Gennev: Let's talk about menopause (Gennev)

Like many women, Lauren Chiren had a rough transition to menopause. During a particularly bad 18-month stretch, her brain fog and short-term memory got so bad, she quit her high-powered senior role, concerned she was developing early onset dementia.

When she learned she was actually dealing with menopause and there were ways to manage her symptoms, she decided to commit herself to helping women so no one would go through what she did.

Now as Founder and Director of Women of a Certain Stage, Lauren coaches executive women, helping them make the lifestyle changes that allow them to continue to perform during perimenopause and menopause. And she educates organizations on how to best support this very valuable workforce of women.

Join us at genneve.com, the one-stop shop for an easier menopause, to learn more.

“In the next three minutes, 3 people will develop Alzheimer’s. Two of them will be women.”

As neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Mosconi says in her article, “Alzheimer’s and Women’s Health, an Urgent Call,” while women account for two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases, little is being done to understand why simply being a woman significantly increases your risk of developing the disease.

Dr. Mosconi is Associate Director of the Weill Cornell Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic, where she and her colleagues are working to understand this critical – and critically overlooked – piece of women’s healthcare.

Team genneve came across this story because Dr. Mosconi and others have linked Alzheimer’s disease with menopause. They postulate that as estrogen levels subside in a woman’s body as she ages, so do its neurological protections.

As Dr. Mosconi puts it: “In straight talk: menopause causes metabolic changes in the brain that seem to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”

“In straight talk: menopause causes metabolic changes in the brain that seem to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Fortunately, as Dr. Mosconi has helped identify the problem, she has also helped point to some powerful solutions. Exercise and nutrition, she says, can play a significant role in preventing cognitive decline.

In Part 1 of her podcast with genneve CEO Jill Angelo, Dr. Mosconi explains the mechanism behind menopause and Alzheimer’s risk. Come back for Part 2, where she discusses how women can protect their brains as they age.

Learn more about Dr. Mosconi, the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic, and how you might participate in their research. If you want to start nourishing your brain (“eating for retirement,” as Dr. Mosconi puts it), get your hands on a copy of her fascinating and very readable book, Brain Food: the Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power.

For a full transcript of this conversation, join us at genneve.com.

For further reading on nutrition and your health: check out how your gut flora affects your brain power and, now that you’re going to eat so much better, how to give up sugar.

Modern sexuality is … complicated. And talking about our sexual health, even with a doctor, can be awkward – awkward enough that many of us will avoid it, even when we have a problem that needs solving.

Enter consultants like Bianca Palmisano, owner of Intimate Health Consulting, who’s helping doctors, nurses, and other medical and health care professionals speak openly and non-judgmentally to their patients about issues of sexuality.

genneve CEO Jill Angelo talked with Bianca about sex, sexuality, and why it's so darn hard to have those important conversations. 

1:50
“Sex positivity” means understanding sex and sexuality as a normal, healthy part of life with a wide range of modes of expression. We asked Bianca if the notion of sex as a positive part of life is gaining some traction in a culture that has an often unhealthy approach to sex.

3:25
What are the trends out there when it comes to sex positivity and women in midlife? Bianca has good news for us – one, the medical profession is innovating on give women “more options in the toolkit” for treating menopause symptoms that impact intimacy, and two, more sex educators are talking about sex at midlife and helping women understand the physical and emotional changes at menopause.

6:27
So, if it’s a good idea to talk about these things with your doctor, how do we start the conversation? Bianca talks about how she provides both medical professionals and patients with strategies for starting, continuing, and finishing the conversation satisfactorily.

9:16
How can women get educated about healthy sexuality? The problem with a taboo subject is that …well, it’s taboo. So, not much info. Except there is. Bianca says you can look beyond your doc if that person isn’t someone you can go to, and she gives some ideas on places to look for answers.

11:22
So what is “sexual health competency” and why do medical professionals need it? “Knowing how to have conversations in a way that puts your baggage on a back shelf,” says Bianca. We all have ideas and opinions on sexuality and what we feel is “right” or even “normal” – how and why should you shelve those when talking with patients?

13:25
Why is good sex so important? Bianca talks about the dynamic between sex and relationships. But relationships can get thorny in midlife, given all the life-stage stresses and physical changes, so how do we stay intimately connected to one another?

15:00
How do women initiate conversations about sex with their partners? Probably not when pulling out the condoms in the 10 minutes before Johnny comes home from soccer practice, Bianca says. Hear her ideas on a better way to bring it up.

16:30
Women in midlife often experience some profound changes in their sexuality. Careers are solid, kids are grown, the house is settled on its foundations … are you? Bianca addresses how some women make important decisions and have major revelations about themselves, their lives, and their sexuality.

Want to learn more about sexual health? Visit Bianca’s website, Intimate Health Consulting, and these other sexuality experts: Walker Thornton, Joan Price, Melanie Davis, PhD, and Dr. Myrtle.

Bianca Palmisano is a sex educator and medical consultant serving the DC community since 2012. As the owner of Intimate Health Consulting, she specializes in training healthcare providers around issues of sexual health, as well as LGBT, sex worker, and sexual assault survivor competency. She also serves as the Community Outreach Chair for the Metro DC PFLAG Board of Directors.

Palmisano is the primary author of "Safer Sex for Trans Bodies," an outreach and education guide for the trans community sponsored by Whitman Walker Health and the Human Rights Campaign. She has been a guest lecturer at George Washington University, Johns Hopkins, and University of Chicago.

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This podcast originally appeared on genneve, the solution for women in midlife and menopause. Join us for more great conversations, information, and answers.

The largest organ in the human body isn’t actually in the human body – it’s on the outside. To be even more accurate, it is the outside.

It’s our skin. And it does more than keep the rain out and our insides in.

Our skin is a pretty good barrier against much of the outside world, but it isn’t perfect. Sun damage happens. And the products we use on our skin may be doing us more harm than good.

Kari Gran and Lisa Strain started the Kari Gran company based, as it often is for women, on a need that no one was meeting.

Kari herself was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder in her late twenties. That diagnosis, after years of not feeling well, led her to consider the impact on her insides of the products she used on her outside: creams, lotions, soaps, makeup, etc.

We know what we put on our skin can affect us systemically — it's the way nicotine patches work, after all. So we need to be thoughtful about the products we use on our skin, especially as we get older.

Kari, who describes herself as a "diehard beauty junkie," made healthy alternatives in her kitchen to give to friends as gifts. Lisa pushed her to turn her amazing formulations into a business, and there's been no looking back.

Guaranteed free from endocrine-disrupting parabens and other harmful ingredients, the rich, lush, cleansing, hydrating, restorative serums, soaps, oils and more are protective and nourishing.

Learn more about skin care and Kari Gran — the company and the woman it's named for — in this podcast with Gennev CEO Jill Angelo. 

What happens at the intersection of hormones, mental health, and sexuality? 

“You’re supposed to enjoy sex, and if you aren’t, why not?” 

Dr. Lucy Puryear is an Associate Professor in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. She is also Co-Director of The Menopause Center at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women.

Dr. Lucy works with patients to treat psychiatric conditions during pregnancy and postpartum, perimenopause, infertility and reproductive loss. Because our hormones can have profound impacts on women's physical and emotional health, we invited Dr. Lucy to share her expertise with gennevers.

00:48:06 
"Woman's advocate" Dr Lucy explains the services she provides for women, specifically women with mood/anxiety/emotional issues tied to reproductive events and hormonal changes.

02:30:00 
Women’s hormonal health—and particularly how it relates to their psychological health—wasn’t given much attention in the US until the early 90s. Dr. Lucy explains how her own experience helped her discover her passion. As a young woman seeking relief from PMS symptoms, she says, "I remember feeling very patronized" by male physicians. "That was probably a pivotal moment in my life.”

07:03:00
Why are women’s issues still so taboo? According to Dr. Lucy, the answer is threefold: hear how cultural stigmas against women generally, mental health, and female sexuality all combine to make women’s hormonal health one of our biggest and most resistant taboos.

09:48:00
How are women’s sex lives and libidos affected by their hormonal changes? Even physicians will shy away from talking with women about their sexuality, says Dr. Lucy. “Women just don’t get asked.” Hear why she makes it a point to ask her patients, why it’s so critical to have these open and frank conversations, and how she’s helped women and couples get their sex lives back.

13:07:00
“Sex is going to happen every Saturday at 2 when the kids are in bed.” So much of what women suffer through during hormonal change is truly “normal,” says Dr. Lucy, so there’s no reason to feel shame or fear. Once women understand vaginal dryness or drop in libido are natural and common, they can drop the shame and focus on the fix. Hear Dr. Lucy’s strategies (like planning sex or “hotel” sex) for bringing intimacy back into relationships.

16:43:00
Including partners in the conversation. Because coupling usually requires, well, a couple (at least!), Dr. Lucy does sometimes talk to her patients’ partners. She explains how bringing in intimate partners often results in better solutions.

19:20:00
Is there a generational difference in how we talk about sexuality? Are younger women more open to the conversation? Hear Dr. Lucy’s thoughts on the differences—and similarities—among generations of women.

20:20:30
Was it good for you? Are women demanding (and getting) great sex? Or are we there out of obligation and to preserve a relationship? Dr. Lucy shares her thoughts on women, sex, and expectations of pleasure. “You’re supposed to enjoy it, and if you don’t, why not?” says Dr. Lucy. “There are things you can do to make that better.”

22:55:00
What are the biggest obstacles in her work with women? Stigma. Mental health issues are still seen as a weakness and our cultural discomfort stops women from getting help. Hear how lack of trained medical professionals and adequate health care coverage are making it even harder to find relief. 

26:35:00
What do women need to know? What’s out there, what’s coming up? Hear Dr. Lucy’s thoughts about a female Viagra, genital plastic surgery, and why we need to be careful that women’s health advances are truly “advances.”

30:50:00
What’s one final piece of advice you’d give to our women listeners? Hear from Dr. Lucy what she wants women to understand about their health, what she wants women to expect from their healthcare professionals, and how they can empower themselves to feel their best.

genneve is committed to helping women feel fabulous in their bodies as they age. Join us at thegspot for great information and women-to-women stories!

Quick quiz: menopause or thyroid problem?

1. Fatigue
2. Heart palpitations
3. Dry skin
4. Trouble sleeping
5. Hair loss
6. Weight gain

Actually, it's kind of a trick question: all of these symptoms can be caused by menopause OR thyroid dysfunction.

Because menopause and thyroid disease can look a lot alike, all too often women who are dealing with thyroid problems like hypo- or hyperthyroidism are told "it's just menopause" or "you're just getting older." To make matters even more complicated, women in midlife are more prone to thyroid disease, increasing the chances that "it's just menopause" is actually "just an incomplete diagnosis."

Yes, it might be "just menopause." But what if it's not?

Thyroid disease can have serious and lasting health impacts if left untreated. So we asked Dr. Kate Kass, a functional medicine physician who specializes in hormonal health, to talk about the differences in symptoms, how to test for thyroid disease, and what we can do to optimize our health under any circumstances.

Get more information on Dr. Kass and see the entire transcript at genneve.com. 

You wear your skin every day, so it's a good idea to take care of it. Best way to do that? According to Dr. Keira Barr, board-certified dermatologist and Chief Wellness Officer of Resilient Health Institute, "get naked." 

You need to inspect your skin, top to toe, every nook and cranny, Dr. Keira told us. But that's just the beginning.

Dr. Keira shared with us the five things to look for and the three most important things you can do for your skin.

Your skin is your largest organ and a window into your overall health, so listen up and find out how to take the best possible care of it.

Get more information about Dr. Keira and the full transcript of this interview at genneve.com. 

Sugar is bad for my health, therefore I can't have any and am a weak person if I eat a donut.

Well, no. Human beings are really good at holding seemingly mutually exclusive positions (sugar is bad/I love sugar) at the same time. We're also really good at then feeling guilty and flawed for holding both ideas simultaneously.

Women are often caught in this bind in midlife: our culture celebrates youth, therefore aging must be "bad." Except that aging brings a whole lot of good with it, including experience, wisdom, and frankly, caring a whole lot less what "culture" has to say about our value.

Holding two views at once isn't crazy or wrong or weak; it can even be empowering. There's a tension in the gray space between that can cause stress, but it's also often a source of creation, of reimagining, of growth.

In this fascinating conversation between Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk and regular guest metabolic surgeon and gut health expert Dr. Erika La Vella, they explore the "tension of duality." 

It doesn't have to be either/or (either sugar OR good health), so learn to embrace your "and."

Discover more from Dr. La Vella on her website LaVellaYourGuts.com. Be sure to check out all of her podcasts with Gennev at Gennev.com. And if you're ready to take the next step to better health in menopause, connect with a Health Coach at Gennev.com/plans. 

Midlife and (peri)menopause can shake our confidence: changes in our body, the fear of bursting into tears or rage, unpredictable cycles, and the list goes on.

It really doesn't have to be that way.

Amy Schmidt of Fearlessly Facing Fifty says we all have a kernel of confidence within us, and if we can tap into it and match it with our new creativity, power, independence, and hard-earned experience, we are genuinely a force to be reckoned with.

Listen to her conversation with Gennev CEO Jill Angelo for information and inspiration.

Visit our website to learn more about Gennev and what we offer for women looking to take back control of their health in menopause. 

It's tough enough to start a second career at age 46 – but what if that new career involves wearing a bathing suit and getting your picture taken? 

Rachel Peru did it, beautifully. 

Volunteering to be in a friend's fashion show led to an entirely new career and, even better, a new confidence in her beauty, power, and resilience. 

Now a model, Rachel has embraced her silver hair, her body's natural curves, and is flipping the idea that "women are invisible after 40" on its head. 

If this is what 40+ looks like, we say, bring it on!

Photographer Matt Brown @mattsphoto

The physical and emotional changes that come with menopause can complicate intimacy. 

Sexual intercourse can become painful due to the thinning and drying of intimate tissue; libido may wane as hormones decrease and menopause symptoms increase.

But because sexuality, and in particular women's sexuality, is such a taboo subject in American culture, we don't talk about it. And what doesn't get discussed, generally doesn't get solved.

But times and attitudes are changing: there are more platforms now for women to get information and solutions and engage in conversation about the very real, very natural changes happening in their bodies.

Two companies helping women regain sexual health in menopause are Gennev and MiddlesexMD.

In this conversation, the CEOs of each company, and a menopause-specialist OB/GYN, talk about the importance of open conversation around women's sexuality and health, the challenges of starting a business in a stigmatized niche, and the ways their companies are helping women enjoy the second half of their lives.

Author, brand strategist, speaker, and motivator Juju Hook is on a mission to rebrand "midlife." It's crap, she says, and she's not wrong.

Why a rebrand?
What do you think of when you hear "midlife woman"? Wrong! We've been sold a bill of goods, Juju says, and she is ready to help every woman embrace her power and glory and step into PrimeTime.

Hear the podcast, read genneve's review of Juju's book, then be sure to order a copy of Hot Flashes, Carpools and Dirty Martinis for yourself!

Get more information and read the full transcript of our conversation with Juju Hook on genneve.com. 

Sonya dreamed she was drowning and woke up choking and gasping for air.

She was tired all the time, grabbing quick cat naps in the middle of the day when she could to try and shake off the lethargy and brain fog.

Once a sound sleeper, Sonya just couldn’t make it through the night, sometimes getting up hourly to go to the bathroom. What was going on?

Sleep apnea was going on.

She took an at-home sleep test and was diagnosed with mild-to-moderate sleep apnea, meaning her body was waking multiple times an hour to start breathing again.

Sleep apnea is dangerous – heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes are all associated with sleep apnea – and women in menopause are particularly vulnerable.

For more information, we talked to Dr. Katharine Christian, dentist and specialist in dental sleep medicine. She is the Dental Director of the Seattle Snoring and Sleep Apnea Center and Board Certified by the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, and thanks to her, Sonya is finally able to get a good night’s sleep.

To get more information on sleep apnea and Dr. Christian and to read a full transcript of our conversation, visit genneve.com. 

The Mediterranean diet is one of the best eating styles for women in menopause (and pretty much everyone, really). In this conversation, Gennev Menopause Coach Stasi Kasianchuk talks with Chef Sheila Gomez of the Malibu Beach Inn about the nutritional value but also the gorgeous flavors, colors, smells, and textures of the foods that make up the Mediterranean plate.

We're all looking for ways to optimize our health and especially our immunity — things we tend to take for granted when we're feeling good and there isn't a pandemic going on.

The basic ways we strengthen our immune response are the same, whether we're worried about COVID-19 or the flu or staying healthier through menopause: wash hands often, don't touch your face, eat well, sleep well, exercise.

However, we live in world of pre-packaged food that's high in sugar, bad fats, salt, and calories, but low in nutrients — and it's easy to get, doesn't require much prep time, and let's admit it, it tastes pretty good. That can make getting the right nutrients in the right amounts at the right times more challenging.

To help women ensure they fill nutritional gaps, Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk and Naturopathic Physician Wendy Ellis teamed up on a webinar all about how to supplement.

Of course, there's no substitute for a healthy, balanced diet, but when that's just not possible, supplements can help. And stay turned for Gennev's supplement pack for women — created by Dr. Ellis to provide nutritional support but also to help manage menopause symptoms in this challenging time of life. Coming soon!

To learn more about Gennev and to get the full transcript of this conversation, visit Gennev.com.

Historically (and, let's face it, currently) society hasn't done a great job of valuing and centering women and women's issues. 

This lack of care and attention is compounded when the woman in question is older, Black or of color, LGBTQ+, disabled, trans, or at the intersection of two or more of these identities. 

Omisade Burney-Scott is changing that. Her website, Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, is a sort of Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret for an older demographic -- intended to be a safe space for Black women to ask questions, get and give answers, and explore identity at any age.

In a society that values youth over age and rewards "anti-aging" over aging naturally, Omisade's site, podcast, and events are opportunities for women to individually and collective take back their power and identity. 

In this podcast, Omisade speaks with Gennev CEO Jill Angelo about women's obligation and honor to teach younger generations about aging and menopause. As Omisade says, it's important "to see the trajectory of someone's lived experience" and understand "there's no shelf-life on evolving." Older women have important information to give, about the experience of menopause, and so much more. It's up to us to find opportunities to pass that information along. 

About Omisade Burney-Scott: 

Gennev's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Menopause Coach Stasi Kasianchuk discuss why women in menopause and midlife need to take especially good care of themselves during this time of elevated risk. They also share great tips on how to support your immune system now and always.

Learn more about Gennev, menopause, and how to protect your health with Gennev HealthFix and Telemedicine at gennev.com.

If you like beer – especially craft beer created and brewed by experts who love what they do – you’re really going to enjoy this podcast.

If you’re dealing with menopause symptoms, you’re going to love it.

The Portsmouth Brewery is the kind of place where you want to become a regular: amazing beer, great food, the kind of social atmosphere that’s perfect for spending time with friends and unwinding after work or on a weekend. (Hint: go on Tuesdays, and you can take part in “wooden token” day.)

Lately, they’ve been in the press a lot. A LOT.

They’ve created a beer called Libeeration, a gruit designed, as their website says, “specifically for women experiencing menopausal symptoms and to celebrate the liberating aspects of this stage of life.”

That sounded awfully good to us, so we gave them a call. And they agreed to tell us all about it. So if you’ve got some time, pour yourself a glass of your favorite brew and join us.

Come to genneve.com for more information. 

How do you discuss a “taboo” topic like menopause on a public forum like a podcast? With humor, insight, wisdom, and patience!

Meet Colleen Ricci Rosenblum and Bridgett Biagi Garratt, the forces behind the hit podcast for midlife women: Hot Flashes & Cool Topics.

A year and 60-or-so episodes out from their launch, and Colleen and Bridgett have a genuine hit on their hands.

They've talked about the things you might imagine, given their title: peri/menopause, being empty nesters and relationships with adult children, etc. 

But they've taken on some tougher topics as well, including Colleen's daughter's history with an eating disorder, difficult pregnancies, divorce, and suicide.

Initially, they reached out to Gennev to feature Gennev CEO Jill Angelo on a podcast; they were so delightful and informed and fun, we asked them to return the favor.

What follows is a great conversation about midlife, menopause, the (glacially slow) changing attitudes towards women's health, and what it's like to go in the public eye and share intimate information. 

On July 10, we published Part 1 of our conversation on Naturopathic Medicine with Dr. Jane Guiltinan, recently retired Dean of the School of Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University.

In Part 1, we asked Dr. Guiltinan to give us a sort of Naturopathic Medicine 101 – since many of us are unfamiliar with the practice, we wanted to know what it was about, how it worked, and how we could find a qualified naturopathic doctor (ND).

In Part 2, we dug a little deeper into what being treated by an ND is like and the advantages this practice has for women in midlife and menopause.

Here’s what she told us.

1:18 What is my first Naturopathic Medicine appointment going to be like?

We’re quickly becoming convinced of the benefits of Naturopathic Medicine, so we asked Dr. Guiltinan what we could expect from that first appointment. How long will it take, what kinds of questions will we be asked, what should we walk away with? Some of the process will seem very familiar, she told us, like filling out insurance forms, but expect a much longer appointment and a more in-depth conversation about lifestyle, diet, underlying causes – not just the complaint you came in with. PS: there may be “homework” to prep for your next appointment!

“I’m a very strong believer in shared decision making and that this is a partnership.”

5:33 Honesty is the path to recovery – how to share ALL THE INFORMATION with your Naturopathic Doctor

Working with a naturopathic doctor is most effective when you have open and frank communication, we discovered. There’s no help claiming you eat healthfully if you really don’t. NDs are looking for the root causes of your concerns, so hide nothing! Chances are your ND has been trained to develop a relationship based on trust and to listen without judgment.

6:26 The “meaty” stuff about menopause – what do women in midlife want to know?

According to Dr. Guiltinan, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a cause for concern because many of us aren’t sure of the risks versus the benefits. So many women turn to their ND for information about bio-identical HRT which is considered “safer” and more “natural” in some circles (though research studies don’t necessarily support this belief). Dr. Guiltinan goes into the details on HRT, the length of time considered safe, and who qualifies as a good candidate.

11:00 Where do we get the idea that bio-identical hormones are safer?

Uh….let’s just say that while everyone is entitled to their opinion, and lay people can be extremely well informed, it’s probably best to check with a qualified medical professional before making a decision. An ND can be a great partner in helping you determine the healthiest, more effective path through midlife and menopause.

12:17 What can an ND do for me if I can’t utilize hormone replacement therapy?

Women with a history of breast cancer or other risk factors aren’t good candidates for HRT; what options do they have to manage menopause symptoms? Women in this category have many options, says Dr. Guiltinan. Diet, lifestyle changes, adding herbs and supplements like black cohosh or maca: all of these can be very helpful in making menopause easier, and your ND can work with you to balance all the factors and reach your healthiest you. (Bonus: maca may help rekindle a limp libido….)

15:09 That’s a lot of herbs. Which one works best?

If you’ve ever braved the “supplement” section of your grocery store, you’ve likely seen a bewildering array of choices: pills, powders, teas, creams … so many configurations, dosages …. Help? We asked Dr. Guiltinan how we can make informed decisions. Supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA the way prescription medications are, so there is plenty of snake oil on those shelves, she told us. She gave us some great tips on how to determine which providers are legit and what questions to ask producers.

18:03 How long are we going to be meeting like this?

Perimenopause and menopause can affect a woman’s life for years. We wanted to know how long, typically, Dr. Guiltinan worked with clients to help them reach and retain optimal health. Like all things menopause, it varies with the woman and at what stage she came in for help, the Doc told us. The goal is to find what works as quickly as possible, get them on the path to health, and then only see them when things change.

19:25 What about those other hormones, progesterone and testosterone?

We talk a lot about estrogen in menopause, but progesterone and testosterone (yep, women produce small amounts of testosterone) also change during this time, and the difference in levels can be felt. There are dangers to taking some hormones without others – the ideal is to keep the body in the optimum balance – so testing by a professional is critical.

21:44 What else should women know as they travel the menopath?

“Menopause is not a disease,” says Dr. Guiltinan. Even though we talk about “symptoms,” it’s a natural and normal part of life, just as periods are. And here’s a news flash: “You don’t have to do anything about menopause if you don’t feel bad.” Crazy, right? If you’re not having symptoms that interfere drastically with your life, great! Carry on and enjoy your life.

Next week we talk with nutritionist Julie Duffy Dillon on “food peace,” so be sure to stay tuned to genneve.com!

 Dr. Jane Guiltinan recently retired as Dean of the School of Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. A practicing naturopathic physician for thirty years, Dr. Guiltinan graduated from Bastyr in 1986, and has served as a clinical professor, medical director and dean of clinical affairs during her tenure there. She was the co-medical director for the first publicly funded integrated health clinic in the United States, the King County Natural Medicine Clinic. She served on the board of trustees for Harborview Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center and part of the University of Washington Medicine system for twelve years and was the first naturopathic physician on the board of a large public hospital. In 2012, she was appointed by Kathleen Sebelius, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, to the Advisory Council of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), a center within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Guiltinan’s practice is focused on women’s health, primary care, disease prevention, and wellness promotion.

"There's been yet another round of lay-press headlines about how estrogen plus progesterone hormone replacement may increase the breast cancer risk," says OB/GYN Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su. 

Headlines don't tell the full story, and Dr. Dunsmoor-Su, who is an epidemiologist as well as an OB/GYN, helps us separate fact from fiction in this podcast.

If you're dealing with menopause symptoms and are worried about taking HRT to manage them, you'll want to give this a listen.

We had the pleasure of talking with Lynette Sheppard, author of Becoming a Menopause Goddess and “scribe” and moderator of the Menopause Goddess website and blog. Lynette and her goddesses are tackling the lack of knowledge and awareness women have when approaching the “Big M.” Lynette spent more than 10 years as a  Nurse-Manager and head of Intensive Care and Coronary Care units in Santa Rosa, California. She knows her way around healing and the human body and is a terrific translator of medical-speak.

“Was what was happening to me normal?
My entire life was turned upside down.”

For more details and to see the transcript of the interview, visit us at genneve.com. 

Gennev's #IAmThe Change campaign is a call to arms for women to speak up about how they’re transforming during their time of menopause. No more shushing women into isolation, I am the Change is meant to help us all feel a little more normal, a little more in control of this miraculous and sometimes challenging transition we’re in, and a little less lonely when the stress, sleeplessness, or relationship strain gets heavy.

We didn’t quite know where the women’s stories would take us, but we knew that it takes voices coming together to create change. The kind of change that materially changes how women will experience this menopause transition so many of us manage on a daily basis. Join us!

You've been having hot flashes for a while. You still have periods, but sometimes you might go a month or two with nothing. You haven't felt much joy lately, sleep doesn't come as easily as it used to, and you're tired all the way to your bones.

How long is all of this going to last?

There's no hormone test that will tell you where you are in your menopause transition. Unfortunately, in perimenopause when symptoms first start to appear, your hormones are fluctuating so much, you might test as menopausal today but not tomorrow.

That doesn't mean you just grit your teeth and hope it's not the "20 years" you've heard about from others. Gennev's unique menopause assessment looks at your symptoms, your medical history, and your cycles to help you understand where you are -- and what might be coming next.

Knowing where you are means you understand when the changes in your body are normal and when they maybe signal a need for some medical attention. Knowing means you can prepare for the symptoms that may follow. 

In this podcast, OB/GYN, Chief Medical Officer, and menopause specialist Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su talks with Gennev CEO Jill Angelo about the Menopause Assessment she created for Gennev. They discuss the science behind it, the benefits of the data collected for both the woman who took it and the women who are coming up to perimenopause behind her. 

They also take on the issue of privacy with personal data and the many ways Gennev can help women have an easier, healthier menopause.

Curious? Take the free Gennev Menopause Assessment and find out where you are in your menopause transition.

When most of us think of grief, we think of losing a loved one or the end of a relationship. Does it make sense to have a sense of grief in the coronavirus crisis, even if you haven't lost anyone?

According to psychiatrist Dr. Swapna Vaidya, yes. Grief is caused by loss, and many of us have lost at the very least a sense of security and our predictable routines. Others may have lost jobs, opportunities, and of course, loved ones.

But we're all in this together, and the potential for unity and for providing one another with support, globally, has never been greater. 

In this podcast, Dr. Swapna Vaidya speaks with Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk about the nature and course of grief and how to be kinder to everyone going through it — including yourself.

Dr. Swapna Vaidya is a psychiatrist and Executive Medical Director in the MultiCare Health System.

Stasi Kasianchuk is a Sports Dietitian, Exercise Physiologist and Gennev Director of Health Coaching.

If menopause symptoms are really impacting your life, there are so many things you can do to manage them. Our Health Coaches can help you with strategies for controlling your health in menopause: nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, symptom control, and so much more.

All our HealthFix coaches are also Registered Dietitian Nutritionists with special training in menopause care. Learn more by listening in on this discussion with our coaching team: Director Stasi Kasianchuk and Coaches Jessica Gingrich and Katie Linville. 

Then, come to Gennev. Check out our HealthFix program, and start feeling better today. 

“13% of women over 50 engage in eating disorder behaviors.” - National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders

Weight gain at midlife can be as distressing as it is common, leaving many women searching for ways to shed the unwanted weight. But are a few extra pounds really worth the pain and suffering, or worse, risking a dangerous eating disorder? Wouldn’t it be better to make peace with our bodies and our food?

Jill talked with Julie Duffy Dillon, Registered Dietitian, Eating Disorder and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Specialist, and Food Behavior Expert, on how she’s partnering with people on their Food Peace journey. Julie is trained as a mental health counselor and supervises dietitians and other health professionals to use weight-inclusive and attuned-eating strategies.

Here’s what she told us:

1:37 What is the “food peace journey,” and how did we get so far off track?

What is the “food peace journey”? Julie says we’re “born knowing how to eat,” but somehow our natural set points for hunger and fullness have gotten confused as our culture’s definition of beauty have narrowed. How did that happen, and how do we get our original “default settings” back?

3:59 Why is it so hard for us to have a healthy relationship with food?

Why is it difficult for adults, including women over 40, to have a healthy relationship with food? Sixty percent of adult women engage in “pathological weight control,” Julie says, and feel guilty about eating or getting pleasure from food. Hear from Julie how our fat-phobic, youth-obsessed culture damages how we think about food and our bodies and how rejecting that cultural attitude becomes a radical act.

6:34 Intuitive eating and letting body cues dictate what and how we eat

Julie talks about coaching women up from “diet rock bottom.” Acknowledging damaging cultural expectations, admitting our old ways of thinking and acting don’t work, deciding our own path to food peace – these help us realize we are the experts on our bodies, Julie says. And that allows us to reclaim our body’s natural cues. Learn how.

9:29 What “food rules” do we follow and why should we ditch them?

Don’t eat after sunset; stay under 1200 calories a day; don’t eat carbs, but clean your plate. We set a lot of rules for our eating that may or may not support good health. Julie goes into some of our many food rules and why so many of our “shoulds” … shouldn’t.

12:01 Distinguishing real hunger from “symbolic” hunger

Many of us have gotten so far into disordered eating, we don’t recognize our own body cues anymore. Julie helps us reconnect with our needs, whether it’s a need for fuel or whether we’re actually trying to feed a “symbolic” hunger instead.

14:01 Why do we experience symbolic hunger?  

Why do we eat when we’re not hungry? Julie says there are lots of reasons to eat outside of physical hunger, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But if there’s more to the hunger, if there’s an underlying cause that needs to be addressed, then it might be time to find a Julie. Eating outside of hunger shouldn’t be shameful or an opportunity to judge someone, Julie says. She details questions to ask yourself when you think your hunger might be symbolic and unhealthy.

But wait, there’s more food peace ahead!

In Part 2, Jill and Julie talk about how we can be more conscious of our own eating, and how eating issues seem to disproportionally affect women in midlife. How do we know when our eating has become problematic, and what can we do about our approach to food?

Stay tuned to genneve for the second half of this podcast, and be sure to follow us on iTunes, Stitcher, and SoundCloud, so you never miss an episode.

Julie owns Birdhouse Nutrition Therapy, central North Carolina's premier source of eating disorder treatment and prevention. She also produces and hosts the weekly podcast, Love Food. Learn more at JulieDillonRD.com.

Think eating disorders are limited to teenage girls? Nope. Teens, men, women, transgender people, all races and ethnicities, active duty military, and  – disproportionately – women over 50. As eating disorders have the highest fatality rate of all mental illnesses, it’s critical for everyone to know the warning signs and seek help if needed.

Jill, genneve CEO, spoke with Julie Duffy Dillon, Registered Dietitian, Eating Disorder and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Specialist, and Food Behavior Expert, about the reasons women suffer disordered eating in midlife and what they can do to avoid or correct unhealthy eating.

In part 1 of “making peace with food in midlife and menopause,” listen as Jill and Julie talk about what Julie calls the “food peace journey” and how, as individuals and as a culture, we’ve gotten so far away healthy eating behaviors. In part 1, Julie introduces us to the idea of “intuitive eating” and how our society’s food rules (never eat before bedtime, for example) and misunderstanding of symbolic hunger have made us less healthy, not more.

Julie is trained as a mental health counselor and supervises dietitians and other health professionals to use weight-inclusive and attuned-eating strategies, so listen in as she tells Jill how we can all get on the road to food peace.

1:30 What are the warning signs that my eating has become seriously disordered?

Does food have too much power in your life, Julie asks. Do you find yourself thinking about food all the time? If so, it might be time for some intervention. If you’re avoiding situations and people because you fear the food involvement (pizza night with the family, for example), your situation may be bordering on dangerous.

4:20 How are eating disorders impacting women in midlife?

Eating disorders run the gamut, Julie says, but some women in midlife do have a particular vulnerability due to the shift in estrogen. We don’t yet understand the exact cause and effect or who might be more likely to develop a food disorder, but because every woman experiences changes at this time, all women should be on guard against unhealthy eating habits. There may be a biologically useful reason for those 15 pounds at menopause, by the way, and unhealthy consequences to fighting the gain.

[More from Julie on why eating disorders in women in midlife are so common.]

9:40 Do our bodies fight against weight loss?

Yep, says Julie. Our bodies don’t understand weight loss “on purpose,” so it starts going into survival mode, shutting down systems and sending hunger signals. Julie goes into some of the physical and emotional repercussions of overly restricted eating. Dieting is pretty counter-productive, according to Julie, so maybe don’t do it. There are better ways to be healthy.

[Speaking of potentially unhealthy dieting, read Julie’s thoughts on intermittent fasting.]

14:34 Advice for women who want to eat AND live?

Stop fighting your body, Julie says. Celebrate the gifts you have to give, value your body and its wisdom.

What great advice! Our thanks to Julie for sharing her wisdom and expertise. If you want more Julie (and who wouldn’t?), check out her website and podcasts. And if you suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome, be sure to download her free ebook, Your First 3 Steps Toward Food Peace with PCOS.

Stay tuned for our next podcast with Amanda Giralmo, owner of wellthielife.com. This awesome holistic health coach is telling us what causes inflammation, how our bodies respond (hint: it ain’t good), and the changes we can make to reduce, avoid, and correct inflammation. Be sure to check back here and also subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud, and Google Play so you never miss an episode.

When do you feel your best? At a certain weight, when you’re exercising regularly, when you eat a particular way, or only when the planets are in some kind of mystical alignment? We’d love to hear how you strive to be your best and what works (or doesn’t) for you. Please share by emailing me at shannon@genneve.com (I’ll share your ideas, but never your name), posting on genneve’s Facebook page, or joining Midlife & Menopause Solutions, genneve’s closed Facebook group.

Jill talked with Dr. Patricia Van Santen, a California-based licensed practitioner of Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Dr. Patricia works with many women in midlife and menopause, and her patients have found great relief in her formulas and treatments.

Because many Westerners are still unfamiliar with the practice of Chinese medicine, we asked Dr. Patricia to share her learning and expertise with us.

1:30
Dr. Patricia got started working on bodies because, as a professional dancer surrounded by other professional dancers, she was familiar with bodies and the complexities thereof. She told us about how art, physicality, health, and celebration of movement came together to lead her to her current practice.

3:40
As a dancer and choreographer, you experience the world in different ways than other people, Dr. Patricia says. Hear her thoughts on how we should all, like dancers, learn to listen to our bodies to stay healthy or help ourselves heal.

5:20
How do we know we’re listening to our bodies and hearing them correctly? Dr. Patricia says to “start by listening to your doubt.” Hear how to do it and why it works.

6:00
How does your tribe help you be in the moment, listen, and thrive? There’s power in the help and support only your tribe can provide.

7:55
Dr. Patricia introduces us to the fundamental differences in approach to menopause between Western and Chinese medicine. Many women all over the world have found relief in both traditions, so it’s worth exploring all the options.

10:45
How do you change your health when you can’t really change your circumstances? You may not be able to change your job or move to another climate, but Dr. Patricia shares other, smaller changes you can make to bring your life and body into better balance.

12:50
To give us an example of what a consultation might look like, Jill shared her long-standing issue with night sweats. Dr. Patricia takes her through how she might identify the underlying issues and create a personalized formula to address them.

14:20
Once the formula is determined, what next? Since presumably your local drugstore won’t be able to provide, where do clients go to find the items they need? Dr. Patricia lets us in on the best ways to source the solutions. (hint: Oriental Medical Schools pretty much rock this)

17:30
How do Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture complement each other, and what other components should we be integrating into our self care?

19:07
Many Westerners are unfamiliar with Chinese medicine and acupuncture – Dr. Patricia shares how she brings her patients to a place of openness and trust.

21:03
If someone is looking for a practitioner of Chinese medicine, how should they go about finding one? What questions should they ask, and where do you even start?

22:20
How do you establish expectations when patients are impatient for solutions? Dr. Patricia lets us in on things women can do any time to start the process of feeling better.

23:35
Dr. Patricia advises us on what all women over 40 should be doing to nourish themselves inside and out. Observe yourself, she says: what makes you feel better or worse? What in life brings you joy? Do what Mae West used to do, Dr. Patricia says, and start your day positively. Walk, observe, be present.

26:46
How do we learn to embrace and celebrate midlife? Disentangle yourself from the notion that only fertile women are productive and useful, Dr. Patricia says, because you have a great deal yet to give.

If you’re looking for a practitioner near you, visit NCCAOM.org, the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. To learn more about Dr. Patricia, visit her website.

February is Heart Health month, and here are a few things you need to know but might not:

1. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States, far outpacing breast cancer.
2. Estrogen is protective of the heart - it relaxes arteries and promotes the "good" kind of cholesterol.
3. Ten years post-menopause, a woman's risk of heart disease is equal to a man's.
4. Women are more likely to die due to heart attack because our assumptions about what heart attacks "look like" are based largely on men's symptoms - not women's. So women often don't seek treatment or are misdiagnosed.

That's enough of the bad news. Here's some good news instead.

Nutrition, exercise, and attention to gut health can go a long way toward reducing your risk of heart disease (and this is true of everyone at every age).

In this conversation with bariatric surgeon and gut-health expert Dr. Erika La Vella, Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk asks the questions YOU need the answers to: how to maximize gut health to have a healthier heart.

You can find Dr. La Vella at lavellayourguts.com. You can make an appointment with Coach Stasi or any of our Dietitian Nutritionist coaches at Gennev.com/plans.

Resources for additional information:

Nutrition plays a critical role in supporting our immune system. Now more than ever it's time to prioritize your nutrition to keep you healthy and well. This doesn't need to take excessive amounts of time or advanced culinary skills. Listen to the podcast to learn easy ways to prepare and eat meals to support your immune health.

In this podcast, you'll hear Gennev's Director of Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk, RND, talking with another Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Monika Jacobson, about the importance of good food during stressful times. 

Healthy food is always important, but in this time of global pandemic, the more we can do to take care of ourselves, the more we slow the spread and ease the burden on overloaded health care facilities. 

And if the way we take care of ourselves makes us and our families feel good, happens to be delicious as well as nutritious, and can even be a fun activity to do together, well, even better.

Click here for more information on Gennev's HealthFix program. And learn more about Monika and her organization, Eat Move Thrive-Spokane.

Looking for more great information on wellness during COVID 19 and beyond? Check out Gennev's free Weekly Webinar series, where we talk with health professionals about the issues that concern you most. 

Find a full transcript of this podcast at Gennev.

We got to talk with Michelle Combs, blogger at RubberShoesInHell.com, writer for Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, and others. Michelle’s hilarious and honest approach to the perils of midlife and menopause make her a welcome voice in an often depressing conversation. She talked with us about how she keeps her sense of humor in a time of absurdity.

1:17

What was the origin of “Rubber Shoes in Hell”? Michelle tells the story of needing an outlet for her writing and finding her path via an instant messaged conversation between cubicles.

2:34

How is talking openly about the absurdity of midlife a kind of release? Like many women, Michelle embraced midlife as a time to be more open and genuine about who she really is. She makes a convincing argument for why knowing we’re all going to die can be oddly freeing.

4:04

We hear it all the time from women: build your tribe. Michelle shares her thoughts on the importance of gathering around you people who “get” you and support you, no matter what.

5:45

Tribes don’t always gather in person; online communities can be every bit as powerful and important. Michelle has a robust online tribe at her blog, and tells us about the experience of “hosting” that conversation on Rubber Shoes.  

8:26

Menopause is a challenging time, and our culture’s “suck it up, buttercup” approach to it isn’t particularly helpful. We asked Michelle how she manages to honor what women are experiencing while keeping the humor intact.

9:38

Finding her voice: has she? What does it sound like? What does she have left to say, and please o please, will she keep saying it?

11:00

What’s her favorite menopause story? Yeah, Michelle didn’t know she was in menopause until it was over. She tells her story of “battening the hatches” to prepare, as only she can tell it.

14:06

Why Michelle digs the aging process. Except eyebrow hairs. She really doesn’t like wiry eyebrow hairs.

15:06

Michelle gives advice to younger women – advice she admits she herself would have ignored as a 20- or 30-something. It’s perfect.

 18:09

Are women supporting each other the way we should? Michelle gives her thoughts on why she’s hopeful about the future.

19:02

What’s next for Michelle? For a woman who doesn’t have plans, she’s got a lot of… plans. Hear how she’s gotten where she is and where she’s going from here. Also, writing books is hard.

21:05

How to find more Michelle: read her blog at Rubber Shoes in Hell, see her do standup at the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop, check out her articles on Huffington Post.

For more great content, and lots of midlife and menopause solutions, visit us at genneve.com.

Pelvic health is so important for women, especially as we age.

In this podcast, Gennev Health Coach Stasi Kasianchuk talks with Doctor of Physical Therapy and pelvic specialist Meagan Peeters-Gebler about how to strengthen and maintain the muscles of the pelvic floor.

Find Dr. Peeters-Gebler at Orthopedic Spine Therapy.

Gennev is a first-of-its-kind online clinic for women in midlife and menopause. Learn how to improve health and wellness and reduce menopause symptoms by working with our OB/GYNs via Gennev Telemedicine and develop your personalized menopause plan with our Health Coaches via the Gennev HealthFix program. Learn more at Gennev.com.

In Part 1 of our conversation with neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Mosconi, we learned more about the connection between estrogen, menopause, and Alzheimer's.

In short, in perimenopause and menopause, as estrogen declines, women lose some of the neuroprotective advantages of the hormone, making them more vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease. 

Make sure to listen to Part 1 to get grounded in the science. In Part 2, Dr. Mosconi lets us in on how we can protect our brains from the cognitive decline of Alzheimer's. Food, exercise, intellectual stimulation all have a part to play, so you're going to want to hear what Dr. Mosconi has to say. (Bonus: a lot of these same tips can help men age better, too.)

Learn more about Dr. Mosconi, the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic, and how you might participate in their research. If you want to start nourishing your brain against age-related decline (“eating for retirement,” as Dr. Mosconi puts it), get your hands on a copy of her fascinating and very readable book, Brain Food: the Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power.

See the full transcript of our conversation on genneve.com, then join the conversation in our community forums!

“I’ve been dressing myself since I was four. Why is it suddenly so hard to do?”

Changing bodies, changing priorities, outdated notions of what’s “acceptable” to wear after 40 can all make it feel surprisingly difficult to dress yourself. And whether we like it or not, people do judge us on our appearance.

We can use that very human habit to our advantage, says Mellicia Marx, personal stylist and founder of the very cool Poplin Style Directions. Our clothes can be a tool to express ourselves and project the image we want to the world. You just have to know what that image is and how to achieve it.

What do you want your clothes to say about you?

Mellicia asks her clients for the three words they aspire to in their style – “confident, edgy, and feminine” or “boho, earthy, and relaxed,” whatever they may be – and from there they can build a closet that’s like a “boutique curated just for you.”

Sound good? Listen in to Mellicia's ideas about fashion, body image, staying on budget, and feeling good enough to take on the world. 

Join us at genneve.com for more information about Mellicia and a full transcript of this conversation. 

Jill Angelo, CEO of genneve, sat down with holistic health coach Amanda Giralmo of WellthieLife to talk about food, chronic inflammation, and how we can make better food choices to support our health.

1:11
Discovering our life’s true path often starts with fixing a problem within ourselves. For Amanda Giralmo, founder of Wellthie Life, bringing herself back to health and wholeness after a difficult divorce helped her uncover her passion for leading others to their best selves. She tells us how she found the strength to take that journey.

3:24
Did she feel she needed permission to take that journey, considering it meant taking time off and focusing on herself? We asked her how she came to that very necessary decision.

4:39
The experience brought her to where she is now, helping others as a certified holistic health coach focused on lowering inflammation. So, we asked her, what is inflammation, what causes it, and why is it so bad for us when it becomes “chronic”? Amanda explains the importance of the gut microbiome and how long-term inflammation damages the good bacteria we depend on for optimal health. (Ever heard the expression “leaky gut”?) What are the long-term consequences of inflammation?

9:22
Chronic inflammation caused by eating the wrong foods can be constant, if you consider how often we eat. Fifty million people – at least – suffer an autoimmune disease in the US. Knowing the right foods to eat for our bodies can help us avoid that fate, Amanda says.

10:26
So what are the symptoms? So many people have chronic inflammation due to eating foods they’re sensitive to, so clearly we’re not all as in-tune with our bodies as we should be. How can we know we need to change?

11:49
How does this condition start? Amanda tells us that formation of a healthy gut goes all the way back to how we’re born and our very first food. She also tells us what we do as adults that can cause inflammation besides eating the wrong foods.

14:25
As Amanda knows from her own personal story, stress is a major cause of inflammation. She talks about how stress affects us and what happens when we’re not able to “rest and digest.”

15:25
OK, so we’re chronically inflamed. If that inflammation isn’t reduced or eliminated, what can happen? The consequences can be pretty dire, Amanda warns us. Hear why you want to reduce that inflammation, like, yesterday.

16:17
What’s the difference between a food allergy and a reactivity or sensitivity? Both are signs of chronic inflammation, Amanda tells us, but allergies may be easier to detect. Because sensitivities can be slow and sneaky, we tend to just live with the discomfort for years. Amanda gives us the simple diagnostic.

17:34
Does aging have anything to do with inflammation? Yes, says Amanda, particularly in women, the lack of reproductive hormones makes chronic inflammation more apparent in women in midlife. She tells us the thinking around the intersection between inflammation and menopause.

18:34
Amanda has developed a three-phase program to help her clients eliminate harmful foods from their diet. Through the program, clients heal their bodies by identifying what causes the reactivity and learning to avoid or manage those triggers – with Amanda providing resources, guidance, and support throughout.

20:57
The program takes time to work through: Amanda gives us an idea of how long it typically takes to begin healing the chronic inflammation. And you don’t get to cheat, she warns us: eating a trigger food will set your body back to start.

21:55
It’s not an easy process, but the results can be well worth the effort. Amanda shares with us a client’s experience of losing weight, regaining energy, and generally feeling like embracing life again.

24:40
The role of “coach” gets interesting when the goals are so intensely personal. Amanda tells us about keep clients honest and their need to confess and apologize when they cheat or backslide. “I’m just here to play support and accountability,” Amanda says, “It’s all about what they need to do for themselves.”

25:09
If you need Amanda, how do you find her? The quickest way is by going to her website: wellthielife.com. (It’s a great place to find a whole lot of information, incidentally.) The initial, 50-minute consultation with Amanda is complimentary. It’s important to find a coach who’s a good “fit,” Amanda tells us, so choose your coach carefully.

Mary Slagle is a SaaS Sales Specialist for MINDBODY, Inc. Working in the field of wellness, and for a company filled with mostly twenty-somethings, Mary was feeling as though she had missed out on the chance to join in on the activities and fun they all enjoyed. With five grown children and four grandchildren, her dream was to be more active and healthy.

While prospecting for new clients, Mary came across Health and Lifestyle Coach Lara Dalch's website and program for a Vibrant Healthy life. She realized it was exactly what she was looking for, in a wholly unexpected way.

In this podcast with Jill, Mary and Lara tell us how they partnered up to help Mary feel balanced and successful in all aspects of her life.

1:54 Why a coach?

Mary is a high-achieving, got-it-all-together kind of gal. Why would she need a coach? Because being driven and having a full life is terrific, but it can also be stressful. Lara helps her prioritize and spend her time and energy right.

2:56 What struck you about Lara’s services in particular?

There are lots of coaches and coaching programs out there. We asked Mary how she knew Lara was the right partner for her. According to Mary, The “Get Out of Your Own Way” worksheet, plus the chance to consult with Lara for free, opened her eyes to where she was in life. She was settling, she realized, and that just wasn’t right.

4:37 What does it mean to “get out of your own way”?

Lara’s online worksheet was born from watching women sabotage their lives and their opportunities to live more vibrantly. Check out the ways Lara sees women block their own dreams and futures.

6:15 Finding awareness

There must have been a moment when you realized you weren’t living the life you wanted. What was it like when your eyes were opened? Mary talks about when she realized she was giving so much to her professional life, it was leaving her powerless in her personal life.

7:44 How does the workshop help women realize how much better their lives could be?

The workshop is a “sliver of hope” that things can change, says Lara; it’s a glimpse into that better, more fulfilling life. Whatever your goals are, there are paths to achieving them – Lara helps her clients realize first, things can be better, and second, here’s how we’ll get you there.

10:21 First, the commitment, then the work

What did the day-to-day work feel like? Lara and Mary talk about the dangers of The Grand Plan and the sanity of setting reasonable goals.

12:35 Set big goals – be ready to adjust

As Lara says, “Feeling well means something different every day.” It’s important for highly driven women to train their brains to notice what’s going well, to celebrate the small steps as much as the big victories. As Lara told us later, there are two critical steps here. Step one: honor how you're feeling and be compassionate with yourself. Step two: redirect your attention to what's going well. Listen to find out how.

14:12 Honeymoon’s over. Now what?

We asked Mary about the low points. What were they and how did she get over them? In a house full of food that wasn’t healthy for her body, constant denial was grinding her down. Mary describes how she and Lara developed tools that allowed for some indulgence but kept her choices under her control.

16:06 Tools? Do tell!

We could all use tools like that! Mary talks about how Lara’s program allows for 24/7 access to the whole history of their journey together through video. Being able to go back to critical touchpoints along the way really helped Mary stay on track.

18:00 Pulling clients out of the pit

We asked Lara how she realizes her clients are struggling and what she does when they need a boost. So, what’s “new and good” with you?

18:58 How does coach stay positive?

“There’s always something” that shifts the client and the coach back into a positive mindset, Lara says. Sometimes they have to talk a while to find the good, but there’s always something.

19:39 How do you know when you’re “done”?

We asked how the program finishes and Mary is sustaining her progress. The program is designed to be finite, Lara says, though there are options to continue. But high-performing women like Mary tend to get through the material quickly and are ready to fly solo pretty fast. From her side, Mary didn’t want to say goodbye, even though she was “soaring”! So she’s opted to keep Lara in her corner, through check ups and check ins to keep her moving forward. Will she finally join that CrossFit group? Stay tuned!

23:30 Is this now a way of life, or is it still work to keep moving ahead?

Life makes it tough to make the right choices sometimes (e.g. a cruise ship full of ice cream and pizza), so negotiations continue. But now, Mary says, she has the tools to make judgement calls and control her own decision-making (like spending candy bar money on better “indulgences”).

25:47 The coach’s perspective on a client’s success

“It’s such a pleasure to see her thrive,” Lara says. No surprise there. 😊

If you’re looking to get out of your own way and feel vibrant and fulfilled, take a look at Lara’s website or find a coach near you.

For those who think you should be able to do this on their own, you may well be able to, and that’s great. But also think about all the other times in life when you’re willing to call in expert help – is fixing your future to be more fulfilling less important than fixing your car?

If you’ve utilized the services of a coach for career, fitness, lifestyle changes, nutrition, etc., we’d love to know how you found your coach and how the partnership worked for you. Please feel free to share in the comments on genneve.com. You’re also welcome to join the conversation on genneve’s Facebook page or Midlife & Menopause Solutions, genneve’s closed Facebook group.

Coming up soon on genneve’s podcasts: nixing sugar with Dr. Anna Garrett, just in time for Halloween; brewing up something special for menopause with the Portsmouth Brewery; and learning more about the innovative Mona Lisa Touch with Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su. Stay tuned or subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher or SoundCloud so you never miss an episode!

Physical health and financial health have a lot of overlap. When one is not optimal, the other can suffer.

How much should you have before you can "safely" retire? Should I be aggressive or conservative in my investments now? How can I invest in companies that represent my interests and principles?

Because women live, on average, a couple of years longer than men, and because women generally come to retirement with less in the bank, retirement planning is really important. 

Yet many women avoid taking the time to truly plan so they can enjoy a comfortable, stable retirement income.

We asked Jenifer Sapel, CEO of Utor Wealth, to join us for a conversation on how women can protect their financial health — and independence — as they age.

Listen to the podcast, then come to Gennev for more information about Jenifer Sapel, Utor Wealth, and how to have a truly great second half of life. 

You can access the slides Jenifer discusses here.

With so many symptoms, and some of them pretty unpleasant, menopause can seem like the end of your world. Or at least your world as you knew it.

Amanda Thebe was a lifelong athlete and fitness enthusiast, but when she hit perimenopause at 43, things went ... awry. Fatigue set in, and she found her previously boundless reserves of energy were drying up. And, like so many of us, she didn't realize right away that the issues she was having were hormonal.

And like many women, she ran a gamut of doctors who never even suggested perimenopause. Nausea, vomiting, and extreme fatigue led to dozens of tests (even the emergency room!) over nearly two years.

Fortunately, at a standard well-woman check up with an OB/GYN, the doc was able to diagnose perimenopause after about five minutes of conversation.  A few minutes more, and she had some next steps to start feeling like herself again. 

Her book Menopocalypse is Amanda's way of bringing attention to the fact that women need information and, once they have it, can actually thrive through this change.  

Listen to the conversation. Buy and read the book. Join us at Gennev to learn more from experts in menopause and menopause care.

Pelvic pain during sex, pain from the pelvic region generally, incontinence, prolapse – these do NOT have to be your “new normal.” There are treatments out there to help you manage, even solve, many of the issues related to pelvic floor dysfunction.

One solution might mean taking a long look at your choice of birth control ….

Rachel Gelman DPT is a clinical specialist and branch director at the Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center in San Francisco. She specializes in the physical therapy management of numerous pelvic pain disorders, including bowel, bladder and sexual dysfunction. We talked with her about some of the sources of pelvic pain, including the surprising news that hormonal birth control may be part of the problem.

1:27 what’s your approach to pelvic pain?

Rachel says she deals with pain from the “ribcage to the knees,” specifically focusing on the internal muscles of the pelvic floor. We asked her exactly what that meant. The list is surprisingly long – clearly this part of the body is responsible for a heck of a lot and needs proper care and attention.

3:13 how do hormones impact our pelvic health or cause pelvic pain?

Rachel also focuses a lot on the impact of hormones on that part of the body. Given that midlife and menopause are a time of enormous hormonal changes, we wanted to understand that better. Rachel explained to us how the sensitive tissue of the vagina and surrounding area are affected by estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

(here’s a fun way to increase pelvic health: get yourself an Elvie)

6:06 “no good birth control method” – what do you mean?

So, what does that mean for women who take hormonal birth control? Especially women who’ve been on the Pill for a long time? Rachel says there’s no truly perfect birth control; oral contraceptives are effective, but it increases sex hormone binding globulen. The take away: the Pill can negatively impact some very sensitive tissue, so if you have a choice, consider carefully when choosing it as your contraceptive method.

8:44 please explain pain in the vestibular tissue?

So, what exactly is vestibular tissue, and why is it so impactful if this area is inflamed or otherwise unhealthy? Rachel gives us a sort of private-area map and explains the consequences of hormone imbalance here and what can be done about it.

10:52 how can you tell where pelvic pain comes from?

So, we asked, how do you know when pain is caused by hormonal imbalance as opposed to some other concern? You have to look at all the puzzle pieces, Rachel says; she takes us through how she puts them together to figure out what’s going on and how to fix it.

14:43 how do patients find you?

How do patients find you? Is it mostly by referral? She gets a lot of referrals, Rachel says, from ob/gyns, urologists, etc., but a lot of patients simply find her on the Internet. So, shortcut Dr. Internet: if you’re having a particular problem and not getting a solution from the doctor you’re seeing, ask for a referral to a specialist.

15:50 is age a factor in pelvic pain?

Do you see more older women, or do you see these patients more often? Her practice is pretty evenly distributed, Rachel says, because pelvic issues aren’t limited to age, but yeah, no surprise: age does have impacts as hormones change. So if you’re getting older and have never seen a pelvic specialist, it might be time: avoid problems in the future by being proactive!

17:29 what should patients be doing between visits? is there anything they can do?

What kind of self-care should women be doing between visits to a specialist like Rachel? It depends on where you are, Rachel says; are you already in pain and need help relaxing or releasing? She gives her patients things to do between visits to help them learn to treat themselves, and that’s a Very Good Thing.

18:19 so … about that Squatty Potty®….

“We as humans were not meant to sit on the toilet to have a bowel movement.” Ooooookkaaaaaay. Not giving it up. Just sayin’. Fortunately, says Rachel, there are ways to adopt the optimal BM position without resorting to squatting in the woods. Phew! She explains why not excreting correctly can actually be pretty bad for you.

(speaking of toilets, do you know how much urination is normal for you?)

20:10 before we let you go, what else should we know?

“Kegels are not the answer to everything,” Rachel says. They can be good for you, but they don’t solve every issue. Best not to self-diagnose a kegel deficiency – if you’re having problems with painful sex, incontinence, bowel dysfunction, there’s help, there are resources. Seek them out and get your standard of living back.

If you’ve had issues with pelvic pain or other issues related to pelvic dysfunction, would you share with us how you managed it? Let us know in the comments below, or hit us up on genneve’s Facebook page or Midlife & Menopause Solutions, genneve’s Facebook group.

More about Dr. Rachel Gelman: Rachel is a Bay Area native who received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Washington in Seattle and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Samuel Merritt University. As you heard in the podcast, she’s passionate about women’s and men’s health and strives to promote quality education regarding pelvic health both in the clinic and in the community. We appreciate her sharing her wisdom and expertise with us!

You can follow Rachel directly on social media at @pelvichealthsf on Instagram or @RachelgDPT on Twitter.

What's the link between your gut health and your emotions?

It's a tighter combination than most of us realize, meaning perhaps more of our mental and emotional health is in our control than we previously thought.

We know that our emotions can have a direct physical result: stress, depression, anxiety — all of these can show up in our bodies and in our guts. Upset stomach, loss of (or increase in) appetite, body aches and pains can all result from emotional distress.

But the impact travels both directions: the health of our microbiome can also dictate a great deal of how we feel, physically and emotionally.

In this podcast, Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk talks with metabolic surgeon, gut-health expert, and owner of LaVellaYourGuts.com, Dr. Erika La Vella, about the intersection of nutrition, emotion, gut, brain, and menopause.

If you're a woman with a personal or family history of heart disease, don't assume your heart health is completely out of your hands.

And don't assume you "don't need to worry about heart disease" because you're a woman with no family or personal history.

In this podcast, genneve Director of Health, ob/gyn Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, interviews one of Seattle's leading cardiologists, Dr. Sarah Speck, on ways to improve your heart health, starting right now, today.

Know your risk factors (preeclampsia can be a risk factor for future heart disease – who knew?) and how to manage them (losing 10% of your body weight if you're overweight can substantially reduce impacts on heart health). 

Also, if you're considering HRT to manage perimenopause and menopause symptoms, what are the implications for your heart? 

Take 15 minutes to listen; it could change your life.

I don't want to get too big. I can't lift. I'm too tired by the end of the day. I did it once but didn't see results, so I quit.

Resistance training may not be your thing, but if you're a woman over 40, you might take another look at it. 

It's great for so many things: building and maintaining muscle mass. Helping you sleep better at night. Helping you manage midlife and menopause concerns like weight gain, hot flashes, insomnia, fatigue, poor balance, and weakening bones. 

You know as you get older that your body changes: muscles shrink, metabolism slows, body can look and feel less toned. Resistance training, done right, can help with those things, as well as improve core strength for better balance and generally lift your mood and confidence.

In this podcast, Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk speaks with owner and founder of Driven Fitness, Erica Roselius. A full-time fitness professional and coach for more than 13 years, Erica works primarily with over 40s to help them manage weight and increase muscle. 

Why is it so important for women to incorporate resistance training? How can they benefit, and what risks do they take if they don't move more?

Listen, then find Erica at Driven Fitness and Stasi at Gennev for more information. 

With Halloween just behind us and Thanksgiving straight ahead, it's official: we've entered the Season of Sugar. 

And it's not just sugar, of course: it's salt and saturated fat and stress and alcohol and stress and parties and not enough sleep and stress.

If you think your head aches after a night of too much indulgence, just imagine what your poor gut biome is going through. 

And as we get older, our gut biome changes, loses diversity, isn't as able to handle the demands we put on those poor friendly bacteria, especially over the holidays.

Fortunately, there are experts like metabolic surgeon and founder of LaVellaYourGuts.com, Dr. Erika La Vella.

In this conversation with Gennev's Director of Health Coaching, Stasi Kasianchuk, Dr. La Vella talks about how to preserve your gut through the holiday season and stay healthier all year 'round. 

Sexuality in menopause is tricky. Libido may be less robust than in previous years, or missing altogether.

Vaginal dryness or atrophy can make penetrative sex painful.

Weight gain, digestive issues, hair loss, and dry skin can leave us feeling distinctly unsexy and give our self-esteem a gut punch.

Add to that the challenges of a verrrrrrry long stretch of "us time," and romance, intimacy, and sex become about as interesting as cleaning out the refrigerator.

So what do you do when menopause and/or COVID 19 derails your love train?

We brought back "sexpert" psychologist Dr. Laurie Mintz and our own Chief Medical Officer OB/GYN Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su to talk about how relationships and intimacy can survive and thrive in difficult times.

Learn more about how to have a better menopause at the first-of-its-kind online clinic: Gennev.

Our environment can be pretty heavy with things that are bad for our health, including endocrine-disrupting substances.

Cleansers, detergents, scrubs, things we use to clean our environments and ourselves may be doing more damage to our health than than they prevent. What about products that go on and in our bodies — soaps, creams, powders, makeup, deodorants and anti-perspirants, hair sprays, plastic containers to hold our food in the fridge or microwave. How many products do you come in contact with every day, all days of your life?

And it's not just the products we use. Disruptive chemicals can be in our clothes or furniture or daily use objects as fire-retardants or easy-clean surfaces. 

Mary Purdy is an expert on helping us minimize our exposure to toxins in our environment and maximize our efficiency in ridding them from our bodies, homes, and workplaces.

Have a listen to the podcast, then visit Gennev.com for more information on menopause, toxins, and how to have a healthier second chapter of life. 

There's long been a gap in the quality of care men and women receive. Women's bodies are less understood, their health issues less researched, their solutions have frequently been "treat women as small men," their pain poorly treated or ignored, and on and on and on.

That discrepancy in care is exponentially worse if the woman is Black or a woman of color; worse if she's poor, worse if she's a transgender woman; worse if she's past reproductive age.

There are women, men, and organizations out there that feel like part of our family — the family that's working to improve health care for women. Denise Pines is one of that family. 

She is is the co-visionary and head task master for Tea Botanics, a company that makes tea for hot flashes, among others. An award-winning marketer and serial entrepreneur, Denise has participated in 10 startups. She is founder of WisePause, a pro-aging health and education platform and FemAging 2020, a report that introduces a new industry sector, FemAging Tech.

Denise cofounded Women in the Room Productions who produced the award-winning film PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in School. Denise is the current President of the Medical Board of California.

In this conversation with Gennev CEO Jill Angelo, Denise and Jill talk about the discrepancies in care and how many in the medical community are starting to recognize and close the gap.

As we age, our nutritional needs change. Meeting those needs when life is so busy and the world is full of pre-packaged, quick, easy foods can be a real challenge.

To make sure women get all the nutrients they need, Gennev asked Naturopathic Physician Dr. Wendy Ellis to create the ideal daily supplement pack for women in midlife & menopause — a pack that promotes good health and helps manage menopause symptoms.

Learn more about Gennev's new Vitality pack for Women at Gennev.com. 

Do you know how critical your pelvic floor muscles are to your overall health?

Very.

Most of us are only aware of our pelvic floor during times of pleasure (contractions in the pelvic floor are what men and women feel in orgasms). But when your pelvic floor is weak, you may suddenly be aware of it for entirely different reasons: pain, incontinence, prolapse, sexual dysfunction, even discomfort just sitting.

Clearly, keeping this area of the body healthy is central to your quality of life.

To learn more about what below-deck problems are possible and how to head them off before they happen, we talked with Dr. Susie Gronski, licensed doctor of physical therapy and a board certified pelvic rehabilitation practitioner. In addition to knowing a lot about your private parts, she’s also a certified health coach. As she says, she’s the doctor for “everything down there” and signs her emails, “In loving wellness for your pelvis™

Here’s what we learned from the “down-there” doctor:

1:30 What is a “physiotherapist for your private parts”?

Your nether regions have muscles – they aid in “pooping, peeing, and sex,” says Dr. Susie. She gives us the low down (ha ha) on the pelvic region and how a physiotherapist can help keep all that business functional and healthy.

2:52 What are the basic things we need to know about that area (and are too squeamish to ask)?

Your pelvic floor is kind of like the base of a cereal bowl, Dr. Susie tells us, only no cereal bowl in the world does as much as this one. Hear the connections, functions, impacts, and responsibilities of these bits.

4:42 Why don’t we know more about that region?

Let’s face it: we didn’t grow up talking with our parents about that part of our body once we successfully managed potty training, so we’re a little shy and squeamish. “We don’t focus on any part of our body unless we’re getting signals to focus there,” says Dr. Susie, especially that part of our body. And sadly, those signals are usually negative.

6:22 What are the common problems with pelvic floor muscles?

Pain with intercourse, abdominal pain, discomfort or pressure in that region are quite common, and many of us don’t know to associate that pain with pelvic floor health. That’s why it’s important to know the possibilities.

8:14 It seems like a lot of problems start in the pelvic region, if not the pain?

Many problems definitely start in our pelvic region, Dr. Susie says, then spread to other parts of the body as pain. Learn how your body communicates stress or dysfunction – symptoms might show up in one area when the roots of the problem are somewhere else.

10:15 How do you approach clients to keep them comfortable?

Clients don’t know what to expect except that someone’s about to “assess their private parts.” Yep, that’s a tough one. Dr. Susie talks about how she communicates with clients to keep them comfortable and feeling safe while dealing with the issue at hand. So to speak.

12:05 What does treatment look like?

Depending on the trigger(s), the treatment can take lots of forms, and Dr. Susie looks at all the possible causes. Pain isn’t just about body parts, it’s about the patients’ psyche, social constructs, all the things that weigh in on our lives. The treatment has to take all those factors into account to be effective, she says. Also, butt gripping. Yeah, you need to hear about that.

15:24 Shouldn’t I basically be doing crunches ALL. THE. TIME?

Nope, says Dr. Susie. Because science (which she explains in a super-friendly lay person way, hoorah). Basically there are lots of ways you can mess yourself up by keeping your abdomen tense, and Dr. Susie gives us the details. Hefty price for a six-pack. 

Now let’s talk about orgasms

Oh, look at that – we’re out of time. Come back to genneve for part 2, and you’ll get the FAQs on the big O. 

Dr. Susie is currently in private practice in Asheville, North Carolina specializing in holistic men’s pelvic health. Dr. Susie is also the author of Pelvic Pain: The Ultimate Cock Block and the creator of a unique hands-on training program to help men with pelvic pain become experts in treating themselves. 

Learn more by visiting drsusieg.com. 

Do you ever feel like there ought to be … I don’t know … more? You’re a high-achieving woman – great at your job and “successful” by modern measures – but you still feel like something’s missing, there’s something you haven’t accomplished yet.

Welcome to midlife.

Women in their 40s and beyond often experience a pretty fundamental shift: it’s time to stop worrying what others think of me and concentrate on how I feel about myself, my place, my work, my creative side, my spiritual soul.

Great! Also … dangerous. Frustration with finding yourself where you don’t want to be can lead to impulsive decisions.

How do you honor that part of yourself that’s ready for new challenges and new horizons without disrupting everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve?

Dr. Barbara Mark has some very good ideas for you. Dr. Mark is an elite leadership, career, and life strategies coach, advisor, and confidant to senior executive women. Trained in clinical psychology, Dr. Mark has great insights into human thought and how thought translates into action (or inaction). She focuses on working women in midlife, helping her clients find clarity during an often very challenging time.

We had a few questions for her.

Join us at genneve.com for the full scoop on midlife, "me" time, and Dr. Marks. 

Elizabeth MacBride is a highly accomplished journalist, writer, and editor, having written for CNBC, BBC Capital, Crain's New York, Advertising Age, the Washington Post, and the Christian Science Monitor, among others.

Her passion for entrepreneurship led her to found The Times of Entrepreneurship, a free, weekly newsletter covering entrepreneurs on the biggest challenges facing the world: climate, health, education, security, and more. With focuses on female, older, and immigrant entrepreneurs, The Times of Entrepreneurship seeks to have the broadest range of voices, especially those who are often left out of the conversation.

In this interview with Gennev CEO and co-founder Jill Angelo, they discuss mature women's advantages in leadership, including a wealth of "social capital," deep understanding of emotional patterns and how they influence behavior, and the surge of self-confidence that comes to so many women as they age.

Your body is powerful.

We don’t just mean for lifting weights or doing hard physical work, though women’s bodies can certainly do that too.

We mean your body is a powerful healer. Given the right conditions – good food, enough rest, movement, etc. – your body has “an innate capacity to restore itself to health.”

Naturopathic medicine is the practice of providing ideal conditions and removing barriers for the body to get on with what it does so well.

If you’ve ever wondered about naturopathic medicine or considered seeing a naturopathic doctor (ND) but just weren’t sure what to expect, Dr. Jane Guiltinan, recently retired Dean of the School of Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University, explains it all.

In this Part I of our two-part series on naturopathic medicine, we talked with Dr. Guiltinan about what naturopathic medicine is, how and why it works, the state of naturopathic medicine in the US, and how to find a qualified ND.

1:38 – What is naturopathic medicine?
Most of us on team genneve are new to the idea and practice of naturopathic medicine, so we asked Dr. Guiltinan to explain the difference between naturopathic medicine and what we consider “traditional” western medicine.

Dr. Guiltinan described how we often get in the way of our body’s natural ability to heal itself. Naturopathic physicians both treat and educate patients to get them to health and maintain optimal health going forward.

4:35 – Why “doctor as teacher” is so empowering for patients.
Naturopathic doctors teach their patients to become an integral part of their own healing and health. Docere, the Latin word for “teacher” is a founding principle of naturopathic medicine. Dr. Guiltinan explained why it’s so powerfully healing to put patients in charge of their well-being.

6:20 – What it means to be aware of your own body.
In the western-medicine tradition, many of us are taught to hand over control to medical professionals – one outcome being that we’re often ignorant about our own bodies. How do NDs work with patient to bring them back to an awareness of their bodies? Dr. Guiltinan said all NDs practice very active listening, which can educate both the doctor and the patient. Hear how. (bonus: margaritas are NOT off limits)

8:10 – Preventing illness before it happens
Most western medicine focuses on the treatment of illness or injury. Naturopathic medicine is also about maintaining wellness, and in an ideal world, says Dr. Guiltinan, people would visit their doctors before problems appear. NDs are working to shift our mindset from “cure” to “prevention,” and it’s a powerful sea change.

10:40 – Yeah, but are they “real” doctors?
Naturopathic doctors are unevenly credentialed and recognized across the US, and many of us aren’t sure if NDs are “real” doctors. Dr. Guiltinan takes us through how a true naturopathic physician is educated, licensed, and credentialed.

15:08 – Dr. Guiltinan’s evolving practice and career.
Dr. Guiltinan has been practicing naturopathic medicine for more than 30 years, and during that time, her practice gradually evolved to focus on women’s health. Most of her patients now are women in the menopausal transition and beyond, looking for ways to maintain health as they age.

17:26 – What do women in midlife want “fixed”?
Because she has such a depth and breadth of knowledge on women in midlife, we asked Dr. Guiltinan what symptoms women in that category come to her to “fix” most often? Classically, it’s hot flashes, she told us, but naturopathic medicine can help treat a wide range of symptoms, including headaches, dry skin, vaginal dryness, weight gain, joint and muscle pain, and depression, among others.

19:25 – Why women consult an ND
Why do women come to NDs? For a variety of reasons, Dr. Guiltinan told us: they’ve exhausted “conventional” options or they want a more natural alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), or, in many cases, they just don’t feel well but aren’t sure what the problem is.  

20:44 – How to find the right ND for me.
So, we asked Dr. Guiltinan, if I think a naturopathic doctor might be able to help me, how do I go about finding the right one? Do NDs specialize? NDs don’t have recognized specialties the way conventional medicine does (neurologists, dermatologists, etc.), but practices often evolve around a natural focus, such as women’s health, she told us, so it’s worthwhile asking the questions to determine if an ND has a focus on the area you need.

22:18 – Is my ND legit?
I’ve decided I want to talk with an ND, we told Dr. Guiltinan. Now what do I do? Depending on your state’s regulations, some people may be able to call themselves “naturopaths” with little formal training or licensure.

To be sure you’re getting someone qualified as an ND (whether they’re able to call themselves “doctor” or not in your state), be sure they graduated from one of the seven accredited doctoral programs in North America. States that have licensing have a state record of licensed NDs, as well as professional associations. Washington state, for example, has the Washington Association of Naturopathic Physicians. If your state doesn’t have licensing standards for NDs, you can find a credentialed naturopathic practitioner in your area on The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians site.

In Part II, we explore with Dr. Guiltinan some specific ways naturopathic medicine can help women in menopause. You won’t want to miss it.

Check in next week and subscribe to genneve on iTunes, SoundCloud or Stitcher, so you never miss an episode.

Dr. Jane Guiltinan recently retired as Dean of the School of Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. A practicing naturopathic physician for thirty years, Dr. Guiltinan graduated from Bastyr in 1986, and has served as a clinical professor, medical director and dean of clinical affairs during her tenure there. She was the co-medical director for the first publicly funded integrated health clinic in the United States, the King County Natural Medicine Clinic. She served on the board of trustees for Harborview Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center and part of the University of Washington Medicine system for twelve years and was the first naturopathic physician on the board of a large public hospital. In 2012, she was appointed by Kathleen Sebelius, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, to the Advisory Council of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), a center within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Guiltinan’s practice is focused on women’s health, primary care, disease prevention, and wellness promotion.

Continuing our conversation with Dr. Erika La Vella, in this month's Microbiome Series, we're asking the doc about how food affects our microbiome for good or ill, how we can eat to protect beneficial gut flora, and substances that may impact our gut.

The gut microbiome is sometimes referred to as "the second brain." Why? Because what happens in the gut does NOT stay in the gut. As science explores gut flora, we're discovering more and more how  microbiome health impacts so many other systems and organs of the body.

That means taking care of the gut is pretty critical to feeling good and being healthy. And like every other organism, beneficial bacteria rely on the right food sources for optimal health.

So what do they eat? They eat what we eat, for better or worse. Fortunately, people like Dr. Erika La Vella have a good handle on what food our good gut bacteria thrive on, and she shared that information with us.

Take a listen to the podcast, then visit Gennev.com for more information to be happier and healthier through and beyond the menopause transition. 

Pelvic floor health impacts your quality of life, whether you know it or not. Actually, when it stops being healthy, you’ll know it.

Peeing, pooping, sexual satisfaction – being successful at these things requires a healthy pelvic floor, and as we age, the muscles that make up that floor can weaken. Because it’s so important to keep this “hammock” of muscles strong and responsive, we talked to physiotherapist Dr. Susie Gronski, “your doc for all things down there.” She gave us the low down on our down-unders: what happens when things are out of whack and how to get them back.

Have a listen to part I of this conversation, “to your pelvic health, our talk with dr. Susie Gronski, part 1.” Then continue on below, where Jill talks to Dr. Susie about pain, the role our pelvic floor plays in our sexual health, and the Big Os:

1:18 Orgasms, pain, and pelvic health

Experiencing sexual pleasure all the way to orgasm can be more challenging for women, and nearly impossible if there’s pain involved. We asked Dr. Susie how women can relieve the pain and get their desire back. Spoiler alert: help is out there. Dr. Susie fills us in on bringing pleasure and intimacy back into our lives.

6:08 Dr. Susie’s 6-day course for pelvic health

In this hands-on (yep), one-on-one course, Dr. Susie teaches students to explore their bodies, interpret what they see and feel, and ultimately, treat and heal themselves. With Dr. Susie’s expert guidance, students learn what the muscles look like, what they do, and how to heal the pain they’re experiencing. Transformation is tough, says Dr. Susie, and everyone should have a support system to get through it.

10:22 Giving your body 6 days

We wanted to know how the course worked – is it in-person, or can it be done virtually? The six days are in person, Dr. Susie says, because it’s necessary to touch the person, show them how to touch themselves, what to feel for, what they’re feeling when they find it, and so on.

11:15 What do women need to be mindful of when it comes to pelvic health?

Dr. Susie says, remember, you’re not the only one who leaks in Zumba class! Incontinence and other issues are common, and there’s help. Also, it’s not all about kegels; there’s a network of things happening throughout your body, so it’s important to learn beyond kegels. Finally, Dr. Susie reminds us that we can’t be shy when seeking help. It’s your quality of life on the line – get over your “vagina phobia!”

Here’s to happy private parts!

Thanks again to Dr. Susie for her expert information on how to keep or regain your healthy pelvic floor. You can find more from Dr. Susie on her website.

Have you had professional help and training to regain pelvic floor function? We’d love to hear about it and how it helped you get your quality of life back. Please share with us in the comments below (you’re welcome to comment anonymously), email us at info@genneve.com, or let us know on genneve’s Facebook page or in Midlife & Menopause Solutions, genneve’s closed Facebook group. 

Next up on the genneve podcast calendar, Jill talks with acupuncturist and owner of Vitamin Chi, Jennifer Mason, about your fabulous fascia – what it is and how to keep it happy. Stay tuned!

Stress is — no joke — a killer.

The toll it takes on our bodies and psyches is enormous. When stressed we don't sleep well, eat well, exercise well, or play well with others. Stress causes or contributes to headaches, stomach upset, fatigue, muscle pain, anxiety and depression, and a host of issues that can really erode your quality of life.

Adaptogens are herbs and mushrooms that help your body deal with stress. As the name implies, these plants many actually adapt to give your body exactly what it needs where it needs it.

But do they really help your body deal with stress? And if so, what are they, where do we get them, and how do we take them?

Given that (peri)menopause can be such a stressful time, we thought we'd invite in some expertise on the subject.

In this webinar, Gennev's Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk speaks with naturopathic physician Dr. Wendy Ellis on adaptogens and the particular advantages they may have for women in menopause.

Acupuncture and hot flashes; magnesium and mood; is HRT dangerous; will testosterone pellets revive my libido?

Like so many things we don't talk about, the truths about menopause can be a bit hazy. That's not OK when women's health, quality of life, and futures are at stake. 

From the beginning, the team at Gennev have made it part of our mission to supply the best, evidence-based information and solutions that are out there, vetted by our team of menopause experts.

Because women's health is and always will be our first priority.

So have a listen to this conversation from two of Gennev's menopause experts: OB/GYN Dr. Lisa Savage and Director of Health Coaching, Stasi Kasianchuk, and get real answers to your menopause questions.

2020 was a tough year for women and wellness. In fact, 70% of us put our health “on hold,” pushing off preventative appointments and screenings. How is that impacting our health?

In this podcast, Gennev CEO Jill Angelo, CMO Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, and Director of Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk discuss telehealth, menopause, and the incredible resilience of women.

So, do you know what fascia is?

We weren’t entirely clear, nor did we know what a big role it plays in movement, flexibility, and stability, and, when inflamed, in joint pain and stiffness. A single, continuous structure from head to toe, the fascia surrounds and wraps all our internal parts. So if it’s hurting, you’re hurting.

Jennifer Mason, owner of Vitamin Chi, knows all about fascia, the care and feeding of. A licensed acupuncturist, Jennifer specializes in neck and shoulder pain and menopausal symptoms. So we grabbed her for a conversation about acupuncture, fascia, trigger points, and using Chinese remedies to bring our bodies back to health.

1:19 We love the name “Vitamin Chi.”  What is Vitamin Chi and what exactly do you do there?

According to Jennifer, good health is “an everyday thing,” and acupuncture, herbalism, and so forth tend to be a bit esoteric for people. She wants to make Chinese medicine available and accessible for the uninitiated so we can all enjoy the very best of health.

2:30 Fascia – sooooooo, what is that, exactly?

Picture your favorite sandwich meat in a sandwich bag. The meat is your muscle, and the sandwich bag is the fascia, says Jennifer. In the simplest terms, it’s a giant network within your body connecting bits together, and communicating between, so it lends itself well to treatment via acupuncture.

4:08 Why does fascia sometimes get problematic?

One of the properties of fascia is it remodels itself, says Jennifer. If we don’t move for a while, we need to stretch and move to discourage it from getting too “set.” So if you’re experiencing pain, don’t wait to seek treatment.

5:28 What’s the role of fascia?

The whole body is connected, and while work on fascia is good for joint pain, treating the body as a holistic network is critical. Jennifer takes us through trigger points and why the pain you’re feeling in one point of your body may not have started there.

7:05 How does acupuncture work?

There are points in the muscle where electrical differences are greatest, and if an acupuncturist can find exactly the right point with the needle, the muscle “resets,” according to Jennifer.

8:30 How does the needle actually relieve pain?

The needle goes right to the “motor point” and communicates up the fascial line to the brain, says Jennifer. Additionally, acupuncture takes into account other important components of chronic pain such as emotion and inflammation. She explains how acupuncture targets all the pain levers to provide relief.

10:23 Needle-phobes. Whattya gonna do?

Jennifer admits to us that she “chickened out” of her first acupuncture appointment. But these needles are “as thin as kitten whiskers” she says, and just as effective for making us feel better. She lets us in on how she helps her patients relax into the experience.

12:07 What is cupping, and is just for Michael Phelps?

This “super-low tech” treatment is great for myofascial release and also Instagram posts, says Jennifer. It feels good and helps relieve pain by pulling inflammation out of the muscle.

13:46 Reiki: what is it and how does it work?

This most gentle form of healing comes from Japan and uses the life force of the practitioner, channeled into the patient, to treat chronic pain. “It doesn’t make sense to me,” Jennifer admits, but it changed her life. She tells the story of how she discovered the effectiveness of reiki during a very difficult time.

15:07 How do you incorporate reiki into your practice?

First, relaxation and readiness, then the practice of channeling the healing energies. Jennifer takes us through how she guides her patients through the experience.

16:38 What preparation does the reiki practitioner need to deliver the treatment?

“We all have an innate healing power,” Jennifer says, but we don’t all know how to tap into it and harness it correctly. Learning to be a practitioner takes practice and calm and leaning into the flow.

17:37 Why the new focus on women in midlife and perimenopause?

Jennifer says, women are silently suffering, and if you ask the right questions, you find there’s so much need for help. Chinese medicine approaches the body differently, it’s open to some different ideas about what’s truly happening and how to manage symptoms. “We can get very specific and treat all kinds of things,” Jennifer tells us. “I’m very excited.”

19:12 How do you help women understand they should practice self-care and get help?

“It’s not a selfish act to take care of yourself,” Jennifer says. In fact, when a woman is running on empty, it’s harder on everyone. It’s important to do what’s necessary to heal. And self-care doesn’t have to mean coming to the doc all the time – it may be about recognizing unhealthy patterns and finding tools to correct them.

In addition to being an acupuncturist, Jennifer is a Reiki Master Practitioner and has been using Chinese herbs for health since childhood from her grandparents’ herb shop. Her passion is to help people find healthy solutions in their daily habits, diet, and practices. And tacos. She loves tacos. Find out more about Jennifer Mason and her practice on her company website, Vitamin Chi.

Have you had experience with acupuncture, cupping or reiki? We’d love to hear how it worked for you, so give us a shout in the comments below, on genneve’s Facebook page or in Midlife & Menopause Solutions, genneve's closed Facebook group.

With the "stay home" orders and recommendations flying around, most of us have had our normal lives pretty thoroughly disrupted.

And that means our patterns and habits are disrupted as well. We can't hit the gym or the spin class or the pool. We're making lunches at home rather than grabbing a bite out. Even our sacred coffee routines are different!

But some things you can continue to do or even do better, and hydration is one of those. It's your own bathroom, and it's likely closer to your work area than in the building you normally work in. And if you don't have ice or a clean glass, well, that's no one's fault but your own!

Hydration is incredibly important, especially during the menopause transition and after. It feeds your brain, lubes your joints, helps hydrate skin and other tissue — all things that re harder to do after estrogen declines. 

We talked with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and owner of Champagne Nutrition Ginger Hultin about why proper hydration is necessary and how to stay hydrated in this time of online Happy Hours!

For more information and a full transcript of the discussion, visit Gennev.com. To see the webinar of this conversation, check out the Gennev channel on YouTube.

Science is starting to uncover the many ways our gut flora affect our health. While many of us still believe the beneficial bacteria is good for digestion (and it is), it does a whole lot more. 

In this podcast, metabolic surgeon and gut expert Dr. Erika La Vella talks with Gennev's Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk about the bi-directional relationship between your gut and your brain.

The "Gut-Brain Axis" affects your perception, cognition, your nervous system, your mood, pretty much everything. Given that, and how cattywampus everything is during menopause anyway, doesn't it make sense to be sure your gut is getting exactly what it needs?

Have a listen, then find Dr. La Vella at LavellaYourGuts.com and make an appointment to work with Coach Stasi or one of our other amazing coaches at Gennev.com. 

If you're in or around menopause and struggling with issues such as weight management, sleep, stress, nutrition, bone health, appropriate exercise, what supplements to take, and more, a health coach could be just what you need. 

In this podcast, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, Gennev Chief Medical Officer, and Lauren Leedy, Registered Dietitian and Lead Health Coach at Gennev, talk about what Gennev health coaches do, how they work with our physicians, how they're specially trained to help women in menopause, and why Gennev coaches offer such great value for women in this often-challenging phase of life. 

Work with a Gennev health coach to learn more about the changes your body is going through, and put together a plan to help you relieve symptoms now and stay healthier in the many years ahead.

Middle age and menopause don't have to mean your sex life is impaired or worse, over.

But there can be additional challenges such as vaginal dryness, loss of libido, fatigue, even embarrassment over body changes that make us feel less than sexy. 

Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, spends a lot of time at her practice helping women regain their vibrant sex lives, and one thing she does is recommend books by Dr. Laurie Mintz, particularly A Tired Woman's Guide to Passionate Sex. 

In this podcast, Dr. Dunsmoor-Su got to chat directly with Dr. Mintz about all the things that can dampen the spark and how to reignite it.

Dr. Laurie Mintz is a licensed psychologist in private practice and a tenured Professor at the University of Florida, where she teaches the Psychology of Human Sexuality to hundreds of undergraduate students each year.

Dr. Mintz has published over 50 research studies in academic journals and six chapters in academic books. She has received numerous professional and teaching awards. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, indicating that her work has had a positive national influence on the field of psychology. 

Dr. Mintz is also the author of two popular press books—both written with the aim of empowering women sexually: Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters and How to Get It  and A Tired Woman’s Guide to Passionate Sex: Reclaim Your Desire and Reignite Your Relationship.

In this podcast, genneve CEO Jill had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Angela Jones, award-winning ob/gyn, media professional, and author. She’s delivered thousands of babies and answered hundreds of thousands of questions on every aspect of her profession. From menses (first period) to menopause and beyond, Dr. Angela has the answers, so we jumped on the chance to ask “Menopause 101” questions we have and have heard from you.

If you’re not always entirely sure what’s going on with your body, if you’re concerned what you’re going through isn’t “normal,” or if you want to be ready for what might lie ahead, Dr. Angela has guidance, reassurance, and answers for all.

2:04

One question we hear a lot is, what exactly is the difference between “perimenopause” and “menopause”? Dr. Angela gives us the lowdown on the definitions, what women might experience during these phases, and how to get a ballpark idea of how long the process might take for you.

4:06

So what exactly is going on in our bodies during these phases? Dr. Angela filled us in on the science of what’s going on in there.

5:10

Because the experience of menopause is still such a taboo subject, women don’t always know if what’s happening to them is “normal.” We asked Dr. Angela what we should know to take care of ourselves correctly.

6:26

Dr. Angela speaks specifically to the question of thyroid disorders, the symptoms of which can be mistaken for symptoms of perimenopause.

7:04

As we age, we may need to do a little more “maintenance” to stay healthy and vibrant. Dr. Angela talks us through some of the tests we should do or do more often as we get older to ensure we’re in the best of health.

8:30

Dr. Angela gives her recommendations on “lifestyle modifications” and why these can act as preventative medicine. As she says, the right diet and exercise will take you a long way.

12:08

When we hit our 40s, is it time to change up our birth control? First things first: “If you don’t want to get pregnant, you need to be doing something!” But you do need to be sure your birth control is right for you, and Dr. Angela gives some tips on how to move forward.

15:20

But low-dose hormonal birth control can have other benefits for the over 40s in addition to avoiding pregnancy, and Dr. Angela fills us in on how birth control can help alleviate or moderate perimenopausal symptoms.

17:20

We asked Dr. Angela to “coach” us on how to talk to our doctors, what information we need to have ready when we walk into our appointments, and what questions we should ask. Because women are often embarrassed to talk about their bodies, even with their ob/gyn, Dr. Angela has some best practices for getting the information you need.

21:40

Why is there so much shame and embarrassment about this completely normal phase of life? “I have no idea!” Dr. Angela says, but she offers some ways we might move forward to celebrate this time of our lives rather than dread it.

25:12

How does Dr. Angela feel about using supplements or other methods to manage menopause symptoms? While our doc adheres pretty firmly to ACOG (American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) standards, she says, “Go for it!” to patients who want to try acupuncture, black cohosh, or other alternative treatments. However, Dr. Angela does want anyone trying something new to follow important guidelines, which she outlined for us.

28:10

Need to find a new ob/gyn? Dr. Angela gives her insights on how to find a doc who’s current, certified, and reliable.

30:15

Dr. Angela offers her concluding thoughts about how to thrive during menopause. As she told us, “Aging doesn’t scare me, and it shouldn’t scare women. Women should be embracing the aging process.” Like a bottle of fine wine, Dr. Angela says, we’re just getting better.  

Learn more from Dr. Angela by checking out her “SAY WHAT” blog and podcasts at askdrangela.com.

Midlife can feel like a time when we have to drastically reduce or give up so many things we love: sugar, wine, coffee, carbs, sweaters that don't button down the front, good sleep.

For some women, quitting smoking just feels like one sacrifice too many.

To you we say: add something else back, but please...get rid of cigarettes.

May 31 was World No Tobacco Day, according to the World Health Organization. Part of the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI), it's a day of awareness and learning.

Gennev participated, with a webinar with our Director of Health Coaching, Stasi Kasianchuk, hosting Gennev's Chief Medical Officer, OB/GYN Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, and pulmonologist Dr. Anne Lipke.

They spoke not just on the benefits of quitting smoking, but also on the particular reasons women in menopause should quit.

In addition to entering menopause up to a year or two earlier than her body might naturally (and thus losing the protections of estrogen earlier), smoking is hard on the skin, the heart, the brain, the teeth, and just about every part of a woman smoker's body.

Listen to the podcast for more information on why to quit, how to quit, how to nourish your body after (and avoid weight gain). Then visit Gennev and make an appointment to speak with a physician or a health coach to begin your journey to a happier, healthier life!

According to the United Nations, “International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.”

Globally, International Women’s Day (IWD) is a pretty big deal. Many countries observe the day with special traditions and celebrations, some even declaring it a national holiday.

However, in the US, observance of International Women’s Day has been quite modest. While most consider the US fairly progressive in terms of women’s rights and equality, the truth is gender equity is actually losing ground in the States, and there’s more reason than ever for the US to recognize IWD and its mission.

Two Washington women are working to make IWD a much bigger deal in Seattle: in 2016, they convened a gathering of about 80 women; this year, International Women’s Day Seattle has already outgrown one home, and the event is still a week away.

Team genneve is planning to attend (and volunteer, so look for us!), and we hope you’ll join us. We’re even more excited about the event after having the chance to sit down with organizers Kate Isler and Nickie Smith and talk about why International Women’s Day is important and why the work of feminists and feminism isn’t done.  

Event details: Facebook event page

Date/Time: Wednesday, March 8, 4.30 – 9 PM

Location: Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8^th Ave

Tickets: available from Eventbrite.

Do you feel comfortable in your own skin?

Many women don't, and that's more to do with the expectations we've been taught than any real problem with our health or wellness.

Emphasis on women's outsides has far surpassed focus on a woman's insides, resulting in a system that has many more solutions for "weight loss" than it does for managing menopause symptoms. 

At Gennev, we know the bodily changes that come with aging and hormone declines are natural, normal, and beautiful—they just may not all be comfortable.

So we want to help women embrace a body that may be a little heavier, a little softer, a body that has silver hair and laugh lines to show she's had a life. We want to help her be comfortable in that body, both by embracing change but also by managing hot flashes and interrupted sleep.

In this podcast, Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk talked with Erica Mouch, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who also has a BA in psychology.

Erica advocates and practices from a Health At Every Size® lens in order to support people from all shapes and sizes in healing their relationship with food and their bodies. Erica is also a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor.

Listen to their conversation, then join us at Gennev.com for more information on having a happier, healthier menopause transition. 

Ada Calhoun's Book Why Can't We Sleep? was an instant New York Times bestseller. 

Gen X women are finding it hauntingly and painfully and upliftingly familiar. 

Gen X women are ... unhappy. Not all of them, not all of the time, but certainly there is more of a cloud over this generation than others. Sandwiched eternally between the much larger, much louder Boomer and Millennial cohorts, Gen X has been overlooked and ignored like the latchkey kids we so essentially are.

And that's doubly true of the women of Gen X, who are now aging into "invisibility" - those supposedly unsexy years after 40. 

Ada Calhoun wanted to know why we're such a miserable bunch, so she started asking. Two hundred interviews with Gen X women later, she's got answers, and she shared them in this fabulous podcast with Gen Xer (and what an irony that my computer's spellcheck doesn't recognize "Xer"), Gennev CEO Jill Angelo.

Hear their conversation about the price of trying to have it all, what it's like to be the first generation not to do better than our parents did, and why perimenopause and menopause are making it even harder on the women of the forgotten generation.

Spoiler: it's not all bad news. But there is some. 

I think we can safely say that 2020 has been an above-average year for just about everyone — in terms of stress, anyway.

For women dealing with perimenopause and menopause symptoms on top of everything else, the stress can seem unmanageable. And because 2020 has been harder on women, it's no surprise many women are looking for relief from stress.

One relatively new avenue for many is CBD, the non-hallucinogenic compound found in hemp. While research is still underway, many women have found CBD helps relieve stress and joint pain and promote sleep.

In this conversation, Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk talks with naturopathic doctor Aimée Shunney about the potential of CBD and how to choose a CBD supplement that's high-quality, safe, and contains what it claims on the label.

Take a listen, then check out Gennev's high-quality CBD supplements, tincture, and Sleep System. 

The experience of menopause differs from woman to woman, but in our conversations with women, one thing seems nearly universal: the more information a woman has, the more in-control she feels over her body and her transition.

The problem? Because menopause is still so taboo, many women struggle to ask questions and get answers.

Dr. Anna Garrett has been a clinical pharmacist for over 20 years, working in a variety of practice settings. Happily for us, she discovered along the way that working with women in midlife is her true passion. Dr. Anna offers her clients a variety of services including hormone balancing, weight loss, and GeneSNP testing. Her health coaching is designed to help women in perimenopause and menopause escape from hormone hell and feel amazing in their bodies so they can rock their mojo through midlife and beyond.

Dr. Anna is a Doctor of Pharmacy and Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist. She is also a Certified Intrinsic Coach®, and has studied through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.

Clearly, Dr. Anna has answers on midlife and menopause. So we asked her some questions.

1:25
We asked Dr. Anna how she got started on the path of working with women in midlife and menopause. Dr. Anna shared with us how seeing women floundering and not living life to the fullest prompted her to go into practice helping women reclaim their bodies, lives, and selves.

3:40
What do we mean by “hormones,” “hormonal” and “hormone management”? These are kind of important terms to a woman in or approaching menopause, yet most of us are a little unclear on what they really mean. Dr. Anna educates us on hormones, their interactions, and the impacts when they’re out of balance.

6:05
We wanted to understand the difference between traditional HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and B-HRT (bioidentical HRT). So we asked. Dr. Anna tells us what they are, how they differ, when they’re called for, and the “laundry list” of lifestyle changes women should consider first before you go down the HRT road.

8:50
In this part, we asked Dr. Anna to take a little deeper dive into the differences between HRT and B-HRT. She gives us some great details on the risks and benefits and some of the factors to consider if a woman decides to pursue hormone replacement.

11:30
OTC progesterone is available and does have some benefits, but Dr. Anna schools us on the risks of self-medicating without the oversight of a health care professional.

13:12
How do you know if seeing a professional coach/consultant like Dr. Anna could help you? She explains the profile of an “ideal client” – eg someone who is dealing with hormone challenges and is ready to “do the work” necessary to feel better.

14:55
You’re ready to consult someone like Dr. Anna – how do you go about it? What’s that first appointment like, what expectations should you have? Dr. Anna has a range of possible paths to feeling better in your body, depending on where a woman is in her journey, what symptoms she’s experiencing, her financial circumstances and so on.

18:10
Women may not even know that they’re in perimenopause or menopause, and when symptoms are gradual, they may not even realize how poorly they’re feeling compared to how they could feel. Dr. Anna speaks to the issues women face in getting properly diagnosed and treated and offers suggestions how a woman can prepare in the years before midlife to be their own best advocate. Don’t have the joy sucked out of your life when what you’re experiencing can be solved, she advises. Oh, and don’t rely on your Facebook group for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

21:48
Dr. Anna shares stories of women who got their “midlife mojo back.” When hot flashes and body image issues threatened their quality of life, Dr. Anna helped them get balance and perspective back.

24:14
I’m sold, let’s work together – so what does that look like? Dr. Anna talks about why she thinks six months is the right amount of time to do the serious work of getting your body balance – and your mojo – back on track. And because hormone fluctuations know no borders, Dr. Anna talks a little bit about how and why she set up her business to be able to help women globally.

27:00
Dr. Anna takes on the issue of shame surrounding menopause and aging. “It’s not like anyone gets to opt out of this!” she says; don’t suffer needlessly, don’t be ashamed, enjoy the wisdom you’ve earned and celebrate this special time of life.

28:36
One piece of advice for listeners? Find someone to reach out to, Dr. Anna says. Your problems can be solved, so don’t suffer them needlessly.

To learn more about – and from! – Dr. Anna, check out her website at drannagarrett.com.

For more great content on menopause, midlife, and feeling fabulous in your body at every age, join us at genneve.com. 

According to Anne’s research, 20% of the workforce is dealing with menopause at any given time. Twenty percent are dealing with symptoms like headaches, hot flashes, dizziness, dry eyes, general achiness, and exhaustion.  

There are simple things a business can do to accommodate their menopausal workforce, yet it’s the rare organization that even acknowledges it happens.

Anne talks with genneve CEO Jill Angelo about menopause and ageism and how great leadership can make our workplaces more comfortable....for everyone.

Music:

"A Wee Tipple" by Scott Holmes
facebook.com/ScottHolmesMusic

When we talked with Amy Schmidt of Fearlessly Facing Fifty about confidence and creativity in midlife, we knew we had to ask her back. Her enthusiasm is irresistible. 

Amy's mission is to change the narrative around midlife and inspire the women in it. Midlife is not a crisis, she says; it's an opportunity! 

And her new book Cannonball is already inspiring women. Even prior to release, it was #1 in its category on Amazon.

Enjoy this energetic, fun, inspiring conversation with Amy and Gennev CEO Jill Angelo as they talk about the many wonderful opportunities that await in midlife and beyond.

To learn more about Gennev and our mission to change how women navigate the challenges of menopause, go to Gennev.com.

Remember getting out of bed when you were 30? Nothing hurt, everything moved in the right direction, nothing was stuck or rusty or sore.

You can be that way again, says Dr. Vonda Wright, double-boarded orthopedic sports surgeon, internationally recognized authority on active aging and mobility, and an innovator focused on optimizing personal and professional performance at every age. 

Menopause and achy joints don't have to stop you from doing activities you love. You may need to approach activity differently, and (please don't shoot the messenger) cut back on sugar, but 50 and menopause don't mean your active life is over.

Have a listen to Jill Angelo, Gennev CEO, and Dr. Wright as they talk about movement, joint pain, and how to FACE the future.

Find Dr. Wright at DrVondaWright.com, check out her podcast Hot For Your Health, and be sure to find her books!

When you look your best, it's easier to feel confident. Unfortunately, midlife seems to conspire against us, at least by today's cultural standards of "best," with thicker waistlines, more wrinkled skin, and flyaway hair.

One of the first things we notice when we see someone for the first time is their hair — and this is especially true of women. If our previously shiny, glossy, thick hair is now dry, thinner, and frizzy, we feel we're not making our best first impression. That can undermine confidence before we even open our mouths.

To help women feel better about their hair, whether it's to make a better first impression or just happier moments in front of the mirror, Sonsoles Gonzalez founded Better Not Younger, a haircare brand focused on the changes many women experience as they age.

Better Not Younger isn't just dedicated to healthier hair, though; it's also changing the conversation around women and aging. 

As an executive in the haircare industry, Sonsoles noticed that products were always geared toward the "18-44 year old women" market. What happens when a woman turns 45, she asked?

Apparently, as far as the large brands go, 45-year-old women and older pretty much cease to exist. But at 52 or 53, Sonsoles, says, she still felt youthful and attractive — not ready for invisibility!

So she started her own company that researched the needs of women in this demographic and began providing products that work. 

In this podcast, Better Not Younger CEO Sonsoles Gonzalez and Gennev CEO Jill Angelo talk about providing products for women in midlife and how our culture is slowly shifting to recognize the unique value and beauty of women 40 and over.

Take a moment to listen, then learn more about Gennev and Better Not Younger at Gennev.com. 

Dr. Connie Mao is director of Harborview Women’s Dysplasia Clinic here in Seattle, Washington, where she focuses on HPV-related disease including cervical, vulvar, and vaginal dysplasia and genital warts. She’s an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington, and she has spent the last 19 years doing research related to HPV infections and prevention of cervical cancer.

Jill Angelo, genneve CEO and host of the genneve podcasts, talked with Dr. Mao about HPV, the HPV vaccine, why the US lags behinds other countries in rates of vaccination, and why every parent should have their children--boys and girls--vaccinated against this ubiquitous virus.

Read a transcript of our interview with Dr. Connie here. 

Is there a connection between estrogen and breast cancer? Maybe, but it may not be what you think. Gennev CEO Jill Angelo talks with Dr. Avrum Bluming, Dr. Joanne Weidhaas, and Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su on hormones, cancer risk, and the WHI study that changed everything.

Listen to the podcast, then visit Gennev.com for more information.

Gennev Director of Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk talks with Elizabeth Jones, Aliza Tuttle and Ashley Relf, the three women behind It's On Us, Corvallis, an organization linking restaurants, crowd sourced funds, and hungry people. 

Hear how IOU Corvallis is helping people get nutritious meals, helping restaurants stay active and reach new audiences, and helping build and maintain a thriving community, even in a time of self-isolation.

genneve CEO Jill had a chance to sit down with Dr. Lora Shahine, reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist at Pacific NW Fertility. 

01:40  
Dr. Shahine explains what a “reproductive endocrinologist” is and why someone might seek out her care if they’re trying to start or add to their family.

02:32
How does a couple know it’s time to visit a specialist? Dr. Shahine explains the impact “Dr. Internet” has had on her practice. She gives some guidelines around when it’s time to get help in getting pregnant.

4:54
What are the different fertility paths? How do you choose between IVF vs pills to promote ovulation vs insemination? Dr. Shahine explains both high tech and low tech treatments, as well as how she and her patients determine the roadmap to achieve desired goals.

07:00
How does Dr. Shahine judge where to start with a patient? It starts with the patient’s story from her own point of view – what she’s experienced so far, what she’s tried, what her goals are (soccer team vs one kid). Hear from Dr. Shahine how new technologies have opened up lots of new options.

09:25
There are a lot of myths surrounding fertility and how much science can do to promote it. Dr. Shahine gives us the truths around making babies and the wonders – and limits – of technological intervention.

12:34
Making a baby requires having a good egg to start with. Dr. Shahine lets us in on what makes an egg “good.”

13:40
Where do you see innovation? Dr. Shahine explains the importance of mitochondria in reproduction and how new research may allow us to move healthy mitochondria from a young egg into an older egg to give the egg that youthful energy.

14:28
What is it with age anyway? Dr. Shahine explains why Mick Jagger can have a baby at 72 but most women’s peak reproductive years are over by age 40. Chromosome imbalance is the largest cause of miscarriages, and the older the egg, the likelier the chance of this happening.

17:29
Dr. Shahine answers those questions you’ve always wondered about: How do sperm live and die and what happens to them if they’re not ejaculated? What happens to unused eggs? Why don’t women who’ve been on birth control pills – and therefore not ovulating – have a “reserve” of eggs? 

19:40
“My job has very high highs and very low lows,” says Dr. Shahine. How does she help women cope with the feelings of shame, guilt, and failure that often (and wrongly) surround miscarriage? There’s lots of cause for hope, she says, and a big part of her job is convincing women and couples to stay positive.

19:50
So, how does she help women stay positive? Dr. Shahine is a huge believer in education and knowledge and grounding hope in the possibilities that science and nature provide. She talks about the importance of self-care and how women so often struggle to prioritize themselves appropriately.

23:41
Does stress affect your fertility? Dr. Shahine wants people to understand that while there is a mind-body connection, stressing about stress is the wrong focus. She gives great tips on how to shift thinking to healthfulness, mindfulness, and being present and positive.

26:39
Dr. Shahine wants to change the conversation from guilt and shame to knowledge, empowerment, and support. Awareness will lead to funding for more research and more innovation around fertility, so it’s important to have open conversations.

29:20
Your takeaway? There’s so much fear and pressure around fertility, says Dr. Shahine, yet there are options for those who are finding it difficult to conceive. Have hope.

You can find out more about Dr. Lora Shahine on the Pacific NW Fertility website or by following her on Twitter: @lorashahine.

Women can be awfully good at getting in their own way.

We have the skills, the knowledge, the drive, we’re ready to realize our dreams … and yet. We flail, we stall, or worst of all, we sabotage the success we so desperately want. How can we identify what we’re doing wrong and get on the path towards achieving our goals? Sometimes we just need a partner.

We found that partner in Lara Dalch. Lara is a health and lifestyle coach to "women on the rise" – women who crave practical tools for feeling healthy, confident, and powerful again so they can have the career and life they really want. 

As a former entertainment marketing executive and busy entrepreneur, Lara understands the challenges of balancing good health with a busy schedule and is passionate about helping women harness the power of good health to fuel their lives through a practical, “whole life” approach to health 

Lara is a regular contributor to popular health and wellness website MindBodyGreen and has been a featured speaker at Microsoft, Flywheel Sports, Orangetheory Fitness, the University of Virginia, and the University of California, Berkeley. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Virginia, is a Certified Pilates Instructor, and received her training to practice health coaching via the State University of New York and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

1:26
Lara has had a very colorful and non-traditional career path. We asked her, how do you go from working at Comedy Central to health and lifestyle coaching? Perhaps not surprisingly, her own hectic lifestyle was the inspiration behind helping others get control of theirs.

3:01
Lara gives us a few more details on how her own improved life was her light bulb moment. “I stopped falling asleep at my desk!” Now she helps others be fully present – and awake – in their lives and work.

5:18
We wanted to know, how do clients know it’s time to seek help? If you’re saying things like, “I’m exhausted all the time,” or “My food is a disaster,” or if you feel like you’re just not “showing up” in work and life the way you want, you might need a Lara. 

7:17
Lots of women (and men) undoubtedly fit the criteria of needing a Lara. What keeps us from getting the support we need? Lara says, “They’re afraid they’re not going to show up for themselves.” Hmmmm… having a great idea, getting all excited and prepped, then just not moving forward. Sound familiar?

20:00
Asking for help is often seen as a sign of weakness in modern times. But Lara says it’s one of the most courageous things a high-achiever can do. Lara takes us through the many ways we show we need support and the benefits of getting it.

21:30
On the surface, we should be getting healthier: we have more knowledge, more health care and treatment options…so why are we feeling so bloody awful? First, there is such a thing as “too much information” – Lara tells us how to stop looking outside your body when the answers lie within.

23:40
Lara sees herself as a “partner” in achieving optimal health and wellness – a partner to her client but also to the network of other supports in a woman’s life. Often we have tons of advice from lots of expert sources, but we’re missing the "practical know how" piece. It’s great to have a nutrition plan; even better if you know how to follow it.

25:00
Women over 40 have different challenges than their younger sisters, and they often seem much less doable in our 40s than they did in our 20s. According to Lara, there’s no reason to think you can no longer achieve your goals just because you’re older. The magic pixie dust that’ll get you there? Time.

27:02
Lara actually really enjoys working with women in the 40s and 50s. She gives us the low down on the special gifts women in midlife bring to the table.

27:58
We all know it’s true, even if we can’t seem to make it happen: women who are successful are those who are focused on integrating self-care into their lives. In her talk on the Five Powerful Habits of Women on the Rise, Lara details what successful women have in common. Here’s the good news: it’s all stuff you can have too. Lara shares the details.

30:52s

Finally, we asked Lara what a woman should do if she’s considering finding herself a coach. “Be open to going a little out of your comfort zone,” Lara tells us. Openness to experimenting, tuning into your body in a new way, making the decision to move forward toward your goals, those are the beginning to your healthier, more fulfilled future.

Want more Lara? Get her free guide to discover your unique way of getting in your own way when it comes to eating healthier, exercising more, getting more sleep, and kicking the habits that have gotten you out of shape and out of sorts.

Thank you to The Riveter for lending us the space to record today’s podcast! The Riveter is a new collaborative workspace built by and for women. The doors of the first location opened on May 1, 2017 with more to come. A community that amplifies women’s big ideas through shared resources and innovative connections, The Riveter offers dynamic programming in beautiful, light-filled spaces and invites members to focus on self-care with daily yoga and meditation. In a culture that embraces the glorification of busy and ignores self-care, The Riveter is a new way to work. If you’re in Seattle, be sure to check it out!

As vaginal tissue and pH change, more frequent UTIs can become a real problem for many women in perimenopause and menopause. Learn more about why it happens and an innovative new product from Uqora to help women of any age ward off the dreaded UTI.

To learn more, listen to the podcast, then come to Gennev.com for more information on menopause, UTIs, and how to manage all the many symptoms that can come with this time of life.

Egg freezing is still a relatively new option for women and couples wanting to delay pregnancy for a few years.  

We wanted to know more about this fascinating procedure that – hopefully – allows younger women to freeze their eggs, then have babies, safely, at a later date.  

So we sat down with Dr. Lorna Marshall of Pacific NW Fertility. Dr. Marshall, practicing specialist in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, co-founded the clinic back in 2005 and has been helping couples start or build their families ever since.

In the first part of our conversation with Dr. Marshall, we learned more about the science and history of in vitro fertilization (commonly known as IVF), fertility medicine, and her own path to reproductive medicine. In part 2, we talked about the cultural changes that come with women having more family planning power.

1:07 – vacation days, corner office, egg freezing: family planning as benefit

The number of women seeking family planning options has “shot up through the roof,” Dr. Marshall says, at least in part because some large companies are offering egg freezing as a benefit of employment. How has that changed the demographic of women who are coming in to ask about egg freezing?

2:08 – I’m 43, what do I do now?

Dr. Marshall tells us about the realities of egg freezing. Big one: ya gotta do it when you’re young.

3:29 – It only happens in the movies

Or to movie stars. Dr. Marshall says not to be fooled by celebrities having babies in their late 40s or even early 50s; chances are they used donated eggs, not their own. It’s important to understand the realities of science and bodies, including their limitations.

4:05 – I’m here; what happens now?

When  woman comes to the clinic, what happens? Dr. Marshall gives us the guided tour from testing to egg supply explanation to talking options when the results are in. Hear the process.

7:19 – Answering patients’ questions

When it comes to fertility, it’s critical to manage expectations. Doctors may not be able to give a woman an answer on if she’ll be able to have a baby – there are just too many factors. Find out what impacts fertility and how docs work with women to best reach their goals.

9:19 – Have my eggs been frozen too long?

Because the science of vitrification of eggs is still so new, Dr. Marshall says, some things just aren’t known yet, like, do frozen eggs have a – for want of a better term – “implant by” date? What stresses the egg? How long are vitrified eggs viable, and does the faster-freeze process put the eggs at risk?

11:14 – Egg storage: what does it look like, how does it work?

Big tanks hold racks and racks of eggs, sperm, and embryos at the Pacific NW Fertility clinic, Dr. Marshall says. Some fertility clinics don’t store on site, but Dr. Marshall’s clinic has chosen to.

12:25 – The nitty gritty: how much does it cost?

As you can imagine, egg freezing isn’t cheap. And many insurance companies won’t cover “elective” egg freezing. With egg retrieval and the medications it takes to do the process, women can expect to pay $14 – 15,000 for a single cycle. That’s not the cost of establishing a pregnancy, Dr. Marshall reminds us; just the process of freezing.

14:07 – Not a decision to be made lightly …

The best age for freezing eggs may be a woman’s 20s, which is not usually when women have the money to have their eggs frozen. The cost may be changing for cancer patients, at least, Dr. Marshall says, with some state legislatures working to make insurance companies cover fertility preservation. Will insurance ever cover truly elective fertility preservation?

17:08 – Making babies: what do you love most?

We wanted to know what made Dr. Marshall want to come back to work every day. Her biggest reason probably won’t surprise you, but, she tells us, the growth and changes in the field have also kept her engaged in her work. “I’m in the heart of society, doing this,” she says. “Every day I’m successful, and every day I fail or feel like I fail.”

19:15 – Egg freezing is still in its (wait for it) infancy, so do your homework

Because this procedure is still so new, it’s important to work with a clinic that’s actually made some babies from frozen eggs, Dr. Marshall says. There are lots of clinics that simply haven’t gotten to the “thawing and making babies” part yet. She lists some questions women should ask before choosing their clinic.

22:00 – By the numbers: your chances of making egg freezing work

Like much about a woman’s body, her chances of making a baby may be wildly different from another woman’s chances, even at the same age, says Dr. Marshall. She shares with us some numbers of chances of success based on age of mom and number of eggs retrieved.

Would you consider freezing your eggs in order to delay pregnancy? Why or why not? We’d love to hear your thoughts; please share in the comments section, email us at info@genneve.com, or let us know on genneve’s Facebook page or in Midlife & Menopause Solutions, genneve’s closed Facebook group.

Next up: Dr. Susie Gronski, doctor of physical therapy and certified pelvic rehabilitation practitioner. We talked with Dr. Susie about sexual wellness and enjoying your sex life, even post-menopause. Be sure to stay tuned to genneve.com for that conversation, or subscribe to genneve on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, or Google Play, so you never miss an episode.  

During the COVID quarantine, many are looking for ways to maintain social and community connection. 

Menopause can also be isolating, as women choose to stay home rather than face the possible embarrassment of a hot flash, flooding period, or other disruptive, hard-to-hide menopause symptom.

At Gennev, we don't believe menopause symptoms should be considered embarrassing, ever. We also know that loneliness can be unhealthy. 

So we invited psychiatrist Dr. Swapna Vaidya to talk with Gennev's Director of Health Coaching, Stasi Kasianchuk, about ways we can stay connected — through menopause, and through pandemic.

Come to Gennev to learn how to thrive through and beyond the menopause transition. 

When Team Gennev went looking for the right face to put on our website, we had a good idea what we were looking for: a face that showed the strength, resilience, beauty, and energy of a woman in midlife and menopause.

It can be hard to find images of mature women doing anything besides fanning themselves and looking annoyed.

Happily, we finally found lots of incredible choices on the Ageist website: active women over 50 living their best lives, overcoming challenges, and full of the "zest" Margaret Mead was talking about.

We went a little crazy with the credit card, purchasing the rights to use these wonderful images of real women. 

As Ageist founder David Stewart said in his podcast with Gennev's Jill Angelo, we just don't see ourselves in the typical, commercial images of people our age. So when you come across a treasure trove of representative images, you take advantage.

One of the images we loved was that of Aliza Sherman — we loved it so much, she graces Gennev's home page with her wide-open smile. You can just feel the hum of energy and life flowing through her. 

Not long ago, @AlizaSherman tweeted, "Yes, that’s me. Apparently I’m the happy face of menopause." Team Gennev had been wanting to reach out and ask her to do a podcast; this was the nudge we needed. What follows is that conversation.

Learn more about Gennev and how we help women thrive through menopause and beyond at Gennev.com.

Many experience menopause as a time of grief and loss: loss of youth, of reproduction, of a body that looked different, behaved in predictable ways, and seemed easier to control. 

To feel some sense of grief at change is totally normal and understandable. But at Gennev, we feel the menopause transition can also be a very positive time to embrace a new you, changed body, changed attitude, new freedoms and all.

To help us understand and navigate this transition, Gennev Health Coach Katie Linville talked with Kathleen Putnam, an expert in grief, loss, and transition. 

She gave us new ways of thinking about change and aging, and new strategies to celebrate the new us on the other side of the symptoms.

Listen to the podcast, then come over to Gennev.com to learn more about how to manage menopause to have an easier, better, healthier transition.

Culturally, we have this idea that life slows at 50. Children are grown and gone, we're looking into retirement, our days of doing new things and surprising ourselves are over. Life past 50, if you look at the marketing for this age group, is mostly about fear: fear over health, fear over finances, fear of the future.

Nothing could be further from the truth, says David Stewart of the AGEIST. People in the 50-plus age group are doing all sorts of amazing things. Women especially are "figuring out life 2.0," says David.

AGEIST's message is that culture and brands really misunderstand this age group — it's not a time of fear, and messaging to the 50+ that way won't resonate with a lot of the over-50s. Many in this cohort feel "at the peak of their powers," David says, and if you want to reach them, you need to understand that.

David Harry Stewart is the founder and face of the AGEIST and the host of the SuperAge podcast. He is a passionate champion and leading authority on the modern 50+ lifestyle, and the mindset and aspirations that drive this influential demographic. Prior to launching AGEIST, Stewart enjoyed an award-winning career as a photographer whose advertising work included Nike, Google, American Express and others, and his magazine work includes Esquire, GQ, Interview, RedBull, Time, and many others. 

Hear his conversation with Gennev CEO Jill Angelo, and check out both Gennev and AGEIST for much much more. 

As we near the kickoff to the holiday season, we wanted to know how concerned we should really be about the amount of sugar we’re consuming. You hear words like “toxic” and “addiction,” as well as “harmless” and “fun” when it comes to sugar and sugar consumption. So which is it?

The American Heart Association says women should get no more than 25 grams (6 tsp) of added sugar a day, and 36 grams (9 tsp) for men. However, according to SugarScience, a publication from the University of California at San Francisco, the average American gets 82 grams of sugar (19.5 tsp) every day.  

We’re eating a lot of it. But when it comes to our health in midlife, is sugar really that bad for us?

To find out, we called up Dr. Anna Garrett, who talked to us before on getting your mojo back in midlife. Dr. Anna is a certified coach and Doctor of Pharmacy, and her mission in life is helping women get their hormones – and their lives! – back in balance.

Here’s what we learned:

1:17 Can you really get addicted to sugar?

“Sugar actually works on the same centers in the brain as cocaine and nicotine.” So, yeah. Addictive and dangerous. Find out the process of addiction in your brain.

2:23 Is giving up sugar a fad?

Fat used to be the demonized ingredient when it came to obesity and poor health. But did the Big Sugar lobby play fast and loose with the facts to make it appear like fat was the bad guy?

4:25 Does sugar affect hormonal health?

Sugar disrupts insulin, creating chaos with your hormones and possibly contributing to estrogen dominance. And that’s just not good.

5:42 What about heart health?

Sugar wreaks havoc here too, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Anna explains.

6:40 How the heck do I give up sugar?

Cutting out sugar is tricky. Dr. Anna gives her recommendations on going “cold turkey” versus “cutting back.” HINT: sugary drinks should probably be first to go.

7:37 Ok, fill me in on the drinks…?

Some drinks, like milk, have natural sugars. Avoid the ones with added sugars like agave or syrups. And bad news, y’all: wine is a problem.

8:40 Where does sugar hide in food?

Sugar is super sneaky, so even capable label readers may miss a few. Dr. Anna tells us what to be on the lookout for.

9:20 Artificial sweeteners: OK or no?

I’ll give you one guess. Yep. Not good. Dr. Anna tells us why artificial sweeteners may actually sabotage your good intentions. But there are ways to make it less bad for you ….

10:45 Withdrawal. What do we have to expect?

There are definitely withdrawal symptoms, just like with other addictions. Dr. Anna gives us the info on how we’ll feel, how long it’ll last, and how to manage it best.

11:58 How long does it take to break free?

If you’re truly serious, you can get to great in 7 – 10 days, says Dr. Anna. She tells us how to go about a sugar “detox” the best way.

13:10 What do you eat, if not sugar?

Dr. Anna gives us insight into her healthy diet. We’ve decided we want to be her when we grow up.

14:02 After the detox, can I bring some sweetness back?

Starchy veggies like beets or sweet potatoes and healthy carbs can be invited back, but for those folks for whom sugar is an “avalanche” food (ie, triggers binge eating), refined sugars should probably be eliminated entirely and permanently.

15:17 Halloween sugar-avoidance tips?

The holidays are coming and most of us are about to be awash in sugary treats. How do we handle it? Dr. Anna has some great ideas on how to be thoughtful about what we’re eating. Autopilot is only good for airplanes, folks; never for food.

17:36 How do you get your family on the bandwagon?

It’s tough to do this right: you don’t want to be the “anti-fun committee,” so explain why you’re doing what you’re doing, include the family in meal planning and prep, and start training taste buds early!

Are you ready to reduce your sugar intake? It can be a tough road, so consider getting help from a coach like Dr. Anna. We’d love to hear how it goes for you! Please share your successes and setbacks with us in the comments  or on genneve’s Facebook page or Midlife & Menopause Solutions, our closed Facebook group.

Historically, it's been tough to start a business that caters specifically to women. Investors have often been a little reluctant to invest in a business focused on menopause, for example.

But that's changing, with female entrepreneurs leading the charge, forming partnerships to support one another and the women they serve. 

In this podcast, Health Coach Stasi Kasianchuk talks with CEO of Handful Active Wear Jennifer Ferguson and CEO of Gennev Jill Angelo about women, business, and the business of supporting women. 

Learn more and access the full transcript at Gennev.com

Many women aren't familiar with the term "perimenopause," even though it could explain their suddenly unpredictable periods, night sweats, and even crappier PMS.

Doctor of Pharmacy Dr. Anna Garrett is on a mission to help women better understand their bodies – and help us all better understand the hormonal journey women travel throughout their lives.

In this podcast with genneve CEO Jill Angelo, Dr. Anna discusses why 35 isn't "too early" to start talking about and preparing for perimenopause and menopause, how these two phases of a woman's life differ, and why it's so important to all women's health to have open conversations about hormones.

Have a listen, then check out Dr. Anna's book, Perimenopause: The Savvy Sister's Guide to Hormone Harmony.

Our recent podcast on COVID 19 was so popular, we decided to do a deeper dive into the particular risks women face and how we can best protect ourselves and those we care about.

In this webinar/podcast, Gennev CEO Jill Angelo talks to Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, Chief Medical Officer and director of the Gennev Telemedicine program, Coaches Lauren Leedy and Stasi Kasianchuk of the Gennev HealthFix program, and Dr. Swapna Vaidya, psychiatrist, on ways we can stay physically and emotionally healthy in this very unusual, very unpredictable time.

You can also view the webinar video on YouTube and access the webinar/podcast transcript at Gennev.com. 

Wearing a face mask (except the N95s, please leave those for medical professionals) helps protect other people from you. Even if you have no symptoms, you could be carrying and spreading the COVID 19 virus, so it's important to keep the moisture from coughs, sneezes — perhaps even breaths — contained. So please, do wear a mask if you're out and about among people.

Protecting others is awesome. Protecting yourself and those you love? Priceless.

One of the most unknown and underrated ways to strengthen your immune response is gut health. Science is only beginning to understand the importance of a healthy gut, including what the gut does (a lot) and how best to protect and feed it.

We took these questions to a gut health expert: Dr. Erika La Vella of lavellayourguts.com. She is a board-certified metabolic surgeon and describes herself as a "wife, and mother who is passionate about health in the most preventative and holistic of ways." She talked with Gennev Director of Health Coaching Stasi Kasianchuk about what the gut biome is, how it works, and some of the many ways we're finding that a balanced gut biome makes us healthier — and an unbalanced one can disrupt our health.

So, especially in a time when we all REALLY want and need the most robust immune response we can have, how do we feed our gut and protect it?

Listen up and find out! 

Find the full transcript at Gennev.

Mona Lisa Touch: You probably haven’t heard of it, but if you’re a woman in midlife, you might want to take a moment to hear about it. This “fractionated CO₂ laser,” we hear, can return vaginal tissue to a pre-menopausal state with just a few 3-to-5-minute treatments.

That can mean a return to sex that’s pleasurable instead of painful and an end to mild urinary incontinence.

Because we have no idea what a “fractionated CO₂ laser” is, but we wanted to know more, we contacted a provider of the service here in Seattle, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su.

Dr. Rebecca maintained her own ob/gyn practice and taught Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington before decided to take a position with Swedish Medical Center as an OB Hospitalist. In 2016, she opened RenuvaGyn to start offering Mona Lisa Touch to women in menopause.

She knows what this laser is and what it can do for women who are suffering with vaginal atrophy, mild incontinence, and painful sex. Here’s what she told us:

1:45 How did you end up here, doing this?

Dr. Rebecca traces her path to Seattle and RenuvaGyn and the Mona Lisa Touch, and why she feels like women deserve to have a robust sex life, even after menopause (shocking!)

4:35 Why choose the Mona Lisa Touch?

Some women can’t use hormones or prefer not to. The MLT gives those women a great option. 

6:50 What does the Mona Lisa Touch device look like?

Kind of like a photocopy machine with a screen, according to the doc. She explains the process which is nothing at all like making copies.

8:11 How does it work?

The laser reawakens cells that start rebuilding and re-hydrating the vaginal area. The thicker layers, rebalanced pH, and returning healthy bacteria bring that bit of the body back to pre-menopause. She also gives us a timeline for when to get going – hint: the sooner, the better.

10:47 It’s not just for painful sex

Yes, it’s good for sex, no question. But it’s also good for the itch and the dryness.

11:29 Sooooo…. Does it hurt?

Because it doesn’t go as deeply into the tissue as facial laser treatment or hair removal, it’s less painful than either. A topical numbing cream takes care of any pain that might occur with the procedure. No flaking or peeling, either, woot!

13:20 What keeps women from getting the procedure done?

The MLT sounds amazing – why aren’t more women doing it? Cost, says the doctor. It’s not covered by insurance (of course!), so women pay the costs out of pocket.

15:10 When women hear about it, do they want it?

Cost aside, women are often a little fearful about the procedure, but when it’s done, the usual response is, “that’s it?” Doctor  Rebecca goes into what the office visit is like, and it sounds pretty darn easy.

(not all "vaginal rejuvenation" procedures are created equal. read up on why you may not want to keep up with the kardashians)

16:53 About that incontinence?

For mild incontinence, the MLT can be very helpful in a couple of ways. Dr. Rebecca takes us through the advantages. Also good for post-baby women in addition to women over 50, so spread the word!

19:05 Can you be my ob/gyn?

Mona Lisa Touch (and menopause care generally) doesn’t quite yet pay the bills; Dr. Rebecca is also a OB Hospitalist at Swedish Medical Center, helping with labor, delivery, c-sections, etc. The MLT fulfilled her need to work with women on an ongoing basis. She talks about how doctors are paid and why it doesn’t favor doctors talking with women about menopause issues.

23:14 What’s the process for women who want MLT?

Dr. Rebecca says there’s no physical prep to be done, but it’s good to do some research and know what to expect. One place to look is her own site and blog on renuvagyn.com.

For women who cannot or prefer not to use hormones to treat vaginal dryness and painful sex, the Mona Lisa Touch may provide an excellent, effective, low-risk alternative. You can search for a provider in your area from the Mona Lisa Touch website.

Have you had or would you consider a laser treatment to deal with vaginal atrophy or incontinence? Share with us (anonymously, if you prefer) in the comments on the genneve blog, or you can join the conversation on genneve’s Facebook page or in Midlife & Menopause Solutions, genneve’s closed Facebook group.

How do sleep (or a lack of it) and stress (an abundance of it) affect your immune system?

A lot, it turns out, and while that's always important, it's particularly important during this time of COVID 19. 

To help people be well during this pandemic, Gennev is offering a series of weekly webinars on issues of women's health and how they're impacted by the isolation. 

What are the risk factors for contracting COVID 19, and what are the best ways to protect yourself? 

Be sure to learn about and register for upcoming webinars. 

Gennev is the first online clinic for women in midlife and menopause. If menopause symptoms are impacting your quality of life, take back control. Visit Gennev.com for more information.

In 2002, the Women's Health Initiative released the results of its study, claiming use of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) increased a woman's risk of breast cancer.

Almost overnight, use plummeted, leaving a great many women without a good alternative for managing their menopause symptoms.

In their book Estrogen Matters, Dr. Avrum Bluming and Dr. Carol Tavris take a deep and detailed look at the WHI study and its conclusions.

Not only, they argue, did the WHI unnecessarily frighten women and leave them suffering with very real symptoms, they may also have prevented women from taking a life-changing, even life-prolonging treatment.

In this podcast with genneve CEO Jill Angelo and genneve Director of Health ob/gyn Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, Drs. Tavris and Bluming take us through their research and make a compelling case for the safety and effectiveness of HRT.

If you're in or approaching menopause, this podcast and the book Estrogen Matters can help you better understand HRT, its true risks, and the very real benefits it can offer.

Learn more and find the full transcript at genneve.com.

Talk to Meg Mathews for 30 seconds, and you'll know you're in the presence of a force.

Known for her work in marketing, music, fashion, and design, she is a highly accomplished woman with a big life and a big energy to sustain it. Now she's putting that drive and savvy behind educating the world about menopause.

Her new book The New Hot is a must-read for anyone dealing with menopause (and their partners). She takes on the taboos with common sense, humor, and a brook-no-BS born from years of being a celebrity. 

In this conversation with Gennev CEO Jill Angelo, Meg tells her personal story, and how the lack of good information and advice around menopause drove her to become a resource for others needing help.

Meg is a powerful advocate for women and trans individuals dealing with symptoms; she is also dedicated to helping others learn to advocate for themselves.

Meg Mathews is an icon of the nineties Brit-pop scene, a former music industry executive, and the ex-wife of Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher. In 2017, she launched Megs Menopause, a platform dedicated to breaking the stigma around menopause. In 2018, she held her first annual conference for menopause information and discussion. That same year, she was awarded the Inspiring Public Figure Award by the Inspiring Leadership Trust. She lives in London.

Learn more about Meg Mathews at her website, megsmenopause.com, or follow her on Twitter, @MegMathews, or Instagram, @megmathewsofficial_.

Follow Gennev at gennev.com, on Twitter @MyGennev, and on Instagram, @MyGennev. 

There's already a shortage of ob/gyns in the US, making it even more difficult for women to find a menopause specialist.

According to Fortune Magazine, "By 2020, there will be a shortage of up to 8,800 OB-GYNs, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. And by 2050, the shortage may grow to 22,000."

What are the consequences to women's health if there aren't enough ob/gyns to fill the need? 

genneve CEO Jill Angelo talked with genneve Director of Health, ob/gyn and menopause specialist Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, about the strain this puts on women, on physicians, and on the health care system as a whole.

They also discussed how genneve's telehealth is an excellent way to help fill the care gap for women in midlife and menopause.

Learn more about genneve and our telehealth service, and read the full transcript of this conversation, at genneve.com.

Did you know that after menopause, women lose many of the heart protections that helped them prevent heart disease? With the loss of estrogen, we lose elasticity in our blood vessels, making the build up of plaque easier.

February is heart health month, and since heart disease is the #1 killer of women and men in the US, we wanted to share some information with you on how to protect yourself.

We talked with Dr. Sarah Speck, medical director of the cardiac wellness and rehabilitation programs at the Swedish Heart and Vascular Institute in Seattle and co-founder of POTENTRx, a medical fitness company, about what we can do to stay heart healthy as we age.

Learn more about heart disease, Dr. Speck, and how you can put the wisdom behind the training of elite athletes to work for your heart health: genneve.com. 

"Fatigue" does not equal "tired." Fatigue is something else, and it can be exponentially worse. It isn't solved with "just get more sleep," and day after day of it can really wear you down.

Fatigue — real fatigue — is a common symptom of menopause. It makes work hard, exercise impossible, even thinking straight can feel like it takes all your resources.

The kind of fatigue we're talking about can be a result of less estrogen to "feed" your brain. If you have some brain fog, forgetfulness, are easily distracted and occasionally confused, it's all part of the same process: your brain is trying to adapt to less estrogen.

While this part of perimenopause and menopause is temporary, it can last a year or two or longer. And if you don't know what's happening, it can be frightening. We hear from women all the time that they were terrified they were developing early onset dementia or that they'd been to a round of doctors to deal with "chronic fatigue." Finding out it's likely a (temporary) result of menopause is a huge relief.

Even worse than the symptom itself is that often, no one even mentions the culprit could be diminishing hormones, leading women to get expensive tests, waste time on incorrect diagnoses, and live in fear over a totally normal process.

There are things you can do to fight the fatigue: the right nutrition and exercise are powerful tools, and there are medications that can help while your brain and body adjust to the new normal. 

In this podcast, we hear from Gennev Director of Health Coaching, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Exercise Physiologist Stasi Kasianchuk and Naturopathic Physician Dr. Wendy Ellis on how to handle menopause fatigue.