Spring Fever and Better Health

It's Springtime!

In this episode, you'll hear:

1. Techniques for Allergy Relief: Learn about various methods to combat seasonal allergies, including using a neti pot, changing pillowcases, and rinsing off the body to reduce symptoms.

2. Benefits of Seasonal Produce: Discover the advantages of consuming seasonal fruits and vegetables from the farmer's market for improved health and diet diversity.

3. Embracing Spring: Explore the hosts' experiences with embracing spring, from enjoying fresh air, staying hydrated, and adapting skincare routines to the changing weather.


This week on the podcast we take a break from intense subjects to talk about Spring! Spring is a time of rebirth, so we tackle all the things that can make you feel like a new person.

We talk about warm weather, longer days,  blooming plants and buzzing bees, and the great things about these things and a few of the pitfalls!

00:00 Embracing outdoor dining during the pandemic.
03:23 Warmer temperatures mean shedding winter clothes happily.
07:44 Cautionary tale about staying hydrated in heat.
11:43 Daughter unsure about body; mom knows hers.
14:17 Allergies less severe due to cleaner diet.
17:44 Inspired Asian salad with local, seasonal ingredients.
21:20 Spring awakening, focusing on importance of bees.
23:23 Neighbor's honey and vinegar remedy prevents illness.
26:40 Big event, close to his birthday, Easter.

Stay Connected!
Amelia

• Website: https://www.thehelpfulplate.com/
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/thehelpfulplate/

Cam

• Website: https://www.camoyler.com/
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/heymomma_cam/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heymomma_cam

Midlife Mommas IG: https://www.instagram.com/midlife.mommas/

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Transcript

0:06

Okay. Am I spent all day outside yesterday. It was awesome. I love spring. Hi. I'm Cam, Holistic health coach, mom to 2 humans and 4 pets. Hi. I'm Amelia, Laboratory scientist by day and food scientist 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 Hi, everyone. Welcome to the podcast, and we were talking about spring fever today. And, And, Amelia, you gotta tell us, what were you doing outside all day? Yeah. All day, it was 75 degrees. It was sunny, and I was at the Carolina horse park. They we had a big horse event, which is very usual for this area of the country, and I just saw some amazing athletes, both equine athletes and people. And it was just fun. I was just so invigorated and inspired by these people. So I'm so excited to talk about all the fun things that spring brings and how we can make it good for our health. Yeah. Absolutely. So we've just come we're coming out of winter. We just had daylight savings time. So if you're noticing, the sun is staying up later in the day for sure. And also we're coming out of our winter hibernation. So we're, you know, coming out of that being home more, moving less, and we're moving into the like, the earth is awakening and so is Yes. Yeah. It's a it's a time of rebirth, and we've got a few things to talk about today with regard to spring. Most of them, as you would expect, are very positive, but there's a few safeguards in there that we kinda wanna warn you about as we transition from winter to spring. I was gonna just jump into the warmer weather because that's what I'm experiencing here. Yeah. So we've had sunshine the last few days. We're not as warm as you are, obviously, but, yeah, I can see that there's hope. There is definitely hope. I love spring. I say that about every season, but spring is so much fun. You know, before it actually starts to get warm, I see the daffodils starting to sprout, and I've seen some flowering trees. So we'll get to the plants in a little bit. But the first thing about the warmer weather is it's more comfortable to be outside for longer. So what are some of the things that you like about the warmer weather? I love starting my day on the deck drinking coffee in the morning outside. I love that. And if at all possible, eating dinner outside. Like, even lunch break, actually, since I work from home, I feel like I am outside whenever I can be. How about you? Oh, yes. And, I love that idea, Cam. You know, one of the times that we really embrace that was during the pandemic because going out to eat was not an option at all. And I have a little table, and it usually just collects junk, honestly, but we moved it out in the yard. And, we've actually got, music speakers on our porch so we could put on some music and listen to it. It is just so nice to be outside in the spring. And to eat outside is great. Right? Like, we can take Absolutely. Yeah. Joy on and off our plates. Absolutely. I think you said it last week. Colorful life on our plate, colorful life off our plate. Eating outside with people you love absolutely adds color to your life. Yes. Absolutely. So warmer warmer temperatures are absolutely amazing, but also, we have the less we have less of a need for the bulky clothes we've been wearing all winter. So, some people kind of hide inside their sweaters and jeans, but I'm hoping that since we just finished up our 3 part series on belly fat, that everyone is really, you know, diving into good health and they're not going to mind shedding those layers. Yeah. Because that is it's like you just were inward and new moving less and cozy foods, and now we're blossoming with less clothing. Yeah. So no more hiding. Right. Exactly. And springtime brings tremendous, vegetables, and, again, we're gonna talk about plants in a few minutes. But, you know, it's time for, like, lettuces and kale and cold weather. Root vegetables are good too. And eating that variety and eating those plants that are seasonal will do wonders for your attitude and your health. I agree with you. How many vegetables a day do you try to get? Was it 8 to 10? Well, actually, 4 to 8, and it's pretty easy to do the 4. And if I have salad, it's pretty easy to get to 8. So yeah. Mhmm. 8 4 to 8 different plants. Now, so if I have spinach in my smoothie and spinach in a salad, I don't count it twice. That counts as 1, even though I count it twice. Very good. Yeah. Makes sense. Yeah. Last week, we had Lindsay Foreman on the podcast, and she was saying 27 grams of fiber a day Yeah. Is minimum minimum to, like, prevent colon cancer and all that. Right? Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. But, you know, Cam, the other thing about, that I love about spring is the warmer weather means no more drying heat. Like, the heat that in the we heat by wood stove. So, my skin is starting to feel a little bit more alive. What do you think about that? Have you experienced any of those changes yet? Not necessarily. The new house we're moving into has, like, this massive furnace that feels really hot, and so I'm not sure how I'm gonna feel about that when it's kicked on, and I've been pulling tacks out of the floor. And I was like, oh, that's too hot for me. So I haven't really noticed that yet, but I'm excited too. Now let me ask you this. Is during the summer, do you change anything about your skin care, like, when when there there's more moisture in the air, or is it pretty much the same all year? Yeah. Pretty much the same. I just use a variety of oils, so I mix essential oils into it. So, I change the oils just every night, so it's never the same oil. Yeah. What about you? Yeah. I do. I use a heavier, moisturizer at night during the wintertime. I've got there's an all natural brand that I get from an aesthetician friend called Sorelle or Sorella. Maybe it's Sorella. And it's called recovery mask, and it's quite moisturizing and thick. It feels amazing, but I imagine as the the weather starts to change, I won't need that much moisture. And cleanser too. Like, I'll actually use more of a moisturizing cleanser during, the wintertime. And then during the summer, I just use, like, Cetaphil or something like that for sensitive skin. So but I but I can feel it on my, like, my body skin, Cam. Like, now that we're not having to turn on the heat as much, I don't feel prickly like I do sometimes in the winter. Yeah. We haven't gotten that yet in Kentucky, so, hopefully, it's coming. Absolutely. No. Don't. I'm sure that it is. And and with warmer, you know, hopefully, because we are inundated now with pollen, but fresh air means you can open your windows. So, do you guys enjoy getting fresh air circulating in your house when it's warm enough to do that? Absolutely. The deck door is usually open. I'm curious how it's gonna feel. We're in the process of moving April 1st as the big migration, so I'm curious what it the pattern's gonna be at that house. But at this current house, we always have the deck door open. It it animals are in and out all the time. Yeah. I bet even the animals like having that extra, fresh air opportunities. Well, I you know, so I've been pulling these tack strips and Tanner's been following me, my dog. And every time I'm in any room, he finds the patch of sun on the ground and he's laying in the patch of sun well, and then we'll move to the next room and he'll find the next patch. So it's not only humans that enjoy the sunshine, but it's them too. Absolutely. And the last one I have for, for the warmer weather is a little bit of a cautionary tale. So, as, you know, our bodies have been used to, you know, that hibernation and holding on to our hydration, even though drying heat can certainly be dehydrating, we may not be aware that we're that our sweat rate might be increasing. I noticed it yesterday. It was 75 here yesterday, and I did notice that I sweated more. So electrolyte loss is a concern. And I know you actually replenish your electrolytes daily. So tell us about that. Yeah. So I use a combination. It's magnesium, potassium, and sodium, and those minerals actually make the water you're drinking more usable to your cells. So straight water, you need something in it. You need a sodium. You need something in it to make it more usable for your cells, and it keeps you more hydrated. Now am I correct that that's called structured water? Yeah. Absolutely. Structured water. Structured water. Yeah. And just from the scientific standpoint, you're right. Like, what we have in our bodies is not actually just plain water. It it does have those electrolytes and we need those sodium and potassium molecules to shuttle that hydration into our cells. So, super important. If you're not an electrolyte person, there's a ton of electrolyte supplements that you can purchase that don't have extra sugar or dyes or anything bad for you. Is there one that you like? Yeah. There's Relight is 1, and also Element are the ones, the l m n t. Yeah. Yeah. And and to prove to yourself that your water is not just water, when was the last time you had tear that went in your lip and it was salty? Yes. Or salt when you've been sweating and it's salty, you know. Anyway, yeah, we're not just water. Yeah. Great points. The Relight's what I'm I have both like you do. I'm using the Relight right now. That's kind of my favorite. But, yeah, there are some, you know, you're gonna cringe. My husband still drinks Gatorade, and I know. I know. I know. I'm trying to get him to embrace something else. But, you know, sometimes old habits are hard, but Yeah. Right? Electro yeah. Electrolyte supplementation, I think, is is good for most people. Would you agree with that? 100%. Yep. 100%. So let's kinda talk about the next thing that spring bring, which is longer days. And, Cam, I know you have some feelings about the time change. Yeah. Right? I've noticed our dinner is we're eating dinner later, and it really hasn't affected my sleep too much, which really surprises me. I have a lot on my plate right now with just moving and stuff. Yeah. But, yeah, I've noticed our

dinners are later. Or it's 7: 10:26

30, and it's still sunlight out, and we've been working at the other house. And we're like, oh my gosh. We have to eat dinner. That's really late for me. Yeah. Same. I had a a, an opportunity or an occasion last week where I was home by, like, 6, but my husband wasn't. He was like, hey. Do you need anything at the store? And, unfortunately, I told him an item that I really needed for the dinner. Well, yeah, that made him late because, you know, he works during daylight hours, and I think he forgets. And so I was really irritated, but I was like, nope. You know, I'm going to embrace the idea that he has called and asked me if he can help. Yeah. And I've said yes, so I'm gonna be nice about this and not just be so regimented. That's another little thing I'm working on this year. But but the longer days, you really do have to be intentional, at least for the 1st few weeks about mealtimes. That's one of the cautionary tales about about the longer days for sure. We've totally messed it up at our house, so maybe next week will be better. I'm not sure. Yeah. I mean but and you said you're sleeping pretty good. Are you finding that you're that you're going to bed and waking up on the old time, or are you adjusted to the new

time? Probably on the old time menopause I woke up at 6: 11:34

30,

which normally would have been 5: 11:38

30. So I guess you're right. Yeah. Yeah. What about you? Are you doing that too? I'm pretty good. I was talking to my daughter today, and she she was talking about, knowing your body and she's like, mom, I don't really know if I know, like, my body. Like, I don't know how much sleep I really need. Her husband knows, like, he knows that he functions best on between 7 and 8. 8 and a half for him actually makes him feel sluggish. So, anyway, but I'm the same way. I'm a solid 8 hour a night girl. So, basically, I know what time I have to get up, and I then I just back up 8 hours, and that works pretty well. The first couple of nights, I had trouble going to sleep, honestly. Yeah. Right? I think I think since then, I'm I'm getting better. That's good. My husband's the same way. He knows exactly how many hours he needs to sleep, and he would rather sleep in. I my body is very consistent. It's on this rhythm. Yeah. We dinner late, and the rhythm is, like, really messed up. Yeah. It totally is. And, you know, you wouldn't think that 1 hour change would do it, but it really will. It really will just and and like you, I think it was, oh gosh, 8 o'clock before we ate dinner last night, but it was Saturday because we record on Sundays, and it wasn't so bad because I was able to sleep in a little bit better. But now that we're back into the work week, I gotta got the to get on the get on the Dial it in. Dial it in, girl. Dial it in. That's right. I mean, at 6 o'clock, it I don't know. I would love to eat dinner at 5 or 4, but that is not working out right now. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah, so cool. So long days can be a challenge, although, you know, we love the daylight, they can be a challenge, so definitely be conscious. The next thing on our list is blooming plants. And blooming plants, the first thing I wanna bring up is their beauty. Have you have you seen things start, blooming? At our new house, we have a backyard full of, daffodils and something a ground cover that has little purple flowers that are blooming right now, Okay. And there's a tree too. What is the yellow tree? The yellow bush. Forsythia? No. I don't know. I'm not really good with plants. But is it the one that has, like, the does it have thorns on it? I don't know. It's just yellow. There's Yeah. Yeah. The the yellow flowers I'm thinking about are little, almost honeysuckle size, but the but the bush itself has thorns. Very pretty, but not so fun to touch. Right. Right. Well, anyway, things are blooming. I've totally noticed that. I really appreciate it. Absolutely. Well, so have you seen pollen in your area, or does pollen bother you for allergies? Yes. My eyes are itching right now. I guess I I guess so. Yeah. That green dust or that yellow greenish dust everywhere. Yeah. Do you have it in your house too or in your house? Yeah. We at the horse park this weekend, you could almost see the wind carry it almost like fog. Yeah. And I see it on our shoes. I see it on my car. My husband claims that oak pollen, which is actually white and finer, is more allergenic, and maybe it's just for him. But, you know, Cam, what I've noticed this year is because my diet's pretty clean right now, I've broken up with sugar for, like, the millionth time right now, I feel like I I do I'm affected, but not as profoundly. Like, I can my nose will run, but I don't feel groggy like I have some seasons with allergy pollen. I really love that, and I just see think of it as a sign of being less inflamed in general. Mhmm. You know? One of the things about menopause is our histamines get out of whack and we get weird rashes or we're more sensitive to things like that, and that's what I hear you saying. So that's good. Yeah. And but, you know, also, I use a neti pot every day, and I use it all year round. I mean, when it's cold outside and we're using the indoor heat that's drying, it it kinda nourishes my nasal passages. But, occasionally, I'll rinse some, you know, yucky pollen stuff out of my nose, but I think that really helps as well. Yeah. And I think just, like, rinsing off your body and your hair or changing your pillowcases, all of those things help because you don't need to go to bed with that stuff. No. Exactly. And I think some people are more sensitive, but I've been really fortunate this year that even though it's pretty thick so far, that I've been I've done pretty well with the allergies. I that's really good. Yeah. When I think back to my younger years, I definitely had more allergies, so I guess that's also an indicator of health. I would say in my twenties or even in high school Mhmm. My allergies were out of control. Yeah. Anyway So interesting. Well, the other thing I love about blooming plants, and this is not only just flowers, but it's our farmers market has started back. So lots of seasonal growing things that you can actually eat. So I know that here, we're in, we're still in cold weather season, so we're seeing things like radishes, kale, even some brussels sprouts, lettuces, maybe some carrots, spring onions. So, it's really a time when I be I start to really think about, oh my gosh, warm weather foods are coming, all of those good things that we like to eat. Yeah. I think eating seasonally, and this is definitely your area of expertise, is one of the ways that we can increase our health in midlife is eating what's local and what's in season. And would you tell everyone what you do with your $20 at the bar farmers market? I love this. Yes. So so I take a literal $20 bill, you know, cash. Most places now take a card, but I take my bill and my my sack, and I go spend it. And when it's gone, it's gone. And I have this one little lady. I actually went on Thursday this week because, the, you know, those went on Thursday. And I told her, I was like, well, you know, this is the money I have. And she actually I think I had $1 left over, and the little spring onion bunch was 2. She's like, here. Just take that. Just, you know, don't you don't owe me any money because she knows that I take my $20. And some weeks, it's a lot cam and some weeks not so much. Some of the things obviously are more expensive by weight, but it works for me. You're like, you know, it gives me probably parts of 3 dinners, and I'm good with that. And also challenges your brain to, like, well, how can I use these ingredients this week? And so it's like a natural way to rotate what you're eating and get more diversity in your diet, which is great for your gut health. Yeah. Yeah. Like, last night, I did an Asian salad that was an inspiration from a friend's recipe, and I did do some chickpea noodles and it had cabbage and the spring onions from the farmer's market, and then I added some chopped red bell pepper that I got from the grocery, added some shrimp that I had actually bought at the beach. They were locally hot, and some carrots. I think the carrots were from the grocery as well with the soy ginger dressing, and it was amazing. And I've got leftovers for, like, 2 days. So, you know, that I think, well, Cam, that's one of the take cam for me too is eating seasonally. It's not like you have to restrict your diet only to those foods, but if you can incorporate those foods, it will definitely increase your plant diversity. Absolutely. And again, we're trying to get more plants in our midlife to help our gut and help our bathroom habits and our fiber intake and all the things. Yeah. All the things. Well, also with the plants, do you garden at all? Because some people find a great amount of joy from gardening. Okay. So our new house has a yard and I am going to be able to garden. I've always done herbs, in the last this house, the herbs have been potted on a deck. And so now I can diversify and have more things in my yard away from the dogs. So very excited. What about you? Do you garden? I did. So we started in in during the pandemic, we did a lot. I did I had a flowering garden, and PS, I forget I always forget the difference between annuals and perennials. I think the annuals are the things that only bloom this year and then they die. Yep. Mhmm. A flowering garden of annuals is really expensive. And if you have a Yeah. Maybe that. Maybe I also say, maybe everybody already knows that, but I'm like, crap, I just spent $200 on like 4 square feet. But we did, and it was beautiful when we sat on the porch and looked at it. But I also do edible plants. You know? So, it varies year to year, Cam, based on the time I have. It's late for me to plant, and I was I've asked 2 people or 2 people have asked me this weekend, like, have you started planting? And I'm so embarrassed to say, no. I haven't put anything in the ground. But, you know, last year, it was later, and we still we we got a modest yield. So I love to plant things I can eat. Absolutely. Yeah. A few houses ago, I had a cutting garden, and it was on purpose. It was it was perennials. Okay. There you go. Yeah. And they would bloom different depending on what it was, different times. I had fresh flowers in my house all season because different things were blooming at different times. And then also at that same house, I had an herb garden, but it would look like landscaping. And so it was awesome. And it was mixed with, like, boxwoods and herbs, and it was great. It was right outside the kitchen, but it looked beautiful. So I'm excited to get that back. Yeah. I love that idea of a mix of, like, land scaping plants, but edible plants. And I've seen that in magazines. I'm just not smart enough to, like, actually map that. I've actually thought about it, but my yard is really big and kind of barren, so we've got an actual garden that's fenced off. And I don't know if you've had this or will have this at your new house. Bunnies will eat your plants. Yeah. Right. Your bunny population is going to or maybe your deer Yeah. I I would love to do that. And I just wanna say it is springtime because we woke up with a duck in our backyard this morning. Like, what the heck? It was a male and a female. The male was down low and the female was up in the woods. And I was like, okay. What is happening? We don't live by a lake, but it's spring. Yeah. And maybe they're migrating or something. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. It was strange. Well, spring is in the air. Things are on the move and waking up. So, you know, flowering plants and gardening, a couple of years ago, I tried to do a garden that would attract pollinators, which are bees, because I'd heard a lot of things about bees being on the decline, and that's a bad thing because bees are natural pollinators. And so that kinda brings us to our last spring thing, which is the bees and the importance of bees. I'm not a bee enthusiast per se, but I do understand that they are so important for the ecosystems. But what I do love about bees is honey. Oh, yeah. Do you use honey for your cooking? Yeah. And go back to allergies. So there you can also use local honey to help with your own personal allergies. So that's just another little tip, another reason to use honey. Yeah. Absolutely. It's a natural sweetener. I actually get honey from a guy. I actually know. He's got bees. Yeah. So when you got these bees that buzz around and pollinate these local plants, which may produce pollen, which may indeed be an allergen for you, the honey they produce from that pollen helps you fight those allergy symptoms. So that may be a common fact that most people know. I didn't know it till a couple of years ago. Yeah. And so when you're buying, you know, when you're at Honey or if you know somebody or a farmer's market would be a great place to source that. But But we actually can get local honey at our grocery store, so that's always really nice. Isn't it? Yeah. But you will notice if you experiment with the taste like, if you go to Trader Joe's, you're gonna have honey from all over the world. But every honey tastes different, and it's because of whatever the bees were pollinating. It's fascinating. Yeah. That is fascinating. And this beekeeper that I get my honey from, he says and this is I'm not a medical professional as far as this goes, but he says that honey will not spike your blood sugar like other forms of sweetener. Now I don't I haven't independently verified that because everything I've read indicates that honey is it's a sugar. But I don't I don't know. But he claims that diabetics can actually consume honey. Again, unverified. Don't know if that's true. Interesting. I think I'm gonna wear a glucose monitor next month, so I'll test it for you. Yeah. Please do. I would love that. You know, and even if it's not like a spoonful of honey or if it's just, you know, honey in something. But speaking of a spoonful of honey, my next door neighbor when I was growing up, she swore by this remedy. She would take I don't I think it was more than a teaspoon, but a spoonful of honey, a spoonful of apple cider vinegar, and she dissolved it in a little warm water. She swore that if she drank that every day, which was probably 2 ounces or less, that she never got sick. Like, it's a natural antimicrobial. So I haven't done that, but it'd be interesting to see if it works. Well, we know apple cider vinegar reduces, glucose spikes. So that is true. But I don't know if you add honey if it does. But anyway, another, you know, another reason to try apple cider vinegar and honey in your life. Yeah. They're both they both have health benefits. I really believe that. Absolutely. And I think apple cider vinegar mixed with, you know, a little olive oil on a salad is delicious. Totally. Totally. Is there is there an apple cider vinegar brand or that you like? Lately, I've been buying it from Trader Joe's. But whatever you do, get the mother. It needs to have the mother in there. I know Bragg's recently was purchased by a big company, so it's not like what it used to be. So I'm not sure. You know? Just use your own judgment and pick the best that you can. Yeah. Braggs is what I've always used, and I don't know if it's labeled unfiltered, but the one I have has you have to mix it. Like, it looks cloudy in there. Yeah. Yeah. That's why I think, Trader Joe's is organic, unfiltered with the mother, and that's just what I've been buying because it's Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I need to check that out. But, yeah, we we I love to watch bees. It's so weird. We have a lot in our yard. And I know that there's a whole there's different kinds of bees, but when I see them out, I always think it is springtime and I'm so excited to see them. I don't think I've ever been stung by a bee. Have you been stung by a bee? No. I no. I don't think I have either. Uh-huh. Yeah. So they're not as mean or as horrible as you think. They they do a lot of good. But I know people that are terribly afraid of them. Like, if we're sitting on the porch, I have some friends that, you know, kinda go crazy when the bees come out, but I'm just like, oh, okay. Well, whatever. So what else, Cam? What else can is there anything else you can think of, like, as far as spring? Like, what comes to mind when you think of spring? I just feel like we're gonna be outside more, moving our body more, wearing less clothes, and, like, literally blooming midlife the earth is blooming. So just kind of embrace that embrace that. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. You know, what I think about with spring is Easter. My dad's birthday was was, March 30th, which sometimes fell on Easter. In fact, this year, it'll be March 31st. And when I was a little girl, Easter Town brought new things. I got new white patent leather shoes and a new white pocketbook. So, you know, if you're a seventies child, maybe that was and maybe you have pictures in front of azalea bushes or rhododendron bushes, and, you know, that that makes me happy, those memories of being a kid and getting that new stuff and having your Easter basket. So, anyway, do you have any special Easter traditions? Not necessarily. My son was born on Easter though, so that is very big deal. Amazing. Yeah. That's a very big deal. And, you know, it's not his is the 27th. So it's this year it's close to his birthday. Not exactly, but, yeah, Easter is, a new birth. I don't know. It's entirely a new birth. Yeah. It's a it's a great time of year. So we definitely hope everyone is inspired to get out and move your body. Thanks for listening today. You can find us on Instagram@midlife.mommas For all of our other contact info, check out the show description below, and we will talk to you next week.