Secret Mum Club with Sophiena - Mums On A Mission: Understanding Hormones

Episode Date: November 15, 2024

Next up on Mums On A Mission, brought to listeners by Lingo by Abbott, Sophiena and Emma talk hormones. To do so they're joined by Liz Earle for a discussion on how hormone changes, as we approach midlife, might impact our body and choices around sleep, food and exercise.Will this help get Sophiena and Emma one step closer to completing their health goals? Listen to find out.Get 15% off* the Lingo 2-week Learn Plan with code SMC15. *Code valid until 31 December 2024. New Lingo customers only. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Please see hellolingo.com/uk to redeem offer.Lingo is not for medical use. 18+ only.© 2024 Abbott. The biosensor housing, Lingo, and related trademarks are marks of the Abbott group of companies. This podcast and the guests are part of a paid advertisement for Lingo.#HelloLingouk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome back to this mini series of the Secret Mum Club. Mums on a Mission brought to you in partnership with Lingo by Abbott. We're on our penultimate episode and as you know by now we're seriously striving to hit some health goals. We are Mums on a Mission. Remind me, Sophie, what was yours? My goals are to look after my body. I need to look after this temple because she is getting me through, she's getting me through life and I need to look after her. I wanna learn how to best fuel her

with food and exercise and keep this machine going. And what about you? I need to work on getting a better balance. I basically just need to fuel my body properly, eat properly through the day, not reach for high sugar snacks, cereal for meals. I'm a biscuit gal, I'm a cereal for dinner kind of gal. I need to eat properly and I need to keep my energy levels

maintained throughout the day, because Lord knows I need it. Lord knows you need to look after your temple. We started this journey off with Sophie, the in-house nutritionist at Linggo. Then we chatted about different foods to fuel your body with Dr. Rupee and exercise with Adrienne Adhemi.

But today's topic is a little different. We're talking about hormones. We're told that by wearing a continuous glucose monitor like Lingo, it can really help build new habits to help with this by monitoring this information. But as always, we're not the expert on this, so Lingo has lined one up for us. Today, we're lucky enough to be joined by Liz Earl. Welcome Liz! Hello! So Liz is collaborating with Lingo and has been given

Lingo to try out recently. Would you mind introducing yourself, telling us a bit about yourself? For the people that don't know. The people who don't know who Liz Earl is. Well thank you. So I'm probably best known for Beauty Company but that was actually a journey that I stopped a long time ago. And I originally started life as a journalist writing about health and wellness. So my first book I wrote about nutrition 33 years ago. I know a lot of people know that, you know, so that is my background. And so after I sold the Beauty Company, I went back to my original love,

which was writing and researching about living well, eating well and really following my own journey. So in the early days you know like you lovely ladies I was writing and talking about childcare and postnatal health and all of those things baby and toddler foods and then as I developed I noticed hormonal changes within myself and I began to write about things like perimenopause and menopause and postmenopause and now at the grand old age of 61 I'm writing about things like longevity and aging and about how we can live our best lives at whatever stage of life we are at.

It says here you've written over 35 books. I have. A lot of them are very small. Okay. But my most recent one, a better second half is the one I'm most proud of because that has brought together so much information and I think I don't know how you find this but there's so much confusion isn't there about how to live and if you look on social media we're always being told more protein less exercise or whatever it is. We always say this is too much information. It's too much and I think we need sometimes just to establish trusted voices and strategies that really work

and work for us that are personalized. And I'm just more mindful as well of how I'm feeling and I guess my hormones and how that taps into things like sugar cravings. You know, you were talking about wanting to stop eating so many refined carbs, for instance. Well, I think once we understand how our body is responding to that and why, and in terms of hormones, estrogen is the mothership for hormones when it comes to women, and it regulates so much of our mood, our

emotion, our sleep, our food cravings, and so being able to monitor that and I think be aware of it, you know, knowledge is power. Once we're aware of what's going on and what's fueling those cravings, it becomes so much easier to manage. How can lingo kind of help us with we spoke a bit about our goals and what we're trying to achieve. And so how can a CGM like lingo help us with that? I think, first of all, if we understand that hormones play a huge part in glucose levels and what happens when we hit perimenopause and for many women this can be early, you know it's not unheard of for it to be in your 30s. We do have a lot of listeners. Absolutely don't think that it's you know

it's an old lady thing because it really isn't and it's also a non-negotiable you know every woman if she lives long enough is going to go through menopause so it's not something that we can opt out of unfortunately so being aware is the first thing but as our estrogen levels change and they do change sometimes quite slowly sometimes you think that menopause is just when estrogen gets switched off and it stops almost overnight it doesn't happen like that, it fluctuates. So it's one day or even one hour, your estrogen levels can be significantly higher

than the next. And that can also then affect glucose levels. So if you're able to monitor that and track it, I think it gives you a sense of control that you understand why you are having perhaps some cravings for certain foods or you're feeling hungrier than you might otherwise be and you can then respond to that by eating the foods that you know your body is best suited to. Okay so Liz how can lingo help our bodies when we do experience hormone changes?

So lingo doesn't track hormone levels but it does track your glucose levels and the two are very connected and but it does track your glucose levels. And the two are very connected, and being able to track your glucose levels can really help you interpret your hormones better. So we have to remember that things like our changes in glucose levels is very often driven in midlife by hormonal changes,

estrogen in particular. And you can track this during your monthly cycle, for example, and just see the changes and then know how to respond by changes in what you eat and just simple ways that will help to stabilize glucose levels. Is there any signs to look out for for the perimenopause? I think that there are very good symptom trackers you can find them online there are about 45 different symptoms

unfortunately so it's not all about hot flashes. Us women don't get it easy do we? No seriously I've never had a hot flush in my life so mood changes low mood anxiety, sleeplessness one of my early symptoms and you'll maybe find this a bit strange was hearing issues and tinnitus. Really that's because we have estrogen receptors in our ears so I wish more audiologists were aware of that and things like dry skin, dry eyes, dry mouth, change of taste. My mum said it was food. Yeah, food was one of her really earliest ones, was her whole palette changed completely. Yeah, wow.

And aching joints. You know, many of my girlfriends have been sent off to rheumatologists and things, you know, for diagnosis with arthritis and all of that, when actually there was just losing estrogen from their bones. Wow. So that's really important as well.

Gotcha. So lots of things to be aware of, basically. if you feel a bit off, consider whether it could be estrogen. I feel like women are so used to just like feeling out of sorts and also just putting our health problems on the back burner. I feel like we're just such, what's the word, we just get up, we just get on with it. But often you know we're told well just deal with it Yeah, that's part of being a woman. But actually I think now we're realizing that good health is the right for everybody Regardless of gender and let's make the most of it because we all deserve good health. We all do deserve good. It's good

I feel like the conversation around it's changed lows recently. You hear like a lot about a lot more about it now And hopefully doctors and things no more now this is something that we've only recently had the ability to track and to actually monitor and it's it's very empowering isn't it when you've got that information literally in your hand yeah that's a wonderful way to put it is like when you've got it in your hand to look at it it is so you feel so good don't you yeah and like to know that you're eating all the right things and you're doing enough exercise and it even prompts you, doesn't it, to?

I love that. Yes. I was really impressed actually. I think that was, you know, really for me, it is this rounded approach because it's never just one thing. And I think what I've learned in all the decades of writing about health and wellness

is that you can't just isolate just what we eat, just how we move, just how we sleep. It is a combination of all those things and I was really impressed actually that the pillars that Lingo chose, if you like, like the protein and the resistance training and you know fermented foods and green veggies and all of that, you know, they are just so important and they just add to this complete picture which I think is why they set themselves up for success and that we benefit from that high success rate really, because of all the research that's gone on

behind it. Yeah. And one of our other guests was saying, like, if you do have to grab a dinner or a lunch that's not so healthy, have a handful of nuts beforehand so you don't spike so much. And quick little fixes like that are so good for someone like me who's really time poor, but I still want wanna look after myself. Yeah, keeping really good easy snacks in the fridge. So in the fridge at home, you know,

for when Lily's with me or if I'm just on my own, I'll have things like olives, good healthy fats. I'll buy things like hummus. I mean, if I've got time, I'll make it, but you know, branded hummus is great or taramasalata. And one of my favorite things for a bit of crunch is to just have carrot sticks and you can buy them pre-chopped if you know, branded hummus is great or taramasalata. And one of my favorite things for a bit of crunch is to just have carrot sticks and you can buy them pre-chopped if you want

or you can obviously make them yourself. And then I soak them in a little bit of salty water. So it's just that extra salty crunch because I do love a bag of crisps. That is my weakness. So if I can have something that's crunchy and salty. But actually- Mine's a crisp and dip.

Yeah. There's nothing, nothing is Mine's a crisp and dip. Yeah. There's nothing, nothing is better than a crisp. You can have a humus or a tarama salata. I've been having celery. Yeah. Celery's good one. Celery is. Lots of fiber, lots of prebiotic fiber.

You know, I write a lot about gut health too and that's really key. I don't say I eat unhealthy. I'm quite a, I always say I'm a bit of a yo-yo. I go through spells of eating really healthy and then I go through spells of the children have got poorly so you eat food that's quick and on the go and maybe not so wholesome because everyone's poorly and you're not sleeping

but yeah my sleeping so much better I'm not a big sleeper anyway I don't I'm not really a fan of sleep. Sleep is a superpower. So if you can get more sleep and get your body used to getting into a good sleep routine. I feel like I'm going, I'm not necessarily having more hours, I'm just going into a really deep sleep. Better quality, better quality. Yeah, like a better, yes.

That's the key. You say you don't need that much sleep. No. Like I ideally would be like a 10 hours. I'm a good five hours. As long as I get good five solid hours. Five hours, you're fine. Yeah, I'm great.

If it's good quality sleep. Yeah. So you need to get that REM sleep that deep sleep Yeah, and then you can monitor that too, which is really interesting. So interesting a baby that keeps waking me up That's my problem. That is the tricky one, but at least I know that short-lived. It's fine So we did touch on it just briefly back then we do have a lot of listeners that do talk a lot about perimenopausal and I would love to know more about perimenopausal and I know there's a lot of people that do listen to the show that also would like to to know and I don't know if you're able to tell us just a little bit more about that. Yeah, I mean perimenopause is something that we've only really been talking about

relatively recently and even as a health writer I didn't know that it was happening to me. I wish somebody had told me earlier that the changes that I was experiencing in my late 30s early 40s were being driven by hormonal changes so estrogen is the mothership for women and we have estrogen receptors in every cell of our bodies so from our brain cells, our skin, our bladder, our bones, you know, all of it. And when estrogen starts to fluctuate, so this is usually for the average is early 40s, but it can be much earlier for some, and it can be later for others. But if you start to feel a little bit off, you

know, if you start, your sleep starts to be disrupted Your moods are dysregulated and it's very difficult to sometimes pin down because that's a time of life when we might be feeling overstretched, you know We're juggling kids and careers and relationships and perhaps looking after older parents or you know Having health issues in the family and that's a really difficult time to say, you know having health issues in the family and and that's a really difficult time to say you know am I feeling stressed because My hormones are going a bit haywire or is it the pressures I have in life So I think being aware and being able to track hormonal changes is really useful because it gives you an insight into what's going on and Then you can have conversations with your GP for example about getting replacement hormones If you find that you're very low in estrogen,

this can be really helpful. And then you can obviously have healthy sleep and eating strategies to help even out those mood swings and those sugar cravings particularly. So we spoke a bit earlier about the importance of strength training. Is there anything that you wish you knew when you were younger?

I feel like I need to know when you got into the gym. Yeah. When's it not too late? Well, I started lifting weights in my 50s and I wish I'd started earlier. So for example, I wish I'd understood more about the importance of protein. I would have eaten a lot more protein earlier on.

And even things like the order in which I eat my food in order to protect my glucose levels. So to stop the spikes and the peaks and the troughs. So having more veggies, more protein, and then if I want to have a sugary snack, then that's great, I'll have it a little bit later on. And being able to track how my body is responding to that and the things that it responds well to

or the things that it responds less well to. I wish I'd also understood more about the importance of sleep, and I know it's hard for new mums, sorry. But if we can, put that back on the priority list when we're able to. Sleep is not just a passive process, it's a time when our body is actively repairing and rebuilding, particularly for our brain and our gut and all the rest of it. So prioritizing

and making sure we get better quality sleep is also really important. So it's not too late for us to get in the gym, Soph? No, it isn't too late. Can I ask a personal question? How much do you, I know everybody's different, but how much time do you spend in the gym? I feel not very often I always feel like I need to do a three-hour walk no way do a 10 mile run I do less and less yeah I do now harder and shorter so this morning I did about 15 minutes just as of lifting weights yeah well I mean I was actually at home so I just did some squats I was still in my pajamas so I've got a little set of dumbbells by the bed so I just did some squats. I was still in my pajamas. So I've got a little set of dumbbells by the bed. So I just did some squats. I did some pushups.

Just straight out of bed, just squat. Yeah, well, you know. After a couple of minutes. We're all pitching you now in your pajamas with your dumbbells, just squatting down. That's my mum and dad. My mum, who's here today, they just recently went on holiday, driving through France and Spain,

and they took their dumbbells with them. I love that. So they can keep doing their weights. That is just the best thing. But you know, you can use body weight. You can just do a push-up. Beans? Can I just use a can of beans? No, you need heavy weights, really.

We've got babies. We're lifting babies. Exactly, you know, this is exactly what my daughter said. She said, I don't need a weighted backpack like you, mommy. I just go around with my child strapped to me. I'm carrying a double buggy everywhere. I'm fine. You are, you're carrying a double buggy. I've been wearing a six-year-old and carrying a baby because her legs aren't working recently. You are winning. She sees me carrying the baby and she's like

but I'm still your baby can you carry me? Yes I can. That's so great for your bones. just embrace it. Yeah keep climbing on Dutty. It's when Chris wants a cheeky back, you know, my other half, you know. Chris is too much. So thank you so much Liz for joining us today. That was a fascinating chat and I feel like we're both more empowered to make positive changes, especially with all the data we can get back from Lingo. Join us next week as our health goal mission comes to an end and we find out how we've got on with the help of Sophie from lingo. And if you have your own personal health goal to hit then why not visit hello lingo.com forward slash UK to find out more. Lingo, your body has the answers. Lingo is not for medical use, 18 plus only. Lingo and related trademarks are marks of the Abbott group of companies. This podcast and the guests are part of a paid advertisement for Lingo.