Women's Health Unplugged: Recent Episodes
Dr. Jordan Robertson ND
Helping women move from confused, overwhelmed and overrun by their health towards understanding, confidence and wellness. The mission of Women's Health Unplugged is to educate and empower women across all generations how to advocate for themselves in their healthcare and how to support themselves through better health education. This podcast is hosted by Dr. Jordan Robertson, Naturopathic Doctor and Women's Health Author.
Which Type of Patient Are You?
In this week’s episode, Dr. Jordan Robertson explores the three types of patients: Health Hobbyists, the General Population, and those Backed Into a Corner, and what each group can teach us about how we approach our health. Whether you find yourself just “getting by,” experimenting endlessly, or facing a health wake-up call, there are lessons (and warnings) in every category. Jordan unpacks the pros and cons of each approach and how borrowing from other camps can help you thrive instead of settling for mediocrity.
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
Want to dive deeper? Explore the latest research breakdowns and practical tools on our blog
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share!
In this week’s episode of Real Integrative Medicine, Dr. Jordan Robertson explores the often-overlooked role of reflection and attribution in creating real, lasting change in your health journey.
Whether you’re a clinician guiding patients or someone working on your own health goals, reflection helps you notice progress, connect behaviours to outcomes, and take ownership without falling into the traps of self-blame or frustration. Jordan shares practical strategies to shift from “this happened to me” toward “here’s how I move forward,” drawing on lessons from patient care, athletics, and her own training.
If you’ve ever struggled to stay motivated when results felt far away, this episode will show you how reflection and attribution can build momentum, resilience, and long-term success in both health and life.
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
Want to dive deeper? Explore the latest research breakdowns and practical tools on our blog
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this episode of The Real Integrative Medicine Podcast, Dr. Jordan Robertson sits down with Dr. Kirstie Griffiths to unpack the complicated and often misunderstood relationship between diagnostic imaging and pain. From MRIs and X-rays to CT scans and ultrasounds, we dive into why imaging is not always the “golden ticket” to understanding your pain, and how over-reliance on these tools can sometimes slow recovery. With personal stories, clinical insights, and a healthy dose of myth-busting, this conversation will challenge the way you think about your results.
Dr. Griffiths is a Canadian chiropractor, yoga teacher, and best-selling author practicing in Guelph, Ontario. Her passion is in helping people overcome back pain using a mind-body approach that integrates chiropractic and yoga. Dr. Griffiths is the author of "Back to Wellness: A mind-body approach to managing your back pain" and the founder of “Yoga for Back Pain,” a 12-week online program that combines education, movement, and meditation, specifically designed for individuals with back pain. Dr. Griffiths has also created an online membership called "Mind-Body Daily" which provides access to quick, simple and effective techniques to soothe the nervous system and enhance well-being on your own schedule and from the comfort of home.
Follow Dr. Kirstie on Instagram
Access Dr. Griffiths' FREE Yoga for Back Pain Video
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
Want to dive deeper? Explore the latest research breakdowns and practical tools on our blog
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this week’s episode of the Real Integrative Medicine podcast, Dr. Jordan Robertson and Dr. Keara Taylor delve into the complexities of PMS and PMDD, exploring the emotional and physical symptoms often associated with these conditions. They discuss the importance of understanding hormonal fluctuations, the role of lifestyle changes, and the various treatment options available, including both medical and natural approaches. Dr. Taylor shares insights on the latest research and the importance of personalized treatment plans for women experiencing PMS.
Dr. Keara Taylor is a Naturopathic Doctor with a clinical focus in women's hormonal health, supporting patients with PMS, PCOS, period problems, perimenopause, and menopause. As a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (formerly NAMS), she is dedicated to providing comprehensive, evidence-based care to guide women through their hormonal transitions with confidence and ease.
A lifelong learner with a deep curiosity for health and wellness, Dr. Keara’s path to patient care wasn’t straightforward—she spent six years as a Chartered Accountant before discovering her true passion. Now, she’s on a mission to cut through the noise of online misinformation and provide her patients with clear, evidence-based solutions.
Dr. Keara holds a Doctor of Naturopathy from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences from Western University.
Outside of practice, Dr. Keara can be found buried in a book or outdoors with her family, skiing, playing tennis, or swimming in the lake.
Follow Dr. Keara on Instagram
Discover Dr. Taylor’s Course
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
Want to dive deeper? Explore the latest research breakdowns and practical tools on our blog
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this episode of the Real Integrative Medicine podcast, host Dr. Jordan Robertson and Dr. Dolores Fernandez discuss the often-taboo topics of sexual wellness, vaginal health, and the importance of addressing issues like vaginal dryness and libido. Dr. Fernandez shares her journey in creating IRIS, a personal care company focused on developing high-quality lubricants and moisturizers. They explore the differences between desire and arousal, the impact of pain on sexual experiences, and the challenges women face in achieving orgasm. The conversation emphasizes the need for better education and open discussions around sexual health, as well as the importance of using safe and effective products.
Dr. Dolores Fernandez is a Naturopathic Doctor, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, and the founder of IRIS—a science-backed self-care brand dedicated to creating clean products that support vulvovaginal health and ending the stigma around vulvovaginal care. She's here to remind us that vulvar skin deserves just as much attention as any other part of our body because, honestly, 'skin is skin.' Dolores brings warmth, scientific research, and a lot of passion to her work both in the clinic with her patients and when working with IRIS, always striving to make these important conversations more open and accessible.
Follow Dr. Dolores on Instagram
Check out IRIS on Instagram
Learn more about IRIS
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
Want to dive deeper? Explore the latest research breakdowns and practical tools on our blog
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this Real Integrative Medicine podcast episode, Dr. Mélanie DesChâtelets joins Dr. Jordan Robertson for an in-depth exploration of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). We examine the multifaceted nature of this condition, covering essential diagnostic approaches, treatment strategies, and the critical need to address PCOS from both clinical and patient-centered viewpoints. This discussion encompasses PCOS diagnostic standards, the significance of lifestyle interventions, and how treatments such as hormonal contraceptives affect symptom control.
Dr. Mélanie DesChâtelets, ND, is a naturopathic doctor who brings her sharp wit, evidence-based insights, and a genuine passion for health to the stage. With over a decade of experience in practice, Dr. Mélanie focuses on helping individuals manage Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), metabolic health, and cardiovascular well-being through lifestyle and behavioral change. Known for her dynamic speaking style, she makes complex health topics both accessible and engaging.
Discover the PCOS Health Collective + The Beyond The Pill Workshop
The PCOS Pivot Course
Follow Dr. Mélanie on Instagram
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
Want to dive deeper? Explore the latest research breakdowns and practical tools on our blog
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this week’s episode of Real Integrative Medicine, Dr. Jordan Robertson discusses the complexities and challenges of cortisol testing, emphasizing that it may not be a reliable indicator of stress or fatigue. She also presents ten critical considerations to evaluate before deciding to test cortisol, including sleep, nutrition, movement, and personal development.
This conversation highlights the importance of addressing lifestyle factors and mental health before resorting to hormonal testing.
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
Subscribe to The Stacks Here
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this week’s episode of Real Integrative Medicine, Dr. Jordan Robertson and Carmen Stansberry discuss the intersection of evidence-based practice and individualized care in women's health. Carmen shares her journey from conventional medicine to a holistic approach, emphasizing the importance of understanding the unique needs of women. They explore the complexities of symptoms like fatigue, the risks of over-screening, and the importance of building trusting relationships in healthcare. The conversation highlights the need for more research in women's health while advocating for a balanced approach that combines evidence with personalized care strategies.
Carmen Stansberry is a double board-certified nurse practitioner specializing in women’s hormone health, perimenopause, longevity medicine, and the intersection of hormone deficiency with chronic disease risk and immune dysfunction. She is a leading voice in modern midlife health optimization, advocating for women to take charge of their well-being beyond outdated medical paradigms.
As the founder of The Advanced Practice, Carmen not only built a successful private practice but also mentors clinicians on how to launch and scale high-impact, cash-based healthcare businesses that provide specialized and forward-thinking medical care. Through her expertise in clinical strategy, patient-centered care models, and marketing for modern
healthcare, she has helped countless providers transition from traditional systems into thriving, independent practices that prioritize outcomes, prevention, and patient autonomy.
Carmen’s approach bridges the gap between clinical expertise and business acumen, ensuring that both patients and practitioners have access to next-generation healthcare solutions. Her work has been featured in Verywell Health, Giddy, and multiple podcasts, and she serves as an expert clinical advisor for Hot Flash Inc., a media company dedicated to women’s health in midlife.
She holds graduate degrees from The George Washington University and Wayne State University and continues to push the conversation forward on women’s health, perimenopause, and longevity, ensuring that women receive the evidence-based care they deserve.
Learn More on Carmen’s Website
Follow Carmen on Instagram
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
Subscribe to The Stacks Here
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this episode of the Real Integrative Medicine podcast, Dr. Jordan Robertson and Dr. Briana Botsford discuss the importance of proper nutrition in exercise, exploring Briana's journey from athlete to expert. They delve into the signs of under-fueling, the impact of nutrition on performance and hormones, and the significance of meal timing. The conversation emphasizes the need for curiosity in nutrition choices and the difference between knowledge and strategy in achieving optimal health and performance.
Dr. Briana Botsford is a Naturopathic Doctor, clinic owner and endurance athlete located in Edmonton Alberta Canada. She focuses on the intersection of sports medicine and women's health and her mission is to empower women and their families to lead vibrant and energized lives through evidence-based natural health care.
Explore Dr. Briana’s Course, Energy for Every Stride Here
Discover Flow Functional Health Care
Learn More on Dr. Briana’s Website
Follow Dr. Briana on Instagram
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
Subscribe to The Stacks Here
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this episode of Real Integrative Medicine, Dr. Jordan Robertson sits down with Dr. Katie Thomson Aitken to explore a topic that’s often misunderstood: autism, especially in women.
We unpack what late diagnoses can mean for confidence, self-compassion, and care. You’ll learn how autistic burnout differs from depression and stress, why so many women go undiagnosed, and why support and accommodation matter with or without a label.
Whether you're autistic, neurodivergent, or just curious, this episode offers thoughtful insights, compassion, and a much-needed reframe of what it means to belong.
Dr. Katie Thomson Aitken, ND is the Founder of Tranquil Minds, a series of educational and clinical programming for anxious people, and author of the best-selling book Create Calm. With a decade of clinical experience in treating anxiety and mental health, Katie’s passion is helping people step back into the driver's seat of their life, reconnect with their inner peace and move their decision-driver from fear to love. She lives in Guelph, Ontario, with her family.
Learn more on Dr. Katie's Website
Follow Dr. Katie on Instagram
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Learn More About The Magic is in the Visit Webinar Series
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
Subscribe to The Stacks Here
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this episode of the Real Integrative Medicine podcast, Dr. Jordan Robertson and Dr. Laurie Alpert delve into the intricate relationship between sleep and perimenopause. They discuss the hormonal changes that lead to sleep disturbances, the importance of an integrative approach to sleep management, and effective behavioural strategies to improve sleep quality. The conversation emphasizes the need for awareness of sleep hygiene and the impact of daily habits on overall well-being, particularly during the perimenopausal phase. Dr. Laurie introduces her eight-week program designed to empower individuals to take charge of their sleep during this transitional phase, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach that considers hormonal changes, behavioural strategies, and personal accountability.
Dr. Laurie offers women who do it all effective, integrative and transformative health care that allows them to fully show up in midlife with confidence, clarity, and choice. Her mission is to shift the experience for hard-working women away from the boundaryless self-sacrifice and hormonal suffering that has been normalized beyond recognition, to a life of strength, sustainable energy, and hormonal harmony.
As a NAMS Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) she enjoys supporting women through their midlife hormonal transition by combining up to date evidence based information, goal setting, and shared decision making. Drawing from her years of practice as a naturopathic doctor and combining extensive research into sleep, hormones, menopause, and mental health, she guides women just like you back into a life full of strength, confidence, and connection.
Discover Dr. Laurie’s Perimenopause Sleep Solution Course
Follow Dr. Laurie on Instagram
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
Subscribe to The Stacks Here
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this episode of Real Integrative Medicine, host Dr. Jordan Robertson, ND sits down with behaviour change expert Katie Faloon-Drew to explore the intricacies of habit change. Katie shares her personal journey, emphasizing the importance of understanding the core motivations behind health goals. We delve into the psychological aspects of habit formation, the significance of setting daily goals for immediate gratification, and the challenges of balancing long-term aspirations with short-term actions. Katie provides insights on how to cultivate pride in one's efforts and manage expectations during the habit change process, ultimately highlighting that while change is difficult, it is achievable and rewarding.
Katie is a leading habit change expert, dynamic speaker, wellness coach, best selling author, workplace wellness virtuoso, mental illness survivor and thriver & busy mom of two.
With a Master’s in Health Psychology and 20+ years in wellness, Katie blends habit change science, coaching, and personal experience to help busy people create realistic, lasting habits that boost energy, authentic confidence, and well-being – without burning out.
Learn more on Katie’s Website
Follow Katie on Instagram
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Learn More About The Magic is in the Visit Webinar Series
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
Subscribe to The Stacks Here
Thank you for listening. Please follow and share this episode with a friend!
In this episode of Real Integrative Medicine, Dr. Jordan Robertson and Dr. Alan Christianson discuss the complexities of thyroid health, particularly focusing on subclinical hypothyroidism. They explore the discrepancies between conventional and integrative medicine approaches to thyroid diagnosis and treatment, emphasizing the risks of over-treatment and the importance of understanding thyroid function. The conversation highlights the role of iodine, the significance of watchful waiting, and the potential for patients to improve their thyroid health without medication. Dr. Christianson shares insights from his extensive experience and research, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of thyroid health and treatment options.
Dr. Alan Christianson is a board-certified Naturopathic Endocrinologist specializing in thyroid health. A New York Times bestselling author, his works include The Hormone Healing Cookbook and The Thyroid Reset Diet.
Dr. Christianson was the founding president behind the Endocrine Association of Naturopathic Physicians and has trained thousands of doctors worldwide in natural thyroid care.
He frequently appears on major national TV shows such as Dr. Oz, The Doctors, and The Today Show, and his expertise has been featured in publications like Women’s World and Natural Health.
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Learn More About The Magic is in the Visit Webinar Series
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
Subscribe to The Stacks Here
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this week's episode of Real Integrative Medicine with Dr. Jordan Robertson, ND, we’re joined by Dr. Mathew Leonardi, MD, PhD, a global leader in endometriosis care and research. We unpack the evolution of non-invasive diagnostics, new treatment options, and the shift toward truly personalized care. From ultrasound breakthroughs to interdisciplinary strategies, this conversation offers real hope for people navigating endo. A must-listen for clinicians and patients alike.
Dr. Mathew Leonardi is an expert in complex gynecology, endometriosis excision surgery and gynaecological ultrasound (assistant professor) at McMaster University Medical Centre in Hamilton, Canada. He is an honorary adjunct lecturer at the University of Adelaide. His philosophy of care includes working in an interdisciplinary team and patient-centred decision making. He has been awarded his PhD from the University of Sydney which is focused on the utility of ultrasound in the diagnosis and surgical management of endometriosis.
Follow Dr. Mathew on Instagram
Checkout Dr. Mathew on YouTube
Connect with Dr. Mathew on LinkedIn
SUGO Clinic
More on Dr. Mathew’s Website
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Learn More About The Magic is in the Visit Webinar Series
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
Subscribe to The Stacks Here
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this week's episode of Real Integrative Medicine with Dr. Jordan Robertson, we sit down with Dr. Monique Aucoin to explore her groundbreaking research on nutrition and anxiety. Learn how personalized dietary interventions, combined with omega-3 supplementation, significantly reduced anxiety symptoms in clinical trials. Dr. Aucoin shares what made the study successful and how clinicians can implement these strategies today. A must-listen for anyone interested in evidence-based nutritional psychiatry.
Monique Aucoin ND MSc is a naturopathic doctor and senior research fellow at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Guelph in the department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences. She has been in practice for more than 12 years. Her clinical practice and research work are focused on the role of diet and nutrition in the treatment of mental illness. She recently led the world’s first clinical trial of dietary counselling for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Monique has completed systematic and scoping reviews on the efficacy and safety of nutritional treatments and has published several case reports. She is passionate about supporting NDs and students in using evidence-based practice. Monique co-founded CCNM’s annual Research Day. She is an instructor at CCNM and an editor at the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors Journal.
Follow Dr. Monique on Instagram
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Learn More About The Magic is in the Visit Webinar Series
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
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Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this episode of Real Integrative Medicine, Dr. Jordan Robertson discusses the complex nature of fatigue and why it’s essential to take "radical responsibility" for your health. Discover the underlying causes of fatigue, both biological and psychological, and learn actionable steps to address them effectively. From sleep disorders to mental health, this episode emphasizes the importance of a proactive, comprehensive approach to overcoming fatigue.
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
Learn More About The Confident Clinician Here
Learn More About The Magic is in the Visit Webinar Series
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-Day AI Smart-Search Challenge
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
Subscribe to The Stacks Here
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
In this episode of Real Integrative Medicine, Dr. Jordan Robertson sits down with urologist-turned-menopause advocate Dr. Kelly Casperson, MD to explore the gender gaps in healthcare and why menopause deserves more attention. Kelly shares how one pivotal patient experience shifted her perspective and sparked her mission to champion evidence-based care for women.
Together, they dive into the power of integrative medicine, the challenges of accessing hormone therapy, and how technology is shaping the future of patient-centered care. This episode challenges the conventional understanding of hormones like testosterone and estrogen, highlighting their critical role in brain health.
Tune in to learn how personalized medicine, patient advocacy, and a shift in how we view women's health can lead to better outcomes for all.
Dr. Casperson is a board-certified practicing urologist interested in the power of the mind and science to change our views of sexuality. After many years in practice, she had a life-changing patient that made her curious to learn everything she could about female sexual wellness.
After she learned all she could, she created a podcast called You Are Not Broken, which consistently ranks in the top 10 in the Apple “sexuality” category in multiple countries. It has been nominated for an AASECT award for three years running.
She is an engaging and humorous storyteller making people comfortable with often uncomfortable topics and changing lives in the bedroom and out with her practical, valuable tips. She is also the author of the bestselling book, “You Are Not Broken: Stop Should-ing All Over Your Sex Life.”
Follow Dr. Kelly Casperson on Instagram
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan Robertson on Instagram
Do you ever wish there were a knowledge base built just for you?
Have you searched for a resource that supported you so you could focus on what really matters for your business?
The Confident Clinician is the ONLY medical knowledge base built for integrative practitioners.
Over 750 clinician members have simplified their patient care by using our knowledge base and exclusive members-only education.
Our knowledge base and clinical topics are updated on an ongoing basis and, and we offer exclusive members-only courses that support you, whatever your clinical focus.
Ready to be supported in your work?
- Learn more about The Confident Clinician here
- Learn more about The Magic is in the Visit Webinar Series
-
Discover The Confident Clinician’s 5-day AI Smart-Search Challenge If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
-
Subscribe to The Stacks
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and share.
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
- Subscribe to The Stacks
- Learn more about The Confident Clinician
In this episode of Real Integrative Medicine, Dr. Kim Bretz debunks common misconceptions about gut health and explains how understanding the root causes can lead to more effective treatments. Discover the gut-brain connection, and learn how addressing individual needs can optimize digestive health and tackle issues like bloating and gas.
Dr. Kim Bretz, ND, is a specialist in gut health and an expert in functional medicine. She focuses on treating digestive disorders through a holistic, individualized approach, emphasizing the gut-brain connection and the importance of understanding the root cause of symptoms.
Follow Dr. Kim Bretz on Instagram
Discover Dr. Kim Bretz's course
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram
Thank you for listening.
Please subscribe and share.
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
- Subscribe to The Stacks
- Learn more about The Confident Clinician
In this episode, Dr. Jordan Robertson talks with Dr. Brittany Schamerhorn, a naturopathic expert in women’s health, about hormone therapy, birth control, and menopause. They dive into the shifting views on hormonal treatments, holistic health integration, and how to transition from birth control to hormone therapy. Tune in for valuable insights and empower yourself with the right knowledge for your health journey.
Dr. Brittany Schamerhorn is a naturopathic doctor with extensive experience in women’s health, particularly hormone therapy and holistic approaches. She empowers women to take control of their health by integrating personalized care plans that support both physical and emotional wellness.
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
- Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram.
Thank you for listening.
Please subscribe and share.
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
- Subscribe to The Stacks
- Learn more about The Confident Clinician
In this episode, dietitian Andy De Santis and Dr. Jordan Robertson, ND dive into fatty liver disease, its causes, and how lifestyle changes can reverse its effects. Learn the importance of diet, exercise, and diagnostic tools like blood tests and ultrasound. Tune in for practical tips on preventing liver damage and improving liver health.
Andy De Santis is a registered dietitian specializing in metabolic health and nutrition, focusing on conditions like fatty liver disease. He advocates for evidence-based nutrition practices that help individuals manage their health and reverse chronic conditions.
Follow Andy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andytherd/?hl=en
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
Follow Dr. Jordan on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/drjordannd/?hl=en
Thank you for listening.
Please subscribe and share.
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
You can subscribe with the links below, or by visiting confidentclinicianclub.com
- Website: www.confidentclinicianclub.com
- https://discover.theconfidentclinicianclub.com/lm-the-stacks
In this episode, Dr. Jordan Robertson shares how many people may not realize that hormone sensitivity, not just hormone levels, could be causing their mood swings. Learn why these hormonal changes can lead to mood disturbances, especially during PMS, PMDD, and perimenopause. Discover how each phase of your cycle affects your emotions and explore treatment options, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and birth control. Dr. Robertson also discusses how resilience-building activities like exercise can help manage hormone-related mood symptoms.
Thank you for listening.
Please subscribe and share.
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
You can subscribe with the links in the show notes, or by visiting confidentclinicianclub.com
- Website: www.confidentclinicianclub.com
- https://discover.theconfidentclinicianclub.com/lm-the-stacks
In this episode, Dr. Jordan Robertson speaks with Deborah Atkinson, owner of Flipping 50, about the unique challenges women face when exercising during menopause. With over 41 years of experience in fitness, Deborah shares her expert insights on how menopause changes our response to exercise and offers practical strategies for overcoming common obstacles. From the fear of injury to the lack of personalized support from trainers, Deborah reveals how to tailor your approach to ensure success. They also explore the impact of hormonal changes on motivation and how focusing on short-term wins, like improved sleep and mood, can help you stay on track.
In this episode, Dr. Jordan Robertson speaks with Deborah Atkinson about how menopause can change the way we respond to exercise. They discuss how to overcome the fear of injury, the lack of personalized care, and the impact hormonal shifts have on motivation. They also explore how to stay motivated by focusing on short-term rewards and finding the right fitness support system.
Deborah Atkinson, the founder of Flipping 50, has spent over 41 years helping women thrive in midlife. She’s here to share her expert insights on why menopause changes how we should approach exercise and how to tailor workouts for maximum health and longevity during this life phase.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debraatkinson/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flipping50/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjordannd/
Website: https://www.flippingfifty.com
A dedicated practitioner in naturopathic and integrative medicine, Dr. Jordan Robertson is the visionary behind The Confident Clinician, a platform focused on empowering healthcare professionals with evidence-based solutions and the latest research. With over 15 years of experience in clinical practice and education at McMaster University's Health Sciences program, Dr. Robertson identified the need for better support for naturopathic doctors and integrative medicine practitioners in staying current with evolving treatment protocols. The Confident Clinician fills this gap, offering a comprehensive resource that boosts clinicians' confidence and efficiency in their practice.
PODCAST
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Please subscribe and share.
This podcast is produced by DrTalks.com https://drtalks.com/podcast-service/
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
You can subscribe with the links in the show notes, or by visiting confidentclinicianclub.com
- Website: www.confidentclinicianclub.com
- https://discover.theconfidentclinicianclub.com/lm-the-stacks
In this episode, Dr. Matthew Nagra, a naturopathic doctor, debunks common myths about plant-based diets and protein. Learn how all plant foods offer complete proteins, how small dietary changes can lead to big health improvements, and the long-term benefits of adopting a plant-based lifestyle. Dr. Nagra also tackles the impact of industry-funded misinformation and emphasizes the importance of evidence-based nutrition.
In this episode of "The Real Integrative Medicine Podcast," Dr. Matthew Nagra explores how plant-based diets are nutritionally complete and offer profound health benefits. He debunks the myth that plant-based proteins are incomplete, explains how small dietary changes can lead to big health improvements, and emphasizes why plant-based eating is a sustainable and evidence-backed choice for long-term wellness.
Dr. Matthew Nagra is a naturopathic doctor who is passionate about evidence-based nutrition and the health benefits of plant-based diets. His mission is to challenge common misconceptions around plant-based eating, particularly regarding protein, and empower people to make informed dietary choices that improve their long-term health.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-matthew-nagra-nd-02ba20104/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.matthewnagra/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.matthewnagra/
PODCAST
Thank you for listening.
Please subscribe and share.
This podcast is produced by DrTalks.com https://drtalks.com/podcast-service/
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
You can subscribe with the links in the show notes, or by visiting confidentclinicianclub.com
- Website: www.confidentclinicianclub.com
- https://discover.theconfidentclinicianclub.com/lm-the-stacks
Finding the right healthcare practitioner isn't as simple as a Google search or a friend's recommendation. In this episode, I break down the key factors that matter when choosing a provider—from understanding their scope of practice to aligning with your health goals. We also discuss why online reviews can be misleading, the importance of evidence-based care versus cutting-edge treatments, and why a practitioner's coaching ability is just as crucial as their credentials. If you’ve ever struggled to find the right healthcare provider, this episode will give you the tools to make a confident, informed decision.
In this episode of “The Real Integrative Medicine Podcast,” I break down the biggest mistakes people make when choosing a healthcare practitioner. Many rely on keyword searches, social media, or online reviews—but these methods don’t always lead to the best fit. I discuss the importance of the scope of practice, why professional endorsements matter more than Google reviews, and how to find a practitioner whose approach aligns with your personal health goals. Whether you need a diagnosis, ongoing coaching, or evidence-based treatments, this episode will help you make smarter healthcare decisions.
A dedicated practitioner in naturopathic and integrative medicine, Dr. Jordan Robertson is the visionary behind The Confident Clinician, a platform focused on empowering healthcare professionals with evidence-based solutions and the latest research. With over 15 years of experience in clinical practice and education at McMaster University's Health Sciences program, Dr. Robertson identified the need for better support for naturopathic doctors and integrative medicine practitioners in staying current with evolving treatment protocols. The Confident Clinician fills this gap, offering a comprehensive resource that boosts clinicians' confidence and efficiency in their practice.
PODCAST
Thank you for listening.
Please subscribe and share.
This podcast is produced by DrTalks.com https://drtalks.com/podcast-service/
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
You can subscribe with the links in the show notes, or by visiting confidentclinicianclub.com
- Website: www.confidentclinicianclub.com
- https://discover.theconfidentclinicianclub.com/lm-the-stacks
Weight management is far more complex than "calories in, calories out." In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ashley White to explore the science behind appetite regulation, the genetic and environmental factors influencing weight, and the role of medication in obesity treatment. Dr. White shares her personal journey with weight struggles, how medical weight management transformed her approach, and why weight loss isn’t just about willpower. We also discuss the emotional side of eating, how food marketing affects our choices, and the latest advancements in weight loss medications.
In this episode of “The Real Integrative Medicine Podcast,” I explore the link between diet and skin health—separating myths from science. While trendy diets claim to clear up acne and rosacea, the truth is more complex. I break down the latest research, discuss why eliminating certain foods may or may not help, and explain the role of genetics in skin conditions. Plus, I share insights on the Mediterranean diet and why it's one of the few dietary patterns actually associated with better skin health. Tune in to learn how to take a science-backed approach to managing your skin.
Dr. Ashley White is a physician specializing in obesity medicine and metabolic health. After struggling with weight management herself, she developed a deep passion for understanding the science behind appetite regulation, genetics, and sustainable weight loss. She now helps patients navigate the complexities of obesity treatment with a holistic, evidence-based approach. Dr. White is dedicated to breaking the stigma around weight and advocating for individualized care, including the use of medical nutrition therapy, behavioral interventions, and innovative medications to support long-term success.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drashleywhite/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleywhite.md/
Website: https://www.theshift.clinic/about
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Shift-Clinic-61555704723347/
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
PODCAST
Thank you for listening.
Please subscribe and share.
This podcast is produced by DrTalks.com https://drtalks.com/podcast-service/
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
You can subscribe with the links in the show notes, or by visiting confidentclinicianclub.com
- Website: www.confidentclinicianclub.com
- https://discover.theconfidentclinicianclub.com/lm-the-stacks
Many skincare trends link diet to acne and rosacea, but what does the research actually say? In this episode, I break down the science behind food and skin health, debunk common myths, and explain why managing these conditions matters more than searching for a cure. You'll learn which foods may worsen acne and rosacea, why extreme diets lack evidence and the role of a Mediterranean-style diet in skin health. If you’ve ever wondered whether cutting out dairy or chocolate can improve your skin, this episode is for you.
In this episode of “The Real Integrative Medicine Podcast,” I explore the link between diet and skin health—separating myths from science. While trendy diets claim to clear up acne and rosacea, the truth is more complex. I break down the latest research, discuss why eliminating certain foods may or may not help, and explain the role of genetics in skin conditions. Plus, I share insights on the Mediterranean diet and why it's one of the few dietary patterns actually associated with better skin health. Tune in to learn how to take a science-backed approach to managing your skin.
Dr. Jordan Robertson is a leader in naturopathic and integrative medicine. She is dedicated to evidence-based healthcare and founded The Confident Clinician, which empowers practitioners with up-to-date research and practical tools. With over 15 years in clinical practice and experience teaching at McMaster University’s Health Sciences program, she bridges the gap between research and real-world application.
PODCAST
Thank you for listening.
Please subscribe and share.
This podcast is produced by DrTalks.com https://drtalks.com/podcast-service/
If you’re a clinician and you’re loving the content of the show, I’d love to invite you to subscribe to our clinician-focused free magazine called The Stacks. The Stacks offers research focused articles, editorials and opinion pieces on business and practice and unlocks some of our best Confident Clinician content every month.
You can subscribe with the links in the show notes, or by visiting confidentclinicianclub.com
- Website: www.confidentclinicianclub.com
- https://discover.theconfidentclinicianclub.com/lm-the-stacks
Many nutrition studies show impressive results, but why don’t we see the same outcomes in real life? In this episode, I uncover the gap between research and real-world application. You’ll learn why most one-time dietary advice fails, the critical role of support and accountability, and how policy barriers make sustainable nutrition changes harder. Whether you're a patient or a practitioner, understanding these challenges can help you build long-term success. Tune in to discover how to apply research-backed nutrition strategies in a way that actually works.
In this episode of The Real Integrative Medicine Podcast, I dive into why so many people struggle to successfully implement dietary changes. Despite nutrition interventions showing positive results in research, most people only receive meal plans or basic advice without the essential component—structured coaching and support. I explore the flaws in our current system, the systemic barriers that make long-term care difficult, and what needs to change to make nutrition advice genuinely effective. Tune in to learn how to make research-backed nutrition strategies work for you in real life.
A dedicated practitioner in naturopathic and integrative medicine, Dr. Jordan Robertson is the visionary behind The Confident Clinician, a platform focused on empowering healthcare professionals with evidence-based solutions and the latest research. With over 15 years of experience in clinical practice and education at McMaster University's Health Sciences program, Dr. Robertson identified the need for better support for naturopathic doctors and integrative medicine practitioners in staying current with evolving treatment protocols. The Confident Clinician fills this gap, offering a comprehensive resource that boosts clinicians' confidence and efficiency in their practice.
PODCAST
Thank you for listening.
Please subscribe and share.
This podcast is produced by DrTalks.com https://drtalks.com/podcast-service/
When it comes to navigating pregnancy and postpartum, you need resources and care that put the focus on YOU and your health.
But… Most perinatal and postnatal care focuses on your baby and NOT YOU!
That’s exactly why we created The Thriving Trimesters Summit—a FREE 5-day event where you'll get the expert advice and resources you need to take care of YOU throughout your pregnancy and beyond.
This is your chance to learn from 25+ doctors and health experts who specialize in pregnancy and postpartum and get over $4000 of expert advice—FREE!
We’re covering EVERYTHING you need to know to THRIVE through all stages of
pregnancy and postpartum including:
☑️ Managing nausea & vomiting + understanding mood disorders & postpartum care
☑️ Prenatal nutrition basics: choosing the right prenatal vitamin & fueling for two
☑️ The critical role of pelvic health and understanding your body’s needs during and after pregnancy
☑️ Expert breastfeeding advice + tips for a smooth postpartum recovery
☑️ Navigating mental health & wellness with self-compassion, plus understanding perinatal anxiety & depression
This is the support you’ve been looking for—expert advice you can trust, that puts the focus on YOUR health— all in one place.
RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY ➡️ https://discover.carryonhealthcollection.com/thriving-trimester-summit-register-1
In this episode, I welcome Dr. Alex Verge to discuss Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), an often-overlooked marker of cardiovascular risk. We dive into the limitations of traditional cholesterol tests, why standard risk calculators miss key factors, and how Lp(a) impacts heart disease, stroke, and aortic stenosis. Dr. Verge shares clinical insights, stressing the need for comprehensive heart assessments. Learn why Lp(a) screening is gaining recognition in 2025 and how an integrative approach offers better preventative strategies for heart health.
Many people think a standard cholesterol test is enough to assess heart health—but that’s not the whole story. In this episode of The Real Integrative Medicine Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Alex Verge to talk about why traditional risk assessments often miss key factors. We dive into the role of Lp(a), a lesser-known but crucial marker of cardiovascular risk, and why more clinicians are recognizing its importance in 2024. If you want a more complete understanding of heart health and the future of cardiovascular screening, this episode is for you.
PODCAST
Thank you for listening.
Please subscribe and share.
This podcast is produced by DrTalks.com https://drtalks.com/podcast-service/
When it comes to navigating pregnancy and postpartum, you need resources and care that put the focus onYOU and your health.
But… Most perinatal and postnatal care focuses on your baby and NOT YOU!
That’s exactly why we created The Thriving Trimesters Summit—a FREE 5-day event where you'll get the expert advice and resources you need to take care of YOU throughout your pregnancy and beyond.
This is your chance to learn from 25+ doctors and health experts who specialize in pregnancy and postpartum and get over $4000 of expert advice—FREE!
We’re covering EVERYTHING you need to know to THRIVE through all stages of
pregnancy and postpartum including:
☑️ Managing nausea & vomiting + understanding mood disorders & postpartum care
☑️ Prenatal nutrition basics: choosing the right prenatal vitamin & fueling for two
☑️ The critical role of pelvic health and understanding your body’s needs during and after pregnancy
☑️ Expert breastfeeding advice + tips for a smooth postpartum recovery
☑️ Navigating mental health & wellness with self-compassion, plus understanding perinatal anxiety & depression
This is the support you’ve been looking for—expert advice you can trust, that puts the focus on YOUR health— all in one place.
RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY➡️https://discover.carryonhealthcollection.com/thriving-trimester-summit-register-1
Raw milk sparks debate—some swear by its benefits, while others warn of its dangers. In this episode, I break down the science, the regulations, and the real health risks. With misinformation spreading online, it's crucial to know the facts. Tune in as I explain why raw milk is still a public health concern and why government regulations exist to protect consumers. Don't fall for the myths—get the facts and make informed choices.
In this episode ofThe Real Integrative Medicine Podcast, I’m tackling the controversial topic of raw milk. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and I want to set the record straight. I’ll break down why raw milk remains a serious health risk, why government regulations exist, and how to critically evaluate health information online. With raw milk being the leading cause of foodborne illness in North America, it’s important to make informed choices. Tune in as I separate the myths from the facts and help you stay informed about what you’re putting into your body.
A dedicated practitioner in naturopathic and integrative medicine, Dr. Jordan Robertson is the visionary behind The Confident Clinician, a platform focused on empowering healthcare professionals with evidence-based solutions and the latest research. With over 15 years of experience in clinical practice and education at McMaster University's Health Sciences program, Dr. Robertson identified the need for better support for naturopathic doctors and integrative medicine practitioners in staying current with evolving treatment protocols. The Confident Clinician fills this gap, offering a comprehensive resource that boosts clinicians' confidence and efficiency in their practice.
Thank you for listening.
Please subscribe and share.
This podcast is produced by DrTalks.com https://drtalks.com/podcast-service/
When it comes to navigating pregnancy and postpartum, you need resources and care that put the focus on YOU and your health.
But… most perinatal and postnatal care focuses on your baby and NOT YOU!
That’s exactly why we created The Thriving Trimesters Summit—a FREE 5-day event where you'll get the expert advice and resources you need to take care of YOU throughout your pregnancy and beyond.
This is your chance to learn from 25+ doctors and health experts who specialize in pregnancy and postpartum and get over $4000 of expert advice—FREE!
We’re covering EVERYTHING you need to know to THRIVE through all stages of
pregnancy and postpartum including:
☑️ Managing nausea & vomiting + understanding mood disorders & postpartum care
☑️ Prenatal nutrition basics: choosing the right prenatal vitamin & fueling for two
☑️ The critical role of pelvic health and understanding your body’s needs during and after pregnancy
☑️ Expert breastfeeding advice + tips for a smooth postpartum recovery
☑️ Navigating mental health & wellness with self-compassion, plus understanding perinatal anxiety & depression
This is the support you’ve been looking for—expert advice you can trust, that puts the focus on YOUR health— all in one place.
RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY ➡️ https://discover.carryonhealthcollection.com/thriving-trimester-summit-register-1
As we age, keeping our muscles strong becomes more challenging, but there’s more to it than just exercise. Supplements play a significant role in supporting muscle health, especially as we get older. In this episode, I’ll walk you through three essential supplements for building and maintaining muscle mass: protein, creatine, and fish oil. Don’t wait for muscle loss to catch up—take action today! Learn how these supplements can keep you strong and active in your later years. It’s all about working smarter—not harder and using the right tools to support your body.
In this episode of The Real Integrative Medicine Podcast, I’m diving into how to stay strong as we get older. I’ll be talking about three key supplements—protein, creatine, and fish oil—and how they can support muscle health at any age. It’s not just about working out harder; it’s about supplementing smarter to give your body the best chance at staying strong and healthy for the long run. Tune in to hear how these supplements can make a real difference in your muscle health and overall well-being!----
A dedicated practitioner in naturopathic and integrative medicine, Dr. Jordan Robertson is the visionary behind The Confident Clinician, a platform focused on empowering healthcare professionals with evidence-based solutions and the latest research. With over 15 years of experience in clinical practice and education at McMaster University's Health Sciences program, Dr. Robertson identified the need for better support for naturopathic doctors and integrative medicine practitioners in staying current with evolving treatment protocols. The Confident Clinician fills this gap, offering a comprehensive resource that boosts clinicians' confidence and efficiency in their practice.
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In this compelling episode of the Real Integrative Medicine podcast, host Dr. Jordan Robertson dives into her personal battle with a mysterious skin condition that eluded diagnosis for weeks. Dr. Robertson recounts experiencing severe allergic reactions characterized by hives, welts, and blistering rashes on her forearms. When traditional treatments like antihistamines, prednisone, and cortisone creams failed to provide relief, Dr. Robertson's journey took a complex turn. Amid diagnoses ranging from hives to severe poison ivy, she found herself at a frustrating standstill.
Highlighting the complexities of diagnosing skin conditions (or any medical condition) and the mental toll it can take, Dr. Robertson eventually adopted a "wait and see" approach. But against initial advice, her persistence led to comprehensive lab testing, resulting in a surprising diagnosis: celiac disease presenting as dermatitis herpetiformis.
This episode provides an insightful look into the diagnostic challenges in healthcare, the importance of self-advocacy, and the delicate balance integrative medicine practitioners must maintain between patient expectations and clinical evidence. Dr. Robertson’s story underscores the significance of patience, follow-up, and adopting a broad yet evidence-based approach to uncover the root causes of elusive medical conditions.
Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of the strategies behind watchful waiting, the value of reassessment, and the consumer-driven aspects of integrative healthcare. Tune in for an inspiring journey from uncertainty to resolution and get a unique perspective on the interconnections between skin reactions and systemic health issues like celiac disease.
Welcome to Real Integrative Medicine, formerly known as Women's Health Unplugged, hosted by Dr. Jordan Robertson. This podcast delves into the intricate intersection of behavior change, mindset, and traditional medical therapies, providing both patients and clinicians with the tools they need for healthcare success.
In a world crowded with conflicting health information, Real Integrative Medicine aims to demystify and deconstruct these complexities, offering evidence-based insights and practical strategies. Each episode explores pivotal themes such as behavioral modification, mindset shifts, goal setting, and compliance in medicine. We tackle the toughest questions, confront cognitive biases, and discuss the real-world challenges faced by both practitioners and patients.
Our rebranding to Real Integrative Medicine reflects a broader focus on holistic health management, moving beyond hormonal health to address a wider array of medical topics. Dr. Robertson brings her expertise in integrative medicine to the forefront, critiquing the lack of standardized care and advocating for a universal playbook to guide practitioners in delivering consistent, patient-centered treatment.
Listeners are invited to join Dr. Robertson in an intimate and motivational dialogue that covers innovative health strategies, the latest trends in medical literature, and personal wellness practices such as gratitude and journaling. By integrating behavior change, mindset, and medical therapy, Real Integrative Medicine provides a comprehensive approach to achieve optimal health outcomes.
Tune in to Real Integrative Medicine to stay informed, inspired, and empowered on your health journey. Join us in both audio and video formats as we share valuable insights and engage in meaningful conversations over the coming weeks.
I promise. You need to get your picture taken.
In this episode I share the mic with my photographer, Laura Benn. We share an intimate conversation about how to get comfortable getting your picture taken and why it’s so important that you do.
Whether you’re in business and need photos for your branding, you’ve avoid family photography or you just need to create more memories, this episode will help you reframe how to think about each picture.
I share my own personal journey with professional photography and how I felt getting my picture taken years ago compared to now and how I’ve changed my perspective. We give you real tips on how to have a great picture taken and how to think about this snapshot in time in your life (and why you’ll want to capture it).
Laura works with women who are looking for professional and branding photography, and I can say, she’s amazing. You can find her on Instagram (@gooseberrystudios) and at her website (https://lauralbenn.com/)
PS: I tell a story of a “kids say the darndest things” moment that does include some swearing in this episode. Just an FYI.
There are a few things that would happen in a one-to-one appointment with patients that change how successful they are. Your health hinges on your ability to execute your habits, and yet we have such difficulty making change.
Here are some new ideas.
In this episode, we talk about my first course, The Pillars of Perimenopause, which is a habit change challenge slash educational program to help you actually change and equip you to have a better health experience in your 40s and 50s.
You can register before May 1, and then we can all start together as a group.
My takeaways for habit change?
- You need to have a new conversation in your head about your habits and I'll give you the script that will turn everything around.
- You need to understand the MVP (minimum viable products) for your habits.
- You need to eliminate tension and move the "line" you've drawn around your self-investment.
I hope you join us for the course. It's currently 50% off and has a few fun bonus offers for our first cohort.
In this week’s episode, we discuss where ‘root cause’ medicine comes from and where things have gone wrong.
I share my insights for how treating the root cause can look like
- Addressing the risk factors that set you up for a chronic condition
- Treating co-morbidities to help improve your health status
- Making changes to your lifestyle to reduce your future need for medication or the need for increased medication
- Co-supporting long term medication prescriptions to help you get the most out of your prescription.
What root cause medicine isn’t is the relentless pursuit of the one thing that’s gone wrong in your life and health that, if you reverse it, will cause all your health problems to go away.
The inspiration for this episode came after a national news article about how Naturopathic Doctors in Canada are “not” a solution to the healthcare crisis. One of the things the article pointed out is that we search for the root cause, which is harmful. We break down that phrase, and when root cause medicine is important and valuable, and when to let the goal go.
As the youngest of 8 kids, Dr. Sharon Malone watched her mother navigate the world with good old common sense. When she became a gynecologist, author and the health-advocate for thousands of women she took the exact same approach.
Cited as the “first person I turn to for a whole host of issues, especially my health” by Michelle Obama, Sharon has a mission of taking information that used to “belong” to doctors and make it accessible and available to every woman.
In her book, Grown Woman Talk, she covers conditions from fibroids to endometriosis and how to navigate midlife with confidence and health.
In this podcast episode, we talk about how women have more choices than ever in their health care journey and how to be a good “buyer” in the world of health. She shares her advice on how to get a second opinion, and why you are the person with the greatest continuity in your own health journey (and thus should be listened to!).
You can get a copy of Sharon’s book here.
If we ask a room full of women what their greatest health risk is they either can’t answer, or answer breast cancer.
If we ask people what a typical heart patient looks like, they often have an immediate vision of a man.
If we cram women’s health into a 7-minute health appointment, we probably aren’t asking her about her pregnancy history.
This, is the bad news of women’s heart health.
The good news is, we can change your path. If you listen to this conversation.
Heart health is a woman’s number one health risk, and oftentimes, she’s carrying around sex-specific risk factors (like pregnancy history) that influence her status. In this episode, I’m joined by Cardiac Nurse and Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Olivia Greenspan who shares her experience on both ends of the spectrum, and why she’s so passionate about teaching you the basics about heart health.
We cover the risk factors nobody has asked you about, how to approach your health care appointments and why you need to start making changes today.
Olivia practices in Ontario and you can find her on her website or on Instagram where she shares practical and pragmatic advice about women’s heart health, especially around menopause.
www.oliviagreenspan.ca
www.facebook.com/oliviagreenspannd/
IG - @droliviand
We’ve had a lot of opportunities to do an episode on biohacking. We probably get asked 4-5 times per week to host someone on the show who has a product, supplement, lab test or wearable that they want to talk about.
We’ve pretty much always said no.
Why? Biohacking falls into this weird category of health and wellness that isn’t really evidence-based. It’s so “cutting edge” and so “ahead of the curve” that we don’t know if it works.
In this episode, I share how to think about biohacking from wearables to supplements and the questions to ask yourself (good and bad) before you consider biohacking.
If you’re ready for a more pragmatic approach to your hormonal health, you can still get a free ticket to our menopause summit called Modern Menopause. Get your ticket here.
If you’ve ever been told you have heartburn, have been medicated for heartburn (and maybe still are) or have wondered if you have heartburn - this episode was recorded just for you.
I’m joined by my colleague and friend, Dr. Dominique Vanier, ND who has been an instrumental part of the education team at The Confident Clinician in the last year, educating more than 700 clinicians about reflux, heartburn and other digestive conditions that feel a lot like heartburn (but might not be!).
In this episode, we’re sharing
- Heartburn myths and realities
- GERD diagnostic challenges
- Diet's impact on reflux
- Gut-brain interaction complexities
- Misdiagnosis and treatment issues
- Proton pump inhibitors and alternatives
- What individualized health care looks like (you can improve your symptoms!)
If you’re ready for a new perspective on your digestive health, Dr. Vanier is accepting new patients at Clarity Health in Burlington servicing patients in person and virtually all across Ontario. You can find Dr. Dominique Vanier here and follow her on Instagram here.
In today’s episode, we talk about an important phrase in women’s health
“Listen to your body”
We’re going to break down when you should actually listen to your body and when listening to your body is actually getting in your way of progress.
Exercise is an amazing example, given that when we study exercise, we actually make the participants do the exercise. We don’t ask them if they are too tired or if they “feel like it”. The benefits they get come from the doing. Not from doing it if they want to.
Before you listen to your body, we need to ask a few questions (and we cover them all in the episode).
Today’s episode was brought to you by the Modern Menopause Summit. With over 40 topics covered, you need to be there!. You can register for your free ticket here.
In today’s episode, I share the mic with my friend and colleague, Dr. Dolores Fernandez, a Naturopathic Doctor and the owner of Iris personal care products (lube and vaginal moisturizer!)
We talk about the importance of getting connected with vulvovaginal health, how skin is skin is skin and why you need to understand “normal” so you can pay attention to changes.
IRIS is offering 20% off to women's health unplugged listeners for 1 month after the podcast airs. Use code WHU20 at checkout at www.lovemyiris.com. IRIS is one of our sponsors for the Modern Menopause summit and Dolores shares even MORE information about vaginal health in this special online event.
Here’s a summary of what we discussed:
Diagnosing and Treating Gynecological Dermatology Conditions
Takeaway: There is a gap in the healthcare field between gynecology and dermatology, leading to challenges in diagnosing and treating conditions specifically related to vulvar and vaginal health. Specialists often focus narrowly on their area, which can result in missed or misdiagnosed conditions that require a broader interdisciplinary understanding.
Importance of Vaginal Health Awareness
Takeaway: There is a notable deficiency in the general awareness of vaginal health issues across different life stages. Education and open discussion are crucial in recognizing symptoms, avoiding misdiagnosis, and promoting overall vaginal health to ensure proper care and treatment.
Education on Lubricant Products
Takeaway: Lubricants vary widely in quality, and there is a lack of regulation and standardization, which underscores the need for education on the chemistry and quality of personal care products. Understanding key aspects like pH balance, preservatives, osmolarity, and ingredients contribute to making informed choices and preventing adverse reactions.
The Evolving Needs of Vaginal Care
Takeaway: Women should consider the evolving nature of their vaginal care needs as they age and stay informed about the latest science and product developments. It is imperative for women to adapt their care regimen in response to changes in their bodies to maintain optimal vaginal health.
Normalization and Stigma Reduction in Vulvar Health
Takeaway: Breaking down the stigma and fostering an environment where conversations about vulval health are normalized is essential. Knowledge of one's own anatomy, being vigilant to symptoms, and discussing experiences can encourage a supportive atmosphere, leading to better healthcare outcomes and advancements in research and education related to vulval and vaginal health.
Everyone is touched by Menopause in one way or another.
It might be you, your partner or your mother.
Over the last year, I've been working on a project with 25 of the industry's best menopause practitioners to bring you a week-long, completely free event to help you learn about the most recent science around supporting people in menopause.
We'll be covering concepts from HRT to weight gain, from mood and sleep to cardiovascular health. It will be a complete one-stop experience to help you gain confidence (and feel hopeful) about this stage of life.
You can register for the event for free here. I'm incredibly proud to host these women who are standing up for better menopause care (that extends beyond a prescription).
If you have a friend in this stage of life, forward them this email. Seeing each of these practitioners individually wouldn't even be possible! We've brought them together to share their expertise and gift you the resources you need to have a healthy menopause transition.
Whether you're in your 40s and wondering what's coming or in your 60s and wondering what's next, this event will support you to have the most Modern Menopause possible.
I hope you are well and look forward to sharing with you at this premier event.
In today's podcast, we discuss the evidence for changing mammogram guidelines to include women in their 4th decade (40-50). I open with a new promise to bring you more authentic conversations on evidence (and more calling out of the bs online). We also talk about how to make decisions about screening for yourself (and why we are in favour of the breast cancer screening guidelines).
I hope you enjoy the episode. Remember to leave a review after listening so we can reach more women like you.
Here's an AI-Generated summary of what we talked about in today's episode:
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Understanding Screening Tests:
- Screening tests aim to detect diseases early in large populations.
- Effective screening tests must find diseases at a time when intervention can significantly alter outcomes.
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Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines:
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Recent guideline changes focus on early detection, especially in younger women.
- The new age bracket (40-50 years) is targeted due to the aggressive nature of breast cancer in premenopausal women.
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Addressing Misconceptions and Fears:
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Common myths about mammograms causing breast cancer are debunked.
- Emphasis on the goal of screening: early detection to save lives, not to cause harm.
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The Role of Mammograms:
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Mammograms are selected for breast cancer screening due to their accessibility and safety.
- The podcast clarifies the difference between diagnostic tests and screening tests.
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Critiquing Alternative Screening Methods:
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Discussion on the lack of evidence supporting alternative methods like thermography.
- Stress on the importance of relying on scientifically proven screening methods.
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Importance of Evidence-Based Screening:
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Screening is based on population statistics and the greater good, not individual cases.
- Encouragement to view public health recommendations within the context of overall population benefit.
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What to do next:
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Listeners are encouraged to critically assess health information, especially regarding breast cancer screening.
- Importance of making health decisions based on scientific evidence and personal values.
"What supplements do you take, Jordan?"
This is one of the most common questions I get asked on social media. I will give you the answer, but we will also talk about why you're asking in the first place.
Wellness behaviours and nutrition have this weird space in medicine where we expect to get our answers online, our advice from friends or our hairstylist and personalized recommendations from an Instagram post. We're going to dive into this and look at why we want validation, hope, and an illusion of safety when we see someone else doing something.
I also share with you my current and past list of supplements. I share how I made the decision to take them, what I expect the outcomes to be and what I've taken in the past. The episode's purpose is to help you feel hope that you can have a list curated for you that may help your symptoms.
If you listen and realize you need help, our team of Doctors at Clarity Health is always ready to help residents of Ontario choose the 1-2 supplements that they need to support their health journey. You can submit a web inquiry at www.clarityhealthburlington.ca, and one of our team members will call you back.
In this episode, we talk about 5 really simple strategies to improve your PMS that are absolutely FREE.
Hormonal health is an important area that is often poorly addressed in conventional care. Understanding and supporting your own PMS symptoms can give you back quality of life.
In the episode we talk about
- What it means if you suddenly get PMS in your 40s.
- The biggest pressure on your PMS in your life.
- 5 free solutions that you can start today.
- My personal strategies for dealing with PMS.
If you loved the episode, share it with a friend and be sure to write us a review.
This episode is about the first period. Many of you have young pre-menstruators and menstruators in your life who would benefit from you knowing the ins and outs of puberty and what to look for around that first period.
Teens, unfortunately, often have their symptoms chalked up to a "normal teen experience," whether they have a delayed first period, significant acne or rapid changes to body weight. This isn't true, and rapid or extreme development of hormone symptoms often have an underlying hormone condition that should be assessed.
Young people deserve an assessment if
- They are 15 with no period (whether they have breast development or not)
- They are 13 with no secondary sex characteristics at all.
- They have rapid changes to their androgen symptoms (acne, body hair growth, body weight changes).
- They miss their first period and play competitive sports, are petite or maybe eating below their energy needs.
We cover how to think about each of these areas of health and when to push for assessment in your teen.
If you need support and live in Ontario, reach out to us at www.clarityhealthburlington.ca and submit a web inquiry. Our clinicians work with all types of hormonal concerns in young people and run evidence-based testing (blood work).
In this birthday episode, I'm sharing the things I'm noticing about myself as I turn 42 (like how sore I am every day mostly) and talking about the things I'm no longer tolerating about myself this year.
We often hear the narrative of people over 40 "not tolerating any more bs" from others, but in my opinion, the buck needs to stop with me first. So I've created a list of things that I'm no longer doing. The list includes things like
- Judging Christmas lights
- Having fear about AI
- Not giving 100% in a few areas
- Being apologetic for quitting something I'm really good at (this one will surprise you).
I hope you enjoy the episode and it sparks some ideas for your own journey this year. I'm excited to be 42 and excited to keep working on my health. Thanks for being here along for the ride.
I have a very exciting announcement coming up for those of you over 40 who are interested in hormone health. Stay tuned to the podcast. The announcement comes in February.
This episode is about goal setting for 2024 and taking back the word "obsession" as a positive and aspirational trait that helps people actually achieve what they desire.
Since the pandemic, we've had to create such high degrees of self-compassion that we've lost the ability to pursue a goal relentlessly.
Is it bad if you miss a kid's event to stay the course on your gym goals?
Is it negative for your mental health if you choose a salad?
Is it a slippery slope to be obsessed with your goals?
In this episode, we take back the word "obsession" to mean something much more positive and talk through how to get obsessed with your health so you can get somewhere.
This is our last episode of 2023. We wanted to leave you on a "goal-setting" track for the holiday season and to help you consider how you want your 2024 to turn out.
See you in 2024!
Today's podcast episode is broadcast on both of our podcast platforms, Women's Health Unplugged, which is our public-facing podcast. It has over 500,000 downloads and has covered many women's health topics over the last few years.
Our clinician-facing podcast, The Confident Clinician Podcast, focuses on clinical topics and studies that are changing our practices in integrative care.
Today's topic is for everyone. We're talking about the term "hormone imbalance" and how damaging this term can actually be. We cover concepts such as
- Why accurate diagnosis is the first step towards getting treatment.
- Why universal language is an important bridge to connect practitioners.
- Why using vague terms (like your 'private parts') does a disservice to patients.
- Which "buckets" of hormone concerns you might fall into, and why we need to accurately label you.
- Where we go from here.
If you're a patient and are looking for an evidence based clinician in Ontario, you can find our clinic at www.clarityhealthburlington.ca
If you're a practitioner, be sure to get on the wait list for The Confident Clinician at www.confidentclinicianclub.com to ensure you're the first to access our hormone assessment module in 2024 when our doors open.
I'm joined today by a guest, Lexi Miles Corrin, who's the owner of WAXON wax bars, a female-only franchise helping women achieve their financial and entrepreneurial goals with over 20 locations expanding all over Canada next year.
Lexi is also a mother of 4 under 5.
There's nobody better to talk to us about getting help, showing up with intention in your own life and chasing your dreams than a mother of 4 who is leading other women to pursue their business goals.
We share so many helpful "get started" points on this podcast and keep the conversation relatable and accessible, regardless of where you are in your journey.
Lexi talks about the small 'nudges' that we need and the importance of getting clear on what you actually want out of your life to be able to take the next right step.
Feminine leaders have a special place in my heart. They show up with vulnerability and empathy and ALSO make hard decisions and lead tough conversations. We share how valuable it is to let others into your "workspace" (both at home and at work) who can support you in achieving your goals. We discuss "letting go" of the outcomes and how we've had our hearts broken (but wouldn't want it any other way).
Enjoy the episode. You can follow Lexi on Instagram here to see all the fun (and chaos!) of having 4 kids and a huge business.
I've only really known about my ADHD diagnosis for a few years. I had joked about it for years and had friends joke about it for years, but it wasn't until my kids were assessed that I really leaned into identifying as a person with ADHD.
Working with women for the last 15 years has gifted me the opportunity to help identify ADHD in my patients, and to help them make decisions on how to support themselves.
In today's episode, we're joined by Dr. Kate Henry, a Naturopathic Doctor whom I connected with over the research on ADHD and our personal experiences. This episode will help you understand your own brain a little better, and give you the first few steps you need to take to get assessed and taken care of.
We tackle topics such as
- The role of diet (how your ADHD chooses your foods and how your foods worsen your symptoms).
- The role of medication.
- The role of accurate diagnosis (especially if you've never been flagged before).
- How to get help (even with the small things).
If you want to read Kate's free resources and get connected with her, you can visit her website here.
In today's episode, I'm joined by my colleague, Dr. Andrea Gri, who is one of the NDs in my office in Ontario. We started this conversation one day in the hallway of the office (where so many magical conversations happen). If we asked you to invest money that had a guaranteed return on investment, it would probably feel like a no-brainer. Why? Partly because we value money. So do you value your health the same way? In today's episode, we talk about the small investments you can make in yourself to take steps forward in your health journey. We share the things that our most successful patients have in common and what the research says about the disconnect between "knowing" and "doing". Andrea and I share our personal choices to help ourselves stay well as working moms and give you some ideas for how you can get started. Andrea is running a free community event Thursday, November 23 at 7 pm on hormonal health and metabolism. The event requires registration. You can register here to get access to both the workbook and the live event (or recording if you can't make it). Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_8d1YG2RISqGkTUj07e1owQ Andrea also works at our office in Burlington and you can reach out to her at www.clarityhealthburlington.ca if you're ready to start your health journey.
Today's episode calls out a new application for an old lab test that you've probably never heard of, or had run on your physical exam.
We're talking about Urate.
If you HAVE heard of this test, you probably have gout, or know someone with gout. That's because this lab test (historically) has only been used to assess people for gout.
In today's episode, we talk about the "new" use for urate testing that will surprise you, and why I'd advocate for the following changes for how we decide to test urate.
- We should be testing women for uric acid levels if they have no other obvious cardiovascular risks.
- We should be testing women for uric acid if they have a family history of gout, but don't have gout themselves.
- We should be re-testing uric acid in women after they transition into menopause.
- We shouldn't tolerate the current reference range in both Canada and the US, because the reference range is focused on gout.
I know that talking about cardiovascular disease isn't exciting, but what IS exciting is finding a lab test that helps us predict your future risk of disease. Given that cardiovascular disease is the number 1 killer of women, any hints about your risk are important to me. I'd love it if it was important to you too.
I love coffee.
But I've also tried to quit about 100 times in my 20s because I was worried about the effect of coffee on my health and hormones.
In today's episode, we talk about the actual research (and lack of) for caffeine on female sex hormones and why you can guilt-free have a cup of coffee.
We also talk about how to manage your caffeine intake to help support your day to prevent anxiety, and sleep disturbance or to use your coffee as a cover-up for your poor nutrition.
I share what my personal coffee situation looks like these days, what machines I need in my life to help me with my coffee and what you should put in your coffee to have the best cup.
If you don't follow me on Instagram, most of the memes I post are about coffee and health. You should follow me there to laugh along with me about how much we love coffee. You can find me at www.instagram.com/drjordannd
In this solo episode, I give you the knowledge and understanding of your bladder changes over the age of 40, and the things you can do to reduce the frequency of UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections).
The bladder changes when hormones change. The microbiome changes, bladder tone changes and our sensations in our bladder change. This perfect storm can make women more susceptible to infections (UTIs) and increase symptoms such as overactive bladder and painful bladder syndrome (interstitial cystitis).
We talk about what to do if you get an acute UTI (and then repeat the answer about 10 times to really hit this one home), what to eat to avoid getting a UTI (it's not what you think) and how hormone therapy supports our bladder.
If you're in Ontario and you're struggling with bladder symptoms, my team at Clarity Health can support people in menopause all across Ontario. Fill in a web inquiry at www.clarityhealthburlington.ca . One of our patient care coordinators will call you and set you up with the doctor of your dreams.
Just as an FYI, we swear a lot in this one. Totally unapologetically. The discussion requires swearing.
Today I have the pleasure of gifting you this incredibly important and raw conversation with Dr. Jody Carrington. A psychologist who is changing the world by teaching us about empathy, connection and true friendship. We cut through some important topics such as motherhood, generational roles, friendships that end and feminine leadership.
The entire time we recorded I wasn’t sure if I was going to laugh or cry from feeling seen.
We talked about my office anti-harassment voicemail, my “failed” friendships, our partners taking over “mom roles,” and how frigging hard it is being a leader.
Dr. Jody’s newest book (coincidentally named Feeling Seen) is about creating connections as the path to health and how to build resiliency in yourself through emotional regulation.
In Jody’s words, “We need the big people to be okay. And we’re not”.
Jody also has a podcast, an amazing Instagram account and you can learn more about her on her website.
When I opened my clinic, 15 years ago, my tagline was "Be open to the possibility of change."
I felt like my role was to help people think differently about their health, to get out of their own way and to be curious about what health care could be like.
In today's podcast, we talk about whether or not your doctor has to believe you in order for you to get better. My argument is that for the most part, they don't need to agree with you or believe you for you to get care.
I also introduce the uncomfortable idea that sometimes, our doctors are right. And when we've carried around beliefs for a long time, it can be hard to hear their perspectives.
If you've ever felt like your doctor's bedside manner or delivery were a major barrier to you getting better, or if you've ever felt like your story fell flat when you shared it, tune in. I think I'll change your mind about how to think about your health care visits.
If you're a health care practitioner who wants to get better at communication with your patients, our Practice Negotiator course is open for enrollment until November 9th, 2023. You can register here: https://discover.theconfidentclinicianclub.com/practice-negotiator-register-1
If you've ever wondered if your thyroid is getting in the way of your metabolism and weight goals, this episode is for you.
Whether you've struggled with hypothyroidism, or have just been curious about your thyroid, I'm sure you've come across many claims that treating your thyroid will "solve" your metabolism or weight problems.
In today's episode, we break down:
- What's real and what's myth (and what's water weight) and whether treating your thyroid will actually help your metabolism or not.
- Which lab tests you should have if you're suspicious of your thyroid.
- What to expect from thyroid medication if you need it.
- How we need to think about the thyroid in the bigger picture of your health.
People with low thyroid have a myriad of challenges in managing their metabolism. When patients don't feel well, their ability to manage their nutrition and movement is impaired. This episode will help you feel like your thyroid is more connected to your overall health (and not the sole cause of how you feel).
There is nobody happier than I am that the knowledge about perimenopause is starting to permeate pop culture and general health information.
But like every pendulum, we often swing things WAY WAY too far.
What I mean is that every person with ovaries who has learned about perimenopause now thinks that every single symptom that is happening to them is hormonal and that they are knocking on menopause's door.
This podcast episode is going to help balance out that pendulum and teach you "what else it could be" if you're experiencing fatigue, brain fog, cycle changes or other symptoms.
Not everything is perimenopause and I want you to know the "other" possibilities so you can have great conversations with your practitioner rather than feeling like your feelings fall on deaf ears.
If you're struggling with symptoms over 40 I am a BIG advocate of you having a hormonally-literate practitioner, but also, there are specific blood tests and considerations that need to happen to ensure that we've ruled out everything else.
If you live in Ontario and are in need of support from a health team that understands hormonal transitions, reach out to us at Clarity Health. Fill in a web inquiry at www.clarityhealthburlington.ca and reference the podcast. It will help us place you with a practitioner that excels in the areas that you need support.
Do you wear a "wearable"?
This is one of the most common questions I get asked on Instagram (and if you don't follow me, head over to www.instagram.com/drjordannd to follow along.
In this episode we cover
- The Apple Watch
- Whoop
- The Oura ring
- Fitbit
I share my experience with each of them (yes I've tried them all) what I loved or hated about each of them and whether or not they actually helped me meet my goals.
We talk about what you're tracking, why you're tracking it and how to be thoughtful about the choice.
Before you open your wallet, have a listen and see whether or not you need to get yourself a wearable to meet your goals.
I do have a referral link for an Oura ring (I don't get a kickback or any compensation from the company) that gives you $40 off. You can check it out here.
Welcome back! After a summer hiatus we’re ready to get back to the podcast and share evidence-based health information and mindset discussion to help you advocate better for yourself in your health journey.
Today’s episode is a welcome-back discussion about how we often let our past decisions and failures prevent us from trying something new. We’re going to break down why we feel badly about past choices and how to reframe the experiences you’ve had with your health (even if they didn’t work).
Everyone is in the “middle” of their health journey, which means that you’ve all done things before today and many of those things didn’t work. Or they worked a little. Or they worked and now no longer work. But not pursuing any future goals or any future solutions because you’re not in perfect health right now despite trying things in the past is not the right way to look at your future.
If you’ve ever hesitated to try something new because you’ve been hurt or disappointed by your past attempts - this is a great reframe to help us go into the fall with a fresh new perspective.
Welcome back! The fall is going to be great.
I call out in the episode our Clarity Health clinic that services people in the GTA who are looking to change their health. www.clarityhealthburlington.ca Fill out a web inquiry to request a call back from our Patient Care Coordinators.
If you’ve watched TV in the last few months, you’ll notice a theme in the news on health: MENOPAUSE.
Menopause is finally having it’s moment in the media. From Oprah to The National, my guest Dr. Heather Hirsch and I discuss our media appearances in the last few months, what this means for menopause and how to start getting the care you deserve.
Heather has exploded on the menopause scene with her book, Unlock Your Menopause Type which is sold wherever you buy books. We discuss her work as a Menopause Expert, how you can gain confidence in using HRT to treat your symptoms and why we’re finally seeing the attention towards menopause that you all deserve.
We discuss the various menopause types, including early menopause from hysterectomy, cancer treatment or premature ovarian insufficiency, to menopause “at 50” and how your treatment may need to shift depending on who you are and what your story is. Even if you don’t experience any menopause symptoms at all (and yes, that’s a type!) you need to have a conversation about your menopause.
Heather gives a refreshing and fun look at menopause as we dispel myths, give you the tools you need to pick a practitioner and continue this conversation on this very important life stage.
You can follow Heather on Instagram @heatherhirschmd and buy her book, Unlocking Your Menopause Type here
In today's episode, we’re taking a very practical approach to talking about nutrition and how to slightly change some of your routine nutrition patterns to help you meet your nutrition goals, especially if you are working on your blood sugar or weight loss.
We use the “money” and “budgeting” metaphor to discuss why we’d even consider taking a lower calorie food option occasionally or how to think about your nutrition patterns to be sure that they are helping move you forward with your health goals.
It’s a practical and pragmatic conversation about food including
- Why cutting out fruits and vegetables makes no sense
- Whether you should eat low fat or high fat dairy
- Why choosing lean protein can really add up.
- How to pick a treat that meets your nutrition goals
- Why it’s easy to get carried away with certain food groups
If you struggle listening to discussions about food and calories, this episode might not be for you. We take a very realistic approach to discussing food choices and how your subtle daily choices may be walking you down a path you’re not interested in being on.
I give you a lot of real and practical food examples and share how I manage my treats! I hope you enjoy the episode.
With a wider conversation happening online about menopause, we’re seeing people come forward more than ever discussing the mental health strain that this phase of life can cause. I’m joined in this episode by one of my friends and close colleagues (we work in the same office!) Dr. Laurie Alpert ND, who is a NAMS certified menopause practitioner and your new mental health advocate.
Laurie and I share our experience in working with people in menopause and help you feel seen and understood in this deep conversation about our moods. We cover a lot of ground (from anxiety to depression to “meno-rage”) and give you the fire under your butt that you need to pay attention to your own mental health.
It’s common for us to blame the circumstances (teen and adult children, ageing parents, big careers) as the cause of mood changes for women over 45 and yet, menopause is a significant contributor to new depression (meaning you’ve never had an episode before) or a return of old depression (even if you’re well managed). We want every person to be able to recognize the changes their mood is having so they can get the support they need.
Dr. Laurie Alpert is one of our NAMS (North American Menopause Society) certified Naturopathic Doctors at Clarity Health in Ontario. We serve people in person in the GTA and virtually across Ontario. You can submit a request to work with Laurie at www.clarityhealthburlington.ca
Listeners, wondering if perimenopause is contributing to your mental health concerns? Click here and download Dr. Laurie's free resource to encourage your care provider to consider your mental health in the context of menopause.
In this week’s episode, I share my yearly reflection questions, what my personal answers were, and how you can use this kind of exercise to help you move forward on your goals, whether they be health related or otherwise.
Here are the questions for the episode and the ones that I moved through in the podcast episode. I shared my experience looking at my answers 6 months later, and how to use personal goal setting and journaling to help you achieve your own goals.
- What are things I want to bring with me into next year?
- What are things I don’t want to bring with me?
- What things do I want to do that are new this year?
- What things in my life are on probation?
- If I started my life over from scratch, what would I stop doing?
- What would I start doing?
- What do I want to spend more time on next year?
- What do I want to spend less time on next year?
- Where am I waiting for another person to make the first move?
- Where can I be the one to go first?
- What can I do in the next week that will make the rest of my year easier?
- What can I do this year that will leave me in a better position for next year?
- Who do I spend time with that pulls me down?
- What do I notice about this answer?
- Who do I spend time with that lifts me up?
- What do I notice about this answer?
- What am I doing that I want the film crew of my life to see?
- What are the things I’m doing that I don’t want the film crew to see?
- What are my goals for 2023?
- Do I have the right systems in place to make them happen?
Enjoy this episode. We have a handful more before we take our summer break!
With an increase in hormonal symptoms appearing over 40, many people are offered treatment options such as the pill, the IUD and HRT. Each of these treatment options have wonderful effects and some side effects and may or may not fit the bill for supporting people as they transition towards menopause.
In this episode, I sit down with Miranda Tawfik, a pharmacist with a focus on women’s health and hormone therapy. We discuss the pros and cons of each medication option and help settle some of your worries that you’ve been prescribed the wrong thing, or that they are “missing the boat” on a treatment option that they haven’t been offered yet.
We give you timelines to consider these treatments for, what to expect and when to consider switching to something else. We cover the lab work you can (and cannot) do when you’re on these treatments and the long term health benefits and consequences of each choice.
Whether you’ve been on the pill for decades, or haven’t used a hormone treatment since university, this episode will give you confidence in choosing which treatment option might be best for you and how to advocate to your practitioner to get it.
Origin’s Pharmacy is owned by Miranda Tawfik and supports practitioners and patients from all over Ontario get care for all phases of life, including hormone replacement therapy for menopause. You can find out more about the pharmacy through their website https://originspharmacy.ca/
PMS is more than a minor inconvenience. It can leave you feeling like a different person half the month, put strain on your relationships and can really derail achieving your other health goals.
In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Keara Taylor, a Naturopathic Doctor in Toronto and one of our expert clinicians at The Confident Clinician. Keara’s focus in her practice and her research is on the emotional regulation of people through their PMS experience, and how to equip menstruators with the tools they need to feel more calm and confident throughout the month.
In this episode we cover:
- How to short circuit your PMS in the moment.
- How to create a PMS toolkit of resources to help you improve your symptoms on your own.
- How to teach your partner about PMS and why this is an important step.
- Why “giving in” to your PMS is sometimes the right thing to do.
You can find Keara at www.drkearataylor.com or on Instagram @drkearataylor.nd
She works with people with PMS all over Ontario to feel better about their monthly hormone fluctuations, both physically and emotionally.
I love watching someone so good at their craft. Whether it’s an artist, or a great lawyer, watching someone in their element always leaves me feeling in awe of their dedication, experience and tenacity to get great at something.
Nobody feels that way about their doctor.
In today’s episode, I want to address the trend of “doing your own research” for your medical care. The general distrust in medicine and the lack of appreciation about what goes into making a medical decision (combined with the internet) has left people feeling like they are actually more capable than their doctor at reading research. It’s left people feeling like there are un-read articles that only they can find (and their doctor won’t) and even that their doctor wants to choose something for them that is not the best answer (on purpose).
Reading research, synthesizing difficult concepts, communicating those concepts and helping people make value based and pragmatic decisions about their health care is my absolute super power. But put it in the ring with blogs, podcasts, DIY health programs and people’s overestimation in their own research capabilities and I’m left going toe to toe with an accountant over their hormone dose, or a teacher over their nutrition needs.
This episode isn’t about discouraging you from being interested in your health - quite the opposite. But being informed and interested is not the same as being a good researcher. I share my top strategies for “doing your own research” if you want to try, and when to trust the information that’s being offered to you by your health care team.
For the first time, I’ve created a DIY program for patients with endometriosis that helps you “do your own research” with guided videos, handouts and the real evidence on how to lower your pain. If you’re a person with endometriosis or menstrual cramps, you can download the Women’s Health Unplugged app and purchase this program at a low cost.
If you’ve spent 10 minutes on social media, you’ve probably heard the term insulin resistance. If you’ve spent 11 minutes on social media someone has probably scared you into feeling like your blood sugar is a problem, and you need a special solution to manage it.
In today’s episode, we talk about what the term insulin resistant means, and why everyone needs a basic understanding of blood sugar regulation to achieve better health. With diabetes being one of the most important (and most common) health consequences of aging, understanding your personal risks and how to manage them is a massive step in the right direction toward diabetes prevention.
And, in true Women’s Health Unplugged fashion, Jordan outlines the myths about blood sugar, why you don’t need a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) even if your favourite Instagram account wears one and what practical considerations look like to reduce your future risk of diabetes.
In this episode, we cover:
- What the definition of insulin resistance is
- Which lab tests you could consider to better understand your blood sugar
- Practical steps that help lower the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes
- The myths and claims you can ignore
If you’re a practitioner and a member of The Confident Clinician, we’ll see you this weekend at our 12-hour insulin resistance advanced training. This course is free for all current members and will provide you with all of the resources you need to better support your patient population.
If you’re not a member, you can add your name to the waitlist for our July 2023 member drive. We only add clinician members twice per year. You can learn more at http://www.confidentclinicianclub.com
In today’s solo episode, we talk about how to tell if it’s time to throw your plan in the garbage and try something new.
It’s common when working with patients that people “quit” when things aren’t getting better as fast as they want to, or there’s a mismatch between what people value (natural treatments) and what people want (instantaneous results!).
We also talk through questions you need to ask such as:
- Do you understand your baseline?
- Are you even tracking the right things?
- Do you even know when you should expect results?
- Do you have enough information and resiliency to navigate speedbumps in your plan.
Healing isn’t a linear journey, and so if we expect hand-over-fist improvement every day, we’re setting ourselves up for failure.
But also, sometimes you need to quit what you’re doing and start something different. We’ll break it down and I’ll share what I’ve learned about how to tell if your plan isn’t working for you.
Remember that you can download our Women’s Health Unplugged App on the App Store or Google Play. Our first course on Endometriosis is available for purchase inside the app. It provides users with 5 video modules to learn on their own how to support their period pain.
I’ve been following the research on burnout, PTSD and resiliency for a few years because I find adaptive changes in the brain and nervous system so fascinating. Getting real results with patients often involves us recognizing the impact of their mindset, nervous system regulation and level of burnout/resilience as we construct a plan.
We can easily see how a patient would find it hard to do a particular part of their plan if they couldn’t afford it, if the resources were too far from their house or if they were downright allergic to the suggestion. But when we think about resiliency, we often have preconceived ideas about what that means, and how “resilient” we are or aren’t.
Dr. Jenny Liu is a Postdoctoral Associate with the MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre and an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine, Western University. Dr. Liu’s background is in the science of stress and resilience. She works with stakeholders to identify the determinants of resilience in different communities and support efforts to promote or build resilience using a number of evidence-informed strategies and approaches.
In this amazing episode, we talk about the definition of resiliency, how you need to reframe the way you consider yourself and your support systems and how you can change how you feel about your stressors just by focusing on the pillars of resilience.
Her free self-assessment app is available online at https://twitter.com/resilient_u and is a great place for people to start to understand what is influencing their ability to show up as their best selves every day.
You can follow Jenny on Twitter at https://twitter.com/resilient_u
If you haven’t listened to our past episodes with Dr. Erin Ley, you’ve missed out on a lot of ranting, a lot of practical solutions and a lot of laughing.
Dr. Erin Ley is one of the Naturopathic Doctors at Clarity Health, serving people all over Ontario Canada. Erin sees both our adolescent patients and our male patients (in addition to patients looking for nutrition support and hormonal health) which gives her amazing insight into the challenges of working with this unique population.
Whether you’re a young person yourself or have a young person in your life, this episode will give you insight into why the discussion around nutrition has become so complicated, the role of social media and belief systems in choosing nutrition for a young person and how parents can put down the responsibility of being the expert in their young adult child’s life.
We cover additional topics such as
- Why Jordan finds working with parents and teens so challenging.
- Why Erin loves it!
- What basic nutritional “truths there are”, and how learning these truths can make nutrition feel easier (for everyone).
- How to think about the pattern of your eating patterns and how they fit into your life.
- Why influencing a young person’s nutrition has a lasting impact on their life.
Erin is accepting new patients at Clarity Health for late spring 2023 and beyond. You can submit a web request for a new patient onboarding call at www.clarityhealthburlington.ca.
You can follow Dr. Erin on Instagram @drerinnd
We know you’ve likely had information about protein shoved down your throat (pun intended) but do you really understand the WHY?
Things change during ageing and the menopause transition that affect how people’s bodies incorporate dietary protein, and the impact on this is far-reaching. From lower muscle mass, changes to change in satiety (how full you are) and a reduction in energy expenditure (how much we burn in a day), protein affects a lot.
We review what catabolism is, and how eating the same protein you’ve always eaten doesn't provide enough building blocks to prevent muscle breakdown as you age.
In this episode we’ll talk through:
- Why is protein the most important macronutrient in menopause?
- What happens if you don’t hit your targets (and it has to do with appetite)?
- The impact that both aging and menopause have on metabolism and protein needs (they aren’t the same)
- Why women have different needs than men.
We’ll also cover how to increase your protein intake to meet your needs and what you might notice if you increase your protein levels up to the targets we discuss.
We’ve released our new Women’s Health Unplugged App on the App Store and Google Play this month, with our first on-demand course being on endometriosis and menstrual cramps. You can download the app and get ready for our subscriber-only content for the Women’s Health Unplugged podcast when we release it later in 2023.
In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus (again!) to talk about sex and how to have a thriving sex life.
We outline how little people know about what contributes to positive libido and desire (so they don’t know what they were doing right) and then have NO IDEA what is getting in the way when their desire or drive changes. This feeling of a lack of control leaves people feeling powerless and like the solution lives outside of themselves.
This episode is for you if you are curious about
- How to learn the difference between arousal and desire.
- How to use your erotic brain, even if you’ve been married for 25 years.
- Why crumbs on the counter and full dishwasher ruin your libido in your 50s, and not your 20s.
- How to think about the complexity of libido and sex, with SIMPLE solutions.
- If you want to know if we prefer Speed Keanu Reeves or The Matrix Keanu Reeves ;)
Bat Sheva explains the factors that give you ‘points’ (fantasy, connection and hormone levels) and ‘take points’ away (some medications, fatigue, pain and more).
This episode is a great way to start to explore this part of your health and get some ideas for how to change.
Here’s more about our guest, and how you can grab her book, Satisfaction Guaranteed: How to have the sex you’ve always wanted.
Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus, a certified sex therapist, is the author of Satisfaction Guaranteed: How To Have the Sex You’ve Always Wanted. She has spent her life dedicated to bridging the gap between the medical and the psychological in women’s sexual health. For nearly 25 years she served as the clinical director of one of the largest sexual health centers in the US. Dr. Marcus earned a master’s in public health as well as a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality at the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality as well as a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University.
This week we are diving into the vault and bringing back our most downloaded and listened-to episode in 2021! We will be back next week with a brand-new episode.
Is your morning routine part of your secret sauce or are you a roll-out-of-bed-and-run kind of person? My morning routine has been an important part of my life for years and I’ve spent a lot of time testing various strategies to make the most of my day. In this episode I give you some ideas of how to create your own routine by talking about:
- Coffee and caffeine and whether it’s helping you or not (spoiler: it’s helping me!)
- Creating calm by “deciding” how you want your day to go.
- How I delegate tasks and projects.
- How my partner and I troubleshoot what our pain points are for the day.
- Not waking up with an alarm, and how this affects me.
- The importance of my morning of coffee (worth talking about twice!)
The overall theme is that my morning is a CHOICE and in this episode I want you to get inspired to choose your morning and your day. It’s a practical episode (not just a conversation about mindset) and I tell you exactly what my routine looks like.
It’s common for us to skip over an episode if we feel like a topic doesn’t apply to us, or if we feel nervous to listen.
This particular episode is for everyone, and we’re going to help you feel more confident thinking about cancer either for yourself, or in your family and loved ones.
I’m joined today by Dr. Martha Sharpe ND who focuses her practice on cancer survivorship. We discuss her personal journey with a cancer diagnosis and how she felt as a healthcare practitioner trying to navigate the system. Martha has dedicated her career to helping women understand how to reduce their personal cancer risk, but also to feel empowered in their survivorship.
In this episode we cover:
- The importance of feeling autonomous in your health care.
- The difference between prevention and blame.
- How to stack your health deck in your favour to reduce your cancer risk.
- The impact of alcohol on cancer risk.
- How an anti-cancer lifestyle is actually a whole-health lifestyle.
- You don’t need to spend a ton of money to have an anti-cancer health plan.
Dr. Martha Sharpe, ND, is a Naturopathic Doctor in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Martha is dedicated to filling this gap and rewriting cancer survivorship with comprehensive, individualized, and holistic care. She is passionate about helping people find the clarity and empowerment they need to step back into life post-cancer, and feel at home in their bodies again. You can find her on Instagram @marthasharpe_nd and learn more about her offers including a 4-week course on foundations for fuelling your body after cancer (and for cancer prevention) where she is offering our listeners a $100.00 promo. Learn more here https://marthasharpend.com/podcastpromo
There are patterns that people who are successful with nutrition change adopt, and in today’s podcast, I’m sharing the 3 food categories that I want you to include in your kitchen to help you make it through tougher weeks (and help you meet your goals!). It’s common for a new nutrition plan to focus on novelty, new recipes and unique ways of incorporating unique ingredients into your diet. New nutrition plans can often feel like a part-time job for many people, 🥵 and this level of bandwidth is not often available to make the changes that many people need to make with their food quality. My 3 food categories are as follows:
- Aspirational. Foods that are new, recipes, and unique ways of putting foods together that bring novelty and excitement.
- Every Day. Foods that you need to eat every day to help you meet your nutrition goals. These are the foods you reach for in the grocery store every week that are on your plan, and that can easily be pulled together in an autopilot kind of way.
- Oh 💩 S*!T💩. This category of foods are the foods in our pantry and freezer that are going to SAVE us from the wheels falling off the bus when things aren’t going well, when we’re tired or when we run out of everyday foods.
Enjoy the podcast and next time you’re grocery shopping, consider if you’re filling up your cart with foods from each category.
Today’s conversation is an important one. On a few levels.
When I sat down to do this podcast I was thinking about the medications for obesity (we’re focusing on Semaglutide/Ozempic today) I was going to focus on the “clinical” discussion. Does it work? Who benefits? What do we expect?
Then, that very week, there was a social media explosion about weight loss drugs for adolescents.
And I realized that our conversation had to be much more emotional than that.
Should we treat obesity with medication? Should people be able to manage their medical condition of obesity without help? Shouldn’t people be able to handle this in a drug-free way?
Just because some of the challenges related to obesity require changes in policy, access to nutrition, physical activity and mental health support doesn’t mean we don’t also need treatment options today to support the youth and adults that are at risk from their obesity today.
I also asked hard questions like, “why do we care what medications other people are using?” or “what are your personal triggers when you hear of someone using medication for their obesity?”.
We also dive in on some of the research in the STEP trials for Semaglutide, the longer-term data on weight regain and who benefits the most from these anti-obesity medications.
It’s a bit of a spicy episode that I think we’d all benefit from thinking about. We know someone who qualifies for these medications or who is at risk from their obesity. How we approach this conversation touches us all.
Janette Ye, an athletic therapist who supports people after vaginal birth and c-section is a joy to listen to. She’s vibrant, excited and passionate about something that we’ve all kept to ourselves.
How freaking hard it is to recover from birth.
As an athlete herself, Janette gives us the metaphor we’ve been waiting for. Birth is a season ending injury. And yet, while most athletes get trainers, time off and rehab, we send people who have given birth home with a screaming baby expecting sleepless nights, selfless weeks and no education on how to take care of themselves.
Even if you don’t identify as an athlete, birth is a traumatic event to your body, and expecting things to just right themselves without support is a hope, not a plan.
I loved recording this episode with Janette (we could literally talk for days) because we both get fired up about how we need to empower ourselves and other women to seek out support after this major physical (and emotional) event.
You can find Janette on Instagram (@askjanetteyee) and download her free resources from her website https://www.janetteyee.com/resources
It’s probably a bit of a stretch that an adult with ADHD who has 17,000 undread emails (at last count) is going to do a podcast about managing your email.
But hear me out.
I think we are in an opportunity to show up with leadership when it comes to both our inbox and our outbox, by breaking down some of the email culture we’re observing out there.
We’re going to talk about how our email culture is breeding:
- Unrealistic expectations of each other.
- To-do lists that we can’t finish.
- A lack of self-responsibility and self-reliance.
- Confusing channels for communicating with each other.
We also talk about solutions such as:
- Muting your inbox
- Not caring
- Not responding
- But also real solutions that don’t compromise your relationships and your work.
I think you’ll enjoy this real and honest call out of all of our email behaviour. We all have an inbox AND an outbox.
Maybe we can slowly change the culture of email for good.
Today’s podcast is an important episode if you exercise, identify as an athlete or have ever skipped a period. We’re talking about the energy it takes to create a menstrual period, and why women who exercise, diet or both are at risk of missing a period.
I’m joined by Dr. Katrina Allison, a Naturopathic Doctor in British Columbia who focuses on supporting female athletes and young women with menstrual concerns. Even if you don’t think your diet or training is impacting your menstrual cycle, we cover the other symptoms that might be happening due to low energy availability and how to start fuelling yourself to have proper hormonal function.
For many women, symptoms of heavy periods, slightly irregular cycles or night sweats can creep in to their “otherwise normal” cycles, letting their energy balance issues fly under the radar. We easily spot women who have lost their period, but that’s not the only symptom we should be looking for to ensure that your fuelling is supporting your body’s hormonal processes.
If you’re an athlete, a parent of a young menstruating athlete or have ever lost your period while training, tune in to learn more about how you can support yourself with nutrition.
Dr. Katrina Allison practices can be found at https://www.drkatrinaallisonnd.com/ or @drkatrinaallison_nd on tiktock or Instagram.
I was inspired by conversations I have seen in academic spaces I belong to about where “responsibility” lies in health change.
Does it lie with the individual (bottom up) or with the government (top down)?
As I was listening to this conversation happen, it made me think about how our health solutions for people are often bottom up, versus top down in their own household.
We ask people to eat spaghetti squash while their family eats something better.
We ask people to exercise at the end of the day after everyone else's needs are met.
We have normalized “finding 5 minutes to yourself” after a full day of giving, rather than starting the day with yourself in mind.
At a government policy level we know that placing the responsibility of health change on the individual isn’t effective. Individuals can’t thrive when their environment sets them up for failure.
And yet, that’s exactly what we ask you to do.
Fortunately, you’re the Queen, President and Prime Minister of your household.
Even if you are co-President, you likely have more of a say over the policies in your mini-world than you’ve taken responsibility for. Today we’re asking you to take radical responsibility for creating effective policy in your own household.
You are the Queen, and you are a citizen. If we rely on you-the-citizen to avoid salt and vinegar chips while your entire family eats them in front of you - we get nowhere.
If you-the-Queen sets better policies for everyone in your kingdom (yourself included) you might stand a chance at health change.
Enjoy.
I’ve always been fascinated by pain. We can’t see it. We can’t measure it with a test.
And in a medical world where we barely listen to the patient experience - this presents a big problem.
The other problem with pain (well, one of the other problems) is that when pain lasts a long time, our brains change.
And in a medical world where you wait months for support - this presents another big problem.
Today’s podcast is about pain and I’m joined by Dr. Kirstie Grifiths, a Chiropractor and yogi (who you can find at @thechiropracticyogi who is on a mission to help people understand the red light, yellow light and green light around movement and body pain. There are moments where pain is a red flag (STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING) and there are many moments where pain is a green or yellow light (keep going!). Patients are often educated to stop moving when they have any pain - which increases the likelihood of exercising less over time (and further worsening their pain)
You can see the problem.
We have an amazing conversation about chronic pain, how pain changes your brain and how to know when to keep moving despite your pain.
Kirstie has multiple offerings for patients looking to reduce their back pain that can be found here (free yoga for back pain) and here (Online yoga for back pain program) or you can grab them from her Instagram profile at @thechiropracticyogi https://www.instagram.com/thechiropracticyogi/
For today’s podcast episode, I was joined by Dr. Shelby Harris, a clinical psychologist and sleep specialist supporting women to overcome insomnia with cognitive behavioural therapy. We discuss her book, A Woman’s Guide to Insomnia, and the unique challenges that women face with their sleep versus men.
Shelby shares tips and behavioural strategies to help you get started on your sleep journey and gives us the low-down on solutions that are evidence-based and have been proven to support a better night sleep.
If you’ve struggled with your sleep in the last year, this episode will help you fall in love with taking care of this part of your health. We talk about wearable sleep trackers, what the ideal amount of time to sleep is, and how to make subtle changes that could have a big impact on your sleep schedule.
You can learn more about Shelby on her website https://www.drshelbyharris.com/ or through social @SleepDocShelby
Shelby Harris, PsyD, DBSM is a clinical psychologist and sleep specialist in private practice in NY. She is board certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine and treats a wide variety of sleep, anxiety and depression issues using evidence-based, non-medication treatments. Her self-help book, The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia: Get a Good Night’s Sleep Without Relying on Medication was published in 2019. Dr. Harris holds a dual academic appointment as Clinical Associate Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in both Neurology and Psychiatry. Before going into private practice, she was the longstanding director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center in NYC, NY. Dr. Harris has been an invited columnist for the New York Times “Consults Blog,” and is frequently quoted in the media, including the New Yorker and Washington Post. She has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America and CBS Mornings. Dr. Harris can also be found on Instagram at @SleepDocShelby where she provides evidence-based information about sleep wellness and sleep disorders.
It’s been a few years since our podcast on heavy menstrual bleeding (October 2020) and we have had a slew of questions from Instagram followers (follow here if you don’t already) about “is my period normal”. So here we go!
In today’s podcast, we cover everything you need to know about whether your period is “normal” or if it’s something that needs treatment. We talk about menstrual variances such as:
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Heavy bleeding, longer bleeding (more than 5 days) and bleeding that starts and stops.
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Ovulation that doesn’t happen right on day 14.
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Luteal phase (second half) challenges such as shorter cycles, longer cycles and spotting before your period.
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Irregular cycles and changes to the total cycle length.
We talk about when to approach your doctor, how to take good notes about your cycle and when to get treated.
We also talk about the commodification of women’s bodies and menstrual health and how often influencers pathologize changes to the menstrual cycle and cause women to chase a menstrual dream that might not be possible.
In today's episode, we tackle weight bias and stigma head-on with a guest Dr. Sylvi Martin, a Naturopathic Doctor, registered nurse psychotherapist, certified intuitive eating counsellor, and mindfulness-based eating awareness training (MB-EAT) facilitator who has a dual passion for supporting patients with their eating behaviour while also supporting clinicians to eliminate weight bias in medicine and improve the delivery of nutrition therapy in a less harmful way.
We explore topics throughout the episode such as:
- How your weight or body shape may have affected the tests you received or the treatments you were offered from your doctor.
- How weight bias has influenced your thoughts about yourself and others and may be influencing your health behaviours.
- How your thoughts about food can affect the way you value yourself.
- How the training that Naturopathic Doctors and nutritionists receive may be causing harm (and what to look for in a practitioner).
Dr. Sylvi Martin offers both patient and practitioner programs to support healthy eating behaviour. You can connect with Sylvi as a patient through her website nourishingwellbeing.ca where she offers online patient programs. Sylvi will be spearheading continuing education programs for The Confident Clinician in February 2023 including small group training for NDs to become confident using intuitive eating practices with their patients. If you're a practitioner be sure you are on the Confident Clinician waitlist to learn more about our upcoming practitioner training here.
Have you ever read the reviews of a restaurant that you love and thought “well that person is probably mean, that’s why they rated it a one-star”.
Or have you ever sat in a cold doctor’s office and thought “This person has terrible bedside manner, they can’t be right about what medication I should take”.
Health anecdotes are stories that have a villain, a hero and a battle! Should we use them to make decisions? Today’s podcast is all about this. If you’ve ever listened to a colleague, a friend or a family member share their experience and thought “I wonder if I should do that?.....” This episode is for you.
It’s common in the new year for us to be bombarded with new solutions to make ourselves better, more productive and healthier. I want you to be able to listen to stories with an ‘edge’ of critical thinking, to help you decide for yourself if a story is actually helping you, or if you’re too different from the person telling the story to get the same results.
Stories and experience have a place in medicine, but it also requires both doctors and patients to try and break down their beliefs and current ideas over and over again to be helpful.
If you’re looking for new information about Women’s Health, you still have time to grab a ticket to our Women’s Health Summit at Clarity Health this January. You can grab your virtual ticket here.
I can distinctly remember whispering to my therapist that I didn’t really like what had happened to me after becoming a parent.
I honestly couldn’t tell if it was my physiology that was failing me, society or my perception of what parenthood was going to look like.
It turns out, it was probably all three.
In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Laura Jasmin and Dr. Carly King, two Naturopathic Doctors and educators at The Confident Clinician. The work that Carly and Laura focus on is the impact of things like nutrition, lab testing, support and infrastructure have on maternal mental health and we’re diving deep into how the system is failing mothers and why Canada’s “no screening for maternal mental health” policy has affected all of us.
Even if your babies are old (mine are 11 and 13 and this still shows up in my life) this episode is for you. It will help you see yourself in our stories, be given permission to grieve what we could have had in those early months of parenthood and will put a fire in your heart to support other new parents in your life.
It’s an emotional share where you’ll hear stories of resiliency, failure and perseverance in 3 women and you’ll quickly learn why we are not taking the maternal mental health guidelines in Canada sitting down.
If you are a practitioner or work with women and new parents in any capacity, we’d like to invite you to a free maternal mental health workshop intended for practitioners. In the workshop, you will learn to better understand our broken screening guidelines, and how to screen your patients and support them in getting the care they need. Whether you are a Naturopathic Doctor or another practitioner who works with people during pregnancy or postpartum, this free event is intended to raise the bar on maternal mental health awareness in Canada (and the US). You can register here.
Does un-dieting mean throwing in the towel and giving up on life?
Absolutely not.
Today I’m joined by my friend and colleague (for a second time) Dr. Jennifer Huber, a Canadian Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Dietician and Intuitive Eating Coach who’s life mission is to help women make peace with food and their body in midlife.
Why does this happen? We share what happens in midlife and why un-dieting might be the answer to support midlife changes.
We dispel a ton of myths in this episode, including what “un-dieting” really means.
We ask great questions like:
- “When did you first start having thoughts about food in a moral way?”
- “What is your first memory of someone being upset about their body?”
We highlight how these small little series of events lead to subconscious learning about food and bodies, and how that continues to shape how women feel about food in midlife - and especially in midlife.
Midlife has a lot of body changes, and when we mix this with women who are confused about food and their bodies, it leads to a ton of confusion and shame.
If you’ve ever attached the meaning of life or your worth to the shape of your body, you’ll want to tune in and listen to this safe, vulnerable conversation with two women on a mission to help you feel comfortable in your body.
Dr. Jen offers many online resources for midlife women, has her own podcast, The Midlife Feast, and has online programs to support women on their journey to un-diet their life.
You can learn more about Jen on her website www.menopausenutritionist.ca or follow her on Instagram.
The research on chronic pelvic pain in women should be changing the way we think about menstrual cramps, and today’s episode will help you question your own cramps, think about possible diagnoses that could be contributing to your cramps (like endometriosis) and give you insight into why we need to take care of your cramps - like yesterday.
Endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain has always been this elusive conversation. People’s pain is not correlated to the size of their endo lesions (meaning you can have very small lesions but very big pain), pain is also present after surgical removal and pain can persist when we give people medications that suppress hormone production (which in theory makes endometriosis and cramps very quiet).
Why does this happen? Probably central sensitization.
The research on chronic pain has looked at the changes that happen in the brain and central nervous system (which includes the spinal cord) rather than only looking at the changes that happen at the “spot” that it affected. Endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain actually change your brain. It makes your brain feel pain more often, and to a lesser “stimuli” than before.
THIS is why we need to assess you.
The diagnostic delay for endometriosis averages 8-10 years, which means that people experience pain for years before we finally flag them appropriately. Which means that the brain has plenty of time to learn that the world is painful. And that’s what it does.
I want you to listen to this episode and think about your own pain experience. Do we need to support you better to reduce your daily or monthly pain? Do we need to test you to be sure that you don’t have endometriosis or some other condition (like IBS) that’s affecting your pain? We can change your brain and your pain experience, but only if we flag you and support you.
Enjoy the episode, and if you need support, reach out to Clarity Health in Ontario to get support. We have an entire team of practitioners who work with people with endometriosis.
This episode was sponsored by our Women’s Health Summit in January 2023. You can grab a ticket to attend virtually (or a VIP in-person ticket) here.
The concept of Neurological Reserve is probably new to you, but to Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Pamela Hutchinson, who works with patients with neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and MS, she is acutely aware of how important neurological reserve is for ALL women.
Our brains are a sensitive but amazing organ that literally runs our lives.
Do we ever stop and think about how things are going up there?
Do we ever consider how many programs or noises are running in the background? Or whether we are giving our brains enough time to reboot every day to face the demands we place on it?
Whether you have struggled with a neurological disorder or not, your brain has a reserve that will affect the way you can show up in your life, recover from illness and trauma and may protect you from future neurological decline. Dr. Pamela and I discuss the ways you can start to take care of your brain today so that it's there for you in the future.
For over 21 years, Dr. Pamela Hutchison has been a passionate advocate for mental and neurological wellness through her work as a naturopathic physician in Victoria BC, Canada. Her decades-long clinical focus on supporting folks with these conditions has provided Dr. Pam (as she is known affectionately by staff and patients) with a unique perspective on overall health and wellness, especially as it pertains to Brain Health.
In addition to her private practice, she is the founder and CEO of Acacia Health, a large collaborative team of healthcare professionals providing patient-centred, evidence-informed care. A firm believer in practicing what she preaches, Dr. Pam is an avid runner and cyclist, a keen consumer of fresh vegetables, and a continual learner. She values time connecting with animals and nature and has fostered a rewarding relationship with a family of wild crows who live near her home.
You can follow Dr. Pam on Instagram @dr_pamela_hutchison_nd
When was the last time you had a biiiiiiiig loooooooong family meal?
Do you even remember?
Was it mashed in between days of PB and banana on the way to hockey and a fast french toast dinner because nobody had the energy to make anything good (not that french toast isn’t amazing).
When I wanted to have a conversation about the Mediterranean diet and Slow Food, I knew I had the perfect person to join us as a guest. Dr. Antonella Aguilera-Ruiz ND is a chef, Naturopathic Doctor, lover of olive oil and teaches her patients the slow-food way.
Although you can’t see us talking with our hands about communities, kitchens and olives, I promise this episode will leave you feeling re-inspired to create a Mediterranean-focused kitchen. Even if you don’t think you have time.
Antonella is hosting a course for our Confident Clinician network that is a perfect pairing of the Mediterranean diet principles and the behaviour change that people need to be successful. It’s intended for NDs, nutritionists, dieticians and any professionals that recommend nutrition changes to their patients. She has years of experience in getting up to her elbows in flour, olive oil and research and will help you feel more confident prescribing this diet practice that is the best-studied nutritional intervention on earth.
Her one-day course registration is open now. You can learn more and join here.
For the listeners! Enjoy this heart-filled conversation about food. It has helped me reconnect with my love of cooking and being in my kitchen - even when I don’t feel like I have the time.
It’s common for people to think about supplements for joint pain. Maybe you’ve even tried one. The greatest challenge in treating nutrition with supplements is how consistent patients need to be, even if their joints are feeling a bit better.
Nutrition is an amazing opportunity to support joint health and today’s podcast discusses the what and how around food for joint pain. You have to eat every day, so how can we best support your nutrition plan to be supporting your joints every day too?
The vast majority of joint pain in people over 40 is arthritis (sorry to say!) and nutrition can change the way your joints feel. In this episode we cover:
- The diets that have ZERO evidence for joint pain such as keto, carnivore and low nightshades.
- The nutrition plan that can reduce joint pain in people with arthritis.
With the amount of noise online about food and inflammation, let’s set the record straight!
Enjoy the episode.
It’s common for people to think about supplements for joint pain. Maybe you’ve even tried one. The greatest challenge in treating nutrition with supplements is how consistent patients need to be, even if their joints are feeling a bit better.
Nutrition is an amazing opportunity to support joint health and today’s podcast discusses the what and how around food for joint pain. You have to eat every day, so how can we best support your nutrition plan to be supporting your joints every day too?
The vast majority of joint pain in people over 40 is arthritis (sorry to say!) and nutrition can change the way your joints feel. In this episode we cover:
- The diets that have ZERO evidence for joint pain such as keto, carnivore and low nightshades.
- The nutrition plan that can reduce joint pain in people with arthritis.
With the amount of noise online about food and inflammation, let’s set the record straight!
Enjoy the episode.
Even if you’re living alone on a tropical island you’ve likely heard the online trend of syncing your menstrual cycle with your exercise.
Is it real? Or just another way to keep women small?
I’ve taken my time bringing this conversation to the stage because I had a single woman in mind to bring on the show to discuss it. Dr. Alyssa Olenick has a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and specifically studies the impact of female hormones on training, adaptation and recovery.
We share a vibrant (read: passionately pissed) conversation about the cycle syncing trend and whether you should be changing your exercise each week of your cycle.
Alyssa is one of my favourite female scientists and I was thrilled we could share this conversation together.
What we covered in this episode:
- What is “cycle syncing” and what happens through your cycle with respect to exercise.
- What the research actually says about hormones and training.
- Our thoughts on the commodification of women’s menstrual cycles and how this particular trend might be causing women to move less.
Enjoy the episode, and give Dr. Alyssa Olenick a follow @doclyssfitness
Dr. Alyssa Olenick holds a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology and is a certified sports nutritionist and Crossfit Level 1 Trainer. Alyssa completed her doctoral training in exercise and post-prandial metabolism. Specifically in the areas of metabolic flexibility, sex differences and menstrual cycle physiology. Alyssa runs her online business ‘Doc Lyss Fitness’ and is a strength athlete, ultra-marathon runner, and all-around fitness lover who is passionate about educating people on science-based fitness to get them into the gyms and on the roads/trails — or often, doing both at the same time! You can learn more about Dr. Alyssa Olenick and her programs at www.doclyssfitness.com
Even if you’re living alone on a tropical island you’ve likely heard the online trend of syncing your menstrual cycle with your exercise.
Is it real? Or just another way to keep women small?
I’ve taken my time bringing this conversation to the stage because I had a single woman in mind to bring on the show to discuss it. Dr. Alyssa Olenick has a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and specifically studies the impact of female hormones on training, adaptation and recovery.
We share a vibrant (read: passionately pissed) conversation about the cycle syncing trend and whether you should be changing your exercise each week of your cycle.
Alyssa is one of my favourite female scientists and I was thrilled we could share this conversation together.
What we covered in this episode:
- What is “cycle syncing” and what happens through your cycle with respect to exercise.
- What the research actually says about hormones and training.
- Our thoughts on the commodification of women’s menstrual cycles and how this particular trend might be causing women to move less.
Enjoy the episode, and give Dr. Alyssa Olenick a follow @doclyssfitness
Dr. Alyssa Olenick holds a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology and is a certified sports nutritionist and Crossfit Level 1 Trainer. Alyssa completed her doctoral training in exercise and post-prandial metabolism. Specifically in the areas of metabolic flexibility, sex differences and menstrual cycle physiology. Alyssa runs her online business ‘Doc Lyss Fitness’ and is a strength athlete, ultra-marathon runner, and all-around fitness lover who is passionate about educating people on science-based fitness to get them into the gyms and on the roads/trails — or often, doing both at the same time! You can learn more about Dr. Alyssa Olenick and her programs at www.doclyssfitness.com
Dun dun dunnnnnnnnn. This episode has been a long time coming. I’ve talked around this topic before in episodes sharing why testing is hard for women, and what we need out of good diagnostic and screening tests, but I’ve never tackled this topic head-on.
So, here we go.
I don’t want you to be frustrated when you listen to this if you’ve ever felt unheard by your doctor and chose to do a test that offered the hope of answers.
I don’t want you to be frustrated if you’re a practitioner and you’ve been using this test with your patients.
I don’t want you to be frustrated at all.
We do our best with the knowledge that we have. We also make patients feel like they have to figure things out on their own because nobody is listening. Wellness also markets to our insecurities, and women are often worried about their hormones.
For tests to be considered “good” they have to be better than what they already do, teach us something we don’t already know and guide our treatment of women better than what we would have done anyways. This test doesn’t do any of those things.
Have a listen and stay open-minded. I’m happy to change my mind about this test if someone would run a real study on it. Science changes. I’ll change too. But I’m also not willing to lean on a test that doesn’t stand up to the test of evidence-based practice.
Enjoy the episode!
Dun dun dunnnnnnnnn. This episode has been a long time coming. I’ve talked around this topic before in episodes sharing why testing is hard for women, and what we need out of good diagnostic and screening tests, but I’ve never tackled this topic head-on.
So, here we go.
I don’t want you to be frustrated when you listen to this if you’ve ever felt unheard by your doctor and chose to do a test that offered the hope of answers.
I don’t want you to be frustrated if you’re a practitioner and you’ve been using this test with your patients.
I don’t want you to be frustrated at all.
We do our best with the knowledge that we have. We also make patients feel like they have to figure things out on their own because nobody is listening. Wellness also markets to our insecurities, and women are often worried about their hormones.
For tests to be considered “good” they have to be better than what they already do, teach us something we don’t already know and guide our treatment of women better than what we would have done anyways. This test doesn’t do any of those things.
Have a listen and stay open-minded. I’m happy to change my mind about this test if someone would run a real study on it. Science changes. I’ll change too. But I’m also not willing to lean on a test that doesn’t stand up to the test of evidence-based practice.
Enjoy the episode!
We don’t want you to worry. But if you’re going to worry about something, let’s at least let it be the number one health risk women face in their lifetime.
It’s not breast cancer.
It’s heart disease.
In this episode, I’m joined by my good friend and brilliant colleague Dr. Alex Verge, a Naturopathic Doctor who is changing the conversation about heart health for women. In this episode, Alex and I cover
- Why it’s common to miss the conversation about heart health with women in a medical setting.
- How Estrogen impacts heart health and why risk changes after 50
- What women can do in their 30s and 40s to prevent heart disease
- Why testing and screening needs to be more often than you’re probably doing it.
I love all aspects of women’s health, but hold a special place in my heart for preventive cardiovascular care. If you have a heart. This episode is for you. It’s never too early to talk about cardiovascular health in women. We’re definitely not immune, and the culture of ignoring this conversation is putting women at risk.
Alex shared her research and wisdom at our recent Menopause Advanced Training for integrative health practitioners and is running a Lipidology course for The Confident Clinician this December. If you’re an integrative health practitioner working with midlife women, these courses will support your understanding and treatment of women in midlife with cardiovascular risk.
Naturopathic doctor Alexandra Verge has been in private practice for over 20 years and has a particular interest in cardiovascular health owing in part to a significant family history of heart disease and a personal tendency to whitecoat hypertension.
You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook here @alexvergend as well as at her clinic www.kuraclinic.ca.
Be sure to check out Dr. Alex's free resource on Blood pressure and the Mediterranian Diet here
They are calling it a hormone revolution.
With almost half of Canadian women between the ages of 40 and 60, there are just a few of us (myself included) who are embarking on a hormonal transition that few know anything about.
In today’s episode, I clear up what is related to your hormones after 40 (and what isn’t) and what is happening to your body during each transition stage (yes there is more than one stage!).
In this episode we cover:
- The “stages” of perimenopause
- What is happening hormonally in your body, and why you feel the way you feel.
- What testing makes sense, and what you shouldn’t waste your money on.
- Why feeling better in this stage of life is vital to your future health and the health of our communities.
Today’s podcast episode is sponsored by Smart Solutions. I’ve worked with Smart Solutions as an educator for two years and am encouraged by their continued dedication to providing evidence-based products and solutions to women to support their health needs.
Perimenopause and menopause can leave women feeling confused, overwhelmed, and stressed about their hormones. That’s why it’s important to have practical solutions to stop symptoms from getting in the way of their day. Smart Solutions offers products that contain ingredients, like chaste tree and sage to help ease the symptoms in perimenopause and hot flashes in menopause. Other ingredients, like ashwagandha and Rhodiola, are offered by Smart Solutions to help ease stress so women can focus on the important things in life.
Use my promo code JORDAN10 at checkout for your next order at smartsolutions.com to receive 10% off your order. Thank you Smart Solutions for putting the information and products into the hands of women so they can get back to taking care of what’s important in their lives.
This week’s podcast is in partnership with Jamieson and Smart Solutions
Today’s conversation is about paying for health care, and how you are choosing to approach this conversation may be helping or hindering your own personal progress - whether you agree with paying for health or not.
We talk about the impact of “entry fees” and the communities that are harmed by non-universal health care, but beyond that, we cover the impact of mindset on who is responsible for your health (whether money is part of the conversation or not).
If you don’t value your health on any level, it’s very difficult to make the progress you truly desire. It’s a value conflict to not feel responsible for the cost of your health under any circumstance, but also desire the best care. It’s a conflict to want a lot out of your experience and never throw any skin in the game yourself.
If you’ve felt yourself uttering the phrase “I shouldn't have to pay for that” when talking about your personal health journey, I want us to unpack that and the negative impact it might be having on your path to success.
Many times in my career I’ve had to negotiate with patients about whether or not the solutions, diagnostic tests or preventive care was “worth it” to patients. When I’m negotiating the worth of a patient's health to them, how on earth does the patient come out winning?
Whether we believe paying for parts of our healthcare is our responsibility or the responsibility of the community at large, this episode will certainly make you think of the unintended consequences of not placing value on your health.
Do you ever struggle to find the word you were thinking of?
What about walking into a room and forgetting why you were there?
What about writing a sentence and then……wait…….what was I saying?
Brain fog is a common symptom that women feel in midlife, and although we think at this moment that midlife-related changes that impact our day-to-day cognitive function do get better with time, there are likely whispers of larger cognitive changes that start to happen in midlife.
We can easily ignore brain and cognitive health for decades. Really, most people ignore it until it’s a problem. But we know in the research that we can prevent negative cognitive changes in women if we address specific areas of their health in their 40s and 50s.
This episode covers a few important things
- The impact of nutrition on cognitive health and a couple of simple steps you can take to support your brain.
- What happens to the brain in menopause and why it’s not doom and gloom.
- Why taking action for your brain health in your 40s is an important part of preventive medicine.
I also talk about my own relationship with my brain and how I haven’t always got along with “her” up there and what my goals are for my own personal brain health and how I plan on taking charge of my brain health.
This past weekend I delivered a 3-hour lecture on cognitive health in menopause for practitioners as part of our Menopause Advanced Training at the Confident Clinician. If you are a practitioner and want to purchase this on-demand course, be sure to join our waitlist to get notified when the course is available for purchase.
In this week's episode I'm joined by my colleague Dr. Alison Danby, a Naturopathic Doctor in Ontario with a clinical and research focus on Autoimmunity.
We cover a few pervasive myths in the wellness space on autoimmune disease and what to look for in a "good" autoimmune health plan.
We answer questions like:
- What does remission actually look like? Can you cure your disease?
- Does it matter if we find the root cause of your autoimmune disease or not?
- Can you avoid medication if you have autoimmune disease?
- Are the wellness trends you see online real?
We address the grief, shame and blame that people feel when they have an autoimmune condition diagnosis and how to feel more confident about moving forward with an autoimmune condition in an empowered way.
Dr. Danby is the lead educator for The Confident Clinician's Autoimmune courses, and her next course on Evidence-Based Approaches to Rheumatic disease is open for enrollment right now. Early Bird Pricing ends October 7th. Naturopathic Doctors and Integrative Practitioners can register here.
In this week's episode I'm joined by my colleague Dr. Alison Danby, a Naturopathic Doctor in Ontario with a clinical and research focus on Autoimmunity.
We cover a few pervasive myths in the wellness space on autoimmune disease and what to look for in a "good" autoimmune health plan.
We answer questions like:
- What does remission actually look like? Can you cure your disease?
- Does it matter if we find the root cause of your autoimmune disease or not?
- Can you avoid medication if you have autoimmune disease?
- Are the wellness trends you see online real?
We address the grief, shame and blame that people feel when they have an autoimmune condition diagnosis and how to feel more confident about moving forward with an autoimmune condition in an empowered way.
Dr. Danby is the lead educator for The Confident Clinician's Autoimmune courses, and her next course on Evidence-Based Approaches to Rheumatic disease is open for enrollment right now. Early Bird Pricing ends October 7th. Naturopathic Doctors and Integrative Practitioners can register here.
In this week's episode I'm joined by my colleague Dr. Alison Danby, a Naturopathic Doctor in Ontario with a clinical and research focus on Autoimmunity.
We cover a few pervasive myths in the wellness space on autoimmune disease and what to look for in a "good" autoimmune health plan.
We answer questions like:
- What does remission actually look like? Can you cure your disease?
- Does it matter if we find the root cause of your autoimmune disease or not?
- Can you avoid medication if you have autoimmune disease?
- Are the wellness trends you see online real?
We address the grief, shame and blame that people feel when they have an autoimmune condition diagnosis and how to feel more confident about moving forward with an autoimmune condition in an empowered way.
Dr. Danby is the lead educator for The Confident Clinician's Autoimmune courses, and her next course on Evidence-Based Approaches to Rheumatic disease is open for enrollment right now. Early Bird Pricing ends October 7th. Naturopathic Doctors and Integrative Practitioners can register here.
Logic, science and evidence are not easy to find in the nutrition space online. Especially when looking at the “trends” and “recommendations” for women. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, support your joint pain or improve your mood, the online conversation about nutrition for women is often missing the big picture, focusing on data from test tubes or is just flat out wrong.
Holly Baxter is a Dietician, world-level champion fitness model and the Director of Nutrition for Biolayne online programs. In this episode, we cover a lot of ground including:
- Can you pursue mental health goals and physique goals at the same time?
- What is reverse dieting and why women need to understand their bodies to develop patience in their nutrition program.
- How to consider the ‘cost’ of your health goals and what impact nutrition is having on your overall health.
This episode is for any woman who has ever struggled with body image, has ever made nutrition goals and struggled with them or who is curious about the impact of their nutrition on mental health. We cover it all in this episode.
You can find Holly on Instagram at @hollytbaxter
Calling all Integrative Practitioners: This is the final week to purchase a ticket for The Confident Clinician’s Advanced Menopause Training happening this October 2-3. The course is held virtually and provides participants with lifetime access to a dashboard containing all of the course materials, handouts, resources and videos. We have limited the number of non-member tickets and have 4-5 spaces left for practitioners who want to accelerate their menopause practice. Grab your spot here
Logic, science and evidence are not easy to find in the nutrition space online. Especially when looking at the “trends” and “recommendations” for women. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, support your joint pain or improve your mood, the online conversation about nutrition for women is often missing the big picture, focusing on data from test tubes or is just flat out wrong.
Holly Baxter is a Dietician, world-level champion fitness model and the Director of Nutrition for Biolayne online programs. In this episode, we cover a lot of ground including:
- Can you pursue mental health goals and physique goals at the same time?
- What is reverse dieting and why women need to understand their bodies to develop patience in their nutrition program.
- How to consider the ‘cost’ of your health goals and what impact nutrition is having on your overall health.
This episode is for any woman who has ever struggled with body image, has ever made nutrition goals and struggled with them or who is curious about the impact of their nutrition on mental health. We cover it all in this episode.
You can find Holly on Instagram at @hollytbaxter
Calling all Integrative Practitioners: This is the final week to purchase a ticket for The Confident Clinician’s Advanced Menopause Training happening this October 2-3. The course is held virtually and provides participants with lifetime access to a dashboard containing all of the course materials, handouts, resources and videos. We have limited the number of non-member tickets and have 4-5 spaces left for practitioners who want to accelerate their menopause practice. Grab your spot here
Logic, science and evidence are not easy to find in the nutrition space online. Especially when looking at the “trends” and “recommendations” for women. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, support your joint pain or improve your mood, the online conversation about nutrition for women is often missing the big picture, focusing on data from test tubes or is just flat out wrong.
Holly Baxter is a Dietician, world-level champion fitness model and the Director of Nutrition for Biolayne online programs. In this episode, we cover a lot of ground including:
- Can you pursue mental health goals and physique goals at the same time?
- What is reverse dieting and why women need to understand their bodies to develop patience in their nutrition program.
- How to consider the ‘cost’ of your health goals and what impact nutrition is having on your overall health.
This episode is for any woman who has ever struggled with body image, has ever made nutrition goals and struggled with them or who is curious about the impact of their nutrition on mental health. We cover it all in this episode.
You can find Holly on Instagram at @hollytbaxter
Calling all Integrative Practitioners: This is the final week to purchase a ticket for The Confident Clinician’s Advanced Menopause Training happening this October 2-3. The course is held virtually and provides participants with lifetime access to a dashboard containing all of the course materials, handouts, resources and videos. We have limited the number of non-member tickets and have 4-5 spaces left for practitioners who want to accelerate their menopause practice. Grab your spot here
Did you know that over 50% of women will have hair thinning as they age?
This might be something we need to discuss eh?
In today’s episode, I share what happens to hair as we age, how to tell the difference between types of hair loss and what is possible for us as we age when it comes to our hair.
In this episode we cover:
- The lab testing you’ll need if you feel like you’re losing your hair.
- What happens to hair as we age, and whether or not we can do anything about this.
- Strategies to support thinning hair that you can start today.
We also talked about the aging process, seeing ourselves in the media and social media and how I want to open up this conversation about hair to normalize this experience that so many women feel shame over. Enjoy the listen!
If you’re a practitioner who supports people in menopause, this is the last day to save and catch the early bird pricing for my next course through The Confident Clinician happening Saturday, October 01 - Sunday, October 02, 2022. Grab your savings here. Price goes up September 15th at midnight(est) and registration closes September 30th, 2022! We will be covering bone health, cognitive health, mental health, and cardiovascular disease. We’ve limited the seats to 40 non-members and are over 50% sold out.
Did you know that over 50% of women will have hair thinning as they age?
This might be something we need to discuss eh?
In today’s episode, I share what happens to hair as we age, how to tell the difference between types of hair loss and what is possible for us as we age when it comes to our hair.
In this episode we cover:
- The lab testing you’ll need if you feel like you’re losing your hair.
- What happens to hair as we age, and whether or not we can do anything about this.
- Strategies to support thinning hair that you can start today.
We also talked about the aging process, seeing ourselves in the media and social media and how I want to open up this conversation about hair to normalize this experience that so many women feel shame over. Enjoy the listen!
If you’re a practitioner who supports people in menopause, this is the last day to save and catch the early bird pricing for my next course through The Confident Clinician happening Saturday, October 01 - Sunday, October 02, 2022. Grab your savings here. Price goes up September 15th at midnight(est) and registration closes September 30th, 2022! We will be covering bone health, cognitive health, mental health, and cardiovascular disease. We’ve limited the seats to 40 non-members and are over 50% sold out.
Did you know that over 50% of women will have hair thinning as they age?
This might be something we need to discuss eh?
In today’s episode, I share what happens to hair as we age, how to tell the difference between types of hair loss and what is possible for us as we age when it comes to our hair.
In this episode we cover:
- The lab testing you’ll need if you feel like you’re losing your hair.
- What happens to hair as we age, and whether or not we can do anything about this.
- Strategies to support thinning hair that you can start today.
We also talked about the aging process, seeing ourselves in the media and social media and how I want to open up this conversation about hair to normalize this experience that so many women feel shame over. Enjoy the listen!
If you’re a practitioner who supports people in menopause, this is the last day to save and catch the early bird pricing for my next course through The Confident Clinician happening Saturday, October 01 - Sunday, October 02, 2022. Grab your savings here. Price goes up September 15th at midnight(est) and registration closes September 30th, 2022! We will be covering bone health, cognitive health, mental health, and cardiovascular disease. We’ve limited the seats to 40 non-members and are over 50% sold out.
Welcome Back! After a very very long season 1 (that went on for 2 years and over 150 episodes) we decided to take a break over the summer before returning to recording.
This welcome-back episode focuses on the feelings of “new years” we often feel in the fall and how to start to think about your goals, your purpose, and your outcomes.
If you’ve ever felt disappointed by your outcome even though you tried really hard - this episode is for you.
If you’ve ever given up on a goal because you didn’t get the outcome you expected by a particular date - this episode is for you.
If you’ve ever even considered changing things about yourself - this episode is for you.
I also share my journey from a spiteful-counterculture naturopathic doctor (which is terrible to say that the counterculture in my profession was by being evidence-based at that time) towards a more compassionate and softer approach to sharing information with all of you to help you better understand your body and your health choices.
I share my initial discomfort with what we all needed out of this podcast and how humanizing our health experience and behaviour change is really what we all need.
This episode gives us an amazing springboard to start our big conversations this season and I can’t wait to share them all with you.
If you’re a practitioner who supports people in menopause, you can now access the early bird pricing for my next course through The Confident Clinician happening Saturday, October 01 - Sunday, October 02, 2022. You can access the early bird pricing here. We will be covering bone health, cognitive health, mental health, and cardiovascular disease. We’ve limited the seats to 40 non-members.
Welcome Back! After a very very long season 1 (that went on for 2 years and over 150 episodes) we decided to take a break over the summer before returning to recording.
This welcome-back episode focuses on the feelings of “new years” we often feel in the fall and how to start to think about your goals, your purpose, and your outcomes.
If you’ve ever felt disappointed by your outcome even though you tried really hard - this episode is for you.
If you’ve ever given up on a goal because you didn’t get the outcome you expected by a particular date - this episode is for you.
If you’ve ever even considered changing things about yourself - this episode is for you.
I also share my journey from a spiteful-counterculture naturopathic doctor (which is terrible to say that the counterculture in my profession was by being evidence-based at that time) towards a more compassionate and softer approach to sharing information with all of you to help you better understand your body and your health choices.
I share my initial discomfort with what we all needed out of this podcast and how humanizing our health experience and behaviour change is really what we all need.
This episode gives us an amazing springboard to start our big conversations this season and I can’t wait to share them all with you.
If you’re a practitioner who supports people in menopause, you can now access the early bird pricing for my next course through The Confident Clinician happening Saturday, October 01 - Sunday, October 02, 2022. You can access the early bird pricing here. We will be covering bone health, cognitive health, mental health, and cardiovascular disease. We’ve limited the seats to 40 non-members.
Welcome Back! After a very very long season 1 (that went on for 2 years and over 150 episodes) we decided to take a break over the summer before returning to recording.
This welcome-back episode focuses on the feelings of “new years” we often feel in the fall and how to start to think about your goals, your purpose, and your outcomes.
If you’ve ever felt disappointed by your outcome even though you tried really hard - this episode is for you.
If you’ve ever given up on a goal because you didn’t get the outcome you expected by a particular date - this episode is for you.
If you’ve ever even considered changing things about yourself - this episode is for you.
I also share my journey from a spiteful-counterculture naturopathic doctor (which is terrible to say that the counterculture in my profession was by being evidence-based at that time) towards a more compassionate and softer approach to sharing information with all of you to help you better understand your body and your health choices.
I share my initial discomfort with what we all needed out of this podcast and how humanizing our health experience and behaviour change is really what we all need.
This episode gives us an amazing springboard to start our big conversations this season and I can’t wait to share them all with you.
If you’re a practitioner who supports people in menopause, you can now access the early bird pricing for my next course through The Confident Clinician happening Saturday, October 01 - Sunday, October 02, 2022. You can access the early bird pricing here. We will be covering bone health, cognitive health, mental health, and cardiovascular disease. We’ve limited the seats to 40 non-members.
Bloating is an annoying symptom that prevents many people from eating the foods they love, wearing the pants they love, and living abdominal-pain free.
In today’s episode, I’m joined by my college Dr. Dominque Vanier, a Naturopathic Doctor and Gut-Focused practitioner who is the perfect guide to your bloat-recovery journey.
In this episode, I ask Dominique questions like:
- When is bloating something more serious?
- Why do hormones cause bloating and when should women have this looked into?
- Why does bloating happen randomly?
- What are the first steps to understanding digestive health and bloating?
If you’ve ever changed your pants part way through the day, felt like you had to limit yourself because of your digestive pain or wondered what on earth was happening inside your gut (since it feels like a total disaster in there), this episode is for you.
Dr. Vanier accepts patients in person and virtually in Ontario at Clarity Health and focuses on supporting people with digestive concerns and hormonal health (and both mixed together!). Dr. Vanier is hosting a FREE webinar for our community about the simple tips you can use to solve your bloating. Register here for the live event (or to grab the recording).
I don’t hate the word should. I think we can use this word with the right intention to help us more towards our goals rather than always feeling that we are lacking something.
In this episode, I share the “summer shoulds” based on what I notice when working with patients through the summer months. The summer can be a wonderful time for celebration, but also is an opportunity to make things happen for our health.
Can we do both?
This episode shares my summer goal setting and the three areas that I notice that things go sideways through the summer months. The summer is long (and short all at the same time) and as a result your health habits matter. We’ll cover how to stay on track and set reasonable goals for yourself over the next few months.
If you’re noticing that your summer needs more support, my colleagues at Clarity Health are here to guide you towards a better understanding of your health and to develop a plan for your summer so you can make the most of it.
You can book a discovery call here www.clarityhealthburlington.ca (Ontario Residents Only).
Are you okay with an expiry date on your ability to be active and vibrant? Nope. Me neither.
Our conversations about menopause and midlife on the podcast circle around similar themes. You can be strong(er) in menopause. You can be (more) confident in menopause. You can be better than you are today in menopause.
Today’s guest is Selene Yeager. A women’s health and fitness author, insane athlete and advocate for women achieving their health goals in midlife.
What does the outright winner of the race across America think about slowing down in menopause? (She beat the men too fyi). You’ll want to listen to her message, and it’s for all of us, whether you identify as an athlete or not.
Selene hosts a podcast Hit Play Not Pause, and her latest book with Dr. Stacy Sims is available now called Next Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals Through Menopause and Beyond.
You can get a copy of the book here.: https://www.amazon.ca/Next-Level-Kicking-Crushing-Menopause/dp/0593233158
I spent the last few months doing a deep dive on iron. It compelled me enough to sit down and record a full podcast on why this nutrient needs to matter to you, why the reference range isn’t good enough, and why we’ve got things so wrong about iron.
Iron deficiency is the most common deficiency around the globe. And when we have a stat like that, we often imagine women in low-resource countries. But it’s not just women living in developing countries that are struggling. You’re struggling too.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in ALL women. No matter where you live or how much meat you do or don’t eat.
This episode is for you if you have ever
- Been told you have iron deficiency. Even if you think it’s fixed.
- Have fatigue but have been told your iron is “fine”.
- Have a diet that is low in iron (vegetarian, plant-based, etc.)
- Have a menstrual cycle.
I talk through what iron deficiency looks like in your lab work (again, even if you’ve been told it’s fine), and how to go about starting to fix things.
If you’re struggling with how to get iron into your life or have a chronic iron deficiency that needs support, our team at Clarity Health is ready to support you. Book a free 15-minute consultation (Ontario only) with the practitioner who resonates, or call the office to learn who you would be the best fit.
We often think about libido as a hormonal chemical spark that bursts in our brains and makes us hungry for passion.
Except you just rolled your eyes and racked your brain for the last time that things felt that way.
Today’s podcast is with my friend and colleague Dr. Jordin Wiggins, a Naturopathic Doctor and sexual health educator who is taking the world of pleasure and sex by storm. And quite frankly, offering sex re-education to a generation of women starved for pleasure.
We cover a lot of ground in this episode but focus on how your sex life IS your life. Meaning if you’re not having pleasure in the bedroom, you’re likely also struggling in the boardroom.
Pleasure is a different part of our brain than the ‘fireworks’ we see in the movies. Even if you aren’t in a partnership, or are just learning how to explore the pleasure side of your health, this episode will give you a framework for how to think about sexual health and steps to take to get on the path towards pleasure.
Jordin Wiggins has her very own podcast called The Pleasure Principles and offers support for women looking for a pleasure-filled life. You can follow Jordin on Instagram @drjordinwiggins
I spent the last few months doing a deep dive on iron. It compelled me enough to sit down and record a full podcast on why this nutrient needs to matter to you, why the reference range isn’t good enough, and why we’ve got things so wrong about iron.
Iron deficiency is the most common deficiency around the globe. And when we have a stat like that, we often imagine women in low-resource countries. But it’s not just women living in developing countries that are struggling. You’re struggling too.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in ALL women. No matter where you live or how much meat you do or don’t eat.
This episode is for you if you have ever
- Been told you have iron deficiency. Even if you think it’s fixed.
- Have fatigue but have been told your iron is “fine”.
- Have a diet that is low in iron (vegetarian, plant-based, etc.)
- Have a menstrual cycle.
I talk through what iron deficiency looks like in your lab work (again, even if you’ve been told it’s fine), and how to go about starting to fix things.
If you’re struggling with how to get iron into your life or have a chronic iron deficiency that needs support, our team at Clarity Health is ready to support you. Book a free 15-minute consultation (Ontario only) with the practitioner who resonates, or call the office to learn who you would be the best fit.
In today’s podcast, I’m joined by my colleague Dr. Fiona McCulloch ND and author of 8 Steps To Reverse Your PCOS. Fiona is a passionate advocate for better research and treatment of women and people with PCOS and in today’s episode, we break down the impact of epigenetics, the different types of PCOS, and the future directions that we both hope to see this endocrine condition go in. PCOS is the most commonly diagnosed hormone condition in women and presents with acne, hair loss, unwanted hair growth, and irregular menstrual cycles. Where does this condition come from? Fiona and I discuss the genetic basis of PCOS, and how the development of PCOS likely starts in the womb.
We also share the challenges in the research with subclassifications of PCOS and the challenges of treating both lean and classical PCOS. We share how to decide if the research applies to your “type” and why an individualized approach to PCOS is the way of the future.
If you’ve wondered about a PCOS diagnosis, or have a formal diagnosis from your practitioner, this episode will give you direction and hope that you can make a difference in your hormonal future.
Dr. Finoa McCulloch owns an integrative medical clinic in Toronto Ontario called White Lotus ( Whitelotusclinic.ca). You can find her and the links to buy her book on Instagram
In this episode, I’m joined by my close friend, Dr. Kim Bretz ND for an honest conversation about where we go wrong in making recommendations for patients with gut symptoms, how hardly any people have SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), and why we need a new solution for patients with chronic constipation other than magnesium.
Kim gives us a lot to think about as both patients and practitioners and highlights what the unintended consequences are when we label patients with gut “issues” that they don’t actually have.
This episode will help you understand what to look for in a practitioner for your gut symptoms and might teach practitioners a thing or two about the evidence for testing bacterial overgrowth.
If you’re a Naturopathic Doctor, Medical Doctor, or other practitioner that works with patients with constipation, we’d love to invite you to join Dr. Kim’s course being put on by the Confident Clinician LIVE (virtually) on May 27, 2022. We are on a mission to deliver evidence-based education for integrative practitioners. This 6 hour course will feel like you’re being handed the solutions for your constipation patients on a silver platter. Register before May 15 to save $50.00 on the course with our early bird pricing. Participants will get access to downloads, handouts, and lifetime access to the videos so even if you can’t make it live for the day, grab your seat here
https://discover.theconfidentclinicianclub.com/constipation-intensive
Last weekend I participated in a masters age Olympic weightlifting competition and needed to lose some weight to make weight. I gained weight through covid and hadn’t tried to reduce my weight intentionally since my last powerlifting competition in 2019. The competition cutoff was a little below my natural body weight, and so I had to try pretty hard to change my body weight. The last time I lost weight I posted that it took me 100 days to lose 10 lbs and a bunch of ‘gurus’ online told me that I had done it wrong. And if I had worked with them I could have lost the weight faster (insert eye roll).
This episode takes a very pragmatic approach to talking about weight management - which I can do. Certainly if you are struggling with your relationship with food, or have been diagnosed with disordered eating, I’d love for you to skip this episode or come back to it at a time when you feel confident you can listen without being triggered.
In this episode I cover
- What adjustments I made in my diet in order to move towards my goals.
- Where I created flexibility in my nutrition to allow me to enjoy life right up until the week before the competition.
- The impact of water weight, and why I want women to deeply understand this.
If this episode speaks to you, reach out. Each of the clinicians at Clarity Health have expertise in supporting weight management in people of all ages and stages. Connect with us at www.clarityhealthburlington.ca (Ontario residents only).
I never had any fear about money until the pandemic. I always figured that I’d find a job, or “figure it out” if I needed to. I had a good education, great communication skills, and my hand in many pots I could turn towards if I needed to. Then the pandemic.
My security turned to fear.
My husband was unemployed for 5 months, I canceled 500 appointments at my clinic and had to close aspects of our business because we couldn’t compete with Amazon.
2 years later, with the pandemic costing our businesses over 1 million dollars, I'm almost not afraid. Almost.
When I heard April Stroink speak for the first time I knew I needed to hear more from her. She has a different strategy for supporting women when it comes to money, and strategies that acknowledge how our behaviour and beliefs impact our money choices. She wants to know how your story affects how you make decisions, and can teach you to take control of your own financial future.
We have a great conversation on the podcast this week about how we need more financially equipped females, how feminine leadership can support business, and how you can better understand your relationship with money. Financial health is deeply linked to the rest of your health. We unpack this in this week’s episode together.
You can find April and her offerings through her profile on Instagram or at AprilStroink.ca
Today’s episode is about the use of botanical medicine and the symptoms of menopause. From hot flashes to low libido, menopause can show up in everybody system and women are often looking for solutions to smooth the transition. Botanical medicine offers a romantic solution for menopause, but does it have the clinical evidence to back it up? We’ll talk about it in today’s episode. You’ll find many promising products in the market that offer possible solutions to our hormonal woes, but are they choosing ingredients that actually work? Today’s podcast episode is sponsored by Smart Solutions. I’ve worked with Smart Solutions as an educator for the last year and am encouraged by their continued dedication to provide evidence-based products and solutions to women to support their health needs. Perimenopause and menopause can leave women feeling confused about their hormones, and without practical solutions to stop their symptoms from getting in the way of their day. Smart Solutions offers products that contain ingredients, like Chaste Tree and Sage, shown to improve mood & hot flashes in perimenopause & menopause. These natural ingredients can help smooth the symptoms women experience during this phase of life.
Use my promo code JORDAN10 at checkout on your next order at smartsolutions.com to receive 10% off. Thank you Smart Solutions for putting the information and products into the hands of women and continuing to educate women about what is possible for them in their health.
“Are you stressed?”
This question doesn’t usually elicit the kind of answer that we want from patients, and yet it’s the way we often screen for stress in a health appointment. When we ask patients if they are stressed they immediately compare their stress to others, compare their current stress to past stress, or compare their perceived stress against how they “feel like they should feel” about their life.
None of this is helpful.
When I asked my colleague and teammate Dr. Dominika Zarzenzny to join us on the podcast I had one goal in mind. I wanted you to deeply understand how your past stress influences your current health. Six years into clinical practice, Dr. Dominika stumbled on landmark research known as the ACE study that changed the trajectory of her work with patients. From that point on, she decided to dedicate her practice to understanding how early life events can dys-regulate one’s nervous system, and how a dys-regulated nervous system in turn influences health outcomes.
Dr. Dominika furthered her studies by training with various psychologists and experts in the field of psychological trauma. She incorporates the principles of neuroscience, attachment theory, mindfulness and polyvagal theory in her inquiry process and counselling with patients.
She works with our patients at Clarity Health who recognize the impact of stress, experiences they have never recovered from and past hardship can have on your current health journey, with many of our patients feeling relief and direction after a single 1 hour session.
The question of “are you stressed” is just the tip of the iceberg. We all have stress, past experiences, relationships and circumstances that have shaped how our nervous system sees the world. If you are a human, this episode is for you.
Let’s be clear, there aren’t any magical nutrition solutions. If things “work” for people it’s because it’s a strategy that they can do and that makes a difference. The end.
So why does intermittent fasting get such a good review in the weight loss space? Lots of the claims about it aren’t evidence-based (meaning that we don’t have compelling human studies that show benefit). Fasting can also show some positive cellular benefits which have led us to make some pretty bold statements about the benefits.
In today’s episode, I share why I think people like fasting, what they misunderstand about it, and the side effects (yes, side effects) of this particular nutrition strategy.
If you’ve been mulling over your next nutrition decision, this episode will help you think more clearly about what you need.
My team at Clarity Health is ready to help support you with the next evolution of your nutrition. We’d like to see your changes last. You can book a 15-minute consultation (and a massage while you’re at it) to learn more. Ontario Residents Only.
When Dr. Anne Hussain was growing up in Pakistan, periods were not something that was talked about openly. When her periods became irregular, not only was there nobody to ask about it, but it prevented her from being properly assessed and diagnosed.
Fast forward to moving to Canada, Anne was able to be formally assessed and diagnosed with PCOS, but only after advocating for herself and learning about her hormones on her own.
Anne realized there was a gap in menstrual education not just in Pakistan, but also in Canada. She’s spent the rest of her career in Naturopathic Medicine creating accessible information for women and people who menstruate about what a “normal” period looks like.
Even if you think you know what normal is, this episode is for you if you’ve ever wondered:
- If your spotting is normal?
- If your level of bleeding or cramps is normal?
- How to advocate for yourself at our doctor’s office?
- Whether the changes you’ve experienced as you age are normal?
Have a listen, and be sure to follow Anne on Instagram. Her book on period literacy hits shelves in the spring of 2022.
The Very Real Consequences of Self Improvement
Two total bosses get together on a zoom call and what do you get? A very real cost is about pursuing your goals, chasing your dreams, and risking everything for what you truly desire.
Lori Kennedy is a business coach that I have admired and worked alongside for years. We’ve talked to each other’s audience back and forth and shared our wisdom with each other’s respective clientele.
But never have we sat down and talked about our own journeys as female entrepreneurs. Never have we talked about the real cost of chasing what you want.
And there’s definitely a consequence.
We share how the path to self-improvement includes setting boundaries, saying no, going to bed, letting go of relationships, and overcoming fear of judgement.
We also share how to find friends at “the top of the mountain” and how to stop looking for advice from those around you who haven’t taken the plunge towards self-improvement.
Today’s episode is a fresh look at how strong women need to lift each other up, how we need to normalize strength and the pursuit of success in women, and how we need you to overcome the consequences of change to model change for every woman around you.
You can find Lori on Instagram.
One of the largest barriers to health I see in women I work with is the amount of “stuff” on everyone’s plate. Women are overwhelmed by their work, family and other obligations. These same women are tired, not exercising and don’t have time to make themselves a meal. If you want to get better, you need to do less. I know it’s scary, but today’s episode will give you the 3 strategies you need for more effective delegation.
It’s an episode that will help you if you
- Feel like you’re the only one in your house who can do certain jobs or they won’t get done.
- Feel like you keep adding and adding to your plate without taking anything off.
- Feel like you don’t have any “wiggle room” in your day and couldn’t carve out more self care.
We’ll talk through my 3 steps to more effective delegation including how to communicate about your boundaries, what you really really want (insert Spice Girls) and how to leave space for others to learn as you delegate (rather than snatching tasks back because they didn’t do it perfectly the first time).
I want you to feel like you have the time to take care of yourself, and if you don’t, this is a great place to start.
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I’m always looking at my time. It’s my most valuable resource.
Your time is your most valuable resource too.
So why do we do so many tasks that don’t need to be done, or could be done with some help? It’s a fair question.
This week’s podcast episode is all about getting your time back through delegation and why being clear, communicating and allowing space for clumsy learning in your delegatee needs to happen for you to truly get shit off your plate.
I share a few examples of my own time management and the hard questions a ask my patients to think about so they can truly move towards better health.
Do you overreact? Try and guess what your partner will say next? Do you withdraw over conflict? Do you vocalise your desires?
Dr. Shyamala Kiru knew she had a book inside her. She sat down and thought about what was really (and we mean really) getting in the way of her female clients from excelling in their relationships, careers, and lives. She has written the book we all need. The book teaches us the skills we need to level up.
The skills of emotional intelligence.
With her debut book hitting stores this month, Shyamala and I share a deep conversation about our paths towards working on our emotional intelligence. We both share personal stories about our paths, describe practical tips for navigating hard conversations, and will leave you feeling like your emotional intelligence is something you can shape - regardless of the patterns you were modeled in your life so far.
You can grab a copy of Dr. Shyamala’s book here, or wherever books are sold. Connect with her free content on Instagram @dr.shyamalakiru
I’ve actually shied away from researching acne. I remember being taught when I was in school that if you had acne (which I did) that there was some special diet or special potion that needed to be discovered to help it heal. I was always left feeling like I didn’t have the willpower to follow a strict diet, or that I had some weird deficiency that was getting in the way of healthy skin. I was always worried when a patient wanted help with their acne because I was a secret “professional failure” that couldn’t figure out my own skin.
I finally studied the topic in-depth so that I could present it to my peers and was shocked at the re-wiring I had to do with what I had been told about acne. Almost everything I had been taught was wrong, and I actually had the power to support my skin.
In today’s podcast episode I share the 3 lessons I want you to know about adult acne, which will give you the tools you need to set yourself on a positive path. These 3 pieces of information changed my understanding of how to support my skin and informs my practice of how to guide adults who struggle with acne.
Do you create your day? Or get swept along in the emotional vortex of it all?
This week’s podcast is not just about your morning routine, it’s about the mindset you use to start your day and how that predicts your success. Mindset coach Adele Tevlin (who I’ve worked with personally in the last few years) joins me for a real conversation about how our mind can be harnessed to create the day we want.
We know what you’re thinking! “I can’t create my day, my day is ruled by my work and my kids and my obligations.” We hear you. And we still want you to create your day.
How your brain perceives the stressors and obligations you have changes your mental health and your ability to show up as your most vibrant self. So if you’re being swept along with what’s being “handed to you”, we want to offer you a different perspective. You can create your day instead.
Adele supports high performing women to achieve their optimal state through mindfulness and mindset training. Her courses and daily mindset club are designed to help you design your day and life. Learning how to think and control your mindset, even in difficult times, can truly change your life.
Adele’s free workshops can be accessed here. Follow her on Instagram for more information and your daily dose of a CEO mindset.
Is it about lack of trust? Is it about misinformation? Is it part of our human flaws? These were the very questions I asked today’s podcast guest, David Robert Grimes, Physicist, cancer scientist, and author on the very question of why conspiracy theories are part of our world (especially in the last 2 years).
We talk about the basics of critical thinking, how to spot the difference between “just asking questions” and “conspiracy tendencies” and why we are sometimes drawn towards radical explanations of the world around us.
David has authored a book titled Good Thinking (North America) and The Irrational Ape (UK) that unravels the complexities of human thoughts, why we are so damn emotional when presented with new data and how to help yourself be a better thinker and learner.
We cover brave topics like vaccines, the pandemic and health information online. Even though these topics are sure to stir up emotions, come listen with an open mind and be ready to give your brain muscles a solid flex.
Follow David on Twitter: @drg1985, Instagram @david_robert_grimes and through his website: www.davidrobertgrimes.com
In today’s episode, I’m joined by my friend and brilliant colleague Dr. Stephanie Bayliss, a Naturopathic Doctor who focuses on mental health in women. In this episode, we help you understand if your mood deserves some attention and how to be assessed.
Many women feel their mood isn’t “bad enough” to be flagged or treated, because their picture of depression in their mind is a different woman than what they see in themselves. Women imagine a person who needs mental health support is debilitated, on stress leave, or can’t get out of bed at all. They have a hard time seeing the impact of low mood on their fatigue, nutrition, ability to feel joy and
When I was in university, my first-year facilitator handed me a book on perfectionism and told me I should read it. I didn’t understand. How on earth could a student who couldn’t spell, barely paid attention in class, and struggled to care about assignments she didn’t like be a perfectionist?
Perfectionism might be showing up in your life differently than the “gets it all perfect all the time” definition we often think of. it's not about having a manicured lawn and perfectly curled hair (although you might do those things too if you’re a perfectionist). Perfectionism is also about how you feel about action - and whether or not you can take action - even if the outcome might be less than perfect.
I didn’t speak up enough, write enough (because I was afraid of my own spelling), or take enough risks in my work because I was afraid of failing at the expectations placed on me. I wasn’t showing up as my full self because I knew she was far from perfect - and yet that inaction was also perfectionism getting in the way of me achieving my goals.
This was a pinnacle moment for me. So what if my Ps and my Bs were confused on every assignment I handed in - what I was trying to say was intelligent and well thought out. NOT participating and NOT leaning in was letting my groups down and myself down.
When I work with women long enough, their perfectionism fades. They adopt the “all or something” mentality to their health and actually get somewhere. They stop expecting the world of themselves and deeply learn how to take care of their imperfect selves. And you know what? They do better than the women who are trying to hold it all together and pretend everything is fine.
The opportunity to get a ticket for Bulletproof Your 40s is almost gone. The doors close the day this episode airs (Thursday, January 27th). We’re changing the way women feel about their health and themselves. Recovering perfectionists invited.
There isn’t really an area of medicine that has led to as much self-proclaimed expertise than nutrition. If someone knows how to make a great smoothie they seem to have the credentials to give other people smoothie advice. But why with that same logic, do we never see someone who owns a beating heart claim to be a cardiologist or someone who owns a brain to be a neurosurgeon. And yet, for some reason, if you own a blender, you could be nutrition’s next big thing. Nutrition as a science has struggled to fit the research mould that we study pharmaceuticals in, which hasn’t done nutrition any favours. In this episode, I invite one of my own mentors, Alan Flannigan, to the podcast to talk about myths in nutrition, and how nutrition might just be turning the evidence-corner in the world of science and research.
We talk about how women in particular are vulnerable to crappy science, and why it’s important for the average reader to understand why nutrition is so hard to study. If you struggle to tell what’s real and what’s fake online, this episode will give you insight (and a few laughs) on how to navigate online nutrition conversations.
Alan is currently a PhD candidate in nutrition at the University of Surrey, having completed his Masters degree in nutrition science at the same institution. Alan is the founder of Alinea Nutrition, an online education hub dedicated to providing impartial, science-based nutrition analysis. Alan is also Research Communication Officer for Sigma Nutrition, creating educational resources for nutrition science. Originally a lawyer by background in Dublin, Ireland, Alan spent a decade practicing as a barrister before moving into science.
Find Alan hanging out here: @thenutritional_advocate https://www.instagram.com/thenutritional_advocate/
www.alineanutrition.com
Amanda Thebe embodies everything I want for women in menopause: strength, resiliency and a healthy dose of swearing.
Amanda’s journey from a horrible personal experience to the menopause advocate she is today is a gift to all women, and she shares her knowledge, wit and the tips you need in today’s episode.
If you’ve ever found yourself dreading menopause - this episode is for you. We love Amanda so much we have given away many copies of her book to our participants of Bulletproof Your 40s, our online course happening January 29th. There’s still a chance to win copies of her book by joining us live on the day. You can grab your ticket here.
Amanda can be found busting myths on menopause on Instagram and her programs and book can be purchased through her website.
AMANDA THEBE is a personal trainer and nutrition coach with nearly thirty years of experience in the fitness industry. Author of the Amazon best-selling book, Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too! She is a popular guest on podcasts and online summits, and her health and fitness tips have been featured in media outlets like Shape, Prevention, Health Line, CBC Radio, Global News Canada, The Doctors, Lifehacker, Breaking Muscle, Girls Gone Strong, and Ultimate Sandbag Training. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Why am I not scared to turn 40? Because I’ve spent the last 10 years getting ready for this moment.
Our health is built on habits and daily practices, and as women slide into their 40s as exhausted, kid-taxi-driving shells of themselves they are caught off guard when their hormones start to change.
The hormone changes in perimenopause are natural, but what isn’t natural is how depleted women are when they get there. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Leigha Saunders, ND, my best friend and the hormone-sleep-queen and we break down the 5 things we want you to know as you enter your 40s and beyond.
This episode is brought to you by my birthday celebration! Bulletproof your 40s. Tickets for this full-day event are on sale now at the early bird price of $40 off up until my REAL birthday on January 11th. Grab your ticket to join us live, or grab the recordings if you can’t make the entire day. We’re covering the 5 modules of perimenopause that we discussed in today’s episode in-depth, to give you the bulletproof vest you need to navigate this decade and beyond!
I freaking love social media BUT have had to ask myself some big questions in 2021 about the role, amount of time, and the use of social media in both my business and my personal life. In this “New Years” episode I give you the questions I reflected on about my own relationship with social, and how I’m moving forward in 2022 with intention and positivity.
I break down some of the “triggering” content I used to engage in, how to spot confirmation bias in your own feed and the type of content I think is moving us forward as evolving humans (and yes, memes are part of this!).
If you don’t already follow me on social media, you can find me most often over on Instagram @drjordannd where I share a ton of information on women’s health, weight lifting, and coffee memes.
This episode is brought to you by my Birthday Celebration workshop called “Bulletproof Your 40s”. I’m throwing a full-day workshop with my colleague and best buddy Dr. Leigha Saunders and we’re sharing everything you need to know about hormones, sleep, mindset, and your metabolism. Register for the workshop here. If you join before December 31, we’re gifting you an amazing book on Menopause, and you can take advantage of our early bird pricing (which is $40 in savings - see what we did there?). Register here.
I love researching PMS. It’s a huge area of focus in my clinical practice and something I’ve spent thousands of hours on. Part of what I love about PMS is the integrative solutions that look at the impact of nutrition and stress on how resilient the brain feels during this (otherwise simple) hormone fluctuation.
Calcium has emerged as a “nutrient of interest” in PMS because it fluctuates widely through the cycle (especially in the brain), impacts serotonin and mood-related chemicals in the brain, and is lower in people with PMS than in people without.
In this episode, I give you the tools you need to think more critically about your PMS, your diet and give you the answers to take to your health care provider to talk about the role of calcium on your mood. Enjoy, share and be sure to join us for my 40th birthday party. Bulletproof your 40s is a full-day online event for women over the age of 35 who want to take their 40s and 50s by storm. We’ll be giving you an entire framework for supporting yourself as you age. Hop on the waitlist here!
When Dr. Laura Von Hagen sat down to write her book, she had A LOT to work with. Not only did she experience PCOS herself but she had spent years supporting many women with PCOS to achieve better health, more regular cycles, and the family they dreamed of.
In this personal episode, Laura shares how she shifted her mindset around her own PCOS, stopped blaming herself for her symptoms, and took control of her own fertility journey. This episode is for you if you:
- Have been diagnosed with PCOS and aren’t sure how it impacts your future fertility.
- Have been told PCOS is an “infertility” diagnosis.
- If you feel like having fertility treatment is a “failure” (we’ll share why it isn’t)
- If you’re confused about where to start. Start here.
Laura’s book, My PCOS Pregnancy is available online or on her website. She works with patients through all aspects of their PCOS journey in person or online in Ontario Canada.
Follow her on Instagram at @drvonhagen https://www.instagram.com/drvonhagen/
This episode of the podcast is brought to you by the Bulletproof your 40s workshop. We’re celebrating my 40th birthday by giving you all of the knowledge, tips, and strategies for feeling your best after 40. You can join the waitlist here.
I’ve wanted to tackle this topic for ages. I’ve even started recording it a few times and ended up deleting it. It felt too scary to address. It felt to vulnerable to share. It felt like feathers were going to go everywhere.
But I’m not here to be small. So let’s rip off the bandaid.
Today’s episode is about your quitting stuff. And how it’s getting in the way of your real progress. I talk about both cancel culture and health-related google reviews. Both are a problem, and I’m going to show you why.
It’s a bit of a touchy subject so be ready to shake up your beliefs about your health decisions and get ready to be slightly triggered. I want you to get uncomfortable with me in the name of personal growth.
Let’s go!
Social Post #2.
I’ve had sleepless nights in my past over online reviews.
Not because I’ve had some bad ones. Everyone has bad reviews occasionally.
It’s because I’m not able to do anything about them.
Seriously.
In this week’s episode of the podcast I talk about both “cancel culture” and reviews. I share my views on how these two things may be getting in the way of your real potential, and give you some great questions to ask yourself to be sure that you’re not blocking your own progress.
It’s a raw episode that I tried recording a few times before I just jumped in. We’re here for growth. Let’s do it.
After multiple personal family experiences with cancer, Dr. Meighan Valero, ND (@doctorvalero) knew that her passion was to serve patients who were experiencing cancer. She has worked with thousands of patients who don’t want to take their cancer diagnosis lying down.
In this passionate episode, Meighan shares the premise for her TedX talk, her vision for integrative cancer care, and offers hope for people and families experiencing cancer. She bravely shares her challenges being “shut down” by oncologists and her continued commitment to serve her patients.
She explains how patients can work collaboratively with their Naturopathic Doctor and Oncologist to help reduce side effects, improve outcomes and live with vitality during their cancer care. She also shares examples of your lifestyle (that you probably had no idea of) that impact your cancer journey.
You can reach out to Meighan and her clinic at https://www.valerowellness.com/ to learn more.
I’ve used the word infrastructure before to describe your health. I need you to have a system in order to be successful. It’s not enough for us to say “take your lunch to work”. What we are really asking you to do is have food in your house, know what to do with it, cook it, have enough tupperware to take it somewhere, and have the emotional energy to put that tupperware in the dishwasher when you get home.
That’s “taking your lunch”.
Today’s solo episode is a breakdown of my non-negotiable food items in my pantry and fridge. They might surprise you. People expect a Naturopathic Doctor to say “no” to certain foods - and guess what? They are on my non-negotiable list.
I teach you my 5 things but also help you create your own. There are specific questions you have to ask yourself to create your list. Enjoy this episode and good luck taking your lunch. It’s not an easy task at all.
Over the last 18 months, people have had tremendous pressure added to their (already overflowing) plate. This has shown up through increased anxiety, burnout, and coping strategies that sometimes involve food. Carly Crawford is a registered psychotherapist with a focus on people’s relationships with their bodies, food, and disordered eating. In this episode, we cover a lot of ground including mental health and stress during the pandemic, your relationship with your body and food, and how we all try and move forward after this year.
We share tips on how to think about your mood and stress. We talk about how to ask yourself hard questions about your mood and your relationship with food. We talk about comparison syndrome, how to think about your social media, and trying to move our thinking about our health and wellness into “the grey” rather than feeling so black and white.
What’s parenting like as a career-driven-entrepreneurial-fitness-loving-independent woman? I’ll tell you, as soon as I finish cutting up this cantaloupe.
In this week’s solo episode, I share my tried and true strategies for getting life done, getting the small people (aged 12 and 10) out the door with two socks (who gives if they don’t match) and a semi-health lunch for all of us.
I find that so many parents put their kids way further up on the priority list than their own health, and I want to change the narrative that it has to be either them or you that gets what they need.
Enjoy the episode. It’s a raw and real discussion about how hard this all really is.
When I asked my business coach, Meghan Walker to come on the podcast, I thought we’d talk about the broken health care system. I thought we’d talk about how expensive it is to run health care, and why we need an overhaul in the way we work with patients. This is what she has helped me understand and has helped us birth programs such as The Wild Collective and The Fundamentals of Macronutrients and my clinician program The Confident Clinician Club.
Except that’s not exactly what we talked about.
Because without understanding your purpose, none of those things will really matter to you.
You won’t consider a group program for your health if you don’t have a reason to feel well. If you don’t feel connected to your happiness and your life’s work then you won’t see the return on investment of being less tired.
So this is actually a conversation about purpose. And why you need one. STAT.
People without purposes are just people emptying dishwashers and commuting to work. People with a purpose are inspired to take care of themselves, and each other. They are those who take health care offerings by the horns and help themselves get better.
This episode will leave you rethinking your life’s work (and we don’t mean the paper-pushing kind of work) and your health. It will help you think differently about where your values lie and make you question where all of your time is going.
Enjoy. It’s a good one.
This episode is brought to you by our new Fundamentals of Macronutrient Tracking course with our Nutritionist Carissa Stewart here at Clarity Health. Our 4-week introductory course moves people from being overwhelmed by their nutrition to feeling confident in the choices they are making. We know successful nutrition requires learning and accountability. You’ll get a hefty dose of both in this online program. Registration is open and classes start November 15. Join us here.
Episode Resources:
- You can catch up with Meghan Walker and all of her programs by following her on Instagram @drmeghanwalker
- Do you want to amplify your impact as Clinical Entrepreneurs? Meghan and her team are hosting a virtual event November 18-21 called IMPACT LIVEs: register here
- www.meghanwalker.com
When I asked Emma Rohmann to be a guest on the show, I was a little nervous. I personally shy away from the environmental medicine conversation because I’ve often found it to be both blamey and shamey but also downright overwhelming. Emma takes her background in environmental engineering and her desire to help families have accessible green-home options and gives us amazing tips on how to easily start lowering your toxic exposures through personal care products, cleaning products and our overall buying behaviours.
Environmental toxicity has a hormonal effect with toxins influencing conditions such as endometriosis and our risk for breast cancer. Although the conversation can be overwhelming and scary, it’s a necessary first step for all of us to take social responsibility and to improve our personal exposures.
Emma offers amazing information on her website at www.greenathome.ca and through her private Facebook group. You can find her on Instagram at @emma_greenathome
This episode is brought to you by our new Fundamentals of Macronutrient Tracking course with our Nutritionist Carissa Stewart here at Clarity Health. Our 4 week introductory course moves people from being overwhelmed by their nutrition to feeling confident in the choices they are making. We know successful nutrition requires learning and accountability. You’ll get a hefty dose of both in this online program. Registration is open and classes start November 15. Join us here.
I think when people see my weightlifting or exercise online they imagine that I blissfully waltz into my basement alone and hammer out reps loving every second of it.
I must, right? Otherwise why would I do it?
Here’s the secret. I don’t always love it. Actually, there is a huge percentage of the time that I don’t love the actual exercising. So what’s my secret to showing up for myself day after day?
Let me introduce you to my coach: Michael D’Angelo (@coachmichael91)
Michael and I have been working together for a short while, but during the “hardest” exercise moments of my life. He helped me go from crying in my basement back to my pre-pandemic strength in less than 4 months.
In today’s conversation we talk about the importance of accountability, personalized support in your exercise and why it’s so damn hard to work out alone. I’m vulnerable about my own challenges with maintaining an exercise routine through the pandemic, and what the most “successful” exercisers have in common.
This episode is brought to you by our new Fundamentals of Macronutrient Tracking course with our Nutritionist Carissa Stewart here at Clarity Health. Our 4 week introductory course moves people from being overwhelmed by their nutrition to feeling confident in the choices they are making. We know successful nutrition requires learning and accountability. You’ll get a hefty dose of both in this online program. Registration is open and classes start November 15. Join us here.
If you don’t know what to put in a smoothie, this episode is for you. This episode is also for you if your smoothie recipe never changes, you don’t know how to make it if you run out of bananas or if you copied someone else's smoothie without ever wondering if it’s actually good for you.
Smoothies are technically “fast food” and in this week’s episode we talk all about
- Whether you should use protein powder or a source of protein.
- How to choose the right fruits and vegetables to put in it (spoiler, they all work, but I’ll give you some tips)
- Which liquid you should use (and my answer is NOT almond milk)
- Whether “other” ingredients belong in your smoothie
- How to make this convenience food work for you regardless of your health goals.
Remember to subscribe to the podcast to get the latest updates each week.
When we talk about fueling and exercise women immediately pull the “but I’m not an athlete” card.
We know, you’ve got an Instagram feed full of ripped athletes and people who train for a living (and probably have a full time chef) and wouldn’t consider comparing yourself to them.
What if we told you that moderate exercise 3-5 days per week and a calorie deficit that is smaller than most ‘weight loss’ plans can affect your cycle.
Now you’re listening.
In this important episode I share the mic with my friend and colleague Dr. Briana Botsford ND. Briana is an Ironman, Naturopathic Doctor and mother who has a passion for helping women understand their metabolism, energy and hormones.
This episode is important for all women who exercise, whether you feel like an athlete or not. Trust us, we’ll convince you you’re worth the look into your food and performance.
Be sure to follow Briana on Instagram and check out her programs for women who are fatigued and fed up with underperforming.
We are a team of 9 women. Is this an estrogen party or a PMS-landslide? Today I’m letting you in on our culture.
Hormonal women in the workplace can be a beautiful symphony of passing the follicular and luteal phase baton, empathetic listening and support and a culture of vulnerability.
Or it can be a “group of bitchy women”, an environment that “needs some guys” and a drain on each individual woman’s sparkle.
Culture matters to me, and at my workplace we strive to support women to reach their full potential. I share our secrets, how we lean into vulnerability and how I’ve evolved to embrace feminine leadership.
In the episode I share how we
- Work to create deadlines that flow with how our women are feeling and what their needs are.
- Created space for women to share how they are feeling to created a culture of support.
- Created a culture of self care and personal growth.
- Created a mother-safe workspace for our women to continue to prioritize their families.
- How we prioritize burnout prevention.
I love my team. They are a wonderful group of women who are changing the culture of the womanly-workplace.
Rachel Goodman is an Intuitive Eating Registered Dietician who is paving the way for weight loss to stop being the focus of healthy nutrition. In this episode we share the research on metabolic health and weight and why examining your relationship with food and your body might be the first place to start. Rachel shares tips on how to manage binge eating, what we actually should be tracking (and it’s not your weight), and how to start developing self compassion around your health journey and your nutrition.
This is an amazing conversation about why you feel so terrible when your diet fails and why your weight is not the barrier you think it is.
Rachel has an amazing Instagram page and online courses and resources to help you manage binge eating and to feel better about your relationship with food. You can access all of her resources on her website at www.rachelgoodmanrd.com.
Reflecting back on the 100th episode of the podcast I share what I’ve learned about showing up and not controlling the outcome and reflect on our amazing journey and guests over the last 100 episodes together. I share my fears about podcasting and how showing up to your commitments and habits are what really make a difference in your progress.
When you’re done listening to this episode, take a scroll back through our roster and catch up on some of the amazing episodes we have shared together. I’m excited for what’s coming next.
Thanks for being here!
If you’ve enjoyed any of our episodes, it would be wonderful if you wrote a review for the podcast. We want to reach more women in the next year with our work, and your feedback and ratings help us connect with other women just like you.
If you are seeking community and health-commitment this fall, join our Wild Collective women’s health program for our online or VIP in person experience. Registration is open now for women who want to pursue their health goals this fall with the support of our Naturopathic Doctors. Register here.
An 11 year old girl’s dream is to become an olympian became a reality this year with Natalie Wideman representing Canada in Tokyo for softball - and they won bronze.
In this episode of the podcast, whether you are an elite athlete or not, you will hear a story about chasing your dreams, dedication and the importance of the women in your circle. I promise that Natalie’s story is not that different from your own. She has chased her dreams, stepped off the beaten path and cultivated a work ethic and workplace culture on her team that has allowed her to excel in her sport and life. There are parallels in her story that mirror the story of every woman who has ever dreamed a big dream. If you have ever doubted yourself, worried about what others would say or needed the motivation to keep going - this episode is for you.
Natalie is an ambassador for young women in sport and is a role model for women of all ages. Follow her on Instagram to watch her journey and to be inspired.
If you are seeking community and health-commitment this fall, join our Wild Collective women’s health program for our online or VIP in person experience. Registration is open now for women who want to pursue their health goals this fall with the support of our Naturopathic Doctors. Register here.
Did you know that upwards of 20% of women at the age of 40 are perimenopausal? The stat makes way more sense if you actually know what perimenopause actually means! In this episode I explain what is actually happening to your cycles as you age, and why this causes you to feel differently. This episode is for you if you’ve noticed:
- Changes to your cycle length from your 28 day cycle.
- Changes to your mood, sleep or energy levels.
- Hot flashes or vaginal dryness, even if you’re still having a period.
- Changes to your PMS experience.
- If you’re over 40 and things are (so far) going great with your hormones.
I give you the (totally necessary) biology lesson that was missing from your sex-ed course and learning about your body from your mother.
“When we are in our thirties and ovulation is easy, the brain sends a quiet signal to your ovaries to do their thing. “Hey ovaries, time to ovulate’ and your ovaries are like “yup, no problem, we have an egg right here”. As ovarian function decreases (for some women as early as 40) the ovaries don’t respond as well. The simple feedback loop that happened in your 30s starts to get more dysregulated. This is the beginning of the changes you feel.”
This episode is brought to you by our Women’s Health and education program The Wild Collective. The Wild Collective educates and empowers women, teaches them about their hormones and experiences real change in their health. Sign up is open for limited spots for our fall semester.
When did today’s guest Dr. Moira Kwok ND realize she needed to speak up for herself? Was it when she was 12 and was told debilitating cramps were normal? Was it when she suffered a rare complication from her IUI procedure and was sent home from the hospital? Or was it when she dedicated her life’s work to helping women and couples navigate the world of fertility medicine?
You’ll have to listen to find out.
The theme of today’s episode is self-advocacy in your care. Whether you are pursuing fertility care or not, Moira’s story is really about listening to your body, listening to your gut, and asking the right questions in your medical care.
Dr. Moira Kwok ND is my colleague and team mate who helps me support our fertility patients at Clarity Health in Burlington. She works with women and couples all over Ontario to reach their fertility and family goals and has been a wonderful support on our team to reach all of the men and women looking to add a Naturopathic Doctor to their fertility team. She can be reached at www.clarityhealthburlington.ca or followed on Instagram @drmoirakwoknd. Download your free guide on how to advocate for yourself here
If you’ve ever given birth (even if you feel like you walked away unscathed) this episode is for you. Janette Yee is a Perinatal Therapist with a background in Athletic Therapy and Massage Therapy. She works with athletic birth parents who share her belief: “confidence and strength in your body during pregnancy and after childbirth is a RIGHT, not a privilege.” Janette easily compares pregnancy to athletic training (even if you don’t identify as an athlete, your body is training hard for a major event) and birth to the season-ending injury that sidelines players. Except that the player is a new parent, and the day after the injury they get back up and parent a newborn.
She explains what diestasis is and what it isn’t (there are a lot of myths online) and how to build yourself back up, no matter how long ago your birth was.
We have a fun and meaningful conversation about parenthood and building both physical and mental resilience in parents so they can lead lives full of physical activity and purpose.
My path to sobriety wasn’t because alcohol left a path of devastation and destruction in my life. Even the term sobriety leads people to imagine a relationship with alcohol that was uncontrolled and struggling with addiction. This isn't my story. My story sounds more like an average 30 something woman who finally examined the role alcohol was having in her health and she stopped. But this story is still important. It’s about wanting to fit in, rebound anxiety, optimal performance and making hard decisions. It’s about recognizing the signs that something in your life isn’t working for you, and how to make change and challenge the culture-status-quo. Alcohol has health risks for women, even if you don’t have a problem with alcohol. Even if you just have a little. Even if you’re not addicted. So we have to have this conversation more often and be sure that women understand the risks and how to ask themselves hard questions.
Enjoy this episode full of vulnerability.
Over the years there has been a particular formula to sell a health-related book. First you take a solid, well backed claim from science, say that it’s wrong, publish that doctor’s don’t know what they are doing, that medicine is keeping secrets from you and the secret to longevity is in doing the complete opposite to what you’ve always been told.
The reality is that science converges on a truth over years and years and studies upon studies. It takes decades for us to work towards what we think is the right answer, and even still we finish each conclusion by remarking about what further research needs to be done and the limitations in our thinking.
The sodium debate isn’t a debate. Salt is bad. Potassium is good. In this episode I teach you what the research says, and who you need to get reacquainted with the forgotten nutrient potassium. This episode is about blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and even about death. If you struggle to get your fruits and veggies in, this is the evidence as to why you need to focus on this one aspect of your diet.
Dr. Ashley Chauvin’s career as a Naturopathic Doctor started a little differently than most practitioners. In Radiation Therapy training to support patients with Cancer.
It was after witnessing the “gradation” and now you’re done philosophy of cancer care and the long lag times between patient interactions that she realized there had to be a better way to support patients to thrive after a diagnosis of cancer.
In this episode we talk about breast cancer prevention and the simple things that can be added to your lifestyle and health plan that change cancer risk. We also talk about the “thriving in survivorship” mantra that Ashley teaches her patients and talk about everything from myths online to side effect management in breast cancer care.
Ashley is one of my brilliant colleagues at Clarity Health serving people before, during and after a cancer diagnosis to live their healthiest life. She can be reached at Clarity Health to schedule a free 15 minute consultation to determine if she can support your particular needs and to ask your questions about your cancer journey.
Are supplements worth it? They might not be.
In this episode I walk you through the 3 questions you need to ask yourself before you start taking supplements. It's the same questions I ask myself before I prescribe, and it leads to better patient care and better health outcomes.
Supplements should satisfy a few "criteria" before you buy and this solo episode will help you feel more confident before you throw something in your shopping cart.
This episode is sponsored by The Confident Clinician, my online platform for teaching Naturopathic Doctors how to be more evidenced based and improve their patient care (while saving hundreds of hours of time). You can register here.
Is your morning routine part of your secret sauce or are you a roll-out-of-bed-and-run kind of person? My morning routine has been an important part of my life for years and I’ve spent a lot of time testing various strategies to make the most of my day. In this episode I give you some ideas of how to create your own routine by talking about: * Coffee and caffeine and whether it’s helping you or not (spoiler: it’s helping me!) * Creating calm by “deciding” how you want your day to go. * How I delegate tasks and projects. * How my partner and I troubleshoot what our pain points are for the day. * Not waking up with an alarm, and how this affects me. * The importance of my morning of coffee (worth talking about twice!)
The overall theme is that my morning is a CHOICE and in this episode I want you to get inspired to choose your morning and your day. It’s a practical episode (not just a conversation about mindset) and I tell you exactly what my routine looks like.
This episode was sponsored by The Confident Clinician Club, my online education platform to help Naturopathic Doctors thrive as confident and knowledgable practitioners. The doors are open from August 15 to 30th 2021 to join our community of 240 practitioners. Click here to lean more.
I opened this episode asking Julie Cole, a Mother of 6 and co-founder of Mabel’s Labels a simple question: “How the f*#k do you do it?”
We know that’s the burning question mom’s have when they see a successful mom of 6 running a huge business who shows up anywhere with her shirt on right-side-in and her hair done.
In this candid episode Julie and I cover a lot of ground on the topic of family-infrastructure, understanding what “me time” looks like to you, and how to live the life you want with your family.
Julie shares her practical family-organization tips but also gives us a huge sense of relief that “our kids are going to be alright.”
Julie is a blogger and a regular on TV talking about parenting. You can find her on Instagram @cole.julie or on her blog at mabelslabels.com/juliecole
Today’s episode was sponsored by The Confident Clinician Club, and online education platform I created that now has over 240 members learning about the best evidence based practices in integrative care. If you want to learn more, your first step is to download my free Pubmed guide. Our summer enrollment begins in July.
Today is my son’s birthday. He’s 12. My journey to becoming a fierce advocate for women’s health began 14 years ago when I had 3 miscarriages in a row. The themes we discuss in this episode matter even if you aren't trying to fall pregnant.
- I share my own mental health journey through miscarrriage.
- I share my own challenges advocating for my own health.
- I share what it took (mentally and physically) to stay pregnant.
My story has a happy ending and I want to share with you to help you feel empowered and supported to take charge of your own health and fertility journey.
Today’s episode was sponsored by The Confident Clinician Club, and online education platform I created that now has over 240 members learning about the best evidence based practices in integrative care. If you want to learn more, your first step is to download my free Pubmed guide. Our summer enrollment begins in July.
Nicole Jardim has spent her whole career teaching women about their periods and how there are secrets to your health hidden in menstrual symptoms. In this episode we talk about one of my favourite topics in women’s health and share the facts you need to know about what’s normal and what’s not when it comes to your period.
In this episode we cover
- What normal blood flow looks like and how much you should lose.
- Which period symptoms are ‘red flags' and should be looked into.
- How to ask your doctor to be checked out properly.
- How to learn to love your period. (Yes, it’s possible!)
Follow Nicole @nicolemjardim to find the most hilarious women’s health memes on the internet and to learn more about how to fix your period.
My introduction to Naturopathic Medicine was from my need to support my migraines. I would have debilitating headaches more often than was manageable and it significantly impacted my life as a person in my teens and early twenties. I missed social events, work, and school all the time.
In this episode, I share what we currently know about diets and headaches and you can start to tie strings between your headaches and what you eat. We cover the major myths about headaches and food and give practical advice for how to think differently about your nutrition and your health.
If you’ve ever wondered if your nutrition is impacting your headaches. This summary is an amazing resource. Remember to rate the podcast when you’re done listening!
If you’re a clinician and you’re curious about the work we do in the Confident Clinician Club, download my free resource for navigating Pubmed. We covered headaches as one of our monthly modules and our clinicians became well educated on the nutrition advice and the supplements and medications that can support people with migraines.
Stacy Thomas’ entire mission is to help people design their life. What started as a conversation intended to uncover the challenges facing parents and people during the pandemic birthed into a conversation about humanity, racism, connection, Mother Earth, and our futures.
We explore how the collision of the pandemic, the rising energies of Black Lives Matter, and our nation's long-standing crimes against Indigenous Peoples are creating opportunities for us to dissolve our unsustainable Western ways and revealing that our castles were built on emotional and spiritual sand.
Stacy shares her life journey to helping people see the way through trauma and difficult times that are applicable to every family sitting around their dinner table.
Stacy hosts a free community journaling session live on Instagram to connect and move through this time as a collective. You can follow her on Instagram to sign up or download her free Growing Forward journal or find her clinical practice at https://www.drstacythomas.com/.
If your period isn’t a nice, easy experience, I’m going to convince you in this episode to get your heavy menstrual bleeding checked out. Heavy bleeding can be a sign of other medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, PCOS or iron deficiency or may have a structural cause (such as fibroids) that you deserve to have assessed and treated.
I can’t tell you the number of women who sleep on towels, avoid going out during their period or who have low confidence because of their heavy bleeding. In this episode we cover:
- What the definition of heavy bleeding actually is
- The structural and non-structural causes of heavy bleeding.
- The other signs and symptoms you need to be on the lookout for if you have heavy bleeding.
- How to advocate for yourself and pick a treatment option.
Waiting for menopause isn’t an answer. You deserve to be tested and treated to gain your life back.
If you have read the phrase “macro tracking” online and weren’t sure what it was, this episode is for you. Macronutrient tracking is a nutrition tool, and like every other tool, it has pros and cons. In this episode, I talk (from a balanced perspective) about when this tool might be helpful and when it might be unnecessary or harmful. We cover:
- What macro tracking is and the difference (and similarities) to calorie counting.
- Why people may need a deeper look at their nutrition
- What the research says about our knowledge of our own nutrition
- How macro tracking can help you in your journey with your practitioner
- The major cons of tracking macros
I have recently released a course for practitioners on treating women with PCOS that dives deep on the use of nutrition for the metabolic sides of this condition. The course is for Naturopathic Doctors, Dieticians, and nutritionists to learn the nutrition and integrative approaches for PCOS. You can learn more about the course here.
I have a personal interest in helping women recover from chronic pain from menstrual cramps and achieving an accurate diagnosis of endometriosis. In this episode, I’m joined by Gynecologist Dr. Mathew Leonardi, an expert in the field of endometriosis and pelvic ultrasound who sheds light on the advancements of technology and ultrasound for the diagnosis of endometriosis. We cover a lot of ground about this common condition including
- What is endometriosis and how does this cause menstrual cramps in women and people with a uterus?
- Why it takes so long for women to be diagnosed, and what women can do to speed up this process.
- The benefits of achieving a diagnosis of endometriosis and why ‘diagnosis is therapy’.
- The challenges with online information about endometriosis and who to trust.
Dr. Leonardi can be followed on Instagram where he shares his upcoming lectures and research on endometriosis. You can also find him at https://mathewleonardi.com/
In the episode Dr. Leonardi references the connection between autoimmunity and endometriosis. You can read more about this concept here.
In this episode, I share my thoughts on women skipping breakfast (or undervaluing breakfast in general) and the impact it has on a woman’s mood and fatigue. We cover the whole idea around breakfast eating including:
- Why women fast and what problems it might cause.
- What an ideal breakfast should include
- My own personal breakfast ideas to help you fuel your day.
Women need to eat to perform for their day and I’ll try and change your mind about the importance of your morning meal.
I’m sure you’ve felt out of sync before. Maybe your schedule is overbooked in a week you feel tired or you’ve said yes to something you knew deeply that you shouldn’t.
What if you felt l like your weeks and your ‘yeses’ was more in alignment with your goals and your desires? How would it feel to be in your flow state more often and feel less like you’re white-knuckling it through your weeks?
In this episode, I sit down with Jenn Pike, a woman who wears many hats from mom to nutritionist to badass entrepreneur. We talk about how women can move their schedule and move their choices more in alignment with their passion.
We cover the importance of being vulnerable, tips on managing your energy changes through your menstrual cycle, and how to “have it all”. Spoiler: we don’t want it all!
You can connect with Jenn on Instagram and through her online community at http://www.jennpike.com/
Nothing makes a woman feel as out of control as food cravings seem to. We watch thousands of women a year claim their greatest failing is their food cravings, and in today’s solo episode I help you try and get to the bottom of them.
Food cravings are linked to a particular part of appetite regulation that is mostly tied to how we feel! When women feel unwell because of their hormone shifts (either in PMS or perimenopause), it impacts the way women feel about their appetite and cravings.
In this episode I break down 3 effective ways to combat food cravings and how to think differently about your appetite through your cycle.
As this episode is aired, we have opened registration for our women’s health program, The Wild Collective. We are accepting women into the 10-month program who are ready to learn about their health and transform their habits. The group program covers topics such as thyroid, digestion, and female hormones and gives women the accountability and connection they need to make real change. Sign up for our information session here, or directly to the program here.
When I sat down with Nikki Bergen, the famous pilates and pelvic floor guru from The Belle Method, I wanted the conversation to get away from core exercises and breathing techniques. Even though Nikki is the absolute expert on these topics, but it’s not what I wanted to pick her brain about.
If you watch Nikki online, the undercurrent of her content is one of self-trust, self-care, and not giving a you-know-what about what others think of your choices. How you be a mom, be a partner, or be a woman in the world shouldn’t be about pleasing everyone around you.
We talk about haters, being judged, our own stories, and many more tangents that made this hour something special.
Nikki has her own brand new podcast called “We Go There” which is a women’s health and wellness podcast you’ll love. You can find the links to her podcast in her bio.
Follow Nikki on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thebellemethod/ Even if you’re not postpartum or planning for pregnancy, her content will connect with any woman on a self-discovery journey to be her strongest self. You’ll learn some breathing techniques along the way too.
For many women, they believe that their libido is something that will just smack them across the face. They can’t understand why when standing amidst the piles of bills, laundry, kids, work pressure, and a partner she barely knows does she never seems to be ‘in the mood'.
Bat Sheva Marcus is an absolute expert on female sexual health and owns the largest private sexual health clinic in the USA. Her latest book, Sex Points, talks about desire and intimacy in a brand new way that gives women a framework for how to think about she sex life and how to revive it if it’s feeling lifeless.
Bat Sheva and I spend the hour talking about the difference between the four quadrants of your sex life, and she gives amazing practical examples for how to make sex a priority area of your health.
Bat Sheva’s book, Sex Points can be purchased online at https://drbatsheva.com/the-book/
She has a great Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/drbatsheva/
After watching hundreds of women graduate from our women’s health program, The Wild Collective, Dr. Erin Ley could see a big gap in women’s health care.
“Not only were the women unaware of their own cycles, health, and anatomy, they could see that they needed to give this information to their young teens.”
Erin is on a mission to teach teens about their menstrual health, what’s normal and how to advocate for themselves in their healthcare. She knows that parents and teens alike need more support in this area, and in this episode, we break down the most common myths about teen menstrual health and how parents can teach teens about what to look for in their menstrual cycle.
Erin has developed an at-home learning course for parents and teens that breaks down the embarrassment factor while delivering doctor-grade information to both parents and young menstruators. Period Talk is an online do-it-yourself program to help both parents and teens feel more confident about menstrual health (and we know that the adults will learn just as much as the teens). To register for the course visit www.clarityhealthburlington.ca/periodtalk
When was the last time you exercised? Was it when you did boot camp online? A virtual yoga class? Went for a run?
Women can often name the last time they did intentional exercise but don’t realize the power of non-exercise activity thermogenesis has on their health. NEAT is the sum of all of your “other” movement through the day and in this episode, I share the minor adjustments you can make to your personal NEAT to have a better grasp on your cardiovascular health and weight management. The steps (no pun intended) are simple and the outcomes are amazing.
Are you the kind of woman who gets everything done? Maybe twice? Or in half the time as expected? With bells on?
But what about your mind? Is it calm in the moments in between tasks? Is it peaceful when you try and fall asleep? Or do your thoughts and worries torture you from the inside?
In this very special episode, I sit down with my colleague Dr. Ellen Wong, a Naturopathic Doctor who focuses on supporting high-functioning women through anxiety. She shares how to spot anxiety in yourself. Anxiety doesn’t always look like a deer in headlights, and in high-performing women, it can often present “positively” at work or from the outside while the woman struggles to manage her thoughts and emotions on the inside.
Ellen shares her signature framework for breaking down high-functioning anxiety and shares tips on how to add more calm and peace to your day.
You can find Ellen on Instagram @thejoyavenue
There isn’t a body system that stress doesn’t impact, and in this episode, we dive deep into how stress impacts the pelvic floor and contributes to pain and urinary symptoms in women. I’m joined by Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist and the owner of Body Co. in Toronto Melanie Sutherland and we share our experiences working with overworked women and the impact this has on her urinary incontinence and pain with sex. This episode isn’t just for women who have “had a baby” and we break down the myths around pelvic floor challenges being something women have to live with, or an inevitable consequence of childbirth.
Melanie has written a guide called the 5 Ways to Take Back Your Pelvic Health a.k.a. Avoid Incontinence, Reduce Pain and Start Having Better Sex that you can download here.
The oral contraceptive pill may have revolutionized parts of women's health and reproductive rights, but it has created quieter problems with the way we support and treat many women’s health issues today. In this exclusive interview, I sit down with Dr. Lara Briden, a Naturopathic Doctor and author of the Period Repair Manual, a book dedicated to helping women solve their hormone challenges without the pill. We share our passion for helping women make informed choices about their health and how the offering of the pill in many cases masks a woman’s underlying health conditions and may delay the type of care and support that achieves real results. We cover the pill and PCOS, endometriosis and PMS to help women understand if there is a role for this common medication in their lives, and what the possible risks and other solutions look like. We dispel the myth that the pill “regulates” the cycle (spoiler, it doesn’t) and many other burning questions that women have about this medication.
Lara dominates the online space with her content on women’s health and can be found on Instagram @larabriden and her book, The Period Repair Manual can be found wherever you buy your books!
We don’t usually spend time talking about men’s health on the podcast, but this topic deserves attention and time and there’s no one better to share the mic with than my good friend and colleague Yashar Khosroshahi. Yasharr is a mindset coach and owner of Mindshift Leadership, a leadership development company with its sights set on creating heart-centered leaders.
Toxic masculinity was the trigger for our conversation, which helps uncover some of the belief structures that men and people can have surrounding their productivity, success, and worth. These limiting beliefs can hinder intimacy, connection, and growth in both individuals and couples - which is why I wanted to spend time here.
We talk about how dragging a partner to an appointment won’t work, but more importantly how we can show up for our partner’s to create time and space for them to explore the more feminine side of connection and leadership and how limiting ‘traditional’ male/female belief structures holds everyone back.
Yasha has a free download to encourage exploring the ideas around leadership that can be found here https://mindshiftleadership.com/free/
He can be found on Instagram @mindshiftleadership
Should you put baking soda on your skin? What about coconut oil?
If you’ve struggled with adult acne, this episode is for you. We break down the common myths about diet, DIY skincare, and how to actually take care of your skin. We share the most common foods that trigger acne and how to think about your total-health’s impact on your skin. I share my personal experiences with acne and what NOT to do if you’re working on better skin.
Jen shares wonderful tips online at @newellnd on Instagram and through her clinic Connected Health and Skin (@connectedhealthandskin) to help women feel more confident and in control of her skin.
When women trust themselves to make nutrition decisions something magical happens. She releases herself from the shame and guilt of a single cookie and yet learns to listen to her own hunger cues and needs more intimately than the traditional “dieting” approach to weight management. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Sylvi Martin, a Naturopathic doctor with a background in psychiatric nursing and mental health. We dive in on the challenge women face in their nutrition and she sheds light on the concepts of intuitive eating and how it might just be the nutrition plan that saves women.
Sylvie is the co-host of an intuitive eating community online that offers education and community on the subject of intuitive eating and breaking up with diet culture. You can find Sylvi on Instagram or test-drive a 2 week trial of Nourishing Wellbeing, here online community for intuitive eating.
Why does one woman not even feel her ovulation while for another woman it puts her into a tailspin of emotion and physical symptoms? It’s about sensitivity. The differential sensitivity theory explains why women can feel so many symptoms when her hormones are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing.
Women have long felt at ‘war’ with their hormones, not realizing that their life, stress, and ‘sensitivity’ is what is causing the challenges with her PMS window, not the hormones themselves. In this episode, Dr. Jordan gives a solo discussion on how PMS happens and what women can do to start to create resiliency in this part of their health.
We make a reclamation of the word “sensitive” and help you understand why you feel at odds with your cycle. Jordan also gives practical take-home tips for improving your PMS experience.
What if you tried to get bigger instead of always trying to get smaller?
Lean tissue (muscle!) is a predictor of how well women age. It’s related to your independence, your risk of osteoporosis, and your metabolism. In this episode, my friend and colleague, Dr. Erin Ley ND, and I break down barriers to the discussion of “growing strong women” and why women should be focusing on building muscle. We review the nutritional needs of women to grow muscle and give you take home calculations to get you started on a path towards strength.
After coaching thousands of women through nutrition change, combined with my serious love affair with behaviour change research, I want to share with you the three most important questions you need to ask yourself before you embark on a nutrition journey. Whether it’s the first time you’ve picked up cauliflower or if you’re years-deep into your path towards better nutrition, this episode can give you some insight as to why you’ve had a hard time keeping up changes before, and what exactly to focus on when you are choosing to make nutrition changes.
If you’re curious about how to move your journey forward with someone to coach you along, we are accepting Ontario patients for the spring of 2021 with all of our doctors at Clarity Health. Connect by filling out our inquiry form at www.clarityhealthburlington.ca
In this episode I sit down with Jill Chmielewski, a registered nurse and women’s health advocate. Jill and I talk about the myths and challenges that modern menopausal women have to overcome to get the care they need for this important life stage.
We share the (often unknown) symptoms of peri-menopause and how the hormonal transition over 40 actually happens (and it’s not your ovaries sailing peacefully into the sunset). We talk about the benefits of HRT and why women need to consider menopause to be the most important life transition in their health journey.
Jill can be found sharing amazing information about menopause and peri-menopause on Instagram @jillchmielewski
If you enjoyed the episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a 5-star review.
Public health screening programs are some of the most effective ways of decreasing the development of certain conditions, and cervical cancer screening is no exception. But what isn’t well agreed upon is WHEN women should start being screened for cervical cancer, with major interest groups supporting a strategy that is different than most public health campaigns.
Why does this matter? Not only are thousands of pap tests completed a year that might not be helpful, but women who are diagnosed with cervical dysplasia can be recommended for more invasive testing and procedures that can increase the risk of fertility-related complications.
Listen to this episode to hear what the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, the Canadian Medical Association Journal, and others think about the current screening practices.
Additional material can be found here:
https://canadiantaskforce.ca/guidelines/published-guidelines/cervical-cancer/
https://www.cmaj.ca/content/191/1/E1
If you enjoyed the episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a 5-star review.
Caitlin Johnson is my guest this week who is a Registered Dietitian who focuses on helping women with PCOS regulate their cycle and get pregnant. We share our clinical insights for how women can get better acquainted with their hormones, cycle and fertility - even if they have an irregular cycle. We cut to the chase on ovulation predictor kits, the impact of carbs on your diet and how to feel more confident about your cycle. This episode is for all women with PCOS or irregular cycles, even if you aren’t trying to get pregnant. We share some great laughs, and keep it pretty real about what our mission is for women.
Caitlin can be found on Instagram @pcosfertilitynutrition
If you enjoyed the episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a 5-star review.
With 2020 a year for the books, I’d love to share what I think/hope will be the wellness trends for 2021. If you’re looking to elevate your health, these 5 areas that we explore in this episode are a surefire way to improve your outlook, mindset and health in 2021. The topics range from which blood work I want every woman to have to the simple daily practices that will have the biggest impact on your health.
I’ve always found wellness trends to be a little silly since kale could top the list one year and spinach take the podium the next. These ‘trends’ as I tag them are not fleeting shiny objects. They are habits and practices you’ll want to carry forward for years to come.
This episode is brought to you by my 10-month women’s health curriculum The Wild Collective. This program is offered with my team of practitioners at Clarity Health and embodies many of the trends we talk about in this episode. We teach women how to care for themselves and become their own health advocates through understanding her hormones, how to be tested, and developing habits that last a lifetime. Registration is open now with limited seats for the January intake.
If you enjoyed the episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a 5-star review.
Vitamin D is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in women worldwide and plays a vital role in a woman’s PMS experience. In this episode, I give you the major reasons why this vitamin-hormone shouldn’t be ignored as part of your health plan, and how it may be causing your PMS symptoms.
I also explain why testing is the key first step in taking care of your PMS, and why you need to be tested before you pop this vitamin into your health plan on your own. Helping women advocate for better health care has always been the goal of the podcast, and in this solo episode, I give you another great health test to add to the list to ask for at your next health care visit with your practitioner.
Self-care is a leadership strategy that we need women to lean into to have the massive impact we want them to have in the world and in their lives. In this episode, I sit down with my friend, mentor and colleague Dr. Erin Wiley and we talk about the culture of deprivation in women’s health and how women can look at their health as a long-term investment (we use a lot of financial analogies!). We share our own secret sauce for how we balance time as women, mothers and business owners and give take-home suggestions for how to look at all of the balls women juggle to figure out which ones could be put down in favour of self-care and health.
Erin’s mission is to help people understand when they start investing in their well being and use self-care as a leadership strategy. Energy is a renewable resource and your body needs rest, proper nutrition, and mindset to show up fully each day.
You can follow Erin on Instagram @drerinwiley to connect with her and her mission for supporting high performing women.
Learn more about the Wild Collective:
http://www.twc.clarityhealthburlingon.ca/start-now
Think of a time you were brave, bold, or calm. Really get into that moment and embody how you felt in that moment and see how you feel. Do you feel brave, bold, or calm? The founders of Love Powered Co, the Affirmation Company realized 3 years ago that there was a missing link in the personal development world. There were no resources to help parents and the budding mindfulness enthusiasts facilitate positive affirmations and gratitude in their kids. Their idea has exploded into Affirmation cards for littles, teens, and women to help tap into the power and strength that is already inside us.
In this episode, we talk about how to begin an affirmation practice, the benefits of supporting this growth in your littles and life as working women. These amazing women show up as vulnerable, work-in-progress role-models. I am excited to share this conversation about self-love, affirmation, and the struggles of the working mom with you. You can find all of the Love Powered Co. cards and products at www.lovepoweredco.com and at Indigo. Their new collection launches on December 2.
Have you actually been tested for your risk of miscarriage? My guess is no. In this solo episode, I introduce you to the impact that insulin has on ovulation, fertility, and miscarriage. Insulin can be elevated in women with PCOS or who struggle with weight management and blood sugar. This hormone is far from benign in the conversation on fertility and impacts a woman’s chance of ovulating and blocks implantation through unique newly-discovered mechanisms. This episode is a must-listen for women who are in the preconception phase, have struggled with miscarriage, or are deep in a fertility journey.
I introduce my new course, Fast Tracked Fertility which is open for enrolment. This live training course will help women create their own fertility plan over a 4-week boot-camp-style intensive. You can learn more about the program and sign up here. https://fasttrackedfertility.com/signup
Women with PCOS have probably been told one way or another that they need to eliminate certain foods. Gluten? Dairy? Inflammation? Legumes? Sugar? But what, if any of this, is actually true?
In this episode, I sit down with Melissa Groves, a registered dietitian, and nutritionist who specializes in helping women with PCOS feel in control of their symptoms through nutrition. We both have an evidence-based background in PCOS, and walk you through the studies on nutrition and what the research actually says. Spoiler: you probably don’t have to take out the foods you’ve read online.
We work hard to bust the “elimination” myth and share which foods we should be INCLUDING as part of a well-rounded approach to PCOS and insulin resistance in women.
Melissa offers unbiased information on Instagram to help women make better and more informed choices about nutrition and PCOS. YOu can find her at https://www.instagram.com/the.hormone.dietitian/
Where did you learn about money? Relationships? Sex? Did you learn the world was safe? Full of abundance? Your oyster? In this special episode, I spend time with my current mindset coach Adele Tevlin and we dissect how the imprints about the world that we learn between 0 to 7 years of age shape our reality and how willing we are to show up as our most confident and full selves. I share my own “discoveries” after working through this process with Adele and she teaches us how to start to unpack how our upbringing shapes our reality.
Adele offers mindset training to women that I highly recommend (no affiliation other than that I adore her and her programs). You can learn more about her next course offering at www.ceoblueprint.co/masterclass and find her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/adele_wellness/
Women who are successful and powerful entrepreneurs have a few things in common and three of these mindset-habits are vital for all women to achieve better health. In this episode, I give you three new ways to think about your health and “health infrastructure” that borrow skills from successful entrepreneurial women. Women who run companies or who are in leadership roles know the value of their time, their team, and how to leverage resources to move their vision forward. I share how you can adopt these go-getter style practices into your daily life to achieve better health. For ongoing health tips and strategy sessions, join my private Facebook group Women’s Health Unplugged at https://www.facebook.com/groups/WHUnplugged
Your thyroid is responding moment to moment to your life, nutrition and your body’s needs and dieting (especially when women restrict major nutrients) puts stress on this vital metabolic system. In this episode I interview Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur, a Naturopathic Doctor focuses on thyroid and metabolic health in women and whose mission is to help women live happy and energetic lives (without developing a terrible relationship with food). We cover the foundations of good thyroid health, and how your daily choices can support or hinder thyroid function.
When Dr. Whitney Young suddenly became a widow with two young children she realized that her health needed to be a priority in order to show up as the parent she truly wanted to be. She now works with families and moms to work through hard moments, phases, and years to encourage resilience, self-care, and thriving children. In this episode we share some of our hard-mom-lessons, talk about the importance of the health of our women, and practical self-care steps (that don’t include going to the spa). Whitney’s passion for creating peaceful and resilient families is clear in her message and her story. This is a vulnerable episode about how hard parenting is and how to overcome and rise above those hard moments. Whitney hosts a Facebook group Graceless Guilt to support parents in their journey.
You don’t have to wait a year fumbling around trying to get pregnant. Many couples don’t satisfy the diagnostic criteria of infertility until they have been trying on their own to conceive for 6-12 months. This “wait and see” approach has unfortunately placed little value on the health of mom-and dad-to-be and may leave couples with preconception health habits that are actually blocking their success in falling pregnant. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Rachel Coradetti-Sargeant, a Naturopathic Doctor who focuses on preconception care and infertility. Rachel works at Trio Reproductive Centre in Niagara and with myself at Clarity Health supporting women all over Ontario as they prepare for the healthiest pregnancy possible. In this episode, we explain all of the lab work women need before they try to fall pregnant and simple take-home strategies you can start today. Rachel runs online workshops and support for women and couples preparing for pregnancy and can be found on Instagram.
Your period shouldn’t keep you housebound because of fears of bleeding everywhere. In this episode I walk you through the underlying causes of heavy menstrual bleeding, and how the causes shift as a woman ages from adolescence to perimenopause. I talk about my frustration in the literature about heavy bleeding (it actually says we aren’t to believe women what she says about her blood flow) and how women can begin to advocate for the tests that would better understand their situation. Heavy menstrual bleeding is one of the major causes for young women to avoid exercise and can put women at risk of iron deficiency throughout their lifetime. If you’ve ever wondered if your amount of blood loss is “normal” have a listen. The podcast and I are up for two Paragon awards (podcast of the year and clinician of the year) and the voting takes place until October 9th. If you’ve enjoyed this episode or others, please vote for the podcast here: https://go.clinicianbusinesslabs.com/paragon-awards
Who would have thought that a conversation about pelvic floor health could transform into a conversation about the bigger issues surrounding feminism and motherhood? In this episode, I’m joined by Chana Ross, a pelvic floor physiotherapist whose mission is to help women understand that they don’t have to “live with” urinary symptoms such as leaking, urgency, and incontinence. We talk about the challenges facing new moms and the ongoing women’s health crisis that minimizes the quality of life in women every day. Women often suffer in silence with their pelvic floor symptoms and in this very important conversation, we encourage women to stop normalizing their symptoms and feel confident getting help. Chana’s clinic, Vital Physiotherapy, and Wellness in Downtown Toronto is a resource for women looking for pelvic floor support and can be contacted at http://www.vitalphysiotherapy.com/
In our 50th episode together I’m sharing some personal insights into how your hormones impact your productivity and mood and how I personally leverage my different states to feel confident and productive in my work. Women do not work on a 24-hour clock the same way men do and experience different “states” through the different weeks of the menstrual cycle. By either expecting themselves to feel the same way every day, or by committing urban-woman crimes against her health, women can easily feel unconfident about how she shows up in the workplace or world, or feel shame for not being “capable” of showing up the same way every day.
I share how to think differently about your cycle and the concept of productivity in order to best achieve your goals. Thank you for sharing these 50 episodes with me. Cheers to the next 50!.
Every time a woman tells her story, she’s saving another woman. In this episode my colleague and partner in crime Dr. Erin Ley and I share our journey to being our more authentic selves in our work and our lives and the impact that sisterhood and connection has on the women we work with. 6 months ago Erin and I embarked on a new model of support for our women offering greater accessibility, accountability and time with us through a community health initiative: The Wild Collective. The fall session is opening for discovery and enrollment on September 22. We moved our platform virtually in the spring and have given our women the chance to connect from anywhere to other women and to transform their story into a powerful tool to serve them and the women in their collective. Sign up for the Wild Collective information session at https://twc.clarityhealthburlington.ca/wait-list to learn and claim your space when the doors open on September 22.
Do you feel like you own your time? Do you feel like you’re on autopilot? Often a health change is presented to women as a complete life overhaul with a focus on an intense burst of change (which is often met by relapsing back to the beginning) rather than a focus on daily practices. Health is truly the layering of positive patterns and habits and in this episode, my colleague and I, Dr. Emily Bennett ND breaks down how small simple habits are the path to health and how to turn what you learn about your health into a solid habit that can stand the test of time. We break down how to create a positive environment, the research around repetition (does it take 21 days to build a habit or not?), and what kinds of rewards solidify your practice for long term success.
Emily runs a free 5-day habit forming challenge that is open for registration this September. You can access her offering and learn more about how to create a daily schedule you can count on here. You can also find Emily on Instagram.
Why do so many diets fail? Why do women experience weight regain after a loss? This complicated topic can be attacked from many angles, and in today’s episode, we look at the behaviours that change a woman’s likelihood of having long term sustainable weight maintenance after an active phase of weight loss. There are daily habits and behaviours that affect what happens after a woman loses weight that has a significant impact on her ability to maintain it - and you’d be surprised how little of these behaviours have to do with food.
In this solo episode, I talk about a research study that was conducted on women and what happens in the 12 months after an exercise program to illustrate how complex weight maintenance actually is. If you’ve ever felt like you’re on a continuous rollercoaster of weight gain and loss, this episode sheds some light on the behaviours that might be standing in your way.
One of the greatest challenges we face in dealing with a woman’s health as she approaches menopause is that while at the same time she experiences the greatest hormone transition in her life, she is also aging. This phenomenon often means that we blame aging for many of the changes that women experience between 45 and 55 rather than looking deeper at the possible connection between her changing hormones and her symptoms. Women start to experience changes to their hormone production as early as age 42, which can have a significant impact on the quality, depth, and length of their sleep. Compounded with changes to her mood as well as the onset of hot flashes a woman’s sleep as a significant obstacle to overcome through perimenopause and menopause. In this episode, I’m joined by my colleague Dr. Leigha Saunders ND and we discuss the impact of changing hormones on sleep, and how women can start to think differently about this vital health resource. Leigha has recently lectured for the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors on the use of hormone replacement therapy to support insomnia in women over the age of 45. We review the recent research on the use of hormones to support sleep as well as dispel the many myths that many women have come to believe about hormone replacement therapy. Even if you are not a candidate for HRT, this episode gives you all of the evidence you need to focus on sleep as a primary way to support your health. We give practical tips, and “food for thought” about why women don’t sleep.
The demand placed on women during these changing times will have lasting health consequences that we are just starting to get a glimmer of. With increased demands at work, home and the global stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, women (who were already burning the candle at both ends) are under immense pressure to ‘rise up’ to meet the unrealistic demands of today’s world.
In this episode, I am joined by burnout-expert Dr. Ashley Margeson ND and we explore the challenges facing women today, the symptoms of burnout you may not know about, and how to start to claw back to reclaiming yourself in the face of increasing demands. If you’ve wondered how you’ll get everything done, or have felt overwhelmed at the long list ahead of you, this is an important conversation about how to prevent your ‘list’ from affecting your health.
In this week’s episode, sexual health educator and disruptor Dr. Jordin Wiggins ND and I rip off the bandaid to talk openly about the health risk of low sexual function and libido in women. Jordin describes why sexual function should be a priority for women, why ‘low hormones’ isn’t the answer, and why we shouldn’t use the words “sex drive” to describe libido at all. We explore how women can start to take more control of their own pleasure in and out of the bedroom, and how prioritizing pleasure is a key step to achieving optimal health in women.
A woman’s risk of depression rises as she moves towards her menopause transition and the research points to a significant hormonal trigger for this change. Women can start to experience changes to their hormone production in their early to mid-40s, even if they continue to cycle regularly. In this episode, I review what’s happening hormonally to women in their 40s and how this is a trigger for new, or returning depression. I review the difference between using antidepressants and hormones to support mood in women before menopause, and the risk factors that nearly double the risk of depression at this stage in a woman’s life.
Treating women in perimenopause requires a unique approach that listens closely to a woman’s experience - lab testing isn’t always accurate at helping diagnose perimenopause at all. I’ve written a resource called the 5 mistakes women make in menopause to help you feel more confident as you move towards this time in your life, and how to better get a handle on your health in your 40s and 50s. You can download your copy here.
In this episode, I’m joined by Registered Dietician and Naturopathic Doctor Jennifer Salib Huber to talk about the challenges women face over 40 with nutrition, weight management, and their relationship with food. We talk about the type of diets that create challenges for women as they age, the mindset that women need to have towards their nutrition and practical tools women can use as they move towards their fourth and fifth decades of life.
Jenn offers practical insight as to why women gain weight around perimenopause and how to move with your body instead of fighting against it. We have a discussion about the concepts of intuitive eating, and how diet restriction often leads to a ‘pendulum’ of significant restriction and then more binging behaviors.
This is a great conversation about one of the most significant changes women experience as they age. Dr. Jenn Salib Huber offers an online program "The Thinking Woman's Guide to Peri/Menopause" which is a 4-week program open to women in any stage of peri/menopause who are looking to regain confidence in their bodies and themselves. Jenn can be contacted here: http://www.jennsalibhuber.ca/ or on instagram at @menopause.nutritionist
How calm is your life? Are you intentionally cultivating calm? Or is your anxiety owning your day? In this episode, I am joined by a colleague Katie Thomson Aitken, a naturopathic Doctor Who has focussed exclusively on anxiety. Katie walks us through the five pillars of health to support anxiety and to reduce symptoms in patients who feel that their anxiety is controlling their life. We talk about how to cultivate calm in your daily life, and the basic lab tests that patients need if they are experiencing anxiety. They talk about anxiety specifically in women, and how women can advocate for the support they need from their healthcare providers. We talk about the difference between a medication-only strategy versus a holistic approach to anxiety management.
Katie offers an online program called tranquil minds and has recently published her signature strategy for resolving anxiety in a book available on Amazon. This was a wonderful conversation from two recovering anxiety-prone women about how we foster calmer mental health in ourselves and our patients. Katie can be contacted on Instagram where you can find the links to her programs and her book.
In this episode, I interview my colleague Dr. Erin Thorne ND who has created an entire career around supporting patients to rethink their relationship with alcohol. We discuss both of our paths to sobriety and openly discuss some of the societal challenges facing women in the context of alcohol. She gives concrete ideas for how women can become sober-curious, and how women need to examine the impact that alcohol is having on her current and future health. We talk about realistic goal setting, success/fail mindset as women pursue health, and how easy it is for women to fall victim to alcohol-based advertising.
Erin has a significant number of resources on her website including a list of books for women who are starting to explore her relationship with alcohol. She runs a masterclass reclaiming your vitality after alcohol. You can access all of Erin’s information here or find her on Instagram here.
Women’s mental health expert Dr. Shyamala Kiru joins me today for a critical conversation about how conversation traps, automatic thought patterns and imprinted learning from our family of origin shapes our ability to have high-performance relationships. We explore the common communication traps that women use that aren’t serving them in their quest for health, and give practical tools for how to notice and evolve your communication style towards better emotional intelligence.
Dr. Shyamala hosts a private Facebook community, The EQ Lab, where she shares weekly tools and inspiration for women looking to show up authentically and assertively in their lives. Join the conversation here https://www.facebook.com/groups/theeqlab
Have you suffered from irregular cycles, acne and abdominal weight gain and are approaching perimenopause or menopause? The research on polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is often laser-focused on the impact it has on fertility and miscarriage risk and often fails to emphasize how this complicated hormonal condition affects women over 40.
Women who are in their 40s and 50s may have never been diagnosed accurately with PCOS, but have in their history signs of this condition such as irregular cycles, central weight gain, or acne. In this episode, I review how to get a “past-diagnosis” of PCOS, and why we need to talk to women about their cycle history in their menopausal years. I share how PCOS impacts a woman’s cardiovascular risk and diabetes risk as she ages and how women can advocate for better health support for their metabolism as they age.
Is your teen girl moody because of her hormones? In this episode I interview Dr. Erin TeWinkel ND, a Naturopathic Doctor in Toronto who has focused her career on supporting the health of teens. We talk about the challenges facing the teen brain through puberty and adolescents, and why young females shouldn’t be labeled as “hormonal”. We give parents tools for looking critically at their teen’s emotions, talk about the barriers young women face as they move through puberty, and give take-home nutrition examples for how to support your teen through diet to ensure they are thriving in their mood and mental health.
Erin hosts a Facebook group for parents to learn about connecting and raising their teens that can be found here.
Erin’s practice is at the Integrative Health Institute in Toronto. She can be contacted here.
The pain women experience with their monthly cycle is often considered a normal part of being a woman and rarely is addressed to the point of helping her live completely pain-free. Menstrual cramps and endometriosis pain often become symptoms women ‘live with’ and we both under assess and under-treat women who have monthly pain related to their cycle.
In this episode, we talk about how cramps happen, how to tell the difference between endometriosis-related cramps and menstrual cramps, and how nutrition plays a role in the development and severity of menstrual pain.
I offer ongoing videos, blog posts, and Q and A style live trainings on women’s health in my Facebook group Women’s Health Unplugged. You can become a member here (https://www.facebook.com/groups/WHUnplugged/).
In this episode, I interview Dr. Tracy Malone ND, one of the founding partners of Conceive Health, the only Naturopathic Clinic embedded in a fertility clinic in all of North America. We openly talk about the challenges facing aging mothers-to-be as women delay childbearing to pursue school, careers, and partnerships. Women have tremendous opportunities to protect her ovarian reserve, and new technology available to her to support her in her fertility pursuit. We discuss ‘the talk’ we have with women over 27, and the blood work that women can have as a baseline assessment of her fertility whether she is ready to pursue fertility or is delaying her childbearing.
Dr. Malone works out of Conceive Health in Toronto and can be contacted through their website here.
Shirley Weir knew she couldn’t be the only woman experiencing brain fog, poor concentration, and mood changes at menopause. Instead of settling for what was offered, she turned her goals of feeling better into a passion project that is bringing the conversation about menopause to centre stage. Her online community Menopause Chicks has become a home and community for over 20,000 women seeking a deeper understanding of their menopause experience.
In this episode, we uncover some of the challenges women face in the cost of their health care, the lack of attention this stage of life gets in medicine and how women can start a learning process for themselves that will help them learn to support themselves while they advocate for better care.
In this week’s episode, I interview Urogynecologist Carolyn Best, about the treatment options available for women for various types of incontinence. Dr. Best sheds light on the many lifestyles, diet, and non-surgical options for reducing incontinence in women while shedding light on the challenges women face in being properly assessed and supported for this condition. This episode was produced in support of Dr. Best’s plant-based cookbook Spread the Health. 100% of the proceeds of the sales are being donated to the Canadian Food Bank to support families during the COVID crisis.
Carolyn's Cookbook: https://thebellemethod.com/spreadthehealth/
In this episode I interview motherhood journalist Erin Pepler. Erin has written openly about motherhood and the pressures of the modern working mom in Today’s Parent, for Savvy Mom and other major women’s health publications. In this episode we discuss the pressures that mom’s face in today’s world, and connect these cultural pressures to the health of our women. We share our own personal experiences facing the guilt of parenting, and how we need to start the conversation about practical and sustainable motherhood for women to be their healthiest version of themselves.
Erin's wonderful writing on adulthood can be found at www.erinpepler.com or follow her on Instagram.
In this episode I speak with the founder of the Canadian Fertility Show, Dr. Jodie Peacock. In this episode we cover some major access-to-care challenges in the world of infertility, and how Jodie’s goal of creating a safe space for couples to learn their options transpired into this wonderful event.
We speak on the specific issues women with PCOS face when navigating fertility care and the roles that other providers can have in improving fertility outcomes.
For information about the Canadian Fertility Show you can visit their website.
More information from Dr. Jodie Peacock can be found at the Enhance Fertility website.
In this episode Dr. Kara Dinisio ND and I discuss one of the most overlooked areas of women’s health – vaginal dryness and atrophy. This symptom doesn’t just show up in menopause, and can be a significant factor in loss of quality of life, impaired sexual health and a source of pain in women and can be easily treated with a practitioner that is interested in vaginal health (“Vagina Literate”).
We teach women all of the symptoms that are related to vaginal atrophy they may not even realize (such as frequent urination) and what they need to know about the difference between moisturizers, lubricants and treatment-based creams.
Dr. Kara Dinisio can be contacted at her clinic in Owen Sound Ontario or on Instagram.
In this episode I interview Dr. Katie Rothwell, a Naturopathic Doctor who has a personal and professional interest in thyroid health. We talk all about getting properly tested, how thyroid is often the ‘effect’, not the cause in a woman’s health and how we should be rethinking the silver-bullet pill approach to thyroid health.
Dr. Katie Rothwell ND practices in Barrie Ontario and can be contacted here or you can follow her on social media here.
In this episode I have a conversation with Dr. Kim Bretz ND, a gut-focused Naturopathic Doctor with a real focus on evidence based outcomes for women with IBS.
It’s common for women with IBS to either self-pigeon-hole their diet into very few foods, or to be led down a path of continuous restriction with their practitioner. But is this what the evidence suggests we should do? Kim sets us straight in this episode.
Dr. Kim Bretz ND practices in Kitchener Ontario and can be contacted here.
The power of community in medicine is an underestimated and undervalued tool, even though the research on isolation and illness is so strong.
Dr. Michelle Peris has created a Naturopathic Doctor facilitated community health program to bridge the power of knowledge in women’s health and the benefits of intentionally cultivated community for women which birthed the program called Rebel Tribe.
Our clinic in has adopted this program to support our women more deeply in their health care. In this episode we review the ‘cost’ of isolation in women and how women can reframe the importance of community as part of her care.
To add your name to the waitlist for our program, click here.
In today’s interview I discuss the impact of concussion on female hormonal health with Naturopathic Doctor, Nikole MacLellen. We talk about how often concussion is missed as part of regular assessment for women who are seeing cycle changes or other hormonal symptoms. We review what women need to look for in their own health and history in sport that they need to let their practitioner know.
Dr. MacLellen has her own podcast called The OffSeason which can be accessed here.
As a fitting first episode for Women’s Health Unplugged I interview Dr. Stacy Sims, an environmental Exercise Physiologist and Nutrition Scientist specializing in sex differences in response to exercise heat stress, recovery, and nutritional adaptations for health, body composition, and maximizing performance.
We talk all about energy deficit (dieting) and the effect of exercise on women and their menstrual cycle and how the research on exercising women needs to evolve to support the hormonal needs of women.
Stacy has a Tedx talk and a book Roar to learn more about this topic.
