Eat Move Think Medcan CEO Shaun Francis

Menopause costs the Canadian economy $3.5 billion a year. Many women suffer through their symptoms in silence in the workplace, with fears of being criticized, isolated or even terminated. At Medcan, we’re working hard to fight against the stigma surrounding menopause. Here, we feature our recent webinar, Leading Through Menopause: Strategies for Success.
Joined by Janet Ko, President of the Menopause Foundation, and Salima Valji, CEO of Unleash Forward, Inc., Clinical Director of Menopause and Perimenopause, Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky, covers critical topics on menopause awareness and support in the workplace. The panelists debunk myths about hormone therapy and breast cancer risk, offer valuable tips for advocating for menopause-related needs in the workplace, and share resources to empower women and foster supportive environments at work.
LINKS
Medcan’s Menopause and Perimenopause Program led by Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky, offers six months of comprehensive, holistic support that is personalized to your unique symptoms and concerns.  Janet Ko is the President and Co-Founder of The Menopause Foundation, where you’ll find a helpful symptom tracker among other useful resources.
Salima Valji is the CEO and Founder of Unleash Forward Inc., a purpose driven leadership accelerator focused on elevating women and people of colour to senior leadership roles and board positions. 
Find more helpful resources at The Menopause Society (formerly known as the North American Menopause Society).
More references and research: 
The Menopause and Work in Canada report by the Menopause Foundation breaks down the economic impact of menopause. 
Closing the women’s health gap: A $1 trillion opportunity to improve lives and economies by The McKinsey Health Institute
Read a recent critical review of the Women’s Health Initiative, which created societal distrust in the efficacy and safety of hormone replacement therapy.
Plus, our panelists’ favourite women’s health books to add to your bookshelf.
Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky’s pick: Estrogen Matters: Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve Women's Well-Being and Lengthen Their Lives -- Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer by Dr. Avrum Bluming and Dr. Carol Tavris
Janet Ko’s pick: The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health With Facts And Feminism by Dr. Jen Gunter
Salima Valji’s pick: The Menopause Brain: New Science Empowers Women to Navigate the Pivotal Transition with Knowledge and Confidence by Dr. Lisa Mosconi
To stay in touch with our panelists, you can connect with Janet Ko and Salima Valji on LinkedIn.
 

As women age, physical and hormonal changes lead to new nutritional and wellness needs. So in episode 201 of Eat Move Think, Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky and Leslie Beck, RD, team up to guide you through women’s health by the decade. Learn what’s happening inside and outside your body during each decade of adulthood from your 30s onward—and how simple lifestyle and diet choices can help you move through your life with vitality and confidence.
Check out the episode webpage for links and more info.

Within Canada’s 20 million person labour market, 5 million people are working women over the age of 40. According to a recent report from the Menopause Society, an estimated 1 in 10 women will leave the workforce due to unmanaged symptoms of menopause—that’s around 500,000 women who will stop working because of their symptoms this year. 
As the Clinical Director of Medcan’s Menopause and Perimenopause Program, Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky is working to change these statistics. In Part One of our Women’s Health Special Series, she’s joined by her former client, Norma Pasquale. After having faced debilitating perimenopause symptoms, Norma’s life changed after treating her symptoms with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Hear her story, and learn how you can advocate for your health and get the best care and resources for your unique needs.
 

Whether you’re giving a presentation at work or competing in a swim meet, there’s nothing more frustrating than having all the tools and the practice in the world, and fumbling under pressure.
Dr. Dana Sinclair, the author of Dialed In: Do Your Best When it Matters Most, knows this better than anyone. She’s a performance psychologist, and she’s worked with high-performers of all kinds (from the Toronto Raptors to Jamie Lee Curtis) to help them reach their potential. Here, Mind Station Team Lead Jennifer Baldachin chats with Dr. Sinclair. Get the best strategies to overcome fear, transform your self-talk, and dial into a performance mindset that lets you access your best self, no matter the circumstances.
 

Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the world’s most common gastrointestinal disorders, and Canada’s rates are some of the highest. It’s difficult to diagnose, impossible to cure, and can be tough to talk about—but not for today’s guest. 
Kate Scarlata, RD, is an expert in IBS and the low FODMAP diet. Here, she joins Leslie Beck, Medcan’s Clinical Director of Food and Nutrition, to give you a comprehensive guide to the many facets of IBS, and how to get the best results using the low FODMAP diet.
Check out the episode webpage for links and more info.
 
 
 

A recent report showed that Canada’s national life expectancy dropped for the third year in a row—now sitting at an average of 81.3 years. Why are experts calling this decline a historical change? How does your own life expectancy compare, and how can you make tweaks in your routine to help you increase your lifespan and your healthspan?
Here, Dr. Peter Nord is joined by Dr. Doug Manuel, MD, director of the Big Life Lab at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and expert in preventive medicine. The two docs explore the implications of a shorter national life expectancy on your life, and the most important things you can do to avoid becoming part of that statistic.
Check out the episode webpage for links and more info.