Did you know that some purported health trends can actually be bad for you?
Yes, you heard that right! There is a plethora of health information out there. Much of it is good, based on scientific evidence. Other pieces of advice are not-so-good, based on theories and guesses. However, some things are good for some people and not for others.
These 3 trends are either suggested to BE healthy OR, are things we unwittingly do because, well, for lack of a better word, we are ignorant. (I say this with a great amount of affection, because this was ME for a long time!)
Join us to find out what this 3 sneaky things are that may be bad for your health.
00:00 Overexercising and fasting affected my health negatively.
05:48 Pre-workout snack essential for energy and performance.
07:56 Pre-workout banana and coffee for fuel. Overcoming diet culture mindset.
12:19 Nuts provide protein and crunch as snacks.
15:33 Preference for chicken and occasional beef consumption.
18:20 Gradual increase towards lean body weight goal.
20:45 Tracking protein intake is essential for health.
25:16 Surrendered control to birth control, lost emotions.
27:40 Understanding menopause journey, options, and empowerment.
30:05 We prioritize natural remedies based on research.
34 Known Symptoms of Menopause:
1.Hot flashes
2.Night sweats
3.Irregular periods
4.Mood swings
5.Fatigue
6.Insomnia
7.Vaginal dryness
8.Weight gain
9.Changes in libido
10.Memory problems
11.Joint pain
12.Hair loss or thinning
13.Dry skin
14.Headaches
15.Urinary incontinence
16.Bloating
17.Breast tenderness
18.Changes in body odor
19.Anxiety
20.Depression
21.Irritability
22.Difficulty concentrating
23.Digestive issues
24.Changes in taste or smell
25.Brittle nails
26.Heart palpitations
27.Osteoporosis risk
28.Tooth and gum problems
29.Changes in hair growth
30.Allergies
31.Itchy skin
32.Muscle tension
33.Changes in breast size
34.Increased facial hair growth
Stay Connected!
Amelia
Cam
Midlife Mommas IG: https://www.instagram.com/midlife.mommas/
Please share, rate, and review the podcast. We appreciate you! ❤️
Did you know that some purported health trends can actually be bad for you?
Yes, you heard that right! There is a plethora of health information out there. Much of it is good, based on scientific evidence. Other pieces of advice are not-so-good, based on theories and guesses. However, some things are good for some people and not for others.
These 3 trends are either suggested to BE healthy OR, are things we unwittingly do because, well, for lack of a better word, we are ignorant. (I say this with a great amount of affection, because this was ME for a long time!)
Join us to find out what this 3 sneaky things are that may be bad for your health.
00:00 Overexercising and fasting affected my health negatively.
05:48 Pre-workout snack essential for energy and performance.
07:56 Pre-workout banana and coffee for fuel. Overcoming diet culture mindset.
12:19 Nuts provide protein and crunch as snacks.
15:33 Preference for chicken and occasional beef consumption.
18:20 Gradual increase towards lean body weight goal.
20:45 Tracking protein intake is essential for health.
25:16 Surrendered control to birth control, lost emotions.
27:40 Understanding menopause journey, options, and empowerment.
30:05 We prioritize natural remedies based on research.
34 Known Symptoms of Menopause:
1.Hot flashes
2.Night sweats
3.Irregular periods
4.Mood swings
5.Fatigue
6.Insomnia
7.Vaginal dryness
8.Weight gain
9.Changes in libido
10.Memory problems
11.Joint pain
12.Hair loss or thinning
13.Dry skin
14.Headaches
15.Urinary incontinence
16.Bloating
17.Breast tenderness
18.Changes in body odor
19.Anxiety
20.Depression
21.Irritability
22.Difficulty concentrating
23.Digestive issues
24.Changes in taste or smell
25.Brittle nails
26.Heart palpitations
27.Osteoporosis risk
28.Tooth and gum problems
29.Changes in hair growth
30.Allergies
31.Itchy skin
32.Muscle tension
33.Changes in breast size
34.Increased facial hair growth
Stay Connected!
Amelia
Cam
Midlife Mommas IG: https://www.instagram.com/midlife.mommas/
Please share, rate, and review the podcast. We appreciate you! ❤️
Is there an emergency? What's the emergency? Hi. I'm Cam, Holistic health coach, mom to 2 humans and 4 pets. Hi. I'm Amelia, Laboratory Scientists by day and food scientists by night. Welcome to our show. Join us as we share our holistic approach to life after 50. You can expect real life stories with a dash of humor and a ton of truth. If it happens in midlife, we're going to talk about it. So hit that subscribe button and follow along. We're the Midlife Mommas. Today we're gonna talk about 3 little sneaky things that may be causing you not to get the results you're working for. And let's be honest, I've made every single one of these, and we were talking about it before we hit record, and I think you could say the same. Absolutely. And, You know, what's so interesting about these 3 things and we're actually gonna tell you what they are in a second, is these are things that that mainstream people that are considered quote expert, and I'm using air quotes There may have suggested to you. So we're here to tell you how these 3 little things might be sabotaging your good health and you don't even know it. I know. And that's why it's an emergency because stop. Or at least ask yourself better questions and then stop. Okay. Absolutely. Absolutely. So the first one is a big one for me, Cam. This is, working out in a fasted state, and I actually did this for probably a year and a half. I got on the intermittent fasting train and even when my body might have been giving me signals that this wasn't the best thing, I still did it. And it wasn't until I stopped doing it that I realized how bad it was. And I'm curious though, what were your physical symptoms? Like, what were the, like, this is might not be for you? What Well, I'm I'm embarrassed to tell you because they were profound enough. So I would work out, and then I would at that point, I was trying to go, On some days, 14, 15, 16 hours of a fast, and it was basically my brain function. I felt a little bit loopy or I was really Frankie, you know, for no apparent reason, and now I'm like, oh, I was freaking hungry. Like, I need something to eat. And honestly, Cam, I think a couple of times, I I never felt, like, faint. I never felt like I was gonna pass out or anything like that, But I am sure that my workout quality suffered. There's no doubt in my mind now that I've stopped that that bad habit. I totally agree with you, and I also worked out fasted in my forties Just not even, like, aware or hungry because it wasn't on purpose. It was going through a divorce, and you when you go through a divorce, you're just not hungry. And so then I was doing cross it, which is absolutely insane when I look back on those. And, I was definitely running on Cortisol, which was last week's episode. If you haven't heard it, go check it out because Cortisol like, the right amount of cortisol is amazing, but too much is destructive. Right. Exactly. But there's other things that fasted workouts, There's other reasons for them to be bad. Right? Like, there's other things that that that we can point to that make it might be not such a good thing. Yeah. So science is finally catching up with it. There's science saying this is not good, especially for midlife women. Men can get away fasted workouts and they also can get away with keto. Let's just throw that in there because that that kinda goes in there. And so a lot of these trends that you hear about intermittent fasting or The faster way is this workout. I don't know. Pyramid scheme. I'm not sure what it is, but they promote working out fasted for women. And I'm just What? Don't do that because you're right about the quality suffering. And then what are we doing hormonally? That is also a good question. Yeah. Mhmm. Yeah. That was my that's my biggest thing now that I've stopped doing that, and I actually feel like my weight is more at a I'm at a more healthy weight. I don't feel like I'm as inflamed as I was before, but, yeah, the the whole, you know, hormone imbalance from this. But also, if we workout fasted and we're especially if we're weight training and we don't have the energy to, to produce or to, I don't know what to call it. To to do the workout, you could be actually cannibalizing your own muscle tissue if you the the muscle tissue you're breaking down Doesn't have the protein there to, rebuild. That it was probably poorly worded. Maybe you could say it better. No. That's part of it. Protein is definitely part of it. So feeding yourself, Like, you need protein in your system before and or after your workouts in order to rebuild the muscles that were basically breaking when we work out. I know it sounds crazy, But we're causing little micro tears when we lift weights, for example, and it's in the recovery and the rest and the protein afterwards that we actually grow and build our muscles stronger, so that's definitely part of it, but we have to, like, say something about cortisol. If you're in a chronic stressed out state and being fasted is stressful to your system And then you throw a layer on exercise on top of that, then you're in a place where you are not able to build muscle because you're in a catabolic state, you're in a breaking state Right. Versus building. Yeah. Right. And you know what, Cam? I mean, I went through a phase, like, I I do. I think, like, you intermittently track my macros and, I mean, I eat a lot fewer processed carbs than I did in my twenties thirties, but I don't avoid carbs, especially natural ones. So, if I work out in the early morning, a lot of times I'll eat half a banana, which is, you know, which is carbs because when we do work out, we are There your body is actually looking for that energy from carbs. So I don't mind that. I mean, a lot of people really avoid, things like bananas, which are fairly high sugar, but I feel like I feel better. Like, I I really feel like the workout is a better quality if I have just a little bit of something like that before. Yeah and really it's not we're not talking having a 3 course meal before a workout we're just talking like a couple 100 calories so You know half of an RX bar or I used to eat a couple nectarines that like really was satisfying and portable, I could eat them in the car while I was driving class, You know, things like that and then afterwards, making sure you, put protein in your system, whether it be a protein shake or a meal, but, You know, that's part of it, so not working out fasted. I wanna go back to the idea of the low quality. So if you're working out fasted, Like, is your effort truly its best effort? Are you lifting the heaviest you can? Are you using the best form you can? If you're doing cardio, like, do you have your get up and go? And the answer is probably no. No. I totally agree. And so if you're doing a workout for better health, You're not getting and you're not getting a good quality. I won't say it's not worth it. I just think it's a good idea to examine why you're doing what you're doing, and Are you doing all the things to make it the best workout as you can? I just really think you should make the minutes count. And so, like, when I Yeah. Yeah. I'm with you. That's a great way to put it. You know, I'm in the gym 2 or 3 times a week. That's it. And so I wanna make sure when I'm in there that it's the best that I can do. And so making sure that, But, you know, there's food on board. Like, I don't wanna stress myself out because I did that in my forties, and the results were not positive. I had Eventually, near the end of my craziness, I was experiencing really slow recovery, weird injuries. Yeah. And, like, it was just like, it was a snowball and I had rashes on my face. There were a lot of signs that I was running on empty and I didn't understand it. It's just kinda like, hey. Is this you? Maybe maybe having some food in your system will end up making your workouts more high quality. Right. And I love what you said about it's not a 3 course meal. 2 to No. You know, a couple 100 calories is not a lot. I mean, that might be, Like half of a banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter. Like literally, that that's all you need. It's not like we're asking you to eat. Because honestly, Cam, I think that's another thing that, Midlife aged women might get caught up in. So when I have my little half a banana and my coffee with collagen before the workout, I'm gonna eat breakfast too. So, you know, I'm gonna refuel as well and I think sometimes we're so, if we're not conscious of battling diet culture, mindsets were like, oh, but I already ate breakfast. Well, no, that was the fuel for your workout, you still need recovery. So I think that's another like aspect of it depending on where you are on your abolishing diet culture mindset. And I'm not a, you know, it is a little bit embarrassing to say that I have those thoughts occasionally, But it's just the honest truth and I think we're not alone and and that we need to, like, overcome that and I get to fuel my body and I need to fuel my body. Absolutely. And I love yeah. Your banana and your coffee is just a snack. Like, it's a totally Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. If you wanna change your life, give this a try, and then afterwards, eat a savory protein laden meal and see like, Experiment. Give yourself a month and just try it out, and we're we're telling you, you're gonna notice the difference. A 100%. So the next one is also something, we're gonna say this with each one. The next one is also something that I battle probably up until, I don't know, 2 years ago and that's low protein. And I think, when you're on the go in your thirties and forties and you're shuttling children and doing all the things, it's easy to grab those half carb snacks. So really planning for your meals is important, but low protein can really sabotage good health. Yeah. And I think you grab or I grabbed carbs because I was looking for energy. Yep. And so, like, you know, knowing that that's one of my Triggers when I am don't sleep or when I'm running on empty. I'm looking my body likes, hey, lady. Go get those crackers. That'll give you some energy. It's almost it's funny now that I know myself, but you just really have to pause and say, what is this really about? So if you're not feeling yourself with protein, you may notice those things. Protein really like Nips, carving, cravings in the mud. Yeah. For sure. I found that too. And carbs are also easily accessible. So if you're a person, if you haven't quite Got your routine down and you're scrambling to find food, a lot of times carbs are the easiest to obtain. So if you stop somewhere Thinking about what are my best options here, it's easy to grab the chips or the cookies or, you know, God forbid, I know people that work in offices that have, like, a snack drawer. And usually there's not high protein snacks. Right? Like, it's usually the carby stuff. So this does take a little bit of planning, but just like the working out fasted, If you are lowballing your protein, there's a good chance that your workouts are suffering, especially if you've taken our advice strength training, you need to you need to actually provide the building blocks for muscle building. Yeah. Let's talk about, like, your favorite Protein on the go grabbers because I have some. What what are yours? Oh, interesting. So I've I've mine kind of vary depending on what my taste is for the moment. So, I hate to use the word meat stick because that sounds like it's over processed. And to a certain degree, it is. That's why it's on a cycle. But Paleo Valley makes some really good, like, at this they're kinda like beef jerky, but they're they're a good quality brand. I also like there's Two different protein shakes. There's one that's plant based and there's one I like Fairlife, which is a whey based. So Yeah. You know, those things, you gotta look to the ingredients though, you got to really pay attention to what's in them, but those are probably my 2 favorites. Yeah. My favorite right now, and it's, a a The a string cheese stick Oh, yeah. Yeah. Which is like 7 cam, and it's salty, and it's so yummy with 2 hard boiled eggs. Now if I'm lucky enough, It's so good. If my husband he makes the most amazing hard boiled eggs. So if I get him to make a dozen for the week, I'm so happy. The that's my that's my go to snack right now. So if we counted the macros, that would be 12 grams ish on the protein in the eggs plus 7 more. I mean, it's pretty decent, And it just hits a spot. It has enough fat in it and it's salty and better than chips. That's amazing. You've got you've you've inspired me to steam. I don't actually hard boil mine. I actually Steam my eggs in an instant pot. I cannot hard boil an egg for the life of me. I do not know why this seems to be a simple task for most people, but I use my instant pot. But that's given me inspiration to steam a bunch a bunch because they are portable and that's a great, yeah, that's a great idea. I do love that. But occasionally, Cam, I know that nuts are super high fat, so you have to be really careful, but they do have some fiber and occasionally, I do like some nuts. So that's another one I will use. It's better than a bag of chips in my opinion. It does give me that crunch that I really like. So that's another one. And so I just Kind of look for protein everywhere. That's kinda I've gotten my mindset to do that, but that's a that's a shift. And the other thing I'd like to point out, So people try to go from 60 to a 140 grams of protein overnight and you can't do that. Like, let's not go you know, that that's really hard on your system. So this might be something that you have to build up if you kind of analyze your diet. Classically, if you're getting a latte and a muffin at Starbucks on your way to work and you're finding that doesn't work, you know, instantly going to a high protein breakfast, it may be a little hard on your system, but Definitely, you know, that gradual step. Yeah. And I love the nuts too. Like, you know, sunflowers have vitamin E, so does, almonds. So there's so many micronutrients, But this is a mistake that I made in my 40s and I just want to point it out. I was using I was a vegetarian and I was using nuts as my primary protein source. No. That is not a that is not a wise decision. It is a great condiment, it's a great handful snack, but it is not your primary Protein source. Yeah. That's a that's a great that is a great point. So what about legumes or beans or tofu? I know you're not a soy person, but what about Beans. So how do you feel about beans? I love them. I rinse them off. I get organic and I rinse them off. I usually do canned from Costco and I rinse them and I use them, Throughout the week, and I I rotate the brand or the kind. So there's kidneys. There's black beans. There's garbanzo. I've been making homemade hummus lately. Oh. So I just Kinda it's so good. It's spicy and yummy, but I just like to rotate things. Like, I don't wanna eat only black beans or I don't only wanna eat garban garbanzo beans. Like, I wanna rotate things. I think that's a really wise decision, and I do that with my nuts and seeds. So sometimes it's mommas. Sometimes it's walnut sun sunflower seeds just like Keeping them in rotation just because the micronutrients are different. So I do love that and I'm I'm with you on beans. In fact, I did some bean soup, last week maybe, because beans also have fiber in them as well. And they're considered a good quote, prebiotic food, which is basically just a high fiber food. So I'm with you. I think bearing the protein source, but since you talked about being vegetarian at one time and used, used the nuts. Now how do you feel about meat? Yeah. I I I eat red meat several times a week on purpose, and and I knew I was shortly after my hysterectomy, which has now been 5 years. I knew I needed to make a change. And the first thing I did was add Collagen to my life and then I was like, okay. I didn't die. Is everything okay? Let's let's keep going. And now, like, red meat, we're having steak for dinner tonight and, You know, the immuno profile of red meat is stellar and then you can't dismiss the micronutrients of your iron and your bees and your zinc and, like, All of those things matter and in fact, I almost believe, my gut instinct is that red meat is the best quality protein there is right now. That's what I think. That's interesting you say that because I've been leaning on chicken quite a bit in the last, like, couple of months, but a lady that's a really good friend of mine, and she also, you know, lifts weights because she's in she's probably 59, I think, but she said the same thing. I was like, where do you get most of your protein? And she's like, Mostly beef. And I think if you get good quality, you know, grass fed, beef that and I love it. Now I don't eat it I probably eat it maybe once or Twice a week, like I said, I I'm leaning a little more to chicken, but I also like fish a lot. Fish tends to be good quality. Fish Tends to be a little more expensive, especially if when you consider, like, mercury contamination in our waterways and so forth. There we could go on forever about the The good and the bad and how to research all of this stuff. So may maybe we can put that as a subject, ma'am. It's like researching your protein sources, but Definitely a variety. I love that you brought that up because people think, oh, you know, I don't know how to get more protein in my diet. That's the number one comment I get when I talk about this, And we have to point out that there's so many foods that have protein. You can't just rely on one thing. Yeah. And I really like, for gut health and diversity Just mix it up. You know, just like we say fruits and vegetables, it's best to get a variety. I would also add that to your meat and your fish and your other protein sources. And I pulled this out because I just wanna point this out. This has been on my radar lately. The RDA for iron for Omnivores, people that eat meat, is 18 milligrams a day for females, and the RDA for iron, if you are a vegetarian or a vegan, is 1 8.8 times higher, it goes up to 33 milligrams a day. Wow. And and, you know, honestly, I feel like the recommendations are Usually behind the times. Right. But I was, like, really impressed that they under that they're at least saying that if you're getting your protein sources mainly from plants, That you're you need more than you even need if you're eating meat too because of the way that our body, it's not available to our body. It's not Right. Available. So One of the things you can do to increase the plant bioavailability of iron is adding, vitamin c, whether that's a supplement Or eat like brussels sprouts or an orange with your plant protein sources to make it more usable for your body. So, anyway, Just to point that out and also if you have a daughter or daughter-in-law, the pro the iron, the iron requirements go up Even higher when you're pregnant. So just file away for your female friends in your life. Yeah. Absolutely. So, Cam, with the people you work with, Do you have a recommended protein goal or do is it a case by case, like, do you have a a window or a range that you recommend? Well, just in general, we try to get to a100. Okay? Like, once we get to a100, that's like the first goal is to slowly increase to a100. And then the 2nd goal would be, like, what is your ideal body weight? Like, in lean, like, when you're lean and you're feeling it, like, what is that number? And then that would be your protein goal. So if you're, like, lean at fighting weight at 140, then that would be your goal. But it's not overnight, like you mentioned earlier. Like, it's a lean in process, And then just be creative and, like, read labels and, like, what else do what else can I eat to have a little protein? In fact, lately, it seems like The conversations I've been having with women are, like, just little things throughout the day will add up and make you get hit hit your role. So Yeah. I'm with you on that. Definitely over a100 for me. My weight right now is about 134. I've never actually said that publicly on the podcast, so now you know. If you you know me in person, now you know how much I weigh and I'm actually not embarrassed to say that. I feel strong, I feel pro I gotta be honest with you, Cam, I probably feel better now than I've ever Like, I don't have significant pain. I think I'm in better shape than when I was racing triathlon because I'm stronger. You know, my my weight training has done so much to improve my mobility honestly and my posture and just all the things. Anyhoo, With that, I love to get a 120 a day. There are days that I get over a 140, but it it it's, you know, when I do have a larger serving of of Meet or eat meat a couple of times a day, but that's just me. So and I know we have talked about this on the podcast before with macro tracking and you have an app that you like. Cam you remind me what that is? Yes. It's Cronometer, and it's like the coaches app in my little world. And it does a great job at tracking your macros, but especially your micros. And so all the little things that make behind the scenes, like your vitamins and your minerals that run the show, yeah, it does a great job of tracking that. So The free version's great. It's good enough. And also you can scan things. So I know MyFitnessPal got rid of that. So if you wanna scan on MyFitness you have to pay. And also here's another difference. So MyFitnessPal, anyone and their mother could make an entry and add it to the library on MyFitnessPal. So is the data even accurate? You don't Right. Cronometer, everything is checked by people that work at Cronometer. And so I feel like it's just more Great. And then the micronutrient info is hands down the best. So That's really awesome. So for anybody that's like, I really have no idea. I getting 40 grams of protein a day or a 100 and you don't know? That's a great way to track. And, you know, really, because I've used, so I actually I've used My Fitness Pal. I actually find it kind of interesting, it's kind of a like game of like, oh, I'm just curious about what this is, but, you know, we've always said be an experiment of 1, so that's a great place to start. And don't just think you like, we've we've said twice already, don't just think you if you Track for a day and you're, like, oh my god, I only got 25 grams of protein, you've instantly got to, like, go eat a cow, like, that's don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it. But, yeah, the tracking I can see is I can for me has been really helpful and tracking protein specifically, I think has been kind of a game changer. I don't do it I don't do it constantly. It's just kind of a spot check here and there. Yeah. And that's a great place to start. Like, I would say right now, I'm looking at my breakfast, how many grams of protein have I had in my, like, coffee, my morning snacky stuff, and then my breakfast. And then if it's a good enough number, then I just kind of check out for the the rest of the day. Oh my gosh. That's so interesting that I do the exact same thing. So, Like, I have my collagen. Most days by noon, I can get and I know this is a huge range. I can get between 40 60 before lunch. It just depends on if I actually am really hungry that day and I have breakfast and then I also have a snack. Because I, you know, if I'm hungry, Cam, I just eat. Like, I'm like, I'm not gonna deprive my body. I mean, clearly, you know, I'll drink water to make sure I'm not just thirsty, but if my body needs food, I'm gonna give it. Yeah. I love that. And that's a big change, you know, from interminutes minute fasting. Yeah. I know the clock says I can't Yeah. Exactly. It is a huge change, but I think a really beneficial one. Yeah. If you're just starting tracking, just track your protein and just Be an experiment of 1 and like, what are you eating? What do you like? And then afterwards, after you eat, notice how's your brain working? Are you hungry? How's your energy? All the things. And, you know, experiment with yourself and figure out what works for you because really, I call it the you diet. There's really only 1 diet for you and it's your diet. It doesn't have a name except for you. That's it. That's the only name. I was talking to someone recently and she's like, Thanks for reminding me that works works for other people doesn't always work for us. Doesn't I don't have to do it. Like, people want the quick Fix and really it's not a quick fix. I would consider it a journey and an experiment and be just be curious because, Yeah. Just because Mary's doing something doesn't mean you shouldn't. Right. Exactly. It's all different. So our 3rd one I know is near and dear to your heart. This third thing that you may be doing that may have been recommended by, shall we say, a medical profession Fashion. May not be right. So tell us about that, Cam. Oh, boy. Using birth control for your hormone management in midlife. I know this is controversial, but we're gonna say it. Yeah. Let's do it. Yeah. If you go to the doctor and you're presenting with midlife menopause problems, And by the way, there's over 34 symptoms. So, like, there's all kinds of crazy things. We can list those in the show notes again. I know we've done that before, but, Yeah. There's all kinds of things and they sneak up on you. And if you go to the doctor and they give you a birth control pill, that's how we started the show with Really emergency. Yeah. So, you know, and that happened to me, Cam. I mean, and this was in my forties, my probably early forties, as I began to experience I think what was what was then I don't know if I was 42 or 44 at the time. I thought it sounds about right, these perimenopause symptoms. And I gotta be honest with you, I thought it was crazy. Like, I thought, oh my gosh, you know, what is happening? Mine were more emotional and mental symptoms rather than Physical, I didn't like I didn't gain a whole bunch of weight, but I felt a little cranky and I avoided people and a little bit paranoid. And, honestly, that was the first thing was going on birth control pills and I went along with it. I didn't know any better. I didn't do my research, which is very unlike me, but it seemed Reasonable. She couched it in a way that I thought was reasonable and I went along with it for probably 3 or 4 years honestly before I was like, I don't think this is right. Yeah. Well, first of all, birth control pills aren't researched to be used for years years years, like it's for birth control. It's not for, menopausal symptoms and Exactly. My birth control story happened earlier and it was more like, When I was in my thirties trying to control hormonal acne and one specific time I remember she put me on a The brand new fancy whatever, the latest and the greatest birth control pill and I I Midlife you, I said, okay, you're the authority. I'm gonna give up my authority until you do what you tell me to do, and I remember at some point not being connected to my emotions. That's the only way I can Wow. Separate from myself. Like, I was here and my emotions were over there on the shelf. It was the strangest feeling, and this is way before, like, I was aware of my body. And if I was already feeling that way, woah. So I remember going back to her, and she's like, well, that's not a side effect. And I was like, okay. Goodbye. I I I took myself off the birth control bill and I found a new doctor because and this was, again, in my thirties. I was like, this is crazy because I don't feel right. Like, I Yeah. No sex drive. It was very strange, Amelia. It was bad. It sounds really strange, but, you know, birth control pills are fake. Like, that's a man made thing. It's not The bio identical hormones that we've talked about on the show before. So, I think this is super, super prevalent. And we've told you guys before, we're not medical professionals, but we are plugged into a lot of people who who with current research. So, you know, and I love what you said, Cam, about you gave up your authority as did I. Don't let your medical professional person Make you do something that you feel uncomfortable with because you know your body better than anybody. Yeah. And yeah. And you are, like we'll go back to the You diet. So, you know, when you when you first start presenting with perimenopause I'm stuck on my words today. Perimenopause symptoms. That's because the first thing that drops is your progesterone, which means you may still have be having a period, but maybe you're not ovulating. Progesterone is made at ovulation. I did not know this for many, many, many years. So one of the most helpful things during perimenopause is a supplement with bioidentical progesterone, And it takes the edge off in it, like, your anxiety that you were talking about and paranoia and all that, that is progesterone speaking. And when she misses, when she's not there, those are the kinds of things that present, like sleep is disrupted, you're anxious, like it's mind stuff. I know. Yeah. Yeah. That's so helpful, Cam, because people that listen that may not be as advanced in their menopause journey as we are, they need to know this. An hour. Our friends, you know, I I just feel like it's so important to understand what happens during this Phase because perimenopause and menopause don't happen overnight. I mean, my journey has been 10 plus years and I don't think I'm abnormal in that. Like, the the the first time I began to notice these symptoms was more than 10 years ago. And to know that there are more options than just Golly, Mommas, to, you know, prescribe those birth control pills is so empowering and comforting to know I'm not crazy. Like, this is real. I just wanna go also even your OB GYN probably did not have specific training in menopause unless she's sort of like I mean, That's crazy. I feel like you and I have more education than some medical doctors when it comes to menopause. I know that sounds insane. I do we not Do not have our MDs, but I'm telling you, they're not trained in this. Yeah. So the thing about the birth control pill that really bothers me too, not really getting to the root cause. It's really masking what else is going on and, you know, eating cleaning up your diet and supplementing with Stuff and using bio identical hormones does a world of good versus taking a prescription that is not identical to your body's hormones. Yeah. I totally agree. And, you know, there's other forms of birth control besides, besides the, birth control pill, and you had some You've done some research about IUDs. Will you tell us about that? Yeah. So IUDs are a lot of times, the copper IUD is, like, sold as away. It's nonhormonal. But I just want you to know that there's also research that it may lower your iron status. And so there's 4 people in my world right now that have low iron, and so when anything comes up like that, Another one this morning, Amelia. I'd like to tell you. I know. When that happens, I really pay attention and I am no By no means an iron expert, but I do know that red blood cells carries oxygen and carbon dioxide and all your nutrients. It's literally your life force. And so anything that lowers your, quote, unquote, life force, like, we need to pay attention to this. And maybe you're a vegetarian and then your line Iron is already low and then you're using an IUD and then that might lower your iron even more. So it's just an awareness like, hey, this might be a problem. Exactly. And, you know, we're all about as as much natural remedy as you can. We do take supplements, You know, we do use the bio identical hormones, but again, we research all of this stuff that we put in our bodies and and what we tell you is based on our own research. And I agree with you about the medical doctors. And I've had medical doctors actually tell me that. Like, we don't they don't talk to us about that because Most of the stuff in medical school according to my friends who are physicians, they talk about disease, disease, things that are wrong with you. They don't talk about how to maintain health. It's more about treating and a lot of times, Cam, it is treating symptoms. It's not treating a root cause. So, You know, that's a sidebar and a soapbox I won't jump on and scream for at the moment. But, you know, there's a lot about our medical community that I think Is wrong, but I do think we're in a state of change. But I think if you're in a community where a functional medicine provider may not be Out there and, you know, I don't know. I think they're more prevalent than we think. You just got to seek them out. You have to seek out those medical professionals who Have that kind of, advanced education. And then even then, you still have to trust your own instincts, Even then because you just have to yeah. I guess the point of today was, like, you know, these are really common things out there in the world of menopause and midlife, and they may be your results or they may making you feel crummy, and so we just wanted to bring them to your attention today. Yeah. Absolutely. Thanks for listening today. You can find us on Instagram at midlife.mommas. For all of our other contact info, check out the show description below, and we will talk to you next week.