Menopause Masterclass Pt 3: Your Menopause Toolkit, Free Resources & Exactly What to Ask Your Doctor! With Dr. Mary Claire Haver

It’s YOUR Menopause Masterclass Part 3! In this episode, one of the top menopause doctors in the world, Dr. Mary Claire Haver is giving you your Menopause Toolkit, including the tests you need to ask your doctor for, how to prep for your next appointment, what resources are available for free and so much more! Plus everything your doctor forgot to mention to you about menopause! Right now 1.2 billion women are in perimenopause or menopause and whether or not you’re experiencing this personally in your life right now, I guarantee you someone in your life is…whether you’re a man or woman, menopause is going to affect you because it’s going to affect 50% of our society. Right now whether you or someone you love is experiencing perimenopause which can start at 30 or even younger, or menopause which can typically start in your 40s, 50s or 60s, there is so much conflicting information about this subject, experts say so few doctors are well-trained, and there’s so many things our mothers didn’t tell us or even know about it, and it’s time that you feel informed about what's going on with your body, your brain and your hormones. Today is your menopause masterclass and you’re going to leave this episode with your own menopause tool kit, equipped with the info and tools you need that I know are going to impact your life today! Our guest today, many call her the top menopause doctor on the planet. Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a board certified obstetrics and gynecology specialist and certified menopause practitioner from the Menopause Society. She's also a certified culinary medicine specialist from Tulane University, a bestselling author of multiple books including her incredible new book, The New Menopause. She's also the founder of the Mary Claire Wellness Clinic. She’s a mom of two, a wife, and a woman on a mission who says that while menopause is inevitable, suffering doesn’t have to be. And she’s here to help YOU and me today with all of your burning questions. Explore Dr. Haver’s trusted tools and programs: The New Menopause: https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book Dr. Haver's Recommended Physicians: https://thepauselife.com/pages/recommended-physicians Menopause Quiz: https://thepauselife.com/pages/menopause-quiz/ Get my FREE Inspirational Newsletter here: https://jamiekernlima.com For more resources related to today’s episode, click here https://jamiekernlima.com/show/ for the podcast episode page. Chapters: 0:00 Welcome to The Jamie Kern Lima Show 12:30 “I’m Living My Best Life” 19:50 How to Prep For A Menopause Dr. Appt 28:00 Supplements You May Need In Menopause 36:50 Telehealth Support In Menopause 38:30 This Hormone Cream Helps Delayed Orgasms 40:20 Top Dr’s Menopause Hormone Replacement Routine And whether you're joining me today for yourself or because someone that you love shared this episode with you, I want to welcome you to the Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast family. And remember this episode is not just for you and me. Please share it with every single person that you know because it can change their life too. It’s such an honor to share this podcast together with you. And please note: I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to Subscribe to the YouTube Channel Follow me here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Sign up for my inspirational newsletter for YOU at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ jamiekernlima.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Looking for my books on Amazon? Here they are! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WORTHY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Believe IT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Jamie Kern Lima?

  You've said nine out of 10 doctors get hormone replacement therapy wrong, or hormone therapy wrong, or just aren't educated. You've shared that getting your medical degree, your four-year medical degree, you have one hour of training around menopause, and then your four-year specialty degree, six hours of training, and that's it.

• 0:17Speaker 01

  You don't necessarily have to break up with your doctor. You may need to start the conversation if they're not screening it for you. We're not even trained to screen for perimenopause and menopause symptoms. You have to bring it up to your doctor. And if they're open and honest, ask them, "How much training have you received in menopause care? Do you feel competent?"

• 0:37Speaker 01

  And if they don't, hand them the latest guidelines that are downloadable from the Menopause Society. Tell them to take a look. Say, "I'd like to try this for three months."

• 0:46Jamie Kern Lima?

  For the person that's like, "Oh, gosh, well, I want to keep my doctor." And also, I think they might not know anything about menopause, but I like them.

• 0:52Speaker 01

  You still need a pap smear. You still need routine screening. All that stuff still has to be done. You can keep your gynecologist for that.

• 0:58Jamie Kern Lima?

  Yeah.

• 0:58Speaker 01

  And just tell them, "You weren't comfortable with menopause? I totally get that."

• 1:04Jamie Kern Lima?

  What a gift that they can start by having their own evidence

• 1:08Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 1:09Jamie Kern Lima?

  to walk into that doctor's office with.

• 1:11Speaker 01

  You need to go in and make a problem visit, like a non-well-woman exam. "I'm coming in to talk about menopause." When you go in to talk about menopause, that is a specific visit if you want to use your insurance.

• 1:21Jamie Kern Lima?

  How do we ask for that visit? What is it called?

• 1:25Speaker 01

  Problem visit.

• 1:26Jamie Kern Lima?

  A problem visit.

• 1:26Speaker 01

  That's standard language.

• 1:28Jamie Kern Lima?

  So not preventative visit?

• 1:29Speaker 01

  No.

• 1:30Jamie Kern Lima?

  Problem visit.

• 1:31Speaker 01

  This is a problem visit, and your problem is menopause.

• 1:34Jamie Kern Lima?

  When you walk into your doctor, what are the key questions you can ask them to know if they really do know what they're talking about? What are the key tests you should ask to have them? Back by ultra-popular demand, one of the top menopause doctors in the world, Dr. Mary Claire Haver is here in this Part 3 Menopause Masterclass episode, where we're giving you your menopause toolkit today, including the tests you need to ask your doctor for, how to prep for your next appointment. Right now, 1.2 billion women...

• 2:10Jamie Kern Lima?

  Women are in perimenopause or menopause and whether or not you're experiencing this personally in your life right now, I guarantee you someone in your life is. What resources are available for free and so much more? And whether today you're listening for yourself or because someone you love shared this episode with you, I want to welcome you to the Jamie Kern Lima Show Podcast Family. How do I build my own menopause toolkit? What are the elements, the components that each of us need?

• 2:42Speaker 01

  Yeah, we don't just slap estrogen patches on everyone and kick you out the door, right? We are building a plan for you to have that next 30 years be as glorious as it should be. Protecting her mental health, putting her own oxygen mask on first, giving her permission to put herself and her health first so she can take care of everybody else. We've been socialized and trained to take care of everyone's needs and then ourselves last. And then what happens? Pharmacology, HRT, non-HRT options, supplements. Where are the gaps in your nutrition? Do you need some extra fiber? How's your vitamin D? What about magnesium? Sleep optimization, the pitfalls of melatonin for long-term use, a Benadryl for long-term use, sedatives for long-term use,

• 3:25Speaker 01

  and how those three medications have been linked to dementia.

• 3:28Jamie Kern Lima?

  Defining menopause by a range of ages, 46 to 55. Perimenopause can start seven to 10 years before that day. For women's listeners sharing this conversation with us right now, what are some websites they can go to to find out? Am I potentially in perimenopause? Am I potentially in menopause?

• 3:48Speaker 01

  We have a quiz. You can look up green scale. These telemedicine options. Let's Talk Menopause now has a free hotline. It's just someone to talk to who knows what they're talking about. You want to make that first morning appointment when your doctor's fresh. Go in fasting in case they can get blood work done that day.

• 4:04Jamie Kern Lima?

  Ah, so you might not have anything ordered yet. Go in fasting so you're ready.

• 4:09Speaker 01

  You can discuss with your doctor and based on the symptoms that you're having so that those tests will be covered by insurance. If you're having hot flashes, make sure you really. Really stress that you're having hot flashes.

• 4:22Jamie Kern Lima?

  This is good. This is good. I want to make sure everyone catches this because I would never suggest anyone say anything that's not true. And also, if you have, let's just say, any of the other 70-plus symptoms, there may be doctors out there that unless they hear you're having hot flashes, maybe they don't even order the test.

• 4:43Speaker 01

  Another big myth a lot of doctors don't realize is

• 4:47Jamie Kern Lima?

  Will you talk about supplements?

• 4:49Speaker 01

  We mix our vitamin D with vitamin K to increase absorptions. We have better bioavailability. Fiber. American women are only getting probably 10 grams of fiber in their diet per day. We need 25 to 35 plus. She can get all her fiber from food. I'm like, yay, you don't need to spend money on this.

• 5:06Jamie Kern Lima?

  So when you say 35 grams, what does that look like?

• 5:09Speaker 01

  That's a whole avocado. So a whole avocado will give you like a third of your fiber of the day. So that's 10 to 12 grams in a whole avocado. And then

• 5:19Jamie Kern Lima?

  Draw over skinny.

• 5:21Speaker 01

  Over skinny.

• 5:21Jamie Kern Lima?

  This is such a gift that you are sharing experiences and data from thousands of patients and exactly what you do. Because a lot of doctors don't do that. When we go to appointments, they have two seconds and we barely even get a question. And they're working so hard. I get all of it. And you were that girl. You talk about telehealth. What are some of your favorite telehealth resources? And then some of your favorite websites that everyone can just start stocking into their into their toolkit right now?

• 5:48Speaker 01

  There are three.

• 5:50Jamie Kern Lima?

  Whether you're a man or a woman, menopause is going to affect you because it's going to affect 50% of our society. Right now, whether you or someone you love is experiencing perimenopause, which can start at 30 or even younger, or menopause, which can typically start in your 40s, 50s, or 60s. There is so much conflicting information about the subject. So few doctors are well-trained. And there are so many things our mothers didn't tell us or even know about it. And it's time that you feel informed about what's going on with your body, your brain, and your hormones.

• 6:30Jamie Kern Lima?

  Your menopause masterclass and you're going to lead this episode with your own menopause toolkit equipped with the info and tools you need that I know are going to impact your life today. Whether it's how to sleep better, understand what's a menopause myth and what's the truth, lose belly fat, or stop suffering finally. My guest today, many call her the top menopause doctor on the planet, Dr. Mary Claire Haver is going to take us from feeling powerless to powerful on everything your doctor forgot to mention on topics, including the exact tests you need to ask

• 7:11Jamie Kern Lima?

  your doctor for during your next visit, the three stages of menopause, on what's actually happening in your body, on your changing hormones, on hormone replacement therapy, including the risks versus the benefits, should you do it, how and when, on belly fat and weight gain linked to menopause, and what you can do about it right now, and on the surprising symptoms happening to so many women that go untreated and overlooked by the majority of doctors who just aren't as well informed as they could be. Today is a masterclass from the master of menopause herself. Dr.

• 7:52Jamie Kern Lima?

  Mary Claire Haver is a board certified obstetrics and gynecology specialist and certified menopause practitioner from the menopause society. She's also a certified culinary medicine specialist from Tulane University, a bestselling author of multiple books, including her brand new book, The New Menopause. She's also the founder of the Mary Claire Wellness Clinic. She's a mom of two, a wife and a woman on a mission who says that while menopause is inevitable, suffering doesn't have to be. And she is here to help you and me today. And for everybody new to this episode, can you do me a favor? If you like the show and the guests that I bring you, please hit the subscribe or follow

• 8:37Jamie Kern Lima?

  button on the app you're listening or watching on. It truly means the world to me and thank you. And I want to remind you, this episode is not just for you and me. Please share this with every single woman that you know, because what you are about to hear will change your life and hers.

• 8:56Speaker 02

  Welcome to the Jamie Kern Lima Show.

• 9:00Jamie Kern Lima?

  Oprah, how have you defied the odds?

• 9:03Speaker 03

  Her show is unlike any I've ever done. A revelation. When you listen, it feels like a hug, but your brain and your spirit and your heart is like, wow.

• 9:14Jamie Kern Lima?

  Melinda French Gates.

• 9:16Speaker 04

  When I look into Jamie's eyes, I feel like I am on some other cosmic level with her.

• 9:23Jamie Kern Lima?

  I could see the light around her. She's infused with light. Imagine overcoming self doubt, learning to believe in yourself and trust yourself and know you are enough. Welcome to the Jamie Kern Lima Show.

• 9:38Speaker 03

  Jamie Kern Lima is her name. Everybody needs Jamie Kern Lima in their life.

• 9:42Jamie Kern Lima?

  Jamie Kern Lima. Jamie, you're so inspiring.

• 9:48Speaker 04

  Jamie Kern Lima.

• 9:53Jamie Kern Lima?

  Building our menopause toolkit.

• 9:55Speaker 01

  Toolkit.

• 9:56Jamie Kern Lima?

  Our menopause toolkit. Can you share with everyone listening, just, just granularly, what are the elements, the components that each of us need to have a strong menopause toolkit?

• 10:09Speaker 01

  So in our menopause clinic, we don't just slap estrogen patches on everyone and kick you out the door, right? We are building a plan for you to have that next 30 years be as glorious as it should be. And that is not just pharmacology. That is nutrition. So everybody gets a body scan when they come in and we measure their muscle mass. We look at fat distribution in the viscera, subcutaneous fat. We go there. You know, how much belly fat does she have? How's it affecting her health? We do a full blood work panel, almost functional-esque, you know, looking at nutrition markers and inflammation markers so I can really help guide her through this, okay? So we talk about movement. What is she doing for exercise? If she has low muscle mass, we start long conversations about weight training and how

• 10:54Speaker 01

  that's going to affect her risk of osteoporosis and frailty as she gets older. We talk about stress reduction. I cannot, you know, lowering, putting those boundaries up, protecting her mental health, putting her own oxygen mask on first, giving her permission to put herself and her health first so she can take care of everybody else. And that is a pretty radical concept for some women who we have been socialized and trained to take care of everyone's needs and then ourselves last. And then what happens? Nursing home.

• 11:28Speaker 01

  Long time in a nursing home. So, we talk about pharmacology, HRT, non-HRT options, et cetera. We talk about supplements. What supplement? Supplement, nutritional supplements. Where are the gaps in your nutrition? Do you need some extra fiber? How's your vitamin D? Really hard to get enough vitamin D in our diets, you know? Would turmeric be helpful? What about magnesium? We kind of try to fill the gaps in for her and get her to where she is absolutely functional. We talk about sleep. Sleep optimization. We talk about the pitfalls of melatonin for long-term use, of Benadryl for long-term use, of sedatives for long-term use, and how those three medications have been linked to dementia long-term. Probably not so much the medication, it's just that people who don't sleep well end up with dementia quicker and longer.

• 12:14Jamie Kern Lima?

  Hearing you describe a patient visit is, I know, I'm thinking of every person listening right now.

• 12:21Speaker 01

  It's a privilege, I know.

• 12:22Jamie Kern Lima?

  They're like, "That is my dream! That is my dream!" So, I want to, because here's what I love. First, everyone needs to pick up your book, "The New Menopause," and I know you're working on another book called "The New Perimenopause." And, you know, we've talked about kind of defining menopause by a range of ages, 46 to 55, usually around that kind of range is when it may happen, defined by, you know, the first day you don't have a period starting for an entire year. Perimenopause can start seven to 10 years before that day, and so many symptoms can be present in your life. And I just want to, you know, off the top, commend you for just your work and also all

• 13:06Jamie Kern Lima?

  the awareness you're bringing to so many of these topics that just, you know, to your point, you've said nine out of 10 doctors get hormone replacement therapy wrong, or hormone therapy wrong, or just aren't educated. You've, you know, you've shared that getting your medical degree, for your medical degree, you have one hour of training around menopause, and then for your specialty degree, six hours of training, and that's it. And so, for a lot of us, even if we're blessed to have really incredible doctors, they likely have no training around menopause, around perimenopause, around hormone therapy, around any of these topics. And so... For a person listening right now, I think, you know, picking up your book is such a great

• 13:49Jamie Kern Lima?

  tool to take the power into our own hands about even understanding what these concepts are. And for someone who really likes their doctor, and you know, maybe they have a gynecologist that they like, and they have their routines, you know, but they're listening to us going, okay, my insurance covers my doctor, I don't want to go find new people, I don't, you know, but how do I build my own menopause toolkit? Where do we start?

• 14:21Speaker 01

  So, you don't necessarily have to break up with your doctor, you know, it's, you may need to start the conversation if they're not screening it for you. You know, we're not even trained to screen for perimenopause and menopause symptoms. You have to bring it up to your doctor. And that kind of shook me, you know, when I realized I've never asked a patient until now. The first question I say is, how can I be of service to you? And that kind of blows people away, you know?

• 14:46Jamie Kern Lima?

  Yeah.

• 14:47Speaker 01

  Like, how can I serve you? And my favorite answer ever was, I deserve to feel great.

• 14:52Jamie Kern Lima?

  Hmm, yes.

• 14:53Speaker 01

  And I was like, you do. You absolutely do. And thank you for saying that, you know, like, you've motivated and inspired me because every woman deserves to feel like a rock star. And like, how can I help you facilitate that? So, yeah, we're going to talk about your nutrition, we're going to talk about, but say you go to your wonderful, wonderful OB GYN, you may have to educate, start the conversation. And if they're open and honest, ask them, how much training have you received in menopause care? Do you feel competent? You know? And if they don't, hand them the latest guidelines from the, they're downloadable from the Menopause Society. Tell them to take a look. Say, I'd like to try this for three months. I think I'm a good candidate, I read through everything. And see what they say.

• 15:36Speaker 01

  You may start to bridge their awareness and knowledge so that they can be a better provider now. Everybody wants to be a good doctor. These are good people.

• 15:45Jamie Kern Lima?

  Mm-hmm.

• 15:46Speaker 01

  They just weren't taught.

• 15:47Jamie Kern Lima?

  When you talk about, let's say, taking, you know, we talked about... The idea of being the CEO of your own health. And so for a woman sitting here listening to us sharing this conversation with us right now, what are some, you know, surveys, websites they can go to right now to enter some of their symptoms, some of their situations to find out, am I potentially in perimenopause? Am I potentially in menopause? What are some of the sites and tools you recommend?

• 16:15Speaker 01

  So we have a quiz called the Menopause Quiz on our website. That is a validated scoring system that was developed, the Green Scale. And it can give you a clue that most likely, and it doesn't talk about your periods or hot flashes. And it talks about mental health changes, genital urinary changes. It talks about all aches and pains and that what is the percent chance that your symptoms are related to your hormone changes? And that's really a great place to start because it really puts it into perspective for you. So that's on our website. You can look up Green Scale. It's other clinicians have it. These telemedicine options, they'll often do these kind of screenings before you even sign up to give you an idea of what's going on.

• 16:59Speaker 01

  Let's Talk Menopause now has a free hotline available and they're working with Alloy Health. So with the clinicians at Alloy Health for you to go in and talk, it's just someone to talk to who knows what they're talking about. So like we're getting so much better at those resources now.

• 17:13Jamie Kern Lima?

  Okay, I love this so much because for the person that's like, oh gosh, well, I want to keep my doctor. And also I think they might not know anything about menopause, but I like them.

• 17:21Speaker 01

  You still need a pap smear. You still need routine screening. All that stuff still has to be done. You can keep your gynecologist for that.

• 17:27Jamie Kern Lima?

  Yeah.

• 17:27Speaker 01

  And just tell them, you know, you weren't comfortable with menopause. I totally get that, appreciate that, love you for that. And so I've gone to this menopause online thing or I went to a menopause specialist. And now I'm on these hormones and just let them know what you're taking and off you go.

• 17:42Jamie Kern Lima?

  Mm hmm. And for the person that maybe is just going to go to their current doctor and that's it. What I love is that they can go online. We're going to link to every site that you share today. Go online, they can take the quiz. They can download your PDF. They can, you know, do a free call with an expert. They can do all that and then take that into their doctor.

• 18:05Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 18:05Jamie Kern Lima?

  Because here's the thing is that they still, to your point, you know, likely need testing and they need a lot of support and they might be hoping to get hormone therapy from their doctor, but I think to go in there with a doctor that may not be trained, what a gift that they can start by having their own evidence.

• 18:23Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 18:24Jamie Kern Lima?

  To walk into that doctor's office with.

• 18:26Speaker 01

  And then one other thing, don't expect all this to happen magically at your well woman exam. The well woman is just a screening for breast and cervical cancer, basically is what it's devolved to. And the institutions that are running the clinical practices are not allowing for that time. You need to go in and make a problem visit, like a non-well woman exam, or I'm coming in to talk about menopause. So that's a separate visit. It might be at a higher charge than your well woman, but really, the well woman is meant to just make sure that you're not getting gynecologic cancer. And, you know, check a few other boxes, check your cholesterol and all these important things. But when you go in to talk about menopause, that is a specific visit if you want to use your insurance.

• 19:06Jamie Kern Lima?

  How do we ask for that visit? What is it called?

• 19:09Speaker 01

  Problem visit.

• 19:10Jamie Kern Lima?

  A problem.

• 19:11Speaker 01

  That's standard language and, you know.

• 19:12Jamie Kern Lima?

  So not preventative visit?

• 19:14Speaker 01

  No.

• 19:14Jamie Kern Lima?

  Problem visit.

• 19:15Speaker 01

  This is a problem visit and your problem is menopause.

• 19:17Jamie Kern Lima?

  Mm hmm. Okay. And I want to encourage everyone, you know, you and I dove deep into hormone therapy at a granular level. We've done, we've dove deep into the three stages, perimenopause, menopause, postmenopause. And I want you to listen to this whole series with Dr. Mary Claire Haver on the Jamie Carr Lima Show. If you're just tuning into this episode, back up, listen to a couple of episodes before this because this is really, really powerful. We're talking about how do you build your menopause toolbox at this point. So I want to ask you, when you walk into your doctor, whether they are superstar, rock star, menopause savvy, or they're not, when you walk in, what are the key questions

• 20:01Jamie Kern Lima?

  you can ask them to know if they really do know what they're talking about? And then what are the key tests you should ask to have done? So we need to pause for a super brief break. And while we do, take a moment to share this episode with every single woman that you know, because this information can truly change your life and hers. In life, you don't soar to the level of your hopes and dreams. You stay stuck at the level of your self-worth. When you build your self-worth, you change your entire life. And that's exactly why I wrote my new book, Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life for You.

• 20:46Jamie Kern Lima?

  If you have some self-doubt to destroy and a destiny to fulfill, Worthy is for you. In Worthy, you'll learn proven tools and simple steps that bring life-changing results, like how to get unstuck from the things holding you back, build unshakable self-love, unlearn the lies that lead to self-doubt, and embrace the truths that wake up worthiness, overcome limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome, achieve your hopes and dreams by believing you are worthy of them, and so much more. Are you ready to unleash your greatness and step into the person you were born to be?

• 21:31Jamie Kern Lima?

  Imagine a life with zero self-doubt and unshakable self-worth. Get your copy of Worthy, plus some amazing thank you bonus gifts for you at worthybook.com or the link in the show notes below. Imagine what you'd do if you fully believed in you. It's time to find out with Worthy. Who you spend time around is so important as energy is contagious, and so is self-belief. And I'd love to hang out with you even more, especially if you could use an extra dose of inspiration, which is exactly why I've created my free weekly newsletter

• 22:14Jamie Kern Lima?

  that's also a love letter to you, delivered straight to your inbox each and every Tuesday morning from me. If you haven't signed up to make sure that you get it each week, just go to jamiekernlima.com to make sure you're on the list, and you'll get your One-on-One with Jamie weekly newsletter and get ready to believe in you. If you're tired of hearing the bad news every single day and need some inspiration, some tips, tools, joy, and love hitting your inbox, I'm your girl. Subscribe at jamiekernlima.com or in the link in the show notes.

• 22:54Jamie Kern Lima?

  Do you struggle with negative self-talk? Living with a constant mental narrative that you're not good enough is exhausting. I know because I spent most of my life in that habit. The words you say to yourself about yourself are so powerful. And when you learn to take control over your self-talk, it's life-changing. And I wanted to give you a free resource that I created for you if this is something that could benefit your life. It's called "Five Ways to Overcome Negative Self-Talk and Build Self-Love." And it's a free how-to guide to overcome that negative self-talk to build confidence

• 23:36Jamie Kern Lima?

  and develop unshakable self-love so that you can dream big and keep going in the pursuit of your goals. Don't let self-sabotaging thoughts hinder your progress any longer. It's time to rewrite the script of your life, one filled with self-love, resilience, and unwavering belief. If you're ready to take charge of your narrative, build unwavering confidence, and empower yourself to persevere on the path to your dreams, you can grab your free guide to Stop Overthinking and Learn to Trust Yourself at jamiekernlima.com/resources or click the link in the show notes below.

• 24:17Jamie Kern Lima?

  And now, more of this incredible conversation together. When you walk into your doctor, what are the key questions you can ask them to know if they really do know what they're talking about? And then, what are the key tests you should ask to have done?

• 24:36Speaker 01

  So, the big questions, and I have all of this in that PDF I talked about, is, you know, you want to make that first morning appointment when your doctor's fresh, you know, because if you're doing OB-GYN, they're tend to still be doing surgeries and covering deliveries, so things get hectic by the end of the day. So you want like the first morning or the first afternoon appointment. Go in fasting in case they can get blood work done that day. Ah, so you might not have anything ordered yet. Go in fasting so you're ready.

• 25:05Jamie Kern Lima?

  You're ready.

• 25:06Speaker 01

  Case they're gonna do your cholesterol, your APOB. So in the PDF, we talk about the standard tests that are usually done. So like your blood count and your cholesterol panel, but there's like some add-ons to that. That based on symptoms that you're having, you may qualify for. So instead of just a TSH for thyroid screening, if you're having weight gain and other symptoms, they might be able to do, you know, look closer at different thyroid hormone levels. So this is very nuanced and, you know, but in that guide, I have all of the tests, and I even have a blog about it, that you can discuss with your doctor and based on the symptoms that you're having, so that those tests will be covered by insurance.

• 25:46Jamie Kern Lima?

  By insurance. And when you talk about, you know, symptoms,

• 25:52Jamie Kern Lima?

  is it important to share some of our symptoms that we're having?

• 25:56Speaker 01

  Certainly hot flashes, because we, you know, that is one thing we're all taught, is hot flashes equals menopause, right? So if you're having them, don't downplay them. Be very clear, very specific about how many you're having, how often, and how they're disrupting your life. Because that's the one, like, everybody knows that. What they don't know is that the palpitations and the mental health challenges, you know, things outside, definitely your genital urinary stuff, if you have dryness or recurrent UTIs, maybe they'll have a clue there. But if you're having hot flashes, make sure you really, really stress that you're having hot flashes.

• 26:30Jamie Kern Lima?

  This is good, this is good. I want to make sure everyone catches this, because I would never suggest anyone say anything that's not true. And also, if you have, let's just say, any of the other 70-plus symptoms you talk about in the new menopause, a lot of doctors might not realize those symptoms can...

• 26:47Speaker 01

  Can have a common thread.

• 26:48Jamie Kern Lima?

  Yeah, a common thread. And so there may be doctors out there that unless they hear you're having hot flashes, maybe they don't even order the test. So that's really powerful to know that, that sort of... As close to universally as it can be, most doctors, if they hear you have hot flashes as a symptom, then take the consideration that maybe you're in perimenopause or menopause seriously.

• 27:10Speaker 01

  Another big myth a lot of doctors don't realize is you have to go the full year without a period to begin menopause hormone therapy. That is not true. You can begin menopause hormone therapy anywhere in your menopause journey. So perimenopause, all the way through, you know, post-menopause.

• 27:27Jamie Kern Lima?

  Through post-menopause. Will you talk about supplements? I know, you know, we've dove deep into hormone therapy. Do you believe supplements are important? Which ones do you take personally?

• 27:39Speaker 01

  Yeah. So what I want to be clear when we talk about supplements is we don't have a menopause cure for some, in the supplement world. There's nothing that is going to resuscitate, rejuvenate your ovaries. They are on a collision path with death, you know, and that is predetermined from birth. We can speed it up if you smoke, if you have surgery, if you have radiation, if you do anything that disrupts the internal abdomen and the health and happiness, you know, or the blood flow to the ovaries, you will decrease the life of those ovaries. Okay? But what we don't know yet, and what actually science is working on, it's a really fun thing to learn about, is how they're looking to extend the life of the ovaries, mostly through fertility, but actually it's like the longer, the older you are and you go through menopause, we have extra health benefits because you get to keep your estrogen longer. Okay? So that's one thing.

• 28:22Speaker 01

  But we haven't developed a supplement yet that will do that for us. So take that out of your mind. Now, there are supplements that are phytoestrogens, meaning they are plant-based products that look alike like estrogen under the microscope and weakly bind to the receptors. Things like soy and black cohosh and a lot of the anthocyanins and things, you know, found in leafy greens will actually act as very weak, gentle estrogens and can alleviate some hot flashes and some of the kind of, you know, really early bothersome symptoms of menopause. So a lot of women will lean on those types of therapies to feel better. Okay? And they work okay. We don't have like great studies showing clear efficacious benefits and nothing works better than giving you estrogen back.

• 29:05Speaker 01

  But we do see some, you know, pockets of relief from those type of things. But where I focus my supplement recommendations on are not menopause cures, but where do we have nutritional gaps? Eighty percent of my patients and most, most, most, the vast majority of women in menopause are horribly vitamin D deficient. You know, well below, so the cutoff is 30. For like, so in nutrition, we talk about having a deficiency as far as like scurvy, right? If we're vitamin C deficient. Scurvy is like the most serious, you know, loss of vitamin C for long periods of time. We develop, you know, all these nutrition, you know, bleeding in the gums, the mouth, whatever, versus being low and not being optimal. So in vitamin D,

• 29:47Speaker 01

  most of us realize levels above 60 are probably optimal for best health, but levels above 30, you're in big trouble. Okay. So most of my patients are coming in deficient or very, very low. And so vitamin D is one of the top things I recommend. We mix our vitamin D with vitamin K to increase absorption. So we have better bioavailability. We also throw in, because I'm lazy and I don't like to take multiple things, of omega-3 fatty acids, which are a wonderful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that just kind of serve our whole body. Now, if you ate like lots of salmon, like some cultures eat tons of fatty fish every day, packed with omega-3s and vitamin D, and they have normal vitamin D levels. If your levels of vitamin D are normal and optimal without supplementing, you don't need it. Okay?

• 30:29Speaker 01

  Fiber. American women are only getting probably 10 grams of fiber in their diet per day. We need 25 to 35 plus, you know, so like a third of what they really should be getting for gut health. Fiber feeds the gut microbiome. That is the prebiotic. Okay? It's just fiber in your diet. So I love having a fiber supplement available for women who are really struggling to close that gap. Now, if she can get all her fiber from food, I'm like, yay, you don't need to spend money on this. You know? What kind of fiber supplement do you take? So I made one. So I made my own. And it is a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber, and it's a mix of different grains. So psyllium husk is what most like Metamucil and most fiber products, but I wanted to do better than that. So we have things like quinoa and amaranth and

• 31:13Speaker 01

  different and apple pectin and different fiber sources. So we get a broader profile for better gut health.

• 31:20Jamie Kern Lima?

  How hard is it to get, what do you have to eat? Cause I'm telling you, I will track my food on my app. I think I'm eating a whole lot of fiber. I look down, I've got eight grams for the day.

• 31:29Speaker 01

  I know, you're like, what?

• 31:30Jamie Kern Lima?

  What? So when you say thirty-five grams.

• 31:32Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 31:33Jamie Kern Lima?

  What does that look like?

• 31:33Speaker 01

  What does it look like? That's a whole avocado. So a whole avocado will give you like a third of your fiber for the day. So that's ten to twelve grams in a whole avocado. And then it's serving of beans. So one of my favorite things when we meal prep at home, and I'm Cajun, I grew up eating beans. So, you know, I have all these dense bean salad recipes. Like I'm obsessed, you know? So I'll either make a big crock pot with white beans or red beans. And, you know, we Cajun it up with spices and, you know, I'll put in rotel and all these things I do when I grew up. But that is like a staple. So I'll have that as a side or with lunch and I'll throw some extra protein on top. Or we'll mix in ground turkey or ground beef, you know, lean ground turkey, ground beef, sometimes ground chicken, um, into the beans to get, give it that extra kick of protein.

• 32:16Jamie Kern Lima?

  Mm.

• 32:17Speaker 01

  Because it is so much a better way to live than to constantly be worried about how small you are, instead of how strong you are.

• 32:27Jamie Kern Lima?

  I love.

• 32:27Speaker 01

  And when you're eating to be a bigger person, bigger muscles, it's amazing. Cause I'm just always looking forward to the next meal instead of worrying about, oh, is that gonna be too many calories? I don't know. It's like, no, I wanna, I wanna bigger. Now I have gotten the visceral fat under control and now I have low muscle mass. So I'm like, that is my focus is eating enough protein, plants and, you know, plants and protein are my goals.

• 32:51Jamie Kern Lima?

  I'm excited to dive into nutrition with you and, and this whole idea of strong over skinny.

• 32:56Speaker 01

  Strong over skinny.

• 32:57Jamie Kern Lima?

  I'm excited to dive into your routine, exactly what you eat. Cause so many women are fascinated by this. And I think that, you know, that idea of success leaves clues, right? This is such a gift that you are sitting here sharing, uh, not only experiences and data from thousands of patients and thousands of articles, you're also. Just opening up and sharing exactly what you do. Because a lot of doctors don't do that. And also, they, you know, when we go to appointments, they have two seconds. And we barely even get a question. And they're working so hard.

• 33:27Speaker 01

  I was that girl.

• 33:28Jamie Kern Lima?

  I get all of it. And you were that girl. And it's such a gift that you are spending your time this way now, where you're really sharing everything you do, everything you've learned, in a conversation like this. Because so many people are going to benefit from it. So I'm excited to dive into GLP-1. I'm excited to dive into, you know, exactly what we need to do and why it's so critical to preserve our muscle and to even build muscle. If we've been scared of that or have never done it, the idea of strong over skinny and how that can literally change your entire lifespan, not to mention the quality of your life. I'm excited to dive into that with you.

• 34:11Jamie Kern Lima?

  And I want to ask you, when it comes to our menopause toolkit, you know, there's going to be people out there that go, okay, I am ready to start adding tools to my toolkit that I'm starting today. And my current toolkit is my existing doctor and the episodes of this podcast with Dr. Mary Claire Haver that I've listened to so far. That's going to be a lot of people's current toolkit right now in this moment. So I want to add to it. And I think this whole, this whole series we're doing together is just so powerful. It's such a gift. It's going to change so many lives. That your work that I have read already has impacted my life in such a big way. So I want to thank you for that. I also want to share, by the way, you and I met as roommates at an event, which was such a gift.

• 34:56Jamie Kern Lima?

  I remember it was our friend Amy Griffin's event, her G9 Summit. I remember walking into the house, because we both stayed at her house. I hear her walk into the house. I start walking down the room and I hear you. And you had recognized my voice.

• 35:09Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 35:09Jamie Kern Lima?

  But we had never met. And it was such a-

• 35:11Speaker 01

  It's that parasocial. And we have a mutual, another mutual friend. And I had seen your name on the marquee of who's going to be at the event. And so I'd watched a couple of things, you know, of you. And I was like, oh, God, she's so amazing. I can't wait to meet- Meet this woman and then I heard your voice coming down the hallway and I think I just popped my head. I'm like, hi, you don't know me, but I follow you. And I was so excited to meet you and hear your story. And it was just meant to be.

• 35:38Jamie Kern Lima?

  Meant to be. And then we got to spend a weekend together. I got to watch you single-handedly impact some of the most powerful women in our country's lives directly with your experience. And I got to, I think I barely got a word into you the rest of the weekend because you were mobbed by people all weekend after you spoke and understandably so. And it just showed me, I want to call this out, actually, because I want the person at home, always with the show to feel less alone and more enough. We were surrounded by some of the most powerful women in the country, in the world, with the most resources in the world. And watching so many of them come to you because they can't get answers from the best doctors that they're able to go to.

• 36:23Jamie Kern Lima?

  It's really all of us in this right now. We're all in this together. So if you're at home right now going, oh, gosh, like, this is the first time hearing about any of this. It's because so few people know about this. And so people are talking about this. And, and so I just want to share that. But, you know, it was a gift to, to, to be roommates and then now friends, now friends, and now have you here. So I want to, I want to, for everyone's toolbox who's building it today, what are some of your favorite, because you talk about telehealth, okay. Now, for everyone listening, there's a lot of people that are like, what is telehealth? And, and that is where you can either zoom or call in and do an actual appointment with a doctor, right? Some of them are covered by insurance.

• 37:04Jamie Kern Lima?

  You can do that in addition, maybe to the doctors you're already going to. Can you just share for the person listening who's building their toolkit with us right now? And again, we're going to go into GLP-1s, we're going to go into, you know, strong over skinny, we're going to go into so much more to come. But, but right now, what are some of your favorite telehealth resources? And then some of your favorite websites that everyone can just start stocking into their, into their toolkit right now?

• 37:31Speaker 01

  So there are, and the list is growing, but there are three telehealth resources. I know them. I've talked to them extensively. We've spoken at conferences together. I've vetted their protocols and what they're doing. Because if I'm going to recommend these to the larger public, I needed to make sure. I'm, you know, I'm protecting my name and my reputation. My daughter went to work for one of them, you know, and so Alloy Health is amazing. Evernow, another great one. They are both, they don't take insurance, but they are very, very, very reasonable and all are available in all 50 states. And then Midi Health does take insurance.

• 38:13Speaker 01

  Some of the, you know, it's tough through telemedicine because of the laws to prescribe testosterone. So that is not something that is that easy to do with a telemedicine platform. A lot of the rules vary from state to state on how you can prescribe testosterone. So one of the kind of pitfalls is not all telemedicine is going to be able to get you testosterone, especially if you're a woman, because it's not FDA approved for us. But gosh, it can be so very helpful. Also, you know, you may not get the same clinician each time. You know, I'm kind of trying to give both sides of it. But my goodness, they have been so helpful and they were built to serve the menopausal women. That's all they take care of, these three platforms. They don't do men, they don't take care of other medical problems.

• 38:56Speaker 01

  They just really zero in and focus on taking care of menopause. And they don't pay me to say any of this.

• 39:03Jamie Kern Lima?

  Remember, this episode is not just for you and me. Please share this with every single woman that you know, because it can change her life too. And coming up, this conversation is so incredible and y'all can't seem to get enough of Dr. Mary Claire Haver and this menopause masterclass. So we're continuing this conversation and diving even deeper. I am so excited. You are not going to want to miss part four of our conversation with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, where we're talking about all things GLP-1s, right? The brand new weight loss and weight management drugs that are taking the world by storm. Are they right for you? What are the risks versus the rewards? And all the things your doctor might have forgotten to mention?

• 39:48Jamie Kern Lima?

  That's coming up in the next episode of the Jamie Kern Lima Show. And if you loved today's episode, please click the follow or subscribe button for the show on your app. And give it a five star rating or review. And again, please share this episode with everyone you believe in. Share it with another person in your life who could benefit from it. Post it and share it with others online or in your community, who just might need the words and tools and lessons in this episode today. You never know whose life you're meant to change today by sharing this episode. And thank you so much for joining me today. Before you go, I want to share some words with you. Couldn't be more true.

• 40:30Jamie Kern Lima?

  You, right now, exactly as you are, are enough and fully worthy. You're worthy of your greatest hopes, your wildest dreams, and all the unconditional love in the world. And it is an honor to welcome you to each and every episode of the Jamie Kern Lima Show. Here, I hope you'll come as you are and heal where you need, blossom what you choose, journey toward your calling, and stay as long as you like, because you belong here. You are worthy, you are loved, you are love. And I love you. And I can't wait to join you on the next episode of the Jamie Kern Lima Show.

• 41:13Jamie Kern Lima?

  In life, you don't soar to the level of your hopes and dreams. You stay stuck at the level of your self-worth. When you build your self-worth, you change your entire life. And that's exactly why I wrote my new book, Worthy, How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life for You. If you have some self-doubt to destroy and a destiny to fulfill, Worthy is for you. In Worthy, you'll learn proven tools and simple steps that bring life-changing results, like how to get unstuck from the things holding you back. Build unshakable self-love, unlearn the lies that lead to self-doubt,

• 41:57Jamie Kern Lima?

  and embrace the truths that wake up worthiness. Overcome limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome. Achieve your hopes and dreams by believing you are worthy of them, and so much more. Are you ready to unleash your greatness and step into the person you were born to be? Imagine a life with zero self-doubt and unshakable self-worth. Get your copy of Worthy, plus some amazing thank you bonus gifts for you at worthybook.com or the link in the show notes below. Imagine what you'd do if you fully believed in you.

• 42:40Jamie Kern Lima?

  It's time to find out with Worthy. Who you spend time around is so important as energy is contagious, and so is self-belief. And I'd love to hang out with you even more, especially if you could use an extra dose of inspiration, which is exactly why I've created my free weekly newsletter that's also a love letter to you, delivered straight to your inbox from me. If you haven't signed up, to make sure that you get it each week, just go to jamiekernlima.com to make sure you're on the list, and you'll get your One-on-One with Jamie weekly newsletter, and get ready to believe in you.

• 43:22Jamie Kern Lima?

  If you're tired of hearing the bad news every single day and need some inspiration, some tips, tools, joy, and love hitting your inbox, I'm your girl. Subscribe at jamiekernlima.com or in the link in the show notes. And please note, I'm not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.