WEBVTT
00:00:45.519 --> 00:01:02.879
Here on this podcast, we have done a number of episodes on sleep, on weight changes, on hormone replacement therapy, on aging vibrantly, on how to eat to feel better.
00:01:02.879 --> 00:01:18.719
And one thing that we really haven't talked about enough that is happening to a lot of us during this perimenopause, menopause midlife period is brain fog, cognitive health.
00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:23.439
And I really don't want to leave that out because it's all connected.
00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:25.280
So let's talk about it.
00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:33.120
Welcome to Mind Your Midlife, your go-to resource for confidence and success, one thought at a time.
00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:46.000
Unlike most advice out there, we believe that simply telling you to believe in yourself or change your habits isn't enough to wake up excited about life or feel truly confident in your body.
00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:55.439
Each week, you'll gain actionable strategies and, oh my goodness, powerful insights to stop feeling stuck and start loving your midlife.
00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:58.639
This is the Mind Your Midlife podcast.
00:01:58.639 --> 00:02:08.719
Every now and then I put together from my video recordings from creating this podcast, bloopers.
00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:14.400
And I try for them to be my bloopers as opposed to guests' bloopers, unless I know the guest is okay with it.
00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:16.960
So, guests, you should feel safe in that way.
00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:26.719
But almost every blooper is me saying something along the lines of, wait, what were we talking about?
00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:27.680
I don't remember.
00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:28.719
What was I asking?
00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:29.759
What did you say?
00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:32.159
I can't remember what we were talking about.
00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:34.159
It's brain fog stuff.
00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:38.319
Almost every time it's brain fog stuff.
00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:40.960
And this has happened over and over and over again.
00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:45.919
Maybe in honor of releasing this episode, I will share some of those bloopers again on social media.
00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:47.280
So make sure we're connected.
00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:49.199
I'm everywhere almost at CherylPFischer.
00:02:50.719 --> 00:03:07.280
So brain fog is what's happening when you can't think of the word and you're trying to say a sentence, and it's something that you know you know how to say, and you know you know the word, but you cannot get it out of your mouth.
00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:17.200
It's when you put something down and then two minutes later you can't remember where you put it down, or you come into a room and you can't remember why you're in the room.
00:03:17.200 --> 00:03:23.200
And I will say backtracking, return retracing your steps works really well for that particular issue.
00:03:23.200 --> 00:03:24.879
But this happens to us a lot.
00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:33.120
It's when you meet someone and you pay attention to their name, and then you still can't remember a few minutes later.
00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:34.800
This is brain fog.
00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:42.080
And it does tend to increase in perimenopause and menopause.
00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:44.719
And so my guest today, Dr.
00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:50.240
Christine Boev, is going to talk us through why this is happening.
00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:52.400
You know, I'm a bit of a brain science nerd.
00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:59.039
I love to hear how everything works and what we can do because I'm not going to leave you without something to do.
00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:16.800
So Christine is a scientist and researcher who has devoted her career to creating protocols to help women deal with physiologic changes related to perimenopause and menopause.
00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:27.439
She is focused on health and wellness, and she is focused on everything about that period of life that really can be even age 35 and above.
00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:30.800
I usually say 40s and 50s, but it could be earlier.
00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:42.079
She's a health coach and she is a PhD scientist with particular expertise in nutrition, supplementation strategies, and strength training.
00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:46.319
So I am super happy that we get to talk to her today.
00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:47.519
Welcome, Christine.
00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:48.959
Thanks for having me.
00:04:48.959 --> 00:05:02.639
I am excited to talk about this because I feel like every time I turn around, somebody, including me, is talking about perimenopause, menopause, all the stuff.
00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:12.319
I've had many episodes on this, but we don't always talk enough, I don't think, about the brain fog cognitive health piece.
00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:23.840
So first, tell me and tell our listeners a little bit more about how you're approaching this from a science perspective related to your background.
00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:24.560
Yeah.
00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:32.000
So when I went through perimenopause and menopause, it was it was a pretty traumatic time in my life.
00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:41.600
And as a researcher, as a scientist, I was like, okay, there's got to be some evidence-based solutions to navigate through this period of life.
00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:48.160
And I went straight to the literature to try to understand what was happening and how to fix it.
00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:58.639
And so with an N of one, I started experimenting on myself mainly through nutrition, fitness, and supplementation.
00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:01.199
I didn't go into the hormones just yet.
00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:05.280
I was earlier on in the process, and that wasn't really required.
00:06:05.280 --> 00:06:20.399
And so what I was able to do was really transform my own health, fitness, wellness, my own brain health so that I was feeling like myself again and really feeling optimized.
00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:30.639
And like most women going through perimenopause and menopause, I had some significant brain fog, meaning I couldn't find my words.
00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:32.399
I wasn't as articulate.
00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:33.920
I wasn't as sharp.
00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:37.600
And in my line of work, I need to be on.
00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:40.639
I need to be the voice of authority.
00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:42.000
People need to trust me.
00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:48.399
And if you can't find your words and your brain is foggy, then you know that trust really isn't there.
00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:52.480
It has to do with sleep, it has to do with nutrition.
00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:59.840
But I think the root cause of brain fog during this time, during midlife, is inflammation.
00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:02.800
Interesting.
00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:11.759
And and a couple of things you just said, I know that if you're listening, you were like, yeah, that's me, that's me.
00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:18.079
And I can't even tell you how many times I edit this podcast and I edit out, what's the word?
00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:19.280
What's the word?
00:07:19.280 --> 00:07:25.120
I do know that everyone feels what it is that you're talking about.
00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:27.840
We feel this in a deep and personal way.
00:07:27.840 --> 00:07:37.600
And so I have I have reassured listeners before that these things are not forever and they don't mean we have dementia.
00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:46.399
And I'm interested to see what you say about inflammation because to me, that says it also doesn't have to be forever and it's not necessarily related to dementia.
00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:48.720
So tell us more about inflammation.
00:07:49.199 --> 00:08:02.959
So inflammation is the root cause of all neurodegenerative diseases: dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, uh, early cognitive impairment, it all starts with inflammation.
00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:13.360
And what I like to do when I work with women is let's talk about our body as a vessel and how do we fuel our vessel appropriately.
00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:35.600
Because if you're following the standard American diet that is full of highly processed fried foods that cause a lot of inflammation, trans fats, and we'll talk about insulin in a minute, then what you're doing is you're constantly putting your body in this state of inflammation.
00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:53.840
What happens, and if you, you know, if you're one of those people and you're on this roller coaster of high carb, high glycemic index, and you're spiking your blood sugar repeatedly throughout the course of the day, you're developing insulin resistance.
00:08:53.840 --> 00:08:57.279
Now, why does this have anything to do with brain health?
00:08:57.279 --> 00:09:06.319
Your brain consumes the majority of glucose and requires the most amount of insulin than any other organ in your body.
00:09:06.319 --> 00:09:06.799
Really?
00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:08.159
And so, yeah.
00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:15.120
Oh, it's it's a very insulin-dependent, glucose-dependent organ because there's so many neurons, right?
00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:15.919
They're firing.
00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:17.360
We're not going to get too science-y.
00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:32.720
However, when you have insulin resistance, then you are having this cycle of high blood sugar, low insulin, high blood sugar, low insulin, and your brain is going through chaos.
00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:37.360
So that's why they call Alzheimer's disease type 3 diabetes.
00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:45.759
Because when you've got increased levels of glucose in your brain, it doesn't allow for cellular repair.
00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:53.840
It can promote the buildup of those amyloid plaques, and your neurons aren't aren't firing appropriately.
00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:56.240
So all of those things, right?
00:09:56.240 --> 00:10:04.639
So you're in midlife, you're probably not eating that great, you're going through perimenopause and menopause, you're dealing with hormonal shifts.
00:10:04.639 --> 00:11:06.259
And the consequence is your brain is like, what is happening?
00:11:06.259 --> 00:11:11.220
Because I can't do what you're asking me to do because I'm so inflamed.
00:11:11.860 --> 00:11:12.500
Wow.
00:11:12.500 --> 00:11:18.980
So the inflammation is a byproduct of just how we're living.
00:11:18.980 --> 00:11:30.980
And I actually, I can't think how many years ago now, but I actually changed quite a bit how I was eating because I was getting my feet always swollen and, you know, just other weird things like that.
00:11:30.980 --> 00:11:33.780
And I said something has to change, and it made a huge difference.
00:11:33.780 --> 00:11:38.340
So we'll talk more about that, I'm sure, but I totally agree.
00:11:38.340 --> 00:11:46.580
What is it that then sort of catapulted into a bigger problem during this perimenopause-menopause phase?
00:11:46.580 --> 00:11:48.660
Is something changing as well?
00:11:49.300 --> 00:11:54.740
Well, during that time, and again, this is probably repeated exposure over time.
00:11:54.740 --> 00:12:03.140
So this is, you know, if you're not eating well in your early 40s, you probably didn't eat that great in your 20s and 30s either.
00:12:03.140 --> 00:12:05.460
But your body was able to compensate.
00:12:05.460 --> 00:12:08.340
You got, we got away with anything at that age.
00:12:08.340 --> 00:12:12.420
You know, you went to college, you drank beer, ate pizza, nothing really didn't matter.
00:12:12.420 --> 00:12:13.220
You were good.
00:12:13.220 --> 00:12:28.820
Once your body starts to get older, and you're in your 40s in particular, is when we see it more than anything, your body isn't able to rebound and compensate for the repeated assaults in terms of that inflammation.
00:12:28.820 --> 00:12:31.140
And it starts to take a toll.
00:12:31.140 --> 00:12:33.860
And that's where you start to notice.
00:12:33.860 --> 00:12:35.940
You know, I can't find my words.
00:12:35.940 --> 00:12:37.379
I'm I'm really moody.
00:12:37.379 --> 00:12:40.340
Let's talk about how this impacts mental health, right?
00:12:40.340 --> 00:12:46.420
You have anxiety, you have depression, your brain houses your sleep wait wake cycle.
00:12:46.420 --> 00:12:47.940
So you're not sleeping.
00:12:47.940 --> 00:12:54.420
And so it's showing up in all of these ways where before you would you would have been fine, right?
00:12:54.420 --> 00:12:58.100
You kind of compensated, but we we just can't compensate anymore.
00:12:58.340 --> 00:12:58.740
Yeah.
00:12:58.740 --> 00:13:09.220
I often say, I I mean, I say this all the time, not even just often, that we just need to take a little bit better care of ourselves during midlife because we we just need to, period.
00:13:09.220 --> 00:13:11.860
It doesn't have to be crazy, but a little bit better.
00:13:11.860 --> 00:13:13.220
And it's kind of what you're saying.
00:13:13.220 --> 00:13:20.340
Like our bodies can't recover or rebound or handle as much as quickly as they used to.
00:13:20.340 --> 00:13:27.700
And I just want anyone listening to realize we're not saying that you may as well lay on the couch for the rest of your life.
00:13:27.700 --> 00:13:30.740
But a little bit different is true.
00:13:30.900 --> 00:13:31.300
Yeah.
00:13:31.300 --> 00:13:35.060
It's tiny tweaks really that make a big difference.
00:13:35.060 --> 00:13:44.820
You know, when you start to pay attention to how you're fueling your body and you're putting high-quality fuel and also the relationship with food.
00:13:44.820 --> 00:13:53.780
You know, if we stop looking at food as a treat, as a reward, and start looking at it as this is how my body functions.
00:13:53.780 --> 00:13:57.700
It's how I make energy, it changes that dynamic.
00:13:57.700 --> 00:14:13.620
So you look at something like French fries or chicken wings and be like, eh, I don't really need that because I know what's going to happen to my body when I introduce this dirty fuel into this beautiful vessel.
00:14:13.940 --> 00:14:17.860
Yeah, it's a it's a hard thing to realize at first.
00:14:17.860 --> 00:14:30.900
It feels, it feels kind of disappointing to know that your favorite, you know, food from whatever place or thrown in the microwave does this to us, but I agree learning is power for sure.
00:14:30.900 --> 00:14:44.020
So what are some good choices if someone is saying, okay, I understand, and I know we're going to talk about some other things, but I understand that inflammation is really a key to this issue.
00:14:44.020 --> 00:14:46.100
So I want to eat differently.
00:14:46.100 --> 00:14:50.340
Are there some kind of main principles that they can follow?
00:14:50.660 --> 00:15:00.580
Well, what I like to do is I like to do just a 30-day reset where we eliminate the foods that most commonly cause inflammation.
00:15:00.580 --> 00:15:07.220
And in the United States, those are dairy, gluten, sugar, and alcohol.
00:15:07.220 --> 00:15:09.780
And people are like, oh, don't make me give up alcohol.
00:15:09.780 --> 00:15:12.340
I would never make anybody give up anything.
00:15:12.340 --> 00:15:24.259
But if you really want to pull back the curtain and figure out what your body feels like when it's in a lower state of inflammation, those are the four main culprits.
00:15:24.259 --> 00:15:27.060
So what I like to do is say, listen, it's 30 days.
00:15:27.060 --> 00:15:34.580
Like for 30 days, let's just pull this stuff out of the equation and fuel our body with really high quality protein.
00:15:34.580 --> 00:15:44.259
Carbohydrates are actually your friend, good fats, and just stay away from the junk, the processed foods, and see how you feel.
00:15:44.259 --> 00:15:48.820
And usually in those first, that first week or so, people are like, ugh, right?
00:15:48.820 --> 00:15:52.900
It's it's that that your body being like, but I really liked that stuff, right?
00:15:52.900 --> 00:16:06.740
And then around day 10, they're like, Christine, I don't know what's going on, but I feel clear, I feel bright-eyed, my skin is better, I have more energy, and I'm sleeping better.
00:16:06.740 --> 00:16:08.820
And I'm like, yeah, okay.
00:16:08.820 --> 00:16:12.900
Once the 30 days is over, I just like to, okay, let's try the dairy.
00:16:12.900 --> 00:16:15.540
You know, try it and see how you respond.
00:16:15.540 --> 00:16:16.740
Pay attention.
00:16:16.740 --> 00:16:18.420
Are you getting a blemish?
00:16:18.420 --> 00:16:20.900
Are you getting more mucus production?
00:16:20.900 --> 00:16:22.900
Or are you totally fine?
00:16:22.900 --> 00:16:24.259
And that's amazing.
00:16:24.259 --> 00:16:26.420
So everybody's different.
00:16:26.420 --> 00:16:32.259
But those are the four that really universally are going to impact women negatively.
00:16:32.259 --> 00:16:36.740
Maybe you just eliminate one for right now just to see how you feel.
00:16:36.980 --> 00:16:37.379
Yeah.
00:16:37.379 --> 00:16:50.020
That's actually how I realized that I needed to not have gluten in general in my diet because I realized I'd taken it out for a while and then had it again, and it made me sleepy.
00:16:50.020 --> 00:16:57.540
And I read somewhere that that could be that it's hard for me to digest or something like that, but I don't even care why.
00:16:57.540 --> 00:16:58.820
It made me sleepy.
00:16:58.820 --> 00:17:00.660
And I realized I don't want to feel like that.
00:17:00.660 --> 00:17:02.020
So I guess I won't eat it.
00:17:02.020 --> 00:17:06.099
So it is powerful to see how it affects you for sure.
00:17:06.420 --> 00:17:16.740
And just for your listeners, gluten made in the United States causes inflammation because it pokes little holes in your gut and it causes leaky gut syndrome.
00:17:16.740 --> 00:17:22.180
And if you go over to Italy for the summer and you eat the pasta, you're gonna feel amazing.
00:17:22.180 --> 00:17:28.019
It's a completely different way of processing the way that we make gluten.
00:17:28.019 --> 00:17:32.660
And it's not, our body doesn't recognize it as real fuel.
00:17:32.660 --> 00:17:35.379
And it just causes a lot of distress.
00:17:35.379 --> 00:17:44.660
So that's why I don't know anybody who would go and eat a couple slices of wonder bread and feel good afterwards, right?
00:17:44.660 --> 00:17:45.779
Right.
00:17:46.740 --> 00:17:52.900
And I guess when we were young and we were eating that in the 70s and 80s, number one, maybe it was different.
00:17:52.900 --> 00:17:56.420
Number two, our bodies could handle it better, maybe.
00:17:56.420 --> 00:17:57.220
Both.
00:17:57.220 --> 00:17:58.019
Yeah.
00:17:58.019 --> 00:17:58.579
Yeah.
00:17:58.579 --> 00:18:06.179
And it what what if somebody can kind of reduce some of these things?
00:18:06.179 --> 00:18:08.339
But it's quite hard to take sugar fully out.
00:18:08.339 --> 00:18:10.259
Some people choose to take alcohol fully out.
00:18:10.259 --> 00:18:11.539
But what if you just reduce?
00:18:11.539 --> 00:18:14.179
Does that have some positive benefit as well?
00:18:14.579 --> 00:18:15.699
Oh, absolutely.
00:18:15.699 --> 00:18:18.179
And it's it's a relative reduction.
00:18:18.179 --> 00:18:23.939
So when I was in my early 40s, I had a glass of wine maybe two most nights.
00:18:23.939 --> 00:18:26.579
You know, I had young kids, I was cooking dinner.
00:18:26.579 --> 00:18:30.899
It was, it was my way to unwind and it was very ritualistic.
00:18:30.899 --> 00:18:32.899
I very much looked forward to that.
00:18:32.899 --> 00:18:41.859
When I got older and the wine didn't agree with me anymore, it caused a lot of headaches, it completely wrecked my sleep.
00:18:41.859 --> 00:18:45.619
I was like, okay, I I I can't do this anymore.
00:18:45.619 --> 00:18:49.059
So maybe I only drank like on the weekends.
00:18:49.059 --> 00:18:54.259
I don't drink at all anymore because it simply makes me feel terrible.
00:18:54.259 --> 00:18:59.219
But any moderation is going to be better than the alternative.
00:18:59.219 --> 00:19:13.379
So if you're, if you have high fructose corn syrup in your fueling plan, and we know it's highly inflammatory, but you just love Twizzlers, then okay, maybe don't for now, right?
00:19:13.379 --> 00:19:14.739
Don't eat them every day.
00:19:14.739 --> 00:19:23.539
Let's figure out a way to just pull back and then notice how you feel when those substances aren't part of your diet.
00:19:23.779 --> 00:19:23.939
Yeah.
00:19:24.179 --> 00:19:27.459
Your body, when you pay attention, gives you a lot of signals.
00:19:27.459 --> 00:19:30.179
We're just often not listening to them.
00:19:30.499 --> 00:19:31.699
So true.
00:19:31.699 --> 00:19:33.299
So true.
00:19:33.299 --> 00:19:42.179
And we just kind of eat what we've always eaten, follow the habits we've always followed, and we don't think about it.
00:19:42.179 --> 00:19:42.899
I agree.
00:19:42.899 --> 00:19:43.299
Yeah.
00:19:43.299 --> 00:19:44.819
Absolutely.
00:19:44.819 --> 00:19:50.899
Okay, so inflammation is one thing and maybe the biggest thing.
00:19:50.899 --> 00:20:02.579
When we chatted before this interview, you also mentioned a few other things that could potentially impact our cognitive abilities, our what's the word, problem.
00:20:02.579 --> 00:20:11.539
And so let's talk about some of those because if I recall, they were things that maybe we could fairly easily do or add as well.
00:20:11.779 --> 00:20:12.259
Mm-hmm.
00:20:12.259 --> 00:20:18.659
So the number one supplement that I recommend to women in midlife is creatine.
00:20:18.659 --> 00:20:27.059
And the studies on creatine and brain health, specifically in women during midlife, are very strong.
00:20:27.059 --> 00:20:31.939
And it kind of makes sense because creatine helps us make energy.
00:20:31.939 --> 00:20:41.219
And when we are having issues with brain fog, it also has to do with a significant decrease in energy production.
00:20:41.219 --> 00:20:47.699
And, you know, creatine was marketed mostly to like younger men back in the 90s.
00:20:47.699 --> 00:20:49.459
It's going to help you build muscle.
00:20:49.459 --> 00:20:53.779
And all of that research was done on college-aged men.
00:20:53.779 --> 00:20:59.139
We're finally looking at, okay, but how do these things impact women?
00:20:59.139 --> 00:21:02.579
And these studies were done on women.
00:21:02.579 --> 00:21:04.899
So simple, right?
00:21:04.899 --> 00:21:08.979
Creatine monohydrate is the safest supplement.
00:21:08.979 --> 00:21:12.259
It is studied over and over and over again.
00:21:12.259 --> 00:21:16.739
And what I tell my clients is let's start with five grams a day.
00:21:16.739 --> 00:21:17.859
It's it's clear.
00:21:17.859 --> 00:21:20.739
You throw it in, I put it in my coffee in the morning.
00:21:20.739 --> 00:21:26.579
And the cognitive benefits are undeniable, truly.
00:21:26.579 --> 00:21:37.059
And so people don't realize that something that is inexpensive, safe, effective is gonna help because, again, it makes more energy.
00:21:37.059 --> 00:21:40.579
And that is gonna allow your brain to work better.
00:21:40.579 --> 00:21:43.459
So for me, that's an easy one.
00:21:43.699 --> 00:21:45.539
I agree that that's an easy one.
00:21:45.539 --> 00:21:51.139
And my husband, in fact, already puts creatine in protein shakes or whatever he feels like putting it in.
00:21:51.139 --> 00:21:57.059
But I never even considered doing it because I thought it was for muscle building.
00:21:57.059 --> 00:22:03.299
I you are the first person that has kind of solved this puzzle for me and put this together.
00:22:03.299 --> 00:22:15.779
And now, of course, I'll do it because if you're listening, I fully agree with Christine that, you know, you could take this little scoop of powder, you can put it in whatever, and it doesn't really change anything about what you're drinking.
00:22:15.779 --> 00:22:17.779
So I'm just amazed.
00:22:17.779 --> 00:22:18.179
Yeah.
00:22:18.419 --> 00:22:21.619
Yeah, I would so, Cheryl, I would start doing that.
00:22:21.619 --> 00:22:25.779
And for your listeners, creatine is something that you take every day.
00:22:25.779 --> 00:22:28.979
It's not just on days that you're in the gym.
00:22:28.979 --> 00:22:34.659
It takes two weeks to kind of fully get saturated into your muscle cells.
00:22:34.659 --> 00:22:39.459
Now, one question people will have was, well, I hear it causes bloating.
00:22:39.459 --> 00:22:41.219
It actually doesn't.
00:22:41.219 --> 00:22:48.339
What creatine does is it pushes water into the cell, and it's through that mechanism it helps us make more energy.
00:22:48.339 --> 00:22:56.819
So initially, you might feel a mild bloat, but that's going to resolve as your muscles get fully saturated.
00:22:56.819 --> 00:23:03.299
So the big thing is just take it every day and um be real consistent with it.
00:23:03.299 --> 00:23:13.139
If you start taking it and you feel any sort of mild GI discomfort, cut your dose in half for a little bit and let your body get used to it.
00:23:13.139 --> 00:23:17.139
But most people tolerate it really, really well.
00:23:18.099 --> 00:23:19.059
Interesting.
00:23:19.059 --> 00:23:24.419
And I'll pause here and say, of course, we're not giving any individual medical advice.
00:23:24.419 --> 00:23:27.699
If you have any concern, go see your medical professional.
00:23:27.699 --> 00:23:28.419
Absolutely.
00:23:28.419 --> 00:23:28.899
Yes.
00:23:28.899 --> 00:23:30.259
No medical advice.
00:23:30.419 --> 00:23:31.939
This is what works for me.
00:23:32.179 --> 00:23:33.699
Yes, exactly.
00:23:33.699 --> 00:23:35.379
And I will definitely do it.
00:23:35.379 --> 00:23:36.739
It's in my house already.
00:23:36.739 --> 00:23:38.259
I just didn't think it made sense.
00:23:38.259 --> 00:23:41.459
And I definitely didn't think it had anything to do with.
00:23:41.459 --> 00:23:44.179
brain fog and all of this that we're talking about.
00:23:44.179 --> 00:23:45.059
So yeah.
00:23:45.299 --> 00:23:57.619
And pay attention once it's once you get to that two week mark, really see like how you feel cognitively and how it impacts you because I think you're going to notice some really positive changes.
00:23:57.619 --> 00:23:59.219
That's amazing.
00:23:59.859 --> 00:24:00.179
Okay.
00:24:00.179 --> 00:24:02.259
I'm basking in that for a second.
00:24:02.259 --> 00:24:02.819
What else?
00:24:02.819 --> 00:24:03.859
Is there more?
00:24:04.499 --> 00:24:09.859
So the other thing that has been shown to help brain health is hormone replacement therapy.
00:24:09.859 --> 00:24:30.339
And now that we've lifted the black box warning off of hormone replacement, what we have found and what the the science really shows is that taking hormone replacement, specifically estradiol and progesterone, is actually protective for your brain and your heart.
00:24:30.339 --> 00:24:38.739
You know, there was there was so much confusion in the early 2000s with the Women's Health Initiative and, you know, hormones cause cancer.
00:24:38.739 --> 00:24:41.379
What we know is that is not the case.
00:24:41.379 --> 00:24:50.099
This was misinterpreted data that really impacted a whole generation of women who who didn't have the opportunity to do that.
00:24:50.099 --> 00:24:55.779
You know, when I talk to people, I say hormones are the gas in your gas tank.
00:24:55.779 --> 00:25:01.859
You know, nutrition is the fuel, but the gas itself is is your hormones.
00:25:01.859 --> 00:25:18.179
And so many of us are walking around with an empty tank and we wonder why we're not feeling well, you know, anxiety, depression, mental fog, sleep disturbances, hot flashes, all of those things.
00:25:18.179 --> 00:25:20.419
And so talk to your provider.
00:25:20.419 --> 00:25:30.899
I think now it's it's people are getting talked to all the time OBGYNs, functional medicine doctors, and say, are hormones right for me?
00:25:30.899 --> 00:25:32.579
And it's personal, right?
00:25:32.579 --> 00:25:34.819
It's very personal and it's very different.
00:25:34.819 --> 00:25:49.939
But the science, the research is very clear that if you're concerned about brain health and prevention of Alzheimer's disease, then this would be one tool in your toolbox to help with that.
00:25:50.499 --> 00:25:51.539
That's amazing.
00:25:51.539 --> 00:25:55.699
And the listeners know this because I talk about it regularly on episodes.
00:25:55.699 --> 00:26:00.179
But I started hormone replacement therapy about three months ago maybe.
00:26:00.179 --> 00:26:04.339
And so I'm getting to the point where I am noticing a difference.
00:26:04.339 --> 00:26:06.419
I'm definitely noticing a difference.
00:26:06.419 --> 00:26:14.979
And I'm going to be very curious to see you know the blood test results in a few more months and things like that as another way to look at it.
00:26:14.979 --> 00:26:29.619
But it's also been easy and I would encourage people to take a look just as you're saying because it's it's taking progesterone once a day and then usually a patch for the estradiols.
00:26:29.779 --> 00:26:38.019
I've been on hormones for a year and it really helped to flip a switch internally that was very dim.
00:26:38.019 --> 00:26:41.619
And I really felt more like myself.
00:26:41.619 --> 00:26:53.139
I've gotten my spunk back and yeah I feel more vibrant and that is that's everything right yeah that's amazing.
00:26:53.459 --> 00:27:13.219
So I know we don't want to go too science y for our listeners but can you is there a way to kind of help us understand how these hormone levels affect cognitive health in that sort of brain science way without going too difficult?
00:27:13.859 --> 00:27:40.019
Yeah I mean so your brain in order to have enough energy and it kind of goes back to the original conversation about glucose and inflammation and energy the reason that people feel better on estradiol and progesterone is it helps to improve energy regulation and it does it in a couple of ways but let's talk about progesterone.
00:27:40.019 --> 00:27:46.659
Progesterone you take at night and it's a very calming soothing hormone.
00:27:46.659 --> 00:27:56.339
If you're sleeping better if you have higher quality sleep then naturally you are going to have better energy.
00:27:56.339 --> 00:28:23.219
The other thing that happens is when you go through the proper cycles of deep sleep right which is often lacking your brain gets a bath so there's this system called the glymphatic system and when you get into that deep deep sleep it washes in cerebral spinal fluid and it gets rid of the icky stuff like the amyloid plaques that can cause Alzheimer's disease.
00:28:23.219 --> 00:28:57.539
If you're never getting that deep sleep because your hormones are out of whack and you're having night night flashes and sweats and things like that, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to improve your brain health estrogen on the other hand is more of your thermogenic metabolic hormone it helps us to be more energetic more interest in intimacy it helps us with metabolism and again it's all about energy.
00:28:57.539 --> 00:29:18.819
And so if our hormones are optimized and we're in a place similar to where we were maybe in our 30s early 40s you're simply going to feel better function better and you're also going to be a more pleasant person to be around and that's that's huge, right?
00:29:19.619 --> 00:29:32.419
It is definitely huge yes so I don't want to take us too far down a side path but I figure if a question comes into my head then maybe others are thinking this too.
00:29:32.419 --> 00:29:43.299
So we've talked about Alzheimer's a few times and I also feel like I've heard and read a little bit that it can be hereditary.
00:29:43.299 --> 00:29:55.299
It can kind of run more in some families how does that interact with what we're talking about where we can maybe eliminate some of the risk by doing these things.
00:29:56.499 --> 00:30:44.179
So every disease process has some sort of genetic component but there is a gene that they've identified and if you have this gene then you're at higher risk for Alzheimer's disease you know similar for breast cancer in that you might do everything right you know be the healthiest person with you know a really great body composition and unfortunately due to genetics it's tough right but you can also mitigate your risks and there are so many other things that cause a lot of these chronic diseases you know the big four so if you and I are going to die soon, it's going to be because of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or neurodegenerative like Alzheimer's disease.
00:30:44.179 --> 00:30:49.219
And the root cause of all four of those diseases is inflammation.
00:30:49.219 --> 00:31:00.339
So if we can mitigate those risks, then we're going to decrease the likelihood that we are going to die of any of those chronic diseases.
00:31:00.339 --> 00:31:08.179
You know type two diabetes is completely preventable right we know that it's related to insulin resistance.
00:31:08.179 --> 00:31:18.739
So if we can fuel our body move our body maintain a healthy body mass then our likelihood of getting diabetes is pretty low.
00:31:18.739 --> 00:31:22.739
Cancer too if you're obese your risk of cancer doubles.
00:31:22.739 --> 00:31:45.059
So we've got to take that really seriously so yes there's a genetic component to most every disease but we can certainly mitigate those risks and I want your listeners to really come back to this notion of inflammation as the underlying mechanism for all of those things that are going to cause us to decline.
00:31:46.339 --> 00:32:14.499
Okay that makes complete sense to me we're all starting maybe from a different place but we can all minimize our own risk and so that makes sense absolutely I caught something earlier that you said coming back to inflammation you said our fueling plan and what I think you meant was eating plan and I love that you said fueling plan because it kind of switches the focus right yeah I hate the word diet.
00:32:14.659 --> 00:32:19.939
I think it's so negative and it just has this restrictive connotation.
00:32:19.939 --> 00:32:31.219
So what I like to do especially with women is let's talk about how we're going to get enough of the right fuel in our bodies so that we are optimizing our health.
00:32:31.219 --> 00:32:37.059
And specifically and I'm sure you have talked about this in the past but protein is going to be your best friend.
00:32:37.059 --> 00:32:58.979
And so instead of focusing on restricting I want to make sure okay Cheryl you need to get enough protein you need to hit your protein goal every day so that you're optimizing your fueling because again I like to say I'm a really awesome sports car Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, whatever.
00:32:58.979 --> 00:33:04.019
And I'm not going to put dirty gas in my sports car because I can't expect it to run well.
00:33:04.019 --> 00:33:12.179
So how are we going to fuel in a way that's going to make my sports car run at the highest possible level?
00:33:12.419 --> 00:33:14.099
Yeah I love that.
00:33:14.099 --> 00:33:21.619
And last follow-up on that one because you also said carbohydrates are your friend and I agree.
00:33:21.619 --> 00:33:27.859
And I want us to maybe provide a little bit more detail to that because there's some carbohydrates that are really not.
00:33:28.099 --> 00:33:37.939
So the ones that are how would you kind of describe those yeah so these are going to be your natural carbohydrates that come from the ground.
00:33:37.939 --> 00:33:45.859
So I eat a lot of potatoes sweet potatoes every kind of rice on the planet I probably eat rice most days.
00:33:45.859 --> 00:33:47.539
Rice is great for you.
00:33:47.539 --> 00:34:04.419
And then starchy vegetables you know any of your cruciferous vegetables and fruits what you want to avoid and how we have destroyed our carbohydrates is stuff that comes in a package or a bag because it's just so processed.
00:34:04.419 --> 00:34:24.420
And so if the majority of your carbohydrates are coming from the earth and they're coming in the form of vegetables or rice or potatoes or fruits, you're going to be in really good shape because what those do, and again this comes right back to inflammation, is they don't cause a spike in your blood sugar.
00:34:24.420 --> 00:34:27.940
And that is going to prevent insulin resistance.
00:34:27.940 --> 00:34:37.460
So if you get a bag of Oreos and those are carbohydrates and you eat them because they're so highly processed, your body doesn't really know how to handle it.
00:34:37.460 --> 00:34:44.900
So it releases a ton of insulin to try to manage this massive amount of glucose that we just ingested.
00:34:44.900 --> 00:34:50.739
What that does is it spikes our inflammation and it's this vicious roller coaster.
00:34:50.739 --> 00:35:03.860
If you start your day with Oreos you're going to be on this cycle all day long and you're going to be very hangry because you've started your day with a highly processed carbohydrate.
00:35:03.860 --> 00:35:13.779
So what for breakfast, you know, start with high protein good healthy starchy carbohydrates and some good fats.
00:35:13.779 --> 00:35:16.980
And your blood sugar is just going to be like this and that's what we want.
00:35:16.980 --> 00:35:25.380
We want stable blood sugar all day long and that's going to help to prevent this massive amounts of inflammation.
00:35:25.699 --> 00:35:38.179
Yeah and I'm I'm so happy that we've made that connection for people with regards to brain health and this brain fog that we get because I just don't think that that connection is talked about enough.
00:35:38.179 --> 00:35:44.659
Tell us if somebody wants to find you learn more about what you do where can they do that?
00:35:44.659 --> 00:35:45.619
How can they do that?
00:35:45.860 --> 00:35:54.019
Yeah so my website is mastermenopause.com and I'm also very active on all of the social media channels and if you put in Dr.
00:35:54.019 --> 00:35:55.939
Christine Boev you will find me.
00:35:55.939 --> 00:36:03.460
And if any of your listeners have just any general questions shoot me a message my my passion is problem solving.
00:36:03.460 --> 00:36:08.099
And so maybe you just have a couple questions and I would love to help you with that.
00:36:08.099 --> 00:36:08.980
Perfect.
00:36:08.980 --> 00:36:09.859
Thank you.
00:36:10.099 --> 00:36:35.299
All right so then my last question for you and this is for uh those of you listening that are doing the laundry driving the car washing the dishes what is one thing that somebody listening really needs to remember they can't remember it all maybe at once they need to just listen again by the way just listen again save it listen again but what's one thing that they really need to remember listen to your body.
00:36:35.539 --> 00:36:47.779
Your body is constantly giving you signals and messages so if you're noticing that you're having brain fog and you can't find your words and you don't feel as sharp that's feedback.
00:36:47.779 --> 00:36:51.539
And don't ignore the feedback because it's not going to go away.
00:36:51.539 --> 00:37:01.460
So listen to your body she's always talking to us and giving us some signals that we need to pay attention to I love it.
00:37:01.699 --> 00:37:02.339
I love it.
00:37:02.339 --> 00:37:07.139
Very good advice well Christine thank you so much for joining me today.
00:37:07.139 --> 00:37:08.099
Thank you.
00:37:08.099 --> 00:37:10.179
I'm excited for your creatine journey.
00:37:10.179 --> 00:37:29.619
Ah me too I love that key item to remember listen to your body and you know what I say at the end of every episode treat yourself just a little bit better during this period of time.
00:37:29.619 --> 00:37:38.899
There are a lot of podcasts out there a lot of bloggers a lot of people on social media telling you a lot of things that you have to do in this period of life.
00:37:38.899 --> 00:37:47.939
You have to do 10 things in the morning and you have to do 17 things in the evening and you have to change everything about how you live I don't agree with that.
00:37:47.939 --> 00:37:53.779
I think it's overwhelming and I think it is sensationalism a little bit.
00:37:53.779 --> 00:38:01.779
I said it what I do strongly believe is that we don't get to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
00:38:01.779 --> 00:38:14.899
Just because we don't have the energy the capacity to do all these millions of things doesn't mean we can't treat ourselves a little bit better just a little bit better.
00:38:14.899 --> 00:38:26.179
Change something about how you fuel your body consider some type of supplement look into hormone replacement therapy find out whether any of these things are good for you.
00:38:26.179 --> 00:38:30.419
Be a tiny bit more active be a tiny bit more mindful.
00:38:30.419 --> 00:38:37.539
Those little things we can really do and we will see results and that's the amazing part.
00:38:37.539 --> 00:38:44.579
So I hope this was meaningful for you today and maybe we'll all start remembering the word we wanted to say.
00:38:44.579 --> 00:38:55.779
Now if you're listening on Apple or Spotify if you would go to that main mind your midlife page and tap the five stars for a rating that would be amazing.
00:38:55.779 --> 00:39:06.179
It helps tell the apps that this podcast should be shared with even more people and if you're on Apple you can also write a review which is even more powerful.
00:39:06.179 --> 00:39:08.259
It doesn't even have to be super long.
00:39:08.259 --> 00:39:10.899
I appreciate you taking the time to do that.
00:39:10.899 --> 00:39:24.579
And in the meantime as I just said midlife is our time to take a little bit better care of ourselves on the outside and on the inside just a little bit better makes a big difference
