#22: Getting Real Answers: Why Menopause Requires a Different Approach

Have you ever felt like your body changed overnight and no one could explain why?

Many women enter perimenopause and menopause expecting quick answers, only to discover that what worked in their 20s, 30s, and even early 40s no longer works. Weight gain, fatigue, sleep disruptions, mood changes, and brain fog often leave women searching for solutions.

In this episode, we explore why menopause requires a different approach and what it truly means to become the leader of your health.

Being a health leader does not mean becoming a medical expert. It means becoming an informed decision maker, asking better questions, and taking an active role in understanding and supporting your body.

We discuss four important qualities every health leader needs:

Patience

Menopause is not a sprint. Many women want immediate results after years of habits that may no longer serve their changing bodies.

In today's world, women are constantly being told that the answer is a supplement, pill, or injection. While medications and supplements may have a place, they are not a substitute for understanding what your body truly needs.

Lasting change requires patience, consistency, and a willingness to address root causes rather than chasing quick fixes.

Curiosity

Curiosity is one of the most powerful tools in your health journey.

Instead of accepting symptoms as your new normal, begin asking questions:

• Why am I tired all the time?

• Why am I gaining weight around my midsection?

• Why am I waking up at 3 a.m. every night?

• What is my body trying to tell me?

Your symptoms may be common, but they are still signals worth exploring.

Faith

When answers are not immediately available, faith helps us continue moving forward.

There are answers. Sometimes the journey requires trusting the process while continuing to seek wisdom and support.

Action

Knowledge alone does not create transformation.

Health leaders take action. They gather information, ask questions, seek appropriate support, and make consistent choices that align with their health goals.

Small actions practiced consistently often create the greatest results over time.

A Health Leader Knows Their Numbers

Just as successful organizations monitor key performance indicators, health leaders understand important health markers that provide insight into their overall well being.

These may include:

• Blood pressure

• Blood glucose

• Hemoglobin A1C

• Insulin

• Cholesterol

• Inflammation markers

• Vitamin D levels

• Cortisol

• Thyroid hormones

• Liver function

• Kidney function

Health leaders do not wait for a crisis before paying attention to these important indicators.

A Health Leader Takes Ownership

While genetics may influence risk, daily choices influence outcomes.

Taking ownership of your health means:

• Asking questions

• Seeking understanding

• Building healthy habits

• Advocating for yourself

• Working with qualified healthcare professionals

• Making informed decisions based on your unique needs

Your body is constantly communicating with you. The question is: Are you listening?

Key Takeaways

• Menopause requires a different approach than simply eating less and exercising more.

• Patience is essential for lasting results.

• Curiosity helps uncover the root causes behind symptoms.

• Faith provides strength during uncertain seasons.

• Action turns knowledge into transformation.

• Understanding your health markers empowers better decisions.

• You are your body's most important advocate.

Reflection Question

What is one area of your health where you need to become more curious instead of simply accepting symptoms as normal?

To learn more about our program visit our website at

https://www.happinessinyoucoach.com/menopause-elite-program/

Also, if you are a woman going through peri-menopause, menopause, or post menopause and would like to be a part of our mailing list to stay updated about programs, resources, and more, send a message to ksmith@happinessinyoucoach.com and type in the subject line, e-mail list.

Don’t forget to download and share this podcast with other woman. This allows woman that need support to find this podcast more easily.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome to menopause Breakthrough, the podcast for professional women who want to reclaim their clarity, energy, and balance while navigating perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopause. I'm your host, Katina Smith, your menopause and wellness coach, and I also am a certified functional nutrition practitioner where I use nutrition and lifestyle to support women in this stage of life. I know firsthand how challenging this season can be physically, mentally, and emotionally, and what it's like to feel stressed and maybe even a little burnt out. Here you'll find education, strategies, and encouragement to help you thrive at work, at home, and in life. So let's dive in. Hello, my friends. Um welcome back to the show. I'm so glad you made the decision to join me today. Um, because today we are going to really talk about getting answers to menopause in a way that might not be conventional. You probably haven't heard people talk about this much, but I say it all the time that you must become the leader of your health. And, you know, what does that really mean? Um, what is being the leader of your health all about? Well, we can think about it from the standpoint of what do leaders do? For example, they they take action and they take responsibility for their situation and circumstances, right? So I just really want to encourage you once again to be that leader of your health. Because being that leader of your health, it require, I would say it requires, it requires patience. Um, you're not necessarily going to get all the answers all at once. Some people will, you know, try something for a week or a day, and they're expecting to see results right away. Um, but the body takes time to heal. So you must remember that and curiosity, curiosity about really what's going on in there, what's going on inside of your body, um, asking questions, asking, you know, practitioners, you know, what does that mean if you don't understand? Um, making sure that you're clear on what you're being told about your own health. Also, it requires faith, faith in the fact that, you know, with God created us, He created the body to heal itself. And, you know, having that faith that you can be healed is also a part of that process. And as I stated, you know, action, taking action. If you want to get answers, it requires you taking those steps to figure out what it is that your body needs. Um, it's really about, I would say, taking that active role and really understanding, protecting, and also just improving just your overall well-being rather than just relying solely on others and what they're telling you. Um, you have to be at the forefront, you have to be um part of the journey, not just again depending on other people, you know, to give you all the answers, but again, going back to that curiosity, you know, really getting curious about, you know, what's happening along the journey. And it's not about being an expert, but it's really just about becoming an informed decision maker and advocating for your own body. So I just want to again encourage you to not give up on the journey as you are going through menopause. Um, I know firsthand that what it's like, and I share um a lot of what I've gone through because I want you to know that you are not alone in the journey. But if I if God healed me, then he will heal you as well if you have faith. Having faith, I would say, just the size of a mustard seed, you know? So again, just don't give up on that journey. And, you know, I'm finding more and more that so many women are just at their wits' end, they're just so frustrated with all of the symptoms that they are experiencing, and they're in a hurry, they're turning to supplements and drugs and pills, especially for things like you know, losing weight and so forth, um, without really understanding if their body is able to even handle that, if if there's other alternatives to just always going toward what society is doing or what's popular now at this time. And this is not to put anyone down because it's your body. You make a decision about what you're going to put in your body, but a lot of times there's side effects, there's things that we do to our bodies that can make our situation worse. And for me, it's very heartbreaking to see women doing things and putting things in their body, and then in the end, you know, they end up with a worse off situation as it relates to their health. And, you know, now so many companies are popping up all over now because they see it as an opportunity. And, you know, many women are vulnerable um in this space um because they're they've been struggling for so long. And so they want answers, they want solutions um right away. And I'm not saying that you shouldn't take supplements or drugs or anything like that, because there is a place for it. But the key is knowing when you really need to support your body, you know, with a supplement, or if a drug is the best alternative for you considering your current state of health. Um, when we do all these different things, um, you know, taking drugs and supplements without guidance, often it really just doesn't change the real problem. If we don't really get, or you don't really get to the root, I should say, of what's going on in the body or going on in your body. So, you know, often things just go back to the way they were, and that leaves people even more uh frustrated. So, you know, again, just really think about what is it that you truly need, what is it that your body needs? Um, often, too, I'm finding that um women are that are going through menopause, um, often they don't really understand their lab work and you know what things mean um on their labs. And they're also not getting certain labs done because insurance companies won't pay for um those labs. And it's important really to understand just certain things from your blood pressure, um your blood glucose levels, A1C, insulin, uh, your cholesterol, um, your liver and your kidney function, um, thyroid health, as well as things like cortisol and vitamin D and you know your inflammation markers, because these things can help determine like where your body needs to be supported. And I hear often, well, if it's not covered by insurance, then, you know, I'm not going to pay for, you know, any additional laps or, you know, pay for laps in general, but I say you're worth it. It's it's definitely worth worth that investment um in yourself. I know, you know, when I was going through, I, you know, at times it might have been a sacrifice. I might not have gone to get a pedicure or something, but you know, I needed to understand what was happening in my body. You know, my health was priority, and learning to prioritize our health is so critical to living a long and a healthy life. So again, you know, really understand like what is really happening in your body, and you know, asking the right questions is very critical. Um, I want to also just, you know, encourage you, just take ownership, you know, of your health. You know, it's your life. And, you know, I really want women, especially women that are going through menopause, to have the information and have everything that they need to live a healthy and a long life because the body is changing. Again, I say, you know, God knew that women would go through menopause. So, you know, he obviously has a plan, you know, for how we're supposed to care for our bodies. Um, I think it's more about being in a season of changing the way we've done things probably most of our lives. And that's really challenging for some people because it feels like it's a lot of things that need to be changed. But when you just take one step toward one goal, um, just taking one step at a time, you will get to that place where it's not as I should say, or it doesn't feel as difficult or or overwhelming for you, um, so that you can reach your goals and so that you can be healthy, um, especially uh as you age. And I've shared this before, just the importance of making sure that you are building a team. You know, what does your team look like, your health team? Like who's on your team? You know, for example, like, you know, I have, you know, a primary care physician. I also have a naturopathic doctor. Um, I also, you know, have a massage therapist, a chiropractor. Um, so, you know, at times I've had fitness professionals. I'll probably be hiring another one soon, just depending on, you know, where I am in my life. But um, what does that look like for you? Really, you should have a team of healthcare professionals. And, you know, often we're not really thinking that way. We just, you know, go to our primary care doctor every year. We get an annual checkup, they'll run some labs. And even I'm finding sometimes with the labs, things can, you know, your markers could just be um out of range, but sometimes that's not even discussed with um certain people. So it's important again to know your numbers. Yeah, take care of yourself, take ownership, but really know your numbers, have that team of professionals that are around you. And, you know, again, as I mentioned, you know, sometimes it does require you to invest in your health, you know, outside of, you know, maybe what your um health insurance plans um are going to pay for. And, you know, I find most people will become serious about, or I should say, more serious about their health after they've had like a diagnosis or um, you know, something is just major going on in their body. And people that I will say that are leaders that invest in their health, they do that. They take care of themselves before they're diagnosed with something. So prevention is key and it definitely is less costly, it's less stressful, stressful, um, and just more effective than you know, treatment after you've been diagnosed with something or something is worse in your body, especially for you know, women that are going through menopause, because again, we have a long way to go with how the system is designed, um, to where we are actually getting the support and help that we need. We're getting the answers versus you know, going to the appointment and walking away still lost and not knowing how your body needs to be supported in this season um of life. So, you know, you might end up, you know, paying, you know, in terms of medications they put you on, time going back and forth, you know, to the doctor, to the emergency room. You don't get that time back. Um, so a lot of times when you are proactive, and I would say not a lot of times, but basically when you are proactive, um, when it comes to being the leader of your health, um you're going to be more healthy. So you're going to get the results. And, you know, it's going to be again less costly versus just going through the motions and doing a lot of the same things that you have done before. Um, again, it's so important that you be that leader and to learn to listen to your body and understand what your body is saying to you. Um, this was so interesting. So many years ago, I think it was right around the time I had my daughter and I was working on, you know, getting back in shape. So I was working with this health coach um for a little while. And I was actually working on weight loss um because I just had my daughter, and she challenged me um to do something um that I think was very life-changing for me. And she said, you know, every day you need to listen to your body. And, you know, I've heard that before, but never really thought about it. And one of the things she challenged me to do when I went to the grocery store, she said, when you go to the grocery store, don't um listen to what you desire, but listen to what your body needs. And I thought that was just at the time very interesting. And I said, Oh, okay. Um, but I did the challenge, and you know, it was one of my favorite stores. You know, when you walk in, you smell the bakery, the fresh baked cakes and cupcakes and cookies and all of that sweet, delicious stuff that, you know, we like to eat, but it's not the best food for us, and it's not um very nourishing. And not to say that you should never eat a cookie or anything like that. It's just, you know, we can just get caught up in eating a lot of sugar. But just to move on with the story, um, I remember walking in and smelling the fresh baked goods, and you know, I said to myself, that might be what I want, but that's not what my body needs right now. And so I just kind of walked around the store and I looked at the food and, you know, the fresh fruits and the vegetables, and it was like, literally, it was like I knew what my body needed. It was, it's, it might sound a little strange, but I was selecting certain fruits and certain vegetables. Um, and I did have a few meats and a couple of package um items, and that was like uh pot, I believe, like some type of brown rice pasta or something. But by the end of that shopping trip, I literally had basically fresh fruits and vegetables in my cart as well as meat. Um so it was just an experience that really just taught me the importance of really listening to what my body needs, not what I want, not what I'm used to doing or I normally would do, but what is it that my body needs to be nourished? So that was just a really interesting experience, um, you know, going through that process. So maybe it's something that you might want to try yourself. Um, but I even do that now some days where I'm asking, you know, body, what is it that you need? It might be more sleep, it might be um, you know, uh more nourishment, like in terms of just eating vegetables, you know, maybe no meat for the for the day. So it is really something to learning to listen to your body. But um I just wanted to share that story with you because I found it to be a very powerful exercise that really anybody can do and try. But um, yeah, listen to it, listen to your body. That's what um leaders of health do. And they also, I would say, healthy leaders, they make decisions through the lens of the future. They're not so much focused on, you know, getting grati, you know, gratification, I should say, immediate gratification, but it's, you know, asking that question, will this choice move me closer to the health I want in five or ten years from now? Um, it's not again um about having this restrictive diet where you never eat anything that you enjoy. Um, you know, I don't really like to say moderation because that looks different for everyone. Moderation might be two or three times a week for some people, but you know, on I guess occasion, you know, it's okay to have certain things. Um, but you know, it's not about, you know, piling on all the supplements either or just perfection. It's really about consistently making choices on a daily basis that support the future version of yourself. Like where do you see yourself in terms of your health? You know, where do you want to go? Where do you want to be? And for women, you know, in perimenopause and post-menopause, you know, being the leader of your health, it often means recognizing that this season requires a different approach, probably so different than anything that you have ever experienced in life, but also when it comes to your health. It needs or requires, I should say, more time and attention. And it may involve you taking the time to really learn about the body, learning about hormonal changes, um, you know, understanding metabolic health, you know, monitoring, you know, your glucose, your insulin, inflammation in the body, prioritizing things like exercise and making sure you're getting like strength training in versus just doing a bunch of cardio, which you might be, you know, used to doing. Um, you know, what do you need to do to protect your bone health? You know, things are changing in your body. So you're going to need to support it in a different way. And, you know, how are you managing stress? Are you intentional about it? Are you um setting yourself up so you're not in situations where you feel overloaded and stressed? You know, are you advocating for yourself when symptoms are dismissed by you know a healthcare professional? You know, you have the ability to be at that wheel and steer it towards where you want it to go in terms of your health. I and I'll just definitely say, you know, the most important shift is really moving from just asking questions like, you know, what is wrong with me to what is my body communicating and what can I do to support it? That is the approach, you know, in this phase of menopause that um we really must take um as women. Um no longer, you know, can we just be passive about our health and just say, okay, I'll just take this as I'm told. Um you must really come up with what's going to work for you because that one size fits all approach is not effective. And, you know, so many women ask me if certain things will work for them, whether it's um a supplement or therapy, they might say, well, you know, I know so-and-so they took this or they did that. Is that a good idea? But until you really know a person's history and see the full picture of who they are, it's very difficult to create an individualized plan just for them. And that's what's happening a lot today, where there's so many, you know, companies and people out there, you know, selling things to people going through menopause without really even understanding that individual. And that's what I truly enjoy about what I do, really helping my clients have real solutions that are actually going to get them results in the long term. Um, I don't believe in just putting band-aids on things and just giving, you know, telling people to take all these different supplements. Um, you know, I'm about educating my clients, supporting them, coaching them, guiding them, um, giving them answers and solutions and helping them really see their body in a new way. So again, um, it's just so important that um you realize that it's not a one-size-fits-all approach um when it comes to menopause. Um, well, your health overall, but also when it comes to perimenopause or menopause. Um, you know, you must really understand what's happening. Like, and I'll give you a quick example. You know, if a person has impaired kidney function, there's certain things that you would or should not, I should say, um give to them, you know, because the question becomes what's happening in their body? Is that the best way to support their body? Because I don't, you know, diagnose disease. That's not what I do as a functional nutrition practitioner. I'm looking at specifically, what do you need to support your body? So it functions at a more optimal level. So, you know, things are changing, you know, there's again a lot out there. Um, you know, there's things from genetic testing, um, of course, labs, um, but really looking at labs in a different way, not just these are your numbers, but um, you know, what is the optimal range? Like, where should you really fall? Um, your lifestyle habits um, you know, are are key, are I would say are critical in really getting long-term um results. And I guess the word for that too is just longevity, like, you know, what you do on a daily basis really matters, your lifestyle habits, um, the environment, and it has influenced us so much from the standpoint that everywhere we go now, we are bombarded with you know toxins from things in the air to the products we use, um things in our house. Um, you know, it's it's all around us on a daily basis. So we're constantly exposed to environmental toxins and just toxins in general from the products and so forth that we are using. And this will impact our bodies, especially women and menopause. It can really um affect our endocrine system, you know, what we call endocrine disruptors, um, where they mimic hormones and just disrupt the way, the way our body is functioning. Uh, nutrition um is critical. Um, we've probably have a long way to go, I should say, with this, but you know, most of the time you're told, you know, just eat your fruits and vegetables, but you really need to understand what are the right fruits and vegetables um for you. Um, and then just overall, just you know, understanding your hormones, you know, what's happening and where are you in the process. These things are all critical as women are going through the phase of, you know, perimenopause and menopause. Um, two women, you know, and menopause, they might might have um, I would say similar symptoms, but it requires very different solutions and approaches um just based on their unique biology and lifestyle. And, you know, that is really why it's so important that you become the leader of your health. So, my friends, that is all for this episode. So, don't forget to share and like and download this episode as well as other episodes so that this information can get to the women that need help along this journey of menopause. Thank you for listening to menopause breakthrough. If this episode resonated with you, don't forget to hit the follow button so you never miss a new conversation. Share it with a friend, colleague, or anyone who could benefit from support during this season of life. You can connect with me, access more resources, tips, and coaching support, and learn about our menopause program for women by visiting www.happiness in you coach.com dash menopause dash elite dash program forward slash. Remember, you don't have to just survive menopause. You can thrive through it. And you are not alone in this season of life.