Avoiding Weight Gain During Perimenopause and Menopause
September 27, 2020
Menopause is a natural life transition, meaning natural drug-free solutions are what nature intended. Food is one of those solutions that surprises many woman, until they try it. Listen in as two nutritionists provide simple solutions to help avoid the weight gain, hot flushes and mood swings during perimenopause and menopause. For more information on this topic, visit Perimenopausal Weight Gain.
Transcript:
KARA: Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition. Today's show is brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. My name is Kara Carper. I'm a certified nutrition specialist and licensed nutritionist in the state of Minnesota. On the other mic this morning, I'm super excited to be here with my cohost JoAnn Ridout, who is a registered and licensed dietitian. And for the past five years, JoAnn has been a teacher for our Menopause Survival Seminar. She's helped many, many women that are either in perimenopause or menopause to get a handle on their weight or hot flashes or sleep issues. Those are just to name a few symptoms that we'll be chatting about today.
JOANN: That's right. And good morning Kara! It's so good to be here with you again today.
KARA: Great to see you.
JOANN: And yes, that's right. I always tell people I am of age to be helping people with menopause symptoms cause I've certainly lived through a lot of them. So what are some other menopause symptoms that women are concerned with and want help with? Certainly the weight, hot flashes, and sleep are definitely among the top issues, but there are other issues women don't want to discuss.
And one symptom I think about when I'm getting to something we don't want to discuss with their doctor even, but it's very disturbing and uncomfortable. And to them that is incontinence. So many women are struggling with this. So definitely something we can help with. And then another distressing symptom is that W word. Wrinkles.
KARA: JoAnn, I think...
JOANN: Another distressing topic.
KARA: I actually think there's two distressing W words: wrinkles and weight gain, right?
JOANN: Yup, yeah. For sure.
KARA: If we could get rid of the letter W maybe we wouldn't have to be so concerned about wrinkles and weight gain. Wouldn't that be great?
JOANN: It would be.
KARA: But really back to some serious questions and answers. It's been about one year since we have been able to offer our Menopause Survival Seminar in house due to COVID-19, but the good news is that people miss it. We're getting requests to offer it again. And I think you have some good news about that.
JOANN: Yes, that is so right. And of course we understand that most women prefer classes which they can take in person. And we do too. We love those discussions with women that we can have during the class, but because of social distancing and having to meet in small groups with shorter time limits because of COVID-19, we decided to do the next best option. So we will be offering our Menopause Survival Seminar via the Zoom format. So a virtual class in a series of six 1 hour classes. So we've added some great new content, some new research, and Dar, Analisa, Carol, Melanie, and I have been working intensely to put together all of the information we taught in our in house format plus more. So we plan to have this new series available by the middle of November. And I do have to say, I will miss those discussions we got to have with women on this topic, but we will have an opportunity for questions and answers built into the format. So I'm very excited to be able to offer this class again.
KARA: Well, JoAnn, that's wonderful. And I know nothing can replace that in person camaraderie that you used to have with, you know, being together for like six, six and a half hours. However, this is just a wonderful replacement. I'm sure people are grateful for this...WILL be grateful for this opportunity in November.
JOANN: Right.
KARA: But today on today's show, we want to provide some simple solutions to help you avoid weight gain, hot flashes, and mood swings during perimenopause and menopause. Here's a new thought about menopause symptoms. Menopause is not a disease. It's a natural life transition and because of that, it really requires natural drug-free solutions to help women deal with whatever symptoms they might be having.
And, you know, the theory that menopause is a time in a woman's life when a woman becomes estrogen deficient, that... I'm going to say that kind of misconception... started over 50 years ago. And was written in a book called *Feminine Forever*. It was written by Dr. Robert A Wilson. Other doctors just accepted that theory and believed that the only answer was medication. However, it came to the conclusion to find that giving women extra estrogens in the form of medication often resulted in a higher risk of breast cancer.
HRT and menopause misconceptions
JOANN: That's very true. Excuse me. So some of you have been thinking: has there been research conducted about excess estrogen leading to breast cancer. And yes, they have done multiple estrogen replacement therapy studies. They were actually, some of them were stopped in process, because the rate of breast cancer in women started to increase at a high rate during the estrogen HRT, or hormone replacement therapy treatment. And one of those studies was done in 2004 by W.E. Nurs titled "Hormone Replacement Therapy and the Risk of Developing Breast Cancer". So other researchers like Anthony Jay from the Mayo Clinic who authored the book *Estrogeneration: How Estrogenics Are Making You Fat, Sick, and Infertile*. That's a mouthful and I'm going to repeat it because it really... that title says a lot *Estro Generation: How Estrogenics Are Making You Fat, Sick, and Infertile*. Those researchers point out that many forms of breast cancer have long been known to be linked to estrogens and estrogen receptors. So basically this research is saying that adding estrogen-type medication to manage symptoms seems to be very risky. And Anthony Jay was interviewed in March of 2020 on a Dishing Up Nutrition podcast. So you may want to go back to that podcast and listen, because it's very interesting.
KARA: And people can find that variety of ways: on our website weightandwellness.com, iTunes.
JOANN: Right. Or the Dishing Up Nutrition app.
KARA: Yes, exactly. And JoAnn, the breast cancer rates from 1980 to 2010 increased 256%.
JOANN: Wow.
KARA: So think about that. In 30 years, and this is research or statistics from 20 years ago, but in that 30 year timeframe, there was over a 250% increase in the rate of breast cancer. That's outstanding.
JOANN: That number is just staggering.
KARA: It's unbelievable. Now we want to turn our discussion to oral contraceptives, otherwise known as birth control pills, and the link to breast cancer. In 1996, there was a study published in the Lancet Journal by the collaborative group on hormonal factors in breast cancer. They addressed the question: is the risk of breast cancer high in women who took oral contraceptives? Well, it wasn't a high risk, but there was an increased risk. And additionally, there was research that found an increased risk in liver tumors and cervical cancer. So that link was from taking oral contraceptives or birth control pills.
JOANN: And I actually, I remember seeing a study in 2017 that gave us similar information. So even recently with a lower dose birth control pills that is still accurate. It does increase the risk.
KARA: Yeah. And I think people often just take birth control pills and maybe you don't think twice about it. And think of when women are on those for years and years, decades. Many women are on those from teen years into menopausal years even.
JOANN: Right. Right.
KARA: Trying to avoid PMS. Things like that. But it is, is it time for our break?
JOANN: It's time for break.
KARA: Okay, let's take our first break here. You are listening to Dishing Up Nutrition brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. And we have a flash sale coming up this Monday, September 28th through Tuesday, September 29th. We're going to be offering 50 per...50? Excuse me. Wait a minute! 15! It's still a good deal. 15% off of the NutriKey products. So that means you can save on your favorite product like Bifido Balance, magnesium glycinate, even Key Collagen, plus all of the other NutriKey supplements. So put that on your calendar. The sale is only for two days, September 28th and 29th. And if you're not familiar with Key Collagen, it's a supplement...it's a key nutrient that helps your skin, your joints, and your bones. And just go to our website, weightandwellness.com. Or you can call our office at (651) 699-3438 and we can help you with your order. We'll be right back.
JOANN: Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. Fall is definitely one of my favorite seasons and it's finally here. I love to go to the farmer's market to pick up my favorite fall vegetables and actually bought quite a few of them today or this past week: squash. And if you want an easy way to cook squash while you are working at home or outside of the home, here's a trick that I found works very well. So you can put that whole squash in the microwave just for just two or three minutes, cause you're not cooking it that way, but you're just softening up that outer shell. So it's much easier to cut in half. So then you just cut it in half and remove the seeds and put both of those two halves in the slow cooker, add a little butter and salt. And I cook it on low four to six hours, depending on the size of the squash, but it's absolutely delicious. And I actually had that a couple different times this week already. Another favorite squash recipe of mine is called the Autumn Sheet Pan Chicken and Squash and it's on our website. It is easy. You put all the ingredients on a sheet pan and, you know, drizzle avocado oil and spices on top. It's a really great recipe. So do look it up on our website.
KARA: We have a lot of great sheet pan recipes on the website.
JOANN: We do. Yeah.
KARA: I noticed some in our blog recently as well. And you know, that is such a great idea though in the slow cooker and then spaghetti squash too. People can make spaghetti squash and just have not such a high glycemic, high carbohydrate pasta meal, but you use the spaghetti squash in place of that.
JOANN: When I make spaghetti squash, I often portion it out into future meals, you know, so...
KARA: Yeah, great idea!
JOANN: Because it makes so much, but then I've got a number of meals and I freeze a few. So, alway thinking ahead! We have to, right?
KARA: We do! We have to be prepared.
JOANN: So we have been sharing information about how oral contraceptives or birth control pill and hormone replacement therapy. You know, a lot of times doctors are recommending those to control hot flashes or mood swings during perimenopause and menopause. Unfortunately, most women are not aware of the increased cancer risk. However, on the upside, we have many natural ways to deal with these menopause symptoms. So we're gonna share those.
KARA: I'm hearing more and more stories, JoAnn of doctors that are encouraging their patients to go off of HRT and oral contraceptives.
JOANN: Yes, I have too.
KARA: Because of that link to breast cancer. So that's promising.
JOANN: That is very promising.
KARA: And in fact, I just had a friend last week. She went to her doctor and that was the recommendation to go off oral contraceptives because of a history of breast cancer in the family.
JOANN: Wow. That's great.
Premarin, Provera and the truth about HRT
KARA: But it's time to dig deeper into the history of HRT, which is hormone replacement therapy. A lot of you have heard of Premarin. That was the first and most well known form of estrogen therapy. And that was introduced in 1949. And it was mostly made from the urine of pregnant horses. That's where the name came from, right? Premarin. In the late 1980s and the 1990s, millions of women were put on Premarin. Again, that estrogen from pregnant horse urine, along with an artificial progesterone called Provera. And then there was an extensive study also in the 90s and it was called, you may have heard of the WHI Study. That was the Women's Health Initiative study sponsored... it was a huge study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Women's Health Initiative came in to prove that the combination of Premarin and Provera... again Provera is that artificial progesterone... it's a progestin... would save lives by decreasing heart attacks.
But then in 2002 that study the Women's Health Initiative study was discontinued. Similar to the other studies you were talking about that had to be discontinued. It's because the study found that that artificial estrogen and the artificial progestin was increasing the risk of heart attacks and stroke, as well as increasing the risk of cancer, the risk of Alzheimer's, and dementia. So overall it was determined that the risks far outweighed the benefits of the study. And I just remember how huge that study was.
JOANN: Yes, it definitely was. And that's very true. And I remember that kind of when that happened. And at that time a realization occurred and the management of menopause symptoms could not be safely done with estrogen-type medication and menopausal symptoms needed to be addressed through diet and lifestyle habits. And one thing I also remember about that is it kind of went away for awhile, but then a lot of physicians may, you know, started recommending it again after kind of this news wore off, because I think some of them were thinking at these low, with these lower dose birth control pills or these lower dose medications, that it might be safe. And there was a lot of confusion about that still.
KARA: Yeah. I'm glad that you brought up the more recent research that was showing that same correlation.
JOANN: In 2017. Yes.
KARA: Now in our Menopause Survival Seminar, the first concern that many women have in perimenopause and menopause is weight gain, especially that belly fat weight that happens around the midsection. Are you wondering, what's going on with that? And the truth is the cause of weight gain is going to be different for every woman. And there's really no cookie cutter approach for everyone when it comes to weight loss.
JOANN: That's right.
KARA: JoAnn and I are going to talk about some possible reasons and solutions, but again, each individual may have an entirely different reason for their weight gain. And it kind of takes a detective type thinking from a nutritionist or a dietitian to solve the problem and find the right solution. And that's where, you know, a JoAnn would come into place, you know, meeting with the client.
JOANN: That's right. And I think the number one reason for menopausal weight gain is lack of sleep. Almost every single client I meet with is struggling with their sleep. And I know from my own personal experience that when I lack sleep, I gained weight. It's so frustrating because sometimes those reasons you're not sleeping are out of your control. You know, but still, even when I'm eating perfectly, I can be gaining weight, which doesn't add up at all.
KARA: That's frustrating. Yeah.
JOANN: But there's actually a biochemical reason. Or maybe I should call it a hormone reason because when I short change myself of sleep, I feel more stressed. Then my adrenal glands secrete more cortisol and cortisol is a hormone that actually makes belly fat. So if you are putting weight around your middle, especially around on your belly area, count the number of hours you are sleeping and for a good metabolism, I know I need at least eight hours of sleep most nights. Many clients tell me, "oh, I can do six or seven. That's just fine." And I used to think that too, but boy, eight is so much better. For a good metabolism, I need at least eight hours of sleep, but I actually feel much better when it's in the eight and a half or nine hour bracket. It's amazing. So if I sleep eight, nine hours a night for two weeks, and I've done that on vacation, I can lose three to five pounds. Just from that.
KARA: Isn't that something?
JOANN: When you actually get more sleep, more relaxation. Sleep for weight loss is truly magical.
KARA: And I'm the same way. I mean, I feel eight is good. Eight and a half is better. But you know those nights, like when..or the morning when you don't have to set your alarm. I mean, an example might be on a weekend and you just naturally are able to wake up. You're like, oh, I feel so rested. For me, that's about nine hours.
JOANN: Yeah and it helps so much.
KARA: I know we're not alone with that.
JOANN: Definitely.
KARA: And I have had clients, I know we need to go to break in a second here, so we'll talk more when we come back. But you know, think about clients who are getting up super early in the morning to workout as early as 4:30. And they find that they're just, they're working out almost every day, and they're actually gaining weight. And usually gaining that weight around the midsection, the belly fat, and that actually can be exacerbated from the early morning workouts and missing sleep.
So we'll chat more about that after break. You're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition. If you're experiencing menopausal or perimenopausal symptoms, I am sure one of our nutrition... Weight & Wellness nutritionists or dietitians will have a solution for you. Whether that's weight gain, hot flashes or mood swings, set up an appointment and you can call (651) 699-3438.
JOANN: Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. Before break, Kara was talking about considering making an appointment with a nutritionist and all of our appointments are held with either phone appointments or Zoom our virtual appointments. And you can call (651) 699-3438. We have a number of solutions for your menopausal symptoms. And you know, whether it's weight gain or hot flashes, mood swings, but also as a reality as women get older, you know, most of us feel like our metabolism has slowed down. And especially in the past, if we were able to eat a lot of carbs without having an effect from that. But as we age, many of us develop insulin resistance, which may show up as pre-diabetes. So it's just to sign that the carbs and sugar are not being turned into energy, but instead they're being stored as body fat. So to overcome prediabetes and get your metabolism turned back on, it actually requires that you eat balanced meals and snacks throughout each day.
So a great way to learn not only what to do, but also how to do that is to take our Nutrition 4 Weight Loss series it's offered online or as a virtual class. This 12 week series includes individual appointments with a nutritionist or dietitian. And it's a great way to learn more and get the support you need to make the changes that can help to reverse your symptoms. To sign up, call 651-699-3438 or register at weightandwellness.com.
Nutrition 4 Weight Loss program
KARA: Yeah. It's a really great time to be doing... taking a class like that... virtually.
JOANN: It really is and I've heard lots of positive feedback about the virtual classes, because there is that question and answer opportunity.
When exercise doesn't help you lose weight
KARA: And so many people are working from home and need that flexibility. You can do it in your own time. So I just want to recap before break, cause it's such an important thing that I started to say and JoAnn and I, we just really want to get the point across that, you know, we're not saying don't exercise. It's just, you know, I had mentioned that a lot of clients will get up at the crack of dawn to go workout with fitness and weight... usually weight loss is one of the goals, but it kind of can backfire and people start to notice weight gain around the midsection. They're not losing weight. They're gaining weight. It's because of the lack of sleep. Now, if someone's going to get up at 4:30 in the morning to workout and they're getting to bed at 9:30 PM, that's probably fine. But most people are not able to get to bed that early for a variety of reasons. So maybe they're just getting like five or six hours sleep. And I will typically suggest to those clients that they choose sleep in lieu of that early morning workout. And maybe take a walk later in the day. And after following that type of strategy for a few weeks, the pounds do start to come off. And also there's other benefits: less moody, less irritability, more focus, and the body and brain have less stress. And the metabolism really starts working again properly.
JOANN: Right. And of course that's one of many reasons for women not getting enough sleep. Some people are waking up in the night with young children. I remember that phase of my life. And many women struggle to get sleep and some struggle to stay asleep. So some people struggle falling asleep. Some people struggle staying asleep. And I know this problem well. I've been there. So now I have many effective sleep solutions. My first solution for sleep is to supplement with magnesium glycinate. And I find it takes at least 400 milligrams of magnesium glycinate for most of my clients. And some people including myself need somewhere between 600 and 800 milligrams of magnesium glycinate. So if you are experiencing muscle cramps or Charlie horses or eye twitches, those are some signs without a doubt that you are deficient in magnesium.
And one other thing I want to mention on my journey to improve my sleep, I also learned I needed a CPAP machine about three and a half, four years ago. And my sleep doctor, when I kind of met with her after and talked about my history of sleep issues, she said, "You probably needed this machine 20 years ago." And I agreed with her. I said, I probably really did, but I remember a few years before I found out I needed a CPAP thinking I'm not remembering any dreams and I don't know how that correlates, but you know, definitely it correlates to I wasn't getting enough sleep. So it's kind of interesting.
KARA: That's great that you got that recommendation. Were able to get that resolved. I think a lot of people can benefit from seeing a sleep specialist, maybe doing a sleep study, getting a CPAP if necessary.
JOANN: If needed. Yeah. If needed, it made a huge difference in my night's sleep.
KARA: Oh, that's wonderful. Well, JoAnn and I both have a history of insomnia.
JOANN: We do.
KARA: Now, if you're a long time listener, you've probably heard me talk about that at some point. I used to have terrible sleep problems and I still, every once in a while, don't have great sleep. I really have to plan for good sleep every night. And in order for me to get to sleep, I do a variety of things. Some are similar to what you're doing, JoAnn, but I usually take three to five milligrams of melatonin. I really like the sublingual form. That's just one that goes under your tongue and dissolves and it works... just it's absorbed a little bit faster. And also as JoAnn recommended, I take magnesium glycinate and I do take the 600 milligrams. That seems to work better for me than three or 400 milligrams. I also really like an amino acid called GABA, G A B A. It's very effective. I take it every night before bed.
And if you're in perimenopause or menopause, we have also found that a lot of women sleep better when they use a quarter teaspoon of natural progesterone cream at bedtime, when women stop ovulating, they usually stop making the majority of the hormone called progesterone. And remember that progesterone is our calming hormone. Years ago, I went to see Dar as my nutritionist and figured out what I needed for food and supplements. She's actually the one that had suggested 600 milligrams of magnesium glycinate. And, you know, ever since then, I've been very careful to stick with that plan. It's changed a little bit over the years, but, most of it is actually still the same.
JOANN: Right. Yeah. I use a similar version of it, of those sleep supplements.
KARA: The sleep protocol.
JOANN: And I also have found GABA to be very, very helpful.
KARA: Yes, it's very relaxing, I feel for the mind and the body, you know, if you're kind of like physically, like you're... feel like you can't fall asleep. It's helpful.
JOANN: That's right. So, today I thought a quote from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the late Associate Justice of the Supreme court would be very fitting here, with her passing. And as a company, Nutritional Weight & Wellness looks for natural, healthy solutions to health problems. It absolutely makes no sense to put something in your body that increases your risk for cancer or heart disease, stroke or Alzheimer when there are natural, healthy solutions available to you. And former Supreme court justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, "Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." And that's exactly what we do here. And she's an amazing woman and that's a very good statement of her hard work and her life and career.
Nutritional solutions for acne and other skin issues
KARA: Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. I know that it was very recent that she did pass. So that's very, it's very fitting quote and JoAnn, so this last Wednesday I was in my car and I was listening to, of course My Talk 107.1. I heard this discussion about acne and how some people have been experiencing more acne from wearing a mask. And the dermatologist who was being interviewed suggested a special facial cleanser and a type of medication. Well, the first thought that I had was very different. I thought, what about a nutritional solution? And I would have suggested that during the time when we're required to wear masks, what we should be doing instead of taking a medication for acne is to cut out dairy products. So that would be things like milk, yogurt, cheese, pizza, and also just kind of reduce that overall sugar. Switch from drinking things like soda. Just switch to filtered water. And that is just a really great solution for both teenage and adult acne, whether it's coming from a mask or not.
And so I want to talk more about skin, but I noticed that we have our third break coming up and you're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition. I have a friend who, just quick story here before break, I have a friend who's a flight attendant and I was chatting with her the other day. And I asked her what nutrition questions are people that you're flying with asking these days. You know, other flight attendants, pilots, because it's such a trying time for them with COVID. And her answer was not what I expected. She said, well, weight gain is really what a lot of people are experiencing. And she explained more. And she said, because of the stress that COVID-19 has been having on all of us, a lot of, people in the airline industry have gained weight over the past several months. And so if you are facing the same challenge, we have a solution. And JoAnn did mention signing up for our online Nutrition 4 Weight Loss series. But I just want to remind you that it's 12 classes you can take any time that works for you. And we're offering $50 off of the series throughout the rest of September.
Nutrition 4 Weight Loss program
JOANN: That's a great deal.
KARA: It's a really good deal to get $50 off of that. You'll have the expertise of a nutritionist or a dietitian. So if you have questions about that, you can just call (651) 699-3438. You can go to our website and read some of the testimonials as well. There's some life changing stories on our website. So we'll be right back.
JOANN: Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. Next week, Kara and I are back here again on Dishing Up Nutrition - that hasn't happened for awhile - and we're having an in depth conversation about sleep. So more sleep, so more sleep discussion and if you have questions about sleep, please send them to me. My email address is JoAnn J O A N N @weightandwellness.com. And we will try to answer as many questions as possible on the show next week.
KARA: That'll be fun. I can't wait to see what questions come through.
JOANN: So that'll be great to have all these questions. Right.
KARA: So we did kind of, it may have seemed like we went off on a little bit of a tangent before break cause we were talking about acne. But to tie that into our topic today with perimenopause and menopause, a lot of acne is hormonal acne as well. And the same recommendations apply for anyone experiencing acne, whether it's from wearing a mask, teenage acne, adult acne. Cutting out dairy is one of the most helpful things. But then of course also just cutting out sugar. And the obvious culprits, like we had talked about soda and switching to water. So that applies to anyone who would struggle with acne. And it's amazing the difference it can make just even those couple of changes with dairy and sugar.
JOANN: Right. Right. Definitely. My daughter experienced this hormonal acne and we figured out after the fact that it was kind of a end result of some birth control shots that she was on, you know, kind of around her twenties and maybe 19, 20 years old. And she had ended up with pretty severe hormonal acne and just couldn't shake it. And about the time she was in her early twenties, she kind of figured out there was a big food connection to that. And she did figure out that when she eliminated dairy that the acne subsided quite a bit, it did help a lot. And she also figured out that when she fell off the wagon and kind of added something back in like ice cream, you know, both dairy and sugar, she would definitely see acne come back.
KARA: A flare up.
JOANN: So she would definitely have a flare up from that.
KARA: So it sounds like it was really obvious - than connection.
JOANN: It was pretty obvious to her and it's kind of, yeah, she still does. She still tries to avoid that.
KARA: Yeah. That's really common. And we have shows if yes, you know, if you're thinking, I want to learn more about that topic.
JOANN: We do.
KARA: We have shows that are just addressing acne. You can check that out in a podcast. But an interesting question came in from a caller one time and the gentleman asked, "what do you do for crepey skin?" Well, the gentleman went on to say, "you know, crepey skin, that thin wrinkly skin that looks like crepe paper." That's how it was described. So that, so what do you have to say about that JoAnn.
JOANN: Right. And people definitely describe it that way. Looks like crepe paper. We are back to what that will W word again: wrinkles. So what can you do to keep your skin looking healthy, supple, and wrinkle-free? Have you ever noticed people in their eighties who eat healthy foods and have very few wrinkles?
KARA: Yes!
JOANN: Like Dar!
KARA: I was thinking that!
JOANN: That's right! So here is a prescription that we suggest to keep radiant, young-looking skin. So first of all, guess what? Our sleep is connected. Sleep at least eight hours most nights, drinking eight to 10 glasses of filtered water, and eating three to four ounces of animal protein at every meal, and include two ounces of each, for your snacks. Of course, along with your vegetables and your healthy fats. But amazingly enough, we're talking about that recipe for skin health is exactly what we would recommend for weight loss.
KARA: That's so true. Right. The water, the sleep, the animal protein throughout the day, vegetables, healthy fats. For healthy, young-looking skin, you should also be avoiding processed carbs and sugar. So that means, I mean if we want to get kind of technical about this, if you're at a social gathering, that means you're going to be walking past the cake. You're going to be passing up the brownies, the chocolate cookies, and the sweet rolls. Perhaps the most important remedy is to avoid what we call factory fats, which are damaged fats and oils. Examples of those would be corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, cotton seed oil. So instead of those unhealthy fats, we want to generously use those natural fats, such as butter, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or just coconut products, avocados. At least seven tablespoons of fats and oils every day. And I always like to think with fats and oils, we're kind of like hydrating, lubricating from the inside out.
JOANN: Absolutely.
KARA: And there was an article, I started at Nutritional Weight & Wellness a very long time ago, and so this article was very old, but I do remember it was about giving your body an oil change and, you know, taking out the bad oils and incorporating these good healthy oils. And that will show externally in our skin.
JOANN: It will definitely. Yeah. I remember that article. It was a very important article. So supplements that I find very hydrating and healing in addition to eating all of the great natural fats are vitamin D, GLA, which is gamma linolenic acid, cod liver oil, vitamin D 3 to be specific, omega-3, and Key Collagen. And that's kind of a new one for us at Nutritional Weight & Wellness. We've had it around for over a year, but a while. But Key Collagen is so helpful for skin, but also for joints and bones. I try to use one to two scoops of Key Collagen every day to keep my skin and joints healthy. So something to keep in our minds is whatever you put inside your body is going to show up on the outside.
KARA: That's so true. Now I have a quick question for you. What are three things that age your skin very fast? All right, well, since we're coming to the end of show, I'm just going have to tell you. If you guessed alcohol, smoking, and sugar, then you've got the correct answer. Those are three of the top things that are going to age skin very quickly.
JOANN: And I would add to that dehydration, cause so many people don't get enough water.
KARA: Yes. And you had mentioned 8 to 10 glasses of water. Or half of your body weight in water is another way to calculate that.
JOANN: Yes. At least. Half your body weight is even more ideal.
KARA: And so just kind of recapping our show today and what things that we want to be avoiding for good hormonal health as people go into perimenopause and menopause: just really avoiding the sugars, alcohol. Getting enough sleep and we'll talk more about that next week.
JOANN: We will!
KARA: Our goal at Nutritional Weight & Wellness is to help each and every person experience better health through eating real food. It's a simple, but a very powerful message. Eating real food is life changing. So thanks everyone for listening. Have a safe and a healthy day.
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