High Watermark Health Fireside Chats: Recent Episodes
Julia Fountain ND, NCMP
Dr. Nadia Alam is an established physician leader, strategist, and policy analyst. She combines 10 years of practical experience as a family doctor and anesthetist with five years of leadership, advocacy, and communication. She is a widely published writer and has spoken on many health policy issues, including primary care, health system design, performance metrics, burnout, menopause and pharmacare. She is past president of the Ontario Medical Association and practices in Georgetown.
1:03 The role of your family doctor through perimenopausal transition. Menopause as a process
3:00 Symptoms when perimenopause may not be perimenopause
6:40 Midlife risk factors and preventative screening guidelines in Canada - when, what, why. Mammograms, bone density, colorectal screening, cardiovascular labwork, vaccinations, skin checks, blood pressure
16:00 Home monitoring of blood pressure - how and why. We define high blood pressure by the top (systolic) number being higher than 135 while resting. For a listing of home blood pressure monitors validated by Hypertension Canada, visit www.hypertension.ca
23:00 How tracking biomarkers, home monitoring, understanding your body helps doctors help you
24:30 The 20-year old Women's Health Initiative study, and how the tides are shifting toward more dialogue about hormone therapy for women in perimenopause
26:37 Risks and benefits of hormone therapy and the best time to start hormone therapy
30:25 Breast cancer risk factors and how they compare to the risk associated with estrogen hormone therapy
33:10 Contraindications to hormone therapy
38:00 Non-hormonal prescription medications for hot flashes and night sweats
39:30 What women have in common with toothed whales
40:22 How do you think we can do better as a medical system and health community to better serve women in perimenopause? "There's so much women can do that don't have anything to do with the medical system" The foundations of sleep, exercise, nutrition, stress management and how they make such a profound difference in a woman's quality of life
43:48 A woman's identity and how she defines her relationships, boundaries into midlife. That sense of self colours the experience of menopause and illness.
Special guest Manon Dulude PhD, RP
Manon is a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and holds a Doctorate degree in Professional Coaching and Human Development. She brings over thirty years of experience as a psychotherapist to her clients. Manon established her private practice in Georgetown in 1995.
Manon has extensive experience working with individuals who struggle with depression, anxiety, grief, trauma recovery, anger management, difficult life and work transitions, and interpersonal conflict. Manon also provides couple counseling.
www.manondulude.com
(905) 703-0003
Reading recommendations from Manon:
Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think, Dennis Greenberger, PhD
3:15 - defining self care, self-ish and why so many women have a difficult time with it.
8:15 - nurturing and staying involved in relationships, you can't skip giving water to your relationships
10:12 - where watching TV fits into the self care spectrum
12:15 - different forms of energy and nurturing erotic energy in mid-life
15:00 - sex drive in mid-life and the dance of avoidance
17:35 - relationships with children - how letting go can catalyze a change in identity
19:15 - finding new purpose in work."Is what I'm doing meaningful? Am I liking it? If I have another 15-20 years of work in front of me, am I on the right runway?"
21:50 - creativity in midlife and the midlife crisis. "The midlife crisis is us saying 'yes' to something that is meaningful that had been set aside for some time"
24:15 - what are you going to say 'yes' to today? "It's a way to listen to what's important that you may have quieted down for some time"
25:50 - what happened when Manon started saying 'yes' to tango dancing
29:40 - how the midlife crisis can strain relationships
31:00 - where to turn when you're finding yourself drained. "If there's nothing really going wrong in your life and you're not feeling good, there's something worth chatting about"
34:00- navagating relationships with aging parents. "It takes a village to support an aging parent. No one gets a medal for doing it all themselves"
36:15 - the importance of boundaries and realistic expectations
40:00 - saying 'no' to something so we can say 'yes' to ourselves. Guilt is the gift that keeps on giving. Challenging the narrative of guilt.
41:20 - What is cognitive behavioual therapy (CBT)? Challenging the way we think and then behave. We think before we feel. Thoughts generate feelings, then feelings generate behaviour. Reframe the thinking to find new possibilies, solutions and ways of doing things.
43:42 - Final parting thoughts. Women need to surround themselves with other strong women. Saying yes to community.