A July 4th reset for metabolism and weight loss

Freedom is not just a political idea, it’s also the ability to move through your day with energy, confidence, and choices that are not dictated by symptoms or chronic disease. We connect America’s 250th anniversary theme of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” to a very current women’s health reality: the obesity epidemic and the frustration many midlife women feel when weight changes collide with hot flashes, sleep loss, and brain fog.

We break down common myths around menopause and weight, including the claim that menopausal hormone therapy causes obesity, and we explain what the research actually shows. Then we step into the fast-changing world of weight loss medications, from older drugs that were removed from the market to today’s GLP-1 and GIP agents. 

Then we zoom out to something many people underestimate: social connection as a true health intervention. Social Wellness Month is a reminder that loneliness can harm health in ways that resemble other major risk factors. We share practical ways to build deeper relationships, volunteer, use technology wisely, and create summer traditions that strengthen community. You’ll also get healthier July 4th menu ideas, simple recipe inspiration, and summer safety reminders from hydration to fireworks.

Follow the show so you do not miss what’s next, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review to help more women find evidence-based health guidance.

Transcript

Independence Day And Health Freedom

Dr. \ 0:17

Welcome to a special American Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary Speaking of Women's Health podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Holly Thacker, and I am back in our Sunflower House for a reprise and a special edition. Happy Fourth of July. Happy birthday, America. This is our 250th anniversary. And today, actually, this whole month, this whole year, we are celebrating our most cherished American document, the Declaration of Independence. I wonder if our founders would have thought that we would be uh enjoying Leonard Skinner's uh free bird. So today I'm wearing my uh America Bald Eagle, 250th years of American Freedom. So the Declaration of Independence, as Thomas Jefferson penned this declaration, where he wrote that certain truths were asserted, that all people are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When we formed our great republic, we were hardworking,

Obesity Trends And Menopause Myths

Dr. \ 1:45

independent people who worked the land by and large and had normal body mass indexes. Unfortunately, though, the modern epidemic of obesity is threatening our collective life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Although this year in 2026 was the first time that marked a 2.5% reduction in obesity. And there continues to be new therapeutic options on weight loss approved by the FDA. And uh several, though, have been removed from the market. And weight concerns really are the number one concern of most American women, especially midlife women. And there are so many myths, uh, including that menopausal hormone therapy uh increases obesity. No, the randomized control trials show that all women gain weight with age, but women on hormone therapy tend to be leaner. And if your menopausal symptoms are being treated and you're not having hot flashes and trouble sleeping, and night sweats and brain fog and joint pain, uh, it's a little bit easier to focus on the hard work of eating right and exercising and getting enough sleep. So when I penned this column, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, on our speaking ofwomen's health.com site back in July of 2020, there was a new obesity drug called Lorcasin that affected the brain's appetite suppressant. But it was pulled off the market based on an increased cancer risk. It was pulled off the market not long after it hit the market. And there's been a lot of weight loss drugs that have been pulled off the market, like sulbutramine, meridia, uh, dexphenfloramine, redux. Now, one prescription medicine which is now over the counter, which hit the market in 1999, Xenacal, uh generic name Orlostat, was an intestinal fat blocker. Uh, and it's available over the counter as ally. And um sometimes I would recommend people to try this just to give them an idea if they were ingesting too many fat grams. However, a lot of people actually get appetite reduction by eating a higher fat, higher protein, low-carb diet and going into ketosis, where your body is not burning sugar, but it's burning ketones. And there's a lot of interest amongst intermittent fasting and uh getting into ketosis for brain clarity, increasing cellular apoptosis, and also in starving cancers of sugar supply. So uh we're generally at speaking of women's health always in that quest to uh give our listeners, our readers, our followers, whether you get our Speaking of Women's Health newsletter, which you can sign up for for free on speaking of women's health.com. You could follow us on this podcast for free. Anywhere you listen to podcasts, just hit follow or subscribe or collect. Uh whether you like to see our clips on Facebook or Instagram or LinkedIn or our post on X. Uh, we're all over all the social media channels trying to get you uh unbiased information to empower you to be strong, be healthy, and be in charge. And this fight against obesity is really a tough problem. Um, but just think about our American Revolutionary War. That was no picnic, and the odds were so much stacked against us. And so, really, our individual and our family's health, wealth, and legacy is certainly worth fighting for. So, as we celebrate America's birthday and celebrate renewal, I think it's a good time to pledge to eat healthy, whole foods, nutritious foods. Anytime there's a long list of things you can't pronounce, it's probably not good for you. Daily exercise, and the older you get focusing on weight-bearing, weight lifting, muscle-building activities. Exercise, though, is really good for maintenance of weight. It's not particularly by itself going to be enough to help you lose weight. It's good to know your BMI. There's a lot of pitfalls.

Past Weight Loss Drugs And Ketosis

Dr. \ 6:30

Uh, you can be skinny fat and have a uh normal BMI, but too much visceral body fat. Conversely, you can be incredibly athletic with strong bones, lots of muscle mass, and a low body fat and a good metabolic profile, and have a higher BMI. But it's good to be able to track your data. I'm always asking my patients to uh bring in their supplements, their medicines, to bring in their blood pressure cuff, to bring in logs of their data, their labs, things that they're tracking for their health. Now, we do have many injectable agents, um, the GLP and GIP agents. And they are very effective medicines. Um, but you have to remember they don't have the track record that healthy eating and exercise have. And there are some new therapies, uh, including a new oral medicine. And um, I was discussing this at one of uh the podcasts that I taped with one of our functional medicine experts when we were going all over peptides, which are the rage. I was interviewing uh Dr. Layeth Tuma, and we were musing over the fact that just leave it to the drug companies to come up with the uh oral FDA first approved oral GLP1 weight loss uh pill called fun deo. Like it's a fun day. Well, I would like you to have a fun day on July 4th, spending time with your family, maybe sharing a healthy American summer picnic or a meal and getting outside and enjoying the great outdoors uh with your loved ones on this joyous patriotic day. But it is nice to know that for those folks who have some serious medical problems, who have been working on diet and exercise and have improved their sleep, fixed their hormones, focused on healthy nutrition, correcting vitamin deficiencies, getting the seed oils out of your diet, because that really promulgates obesity and metabolic fatty liver disease, which is really out an epidemic. And even if you don't drink any alcohol, it can lead to cirrhosis. And I've seen women in my practice who've required liver transplants because their fatty liver caused scarring. So this is really serious. This is more than just not being comfortable with how you fit into your summer bathing suit. So this Fundeo, which the uh brand uh uh generic uh name, fundeo is the brand name. The generic is or forglipron. So it's a once-daily oral GLP1 weight loss pill, and it's um by Eli Lilly, where a lot of patients will get Zapbound uh or Mongero, which is uh generic trusepatide, online directly from e uh Lily Direct Self-Pay uh at a much lower cost because these medicines are generally very expensive. And uh, if you didn't catch our recent podcast uh in season four, which was an update on how to save money on medicine, that is a good one. And we add information to our website uh periodically when we find uh new websites and new options to help people save money. So uh this oral pill is potentially a little more convenient than something that requires an injection, and there's not any strict meal or water timing restrictions. It's a tablet form. Patients typically start on low doses and escalate it monthly if needed. And um the starting dose is 0.8 milligrams uh per day, and it can be increased to 2.5, 5.5, and all the way up to 17.2 based on tolerability. And uh, unlike other weight loss pills, it can be swallowed whole with or without food. And not that everyone can do intermittent fasting, but if you're an adult and fasting does not trigger migraine headache, you're not pregnant, you're not a growing child, then doing intermittent

GLP-1 Options And Safety Warnings

Dr. \ 11:10

fasting helps reduce the stress on your pancreas and your liver and your body constantly trying to uh deal with calories. And really, not all calories are equal. Um and certainly additives and substances in foods may affect how your body processes it, how your mitochondria, which are the energy uh burning organelles in your cells, affect it. In addition, uhything with a high sugar, high glycemic load is going to trigger more insulin, which is going to trigger more hunger. Now, any of these uh weight loss medications uh can cause serious problems. And uh fundao, like some of the other injectable uh GLP ones and GIPs, um, may cause cancer of the thyroid gland. So any lump, swelling, hoarseness, any trouble swallowing needs to be concerned, be evaluated. And in general, if you or your family member has had medullary thyroid cancer, uh MTC, these drugs are not usually at all recommended. And also it's recommended not to use this class of medicines if you have multiple endocrine neoplasiaus syndrome type 2, MEN2. In one of our prior podcasts, we um had a physician talk about uh the importance of lifestyle and exercise in terms of really maintaining muscle mass and how many patients on these drugs lose weight, but they lose an incredible amount of muscle, which helps your metabolism. You've heard of ozempic face and um different things related to people just dropping weight very quickly. Now, some people with metabolic fatty liver, with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, the increase in cancer risk related to obesity, there are serious problems, and um, many patients do need additional help. But I strongly suggest that you see someone with expertise in this area, not some fly-by-night online medi spa where they're mixing things up and you have no clue what you're getting. I've just seen so many disasters. And we have several endocrinologists that specialize in weight and metabolism that I am very fortunate to be able to refer my patients to. So getting back to our 250th uh summer celebration for our country, and I'm thinking of so many fun songs, born in the USA and Glad to be an American, um, and Leonard Skinnard's classic Free Bird. We have um many podcasts that we've done over the last four years that focus on summer fun, like the May 29th, 2023 Summer Health Tips. I just did one on June 17th of this year on ticks and alpha gal and Lyme disease, and how uh there is some hope on the horizon related to these serious tick-borne diseases. In June of 2024, uh I talked about how it's hot out there and it's important uh to focus on staying safe in the summer. I mean, heat stroke is a problem, especially for those of advanced age, really young or older uh patients. And then, of course, in the summer, when we tend to be wearing lighter, skimpier clothes, it's always a perennial favorite to listen uh to skincare secret tips for beautiful, healthy skin. We did a podcast on that on August 20th, 2025. And uh going over um summer tips and celebrating July 4th, we want to reprise our July of 2024 podcast. So without further ado, here goes, and I look forward to seeing you next time in the Sunflower House. Welcome to the Speaking of Women's Health podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Holly Thacker, and I am back in the Sunflower House for the month of July to start off with a new episode that includes celebrating Independence Day, July 4th. We just finished with Father's Day, and if you didn't hear my podcast on hair thinning and new treatment options for alopecia and androgenic hair thinning, and um that hair thinning is not just for dear old dad. At the time that I um recorded the podcast, I didn't have my hair extensions, and since I am not a hair person, I've never been able to grow my hair past about here, my shoulder length. I got extensions, not the permanent ones. Um, like several people I know, I don't have the time or the patience to do it, uh, but really ones that you can just slip on. I I first got them because my granddaughter, as you probably have heard me talk about, Artemis, just is so entranced with hair and she really wants to grow her hair long. The first podcast I ever did last year in season one was on iron, because you need good iron levels to grow hair. And so uh in the spring and early summer, I've taken her to some shows and some princess theaters where we've gotten dressed up and worn our tiaras. I think uh maybe you've seen some of our pictures on speaking of women's health, even from last year. So as we've moved on from Mother's Day and Father's Day, and now it is the 4th of July, Independence Day, happy birthday, the good US of A, red, white, and blue. We're also celebrating Social Wellness Month. Maybe you haven't heard about that. But I think celebrations of birthdays or uh momentous historic uh times, special events in families. Uh this kind of all goes hand in hand because a lot of these events we celebrate with friends and family and sometimes even co-workers. And on our speaking of women's health website, we have some great content. And Dr. Irina Todorov wrote a guest column for us on speaking of women's health.com that was titled Feeling Socially Connected is more important than you think. And certainly um we know that we humans are very social and even having pets uh can be helpful for your blood pressure and your health. Uh touching uh pre me newborn babies and giving them baby massage actually helps them grow. So it's really not surprising that a study that was uh published 14 years ago concluded that there's a 50% increased likelihood of survival for people that have strong social relationships. And the lack of human connection can actually be very harmful to your health, just like being uh overweight or obese medically, or cigarette smoking, or excessive alcohol consumption and lack of physical activity, the things that we're always harping on that we need to be strong and be healthy and be in charge. So, what does it mean to be socially connected? Well, you want to feel close to others and share bonds. It involves feeling cared for or feeling loved or valued. I can tell you that when I am with my granddaughters and doing something maybe as simple as just helping them wash their hands after going potty to have this little one look up at me and say, Mimi, you're just the best. I love you so much. It just has this whole outpouring of all these good neurotransmitters. And I think when you can connect with someone, um, even a stranger, and have a social interaction or a discussion, and you can share a moment uh or feel like you're your true self. Uh having meaningful relationships is so valuable and so beneficial rather than just having very superficial uh acquaintances. Now, in general, I think women tend to nurture more um friendships, tend to be at the center of their families, planning social events. Um men um many times have a smaller circle of support, although that's not always true. Um, but I think that it's important to avoid loneliness. And now that we're four plus years finally of coming out of the you know pandemic and the lockdowns, uh, that was a terrible time. It was a terrible time for people's health,

Social Wellness And Longevity Data

Dr. \ 21:30

a terrible time to not gather, to be together, to mark occasions, whether they're joyous, like weddings or graduations or prompts, or celebrations of life and funerals, times when families and friends need to be together. And regardless of where you live, if it's um in a big city or a rural area, a suburban area. Whether you uh work at home or work outside of the home, whether you're married or single or separated, whether you work uh for yourself or a big company or a medium-sized company, really any of these situations, it's very important to get a deep connection. And I think having curiosity and the attitude of service is very important. Intention and action are key components of building meaningful relationships. And here are tips that Dr. Irina Tadorv gave us about deepening or strengthening relationships. Listen attentively without interruptions. I have to remind myself of this. I have so much I want to share all the time, and I have such a limited amount of time sometimes with patients, with coworkers, with friends, with family. And being fully present at the time of the conversation, like not trying to multitask like we women frequently do, answering emails, checking phone messages, listening to a podcast while still trying to have a conversation with someone. So right now you can put this podcast on pause if there is someone or something that needs your attention. That's the great thing about podcasts, right? You can stop, start, speed up, read the show notes, go back and listen. Um, and I think that's part of the reason why some podcasts are very popular, because it feels like you're right there connected with that person who's talking with you. But those in-person connections really have to be nurtured. And some of the best relationships grow out of shared relationships. So challenge yourself to try some new activities, maybe taking a cooking class, uh, joining an interest group, going to a book club at your local library, organizing some community event, or doing something at your place of worship, um, signing up for physical activities like a dance class or group exercise or hiking. And I think to diversify the group of people you meet on a regular basis can be important to not only associate with people like yourself or similar age or similar interests, having a wide variety of uh exposures to people with different perspectives and different backgrounds, different ages. I think the older one gets, the more you have to develop some younger friendships. Uh, one of the reasons I enjoy golf so much is you can do it with a wide variety of skill levels and age ranges and both sexes. Uh, in fact, one of my friends who you have met uh on an earlier podcast in season one, uh attorney Ava Solnier, I met on the golf course. And I remember introducing her to my uh older sons who also like to golf. And I said, Oh, this is my my new friend, Ava. And my middle son Emerson's like, she can't be your friend, mother. She's a millennial, she is too young to be your friend. And I have always had friendships of a variety of ages. And I think the older one gets uh and the more socially adept one gets, the more likely this is uh to be successful. Some people like to volunteer for a cause that they believe in. In a four-year study, participants who volunteered a hundred or more hours per year versus zero hours per year, had a reduced risk of mortality, i.e., longer lifespan. And being in the anti-aging field, I'm always looking to improve both the quality and the length of life. And I encouraged all of my children, even during their busy high school years with school and sports and commitments, to volunteer. And my husband and I were particularly proud when they won awards for guess what, more than a hundred hours of volunteer work. And it's important to um note that people that volunteer and show gratitude have higher scores for physical activity, positive affect, optimism, and a purpose in life, and much lower scores of depression, hopelessness, loneliness, and physical function limitations. Our guest podcaster Sylvia Morrison, who you've heard from, um, on tips to get the your medical appointments to tips to planning for and enjoying your retirement, to staying physically and mentally active, has always volunteered. Even when she was a busy mother and working full-time, she still volunteered. She volunteers regularly in her retirement. You've heard from Nurse Lily, who is retired, and we've had her on the podcast talking about retirement. She also has been a volunteer person and has done things to help people out and her family and her friends uh to keep pursuing that uh feeling of participation and love and value. Using technology for your advantage, not disadvantage. This is something I think we need to actively teach people at all ages. So don't allow physical distance to prevent you from keeping up meaningful connections that you already have. And so here are some ways that Dr. Irina Todorov has connected with family and friends who live all over the world. She uses video platforms like Skype and FaceTime or What's Up. You can have dinner together with a topic discussion. Um, I remember setting up Zoom meetings with girlfriends around the country to share information during the pandemic about the latest medical advances and to socialize and even have Zoom happy hours. Now, I think in person is much better. And one of the things that my husband uh muses about that he thinks that was really bad about the pandemic is people got so used to being remote and using uh technology that a lot of the business networking and social community engagement has dropped off. So, some other activities is um, you know, planning time to cook or bake with a family member or friend, um, including relatives and neighbors, and maybe other people who don't have as much opportunity to socialize to come to different events like your Fourth of July celebration or a birthday party or some other time of celebration. Um, socializing, playing cards, chess, my middle son Emerson's favorite game, chess. Uh, even simple checkers or playing Uno uh with some of the neighborhood children, helping to volunteer uh at school or with task or homework. That's one of the things that our guest podcaster Sylvia does. She helps in Florida uh volunteer and help out with reading with third graders. She volunteers for the Site Center, and she does uh mentoring, free mentoring uh to young people looking to launch or change careers or obtain a new position. So as you're starting to make your plans uh for celebrating America's birthday, Independence Day, and you gather with friends and family and perhaps neighbors, celebrating our nation's independence with fun, uh, food, and we'll go over some fun recipes too, and perhaps some sparklers or fireworks. Um think about the importance of maintaining these social connections. And so, even though some of the cookouts for holidays tend to lean a little bit more on the less healthy side, uh, we still like to try to emphasize making the the most nutritious and eye-appealing food as possible with a little bit of a healthy kick. And with just a few slight adjustments, um, you can have a very healthy and very delicious picnic or barbecue. And you are listening to the Speaking of Women's Health podcast with your host, Dr. Holly Thacker, the uh director, executive director of Speaking of Women's Health. And we are talking

Building Real Bonds With Intention

Dr. \ 31:50

all things Independence Day, July 4th, summer fun, and the month that celebrates and focuses on social connections and social wellness month because our ability to be social and to care about others and interact with others and share experiences and activities and emotions with others really does improve our physical health and our longevity. So planning ahead is always important. If you're gonna host a get together, it's a good idea to put together that menu. And it doesn't have to be formal, um, but trying to pay attention to maybe using some red, white, and blue fruits, vegetables, making sure you've got good protein, lean meats, whole grains, avoiding the seed oils and gratuitous sugar is so important. And we do have a lot of fun, wonderful, and healthy recipes on speakingofwomen's health.com. Red Velvet Berry Trifle. Um, with just a few little mixes, you can make a stupendous trifle layered red velvet cake with some pudding and berries and whip topping to make a great dessert. And this recipe comes from Holly Clegg's Trim and Terrific Eating Well to Fight Arthritis Cookbook. And it starts out with some red velvet cake mix and two eggs. The kind of eggs I like to get are the eggs uh with omega-3 because omega-3s are anti-inflammatory. It includes a half a cup of olive oil and one and a third cup of water with some reduced fat cream cheese, about three ounces, three ounces of skim milk. I tend to buy um the Fair Life brand because it has a long shelf life and no lactose, because I have lactose intolerant people in my family. And two boxes, which are four servings each, of instant white chocolate pudding and pie filling, a quarter of a cup of orange juice, some sliced strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, and an eight-ounce container of non-fat frozen whipped topping thawed. And so you preheat the oven to 350 degrees, you coat two nine-inch round cake pans with that nonstick olive oil cooking spray, and in the mixing bowl you put the cake mix, the oil, the eggs, the water, and blend. And then you pour the batter into prepared pans and you bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees just until that little toothpick comes out clean. Meanwhile, in a bowl you can mix the cream cheese and milk, and then use the remaining milk and both boxes of pudding. And then in a trifle bowl or a large glass bowl, lower the layer the cake, two tablespoons of orange juice, half the pudding and berries, and whipped topping, and then repeat the layers, ending with the whipped topping. And the nutritional components per serving is 182 calories, 28% fat, uh, six grams of fat with two grams saturated, cholesterol 18 milligrams, sodium 275 milligrams, a gram of dietary fiber, 30 grams of carbohydrates, of which 19 grams are sugar, and it's three grams of protein, and the diabetic exchange is one fat and two carbohydrates. The next recipe that you might want to consider for your Independence Day celebration is grilled kebabs. Because what is the 4th of July without a backyard grill? And what's better than healthy kebabs? With vegetables fresh from your market or your own garden, you can have fun substituting mango and pineapple and tomatoes. You can try pork or lamb or even chicken or any of your favorite meats. I particularly like the grass-fed tenderloin, beef tenderloin, or grilling steaks. And they tend to be a little bit thinner, so I think they're easier to cut. I like to use all sorts of colorful vegetables. And I like to make my own marinade, um, but you could do store store-bot, but I would try to recommend avoiding those with seed oils. Cooking spray. Um, I think red onions are very colorful and healthy. My husband loves mushrooms, and mushrooms are very healthy for you. Um, but somehow they just are too slippery in my mouth, and they're a fungus among us, among us. So I tend to um still include them, and um, they're easy enough to just take away from the side. I do like truffles though. Brightly colored peppers, summer squash and zucchini are good things to grill, and using those grape, cherry, or yellow tomatoes. So part of the preparation is to cut the meat into one-ounce chunks, cut the vegetables into large pieces, and then marinate your vegetables separate than the meat, and you soak your wooden skewers in water to keep them from burning. That's a very important tip. And you alternate your meat with your veggies and you spray with some uh oil on the grill, and you grill until the meat is cooked thoroughly, rotating the position at least one time on the grill. If you're going to use those cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, just add those like a minute before the kebabs are finished cooking. And each recipe makes about three servings. And the nutritional analysis is about 368 uh or I'm sorry, 268 calories, 28 grams of protein, and 15 grams of carbs with nine grams of fat, three are saturated. And the fat and cholesterol and calorie count does vary a bit depending on the cut of beef that you choose. But beef is very nutritional, high in protein, many minerals, zinc and iron. So here are some fun uh variations on the traditional burger. And my favorite to do in July is the blueberry burger. There's also we have a salmon burger recipe because some of our uh readers and listeners avoid meat and still want a burger with salmon. And the blueberry burger recipe is from the late Florence Henderson, who shared it with our Speaking of Women's Health team many years ago when she was the National Honorary Chairperson and co-host of Lifetime Speaking of Women's Health. Both of these recipes are on our uh website, speaking of women's health.com. If you don't have that bookmarked on your phone or your computer or iPad, please do that. Um and we also have another great recipe that I think is a lot of fun for the summer. It's a fresh corn salad, and uh it's really great with crunchy, cool cucumbers, Artemis' favorite, and ripe, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado. Avocado is full of heart healthy fat and corn. And it's a nutrition-loaded side dish, and it's quite festive, and you can add it to any meal. Um, and the easy corn salad recipes can be a meal unto themselves, or you can use it as a condiment or as a salsa. The fresh corn salsa recipe comes from Holly Clegg's Guy's Guide to Eating Well Cooked

Healthy July 4 Recipes And Menus

Dr. \ 40:30

Book. And it was one of her favorite summer easy corn salad recipes. And if you only eat corn on the cob and don't use it in recipes, you're missing out. There's nothing like fresh corn on the cob in the summer. And I think it's kind of not the 4th of July, at least for myself, if I'm not having a barbecue, corn on the cob, and some fresh watermelon. Uh, and maybe um starting off the day or having as a dessert strawberries and blueberries and a little whipped cream to make a red, white, and blue uh dessert or side. So there's not too much to taking grilled corn on the cob and just simply uh taking a sharp knife and cutting off the corn using a sharp or serrated knife uh lengthwise. And there are also other, you know, specific gadgets that can be used. So the crunchy fruity uh coleslaw is another fun summer recipe. So you pick up a bag of shredded cabbage if you want to have more effortless preparation, or you can shred the cabbage yourself, like sometimes I do. It's a vibrant colored salad with a mixture of sweet and savory ingredients in a sweet balsamic vinaigrette. Uh, it's another recipe from the late great Holly Clegg, and these recipes and links to her recipe books are on speaking of women'shealth.com. I mentioned watermelon side dishes. Who does not love fresh, juicy watermelons in the summer? It's kind of quintessential summer, isn't it? Although Artemis tells me that orange cream sickles are quintessential summer. She started saying that when she was two. So uh Holly Clegg has shared um some fun watermelon recipes that we have on our website. One is watermelon tomato salad. There's also a watermelon feta cheese salsa and a watermelon cantaloupe uh salad. I sometimes like to mix corn and watermelon and pickled jalapenos and black beans to make a fun summer salsa. I also love uh putting fresh basil with watermelon and feta cheese. And I'm trying to experiment with using a big watermelon and cutting it out in a design like a basket, or you can do it bunny rabbit ears at Easter time to use the watermelon rind itself uh as your serving bowl. But I think sometimes in the summer you don't need to do something too fancy, you just need cool, refreshing, fun outdoor picnic uh foods. So, some other health tips. In addition to eating healthy on this important, very important, it's one of my Favorite, if not my favorite holidays, Independence Day. I am just so proud and patriotic to be an American. Um it's important to not forget some other health tips besides just eating well and also socializing, because this is social wellness month. Really make a concerted effort to reach out to loved ones, to some older people that might be shut in, and just plan to um expand your horizon. Now I know sometimes it can be too much if your social circle is so large that it's hard to keep up with everyone. Um, but it is important to have meaningful social connections. So the other summer health tips stay hydrated, especially when it's hot out. It's very important to have plenty of cold water throughout the day. And if you end up squeezing in a workout before the festivities, you probably won't feel quite as guilty if you have a couple of extra um fun taste of side dishes. And what I like to do is just get a little bit of a taste of what is out, particularly if you have potlucks or if everybody gets together for the summer holiday. I know our Center for Specialized Women's Health uh likes to get together and um get all the kids and grandkids together and get to see our co-workers, significant others, and people can bring their dog to the park, and we get to kind of see that whole social uh connection. So I think trying just a little bit um is a good thing. And if there's one dish that you really like, you can get the recipe. Um, maybe you might go back for seconds, but as I always say, try to wait about 20 minutes after eating to see if you're really hungry, and you can always bring

Summer Safety From Sun To Fireworks

Dr. \ 46:10

some of it home. I usually bring uh little containers so that if someone really liked one of the dishes, they can take some of it home. They don't have to feel compelled to eat it there. And the same thing when going out to eat. You should always have a doggy bag, even if you don't have a dog. And those make great lunches for me the next day at work. Um, but if you are going to exercise in the middle of the dog days of summer, you might have to change where you exercise and avoid the peak heat and humidity. And sometimes that heat makes us a little bit more sluggish, and you don't want to get lazy. You want to stick to your routine. The sun is particularly potent. Um, if you haven't listened to my prior podcast on different sunscreens and blocking out the rays and uh wearing hats and umbrellas. Swimming is so much fun. I just love to swim at uh the Shorby Club that I'm a member of, which is right on the shores of beautiful Lake Erie. It's very important, though, to never swim alone and always be watchful of younger ones. And it's so important to start swimming lessons at a young age because unfortunately, a not uncommon cause of tragic death in young ones is from um drowning. Insect repellent, uh, particularly at dusk and dawn when the bugs start uh biting. And it's better to spray your clothes rather than your skin if you're using permethrin. And there are some sprays that are appropriate for younger children. And very importantly, on this 4th of July, let the experts handle the fireworks because 75% of all firework-related injuries in the United States happen during the month around July 4th, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. So I hope you and your friends and your loved ones have a very exciting and fun Independence Day celebration. Thanks so much for joining me in the Sunflower House on this episode of Speaking of Women's Health. And if you have a question or a topic that you would like to hear, go to speakingandwomen's health.com and complete our contact us form on the about link. And you just might hear your topic or question on the next episode. And share the podcast if you and if you don't already subscribe, hit that follow button so you don't miss a future episode. And you can listen to us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can see us and see the podcast on Rumble Channel and YouTube. And don't forget to give us a five star rating. Have a wonderful Independence Day, and cherish the time you have with your friends and family. Remember, be strong, be healthy, and be in charge.