Women Talking Frankly Candace Burch and Kyle McAvoy

It has been quite a few years: almost three living through a pandemic….This holiday season almost feels ‘normal ‘ again , whatever THAT means…

Thinking back to the holiday season pre Covid: it has always been a time full of stress, expectations, family drama, FOMO, loneliness, busyness, isolation, too many people, spending pressures…yet somehow most of us just love this time of year.

Add to this the extra foods and beverages we consume…the darker days….the colder wetter weather: maybe that is why we LOVE the festivities: I often think what would be like to live in the southern hemisphere and have nothing to distract us during the winter….they get to have Christmas and New Year during the summer: so crazy!

But here we are: after Thanksgiving…the ultimate indulgent holiday…but a whole lot less pressure for most of us….and soon to follow, holiday gatherings, cookie exchanges and holiday cocktails, mulled wine, lovely glasses of port to end the evening: how to NOT gain a gazillion pounds and feel completely ‘gobsmacked’ as Candace love to say….how to cruise through with grace and not feel completely off of our game come January and the new year???

Well, today we thought it would be fun to explore the world of ever expanding non-alcoholic beverages and see what our options are.. So join us as we banter back and forth and have a little, maybe a LOT , of fun while we sample some various beverages and see just what is out there for our drinking pleasure..plus we will look at some fun ways to EAT better as well…so much to talk about, as usual….but we do love to talk and learn together..so here we go!

Another fascinating conversation with Dr. Kenna Stephenson, M.D., a pioneering Family Medicine physician who has dedicated her life’s work to helping women in menopause find safer solutions for symptom relief and quality of life as we age backed by science and rigorous research.

Early in her career Dr. Kenna recognized that within the medical profession, there was a notable lack of scientific approach to menopause medicine, and a tendency among traditional doctors to delegitimate hormonal issues in aging women.

Over and over again, she heard from women patients how hard it was to find a doctor who took their symptoms seriously, how they had been dismissed with insensitive comments such as “it’s all in your head,” OR “you’re getting older, get used to it,” OR “you’re just depressed,” and waved away with a prescription for Prozac.

Dr. Kenna was all too aware that few if any studies in the scientific literature researched the health risks among women in menopause (or perimenopause the years leading up to it), or looked into the benefits of safer alternatives to the ubiquitous use of synthetic hormones shown to have adverse effects (increased heart disease, stroke, blood clots, breast cancers) over time.

As a physician dedicated to the art and science of women’s medicine, Kenna knew that there were better alternatives than HRT, as evidenced by the symptom relief and positive health benefits of the patients she was treating with plant-based bioidentical hormones. At the same time, it was deeply disturbing to her that the great majority of women who could and should benefit from these more natural hormone approaches were “missing out”.

As her concerns amplified, Kenna set out to provide hard core evidence that bioidentical hormones were a viable alternative to HRT, one used in Europe and available to providers and patients in the US. Thus was conceived the landmark CHOIICE study that looked into the effects of compounded bioidentical hormone therapies in peri and postmenopausal women.

In this fascinating discussion Dr. Stephenson talks openly with Kyle and Candace about her uphill battle to breathe

life into the CHOIICE study, to recruit suitable subjects and find the funding and support so crucial to conducting an independent study without the backing of Big-Pharma. She describes the many obstacles that stood in her way from the critics and naysayers to Hurricane Katrina, and how through sheer perseverance of her research team and dedicated subjects the roadblocks were painstakingly overcome one by one.

The project prevailed and the published results of the peer-reviewed CHOIICE study * clearly proved that bioidentical hormones work! And that the BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Restoration Therapy) model of care when administered in physiologic doses tailored to individual need, significantly relieved menopausal symptoms AND improved health outcomes in all the major areas studied -cardiovascular, inflammatory, immune, mood and quality of life bio-markers – with NO adverse effects. This is exciting, groundbreaking research to write home about, or more specifically share with your doctor, especially if he/she is a doubting Thomas or Thomasina!

You can learn more and follow Dr. Kenna on UTUBE 

Here’s a great interview with Dr. Kenna:

https://www.healthwatchersnews.com/2009/11/bioidentical-hormone-research-shows-heart-benefits/

* The effects of compounded bioidentical transdermal hormone therapy on hemostatic, inflammatory, immune factors; cardiovascular biomarkers; quality-of-life measures; and health outcomes in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23627249/

Spend some quality time with Kyle and Candace as they muse about our futures. After almost two years of navigating our lives through a pandemic, they look for inspiration and set goals for the year ahead. Their lively and often funny conversations run the gamut of topics ranging from how to keep a positive attitude when the world feels like it is falling apart, the importance of laughter even in the midst of hard times , digging down into basics (like doing a yearly 'cleanse' to find control somewhere) and how to remain curious and excited about learning new things, going new places and continuing to grow who WE are.

Carve some time out for you today to listen, learn and find inspiration. You deserve it.

A fascinating conversation with Dr. Kenna Stephenson, about her pioneering work in women’s medicine and the book she wrote, Awakening Athena, that was so ahead of its time in turning the conversation around women’s hormonal health from Big-Pharma to a focus on the physical emotional and spiritual needs of the essential female self.

We trust this heartfelt  conversation with Kenna will empower our listeners to learn more about the hormones that rule our reproductive lives and to ask the questions you were too embarrassed or afraid to ask, like:

-WHY when I bring hormone issues up with my Ob-Gyn is the solution always the same, an RX for birth control or an anti-depressant?

-WHY is hormone testing never offered?

-WHY is one- size-fits-all synthetic HRT still prescribed for menopause symptoms when safer, bioidentical hormones have been available for over a decade?

Here’s a sampling of our Q & A  with Dr. Kenna:

1. On self -care: something too many women abandon or never prioritize…how do we bring women back to caring for US FIRST, eg.  'put YOUR Oxygen mask on before helping those around you'.

2. On women’s Intuition: the 'trust your gut feeling…How do we get things out of the way that may distract us from hearing that inner voice?

3. On spiritual growth: how can women dig deeper and be less concerned with physical changes as we age and more with gratitude and growth in different ways.

4. On perfectionism: a real problem for high achievers: what strategies do you use to help these women?

5. We love your diagram of Love/Faith /Service being the true 'work' of a woman's life … tell us more!

FOLLOW DR KENNA ON YOUTUBE:

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCIiiCgPoqrM07zyWScArHzw

Kyle and Candace had the pleasure of interviewing 2 physical therapists, Dianne Shiffer and Dee Ann Dougherty, who have worked together for over 3 decades. Dianne started Connect PT in Lake Oswego, OR and has assembled a team of like-minded providers who are committed to helping their clients practice 'prevention with intention'. Their team helps people maintain and/or return to a higher level of fitness using a comprehensive and individualized approach designed to focus on strength, flexibility, balance and optimal function. They believe in a many pronged strategy, including PT, acupuncture, yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi to help their patients achieve their fitness goals.

Join us in this thoughtful, lively conversation that will help you become or return to the best physical self you can be, despite any injuries or physical limitations you may have.

You won't want to miss this one!

Join Candace + Kyle for a dose of their personal tips/favs/thoughts on the daily practice of wellness.

In this episode they cover:

·  Self-Care - How do we practice self-care in our physical  emotional and mental lives

·  Stress management - What steps do we take to manage our stress so that it doesn’t manage us…. “Life is short – Be kind to yourself”- Matt Haig

·  Promoting Healthy Routines –  How do we cultivate resilient responses to the challenges we face in a world of abundant stress …(from The Comfort Book, by Matt Haig: In order to get over a problem, it helps to look at it. You can’t climb a mountain that you pretend isn’t there…. )

·  A discussion around “how we learn new/different ways to”:

Connect – better ways… than just texting and zoom calls)

Be active – exercise that is both mental and physical

Be creative – crafting: painting or pottery, knitting or sewing or singing or sketching…let your creative juices flow out of you and with it the tension we’re holding on to for dear life (from Awakening Athena, by Dr. Kenna Stephenson

Be healthy Chronological age is not as important as health …In the 21st century, we often consider ourselves middle-aged well into our 60s. Until we suffer a major health crisis or the loss of someone we love, we continue to feel young. (from Rowing North, by Mary Pipher)

Be happy - A 2016 UCSD study found that as people age they report higher levels of overall satisfaction, happiness and well-being and lower levels of anxiety, depression and stress. The older the person, the better her mental health tended to be…Women’s happiness ratings were consistently higher than mens’ …Recent census data from the UK finds that the happiest people are women aged 65-79.

Age gracefully – Quote: “We wither, sag, wrinkle, crinkle, tatter, and become marked by life’s events.  Time and gravity, air and water wear us down, each into a unique and precious beauty, every bit as beautiful as a landscape or plant weathered by the seasons.” – Stephanie Sugars

Be grateful Quote: “Without suffering, too much is taken for granted…with a transcendent response to suffering, nothing is too small to appreciate. We can enjoy every fresh apricot, blazing October day, and visit with a friend. We can be awake and whole.” (from Rowing North, by Mary Pipher)