to muscular fatigue is still most tied to bone density, metabolism, and strength. Overdoing exercise frequency will cause couch compensation that causes you to lose a critically important “total energy expenditure.” Underdoing exercise frequency or intensity costs you the boost in strength and metabolism and potentially bone density and total energy expenditure that you want for body composition, and reduction of health risks. You’re not too old for bHRT if you want to consider it. Falls over 60 can be devastating. But most often they occur in women who don’t lift weights, don’t train power, agility/reaction skills. (50% of women over 60 who fall don’t walk again) You will tolerate volume better than your perimenopause self. So adding another HIIT day or another set of resistance exercise could be very beneficial and you’ll tolerate it. Things I wish more women over 70 knew about exercise It’s not just muscle and bone or balance and avoiding falls, you also help your brain fire better and improve sleep. Just because you “don’t need to lose weight” doesn’t mean you don’t need to exercise. Blood sugar levels, mood, memory, will also improve. Your ability to stay in your home and drive a car and remain as independent as you like are directly related to your muscle strength. Things I wish more women over 80 knew about exercise There’s still time. The research has been clear for more than 40 years, that even 90-somethings beginning to strength train, gain strength and benefit. You can start now even if you’ve never done it before. Risk of injury is still greater in those who don’t strength train compared to those who do. If women over 40 knew about exercise what I do, they’d know that until very recently there has been very little research done featuring them as subjects. They’d know it’s not great skincare, or staying out of the sun, or great sleep is the secret to looking and feeling younger and carrying confidence into every decade. Other Episodes You Might Like: What They Don’t Teach Women About Strength Training and should: 21 Reasons Weight Training Should Be Mandatory Exercise After 50: 20 Reasons Strength Training Should Be Mandatory for Everyone Over 29: Resources: Stronger: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/33032617

The Book Busting Menopause Myths That Women (and Their Doctors) Believe 09/10/2024

The Book Busting Menopause Myths That Women (and Their Doctors) Believe 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 to understand why what you’ve been trying to do may not be working for you .. at all. So join us in this episode for the menopause myth busting intel in this book and what’s inside which goes far beyond the valuable practical tips you’ll get from it, and why it’s about time you had this book. Busting Menopause Myths from HRT to Supplements My Guests: Kristin Johnson, JD, BCHN FNTP is Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition through the National Association of Nutrition Professionals, is a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner through the Nutritional Therapy Association, and is a “recovering corporate attorney.” Maria Claps, FDN-P is a certified health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner. Together, Kristin and Maria have developed a deep specialty in perimenopause and menopause health through clinical mentorships with multiple medical doctors and naturopaths specializing in hormone replacement therapy. They completed advanced training in functional testing modalities which they use in their clinical practice educating and helping midlife women. They created a professional training program for other midlife women’s health practitioners. Questions We Answer in This Episode: What prompted you to write the book? [00:03:51] Let’s talk about the Priority … [00:04:26] What did you mean by Menopause Gold Rush? [00:09:45] You write about informed consent, what does that mean? [00:23:13] What is oxidative priority in regards to burning fat in menopause? [00:35:15] Was this episode on busting menopause myths helpful to you? If so, would you please share it with a friend or three? Connect with Maria and Kristin: On Social: Instagram: Other Episodes You Might Like: A Hormone Therapy Roadmap: What, When & Why: What Women Need to Know about Hormone Replacement Therapy: 4 Menopause Myths that Persist: Resources: Stronger: 5 Day Flip: /episode/index/show/welluafter50/id/32986657

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