September 4, 2024 • 32 mins
Hey there! In this episode, I sit down with Tina Haupert from Carrots and Cake to dive into the often-overlooked topic of perimenopause. We chat about what perimenopause actually is, the different stages you might experience, and how it can affect everything from your mood to your weight. Tina shares her personal journey and how it led her to become an expert in this field.
We get real about the challenges of this transitional phase - like those annoying night sweats and unpredictable periods - and discuss practical tips for navigating it all. Tina drops some knowledge on the importance of building muscle, managing stress, and paying attention to those often-neglected minerals in our diets.
If you've been feeling a bit off lately and you're in your 30s or 40s, this episode might just shed some light on what's going on with your body. We keep it casual and fun, because let's face it, talking about hormones doesn't have to be a snooze fest! So grab a cup of coffee (or maybe some mineral-rich coconut water) and join us for this chat about embracing this wild ride of womanhood.
Hope you enjoyed this episode!
Remember we'll be back twice a month with more fun shananagins. Be sure to follow us so you don't miss a beat!
We'd sure appreciate a review too. This helps us reach more women just like you trying to make it through the sometimes chaotic, sometimes fun, and sometimes cry-worth days of motherhood.
Can't wait to hear more from us or want to leave us a comment?
Catch us on social:
Insta: @shesgotittogether
YouTube: @shesgotittogether
Blog: shesgotittogether.com
Here's to Getting it Together one day at a time,
Jessica & Samantha
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
fun.
I would say it's thetransitional phase of life.
It's very natural, it's anatural part of life, but it's
leading into menopause where, inmenopause, our hormones are
really low, they really start todecline.
Your reproductive yearsbasically come to a close and I
think this perimetopause time isthat time before menopause and
(00:22):
menopause is really.
You haven't had a period ormenstrual period for 12 months
consecutively, so there's a lotof time that that transition can
happen, and I've heard anywherefrom eight to 10 years as far
as this transition.
I've heard 12 years, I've heard15 years.
I have a friend whose mothersaid it took her 20 years to
(00:44):
make the transition.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
I have a friend whose mother said it took her 20
years to make the decision.
Hi everyone, and welcome to abrand new episode of she's Got
it Together.
I'm your host, jessica.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
And I'm Samantha.
Each week we peel back thecurtain on what it really looks
like to have it together.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
From the messy moments to the milestones, we're
here to share it all.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
So grab your favorite drink, get comfy and let's dive
into today's topic.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
When was the last time you looked in the mirror?
Probably not that long ago,right?
Were you comfortable with whatyou saw?
Did you feel like you're aginggracefully?
I don't know if I am, I havenot quite decided yet but I'm
Jessica and we're here and we'regoing to talk about
perimetopause.
It's not a great and excitingtopic, I guess.
I mean, it's a good topic butit's not exciting.
So today I feel like it's goingto be a little bit heavier than
(01:37):
we usually do on our episodes,but such an important thing to
talk about.
And with me to help with thisis Tina Hoppert.
She's from Carrots and Cake,which I have.
Like I just told her I love thename of this.
It's just, it's so appropriate.
But she's going to be talkingabout the stages of
perimenopause and how tonavigate those challenges that
(01:58):
come along with each one.
So, Tina, welcome, so happy tohave you here.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Yeah, thanks so much for having me.
I'm excited to chat aboutperimenopause, one of my
favorite topics.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yes, awesome, awesome .
So before we get started, canyou give us a little bit of
background?
You know how you became soknowledgeable on this subject.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, so I'll give you the short and brief version
of all this, because it is along story.
I've been on the internet foryears, so I've done a lot of
things over the years.
Yeah, I think honestly it's justbecause of my own health
struggles and just facing a lotof dead end when it came to.
I should preface this by sayingI love the conventional system
(02:38):
as far as medicine goes.
I love doctors, I loveprescriptions.
You know they're great andwonderful, but I just feel like
I was jumping through hoops.
You know, working with doctorsgoing in complaining about
hormonal symptoms, you know justnot feeling my best, gaining
weight out of nowhere, and Ijust feel like I wasn't getting
answers.
And this went on for like agood decade.
You know what I mean.
Just like running blood forthese conversations and just
(03:03):
leaving my doctor's office notfeeling any better, feeling more
lost and just hopeless andhelpless, and I just kind of got
sick of it, to be totallyhonest.
And I had control.
Yeah, I was just like, okay,I'm not getting answers, there's
got to be a better way.
And really what was going on isI had been on hormonal birth
control, on the pill, sincecollege, so all through my
(03:26):
twenties, um into my thirties.
I had my son when I was 34 andthen went right back on the pill
and at that point I just feltlike a crazy person.
I did not feel great.
I always tell this story causeI just think it's so funny.
I was standing at the kitchensink doing dishes and I remember
my husband walked behind me andhis existence just annoyed me.
(03:50):
He was just walking behind meand I just remember being like
this is not normal.
You should not be for no reasonand my hormones were a mess and
the thing that kind of drove mecrazy is that I would go see my
primary care doctor, my OBGYN.
I saw multiple doctors duringthis time and the solution was
(04:10):
always the pill and I was like,no, I want to not be on the pill
because it's making me crazy,and I just wasn't getting
answered.
So fast forward I ended upbecoming a functional diagnostic
nutrition practitioner and Ilearned how to read functional
tests, so I know how to read aDutch test and blood work and
mineral testing and gut testingand really just that holistic
(04:31):
functional approach reallychanged my health.
But it took a lot of time,energy, education, money,
investments, craziness to get tothis point and now that I've
healed my body, my hormones area lot more balanced.
I just want to be able to helpother women and that's what we
do at care to cake.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Awesome, awesome.
I mean this is such animportant topic, like I had said
, and I think it's relevant tomore women than you know are
willing to admit.
But yeah, I think this is goingto be really, really
interesting conversation, solet's kind of just dive in, but
let's start with the basics,like what is perimetopause?
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Yeah, I think this is perfect place to start, but,
yeah, fun.
I would say.
It's the transitional phase oflife.
It's very natural, it's anatural part of life, but it's
leading into menopause where, inmenopause, our hormones are
really low, they really start todecline, your reproductive
years basically come to a closeand I think this perimetopause
(05:40):
time is that time beforemenopause and menopause is
really time.
Is that time before menopauseand menopause is really you
haven't had a period, or youknow menstrual period for 12
months consecutively.
So there's a lot of time thatthat transition can happen and
I've heard anywhere from eightto 10 years as far as this
transition.
I've heard 12 years, I've heard15 years.
Um, I have a friend whosemother said it took her 20 years
(06:04):
to make a decision.
So I've heard all differentthings and we're starting to see
this perimetopause transitionstart earlier and earlier,
especially like working withwomen one-on-one.
We'll see it start, you know,mid to late thirties.
I think most women will startseeing changes when they hit
their early forties and midforties.
But yeah, this can take a whileto fully transition into
(06:27):
menopause.
So it is very natural.
It just hormones start to slowdown.
I've actually heardperimetopause referred to as
reverse puberty, just like youknow when you're more hormones.
this is the opposite You'rehaving fewer and fewer hormones,
yeah, and it losing them Okay.
And it's kind of like a crazytime as far as the hormones go.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah, and you know, I guess what I find interesting
is that you don't hear aboutperimetopause nearly as much as
I think we should.
It's just menopause you eitherare in menopause or have gone
through menopause or you know,and that's it.
Like that is.
That's what I've heard foryears.
So this whole concept ofperimenopause just fascinates me
(07:09):
and it's it's just a topic thatI think needs more.
I mean just needs to be spokenabout much, much more often,
because it'll explain this, thiscrazy season that we have.
You know, like it's just thatit's not you that there there's
something hormonal going on withyou, it's not, you're not
losing your marbles, you're notwhatever.
(07:30):
You know, like you can'tnecessarily control it all.
So I mean this is really really, really important for sure.
So what are the differentstages?
I mean I'm guessing, since it'sa block of time, I mean it can
be significant If it can be morethan 10 years there's got to be
different stages within it.
Is that?
Am I thinking correctly here?
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I can kind of talk about what
you might experience.
Of course, this is going to bevery different for every woman
and I really do think there's somany symptoms that can kind of
go into this time and, yeah,we're not talking about it all
that much.
I think it's starting to get alittle bit more traction because
I think there's so many of usthat get to this stage of life
like you have kids and thenyou're not quite in menopause
(08:12):
but like a lot of weird thingsare happening hormonally.
So I would say there's almostlike three main stages and I
would say it's early, mid andlate.
And again, this is going to bedifferent for everybody and I
think there's a lot of likefuzzy gray areas for this.
This is going to be differentfor everybody and I think
there's a lot of like fuzzy grayareas for this.
But I would say, the early itcould be you know late 30s, mid
30s, early 40s but you juststart to see more hormonal
(08:33):
shifts as far as maybe yourperiods get a little bit heavier
, you start having some sleepdisturbances.
You know cycles might start toget a little bit shorter.
You might have, you know, nightsweats before your period or
headaches around your period,Every symptom here right here
now.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yeah, you're diagnosing me.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Yes, so it could be, it could be early perimetopause,
but you're just starting tonotice these symptoms.
You're just kind of like oh,that's not what I'm usually used
to and it might not be so bad,um, but you're like things are
definitely different.
Um, I would say anxiety startsto pop up.
Then I feel like I hear that alot from ladies, where you just
can't handle stress like youused to.
I would say mid perimetopauseis like when you're in it, and I
(09:20):
would say this you aredefinitely noticing symptoms
Like your periods are suddenlyheavier, your cycles are getting
shorter, like you were the girl, basically 28 days, pretty
regular all the time, and thenall of a sudden you have like a
23 day cycle and then a 25 daycycle and then maybe you have a
(09:43):
27 day cycle, but you'restarting to see shorter times
between your periods.
And then same thing, like youmight have a really heavy day
and then things kind of taperoff more sleep issues, night
sweats, I mean you might havesome hot flashes or something
like that.
Again, it kind of depends onthe person.
I do think this is where youstart to notice more issues with
like blood sugar and weightgain, energy, like peaks and
valleys as far as how you feel.
And then I would say the lateperimetopause is where your
(10:06):
cycles actually get longer, anda lot of times that's because
you don't have enoughprogesterone to sustain that
whole cycle, or maybe you're notovulating and that can start
happening where one month youmight ovulate and the next month
you might not, and then you'llhave a 40 day cycle or a 50 day
cycle, and then that willcontinue to happen.
The periods will just getlonger and longer apart, and
(10:26):
then you are officially inmenopause once you've gone 12
months without a period, whichis also kind of fun too.
We actually have a practitioneron our team who she was at like
375 days or something, andshe's like, oh my God, I'm
officially in menopause, and shewas.
She was pretty excited about it, to be honest and then she got
her period.
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, we'renot in menopause.
(10:49):
We're going to do this wholething again.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
So, yeah, it's almost , you want that closure.
You just want to get through it, like just know where you're at
.
Yeah, I mean gosh what, what apath, though.
But yeah, you definitely arespeaking to the choir here with
that, I don't know.
I mean that's.
It's like a box of chocolates,basically, with your cycle, you
know, you never know what you'regoing to get.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
And the hormones really do fluctuate a lot, just
like I was saying, with likereverse puberty, like you can
have high estrogen and lowprogesterone, or you could have
low estrogen and lowprogesterone.
I don't think you're reallyever have progesterone and
perimenopause you never knowanything's possible and then a
lot of times with lowtestosterone, although we've
seen high testosterone too.
So again, it really depends,and this is where you know
(11:37):
hormone testing could be helpful, but I don't think anybody
needs a test to navigate thisperiod of time either.
I think a lot of it really islistening to your body.
So, you can feel your body, yeah, very good.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
So I mean age wise, we kind of touched on this, but
so basically, like late thirties, mid thirties kind of, is a
typical starting period for that.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Yeah, it depends, I would say I've I've seen forties
too.
It really just depends on thewoman and her overall health.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Got it.
One of the questions I hadwhich I don't know if you'd be
able to answer this or not, butso I had a lot of fertility
issues, getting pregnant with mykids and like my cycle was all
over the place, but I justwonder if that has any bearing
on going through the next phasesof womanhood.
(12:30):
No, I mean, is this somethingthat's going to cause me to, you
know, have or be into menopauseearlier or later, or anything
like that?
Or even you know differentfluctuations within
perimetopause?
Is there anything that you knowconcrete that actually can
change just with your, with youknow, fertility issues at a
(12:50):
younger age?
Speaker 1 (12:52):
I mean it's hard to say.
I mean, obviously I would wantto run some testing on you, get
to know you a little bit better.
But I think if you had, youknow, irregular cycles at that
point in your life, I don'tdoubt that you'll probably have
some irregularity inperimetopause because it's so
common.
But I think you're alsoprobably pre-decision to it a
little bit, but again it dependson so many factors and we can
(13:15):
talk about some of the thingsthat could make this transition
easier too.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Yes, yes, let's move on to that.
That sounds more fun.
Let's go and talk about whatexactly we can do to, I guess,
calm the waters maybe.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Yeah, and I think one thing that is important for
ladies to know is that if youhave any sort of hormonal
imbalance, your hormones areusually the last thing to be
affected by what's going on inyour body.
So I always like talking aboutor I use this image when I'm
teaching our clients is thatit's almost like an iceberg,
where on top, sticking out ofthe water, are all the hormone
(13:54):
imbalances, but then below thesurface of the water is really
where all the root causes are.
So a lot of times if hormonesare out of balance, it could be
related to gut issues, it couldbe related to stress, it could
be related to blood sugar andinsulin issues, lack of minerals
and nutrient deficiencies andthings like that.
So a lot of times if there's alot of hormonal chaos
(14:15):
essentially going on, a lot oftimes you have to look elsewhere
because the hormones didn'tjust get off just because you
know what I mean.
There's something driving thosehormones and making them out of
balance.
So the way I like to sum it upfor our clients, or at least
make it easy, because it reallyis so personal and obviously
that's what we do at Carrots andCake Like we're very
personalized with our approachand recommendations and we
(14:36):
really try to get to know ourclients.
But two things happen when ourhormones start to decline in
perimenopause, and one is wejust become less resilient to
stress and I think if you thinkabout how you lived your 20s and
your 30s, like you could do alot of crazy things.
I always joke that you couldstay up all night drinking beer
and the next day you could gofor a five mile run and you're
(14:58):
going to lose five or 10 poundsbefore your vacation.
Like you can do all theseextreme things to your body and
because you have all those extrahormones and great cortisol
levels and adrenaline and allthe things you can do, all the
things and your body bouncesback.
Your body can recover to thattype of treatment.
But as those hormones begin todecline, we become less
(15:19):
resilient to that stress.
Like I don't know about you,but I can't stay up all night
anymore.
I can't even drink more thanlike a couple of glasses and you
know my nerves my nerves arelike shot.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I mean, I have a short fuse now.
I think that's one of thebiggest things I noticed is even
with my kids much shorter fuse.
But I have this I don't knowlike fears now.
Different fears are so muchbigger to me and it's weird
because it's just like.
You know, 10 years ago it wasno big deal.
(15:52):
Yeah, I didn't like it, but itwasn't like causing me to have a
meltdown, yeah, but yeah, it iscrazy.
All the changes.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Yes, yes, like the stress, resilience, for sure,
but yeah, just how you like youhandle a situation or how
quickly you are to like snap atyour kids or your dog or
something like that.
Like I just feel like I was alot more chill and balanced,
exactly.
And then in my forties, I waslike what is going on here, like
why am I upset that my husbandis walking near me?
(16:21):
You know what I mean?
There's just like these moodthings that this is very
different.
He's breathing my air.
Yeah, we become less resilientto stress, and then what goes
hand in hand with that.
So we work with a lot of ladieswho want to lose weight and
change their body compositionbut, like I'll hear this a ton
Like I gained weight out ofnowhere, I didn't change my diet
that much, I didn't change myexercise.
(16:42):
Like why am I gaining weight?
And our bodies also become lesssensitive to insulin and
insulin is an important part ofthis whole blood sugar, weight
gain, weight loss and whatnot.
And we'll see a lot of likeinsulin resistance, prediabetes,
working with clients and a lotof times when you run your blood
work through a doctor, you knowthings are quote unquote normal
(17:03):
, but a lot of times thoseranges are for the conventional
population everybody in thepopulation, which includes
healthy people and not sohealthy people.
So your insulin might be normal,where you don't need, you know,
insulin or medication orsomething like that.
But it's not optimal for you tofeel your best and especially
if you're struggling withhormone issues, a lot of times
(17:25):
we can backtrack it to bloodsugar issues or insulin issues.
So for really for our clients Ihate saying this because people
are like, okay, they're likerolling her eyes, but you need
to manage that stress which Ithink for a lot of us it's
setting boundaries, saying no,asking for help.
You know it's hard.
It's hard being a mom,especially like a working mom,
(17:46):
and a little bit ofperfectionism mixed in there.
Um, we, we attract those typesof people, and then also just
being really on top of yournutrition and, um, we want to
get into the specifics.
We can talk about that too, butI think those are the two
things.
If you just realize I can'ttreat my body the way I used to,
and also, like this blood sugar, insulin thing yes, it's
(18:06):
important for, like, weight loss, but also just how you feel as
far as energy and mood and justgetting yourself through the day
.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Keeping yourself balanced.
I mean, I think that's reallyreally important.
Now, as far as the weight gainand things like that, something
that I've noticed, I mean I'msure I'm preaching to the choir
again, but do you havesuggestions on?
You know, is there a diet thatyou should be following?
Is it very personal?
You know person to person.
I mean, what are we looking atwith that?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Yeah, I would say personal for sure, and again,
that's you know what we do overhere.
We're very personalized as faras our recommendations go and
that's why we use the functionaltesting.
It's really helpful, but Iwould say kind of like the
pillars of perimetopause andweight loss and just looking and
feeling your best.
Number one is always buildingmuscle, and if you're a product
(18:57):
of the 90s or even the 2000s, Ithink we're all obsessed with
cardio and running.
I mean, I used to do marathon.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Oh my gosh, boxing and the elliptical and cardio is
great.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
I mean, I used to do marathon, boxing and the
elliptical and you know cardiois great.
But I think when you get toyour forties, like the more
muscle you have on your body,the more resilient your body is
going to be, but also like yourbody's going to look a very
different way.
And of course, the more muscleyou have on the body, you know,
the more metabolically flexibleyour body will be, as far as you
(19:25):
know burning calories whenyou're have on the body, you
know, the more metabolicallyflexible your body will be as
far as you know burning calorieswhen you're sitting on the
couch and sleeping and whatnot.
But the other thing I don'tthink women realize is that
muscle is almost a sinkhole forthat glucose and insulin.
So the more muscle you have onyour body, the more balanced
your blood sugar is going to be.
And I always joke the moremuscle you have, the more
cookies you can eat.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
You can be a little bit more flexible with your diet
it doesn't need to be perfectall the time.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
So I would say building muscle is a huge one.
And as far as the nutritionalrecommendations, we're big on
protein.
But protein is great forbuilding and maintaining muscle
but also keeping that bloodsugar balance, keeping you
satisfied so you're not cravingsugar and cookies and things
like that.
And fiber kind of goes hand inhand with that too.
(20:13):
So fiber can mitigate thatinsulin spike and of course it's
going to fill you up.
It's good for your gut health.
So those are kind of like themain things we focus on.
We also love walking, justbecause you're moving, and every
time you're moving, yourmuscles, your body's becoming
more and more sensitive toglucose and insulin.
So I would say those are kindof like the big dial movers.
(20:35):
And then of course, it's goingto depend on the woman and kind
of where she's coming to us inthis whole journey, Because some
ladies are really dialed in ontheir nutrition.
They're counting macros, theywork out all the time, and then
we have other people coming tous where they're eating, you
know, Pop-Tarts and Starbucksfor breakfast and like they've
never worked out.
So it really just yeah yeah,completely understand.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
So I mean, let's kind of move away from the weight
aspect, because I kind of feellike weight, yes, it is very
relevant in this perimetopause,but it's something that we like
me I've struggled with this myentire life, so you know, it's
something that I don't knownecessarily changes drastically
during perimetopause.
Maybe it's just the way thatyou need to to to lose it or to
(21:27):
maintain it and things like that, but you know, with the things
that we're losing.
So minerals, what what do yourecommend as far as maybe
supplements or getting those indifferent you know?
Um foods, what do you recommendfor women in perimetopause, you
know, to consume?
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Yeah, I love minerals .
It's probably like the thingthat changed my life I don't
want to say life, that soundslike really dramatic, but you
know, I've been on this healthjourney for a while now.
But I think when I discoveredminerals and when I say minerals
it's really just seeking outfoods that are high in nutrients
and high in minerals I think Ireally was the product of the
(22:10):
nineties and two thousands,where it was just about calories
and I ate a lot of like dietfood, processed food, a lot of
quest bars and light fit yogurt.
You know what I mean.
It was all about calories.
It really wasn't about thenutrients in the food, and when
I switched my thinking on thatand just started seeking out
good quality wholesome foods, Istarted to feel so much better.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
So I felt like red meat.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
I think so many people are scared of red meat
and I'm like actually red meat'slike really nutritious for you.
Fruit, I mean I can't.
I've avoided fruit and fruitjuice for I don't know 20 years.
I had too much sugar, Right,sure you know I eat a lot of
beans and lentils and squashesand oats and things like that,
so really like seeking out thesenourishing foods.
So with minerals, like when weare stressed out, we'll lose
(22:58):
minerals.
And the example that I sharewith our clients is if you've
ever done any sort of enduranceevent so I used to run marathons
and half marathons and do allthat, but my skin would actually
get salty from me sweating somuch and that is your body
losing sodium.
I mean, that's an electric.
I mean.
This is obviously a very extremeexample, but anytime we are
(23:19):
stressed out physically,emotionally, mentally our body
loses minerals.
And so if you think abouteating a lot of diet food that's
not loaded with nutrients andminerals and whatnot, and then
you add in exercise, thatendurance training, pregnancy,
pregnancy, the big one and youthink about what you're doing,
(23:39):
growing that little human, andthen you were giving birth to
that human, and then if youdecide to breastfeed or nurse
that child, they're taking somuch nutrition from you and
minerals and whatnot.
So a lot of times moms are justleft depleted and of course
we're exhausted, we're takingcare of this tiny human, we're
not sleeping, we're probably notfeeding ourselves the best, but
(24:00):
also you've lost so manyminerals and things that will
give you energy, and mineralsare quite literally the spark of
our cells.
So if we lack those mineralswe're just not going to feel our
best and the minerals actuallyrun the enzymes that run our
hormones.
So if you're dealing withmineral imbalance, if you're
dealing with fatigue I would saythat's probably like the big
(24:22):
thing you probably need a littlebit more nourishment in your
body and we'll see that a lot ontests.
We'll see just kind of like lowminerals across the board and if
you have low minerals in yourbody it's very depleted and you
will actually feel like that,like it'll be hard to get out of
bed in the morning.
You'll need coffee to get going.
You have that like afternoonslump.
You hit the pillow like thesecond you get in bed you're
(24:45):
just totally exhausted.
You just feel like you'redragging your butt everywhere.
I think that would be a goodindication that maybe your body
needs like a little bit morenutrition.
As far as some of those likenourishing foods go but I think
you did ask me about like whatminerals are important.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
I know, well, I mean, all minerals seem very
important, but, yeah, likethere's specific ones you know
that we kind of want to watchfor, or that we could, you know,
just consciously make sure thatwe're eating better, yeah, so,
we like.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Again, I think the testing is really helpful
because it looks at like whatyour body needs, in particular
as far as where are you depletedor what minerals might need a
little bit of love.
But I think across the boardand this is what I do with our
group coaching clients is thatwe usually start them with
potassium, magnesium and thensodium, those three electrolytes
(25:41):
, just because they are kind ofthat spark, and especially on
the potassium front, so many ofus don't get enough.
So we always start there, andthat's not one that we'll
normally supplement.
Our bodies just absorb itbetter through food and if you
think about some of the toppotassium foods out there,
they're really healthy for you.
So you know our favorites arepotatoes, bananas, avocados,
(26:06):
coconut water.
Um, did.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
I say avocado.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Yeah, for sure, for sure.
And we actually just tell ourclients you can Google a list.
I mean we have a list that wegive our clients, but every
single day, just prioritizethose foods.
And same with magnesium.
That's where we might add alittle bit of supplementation as
far as the magnesium goes,because, again, a lot of us are
deficient in it and magnesium isso important.
It's involved in hundreds, ifnot thousands, of processes in
(26:35):
the body and, again, when you'restressed, it's one of the first
minerals that we lose.
And then same with sodium.
I think a lot of people arestill kind of afraid of sodium,
or like they don't want to gettoo much sodium.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Yeah, it's kind of a bad rap, I'd say.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Yeah, it just kind of depends on the person, and if
you're somebody that exerciseson the regular, I would say you
definitely need the sodium andpotassium for sure.
The magnesium probably too, butI would say those three are
where we start.
But again, I would definitelypush people more towards the
whole foods before adding in anysort of supplementation,
because I don't know, I justfeel like you have to eat, so
(27:12):
why not?
prioritize those foods.
Put those foods in yourshopping cart, you know.
Plan your meals around thesefoods instead of just, you know,
taking a pill.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
It's a good habit, you know to yeah, as opposed to
just popping a pill.
I feel like that's what we dothese days.
I mean that's, that's what'salways pushed.
But you know, the other pieceof this is that you know,
minerals aren't talked aboutvery often.
I mean, when I go to the doctor, it's about my vitamins, I mean
(27:45):
like folic acid.
I've always been low on andthey don't like they don't test,
they don't run these tests totell you, and it just seems like
they're missing such animportant piece of the puzzle
when they don't.
But I guess that's why you'rehere for us.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Just a different approach.
We have a different approach,different toolbox, all right.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Let's move on a little bit here again and let's
just kind of talk about do youhave tips to kind of feel more
comfortable in your own skin?
I mean things that you know,just it's, it's a mindset, I
believe it's just that mindset.
But do you have any tips thatyou know, that you work with
your clients on, or anythinglike that that you can share
today?
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Oh yeah, I love that question too.
So I love strength training andthis is kind of like the hill
that I will die on as far aswhat is going to make a
difference in your health, and Ijust think using exercise as a
way to get stronger and liftheavier, I think it can be
really empowering for women.
And I know it sounds like alittle bit cheesy, but I'm also
(28:43):
like I just think you get somuch out of it in the sense that
, like you're able to do hardthings, you're able to do things
you never thought you could do,and build that confidence yeah,
a hundred percent.
And then I also think you canchange how your body looks.
And I also think building thatmuscle is so good for our
hormones and just our overallhappiness and healthiness and
(29:06):
all that.
So I'm a big, big fan of themuscle building and, like I was
saying, getting more muscle,more cookies it does lead to a
happier life.
And then I think also again,it's a little cheesy to say, but
listening to your body.
I think we as women, especiallyif you're in this perimetopause
phase we have gone so long notlistening to your body.
I think we as women, especiallyif, like you're in this like
perimetopause phase.
We have gone so long notlistening to our bodies and
(29:29):
listening to diet culture andeverything that's around us.
Like you should be doing thisdiet, you should be eating this
food, you shouldn't be eatingthis food, and I think there's a
lot of mixed messages andconfusion, to the point where we
don't know what to do and we'requestioning everything that we
know, and things contradict eachother.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Oh my gosh, which is always, which is always like why
are we listening at all?
Because you know tomorrow it'sgoing to be the opposite.
So let's just go back tohealthy eating, like, literally,
fruits and vegetables and, youknow, get your fruit.
I mean, it just seems so simple, but it's not, and it's.
There's so much noise out thereabout everything.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Yeah, and I think it really is like.
This is what we say to ourclients is really like slowing
down and just paying attentionto how you feel.
So something that we do withour clients that you know
anybody can do is that when youeat a meal 90 minutes ish after
that meal, like assess how youfeel, Like do you feel satisfied
, Are you happy, Are youbalanced, Are you hangry, Are
you exhausted?
I just think slowing down andreally just like listening.
(30:38):
It's like cheesy and like alittle woo, but I think it can
just tell you so much about yourfood choices and how you're
kind of living your life.
So I know it's like cheesy andit's probably not the first
thing that people want to hear,but I think it makes such a
difference because we are all sodifferent.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Oh sorry, you froze for a minute.
We'll just cut that out.
Oh did I?
Yeah, just for a minute.
Oh sorry, no, no, it's fine,all right.
Well, that was a greatconversation.
So, tina, where can folks findyou?
Because I know they're going tohave questions for you and I
want them to reach out, so justlay it out when can we find you?
Speaker 1 (31:34):
So I'm at carrotsandcakecom, so it's
carrots, the letter N and thencakecom.
I'm probably most active onInstagram.
So if you do want to send me amessage or find out more Carrots
and Cake on Instagram and thenI also have a podcast same name
Carrots and Cake I'm Carrots andCake everywhere.
So if you want to stalk meYouTube channel, I have a
cookbook.
I have all sorts of stuff butCarrots and Cake everywhere.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Awesome.
Well, again, thank you so muchfor being here.
I think this was such a greatconversation and I hope everyone
at home enjoyed it as well.
We will be back next week foranother episode.
Speaker 3 (32:15):
We hope you're walking away with a smile on
your face and a bit moreconfidence in your step.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
Remember, you're not alone in this crazy ride called
life.
We're all in this together, oneday at a time.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
Don't forget to subscribe, leave us a review and
, of course, share this podcastwith all the incredible women in
your life.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Join us next week for more stories, more laughs and
more real talk.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Until then, keep embracing your unique journey
and remember you've got ittogether more than you think.
fun.
I would say it's thetransitional phase of life.
It's very natural, it's anatural part of life, but it's
leading into menopause where, inmenopause, our hormones are
really low, they really start todecline.
Your reproductive yearsbasically come to a close and I
think this perimetopause time isthat time before menopause and
(00:22):
menopause is really.
You haven't had a period ormenstrual period for 12 months
consecutively, so there's a lotof time that that transition can
happen, and I've heard anywherefrom eight to 10 years as far
as this transition.
I've heard 12 years, I've heard15 years.
I have a friend whose mothersaid it took her 20 years to
(00:44):
make the transition.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
I have a friend whose mother said it took her 20
years to make the decision.
Hi everyone, and welcome to abrand new episode of she's Got
it Together.
I'm your host, jessica.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
And I'm Samantha.
Each week we peel back thecurtain on what it really looks
like to have it together.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
From the messy moments to the milestones, we're
here to share it all.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
So grab your favorite drink, get comfy and let's dive
into today's topic.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
When was the last time you looked in the mirror?
Probably not that long ago,right?
Were you comfortable with whatyou saw?
Did you feel like you're aginggracefully?
I don't know if I am, I havenot quite decided yet but I'm
Jessica and we're here and we'regoing to talk about
perimetopause.
It's not a great and excitingtopic, I guess.
I mean, it's a good topic butit's not exciting.
So today I feel like it's goingto be a little bit heavier than
(01:37):
we usually do on our episodes,but such an important thing to
talk about.
And with me to help with thisis Tina Hoppert.
She's from Carrots and Cake,which I have.
Like I just told her I love thename of this.
It's just, it's so appropriate.
But she's going to be talkingabout the stages of
perimenopause and how tonavigate those challenges that
(01:58):
come along with each one.
So, Tina, welcome, so happy tohave you here.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Yeah, thanks so much for having me.
I'm excited to chat aboutperimenopause, one of my
favorite topics.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yes, awesome, awesome .
So before we get started, canyou give us a little bit of
background?
You know how you became soknowledgeable on this subject.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, so I'll give you the short and brief version
of all this, because it is along story.
I've been on the internet foryears, so I've done a lot of
things over the years.
Yeah, I think honestly it's justbecause of my own health
struggles and just facing a lotof dead end when it came to.
I should preface this by sayingI love the conventional system
(02:38):
as far as medicine goes.
I love doctors, I loveprescriptions.
You know they're great andwonderful, but I just feel like
I was jumping through hoops.
You know, working with doctorsgoing in complaining about
hormonal symptoms, you know justnot feeling my best, gaining
weight out of nowhere, and Ijust feel like I wasn't getting
answers.
And this went on for like agood decade.
You know what I mean.
Just like running blood forthese conversations and just
(03:03):
leaving my doctor's office notfeeling any better, feeling more
lost and just hopeless andhelpless, and I just kind of got
sick of it, to be totallyhonest.
And I had control.
Yeah, I was just like, okay,I'm not getting answers, there's
got to be a better way.
And really what was going on isI had been on hormonal birth
control, on the pill, sincecollege, so all through my
(03:26):
twenties, um into my thirties.
I had my son when I was 34 andthen went right back on the pill
and at that point I just feltlike a crazy person.
I did not feel great.
I always tell this story causeI just think it's so funny.
I was standing at the kitchensink doing dishes and I remember
my husband walked behind me andhis existence just annoyed me.
(03:50):
He was just walking behind meand I just remember being like
this is not normal.
You should not be for no reasonand my hormones were a mess and
the thing that kind of drove mecrazy is that I would go see my
primary care doctor, my OBGYN.
I saw multiple doctors duringthis time and the solution was
(04:10):
always the pill and I was like,no, I want to not be on the pill
because it's making me crazy,and I just wasn't getting
answered.
So fast forward I ended upbecoming a functional diagnostic
nutrition practitioner and Ilearned how to read functional
tests, so I know how to read aDutch test and blood work and
mineral testing and gut testingand really just that holistic
(04:31):
functional approach reallychanged my health.
But it took a lot of time,energy, education, money,
investments, craziness to get tothis point and now that I've
healed my body, my hormones area lot more balanced.
I just want to be able to helpother women and that's what we
do at care to cake.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Awesome, awesome.
I mean this is such animportant topic, like I had said
, and I think it's relevant tomore women than you know are
willing to admit.
But yeah, I think this is goingto be really, really
interesting conversation, solet's kind of just dive in, but
let's start with the basics,like what is perimetopause?
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Yeah, I think this is perfect place to start, but,
yeah, fun.
I would say.
It's the transitional phase oflife.
It's very natural, it's anatural part of life, but it's
leading into menopause where, inmenopause, our hormones are
really low, they really start todecline, your reproductive
years basically come to a closeand I think this perimetopause
(05:40):
time is that time beforemenopause and menopause is
really time.
Is that time before menopauseand menopause is really you
haven't had a period, or youknow menstrual period for 12
months consecutively.
So there's a lot of time thatthat transition can happen and
I've heard anywhere from eightto 10 years as far as this
transition.
I've heard 12 years, I've heard15 years.
Um, I have a friend whosemother said it took her 20 years
(06:04):
to make a decision.
So I've heard all differentthings and we're starting to see
this perimetopause transitionstart earlier and earlier,
especially like working withwomen one-on-one.
We'll see it start, you know,mid to late thirties.
I think most women will startseeing changes when they hit
their early forties and midforties.
But yeah, this can take a whileto fully transition into
(06:27):
menopause.
So it is very natural.
It just hormones start to slowdown.
I've actually heardperimetopause referred to as
reverse puberty, just like youknow when you're more hormones.
this is the opposite You'rehaving fewer and fewer hormones,
yeah, and it losing them Okay.
And it's kind of like a crazytime as far as the hormones go.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah, and you know, I guess what I find interesting
is that you don't hear aboutperimetopause nearly as much as
I think we should.
It's just menopause you eitherare in menopause or have gone
through menopause or you know,and that's it.
Like that is.
That's what I've heard foryears.
So this whole concept ofperimenopause just fascinates me
(07:09):
and it's it's just a topic thatI think needs more.
I mean just needs to be spokenabout much, much more often,
because it'll explain this, thiscrazy season that we have.
You know, like it's just thatit's not you that there there's
something hormonal going on withyou, it's not, you're not
losing your marbles, you're notwhatever.
(07:30):
You know, like you can'tnecessarily control it all.
So I mean this is really really, really important for sure.
So what are the differentstages?
I mean I'm guessing, since it'sa block of time, I mean it can
be significant If it can be morethan 10 years there's got to be
different stages within it.
Is that?
Am I thinking correctly here?
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I can kind of talk about what
you might experience.
Of course, this is going to bevery different for every woman
and I really do think there's somany symptoms that can kind of
go into this time and, yeah,we're not talking about it all
that much.
I think it's starting to get alittle bit more traction because
I think there's so many of usthat get to this stage of life
like you have kids and thenyou're not quite in menopause
(08:12):
but like a lot of weird thingsare happening hormonally.
So I would say there's almostlike three main stages and I
would say it's early, mid andlate.
And again, this is going to bedifferent for everybody and I
think there's a lot of likefuzzy gray areas for this.
This is going to be differentfor everybody and I think
there's a lot of like fuzzy grayareas for this.
But I would say, the early itcould be you know late 30s, mid
30s, early 40s but you juststart to see more hormonal
(08:33):
shifts as far as maybe yourperiods get a little bit heavier
, you start having some sleepdisturbances.
You know cycles might start toget a little bit shorter.
You might have, you know, nightsweats before your period or
headaches around your period,Every symptom here right here
now.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yeah, you're diagnosing me.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Yes, so it could be, it could be early perimetopause,
but you're just starting tonotice these symptoms.
You're just kind of like oh,that's not what I'm usually used
to and it might not be so bad,um, but you're like things are
definitely different.
Um, I would say anxiety startsto pop up.
Then I feel like I hear that alot from ladies, where you just
can't handle stress like youused to.
I would say mid perimetopauseis like when you're in it, and I
(09:20):
would say this you aredefinitely noticing symptoms
Like your periods are suddenlyheavier, your cycles are getting
shorter, like you were the girl, basically 28 days, pretty
regular all the time, and thenall of a sudden you have like a
23 day cycle and then a 25 daycycle and then maybe you have a
(09:43):
27 day cycle, but you'restarting to see shorter times
between your periods.
And then same thing, like youmight have a really heavy day
and then things kind of taperoff more sleep issues, night
sweats, I mean you might havesome hot flashes or something
like that.
Again, it kind of depends onthe person.
I do think this is where youstart to notice more issues with
like blood sugar and weightgain, energy, like peaks and
valleys as far as how you feel.
And then I would say the lateperimetopause is where your
(10:06):
cycles actually get longer, anda lot of times that's because
you don't have enoughprogesterone to sustain that
whole cycle, or maybe you're notovulating and that can start
happening where one month youmight ovulate and the next month
you might not, and then you'llhave a 40 day cycle or a 50 day
cycle, and then that willcontinue to happen.
The periods will just getlonger and longer apart, and
(10:26):
then you are officially inmenopause once you've gone 12
months without a period, whichis also kind of fun too.
We actually have a practitioneron our team who she was at like
375 days or something, andshe's like, oh my God, I'm
officially in menopause, and shewas.
She was pretty excited about it, to be honest and then she got
her period.
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, we'renot in menopause.
(10:49):
We're going to do this wholething again.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
So, yeah, it's almost , you want that closure.
You just want to get through it, like just know where you're at
.
Yeah, I mean gosh what, what apath, though.
But yeah, you definitely arespeaking to the choir here with
that, I don't know.
I mean that's.
It's like a box of chocolates,basically, with your cycle, you
know, you never know what you'regoing to get.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
And the hormones really do fluctuate a lot, just
like I was saying, with likereverse puberty, like you can
have high estrogen and lowprogesterone, or you could have
low estrogen and lowprogesterone.
I don't think you're reallyever have progesterone and
perimenopause you never knowanything's possible and then a
lot of times with lowtestosterone, although we've
seen high testosterone too.
So again, it really depends,and this is where you know
(11:37):
hormone testing could be helpful, but I don't think anybody
needs a test to navigate thisperiod of time either.
I think a lot of it really islistening to your body.
So, you can feel your body, yeah, very good.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
So I mean age wise, we kind of touched on this, but
so basically, like late thirties, mid thirties kind of, is a
typical starting period for that.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Yeah, it depends, I would say I've I've seen forties
too.
It really just depends on thewoman and her overall health.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Got it.
One of the questions I hadwhich I don't know if you'd be
able to answer this or not, butso I had a lot of fertility
issues, getting pregnant with mykids and like my cycle was all
over the place, but I justwonder if that has any bearing
on going through the next phasesof womanhood.
(12:30):
No, I mean, is this somethingthat's going to cause me to, you
know, have or be into menopauseearlier or later, or anything
like that?
Or even you know differentfluctuations within
perimetopause?
Is there anything that you knowconcrete that actually can
change just with your, with youknow, fertility issues at a
(12:50):
younger age?
Speaker 1 (12:52):
I mean it's hard to say.
I mean, obviously I would wantto run some testing on you, get
to know you a little bit better.
But I think if you had, youknow, irregular cycles at that
point in your life, I don'tdoubt that you'll probably have
some irregularity inperimetopause because it's so
common.
But I think you're alsoprobably pre-decision to it a
little bit, but again it dependson so many factors and we can
(13:15):
talk about some of the thingsthat could make this transition
easier too.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Yes, yes, let's move on to that.
That sounds more fun.
Let's go and talk about whatexactly we can do to, I guess,
calm the waters maybe.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Yeah, and I think one thing that is important for
ladies to know is that if youhave any sort of hormonal
imbalance, your hormones areusually the last thing to be
affected by what's going on inyour body.
So I always like talking aboutor I use this image when I'm
teaching our clients is thatit's almost like an iceberg,
where on top, sticking out ofthe water, are all the hormone
(13:54):
imbalances, but then below thesurface of the water is really
where all the root causes are.
So a lot of times if hormonesare out of balance, it could be
related to gut issues, it couldbe related to stress, it could
be related to blood sugar andinsulin issues, lack of minerals
and nutrient deficiencies andthings like that.
So a lot of times if there's alot of hormonal chaos
(14:15):
essentially going on, a lot oftimes you have to look elsewhere
because the hormones didn'tjust get off just because you
know what I mean.
There's something driving thosehormones and making them out of
balance.
So the way I like to sum it upfor our clients, or at least
make it easy, because it reallyis so personal and obviously
that's what we do at Carrots andCake Like we're very
personalized with our approachand recommendations and we
(14:36):
really try to get to know ourclients.
But two things happen when ourhormones start to decline in
perimenopause, and one is wejust become less resilient to
stress and I think if you thinkabout how you lived your 20s and
your 30s, like you could do alot of crazy things.
I always joke that you couldstay up all night drinking beer
and the next day you could gofor a five mile run and you're
(14:58):
going to lose five or 10 poundsbefore your vacation.
Like you can do all theseextreme things to your body and
because you have all those extrahormones and great cortisol
levels and adrenaline and allthe things you can do, all the
things and your body bouncesback.
Your body can recover to thattype of treatment.
But as those hormones begin todecline, we become less
(15:19):
resilient to that stress.
Like I don't know about you,but I can't stay up all night
anymore.
I can't even drink more thanlike a couple of glasses and you
know my nerves my nerves arelike shot.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
I mean, I have a short fuse now.
I think that's one of thebiggest things I noticed is even
with my kids much shorter fuse.
But I have this I don't knowlike fears now.
Different fears are so muchbigger to me and it's weird
because it's just like.
You know, 10 years ago it wasno big deal.
(15:52):
Yeah, I didn't like it, but itwasn't like causing me to have a
meltdown, yeah, but yeah, it iscrazy.
All the changes.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Yes, yes, like the stress, resilience, for sure,
but yeah, just how you like youhandle a situation or how
quickly you are to like snap atyour kids or your dog or
something like that.
Like I just feel like I was alot more chill and balanced,
exactly.
And then in my forties, I waslike what is going on here, like
why am I upset that my husbandis walking near me?
(16:21):
You know what I mean?
There's just like these moodthings that this is very
different.
He's breathing my air.
Yeah, we become less resilientto stress, and then what goes
hand in hand with that.
So we work with a lot of ladieswho want to lose weight and
change their body compositionbut, like I'll hear this a ton
Like I gained weight out ofnowhere, I didn't change my diet
that much, I didn't change myexercise.
(16:42):
Like why am I gaining weight?
And our bodies also become lesssensitive to insulin and
insulin is an important part ofthis whole blood sugar, weight
gain, weight loss and whatnot.
And we'll see a lot of likeinsulin resistance, prediabetes,
working with clients and a lotof times when you run your blood
work through a doctor, you knowthings are quote unquote normal
(17:03):
, but a lot of times thoseranges are for the conventional
population everybody in thepopulation, which includes
healthy people and not sohealthy people.
So your insulin might be normal,where you don't need, you know,
insulin or medication orsomething like that.
But it's not optimal for you tofeel your best and especially
if you're struggling withhormone issues, a lot of times
(17:25):
we can backtrack it to bloodsugar issues or insulin issues.
So for really for our clients Ihate saying this because people
are like, okay, they're likerolling her eyes, but you need
to manage that stress which Ithink for a lot of us it's
setting boundaries, saying no,asking for help.
You know it's hard.
It's hard being a mom,especially like a working mom,
(17:46):
and a little bit ofperfectionism mixed in there.
Um, we, we attract those typesof people, and then also just
being really on top of yournutrition and, um, we want to
get into the specifics.
We can talk about that too, butI think those are the two
things.
If you just realize I can'ttreat my body the way I used to,
and also, like this blood sugar, insulin thing yes, it's
(18:06):
important for, like, weight loss, but also just how you feel as
far as energy and mood and justgetting yourself through the day
.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Keeping yourself balanced.
I mean, I think that's reallyreally important.
Now, as far as the weight gainand things like that, something
that I've noticed, I mean I'msure I'm preaching to the choir
again, but do you havesuggestions on?
You know, is there a diet thatyou should be following?
Is it very personal?
You know person to person.
I mean, what are we looking atwith that?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Yeah, I would say personal for sure, and again,
that's you know what we do overhere.
We're very personalized as faras our recommendations go and
that's why we use the functionaltesting.
It's really helpful, but Iwould say kind of like the
pillars of perimetopause andweight loss and just looking and
feeling your best.
Number one is always buildingmuscle, and if you're a product
(18:57):
of the 90s or even the 2000s, Ithink we're all obsessed with
cardio and running.
I mean, I used to do marathon.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Oh my gosh, boxing and the elliptical and cardio is
great.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
I mean, I used to do marathon, boxing and the
elliptical and you know cardiois great.
But I think when you get toyour forties, like the more
muscle you have on your body,the more resilient your body is
going to be, but also like yourbody's going to look a very
different way.
And of course, the more muscleyou have on the body, you know,
the more metabolically flexibleyour body will be, as far as you
(19:25):
know burning calories whenyou're have on the body, you
know, the more metabolicallyflexible your body will be as
far as you know burning calorieswhen you're sitting on the
couch and sleeping and whatnot.
But the other thing I don'tthink women realize is that
muscle is almost a sinkhole forthat glucose and insulin.
So the more muscle you have onyour body, the more balanced
your blood sugar is going to be.
And I always joke the moremuscle you have, the more
cookies you can eat.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
You can be a little bit more flexible with your diet
it doesn't need to be perfectall the time.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
So I would say building muscle is a huge one.
And as far as the nutritionalrecommendations, we're big on
protein.
But protein is great forbuilding and maintaining muscle
but also keeping that bloodsugar balance, keeping you
satisfied so you're not cravingsugar and cookies and things
like that.
And fiber kind of goes hand inhand with that too.
(20:13):
So fiber can mitigate thatinsulin spike and of course it's
going to fill you up.
It's good for your gut health.
So those are kind of like themain things we focus on.
We also love walking, justbecause you're moving, and every
time you're moving, yourmuscles, your body's becoming
more and more sensitive toglucose and insulin.
So I would say those are kindof like the big dial movers.
(20:35):
And then of course, it's goingto depend on the woman and kind
of where she's coming to us inthis whole journey, Because some
ladies are really dialed in ontheir nutrition.
They're counting macros, theywork out all the time, and then
we have other people coming tous where they're eating, you
know, Pop-Tarts and Starbucksfor breakfast and like they've
never worked out.
So it really just yeah yeah,completely understand.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
So I mean, let's kind of move away from the weight
aspect, because I kind of feellike weight, yes, it is very
relevant in this perimetopause,but it's something that we like
me I've struggled with this myentire life, so you know, it's
something that I don't knownecessarily changes drastically
during perimetopause.
Maybe it's just the way thatyou need to to to lose it or to
(21:27):
maintain it and things like that, but you know, with the things
that we're losing.
So minerals, what what do yourecommend as far as maybe
supplements or getting those indifferent you know?
Um foods, what do you recommendfor women in perimetopause, you
know, to consume?
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Yeah, I love minerals .
It's probably like the thingthat changed my life I don't
want to say life, that soundslike really dramatic, but you
know, I've been on this healthjourney for a while now.
But I think when I discoveredminerals and when I say minerals
it's really just seeking outfoods that are high in nutrients
and high in minerals I think Ireally was the product of the
(22:10):
nineties and two thousands,where it was just about calories
and I ate a lot of like dietfood, processed food, a lot of
quest bars and light fit yogurt.
You know what I mean.
It was all about calories.
It really wasn't about thenutrients in the food, and when
I switched my thinking on thatand just started seeking out
good quality wholesome foods, Istarted to feel so much better.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
So I felt like red meat.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
I think so many people are scared of red meat
and I'm like actually red meat'slike really nutritious for you.
Fruit, I mean I can't.
I've avoided fruit and fruitjuice for I don't know 20 years.
I had too much sugar, Right,sure you know I eat a lot of
beans and lentils and squashesand oats and things like that,
so really like seeking out thesenourishing foods.
So with minerals, like when weare stressed out, we'll lose
(22:58):
minerals.
And the example that I sharewith our clients is if you've
ever done any sort of enduranceevent so I used to run marathons
and half marathons and do allthat, but my skin would actually
get salty from me sweating somuch and that is your body
losing sodium.
I mean, that's an electric.
I mean.
This is obviously a very extremeexample, but anytime we are
(23:19):
stressed out physically,emotionally, mentally our body
loses minerals.
And so if you think abouteating a lot of diet food that's
not loaded with nutrients andminerals and whatnot, and then
you add in exercise, thatendurance training, pregnancy,
pregnancy, the big one and youthink about what you're doing,
(23:39):
growing that little human, andthen you were giving birth to
that human, and then if youdecide to breastfeed or nurse
that child, they're taking somuch nutrition from you and
minerals and whatnot.
So a lot of times moms are justleft depleted and of course
we're exhausted, we're takingcare of this tiny human, we're
not sleeping, we're probably notfeeding ourselves the best, but
(24:00):
also you've lost so manyminerals and things that will
give you energy, and mineralsare quite literally the spark of
our cells.
So if we lack those mineralswe're just not going to feel our
best and the minerals actuallyrun the enzymes that run our
hormones.
So if you're dealing withmineral imbalance, if you're
dealing with fatigue I would saythat's probably like the big
(24:22):
thing you probably need a littlebit more nourishment in your
body and we'll see that a lot ontests.
We'll see just kind of like lowminerals across the board and if
you have low minerals in yourbody it's very depleted and you
will actually feel like that,like it'll be hard to get out of
bed in the morning.
You'll need coffee to get going.
You have that like afternoonslump.
You hit the pillow like thesecond you get in bed you're
(24:45):
just totally exhausted.
You just feel like you'redragging your butt everywhere.
I think that would be a goodindication that maybe your body
needs like a little bit morenutrition.
As far as some of those likenourishing foods go but I think
you did ask me about like whatminerals are important.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
I know, well, I mean, all minerals seem very
important, but, yeah, likethere's specific ones you know
that we kind of want to watchfor, or that we could, you know,
just consciously make sure thatwe're eating better, yeah, so,
we like.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Again, I think the testing is really helpful
because it looks at like whatyour body needs, in particular
as far as where are you depletedor what minerals might need a
little bit of love.
But I think across the boardand this is what I do with our
group coaching clients is thatwe usually start them with
potassium, magnesium and thensodium, those three electrolytes
(25:41):
, just because they are kind ofthat spark, and especially on
the potassium front, so many ofus don't get enough.
So we always start there, andthat's not one that we'll
normally supplement.
Our bodies just absorb itbetter through food and if you
think about some of the toppotassium foods out there,
they're really healthy for you.
So you know our favorites arepotatoes, bananas, avocados,
(26:06):
coconut water.
Um, did.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
I say avocado.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Yeah, for sure, for sure.
And we actually just tell ourclients you can Google a list.
I mean we have a list that wegive our clients, but every
single day, just prioritizethose foods.
And same with magnesium.
That's where we might add alittle bit of supplementation as
far as the magnesium goes,because, again, a lot of us are
deficient in it and magnesium isso important.
It's involved in hundreds, ifnot thousands, of processes in
(26:35):
the body and, again, when you'restressed, it's one of the first
minerals that we lose.
And then same with sodium.
I think a lot of people arestill kind of afraid of sodium,
or like they don't want to gettoo much sodium.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Yeah, it's kind of a bad rap, I'd say.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Yeah, it just kind of depends on the person, and if
you're somebody that exerciseson the regular, I would say you
definitely need the sodium andpotassium for sure.
The magnesium probably too, butI would say those three are
where we start.
But again, I would definitelypush people more towards the
whole foods before adding in anysort of supplementation,
because I don't know, I justfeel like you have to eat, so
(27:12):
why not?
prioritize those foods.
Put those foods in yourshopping cart, you know.
Plan your meals around thesefoods instead of just, you know,
taking a pill.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
It's a good habit, you know to yeah, as opposed to
just popping a pill.
I feel like that's what we dothese days.
I mean that's, that's what'salways pushed.
But you know, the other pieceof this is that you know,
minerals aren't talked aboutvery often.
I mean, when I go to the doctor, it's about my vitamins, I mean
(27:45):
like folic acid.
I've always been low on andthey don't like they don't test,
they don't run these tests totell you, and it just seems like
they're missing such animportant piece of the puzzle
when they don't.
But I guess that's why you'rehere for us.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Just a different approach.
We have a different approach,different toolbox, all right.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Let's move on a little bit here again and let's
just kind of talk about do youhave tips to kind of feel more
comfortable in your own skin?
I mean things that you know,just it's, it's a mindset, I
believe it's just that mindset.
But do you have any tips thatyou know, that you work with
your clients on, or anythinglike that that you can share
today?
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Oh yeah, I love that question too.
So I love strength training andthis is kind of like the hill
that I will die on as far aswhat is going to make a
difference in your health, and Ijust think using exercise as a
way to get stronger and liftheavier, I think it can be
really empowering for women.
And I know it sounds like alittle bit cheesy, but I'm also
(28:43):
like I just think you get somuch out of it in the sense that
, like you're able to do hardthings, you're able to do things
you never thought you could do,and build that confidence yeah,
a hundred percent.
And then I also think you canchange how your body looks.
And I also think building thatmuscle is so good for our
hormones and just our overallhappiness and healthiness and
(29:06):
all that.
So I'm a big, big fan of themuscle building and, like I was
saying, getting more muscle,more cookies it does lead to a
happier life.
And then I think also again,it's a little cheesy to say, but
listening to your body.
I think we as women, especiallyif you're in this perimetopause
phase we have gone so long notlistening to your body.
I think we as women, especiallyif, like you're in this like
perimetopause phase.
We have gone so long notlistening to our bodies and
(29:29):
listening to diet culture andeverything that's around us.
Like you should be doing thisdiet, you should be eating this
food, you shouldn't be eatingthis food, and I think there's a
lot of mixed messages andconfusion, to the point where we
don't know what to do and we'requestioning everything that we
know, and things contradict eachother.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Oh my gosh, which is always, which is always like why
are we listening at all?
Because you know tomorrow it'sgoing to be the opposite.
So let's just go back tohealthy eating, like, literally,
fruits and vegetables and, youknow, get your fruit.
I mean, it just seems so simple, but it's not, and it's.
There's so much noise out thereabout everything.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Yeah, and I think it really is like.
This is what we say to ourclients is really like slowing
down and just paying attentionto how you feel.
So something that we do withour clients that you know
anybody can do is that when youeat a meal 90 minutes ish after
that meal, like assess how youfeel, Like do you feel satisfied
, Are you happy, Are youbalanced, Are you hangry, Are
you exhausted?
I just think slowing down andreally just like listening.
(30:38):
It's like cheesy and like alittle woo, but I think it can
just tell you so much about yourfood choices and how you're
kind of living your life.
So I know it's like cheesy andit's probably not the first
thing that people want to hear,but I think it makes such a
difference because we are all sodifferent.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Oh sorry, you froze for a minute.
We'll just cut that out.
Oh did I?
Yeah, just for a minute.
Oh sorry, no, no, it's fine,all right.
Well, that was a greatconversation.
So, tina, where can folks findyou?
Because I know they're going tohave questions for you and I
want them to reach out, so justlay it out when can we find you?
Speaker 1 (31:34):
So I'm at carrotsandcakecom, so it's
carrots, the letter N and thencakecom.
I'm probably most active onInstagram.
So if you do want to send me amessage or find out more Carrots
and Cake on Instagram and thenI also have a podcast same name
Carrots and Cake I'm Carrots andCake everywhere.
So if you want to stalk meYouTube channel, I have a
cookbook.
I have all sorts of stuff butCarrots and Cake everywhere.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Awesome.
Well, again, thank you so muchfor being here.
I think this was such a greatconversation and I hope everyone
at home enjoyed it as well.
We will be back next week foranother episode.
Speaker 3 (32:15):
We hope you're walking away with a smile on
your face and a bit moreconfidence in your step.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
Remember, you're not alone in this crazy ride called
life.
We're all in this together, oneday at a time.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
Don't forget to subscribe, leave us a review and
, of course, share this podcastwith all the incredible women in
your life.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Join us next week for more stories, more laughs and
more real talk.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Until then, keep embracing your unique journey
and remember you've got ittogether more than you think.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.