S2EP34-Saireen Neilsen-Menopause? More Like Menopausitivity!

Herb: 00:00:19

Today, I have the pleasure of introducing Saireen Nielsen.

thout hormone replacement. In: 2021

Saireen is also passionate about coaching and creating the Loving Monopoly menopositivity movement to honor women globally and give them a platform to be seen and heard. You know, I had to practice saying menopause activity a bunch of times before I even saw you. We had to restart it once.

That is not necessarily an easy word.

Kristina: 00:01:09

To say when it's such a fun.

Herb: 00:01:11

Word, but once you kind of get around it, it kind of flows. So we welcome Saireen. It is a pleasure to have you here today. Thank you for joining us.

Kristina: 00:01:19

Thank you so much. It's an honor and privilege to be here with both of you.

Sairen Neilsen: 00:01:24

When Saireen and I got together, as at our pre chat about what this show would be about and why it's important to our families, we started discussing, you know, we have moms who are now a little bit older than the past generation that went through this, right?

Some of our parents now are in the throes of raising kids and at the same time, their body is changing and things are not working out quite the way they thought or a little bit differently than they thought.

And so what I really thought it was important to bring her on bringing education home because guess what, this education thing is not just for the kids, it's for the parents, the moms, etc, as well. And so, Cyrene, thank you again for coming and joining us today on our show.

Kristina: 00:02:06

Like I said, I'm very excited to be here and I can't wait to share what I've experienced and what I've learned with everyone.

Kristina: 00:02:13

Awesome. We'd love to start with kind of that passion question. What was it that either happened in your life with someone around you?

What was it that brought this passion of I really need to share this with other women so that maybe their journey could be a little bit different than my journey or whatever happened that caused the pivot to happen?

Kristina: 00:02:34

Christina, I spent 10 years dealing with severe menopausal symptoms. I had hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, brain fog, my hair was falling out. I gained 20 pounds, my body was changing and so were my emotions.

I was all over the place and I didn't understand it, and I didn't even know what perimenopause was, and I didn't even realize it was the thing because I was experiencing something. So many symptoms while I still had my cycle. It just didn't make sense to me.

And of course, I kept going to the doctors every week practically, because there was something wrong and I was trying to fix myself, and I. They didn't even let me know that it might have been part of menopause.

Herb: 00:03:18

Yeah, I was going to say the list of symptoms you gave is. Is so very broad and wide for a whole list of issues from like, fibromyalgia to all sorts of different things.

So, yeah, if you're not understanding that this is what's going on, it can be like my health is going away. So how. And the doctors didn't even necessarily talk to you about it, so. So this left you 10 years of struggling through it.

Kristina: 00:03:44

And now, may I ask about what age that happened? Because let's give our audience kind of a time frame to what they're experiencing. Might click in.

Kristina: 00:03:54

You know, I just want to share a quick story with you.

In my 40s, just when I was actually 39, I was sitting at the pool with my husband, and we're on vacation, and I just had my last miscarriage, and my hormones were out of whack, and I just sat there looking at these beautiful bodies and beautiful young girls having their babies. And it made me feel feel sad and disappointed. And I knew that I needed to get control back in my life. I needed to do something different.

So when I went back home for the first time, I prioritized myself. I ended up hiring a personal trainer, and I was running, I was pole dancing. I was having so much fun.

I was doing weight resistance, and I got healthy and toned. And that was in the beginning of my 40s. And so by the time 43, 44 hit, I'm experiencing different types of physical changes.

And I'm thinking I got this last, you know, since I've been 40, I've been, like, working out, and I have all this energy. But something I couldn't put my finger on at the time was shifting.

And I didn't realize it was related to hormones as well, because I still had my cycle.

Kristina: 00:05:23

Yeah, it's one of those things that, you know, I don't know about you, but my mom didn't necessarily talk about a lot of this kind of stuff.

I mean, the generation ahead of us, they share, you know, the most important things, but they didn't really talk about, oh, I noticed this when this was happening, or I noticed this about this age or whatever. I mean, I had to specifically go ask my mom, hey, about what age did you. And she was like, I think it was about this age.

But then, you know, that was past the Perry part. That was the full on. And so, I mean, I would ever. My things started changing. I was like, I wonder if.

Herb: 00:05:59

Okay, so you didn't know what it was? I don't know what it was. She didn't know what it was. So now we're here talking about something that most young women don't know what it is. So we're.

We're wanting to help families. So let's talk about what is perimenopause and menopause in, like, a technical fashion. So that it's like, well, what are they talking about?

You know, I kind of have an idea. What is perimenopause and what is menopause?

Kristina: 00:06:26

Perimenopause is basically your body's changing and you're going to have other symptoms, but you're going to start having symptoms like menopause, the, the gaining of the weight, the brain fog, the hair falling out, and so much more. But you're still having your cycle. And some people, like, sorry, some women may experience fibroids or changes in their cycle.

Sometimes this is too much information. But everyone needs to know this, that women who are used to having a period for a week ends up having two weeks.

Their flow is still happening for three weeks. They don't understand what's going on. And sometimes the periods disappear and it's like, oh, my gosh, am I pregnant?

So you go from like, oh, my God, what's happening? And am I having fibroids? And I'm having this discomfort to the point where you're actually feeling like, what is going on with my body? And it needs.

It doesn't make sense to me. And it's that I feel out of control. Whereas menopause is. Your cycle is finished in a year.

So if you're not having that cycle that you look forward to, it's disappeared and now it's full. Menopause and menopause is different for everyone. Everyone's journey is going to be so different. We're unique, like snowflakes.

So some women will have hot flashes where some women will have cold, cold flashes. My dear friend Samantha had cold flashes. I'm like, what is going on here? Never heard of this before.

And at the same time, you're experiencing so much more and your body is changing again after 50. So 40, you're still, you know, feeling vivacious, you're feeling sexy, and you're still feeling joyful, and you're having fun.

When menopause comes around, you're starting to doubt yourself. Indecisiveness is one of the big things for me. When I was going through menopause and I was feeling out of control, I. Brain fog was huge for me.

It affected my social life. I used to be, you know, like, outgoing.

I want to go see my girlfriends, and next thing you know, I'm sitting there, you know, with my girlfriends, and I couldn't put a thought together. I was so embarrassed. I. I'm like, I don't know what I was going to say. What source is like silence. So I was. Became a good listener.

I was a good listener to begin with.

Kristina: 00:09:06

Exactly. Yeah. And if we start thinking about this, right, we're talking about this in the. Also in the realm of families.

Think about the mom of the family raising kids and then suddenly starting to have several of these things going on. They are having maybe mood swings.

They are having that brain bugs, like they can't remember which kid needs to be at which soccer practice, at what field, at what time kind of thing. And so with all of this going on, we wanted to highlight, you know, as parents, remember that you have to take care of yourself.

You need to track these changes and understand what's going on as much as possible, and then how it can impact the family. So let's talk about that next.

Sirene, we have a mom that is sitting here going, okay, I'm pretty sure this is happening with me because I'm having some of the things that Sirene's talking about. What are some of the things that they can prioritize or help take care of themselves.

So then that can bleed in some bad word, move into the family in a better way, right? Helping to either schedule or whatever so that the family can move better.

Kristina: 00:10:13

Christina. I created a slim method guide, and it has nothing to do with losing the weight. S is stand. The Slim method is actually an acronym.

So the S stands for self care. And what? I. I did this for myself because it was so important to block that time for yourself.

So whether you work, waking up earlier that morning, it's important to have that meditation. It's important to go for a walk. It's important to give yourself that break without feeling guilty or shame around it.

So I would wake up early as well, and you're like, okay.

And what was interesting is I let my husband know and, and what would be important in this structure is let everyone know this is my time, it's me time. And you know what would be greatest? Dad would have his me time as well. And the kids could have their me time too.

And you set up these boundaries, which is fabulous because then you're, you're actually, everyone seems to be seen and heard.

Kristina: 00:11:24

Absolutely.

Kristina: 00:11:25

So it's not just for the adults.

Herb: 00:11:28

Well, another real big thing about a change from our generation that we didn't necessarily have to think about to some of the newer generations and what's going on.

Due to social pressures and economic pressures, we have women that are delaying their child rearing years until their mid early 30s, late 30s, because they need to get their career going, they need to get financially set. Now, it used to be that you got married out of high school or right out of college. You started having children in your early 20s.

You're usually done by 30, 35. So if you're done by 30, that means your child is leaving the house at 48 to go off on their own. And that's really about when things get started.

So for our generation, it's like parents, women were going into this state as their children were also leaving home, starting with emptiness and kind of perimenopause, menopause at the same time. But now we have people waiting so long that they're going into menopause while they still have younger children and earlier teens.

How is that change affecting families and hitting home? Because it used to be little kids didn't have to think about mom raging because her hormones went off track and she got hot and lost her temper.

I'm just messing.

Kristina: 00:12:55

Well, thank you for asking. What I found was, was that it's important to start having an open communication with the family members. And it maybe you want.

If your kids are like 10 or 12, and you would.

What I would suggest is sit down with them, sit down with your kids, sit down with your husband and say, listen, there's something dear to my heart I want to really share. And there's nothing wrong. I'm just going through some changes and I would love to get your support. And sometimes I may not be my best.

Sometimes I might. My emotions might be big, just another version of mood swings. But you, you know, and you want to make sure that you are approachable.

They don't need to tiptoe around you. They can ask those questions while you're sitting down calmly and saying, you know what? It might be messy, but I still love you.

And I would love your patience, your support, your love, your actions and your kind words, you know, and so I created something that's called kind actions complemented by kind words. And what I mean by that is, if I'm having a hot flash, I would love it if you gave me a cold glass of water. You're not trying to fix anything.

You're just helping me calm down, you know, cool down, or lower down the thermostat, or when you're feeling a hot flash, come on, just leave her alone. And may perhaps also give her a fan or a cold cloth. Just give her some time to just relax. And.

And it could be, you know, five minute break, just a little timeout for mom. You know, it's really important. And the kind words that would complement that is, I'm here if you need anything. Mom, I love you.

Kristina: 00:16:28

Absolutely love that. Because, you know, our kids, do they. They. They really do tone in on, oh, something's different or something's changed or, you know, they.

They love their parents most of the time. Right. And they want to be helpful.

So if you give them those tools, if you see mom doing this, this is a way that you can make me feel better if you want to. This is a way that you can help me.

So I love those tools that you just gave so that we can share that, you know, and really make the family, like you said, communicate better and help things kind of smooth out when things are kind of spiking up and down and being rough and especially with.

Kristina: 00:17:03

Mood swings and irritability and anxiety.

You know, it's so important to have that conversation, like, you need that break and you need to step away, you know, and then the kids can come by and go, mom, are you okay? Is there anything that you need, or can I ask for permission before you go in to have a hug?

Kristina: 00:17:25

Yeah.

Kristina: 00:17:26

You know, and they. You also want to make sure that they understand it's not about them. You know, if you're, you know, getting all snappy, it's nothing personal.

It's something that you're going through. It's like I'm. You know, most of the time, women will apologize. I'm sorry I did that. It was. I was not. It wasn't me. Yeah, it was not.

It wasn't my normal self.

Kristina: 00:17:50

Yeah, yeah, we speak about that as well, especially when I'm talking about how to face big challenges, because, you know, this. This is a challenge in the mom's life. But, you know, there's other challenges that come up, like a death of a Family member or something else.

And this is how I speak about with the kids, is like, what can you do to help support them so they understand how can you be a really good role model for them? And that's by talking it out and sharing this is what's happening and apologizing. I blew it there.

I really needed to control myself, and I just couldn't at that point.

Kristina: 00:18:22

Yeah, that's beautiful.

Herb: 00:18:23

You know, sometimes humor is a good way to deal with it as well. So. Oh, hot flash, you're hot for me. Here's a good time to kiss and snuggle and bite on your neck and.

Kristina: 00:18:34

Really?

Herb: 00:18:35

So I never do like that at all. Oh, you're moody. Well, let's. Let's go for. Let's go for some fun time then. So. Yeah, you know, so I do have a tendency to push sometimes. So it's not.

A lot of times it's like, oh, yeah, it's kind of normal. A lot of times it's. But sometimes it's like, oh, no, let's. Let's push. She's getting a little sensitive. Let's push for a little bit.

Kristina: 00:19:01

Sometimes distraction is a good thing too. Right?

Kristina: 00:19:03

You know, absolutely. And. And so that's a great time to bring in joy and fun and playfulness and laughter. I agree totally.

Because before men would run away, it's like, oh, here she goes. Here she comes. It's like, oh, no, I have something to do in the garage. I'm gonna go hide.

Instead of, like, being present, and it's like, what can I help you with? And then it's like, okay, let's do something.

And my husband helps me by putting on my favorite song so I can just move my body, you know, and just feel like being grounded and calm again.

Kristina: 00:19:38

Yeah, I like that. Yeah. Because your spouse and your kids, they can be so supportive and helpful in that way.

You know, all of us have a favorite, you know, drink or a favorite song or favorite, you know, if it's cold, like a favorite snuggle blanket or something. Right. You can be super supportive in those ways and just make life great, better for everybody.

Kristina: 00:19:59

Yeah, absolutely.

Herb: 00:20:01

And, you know, this is a topic that most people avoid. They don't. You know, guys don't like to go shopping for women's products. They don't like to talk about women's stuff.

And so this is very much in that realm that makes husbands tend to be a lot more uncomfortable. Me, it's like, when I go and buy that stuff, everybody knows it's not for me. So I don't necessarily have a problem with it.

You know, there's even a good joke where, you know, a salesman sold a guy a boat and a fishing pole and a truck and all of this stuff, and. And he's like, oh, yeah, he came in to buy some Tampax, and I said, hell, if it's going to be a weekend like that, you might as well go fishing.

So, you know, so, you know, so, you know, we. We don't talk about it. We tend to, you know, kind of. Yeah, there's a. There's. It seems to be shameful, even though it's like a natural body thing.

So how. How do women who feel this shame talk to their men and their families who don't like to talk about this stuff?

Because, again, it's like, oh, you say this and you say this. Was like, man, nobody wants to talk about this. How do you get that started?

Kristina: 00:21:15

I would just say, just let them know this is dear to your heart. This is something that you're going through and means a lot to you to get support from everyone.

And it's different from generation to generation because I understand that these things weren't talked about. And also, it's not just about generation. It's also cultural.

You know, people, certain cultures don't even want to talk about it because it wasn't talked about. And women back then were actually recognized as wisdom. They were smart.

They were, you know, elder, like an elderly woman who knew it all because of her experience. So this time, it's a little bit different when we need. And we need to talk about this because we.

We are the role models of our kids coming up, and it's. We get to choose how we're going to deal with menopause, you know, so when you talk about it with your kids, it's beautiful. And the family.

I'm going through some changes, and I would love to have your support. I know it's something that we. We're not used to talking about, but let's have fun about fun with it, you know, And.

And the thing is, if you don't feel comfortable, don't hesitate to ask questions, because you may not have the answers.

I might, but I want you to be able to know that you can approach me anytime, and it's okay because we're all learning and growing together, because, you know, some days you're like, they don't know what to say. They want to fix. Men want to fix things. We can't be fixed. It's. It's an ongoing thing. And it's a beautiful thing. You can look at it.

It's like, oh, my gosh, here we go again. Or you go, oh, my goodness. What a beautiful chance to help her. What a beautiful chance to get to know her.

And it's in a way that our bodies are telling us something different. And it's a beautiful thing because it's important to talk about this because men go through andipause and.

And it starts about 50 years old, and men don't like to talk about things. Oh, I'm, you know, my testosterone is going low, and I, you know, which affects the whole body as well.

And so as we talk about these things openly, we can support one another. If you don't start talking about it, you'll grow apart. There's no shame or blame. We're just aging and growing together in a beautiful way.

That's how we. That's how we grow 80 years together. My parents just celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary. They went through a lot of ups and downs.

Kristina: 00:23:58

Yes.

Kristina: 00:23:59

And I would, at times, I'd look at my mom, why are you so angry? You know, but when we, when we're looking back now we get it.

So now we don't have to ask those questions, why you were angry all the time or whatever the case is. Now we get choice of, is how can we listen to our body and how can we support it?

And when we approach it that way, men can do the same thing for themselves.

Kristina: 00:24:27

Yeah, exactly. And, you know, as far as talking with the kids, we talk about, you know, always do it age appropriately. Right.

For the little littles, all they need to know is that mommy's upset for a little while or mom's just having a rough time, and just put it as that they don't need to know the biological components to it and all the different things. Right. And then those who are ready or ask a more specific question, then you can give that specific answer to the question they ask.

Because sometimes it's like, oh, mom, what about this? And then you go off on this great big, long tangent. They're like, whoa, I only wanted this little bit of information. I don't need all of that other.

So really just tuning in and listening about your kids questions, the age appropriateness of what you need to talk to them, and just knowing that, you know, by communicating, like you said, having that loving, open conversation is really just the best way to do it. Yeah. So let's think about two tips for these moms who are noticing changes. Right. They. You. We did one, the Self care times and me alone time.

What about they're like in the middle of rushing around for dinner or rushing to get the kids out to soccer practice or something and just like they're having that major brain fog. Is there anything that they can do to maybe help clear that away or settle that down a little bit?

Kristina: 00:25:48

That's a very good question, Christina. The best thing that I found was having a audio next to me. I would record everything the night before. That I would have to do. It's not have to do.

I get to do it because it's a privilege to be spending time with, you know, your, your kids, your, your relatives, your just family members. So. And it's dear to your heart.

So what I would do is just speak into it and use it as a checklist and listen to it at like a meditation in the morning because we are going to forget.

I get to a point where I go into a cupboard and I can't even remember why I was going where, why or what I was going for, you know, and, and the thing is we're not, there's nothing wrong with us.

We just need to take step by step by step, you know, because there's too many if, when there's too many things going around and we're so busy that we like oh my gosh, what did I miss? And you miss something and it, it falls out of place. And so there's nothing wrong. We're just distracted with so many things going on.

There's nothing wrong. We just need to be better managing our time.

Herb: 00:27:03

The brain science around creating your schedule and reviewing it before you go to sleep is pretty profound as well because it allows your brain to let go of what you have to do the next day and you can sleep more soundly and then your subconscious when you're in that sleep, sound sleep state. Sound sleep can go through the problems for your next day and actually organize it and get it ready for you so your next day goes smoother.

So there is actually a lot of brain science that goes into what you just talked about as well. So what about. So hormone replacement therapy? Because there's a lot of what's going on is hormones are shifting.

So not necessarily taking hormones, but what are some ways to support the women so as these changes are so that maybe the, the, the changing of the hormones isn't as abrupt and doesn't take as big of a toll.

Kristina: 00:28:04

That's a very good question.

I would go see my doctor and ask them and have a list of things to talk to them about because of the fact that in your 40s, that's when your hormones are fluctuating, estrogen levels are decreasing, your progesterone levels are decreasing, but it's not gone totally. And those at that age, the doctor will say to you whether you're a good candidate or you're not a candidate for it. So you need to be tested for it.

When you reach around 50 to 55, you may not be a good candidate for it, but women are like, oh, my God, I just realized I'm in menopause. And you may not be for several reasons.

You know, they talk about the history of family history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, all these other cancers, blood sugar, you know, I mean, your blood pressure being high, your cortisol levels are high, all these things. You know, it's really important to have a measure, have somewhere to start measuring yourself. So in your 40s is the best time to go in.

Ask your doctor. I would like to take all these tests. But if your physician isn't listening to you, then there's also other alternatives.

You can see a functional medicine specialist or a naturopath who can do that for you. I tell my clients certain tests that they need, not need. It will help them to measure where their estrogen and progesterone levels are at.

And then once we know where you're at, then we can start working around it, you know, and. And design a perimenopausal and menopausal journey that they love.

And the other thing that's important is people don't realize that you're not going to be on hormone replacement for the rest of your life. So that's, you know, that's just an aid that's helping you to get through the transition. And then what happens postmenopausal is up to you. And.

And that's why when we started talking earlier, we're talking about some women experience hot flashes or other menopausal symptoms in their 80s. That can be true depending on if you know how to manage, prepare for, and manage your menopausal symptoms ahead of time.

So you don't want to do something that's like all of a sudden like, oh, my gosh, I have to do all these changes.

What you want to be able to do is, wow, I get to make small changes that I love and incorporate them into my life and then perhaps into my family's life as well. Because you're incorporating good, healthy habits for them. I know it's small steps. Sometimes they're not Ready for it, but that doesn't matter.

It starts with you first.

Kristina: 00:30:58

And I love that because some of those healthy habits I'm pretty sure you talk about is like changing nutrition, making sure you're eating maybe some better, higher quality foods and things like that, or some specific foods that might help, right? Or a little bit more exercise or maybe even less exercise in certain points because of whatever is going on.

So you help families and moms kind of know that information, so then they can, like you said, incorporate it for themselves and hopefully incorporate it with the rest of the family. When we talk with other nutrition experts, they're like, oh, yeah, you know, you want to make these changes.

And then the mom's like, oh, but my kids won't eat that. And that's when we're like, sorry. That's when you actually start integrating little bits at a time. And then everybody will come on board.

You don't want to add the pressure of, oh, I have to make this special food for me and this different family for family food here and the special food for my family. Really try to incorporate, like you said, in small bits that everybody basically has the same thing.

Kristina: 00:31:54

And what if they see their mom feeling vibrant? It's like, what is she doing? What is she eating? Like, she looks so good, you know, she's feeling a lot better.

Herb: 00:32:03

Maybe.

Kristina: 00:32:03

I'm gonna try some of that.

Herb: 00:32:06

Okay, so another, another serious one here from Guy. Guy's point of view. There's a lot of times where perimenopause, menopause, the females libido goes down and sex is no longer comfortable or as often.

And that can have some serious negative consequences in the relationship and in the marriage as that aspect of it changes. It's normal, but it can not. How can we transition that? How can we, I don't know. Make, make. So it's not so big of a transition for the guy.

Make it so that the women doesn't lose the libido or what. What. Not so much. Because again, a lot, a lot of problems happen around this time as well.

Kristina: 00:32:54

Oh, I agree. I. I believe that communication is a huge factor in this and it's important not to shy away from it.

It's about communicating what you love and what you. What works for you. Sometimes having sex is. Or making love is. Look, let me just rephrase that.

It should be fun, it should be playful, it should be amazing. And you. And feeling all of it. As the progesterone and estrogen levels decrease, unfortunately, the muscles start changing down there as well.

So what we want to make sure is that a go see the doctor. They might give you some cream. Something that would help. Number two is talk to your husband about it or your partner and say, listen, I'm.

My body's changing and I would love your support. And then there's other ways to deal with it. It's not just having sex. It's about making love and helping each other reach that orgasm.

You know, there's different ways of dealing with it, and then there's ways of stimulation. So that's another play on Factory. Try other things and just be playful and be open to other things.

Because if you don't keep doing it, then it's like a muscle, you lose it. So you want to make sure you keep at it. Whether it's just by yourself or he's helping you, you want to make sure that you keep going with it.

Kristina: 00:34:32

Got it.

Kristina: 00:34:33

And vice versa.

Kristina: 00:34:34

Yeah.

Herb: 00:34:34

And I did have one other question real quick. So you keep talking about, go see your doctor. Go see your doctor. Guys tend to have one doctors. Girls have lots of doctors.

Is a gp, Is the general practitioner the right doctor to go see in this? Because allopathic medicine is very great at triage. It's very great at if something's broken, fixing it as quick as possible.

This is not something broken in Western medicine isn't necessarily great at this kind of. So is. Is your general practitioner the right doctor to go see? Maybe to start with. But is. Is that the right doctor?

Kristina: 00:35:16

I would say I would start with the physician because in a lot of places it's covered under your medical.

Kristina: 00:35:23

Okay.

Kristina: 00:35:24

And I know that that could be a little strain on the budget.

Kristina: 00:35:28

Finances. Yeah.

Kristina: 00:35:30

You know, so you start with that new. And there's certain things that they will cover, some certain blood tests. You want to know where your levels are. And. And then what. What is next?

The next is. Okay. What was next for me was I went to see a gynecologist, waited for couple months in order to see a specialist. Then I went through that part.

And then after that, like, am I happy with that? And I know what limitations my physician had.

Then I went and started researching and doing my own thing because I wasn't happy with the answers I was getting. I would work out a budget and I paid around eleven hundred dollars to see a functional medicine specialist at the time.

And that doesn't include the supplements, the medication, and certain things like that. It wasn't covered under my medical. And that was something that I had to decide, is my health more important or am I.

Putting a pause on it because I think my family needs more things than I do. And it's like, am I being the first person, am I prioritizing myself, or am I being second or third on the list? So.

And then when you think of it that way, it's like, if you don't look after yourself first, then how can you help others? So same thing with the oxygen mask. You put the max to mask on first, and then you put. Then you help others. So that's how I view things.

That's just my opinion. And then after that, I actually went to a naturopath.

Kristina: 00:37:14

He.

Kristina: 00:37:16

He had this machine called Vega testing. So all our DNAs are different. And what he does is he gives you electrode and he actually measures what your d. What your.

Your DNA or what your cells are used to. So they'll. He'll measure it for you.

If there's a supplement or say for vitamin C, he'll measure it and see if that's the right potency for you, if that's what your body needs at the time. Sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes it does. And so that's how I got through it.

But I also did other research, read books, women, and found out what worked and what didn't work.

Kristina: 00:37:55

I love that. Yeah.

And, you know, if you're one of our Canadian listeners, you know, things are a little bit different than maybe the American version, but either way, you can work through your system and figure out what. What will work for you and your family. Exactly.

So, I mean, this has been so insightful and helpful, and, you know, I'm sure our audience is like, okay, this helps, because if for nothing else, it gives them something to think about.

And then maybe take that step into having the family discussion or having the parental discussion, the spousal discussion, like, hey, let's talk about this a little bit, because things are, you know, a little bit wonky or whatever right now. So thank you so very, very much. As we've been going through all of this, is there anything that was on your list?

Like, I really want to make sure I say this to the moms or the parents out there as. Yeah, we are going through the show.

Kristina: 00:38:46

I. I'm grateful that I was able to give you the slim method, guys. Sorry. And I just have to go back to that as my gift for all of you. And S stands for self self care. L is for loving yourself.

I is for taking those inspired actions. And M is for being mindfulness. And being mindfulness means a lot of things.

And then this for me, it meant being in the moment, you know, and capturing the negative talk that comes through and believe that it's not true. You're. You get to create and design your own menopausal journey and what that looks like for you and your kids.

And so I would love for you to prioritize. You first is so important and just love yourself through the process.

Herb: 00:39:41

Me first.

Kristina: 00:39:42

I love that. Thank you.

Herb: 00:39:43

Me first.

Kristina: 00:39:43

Me first.

Herb: 00:39:44

Me first.

Kristina: 00:39:45

And then it's wonderful when you have, you know, when you have a partner that, you know, you can, you can be playful with, you can bounce ideas off of and everything. So, you know. Yeah, keep that communication going through all this different stuff. Thank you.

And yeah, Cyrene, so you said that that was going to be your free gift for our audience. That will be down in the show notes for everybody to be able to download and look at and use. So thank you so very, very much.

And please share your direct contact information as well, because I'm sure there are some audience members. Like, this was really helpful. I need to find out more.

Kristina: 00:40:17

You know what? I would love to share that. And also I wish I had someone who could talk to me about it when I was like going through all this.

A lot of information out there and it was so confusing.

Kristina: 00:40:29

Exactly. So where's the best place to contact you?

Kristina: 00:40:33

My email address is Cyrene activelivingmail.com and I have a website, Menopositivity CA.

Herb: 00:40:41

And that will all be down in the show notes below.

Kristina: 00:40:44

Absolutely, yes. And I do want to invite women who are curious. I have a workshop coming up, I should say Masterclass, coming up July 25th, 29th and 31st.

And it's about navigating menopause and what your doctor didn't have time to tell you and what your mother didn't know. And I would love to invite you. And it's a free master class.

Kristina: 00:41:05

Beautiful. Thank you so very, very much.

And if it's after those dates, whenever you hear this recording, don't worry, check in on her website because I bet she has another one coming up soon that will match your dates that are happening. Thank you, Cyrene, so very, very much.

This has been a wonderful conversation and, you know, sometimes it's like, are we really going to talk about that? But you brought it with such grace and with such passion and such, you know, good, solid information.

So thank you very, very much for sharing with us today and thank you.

Herb: 00:41:33

For being here today. You know, women have been going through menopause for a couple of years. Now, just a couple. And over.

Over the few years that this has been happening, there aren't very many. You know, even you didn't really know what was going on or how to get information. So even after so many years of.

Of this going on, you chose to take your journey and to bring it back to help other people. And so that is the hero's journey.

You went out, you found your dragon and fought it, and you got a lot of information and you came back and instead of just, okay, I'm done, you sharing that information and you're helping other people talking about something that's not easy to talk about. And so you are a hero. You. You took this message and you're. And you're making the world a better place.

So thank you for being a hero and thank you for being here today on our show.

Kristina: 00:42:21

Thank you for having me.

Kristina: 00:42:24

You're very welcome. All right, audience, you know what is next? It is time to, like, share. Love this. Leave a review.

All the different things that we do for podcasts and help people understand that, yes, these are messages that all families need so that they can grow happy, healthy, and successful children and make sure that all of us have the support we need throughout our life. Until next time, bye bye for now.