Episode #3: Dr Ruth Odoi

Join me, Jill Covert, LMSW, C-IAYT yoga therapist in this conversation with Dr Ruth Odoi as we discuss nutrition, self-care, hormones and other changes in Menopause.  

Dr. Ruth Odoi is a Functional Medicine Physician specializing in women’s health, with a focus on helping women navigate perimenopause and menopause with clarity and confidence. 
Her approach goes beyond symptom management to identify and address the root causes of issues like fatigue, weight changes, poor sleep, and hormonal imbalances. By combining conventional medicine with a more personalized, whole-person approach, she helps women restore energy, improve their quality of life, and feel like themselves again. 
Through her practice, Oasis Women’s Functional Medicine, Dr. Odoi is passionate about educating women, empowering them to understand their bodies, and providing practical, sustainable solutions for long-term health. 

You will learn: 

How getting adequate protein through animal proteins or vegetable proteins can help with mood swings

Learn why self-care is so important during Peri-Menopause and Menopause

When Hormones are best prescribed for management of symptoms

And more discussion about weight gain, sleep issues, relationships and making changes during the Peri-Menopause and Menopause season 

Dr Ruth Odoi can be reached at www.Oasisfunctionalwellness.com

I can be reached at www.closedlotusyt.com and on Facebook and Instagram at closedlotusyoga

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the podcast Finding Balance in Menopause Dill. I'm your host, Jill Colbert, a social worker and yoga therapist, owner of Close Linux Yoga. I created this podcast for women and menopause who are interested in finding a holistic way of living through menopause. Nothing's off the table, and all sorts of interventions will be discussed. Each episode, I'll have a new expert on the podcast who has experienced working with or going through menopause, sometimes both. When I started menopause, I have zero information, and I'm gathering it from some of the most knowledgeable women I've met. What's back yoga, nutrition, hormones, supplements, emotional and physical transitions, and more. If you like the podcast and want to know other things I'm doing, visit my website, closelotusyt.com, and subscribe to my newsletter. Let's get into our episode. Welcome. Today my guest is Dr. Ruth O'Doy. She's a functional medicine physician specializing in women's health with a focus on helping women navigate perimenopause and menopause with clarity and confidence. Her approach goes beyond symptom management to identify and address the root causes of issues like fatigue, weight changes, poor sleep, and hormonal imbalances. By combining conventional medicine with a more personalized whole person approach, she helps women restore energy, improve their quality of life, and feel like themselves again. Through her practice, Oasis Women's Functional Medicine, Dr. O'Doy is passionate about educating women, empowering them to understand their bodies, and providing practical, sustainable solutions for long-term health. Welcome to my podcast, Dr. O'Doy. Okay. So, Dr. O'Doy, perhaps you could tell us a little bit about your journey as it has led you here to working with in working with women in menopause and perimenopause.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

Yeah, so uh thank you. So I started my journey in um conventional medicine. I trained in internal medicine, became board certified. I've always been passionate about disease prevention. So I have like, you know, a master's in public health. So my whole um ethos in medicine has been prevention. And so when I, you know, became an attending, I've, you know, I started working in the hospital setting and realized that a lot of people were on a ton of medications and they were not feeling well and they kept coming back to the hospital. And, you know, that story kept repeating itself. And then I also started feeling tired myself and um feeling burnt out, but not knowing exactly how to come out of it. And um, you know, going to my doctor, getting blood work and everything being normal and and not knowing exactly what to do. Um, you know, I did the whole exercise and diet thing, and exercise started being more painful than helpful. And so I, you know, got really worried and said, well, if I don't do anything different, I may end up like my patients, you know, with chronic disease on medications and so on. So then I started looking and delving into alternative medicine or integrative medicine, and that led me down, you know, functional medicine, and then eventually realizing, you know, that changes during um perimenopause could be explaining some of my symptoms and realizing and you know, talking to friends and and really echoing the same messaging. And so I said, well, you know, that you know, this could be, and and you know, now I have not looked back. And, you know, I am especially passionate because I realized that a lot of women, as we, you know, we season in age or we get, you know, we have these changes happening, the first thing we see is, you know, and it's a social issue, but also emotional. We see a rise in divorce, especially around that age, right? And then we see a lot of women also step away from their full-time careers because it just feels like I need to take care of myself and I can't do all of this at the same time. And so the bigger picture then becomes women, you know, younger women coming, uh losing mentors in the spaces because they are leaving. Um, and and and it's something that I really am passionate and feel that it is fixable and it is something we can address um by looking at different um root causes and and tackling it from different angles and looking at it um from a different set of lens. So that women, my um God complex, if you will, is that women stay doing what they are passionate about for as long as they want to and not feel that, well, I need to step away to take care of my health right now, or you know, the brain fog, especially that comes during that stage. If you're a woman in high-level um executive work and you can't find the right words and and it's embarrassing, and so it's it's a lot on on women. Um there there was no conversation about it, and it just felt like you were supposed to just deal with it, you know, you were just supposed to um figure it out, march through it. I don't know, but you know, and I just don't think it's right. So long story, but that's you know, that's where I that's how I see it.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

Yes, and I feel like that's the difference between, you know, looking at my mom's generation, who is now in her 70s, and the the women who the reason this is coming to the forefront now is because there are women who like you and I who are experiencing this, who are in our, I mean, I'm in my for late 40s, and I'm not ready to give up the things that I love, you know, and there's this sense that these really um smart, very successful, motivated women are experiencing this and are like, no, I'm not going to just deal with this. And I think that's where that awareness is coming out that um we're not gonna be silent, that we're not just gonna sacrifice and you know, see these relationships and lose our career, um, you know, go on medication because we can't manage what's happening in our bodies. And it is just a real feeling of a loss of control. Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. So I think that's why it's it's so important. I know that there are lots of options for managing this stage of life. As I mean, as I learn more and more, it's like, well, do I do option A? Do I do option B? Do I do option C? There's like D and E, and like it just keeps going. So um maybe you can talk about some of the women you've worked with and how you've what you've seen to be successful in your practice with some of the ways that you've you've supported these women through this process, and you know, specifically as it discusses or pertains to the fatigue, the hot flushes, the things that the brain fog, the things that can really be debilitating and cause us to feel like um just totally overwhelmed and not like ourselves.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

Yeah. So um I, you know, the the easiest, I don't want to say easiest, but you know, it's easiest when women are already in menopause. The the periods have ended, and we know that estrogen and progesterone production, which are the two main hormones, uh have halted, right? Um, it's more turbulent during perimenopause because it's not completely halted, but it's also not what it used to be. Yeah. So it becomes a it's, you know, I always tell women, you know, it's um it's a season. And and for a lot of women, it's a 10-year season. And so you it's like knowing that it's a 10-year process will help you pace yourself in terms of like uh your the expectations, right? Um, so perimenopause is the more challenging um season because of the fluctuations. Um, you know, as you, you know, women go from puberty to being in their reproductive years, you tend to have a stable release of estrogen and progesterone, right? And so things are sort of stable and predictable. Now, when you get into perimenopause and you are having um, you know, um cycles where it is not, you are not ovulating, that means you are not making progesterone. And so, and there are so there's that cycle where you're not making it, you know, enough progesterone. And then there is also the decline in the production of estrogen. And then once in a while your ovary just like shoots out a bunch of estrogen, and then you know it's so it's it's wild, you know, and and and I say wild in the sense of how we are feeling, and so for a lot of women, they feel heard when they hear that that listen, your your hormones are going through a process and it is wild. And it's like you're being a teenager all over again, except you are not a teenager, except you have responsibilities, um, real responsibilities. So um, so for women with perimenopause, I tend to focus more on things that we can fit, we can adjust to make it um to support you through the process so you don't suffer. Um, and and so we look at, you know, how can we support your sleep? What can we do in terms of supplements or some lifestyle changes? Can we what can we do to support your sleep? Because we know your sleep is affected during perimenopause, which then leads to a cascade of other things. It affects how you eat, it affects your mood, it affects your desire to also move, right? And so we we talk really a lot about sleep. Um, it's at this the core of you know, what can we do to help you sleep better? And then the other thing we talk about is also stress management. You know, we need a plan for stress management. We can't, it it won't just happen, right? Um, because physiologically, when you have stress, there are changes in cortisol that's happening within your body. And so the goal is to have a plan to complete that stress response. How, what is the plan? You know, it and you know, the season of perimenopause is all about intentionality. What is my daily plan for stress management? How do I intend to close the stress response cycle for myself? How do I intend to shift my system from this sympathetic drive to a parasympathetic where I'm resting and digesting? What is the plan? And so I talk a lot about that. And then another um pillar is nutrition. Um a lot of women for some reason are afraid of protein. So it's like, you know, I had you know a protein-filled breakfast and I had one egg. Well, it's not enough, right? Um, we need to start the day with more protein. So, you know, there are different um techniques and strategies to help support you, realizing that perimenopause is just physiologically um challenging and um your hormones are just fluctuating and your body's doing what it's doing. But what can you do to support your body while you go through it? We don't ignore the problem and say, well, figure it out, but we acknowledge and and develop a plan together, like how do we support you through this period? Because I know once you get into menopause, I I can completely take over and give bioidentical hormones, knowing that the ovaries have finally, you know, shut down or you know, finished completed its work, right? You are grateful for what it did for you when you needed it, but now it's done. So now we do the replacement, and that's more um controllable and manageable, if you will.

SPEAKER_00 13:56

Yeah. Yeah, I can definitely relate to so when I first started reading about perimenopause, they said it's basically chaos. Like your your body, your hormonal body is in chaos. And they showed like a diagram of just like lines going up and down and just shifting, and it just was chaos. And that is how I feel a lot of times in being in perimenopause, I feel that chaos because I'll go through like a period of time that's really, really unmanageable, like um just a lot of mood swings, a lot of feeling of just the smallest thing sets off a stress response and a hot flush. And then for a while I'll be fine and I'll get a I'll get a period eventually, and I won't have the joint pain and I won't be as tired, and you know, I'll still have, I'll still be different. Like I'm still not the same as I was, but it isn't the same deficit as it feels like it is in the time where my body's not producing the estrogen and progesterone. Um and like stress, I think is such an important part of managing perimenopause. And I think why, you know, you see a lot of people who are starting to divorce is um, and I hear this a lot on different things that I've listened to of professionals who talk about perimenopause and menopause, that the things that we once ignored and we just kind of pushed to the back, we can no longer ignore in menopause and perimenopause. Um, the things that, you know, weren't working great, but you could just kind of like, okay, whatever it is, what it is, and push it off. Um, you really, you really have to look at those things now. Um, I think that's a real challenge emotionally for for everyone, knowing that there's that kind of shift that almost feels like inevitable in your body. Like if you don't address it, then you just you might actually shut down.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

Correct. And and I think recognizing that, that okay, I have very little reserves is really important and communicating that to your loved ones, you know, your kids or or your your and your partners, and letting them know like this is the process. And also journaling, I think it's so important knowing what days of the month that you feel a certain way, and and sort of getting um you could get some sort of regularity within the irregularity, if you know what I mean. So where you can see, okay, there's some cycling going on. And so these periods of times, this is how I feel, and this period of time I have more energy. And so I tell women, you know, if you have some big tasks and some big decisions, please don't make those big decisions when you are feeling low and and sort of knowing that, okay, I'm at my lowest point, you know, within this week. If the decision can be put off, please put it off and and wait till you are more in a in a more balanced place, if you will, because uh it is the truth, you know, just embracing that that okay, I won't always have energy every single day because of these changes within my body, and and uh making um preparation for it and making advanced um uh prep, you know, basically planning and intentionality. I think the key word for perimetopause is intentionality, being very intentional about how you spend you know your energy when the energy comes in, you know, it, you know, today is feeling great. Please, you know, go ahead and be a superwoman and do it all. But on the days when you are not feeling great, it's okay to not be a superwoman that day and say, well, you know, today I'm just going to honor what is going on with my body and rest. Um, and I realize, you know, you you have a career and you have a job. And and the beauty is during perimenopause, a lot of us have been doing the same career for many years, and we are sort of more experienced and and can really do things um with our eyes closed, so to speak, for the most part, right? And so that's the helpful part. So it's really about intentionality and just recognizing that there is no magic pill that will fix this for me. And so what can I do um intentionally to help myself? And and it may come in the form of, okay, may I need to increase my protein intake because that will reduce um so when you increase, so I will make the connection between the mood swings and and protein intake, it it stabilizes your blood glucose because whenever you have fluctuations and spikes and downturns of the blood glucose, it goes with cortisol, it goes with your mood, right? And so just making sure that you have in you know stable protein and stable blood glucose can help stabilize your mood as well. So that's where the connection is. Like, you know, you can't control the estrogen and progesterone, but you could control the insulin, you could control the glucose and and and those things. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:42

Yeah. So I know when I had I talked to Dr. Shaw, Haley Schaff, who I know is in the same building as you, and um, she had also emphasized protein. And I know it's kind of my husband is really into um, you know, like um not, I don't want to say weightlifting, like he's a weightlifter, but but like bodies and like how to build up bodies and like how to eat well. And um, he said protein's having its moment, sort of like other things have in the past. And as someone who doesn't eat a lot of meat, I really struggle with that because I do, I've I've been making a real attempt recently to eat more um more legumes and other types of protein that are typically like vegetarian proteins, like tofu, tempeh. Um, but I know she also said that it's really hard to get adequate protein from those sources. Um, maybe you can speak a little bit to that kind of like how you would alter your diet to get that protein.

SPEAKER_01 20:44

Yeah, I think, you know, it's first, you know, recognizing that, you know, without the animal source of protein, it's difficult, it's more difficult to reach your protein goal, but also realizing it's not impossible because there are things like protein shakes or protein powders that are vegan and plant-based that you can quickly make a smoothie and easily increase your protein intake. Or if you have like um you know, uh a pudding, you can make a plant-based pudding um with chia seeds and throw in some protein powder. So again, you know, intentionality, you know, and and recognizing that, you know, those days in your 20s where you could grab any yogurt and put in some fruit and go may not be helping you in this season. And so, okay, let me pause and just throw in some protein powder in this yogurt, it won't taste great, but at least you are meeting your goal. Yeah. So just you know, things to you know, add more nuts and seeds. Um Um and and being intentional, really being intentional and just um recognizing that, okay, this is a season and this will pass, you know.

SPEAKER_00 22:11

Yeah, and it's um I know it's hard for a lot of people to make lifestyle changes. And I guess I have to I have to understand that because there are some things I know I should do that I don't do. And I guess it's that same thing. Like my habits tend to be a little better than the average person's habits in terms of diet and exercise and and stress. But um, you know, it is unfortunately our American culture that we just want a quick fix. So I know that is hard for some people to really make those changes. But um hopefully as as women move more into perimenopause and are more aware, they can, you know, experience for themselves the benefits of that. Because I feel like that is the reinforcement when you start changing your lifestyle and you immediately feel the difference in your body. Correct.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

Correct. Yeah. And I I recognize that, you know, I'm I'm busy, I have a practice, I have three kids, you know. So I I really empathize and recognize that, but I also focus on the long-term goal, you know, being in the hospital and seeing how things can end up if I don't make some sacrifices now always, you know, gets me motivated because it's like, and I don't want to put it in a punitive way, but it just feels like your body will take what it needs, whether you want to or not. And and so give it what it needs when you are in control. Because if nothing is done differently, then over time, certain things will happen and you would have to give your body what it needs anyway. So why don't you do it now that you have some control and and um and it doesn't have to be, you know, overnight you become a vegan and you spend 10 hours in the gym. But what one change can you make today? What what one thing can you can you commit to doing for for a year, you know, or you know, if I do, I grab a lot of fast foods or processed foods, can I go down to three times a week instead of five days a week? Um, what what one thing can I do to honor my body? And and I think that changes the conversation. Um, I never ask people to go in their food closet and get rid of everything. Uh, you know, it's it's your brain will not allow you to, right? Your brain's job is to protect you and to keep you doing the things that you've always done. And so whenever you decide to make a change, it you are fighting against your amygdala, you are fighting against some really deep brain structures that are, you know, just the way they are. And so you have to, it's it's small changes. You almost have to trick your brain to slowly get there. And just making sudden wild, you know, changes, it's not sustainable. You will be pulled back to your equilibrium, you'll be pulled back to the center. And so just slowly um making the change. I always um do the analogy of the the frog in the in the boiling water. If you put a frog in boiling water, it's going to jump right out. But if you do increase the temperature by a degree each day, you know, you are more most likely to keep that frog. It's the same with habits, like do one thing, just pick one thing that you commit to doing. And and that's sometimes what you need to create that snowball effect and to create that momentum.

SPEAKER_00 26:09

Yeah, I always tell people that too, because um, as a yoga therapist, one of the things that I ask at the end of every session is what is your action step for the week or the two weeks before we see one another again? And a lot of times it's just I'm gonna take five minutes to stretch in the morning or um before bed. And that is a that's the best they can offer at that time. And now we say that's a great first step. So try to do that five minutes every day in the evening and just see how that how that feels in your body. Um, so that is that is really important to make it bite-sized for people. But I I've seen the same people who are on like 20 medications or 10 medications and really feel like their their only answer is going to be found in what the doctor tells them or in some procedure, some pill that they can take. Um that is really frustrating. I know I've tried to talk to the people I work with in my other job, which has been working with medically complex people who are often living in poverty and don't have limited resources, limited education, limited understanding of how food impacts health. Um, and sometimes they just don't know how to take charge of their own bodies and they're just not connected to them anymore. Um, and and feeling finding that connection or um encouraging them to have that connection with themselves is really challenging. Um, and that, you know, there's a whole source of a whole host of reasons why that is, right? Like trauma and um just our culture of being very top-down as opposed to bottom-up and not really connecting to how our body's feeling in the moment. Um that has definitely been a challenge, I think, for a lot of people in making those long-lasting changes.

SPEAKER_01 28:08

Yeah, I I and I I you know I recognize that. And and I always tell people, you know, I've not always had the resources that I have today. And I believe that, you know, there's so much information out there to where you can start, you know. And I always say cooking for yourself is always cheaper than anything you can do. Um you know, getting your own vegetables and and cooking. And if you don't know how to cook, you know, thank God for YouTube. It's just so much information out there. Um, or investing in like an air fryer, something that uh, you know, a one-time investment can really change your your health trajectory and and just the basic uh skill of cooking for yourself can really change a lot. And and uh and I know this may be controversial, but I I don't think you need to be, I don't believe you have to be economic, you you have to be in a certain economic status to cook for yourself. You know, I think it's the cheapest thing to do is to cook for yourself. And and so um for for if you know the struggle is financial, economical, um, cooking for yourself may be the way to go. Because food is the best medicine you can put in your body. Knowing exactly what you are eating is like the the in my opinion, the cheapest thing and the you know the most basic thing that you can do. And and people say, well, I don't have time, but I also uh think you know, you are driving to the to the restaurant or the fast food place, you are standing in line, the you know, it it's I don't know, it adds up to be about the same amount of time, you know, because you use that same time to cook maybe three or four portions of the same food. You have food for three meals, you know, and and it's done. And and yeah, eat the same thing, but who cares? You know, it's just you you are trying to fix your body. So do what you you can for yourself, you know.

SPEAKER_00 30:35

Um so the other thing I was gonna ask about was weight, because I know that for me that has been a real um challenge with perimenopause, that I went from what I consider kind of a normal average weight to like nine, 10 pounds heavier. Um, so maybe you can speak a little bit to why that happens and you know if there's anything that can be done to regulate that. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 31:03

So um when you when women's bodies are going through the changes of you know, less estrogen than you are used to, you know, you still have these estrogen receptors that have been used to a certain level of estrogen in your body. And so when that's missing, your body just sends, your brain sends signal, hey, we need more estrogen. And guess what? It makes some estrogen, but it's the weaker form. And and so you have the weaker form of estrogen, and it starts with the process and um of cholesterol, and then there is also that increase, it's just a biochemical production where for whatever reason we see an increase in cortisol because of that change that we experience with estrogen, and it's a biochemistry thing. And so whenever we see an increase in cortisol, there is this signal that goes to your body to store more fat. So then there is that storage of fat that happens directly as a result of the estrogen. And then we also, you know, in perimenopause, your most women have older children. So, you know, your activity level is decreased, whether you want to recognize it or not. You are not running around, you know, chasing toddlers and and whatnot. So your activity level has decreased. And then with the spike in cortisol, you crave more sugar. So you are your your your food choices, it may be subtle, but it changes. So you are eating more chocolate because it feels better, right? And you are grabbing saltier um snacks, so that so there are some subtle lifestyle changes that creep in during that period, and then there are also hormonal stuff that happens during that period, which then causes this weight gain and difficulty with weight loss. You know, the typical story I hear is well, my husband and I went on a diet. My husband lost 10 pounds within two weeks, and I lost one pound. And so the biggest thing there is like, okay, clearly there's estrogen. That's the big difference with men and women. So the estrogen is playing a role, right? And that that's leading to cortisol and that, you know, deposit of fat, especially in the midsession. That's where a lot of women see the weight gain. And and it's your body's way of making more um weaker forms of estrogen for you, because it wants more. So it's just it's your body's way of trying to help you out, if you will. And and so uh the way around it is again, we go back to the protein to stabilize the blood glucose and and strength training, because the strength training increases the amount of muscle cells, which is a better metabolizer of glucose than fat cells. So, you know, those those, yeah, though that those factors that causes the weight gain. And then also you feel crappy and tired. So you are not exercising. That's just the truth, you know. And and you know, you may you may desire to go outside, but you're just too tired. So you don't go outside. And so I recognize that. And and so those are all the factors that I believe causes the weight gain and the difficulty with with weight loss.

SPEAKER_00 34:56

Yeah, I think the frustration for me in particular is that you know, I have picked up my exercise. I am doing more like lightweights, but I'm doing some weights, um, eating, you know, less snacking, trying to just eat the meal three meals a day. If I do snack, I try to do something healthier with some protein. Um, but you know, that cortisol piece of it really makes sense that your body thinks that you know things are changing internally. So we have to try to store things differently. That makes a lot of sense.

SPEAKER_01 35:30

Correct. Yeah, and and a good way to modulate cortisol is that is grounding and and as much as it's tough sometimes, spending your first 20 minutes out outdoors when you first wake up. That helps to modulate cortisol um and and regulate that better. And and you know, having really um a stress reduction or stress management. I call it stress management because sometimes you can't reduce the stress because your job is what it is. You have kids, you have family that, you know, but managing it and and having that um thing you do to help complete that stress response cycle and send, you know, a safety signal back to your brain. So your brain is not storing all this, your body's not storing all this fat for whatever reason.

SPEAKER_00 36:30

Yeah. Yeah, I know I've gotten a lot more into like restorative yoga, um, and a lot more just really um in addition to like some more active yoga, including some of that more restorative. Cause I'm finding that my body, especially like my time of day where I'm really exhausted, is um around dinner time, like before, like right after dinner when dinner is made, and I'm just like, that's it. I just and and communicating that with your loved ones, like you said earlier, is so important. Cause a lot of times you will find that they are supportive and will give you that space if they understand that, you know, there are things that I need to, I need to go and just take care of myself right now, or it's not gonna be good for anybody. I feel like the majority of families will respect that. And that's where maybe the dissolution of marriages come in, right? Like if you say that to your loved one and he's like, you know, he or she, or you know, you I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna give you that, or they like make you feel bad about it or shame you about that, then that maybe is where you take that step back and say, well, what is this really gonna work for me going forward?

SPEAKER_01 37:37

Exactly. And I and I think, you know, I used to be a big believer in we all need to sit down and eat dinner, but I realized that sometimes I I need to eat very early um dinners, like around 5 p.m., I need to have my dinner. And and I recognize that with my kids' sports and everything, sometimes they are eating dinner late, but they are younger and they can manage it better. So what it looks like is I eat dinner and I serve them dinner whenever they are ready, you know, and and and I had to work through that and be okay with it mentally, knowing that, you know, I'm not doing this sit down and eat dinner together as a family. Um, but can I find another time to connect with my family to, you know, to check in at the end of the day? Absolutely. But it doesn't have to be at the dinner table. So it's just sometimes that mindset shift of like what you believe needs to happen versus what's happening now and what's realistic. Um, and and just accepting that, okay, you know, I need to change my mindset about about this particular issue and and also your your family really also understanding and and being supportive, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 39:01

Yeah, yeah. Doing that internal work during this time is so important um to try to connect with those things that do come do come up for you that feel edgy or you know, that expectation that you have to have dinner together. And you know, where is that expectation coming from? And how, you know, does it feel on your body to to feel that way? And how can you do something that will feel okay or let go of that expectation? Yeah, because we, I mean, we have so many expectations on ourselves. Um, was listening to a um a menopause discussion, and the woman said, um, you know, if you sit around and you you need to rest. So you sit on the couch and you just sit there, maybe just look out the window or just have a hot beverage, and then someone's getting ready to come into the room and you like grab a book, like you have to have something you're doing, or you jump up and like start doing something busying. Because as women, we expect ourselves to not sit and not rest. But in this time, like you really have to do that. Your body is saying, I need this rest. Absolutely. I can't keep going the way that I've been going. Um, so you just have to kind of get past that idea in your in yourself. It's not even that maybe no one will say anything if they come in and you're sitting there, they'll just walk in, get what they need, and they'll leave. They went, maybe didn't even notice you were resting on the couch. But it's our own internal expectation as women and mothers that you know we have to do that when we don't really. And and just like being with that edge of that can be really powerful in connecting to you know what's really going on. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 40:37

And and and another expectation too is like, you know, you have to keep the house clean and organized in case company comes over. Like company is not coming over, be free in your own home. You know, if you need to rest, rest, you know, you if company comes over, so you know, just letting go of those expectations and feeling like everything needs, you know, perfectionism. It's like let go of it. It's not help, it's not going to help in this season. Um, so let go of it and and and be free and and and really honor what is within you. And sometimes we do things because it makes us feel a certain way. So, what else can you do to get that same emotion um without basically sacrificing your mental health and your physical health? Um, if it's connection, you can connect with your family without running around doing everything for them. You can still connect with them. And yeah, so it's just like letting go, letting go of expectations and and and perfectionism. And it's just company is not coming over. Just feel free in your own form.

SPEAKER_00 41:59

Well, this has been a great conversation. Um I know we need to wrap up. So maybe you can just say a little bit about how, if someone wants to talk to you individually about their own situation and get some specific advice tailored to them and their needs, how would they connect with you?

SPEAKER_01 42:17

Yeah, so I have a website. It's uh www.oasis functionalmedicine.com. Um, I offer wellness consults there, so you can book a wellness consult. I also offer free education on my YouTube channel, also Oasis Women's Functional Medicine. And I have an Instagram page, same name, and a Facebook page where I offer educational. I also have newsletters that go out to um people who subscribe to my newsletter. So I have um a lot of ways to get connected.

SPEAKER_00 43:01

Yeah. And your newsletter is really helpful. So I know sometimes people might not want another newsletter into their mailbox. Personally, I love newsletters. That's my thing. But um, but there's a lot of good information in there. I think the one this month was all about the type of things we've been talking about. So, you know, they're really useful. So I do recommend subscribing to that if that's um if you're interested in connecting to Dr. O'Doy. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, you're welcome. Thank you so much for your time today. And um I look forward to continuing this. We didn't really get to talk a whole lot about hormone, actual, like um, not replacement, but we did touch on it a little bit. So maybe a follow up on that.

SPEAKER_01 43:45

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. That's the easiest part with this transition is the bioidentical hormone replacement. It's the easiest thing for me to do. Um, support women in terms of their heart health, their bone health. joint and and you know libido brain fog um the bioidentical hormone replacement helps to address a lot of that once the you know you are officially in menopause but the perimenopause is what's more um challenging and individualized yeah and it's definitely an opportunity i think i'm starting to see it trying to see it more like that like an opportunity to set the tone for the next 50 years exactly we you know we will spend one third of our lives in in that season so yeah it's it's a great time to set the tone and prepare yourself for it and and and be vital and still do the things you want to do at 80. That's my hope for every woman listening it's like you know I'm 80 but I like to dance I'm 80 but I like to go for a walk. I like to go on vacations and do this. So um age is no longer a barrier.

SPEAKER_00 45:02

Yeah absolutely well thank you so much. Yeah thank you for having me listening to the podcast Finding Balance in Menopause with Jill. Today we learned how to use nutrition to manage our symptoms including mood and hot flashes and the importance of creating balance in all aspects of our lives while transitioning into menopause. This time can be chaotic and poses challenges but keeping up with diet, exercise rest and self-care, you can find balance to transition to this new season. If you want to work with Dr. O'Doy you can find her through her website Oasis Functional Medicine dot com. See you next time