Episode Transcript
Speaker 0
So many of us are white knuckling our way through perimenopause and postmenopause, waiting for symptoms to get better on their own, googling at two AM, buying supplements we're not even sure we need or that will work, which is just one of the reasons I love coral so much. For me, coral has been a game changer in finally understanding what's happening to my body so that I feel empowered instead of feeling like a victim to the health care system. As you know, my journey with coral started with blood work, not guesswork. Then they helped me to understand what my body truly needs and created a personalized plan that addresses not just the symptoms that were making me feel like crap, but also a plan to help keep me healthy for the years to come. Take my word for it. You deserve expert advice. You deserve evidence based solutions, and you deserve to feel like yourself again. Visit coral dot c a and use the code t I p five for five percent off. That's t I p five at coral, c o r a l, dot c a. Because relief plus prevention equals the best version of you.
Speaker 1
My first sip of coffee this morning, so good. I woke up dreaming about this, and it does not disappoint. The smell, the warmth in my hand is perfect. It's like my nervous system just went, okay. We're good now.
Speaker 0
And did you put collagen in it?
Speaker 1
Yes. Yes. You know, I always do. Multitasker extraordinaire even with my coffee. You know, even if it's not a complete protein, it's, it Wait. What do
Speaker 0
you mean? What's a complete protein? I don't even I don't even know that.
Speaker 1
Okay. Okay. Something else I don't know. So collagen is not a complete protein, meaning that it's low in, one one or more, I think. Well, certainly, it's low in tryptophan, which is an it doesn't have tryptophan, which is an amino acid. So as far as protein for muscle building, collagen isn't the best choice. So I just make sure I get other sources. But what this collagen does is count toward my daily goal. It's been really key in helping me build the habit. Right? That little success builds momentum. And that's really important for me because, frankly, getting my toolbox in order has been really stressful at times.
Speaker 0
Oh, fuck. Yes. This time this phase of life is really stressful at times. But but then and I'm not, like, the super Instagram voyeur, whatever the word like, I I'm not on it all the time. But when I do go on it, probably the reason I'm not on it is because I'm, like, scrolling, and it's this endless list of things that we're failing at. And and, like, I've I love those memes. Like, don't forget your morning sunlight, drink your lemon water, take your magnesium, get your steps, do your strength. Like, I just wanna enjoy my coffee for five minutes. Oh my god.
Speaker 1
Yes. And it well, yes. And it changes every week. Right? Last spring, it was what was it? Like, weighted vest. Everybody needs a weighted vest. Now it's like protein, protein, fiber. Don't forget your fiber. And should I be taking creatine? I don't know.
Speaker 0
Like, it it's endless. And, like, when am I supposed to fit this into my actual life? Like
Speaker 1
bingo. It's seven AM here in Calgary. I haven't even brushed my teeth yet, but I've had nine grams of protein.
Speaker 0
Woo. Winning. Well, which is what Christy Chapman, today's guest, would say is definitely a win. She's so good. Yes. She's so
Speaker 1
good and is a certified women's wellness coach and a menopause enthusiast. She's guided, what, hundreds of women through menopause. And she, I think, experienced it early, like, at thirty eight and was, like, smacked into a wall when it happened. So she really gets what we're going through Yeah. And has a great blend of realistic nutritional expertise and real life experience. It has a really simple approach called thirty thirty thirty.
Speaker 0
Mhmm. Which I loved. And I also you know, what she said that I really loved? Like, just resonated was if it grows in the ground or it has a mother, you can eat it. Like, done. Like, that's it. So let's Simple. Finally, someone who gets yeah. Simple, easy to implement, not something else that we need to stress about because let's be honest, this is perimenopause, and it's fucking hard. And you know what? Let's just dive into the conversation. It's so good. Yes. Let's.
Speaker 2
Well, guys, thank you so much for inviting me on your podcast. I'm delighted to be here.
Speaker 1
We're delighted to have you and very excited for this conversation.
Speaker 2
Yeah. It's gonna be a good one. I love your conversations.
Speaker 1
Oh, and thanks for listening then. Yay. We love you even more now. Okay. Well, let's let's let's get into it, and let's talk let's talk about sort of the hot topic right now, which is misinformation around perimenopause, postmenopause, and some, I would say, go so far as to say predatory solutions. And people are being told they need to balance their hormones by getting tested, by taking these expensive supplements, so there's this magic bullet that's gonna fix everything. And a lot of this stuff can even sometimes do way more harm than any good. What you do is very different. Can you tell us how you are different?
Speaker 2
Well, I agree, and I feel like there is so much noise out there. And I don't know if it's just my algorithm because, again, like, menopause is my new personality or if everyone is getting it, but it does. It feels like every which way. It's like, get a weighted vest. No. Don't get a weighted vest. Take the supplement. No. Don't do that. It's like, oh my gosh. It's like whiplash over here. I I'm one of those people that I barely take a Tylenol when I've had too much wine and have a headache. I I don't really love taking things. But that said, I will say that I do take HRT. But when it comes to regular perimenopause management, I'm a huge believer in the diet and lifestyle first approach. I I've always really loved nutrition from a deep seated, you know, body image dysmorphia beginning into a really understanding and loving what food can do as fuel for my body. So I understand now that you can get everything you need from food if you only knew what was in what thing. So I believe that all the things that you can get that are being sold in capsules pretty much are available in the grocery store if you just knew what to look for. I also think that we were never designed as a species to have as much information poured onto us, and I think our nervous systems are completely taxed. And whether we like to admit it or not, I don't think women in this stage are moving quite as much as they think they are. I think that when we were younger, we were pushing strollers, and we were walking to the bus, and we were going down to an office, and we were whatever it was. We think we're moving, but maybe we're not moving in the same way or maybe we're moving based on perhaps back to that misinformation, you know, like, some program that some twenty five year old bro dude is saying, okay. You gotta do this calories in calories out, and we don't realize that our baby making system has evolved into a brand new system, and we need to uplevel that. I call it, like, the baby making people pleasing system is gone, And we are now into this brand new evolution of who we're going to be, and we need to learn how to move and be for her. And it's different.
Speaker 1
Yeah. Yeah. Oh my god. So so true and something none of us really think about until we're forced in a serious way to think about it. Right? Like, one of our one of the naturopaths that comes on the show refers to it as, you know, these patients come skidding in. Right? And, oh my god that visual and yeah we we just don't we don't think about this, we're disconnected from our bodies, we don't know how to give them what give ourselves what we need in order to feel human.
Speaker 2
Yeah. And, ultimately, it's really quite simple, but it's not easy, which is what I found.
Speaker 1
Yep. Agreed. We've
Speaker 0
it's funny because a lot of the the recurring theme that came up in season two was it's gonna take a little bit of work, ladies. There's not a magic bullet. There's not an easy fix. Like, we need to we need to prioritize ourselves, and we need to spend a little bit of time loving ourselves and getting to know ourselves again and working on the things that matter and the things that will help. It it's not gonna be easy.
Speaker 2
It just takes a little bit of time. I think we've been so programmed into the people pleasing and priding ourselves on being high functioning and doing all the things. And I love I could talk about cortisol until I'm blue in the face because we just don't have the ability now to handle what we used to be able to do, And then that's when things start to like, the the wheels come off. We just can't handle it. And then and then we get down on ourselves, and it just takes a little moment to be like, okay. We're gonna reset the expectations. We're gonna redesign this identity. And that's a huge part of what I work with with my clients is sort of, yes, we talk about food. Yes, we talk about nutrition. Yes, we deal with these nervous system reset tools that are super simple and oh, so effective at getting the stress down. But a lot of it is the mindset piece and the identity of who we're becoming now.
Speaker 0
I've spent the summer working on my mindset and, like, trying to I've been really, really focused on improving my relationship with myself this summer, and I don't know. It's still a work in progress. I'm not quite there yet, but slowly. Well, I can see it
Speaker 2
in your post, though. I feel like you've got some joy and some curiosity around it.
Speaker 0
Oh, thank you. Well, thank you. I appreciate that.
Speaker 1
I think I think curiosity is such an important value way to be thing that and and we we aren't curious typically. We're not stopping to say, okay. Wait a minute. Why why am I feeling this way?
Speaker 2
We don't have time. Yeah. And how do I want to feel? Yeah. And do I even have permission to want to feel anything? It's crazy.
Speaker 1
And why do I need permission? What is that about?
Speaker 2
Oh, I was gonna ask you. Did you read Glennon Doyle's Untamed book years ago? It came out in COVID. Yes. There's a part in it where she's talking about how Abby, like, will lie on the couch and watch sports. And Glennon is, like, looking around, like, the house is on fire. She's like, who gave you permission?
Speaker 1
To line the couch in the middle of the day?
Speaker 2
At the day. Yeah. It's the middle of the day. And then she'll, like, hear a car crunch up the driveway, and she'll hop off the couch. It's been she deigned to sit down for two and a half seconds, and she'll start popping the pillows. And she calls it hustling for worthiness, and I'm like, that's me. That's me. Yeah. Like, I'm not if I'm not productive, if I'm not doing something, if I'm not like, I'll go and I'm not this is something that I actually really do like. But I will take my dog for a walk. I'll wear my weighted vest. I'll listen to, a business podcast at, like, a clip that you won't believe, and then I'm also answering text messages at the same time. I'm like, I can just go for a walk.
Speaker 1
When did becoming going for when did going for a walk but just going for a walk become lazy? Right? Like
Speaker 0
Yeah. But it's so funny because you just described my morning every single morning and afternoon, and I I've been, like, thinking I've been doing good. Like, in now when I when I hear you say it, I'm like, oh.
Speaker 2
Oh, I know. I know. I know. It seems like a lot. But and I like mine too. I I maybe I could, like, listen to, I don't know, like, something lighter. I don't have to always be listening how to market my business. Or maybe I could just listen to music or maybe I could listen to the nature sounds. Like, that would really be a revolutionary concept.
Speaker 0
Yeah. Yes. Yes. I also add in I try to do a color walk. So in addition to what you're doing, I'm also I choose a color. Today, I'm looking for purple. And I just I find it fascinating how you what you direct your mind to, it opens up. So then I see all these purple. So in addition to that, I also do I'm also using my brain too.
Speaker 2
Oh my gosh. I love that.
Speaker 0
It is it's supposed to be soothing but now I'm realizing maybe it's not.
Speaker 2
Maybe It's like a to do list thing.
Speaker 0
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Well, it's like that law of like whatever you put your attention on or wherever you're whatever you're focusing on that's where your energy will flow. So if you're constantly thinking well, like, perimenopause, for example, if you're like all you can think about is the weight gain and the fact that you're not sleeping and the fact that your moods are all over the place and that you feel uncomfortable and your skin is itchy or whatever your symptoms are. If you're constantly thinking about those things, then all your energy's gonna go there, and it's just gonna be this spiral. Mhmm. It's like when you're shopping for blue cars, all you see are blue cars.
Speaker 0
It's true. Yeah. So, Christy, when you just brought some so when we go to social media, they're, like, they're telling perimenopausal women telling perimenopausal women who are dealing with brain fog, exhaustion, the weight gain, like, all of these things. They're saying just eat more fiber. Just exercise more. Like, it's it's almost insulting. So how do you help your clients? When they're drowning in their symptoms, what are some practical steps they can take to start supporting themselves again?
Speaker 2
So what we typically do when I sit down with a new client is we look at their life. It's a one on one coaching program, so I make sure that it's very specific to them. But nine times out of ten, the cortisol piece is huge. Mhmm. And when somebody doesn't feel safe in their body, then all of the rest of it won't be functioning properly. And this is something that I've taken from my ten years of being a yoga instructor into this this stage of my life and into my work with my clients. Cortisol is amazing. It's such a great hormone. We need it, but it becomes so dysregulated in this stage of life when estrogen and progesterone are leaving the chat. Cortisol has to lift up some of do some of that heavy lifting, which is exactly what it's supposed to do. It's perfect, but we're just not realizing that we're not taking out the other things that are causing the stress. So that all of a sudden like, for example, say this is your cortisol or your this is your capacity. This is your body, and your cortisol your whole life was always around here. All of a sudden, estrogen and progesterone have left the chat. Now your cortisol is more like up here, and that's okay. That's what it's supposed to be doing in order to help with the inflammation in your body. Menopause is essentially an inflammatory state. But then you have the news, and you have your teenage kids, and you have your aging parents, and maybe you have a job change or a house change or something like that, and then all of a sudden, the cortisol is everywhere. And when that cortisol is dysregulated, it leads to sleep interruptions. It leads to carrying that visceral fat through your midsection. It leads to definitely struggles with mood, irritability. You're not able to control your moods in the same way. So one of the main things that I like to do with my clients is to manage that first, to help them realize that the name of the game has changed, and this is what we have to work on first. And then often also when people come into this stage of life, they are just depleted. They don't realize it because everything was fine until it wasn't, but maybe they were doing a fasted type diet or maybe they were loving their Peloton since COVID, or maybe, there's a million reasons why that we just aren't eating enough, and we're not eating enough of the right things, and our system is just depleted. So I really work on replenishing where where they're at to make sure that they've got all the basics that they need. And then from there, we sort of have it stuck on top of that. So we always always know that strength training is super super important in this stage of life. So doing that in a way that is safe and small baby steps. But it's all stuff they're already doing. They're already eating. They're already moving through their days. It's just adding in, not depletion of things that are going to support them.
Speaker 0
I like that. So you have
Speaker 1
a program called Unstuck. Is that right?
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Speaker 1
And the premise is thirty thirty thirty. Can you can you tell us about that? Break that down for us, what it's about?
Speaker 2
Yeah. So thirty thirty thirty is just a structure that I created that helps my clients stay on track. It is thirty grams of protein at every meal and thirty grams of fiber daily and then thirty minutes of movement. And that's just sort of like a really simple way to look at your day. And then from in there, I teach them how what what thirty grams of protein might look like and how to create that easily for themselves so that they're not constantly like, okay. How do I know? Whether it's, you know, prepping some overnight oats or creating some sort of savory egg dish or, you know, what your dinner might look like with thirty grams of protein. So that's sort of one stage. The other one is fiber. I think fiber is a really underrated micronutrient, so we really focus on getting that up. Most women don't get nearly enough. So I teach them how to increase their fiber intake, and then thirty minutes of movement is just my nonnegotiable. So whether that looks like ten minutes of walking after your meal, perfect, whether that's a thirty minute strength training session, it's just something to anchor their days on.
Speaker 1
So for for the person listening who's like, my god. Protein, fiber. Like, I what's a great starting point? What's something everybody could do, you know, to get more protein and fiber into their diets daily?
Speaker 2
The protein piece, I anchor my meals around high sources of protein. So whether that is chicken, some sort of meat source, and protein powder, totally fine, Greek yogurt, those are really mainstays in my diet. I'm also very much of a flexible and less is more kind of person. So I don't love repeating meals, but, like, you don't have to be making thirty different meals every single day. You don't need to be cooking from a recipe for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can have leftovers. You can do the same things over and over again. And then my other real sneaky easy way of the of taking that fiber box is that there is not a recipe I make that doesn't have giant handfuls of spinach just wilted through it or grated cauliflower. Like, I I can't tell you oh, grated zucchini. Like, I'll just continually sleep throw those things into any kind of sauce or soup or stew or anything. And then I always try, especially because I'm a mom and I want my kids to know that it's important to for your your plate to look a certain way with a
Speaker 0
little bit of carb, a
Speaker 2
little bit of protein, and a little bit of leafy green veg of some sort. And so I'll put a veg on the side, but I'll always have some sneaky hidden veg in something. And then that way you're getting fiber.
Speaker 0
And and I've I've noticed that a little bit in in some of the recipes that you post. Your your your Instagram, page is amazing, by the way. You've got so and so many amazing, recipes. So thank you for that. But I have noticed that you kinda slide things in.
Speaker 2
Oh, thank you. I love to cook.
Speaker 1
It's it's kinda fascinating. There's this dichotomy where we're so busy. We're we're rushed. We're like, hey. Just give me just tell me what I need to do to fix it. Just tell me what I need you to fix it. And then, you know, we learn talking about other people, of course, not me. We learn the okay. Eat this way. And then it's like, okay. Well, I've gotta do, like, these bon appetit recipes, and it's got it, like right? There's this, like, this duality of, like, I need fast, but I'm gonna make everything really complicated.
Speaker 2
Hundred percent. And I think that's why the program works is that when we sit like, when I sit down with someone, I'll be like, okay. I'm just gonna tell you what to eat. We our mental load is so overwhelming. And if you're not a food person, I'm a food person. For me, I enjoy it, and it's easy. But if you're not a food person, you've got a full time job, you're managing different schedules and personalities and preferences. All you need to know is the basics. And so that's what and I I kinda create I can't do it for you. I don't live in your house, but I'm like, okay. Here's what you're gonna eat, and you're gonna take sixty minutes on whatever day, and you're going to maybe it's, cook up some ground beef with a little bit of seasoning, or cook up some ground turkey, or boil a few eggs, or chop up these things. And then all of a sudden in your fridge, you've got a bunch of elements, and then all you need to do is some sort of veg that you love, whether it's a little bit of steamed up edamame, and then you drizzle it with a little bit of sesame oil and soy sauce. It's like, that was easy and yummy.
Speaker 0
Easy. Can we talk about carbs? Can we circle back to carbs for a second? Because, they've got a really bad rap, and you've mentioned having carbs a few times now. So let's talk about carbs. Are they really bad? I know. Well, I think we're all in
Speaker 2
this generation where we were told that carbs are the enemy, and we need to avoid them at all cost. And I think that we did ourselves a disservice. I think there are different there are different quality of carbs. I think when you my my premise is if it had a mother or if it grows from the ground, that's my rule. And that way you know you're getting the things that our bodies are designed to eat. If it came from a box, if it has things that you can't pronounce in the ingredient list, then it might not be what we need to be focusing on when your body's already inflamed and already dealing with elevated cortisol levels. So carbs, especially ones that come from the ground, I think are a green light, and especially at night.
Speaker 0
Which are examples. What what what are some examples of those carbs?
Speaker 2
Okay. Rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes. All good. Also, in our bodies, all fruits and vegetables essentially get broken down into glucose, which is a carb. Like, that's a those are considered carbohydrates. So I don't think that you should worry about them.
Speaker 0
Thank you. I because I sometimes sometimes I just I'm craving for my brain. Like, I feel like my brain is almost saying, like, dude, I need I need something to yeah. You need to process something. Get some carbs in you, girl.
Speaker 1
You need glucose.
Speaker 0
Well, and they're they're
Speaker 2
they're they're our energy sources. We need them. And if your body is saying that, then I think you should be listening, and that's I think we've gotten so far away from being intuitive to our own signals. I also think that we, with this whole fasting conversation, I don't know if you wanna get into that.
Speaker 0
Yeah. Let's, please. Yeah.
Speaker 2
Okay. So I we need food. We are designed for food, and no menopause society recommends fasting. But here's my take on it. I think that you should be having some carbs at night from the healthy carbs, you know, and not to say that pasta's off the table. I also had pasta last night, and I enjoy a little bit of pasta. But, primarily, choosing rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes are excellent sources of of carbs that are a little bit more nutrient dense, and try and consume your dinner, your evening meal before seven or seven thirty if you can. That will help you sleep so much better because it allows your body to feel safe. It's got what it needs to process. And then when you head into bed with a nice ninety minute ish window from the last meal, your body is in rest and digest mode, and you sleep so much better. So So having a little bit of carb and then a little bit of a space between when you have your last meal and then go to bed is going to really benefit your sleep cycle and your cortisol levels.
Speaker 1
Yeah. My my understanding maybe need to fact check this, but my understanding is if you don't have enough carbs, that can spike your cortisol.
Speaker 2
Exactly. There's so many things that can spike your cortisol. Yeah. Dehydration can also spike your cortisol, so you have to make sure that you're drinking lots.
Speaker 0
Yeah. Let's take a sip. Yes. And what's your take on, eliminate eliminating food? So the, you know, no dairy, no gluten, no coffee, no sugar. Like, where does that come into play with your program?
Speaker 2
So back to that cortisol conversation, we know that excess sugar, excess caffeine, excess alcohol, excess, super processed foods, they all contribute to inflammation in the in the body. So I don't consume a ton of those things. I do enjoy a glass of wine. I do enjoy my coffee, but I don't have more than one in a day. So if it's something that, you you know, you're you're reaching for a three o'clock coffee in the afternoon, that might be something to consider because, really, that cortisol piece can throw everything into haywire everything into haywire. When it's not regulated, when your cortisol clock is not functioning properly, then all the other symptoms get so much more more magnified. Once you kinda know the basics, then it's not well, maybe it is so much. I don't know. I don't know. Does it sound like a lot?
Speaker 0
No. It's really not. Not not no. When you talk about it, it's it sounds very simple to me, and it sounds very easy. And I'm I think that that's so important, living our lives with ease because, gosh, it's chaotic. And if we don't try to find that ease this no. This feels very good. I like it.
Speaker 2
Yeah. I think the basics are, like, eat food that comes from the ground or had a mother, manage your stress, move your body, motion is lotion, prioritize mobility and strength because your body is gonna your body and your brain are gonna feed on this the muscle, and and get sleep. And that sounds maybe easier said than done, but there are so many little things that you can do to help promote that.
Speaker 1
I think the key there is for someone who's skidding in or listening to this conversation and is completely overwhelmed, that is just
Speaker 2
Too much.
Speaker 1
They've they've they've don't don't shut this off whoever you are listening is feeling like it's too much because it it does sound like too much, and it is a lot. I think it's about, as you talk about in your program, it's about baby steps, and it's about picking something and starting with that.
Speaker 2
Yeah.
Speaker 1
Right? And and then building and then building from there.
Speaker 2
Let's talk about how to start, like, where to start. Yeah. Because I think it can feel like you're like, okay. I gotta eat this. I I've seen so many funny memes where it's like, okay. We'll get outside and get get some sunlight in your eye, and then don't forget to hydrate, and don't forget your creatine, and don't forget your like, you're like, oh, okay. That's no problem. Sure. I'll just take care of that. But I think you need to first anchor into how you're feeling, anchor into your why. Why do you why why do you care? You wanna feel better? You wanna feel more confident? You wanna lose weight? You wanna have more quality time with your partner or your kids? Like, what is it that is making you pause in this stage of life and reconsider? And then that's a huge motivator right there. And then once you figure out what your why is, then it's like, okay. Well, you're not gonna overhaul your life, and no one expects you to. But what's the one meaningful difference that you could make today? Is it drinking more water? Could you start there? Could you maybe get a bottle from your kitchen
Speaker 0
or a
Speaker 2
mason jar and be like, I commit to drinking two of these, three of these, four of these. And then from there, what I like to do is be like, okay. Well, I'm already now drinking this water. How about I add an electrolyte in? Or how about I add in some vitamin d drops? Or how about I add in some creatine? Or whatever it is that you feel like you need. And then from there, it's like, okay. Now I've got that down pat. Okay. Let's look at this protein piece. How can I do protein? So for me, it's like, okay. Well, I'm already having my morning coffee. I'm gonna put a scoop of collagen in there, and that's nine grams of protein. I can do that.
Speaker 0
This was Mikkel's hack that she shared with me and yeah. Like, my mother-in-law sorry. Sidebar. My mother-in-law recently going through some health issues, and they were like, you need more protein. And I'm like, oh, wait. I know how to do this. Here. And and it's like, by the time, you know, eight o'clock rolls around, she's already had, like, twenty grams of protein. It's amazing.
Speaker 2
That's fantastic. Yeah. I I just love that book by James Clear, the Atomic Habits. Like, if I'm gonna be doing this anyway, how could I make it better or make it more seamless or scale it somehow? That might be, like, three weeks of work right there. You start with your water. You figure out what you want, and then it's like, okay. Now I'm gonna start thinking about movement. And you don't start with a five k run unless you're already there. You start with a ten k a ten minute walk. I think when you're, as you say, skimming into perimenopause, you're so disconnected from how you actually feel.
Speaker 0
Yep.
Speaker 2
You're so focused on checking all the boxes and getting through the day. But, eventually, as you start to increase these healthier habits, you'll start to be like, oh, I slept better, or, oh, my energy is better. My brain fog is less when I drink all that water. And then that'll continue the cycle forward, that snowball effect forward.
Speaker 0
Yeah. When you're feeling better, you wanna keep feeling better.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Exactly.
Speaker 1
Yep. And it's accumulating those little wins that help shift how you're thinking about things, I think. It is for me anyway.
Speaker 2
Uh-huh. And you have those quick wins.
Speaker 1
Yeah. Just the quick wins, and that's very telling about my personality, I guess, but just to be able to say, oh, yeah. I got some fiber this morning, or oh, yeah. I hit my protein. Right? And then it disperses on more, okay. I can add more now. I'm feeling good about this. Because it's easy to have it all come what does come crashing down when you try to do too much too fast.
Speaker 2
Hundred percent. It's not sustainable.
Speaker 1
Yeah. I interrupted Michelle earlier. She was starting to ask you, what your background is, and I don't wanna miss that. So maybe we could talk a little bit about How
Speaker 0
rude, Mikel.
Speaker 1
I know. Typical.
Speaker 2
Yeah. I found myself here in this place now because I had you know that meme on Instagram where it's like the dog running across the beach and then it gets taken out, and it's like how's perimenopause going for you? It's like and the music behind is like, you came in like a wrecking ball. That was me. That was me at thirty eight. I was on holiday with my family in Corsica, and I was going to murder everyone. I and I'm a b type super nice person. I promise. I'm a yoga instructor. I like, there's not much that gets me going, but I was pacing in the middle of the night, not sleeping, ready to tear everyone else apart. I'd gained all this weight. I was having these waves of hot flashes, which I knew were menopause. But I'm like, how is this possible? Like, I'm just like, I was thinking about having a fourth kid that we were like, there's I was like, this isn't possible. So when I get what popped back to the city and sat down with my doctor, she's like, this is what's happening. She called up menopause, and I was like, I'm too I didn't even know what perimenopause was, girls, until probably two or three years ago.
Speaker 0
Nobody did.
Speaker 2
So I cried for an off an hour in her office, and she was amazing, and she was ahead of the time. So back then, she recommended HRT because of like, most people when they go into menopause, whether it's in their mid forties or fifties, they're gonna have another third of their life with without that that protective estrogen barrier. I was gonna have a full half of my life without and the long term ramifications.
Speaker 0
Yeah. That would be early menopause. No?
Speaker 2
Yeah. It was definitely early onset. So so she was like, listen. Like, the long term ramifications of you not having the estrogen for your bones, for your my mental health was not good. For your heart heart disease, for metabolic disease, it was all very much she's like, this is what they're finding. And this is before this whole HRT conversation came up, but I was in such acute crisis at the time that I was like, okay. Let's do it. And I have to say within about a week, things things evened out, and I was able to think clearly. But then I got to this point where I was like, I had that identity shift where all my friends were still having babies. I was so ashamed that I was in this place. My skin was dry. My hair was falling out. I gained all this weight, and I was like, I I can't live like this. Like, this is not this is not how it's gonna work. And I just became my own little guinea pig with with trial and error, and I started to learn a ton about about that insulin resistance, about how my hormones work in my body, about the blood sugar situation. And then I and I've always I've always loved food from from disordered eating in the past and then healing that and really enjoying the process of cooking, cooking for my family, making sure I'm eating nourishing healthy foods. And around the time of the pandemic, I wasn't enjoying teaching yoga online, so I moved over and I started this food blog. So the it turned into a food blog, and then as time goes on and I'm still continuing my own wellness journey through perimenopause, my friends start coming to me, the ones who knew I was going through what I was going through. And they were like, you need to tell me what to do. We're I'm I'm dying here. I've gained all this weight. I can't stand my husband. I'm I can't focus at work. All these things. And I'm like, oh my god. Everything that I'm doing is on my blog. I just never marketed it as menopause, but that's how it worked. And then I was like, you know what? I can help women. I can help other people. So that's when I kinda shifted into I took a menopause coaching certification, and now I marry my the mindset mindfulness of my yoga teaching into my love of nutrition and the mindful movement, which is the yoga and the strength training. And I've created a
Speaker 0
bit of a program well, not
Speaker 2
a bit. I have created an eight week program that we get people out of that skidding in crisis mode into feeling really confident and really in control of what's happening and understanding why it's happening and how to best support themselves.
Speaker 0
Oh, I love it. And it's kind of where is this where this, I think you say menopause isn't a transition to endure. It's an opportunity trans to transform. That is, wow, like, powerful, magical. Even just saying it, you can feel it in your body. It's got a different energy.
Speaker 2
Yeah. Well and I think the Japanese have a saying. It's called Koninki, where it's like this it's like this transition into a beautiful wisdom. Like, you you move from or let me say this better. There's the maiden mother crone parable where the maiden is our teenage daughters, and they are full of, virtue, and they are young and full of hope and possibility. And then as women we move into the mother and the mother is full of nurture and she's She's fertile and we are building and then we transition into the crone, which sounds like an old crow, but that's not what it was intended to be. Crone is the the grandmother, the wise elder, the person who shares the family legends and teaches. And so that's sort of where we are. But that analogy was a little bit much for me at the time because I was young. I was thinking there is no way that I am Blanche from the Golden Girls. Like, how is this possible? I wanna be Carrie from Sex and the City.
Speaker 0
Yes.
Speaker 2
And that sort of motivated me in my early days of being like, I don't have to be wearing I mean, I'm wearing a beige cardigan right now, but I'm like, I don't wanna be a beige cardigan wearing short haired you know, not that there's anything wrong with short hair, but I was like I was picturing, like, the curlers and the glasses hanging from a from a chain, and I'm like, this is not this is not I'm not ready for this. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1
Yeah. No. Exactly. I think you, you know, you marry that fear of as much as we all love them, you don't wanna you're not ready for the golden girl look aesthetic, and you're you're overwhelmed. It's so crushing and and debilitating. And I guess what's you know, we've talked a little bit about this, but for for the person listening who is in that spot, what is your advice for them? And they're like, I can't do another wellness program or I tried and I you know, it didn't work and, like, what what's your advice for that person?
Speaker 2
My advice is sit down and really think about how you want to feel because anything is possible. And I really want them to know that getting to a place that is full of health, vitality, joy is so possible, and they deserve it. They deserve everything they've worked so hard to get to, whether it's the place in their career or the place in their relationship or the feeling in their body. They deserve it. And we're going to live a very long time if we're lucky enough in this stage. So to prioritize their well-being, mental, emotional, and physical, is really an what's the word I'm looking for? Like, it's just it's just not something that you can hold lightly. It's gonna take some effort, and that's where I really think that my program helps is because we just don't have the mental load to take on one more thing, as you say. And that's what I do for these busy women. They they have careers. They have families. They're on the go. They've got carpools still or they're they're empty nesters or whatever it is, and I just walk them through it step by step by step.
Speaker 0
I love that. Thank you. Christie, what is the one thing you would love every woman, to know about perimenopause? I mean, I think you just said a whole lot, but is there anything else?
Speaker 2
Yeah. Well, I think that it's not permanent. I think that women need to know that they're not stuck here, that, yes, there's a lot of discomfort, but that is your body's wake up call for you to make some changes quickly, and then you're going to get to the other side, and whether it is, you know, that crone moment of feeling so comfortable and wise and being able to give back to the people that they love or whether it is the, you know, that that second season of just purely for you, but to get into that season feeling strong. And, again, we're gonna live a very long time. We're women. We're not going down without a bit of a fight. So to make sure that you're in your strongest, most vital version of yourself is really such a gift you can give yourself.
Speaker 0
Yeah. You know what? Things are going well.
Speaker 1
Thank you so much. What a great conversation.
Speaker 2
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1
Thanks so much for listening to the show. If you like what you hear, please subscribe and write a review.
Speaker 0
So more women can find us and get a better understanding of what to expect in perimenopause.
Speaker 1
This information is not intended as medical advice. The intent of this information is to provide the listener with knowledge to support more efficient and effective communication with their medical provider.
