Welcome OB/GYN Dr. Mary Claire Haver to the Whole View! This week, Stacy and Dr. Haver discuss diagnosing perimenopause and menopause, what’s actually happening in our bodies, and ways to stay healthy during this transition.
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Key Takeaways for Rebranding Menopause
Introductions
- Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a Board Certified OBGYN and has devoted her adult life to women’s health. She has delivered thousands of babies, completed thousands of well-woman exams, counseled patients, taught residents, and did everything an academic professor and OBGYN could do.
- But as her patient population aged, Dr. Haver was overwhelmed with the number of complaints and concerns her patients had while going through menopause. It wasn’t until she, too, experienced the changes of menopause that ultimately led to her creating and developing her online program and now newly published book, The Galveston Diet. Additionally, as part of her ongoing research, she became certified in Culinary Medicine in 2019, specializing in medical nutrition.
- Furthermore, in 2021, Dr. Haver opened Mary Claire Wellness, which the clinic was born out of repeated requests for personal guidance and a potential patient relationship.
- Dr. Haver is a leading voice on social media in the realm of menopause education. Impressively, she has over 2 million followers on TikTok and is very engaged on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Rebranding Menopause
- Stacy and Dr. Haver dig into the “diet” language behind The Galveston Diet; Furthermore, they discuss the recommendation of intermittent fasting (IF), the science done about the harms of IF, and how it does or does not fit into supporting health before and during menopause.
- Dr. Haver diagnoses perimenopause by symptoms. There is no blood test that will accurately diagnose perimenopause, but rather it’s a constellation of symptoms. So she rules out hypothyroidism, Graves’ disease, autoimmune disease, and Cushing’s. She makes sure that’s not what’s going on, then what’s left is perimenopause. Saliva and urine tests have not been shown to be diagnostic.
- Basically, fibrosis is replacing your healthy ovarian tissue. So it’s really an autoimmune inflammatory condition.
- Menopause affects ever single organ system. You may not notice the symptoms or they may be suble, so you may not notice anything other than your period stopping. But your brain, musculoskeletal system, skin, hair, teeh, bones, genitourinary system, thermoregulatory system, and sleep cycles are all affected.
- And there is absolutely nothing heathy about menopause, unless you had a condition that was being fed by estrogen like endometriosis or fibrosis or heavy bleeding.
Next Steps for Menopause
- People often dismiss or attribute perimenopause and menopause symptoms to something else. So work with your doctor to test hormones so you can work towards finding relief of symptoms and becoming healthier.
- Dr. Haver recommends:
- Focus on fruits and vegetables and nutrient-dense foods
- But don’t undo benefits with alcohol
- Get in movement, making sure you’ve moving your body to be strong, not skinny; so resistance and strength-training for strong muscle and bones; additionally, get heart rate going for strong heart. All of this works towards a strong brain.
- Also, remind yourself why you’re making choices and changing habits; so ask yourself, what kind of health or future do you want for yourself?
So you want more? Come join the Patreon community! You can support The Whole View podcast and hear what Stacy and her guests really think about the topic in this week’s exclusive and uncensored behind-the-scenes bonus audio. Also, we love connecting with our Patrons! It’s a direct line to submit your questions for upcoming shows. You also get access to some additional cool features like Q&As, voting on show topics and guests, and an exclusive commercial-free episode.
Studies, References & Products
- The Galveston Diet by Dr. Mary Claire Haver
- Association of All-Cause Mortality With Overweight and Obesity Using Standard Body Mass Index Categories, JAMA
- The Whole View, Season 3, Ep 29: Menopause & Symptom Relief with Esther Blum
- The Whole View, Season 3, Ep 34: Don’t Diet, Diversify with Dr. Megan Rossi
- Meal Timing Regulates the Human Circadian System, Current Biology (note: all men)
- Meal timing affects glucose tolerance, substrate oxidation and circadian-related variables: A randomized, crossover trial, International Journal of Obesity (note: all women)
- Chronic Stress Is Associated with Indicators of Diet Quality in Habitual Breakfast Skippers, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (note: all women)
- Habitual Nightly Fasting Duration, Eating Timing, and Eating Frequency are Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk in Women, Nutrients
- Association between Breakfast Consumption and Depressive Symptoms, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Realeverything.com: How I Quit Coffee (and other things I did to fix my high cortisol levels)
- The Paleo View: Season 2, Ep 453: Should We Eat Breakfast Before 8:30am?
- The Paleo View: Season 2, Ep 386: Intermittent Fasting
- ScienceDaily: Eating before 8:30 a.m. could reduce risk factors for type 2 diabetes
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Note: Stacy and her guests are not medical professionals. This podcast is for general educational purposes and NOT intended to diagnose, advise, or treat any physical or mental illness. We always recommend you consult a licensed service provider.
