Let's Talk Midlife Crisis Podcast
Hosts Ashley & Traci are creating a community and empowering women going thru midlife and aging, exploring the topic of midlife crisis an all its complexities. This is a space where we can come together to share our stories, our experiences, and our perspectives on this pivotal moment in our lives.
Whether you're going through a midlife crisis yourself, going through menopause, dating in midlife or just interested in learning more about this fascinating topic, we invite you to join us for insightful conversations with experts, personal stories from real people, and practical advice on how to navigate this challenging time.
Our goal is to create a community where we can support each other through the ups and downs of midlife, and help each other find meaning, purpose and fulfillment in the second half of our lives.
So buckle up and get ready for an engaging and thought-provoking journey into the world of midlife crisis. We can't wait to share this adventure with you!
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Let's Talk Midlife Crisis Podcast
7 Wellness Pillars For Your Best Menopause
Ever wonder how to keep your sanity while your body undergoes the wild ride of menopause? Tune in to our latest episode where we promise you'll unlock the secrets to navigating this crucial life phase with grace. We're sharing real stories—like how late-night cravings for chocolate and soda have challenged our nutritional goals. We’ll talk about the realities of fluctuating energy levels and the struggle of staying motivated to exercise while making you giggle with our own misadventures in healthy living. From the pitfalls of digestive issues with certain veggies to the vital role of hydration, sleep, and stress management, we cover it all with an honest and lighthearted approach.
But that’s not all! We dive into the world of sleep aids and supplements, discussing trending options like CBD products and the importance of getting professional advice when it comes to choosing what’s right for you. We'll also explore how mindfulness practices, like meditation and walks, can help keep you grounded amidst the chaos of daily life. Lastly, we highlight the power of community support during midlife transitions, encouraging you to embrace change and connect with others. Join us as we navigate this journey together, finding laughter, healing, and connection along the way.
Source:
https://www.meno-me.com/seven-wellness-pillars-for-your-best-menopause/?srsltid=AfmBOoraQEslmREAofVkTB-zKtj8RURRwvwAVJvvyGaVI_MlxixwUoCa
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Hello and welcome to let's Talk Midlife Crisis with your hosts, Ashley and Tracy. Pull up a chair for your seat at the table as we talk about seven wellness pillars for your best menopause. Ooh, okay, I know I think this is very exciting and hopefully helpful to some. But, and I think that when we talk about menopause, it all seems to circle back to the same kind of remedies and symptoms and remedies and things like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, kind of remedies and symptoms and remedies and things like that. But I definitely think that there's some things here that these are, you know, pillars, yeah, absolutely, and I, you know, I honestly feel like these are probably all things that we should really focus on throughout our lives, regardless of what stage you're in, and obviously you know, we all know, one of them is going to be exercise, and I was thinking about that, and nutrition.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and I was thinking about you know when I was younger, I was so much better at getting to the gym and eating healthier and staying on track with all that, but I had so much more energy and it just it seemed so easy to do it all and and I had young kids. Like now it's like what's my excuse? I don't even have young kids to take care of anymore, but it's just finding the energy and the motivation. Truly so, and I think doing these things will give you that motivation and energy. It's just a matter of getting started and staying consistent with it.
Speaker 1:Yes, a hundred percent. That's my problem is staying consistent, exactly and getting the motivation to even start. Yeah, exactly it's not funny, but it's true. It's true Do what I say, not what I do.
Speaker 2:Right. Oh my gosh, I'm the worst.
Speaker 1:Me too, me too yeah, so number one, of course nutrition and hydration.
Speaker 2:It says to eat the rainbow, I know.
Speaker 1:That's interesting.
Speaker 2:Which I know you don't like vegetables.
Speaker 1:So that's hard for you, I love them. I know my grandkids were asking me recently Nana, what vegetables do you like?
Speaker 2:And were asking me recently um nana, what vegetables do you like?
Speaker 1:and I'm like corn the one that does absolutely nothing for you. And they were naming other vegetables. I'm like nope. And I said the only one I like is yellow. And they both just looked at me and I was like it's really just corn guys, and they were just trying to eat healthier right, so it's funny and then they come to my house. It's like nana has no healthy food, yeah, yeah I mean some things are good and healthy and homemade, but you know I don't do the vegetable thing, I don't um.
Speaker 2:I do take a lot of supplements though that help provide those types of things nutrients and I'm sure I can't be the only person out there that doesn't eat vegetables I think there's a lot of people that don't like them, um, I think it's just a matter of trying new things, um, and finding ways to prepare them. If you don't like raw vegetables or you don't like you know yeah there's different ways to prepare them um, yeah, my, oh.
Speaker 1:Bless her heart and rest her soul. She used to make this broccoli casserole type of thing but it had Velveeta cheese in there and like cracker crumbs, all kinds of stuff. But she would make it specifically for me because she knew I liked it and that I didn't like anything else.
Speaker 2:That was the only way you were going to eat broccoli. I was such a picky eater.
Speaker 1:I still am. Like anything else, that was the only way you were going to eat broccoli. I was such a picky eater. I still am a picky eater, and I think because I've been healthy, knock on wood, and I haven't had any issues with my weight. So nutrition never had to be top of mind. Right, never had to be top of mind.
Speaker 1:I think, I've told you before about my chocolate late at night situation. Last night I woke up. I thought I hadn't fallen asleep yet. It was one of those, but I apparently I woke up. It was like midnight and I went to bed at like nine, so I must've fallen asleep and I went to the refrigerator, I poured the glass of Dr Pepper and I went in the freezer, because it's Halloween was just a couple of days ago and I buy this kind of candy that I like, so I stuck a bunch of reese's peanut butter cups in the freezer and I ripped it open and I was like I mean, you should have me on video.
Speaker 1:I was like, oh, and then chasing it down with soda who does that? And then I stumble back in the bedroom and crawl in bed and go back to sleep well, you are kind of a freak of nature. You don't never gain weight, never well, I wouldn't say never, but you're right, I never had to worry about my weight and I have the worst.
Speaker 1:Um, you know eating habits, but I think one of the things that they're saying here is with healthy nutrition. Um, there's a lot of gut health that is related to that, and one of the things that helps with good gut health or nutrition is to sleep well.
Speaker 2:So isn't that funny. That's right up there.
Speaker 1:Like number two, it says it reduces stress.
Speaker 2:sleep well, of course, keeping hydrated and chewing food Well yeah, they say not to eat too fast because it can. And going back to vegetables, too, you want to be careful about what vegetables you're eating, because a lot of them can create gases in your gut, which creates bloating, and so you do want to be cautious of everybody.
Speaker 2:Everybody's body reacts differently, obviously, but gut health is huge for me. I have really kind of always had issues off and on as far as bloating and discomfort and irregularity, but I also think that a lot of it is stress related and you know that was one of the things that said on there keep your stress low to help your gut. But I do think a lot of mine was stress related and I also, you know, as I've mentioned before, I'm allergic to a lot of things, so there's probably some food allergy in there that you know I'm'm eating stuff dairy right 10 steps that my stomach, um, I'm allergic to bananas and avocados and honeydew and oh my god, but I eat them all still, because I love them so and I don't have a crazy reaction, okay, so I get some of them, even like certain nuts not all nuts I my gums will itch and I will notice some inflammation, some bloating.
Speaker 1:But you're not swelling up and all of that stuff.
Speaker 2:No, it's never anything too crazy, but clearly some kind of allergic reaction. So yeah, those are things really to just be aware of. But gut health, I think, is huge because it affects so much and sometimes I think people don't realize how much it's affecting their mood or their mental state when things aren't just right in your gut, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, very true, very true. And it also says to embrace fermented foods like pickled ginger, sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar, things like that. So I think that that's kind of interesting, I love ginger flavored things.
Speaker 2:I don't, I don't really care for ginger itself. Um, and I love I don't know if you've ever had kimchi, but it's no but that's basically fermented cabbage. Yeah, oh yeah, so good, okay.
Speaker 1:No, I'm all I'm thinking brussels sprouts, going back to my childhood. It's like that was the worst time for me was at the dinner table, sitting there, being so stubborn, um. And then, of course, water, water, water, water, um. It's funny I drink more water in the winter than I do in the summertime, when it's so hot here you would think that you drink more water in the summer, but in the winter than I do in the summertime, when it's so hot here you would think that you drink more water in the summer, but in the winter it's just the dryness, I think. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was just complaining last night at how dry my hands are right now. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Terrible. Okay, and then number two. Number two on the list is movement exercise cardiovascular Resistance, flexibility, balance Exercise cardiovascular resistance flexibility balance.
Speaker 1:Balance is a good one. I'm finding myself unbalanced quite honestly. Seriously, since my bike I haven't been back on the bike. I got to get back up on the bike. Look, these are the jeans I wore when I crashed. I got a hole in the knee. I got a skin to knee. It was hilarious. But since then I feel a little. I can feel it Equilibrium, yeah, like stepping and making sure that my footing is there.
Speaker 2:Well, we were just talking too, about allergies and that can cause your equilibrium. If you have any inflammation in your sinus cavity, your ear canal, that can cause that as well. We get terrible allergies here in Arizona.
Speaker 1:We do, which is funny because you wouldn't think so, but I think all of we're such a melting pot of people coming here from other places and then they bring their shrubberies and their trees and things that they liked back wherever they're from, and so now we have it used to be the place to move if you had allergies, exactly Now it Quite the opposite Right.
Speaker 2:But I think I've mentioned before. I mean, when I was younger I did a lot of different things as far as you know CrossFit, weight training, things like that and now it's just too much for me. I can't really do that stuff anymore. Um, but I do make make it a point every morning to stretch. So, like I said, flexibility. I think that really helps with my arthritis, my tendonitis, and I just I feel more limber and not so tense.
Speaker 1:I try to before I even get out of bed, right like just stretching your arms and your legs and down to your toes, and just right, trying to do that before I even get out of bed. You, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I think that helps a lot, so it doesn't have to be an intense workout, right.
Speaker 1:Just move, move, move, move, move. And then, of course, sleep is number three, which we've talked about before. We're going to talk about again because we have some products on order that we want to try and provide our feedback for you on. There on order that we want to try and provide our feedback for you on, there are square patches that I see all over TikTok that supposedly you just put it on and you pass right out. So if you've seen them, order them and give us your feedback. But we will be doing a separate episode on sleep and on different products, because we're sampling a bunch of different things and some of the things already that I've sampled I like, but and always still for her Emily, one of our guests, who has the CBD products and the THC menopause gummies that have THC in them and some that don't, and they have other ingredients. Those worked very well, those did work very well, and she's always doing specials, so love to plug her. So, um, but sleep, of course you know it contributes to a lot of different things, you know.
Speaker 1:Alertness- everything that I suffer from which is funny because I feel like I sleep well. A lack of alertness, loss of energy Concentration, Brain fog Like it's so bad Loss of libido. I always thought that was just an excuse. I'm too tired. You're never too tired. Forgetfulness, and what's scary, here's one high blood pressure, oh yeah that's actually interesting um very scary um depression.
Speaker 2:Yeah I can see that um irritability, um premature aging.
Speaker 1:They've always said that right like get enough sleep beauty rest.
Speaker 2:Beauty rest yes drink water.
Speaker 1:um, oh, here's an interesting one. Increased likelihood of car accidents, oh, absolutely.
Speaker 2:I know, but it's not. I actually know a few people who have gotten into accidents because they were dozing off at the wheel. Yeah, that's true and, like you said, your alertness, you know it affects that. So you're not able to react as quickly as you normally would.
Speaker 1:But you're right. So you're not able to react as quickly as you normally would, but you're right, I actually guess. I would believe that statistics show that being tired and sleeping at the wheel is one of the causes for many, most of the accidents that happen automobile accidents.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, let's see the next one Appropriate supplementation, so any supplements, and there's a lot out there and people have mixed reviews on this because it's not really regulated by the FDA like prescription drugs are. So there's a lot of different things you can take. I mean, if you go into Sprouts and look at the vitamin section, it's just overwhelming.
Speaker 1:Or to try to Google something. Yeah, if you there's.
Speaker 2:Just it's a plethora, it's too much yeah, so consult your doctor, friends, um whoever you trust, um, before you take anything, and if you take something and notice something is off, then that could be what's causing the problem right um, but I just take, you know the basics, b12, yeah, I do my multi d2 plus k3. There's a women's 50 plus um multi that I take that has everything, including probiotics and other things, but it's all in one ginormous pill.
Speaker 1:But it's all in one, exactly, exactly. But I also think that you should sample things and if, if something doesn't work for you, don't give up, try something else, because there's so many options out there.
Speaker 2:Sometimes the multivitamins don't have enough of something that you need more of. Right right?
Speaker 1:Yep. And then number five is mindfulness. You know what is mindfulness? Why is it good for us?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm how I've been having a hard time with that one. It's hard for me to even concentrate, like we were talking about just sitting long enough at my desk to finish a task, let alone taking a moment to really be mindful, and you know whatever. You know whatever. A lot of people do different things. A lot of people like to meditate yeah, um, for some people it might just be taking a five or ten minute nap, just close your eyes for a minute.
Speaker 1:You know I've never been one of those people that can do that. I need like a full-on sleep. But they say it's, you know, being fully present at the moment, right, and I find it difficult to do that if I'm stressed about something, because my mind is reeling and I can't concentrate.
Speaker 2:I can't be calm.
Speaker 1:I can't focus and it's not always easy just to press pause, right? Yeah, I don't know, but it is number five and the pillars there. So, um, you know, take your mind off of autopilot. You know, permit yourself to let go of all the stress, worry, information running around in your head, which is what I struggled right we just started, like I know it's easier said than done um it's hard but, yeah, I think it is important to at least try to kind of do a reset so that you can go back to what you were doing.
Speaker 1:Um, and I have a hard time meditating. I don't do yoga. I've always wanted to try it but that's what that makes me think of right and it's like, okay, well, if I did that, that would probably help. But and enjoying the zen you know, I don't know um it's a bit something you can practice anywhere. Um walking is good, um I I still again I feel like I'm the worst yeah, I feel like I'm the worst.
Speaker 1:I need to practice what I preach. Now that our weather's cooled down, I don't have any excuses. I've got a hundred million things I want to do spring cleaning, clean out my dresser doors, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah. Right, but I also need to get out there. I need to, you know, even cleaning cleaning my garage out. We just talked about that. It's such a mess that at least I'm getting the movement in Right.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:And you're yes.
Speaker 2:And get on that bicycle.
Speaker 1:It's perfect weather right now to get on that bike.
Speaker 2:I do think I need to buy a helmet. Yes, please do Please do that Number six, pillar number six is. I love this one, Me too. Vitamin H I've never heard of it before.
Speaker 1:I was like vitamin H. I've never heard of this. It's humor.
Speaker 2:It's actually humor. Yes, it's like the best medicine. Yes, I mean, that's what they say Laughter is the best medicine. And it's true. Yes, you know. Get with your friends, watch a funny show.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, what is the funniest show that we've watched recently? Oh, gosh, what's it called bell um, nobody wants nobody wants this oh my gosh on netflix number one favorite okay I, as you know, I am not a rom-com person I'm not even really a comedy person I don't.
Speaker 2:I don't watch sitcoms, none of that. I could not stop watching that show. I watched it twice. I have literally laughing out loud through every episode.
Speaker 1:It's hilarious it is, and that's, I think, the belly laugh and the laughing out loud, and it doesn't matter who you are. I think it's attractive to all generations, but especially for us. I think we can totally get into that. Um, so definitely with your friends and talking and laughing, and you know I I do.
Speaker 2:When I watched that show I did kind of realize I don't really laugh enough. Yeah, me too so no, I think it's true. It's the best medicine.
Speaker 1:It just makes you feel good it does, it does, and what do they say. But exercise, too, creates endorphins, yes, right. So I think that laughing as well creates those endorphins that just make you feel good, I agree, make all the stress go away, for even if it's just a minute. So, yeah, you'll definitely have to check it out. Netflix. Nobody wants this, our number one recommendation series. I can't remember the last time I had a show make so engaging, like that and just make me laugh out loud.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, number seven community community I love my community.
Speaker 2:I do too. I'm so lucky to have the group that I have.
Speaker 1:I know me too, me too, um, but I do take it, for I don't. I don't want to say I take it for granted, but sometimes I do. Last night I didn't go, I just wasn't feeling it. Um, last night was a friday. Generally speaking, we go out on fr Friday and do happy hours, right. We had friends in town that I missed the last time they were in town and I was going to leave at four and at two o'clock I was just like I am not feeling it.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:I just wasn't feeling it, so I bailed on my community and everybody had a great time. I'm okay that I didn't go, but I feel better when I go. I often have to force myself to do something because I know once I get there I'm going to have a good time anyways.
Speaker 2:Right, it makes it worth it. It makes you realize okay, this is what I needed, yeah, yeah. But it's also okay to say no, sometimes it is sometimes you just need to be home and sit on the couch and go to bed early and watch nobody wants this yes, yes, oh my gosh, we have to.
Speaker 1:You have to watch that show. If you haven't seen it, you must watch it. But, yeah, we're so lucky to have each other and our friends in the community and, um, we're going to be talking to somebody coming up soon that doesn't have a community. That needs a community. So we're going to reach out to her and wrap our arms around her and, you know, identify what she's going through and just be there for her, just to listen. Sometimes I think that's really what it's about being heard, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think just knowing that you have, you know, someone that you can talk to, someone that's not going to judge you or you know and it's you know, you don't always need advice, sometimes you just need a soundboard.
Speaker 1:Exactly and I feel like I have that with my community.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I also do get great advice. Exactly, you know so and I feel like I have that with my community, but I also do get great advice.
Speaker 2:So right Well, and sometimes your partner just doesn't understand and isn't in the same place as you, or doesn't understand, or maybe at some point they did, but you know that was last year and by now they're kind of yeah, and I think too, sometimes with your partner, you don't want them to worry because, right, I think as partners you tend to kind of take on each other's problems or concerns or whatever it might be, and maybe it's something that you don't really, you know, want to share with them, because you don't want them to worry. You just need someone to talk to and get some advice or vent to right. Um, but anyway, yeah, community is it's just like laughter, it is the best medicine it is. I think it's the second best medicine.
Speaker 1:So what are the? What are pillars that you are you find most helpful? Let us know, drop us a note in any of our, on any of our social channels. And that just about wraps it up for today. Thank you for joining us on let's Talk. Midlife Crisis Embrace the change.
Speaker 2:Join the conversation on our website at letstalkmidlifecrisiscom, or our Facebook or Instagram and YouTube channels. We'd love to hear from you guys.
