Bits of Wisdom

Well, it’s happening. Millennials are approaching menopause. We can’t go over it, we can’t go under it. We have to go through it. So, let’s face our fears together and pull back the veil on menopause. We promise, it’s not as scary as it makes itself out to be. WTF is menopause? Clinically, menopause is when your periods stop–for good–and you can no longer get pregnant. In other words, your ovaries officially put in for retirement after ~450 periods over the course of your life. They’ve earned this break, and so have you, sister. For most of us, menopause happens sometime between 45 to 55. The reason it’s such a big window is because even though all of us go through menopause, no woman will have the same exact experience as another. It’s as unique to us as our fingerprints. Want to have your mind blown? Once you’ve hit menopause, you stay in menopause. That means you’ll spend about 40% of your life in menopause. In other words, that’s almost half of our lives ! What that also means is when people talk about ‘being in menopause’ or ‘going through menopause’, what they’re actually referring to is peri menopause. Wait, WTF is perimenopause? Bet you weren’t expecting that plot twist! So, while menopause is a decades-long chapter in your life, perimenopause describes the shorter transition ‘period’ before your ovaries stop ovulating for good. It can last about two years or, for others, it can drag on for eight years. For some women, it can start as early as your late-30s or as late as your mid-50s. Whenever it happens, it’s when things wind down in your baby-making factory. Some months you may ovulate, other months you won’t. Your memory, sex drive, and sleep patterns may become just as sporadic as your periods. Night sweats and hot flashes may hit like a rapidly intensified category five storm. If you’re starting to freak out, let’s take a deep breath together. Remember, we’re in this together, all of us. And we have a spoiler alert for you: relief and treatments exist for 100% of these symptoms. More on that at the end, so stay with us! Meet your complicated friend, Estrogen Much of women’s health (practically all of it) is rooted in hormones, and peri/menopause is no different. The main player here is estrogen. While we usually think of estrogen as a sex hormone whose main role is to regulate your cycle, it actually impacts everything from your heart to your bones to your brain. Knowing this, it makes more sense why it seems like everything in our body goes haywire when perimenopause hits. But hormonal changes never happen in a vacuum, so when your estrogen levels begin to decline in perimenopause, this sounds off alarm bells throughout your body and sets off a domino effect of symptoms. Who doesn’t love a sense of balance? Turns out, your hormones do, too! Allow us to nerd out for a moment. Remember waaaay back in high school biology when you learned about homeostasis? Or was that just us? 😅 Anyway, the concept is that our bodies work their best in a tightly regulated window and when things get out of whack, your body will do everything it can to get back to its happy place: a place of balance . Honestly, it sounds comforting to us, too. When our hormones are balanced, our bodies perform their best... You don’t cry during a Tina Fey Booking.com commercial. You make a normal number of poops a day (that’s 1-3, in case you were wondering). You sleep 7-9 hours through the night without tossing and turning and eventually relenting to 3AM doomscrolling. Getting back to the point: Your hormone systems are all connected, so when your sex hormones start to fluctuate (remember, that’s estrogen and its sidekick, progesterone), the other hormones will compensate to try to restore balance . Those other hormones are thyroid, insulin, cortisol, and adrenaline. 👋 When that power struggle goes down, it leads to a vast array of symptoms that include everything from (you guessed it) hot flashes and night sweats to mood changes and brain fog. What’s wild is that many perimenopausal women who go to their doctor with feelings of anxiety or depression are prescribed anti-depressants when, in reality, their hormones just need help finding equilibrium again. That’s why it’s so critical to have a doctor who will help you get to the root cause of your symptoms (like… Wisdom Medicine 😉). Get ready to become your best advocate Now that you know what’s going on inside your body when perimenopause arrives, you need to listen to your symptoms, believe what you’re feeling, and advocate for your needs. That’s because women are 30% more likely to be dismissed by doctors than men, and that number is even higher among minority women. What happens when we’re dismissed by a doctor (even a well-meaning but misinformed doctor) is that we suffer longer than we should and we go longer than we need to without a diagnosis. None of that is acceptable. Before we go pointing fingers, part of the reason for so much dismissal of women is that the medical community doesn’t know that much about our bodies. It wasn’t until 1994 that it became the law in the United States to include women in clinical research. That was JUST 30 years ago. But, still, three decades later and 99% of studies on the biology of aging don’t consider menopause. No big surprise there’s still no standardized menopause curriculum taught in medical school. So if you’re met with a shrug when you ask your provider about your peri/menopause symptoms, they simply don’t have very much data to work off of, at no fault of their own. That’s why it’s more important than ever to look to your own biology, your own science, and your own symptoms to craft your own peri/menopause care. And, thankfully, that level of personalized care is now possible. 100% of peri/menopause symptoms are treatable We’ve introduced you to all the main characters in peri/menopause as well as the plot twists, the moments of drama and crisis, and now we bring you to the resolution. Despite infuriating gaps in clinical research, cutting-edge breakthroughs in personalized medicine can give you the care and the relief you deserve. The key ingredient is finding an empathetic doctor who: Takes the time to listen to your symptoms Always believes and validates your concerns Is trained to see the whole picture (because our hormones, like our peri/menopause symptoms, don’t live in silos!) Will use that specialized training to look through windows other doctors may not even see, so they can connect the dots between your symptoms and their underlying causes At Wisdom, we have just those very doctors, so you’ve come to the right place! To get started, here are a few free tips from our experts Wisdom’s very own menopause specialist, Dr. Jennifer Goto, wants to leave you with a few of her top tips for thriving through perimenopause. Start the conversation early. Yup, we mean talk about all this with your doctor before perimenopause. Your body needs extra care and support to head into perimenopause as healthy as it can be, so it can safely weather these hormonal storms. Dr. Goto suggests target testing for nutrients and minerals as a starting point. Any imbalance you find in nutrients and minerals can contribute to a variety of symptoms like night sweats, mood swings, cramps, fatigue, weight changes, insomnia, and more. Fix your gut. There is strong evidence of the connection between our gut and hormones, but did you know this is also true for perimenopause? Not only do our guts produce chemicals like equol that are linked to perimenopause symptoms, but it’s the foundation for making sure our body is able to absorb all of the critical nutrients we’re consuming! Support all hormones. As mentioned above, your sex hormones are not the only hormone actors on the stage during peri/menopause. So, for example, it’s just as important to make sure your adrenal glands and thyroid are functioning optimally before perimenopause as it is to check your estrogen levels. Share your concerns with your doctor. Because every woman is different and experiences perimenopause differently, it's important to be specific when describing your symptoms. This helps ensure your care plan is tailored to your needs. If your doctor dismisses your concerns...it's time for a new doctor. With tips like these, personalized to your body and your science, you can arrive at menopause feeling like a whole new woman–stronger, healthier, more confident, and ready to live the best years of your life. There’s no better time than now to prepare (or find relief) for perimenopause and menopause. 

Has your doctor ever told you: Come back when it's worse. It's just part of being a woman. Just eat less and exercise more. When your experiences and symptoms aren't taken seriously by your doctor, it can leave you feeling frustrated and helpless. And you are not alone in feeling this way. A 2022 survey on women's experiences in healthcare found that: 72% felt they have been a victim of medical gaslighting 81% felt misunderstood by a medical professional 73% left an interaction with a medical practitioner doubting their own experience or memory 22% stopped seeking treatment for their condition because of these experiences The bottom line: Poor listening and a lack of understanding hormones leads to poor care. Not on our watch! The most common feedback we receive from our members is: "I felt so seen and heard by my Wisdom Doctor." In addition to listening to our members' experiences and believing them , our doctors understand that comprehensive testing is one of the most crucial tools when it comes to taking the first steps to address hormone health from PCOS and hair loss to menopause. If you are ready to take the first step to addressing your hormone health, but aren't sure where to start, we recently launched our Happy Hormones Program, an all-in-one lab bundle that includes: Testing for 61 hormone-related biomarkers Detailed results summary Consultation with a Wisdom Doctor to review your results Personalized first step recommendations based on your results Get the test kit and get started today.

Hair loss can be deeply distressing, often leading to significant social anxiety and emotional turmoil especially when it occurs on top of another distressing condition - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, PCOS. So why are we talking about PCOS and hair loss together? In PCOS, the ovaries produce an excess of testosterone. Early symptoms of this hormonal imbalance include increases in facial and body hair, which is often coarser and darker than normal hair. However, as PCOS persists and testosterone levels remain elevated, women may start to notice thinning hair on the top of their head, followed by diffuse hair loss radiating from the top. This condition is called androgenetic alopecia. PCOS is most common in women of reproductive age and is a leading cause of infertility. In addition to hair loss, PCOS can affect the entire endocrine system. Given that the PCOS symptoms overlap with other endocrine disorders, it is no surprise that 70% of affected women remain undiagnosed, according to the World Health Organization. So, what’s a girl to do? Start an investigation - a medical investigation, that is! This investigation requires two key components: A detailed medical history Testing of key biomarkers of the entire endocrine system Because some of the most common symptoms of PCOS stem from dysfunction within the endocrine system, gathering these two pieces of information will help determine the root cause and allow for more precise treatments, creating an environment for true healing. Hair loss can be a devastating symptom for women, especially when it is tied to underlying conditions like PCOS. Understanding the connection between PCOS and hair loss is the first step toward effective management and treatment. If you suspect that PCOS might be affecting your hair health, don't hesitate to seek professional medical advice. With the right approach, it's possible to manage PCOS symptoms effectively and reclaim both your health and confidence. Remember, you're not alone in this journey—support and solutions are available. Get the ball rolling on your investigation today! We now offer a testing bundle, so you can get the testing and expert support you need to get the ball rolling on your PCOS or hair loss investigation today. Click the link below to get started! Featured Provider: Dr. Melonni Dooley

If you experience hormonal acne, you know that it’s more than a few zits here or there. It can be incredibly persistent and painful! But when women seek answers and support, most doctors prescribe heavy duty medications that only mask the symptoms. At Wisdom, our providers go deeper: they treat the cause, not just the surface issue. As women, we are sold every cream, lotion, and potion out there to mask the symptoms, but we know that what really works is uncovering the hidden imbalances that are causing those breakouts in the first place. And did you know that your skin health is a reflection of the inner workings of your hormonal and digestive systems? These are two systems of the body that are crucial for women's health at every age that don’t get nearly enough attention in regular doctor visits! So we are on a mission to change that for our Wisdom members! Here are a few things our docs explore with our members to support their skin health: hydration nutrient deficiencies bowel movements medication effects and of course... HORMONES! So no…this is not about looks. This is about caring for the skin you are in along with your internal ecosystem that has a massive impact on your quality of life! Dr. Chante Tonia takes us deeper: Our hormones fluctuate throughout the month in alignment with the menstrual cycle, which begins with the first day of full menstrual bleed and generally ranges from 21 to 35 days. Skin health issues, such as acne can occur during the first half of the menstrual cycle as estrogen starts to build closer to ovulation - the middle point of the cycle when your ovary releases an egg. This can also occur in the second half of the menstrual cycle as progesterone builds, causing increased oil production in the skin. Increased androgens such as testosterone can also produce excess oil that clogs pores, causing acne to flare. There are several hormonal players in your monthly cycle and each one, when out of balance, could have a direct impact on your skin’s health. Below are 5 essential tips to support hormone balance and naturally improve the health of your skin: Stay Hydrated. Try to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day to support hydration and elimination of toxins. Reduce or Eliminate Inflammatory Foods. Reducing or removing these foods can help reduce skin inflammation. Support Gut Health and Elimination. A healthy and diverse gut microbiome supports radiant skin. Prebiotic rich foods support the growth of friendly bacteria, and probiotic rich foods increase microbial diversity of beneficial bacteria. Try Seed Cycling for Hormonal Balance. Seed cycling involves consumption of seeds during different phases of the menstrual cycle to support your hormone health. Keep Detoxification Pathways Open. Detoxification is the body's natural way of eliminating toxins. When pathways are blocked, toxins can accumulate in the body and impact skin health. Featured Provider: Dr. Chante Tonia

Have you ever felt that energy dip after eating? Or the unexplained brain fog no matter how many cups of coffee you drink? Then you may be riding the roller coaster of blood sugar highs and lows, aka blood sugar dysregulation. And while we really feel the impact of those fluctuations on our energy and focus, did you know that they can contribute to pushing our hormones out of balance, too? Because of the deep connection between the two, keeping blood sugar regulation top of mind is crucial for healthy hormones, and not just for those with diabetes! And this blood sugar-hormone connection is a two-way street: Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, and menopause can also influence blood sugar regulation and how our bodies respond to stress. You see, there is a special dance between blood sugar and stress: they like to rise and fall together. And in women's health, the lows (aka skipping meals, doing all the things before you fuel yourself, and eating too little) are just as important to remedy as the highs. Let’s take a closer look: In your body, hormones such as insulin, glucagon, cortisol, and adrenaline are directly involved in blood sugar management. And when these hormones are out of whack, so are your blood sugar levels, causing stress and pushing your body out of its delicate balance. But are you ready for the good news yet?? Stress resilience is possible! You don’t have to ride the rollercoaster highs and lows of stress and dysregulated blood sugar. It is possible to manage both internal and external stress so that you can find that nice, even keel blood sugar range that your hormones will love! Sarah Ervin, Wisdom Nutritionist, shares her most recommended tips to start to balance your blood sugar today: One of the best ways to support blood sugar is by being mindful at meals. Incorporating healthy fats, fiber, and protein into your meals can make a significant difference. Healthy fats, found in foods like avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish, slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, preventing spikes and crashes. Including fiber-rich foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and chia seeds in your diet can also help with this. Protein is another essential component for blood sugar regulation. Found in lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and plant-based sources like beans and tofu, protein helps stabilize blood sugar levels by slowing down the digestion of carbohydrates and the release of glucose into the bloodstream. Here are my top tips to balance your blood sugar and build stress resilience today: Start Your Day Right: Opt for a breakfast high in protein and healthy fats, like a veggie omelet with avocado. Snack Smart: Choose fiber-rich snacks, such as an apple with almond butter or a handful of nuts. Balanced Meals: Ensure each meal includes a good mix of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to support overall health and proper digestion. Ready for more stress-resilience and blood sugar balancing knowledge? Check out the replay of our free webinar on stress resilience for women’s hormone health, hosted by our co-founder, Frankie Leigh Shelton. Featured Provider: Sarah Ervin

What did I do with my keys? Where was I going with this story? Could you share your name with me again? We know that feeling all too well. Brain fog can manifest as... 🧠 difficulty processing information 🧠 finding the right words 🧠 feeling disoriented …and it can really shake your confidence when dealing with the day to day tasks of life. While it seems relatively straight-forward that brain fog is an early symptom of cognitive diseases, it gets a bit more complicated for women because it is also a symptom of menopause. So let’s unpack the issue of cognitive decline and its unique impact on women's health. Changes in hormone levels can have a massive impact on the speed at which cognitive decline happens in a woman's lifetime. Think: menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, or even with conditions like thyroid disorders. In particular, menopause, and the corresponding drop in estrogen levels, seems to accelerate the development of cognitive diseases. So, is it any surprise that according to the Alzheimer’s Association , women… make up almost two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer's disease? are more likely to develop Alzheimer's than men? who are in their 60’s are more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as they are to develop breast cancer? And yes, you read that right: Women in their 60’s. Not 70’s. Not 80’s. Not 90’s. 60’s. So how can you get ahead of it and take action to support brain and hormone health and reduce the occurrence of brain fog as you age? Spoiler alert: It starts in your gut and it’s tasty…it’s polyphenols! When we eat polyphenol-rich foods, our good gut bugs actually digest these foods for us, making them (and us!) stronger and healthier. This helps: improve circulation increase production of neurotransmitters (your body's feel good messengers!) improve blood flow to the brain and enhance our nerve connectivity within the gut-brain axis And polyphenols don’t just love your gut health and your brain health, they happen to be delicious too! Dr. Rebecca Sand shares some of her personal favorite polyphenol rich foods to work in to her diet to support her gut and brain health: Cocoa Berries Olive oil and olives Hazelnuts Curry powder Coffee Green tea And the great news is that these (tasty) recommendations are just the tip of the iceberg! Our doctors and nutritionists provide personalized care that centers women’s unique physiology to make sure that no matter where you are in your cognitive health journey, you are getting the support you need to feel confident in your health as you age. Featured Provider: Dr. Rebecca Sand

“Could this be my hormones?” 🤔 How many times has this question crossed your mind? And we are talking beyond period cramps and hot flashes. Chances are, the answer is yes ! But why? Hormones are your body's electricity. They are responsible for many of the signals sent throughout the body at every moment of every day! This means that dysregulated hormones can impact… how you think how you interpret stress your metabolism your fertility …and the list goes on! Learning about hormonal health is critical to building body literacy for women: understanding why your body feels or responds the way it does! Body literacy is a foundational piece of the health puzzle, so it’s shocking to learn that: 40% of women say they lack education on menstrual and menopausal health 80% of women worldwide report hormonal imbalance All this to say that if you are reading this, you are not alone in trying to figure out the ins and outs of hormonal health. At Wisdom, we believe that hormone health is women's health. There is no separating the two and we are on a mission to provide you with the care you need to support your hormones, at every stage! We know what is possible when the right data and the right support come together. This is why we have a team to support you at every step of your care journey: Brilliant doctors who will help you learn about the power of hormone harmony and investigate the root cause of any hormone imbalances you may be experiencing. Thoughtful nutritionists who will support you in translating your doctor’s recommendations into tangible diet and lifestyle shifts that work in your life. Care coordinators who will be by your side every step of the way to help you navigate the logistics of appointment planning, testing, and more. No matter where you are in your hormone health journey, Wisdom has you covered!

Keto, paleo, vegan, calorie counting…is your head spinning yet? It seems that every year, there is a bright, shiny new diet that makes headlines as the diet that is going to change your life. Most people know that nutrition plays a key role in our health and wellness…so why does it feel so hard to figure out how to make it work for you? Between the shiny new diet overload and the over-simplistic message from healthcare providers to “just eat less and move more”…it’s no wonder women are feeling confused about what to eat! The reality is quite the opposite of what you may think! Many women are chronically undereating (whether they know it or not), and have a history of dieting and restriction. While this is often offered as the solution to all of our health problems, undereating can contribute to a wide range of issues, including suboptimal thyroid function, nutrient deficiencies, sleep issues, and hormonal imbalances. Oftentimes, women need to actually increase the amount of food they are eating to increase their metabolic rate, improve thyroid function, and balance their hormones! Our very own Wisdom Nutritionist, Leah Barack, shares her top tips for shifting from restriction to balance so you can nourish your body, fuel your health, and improve your relationship with food: Ask yourself: “What can I add to my diet to nourish myself today?” rather than focusing on what you “shouldn’t” be eating. Look at every meal as an opportunity to nourish yourself and practice self care! Try to avoid viewing food through the binary lens of “good/bad.” Food is food - some of it nourishes you and contributes to health, and other foods do not. Taking away the “good/bad” binary can help remove some of the emotional triggers regarding food that can arise. Try out the 80/20 rule - 80% of the time focus on eating foods that nourish your body and mind and contribute to health, and allow yourself 20% of the time to enjoy more flexibility in your eating patterns, for example going out to eat with friends, going on a vacation, or having a treat at a birthday party. Remember that healing takes time - it can feel scary when you start increasing the amount of food you’re eating, so take it slow. That might mean you start by just adding an extra egg, a tablespoon of seeds, or ½ an avocado to your meals! Remember that your body is intelligent - trusting that your body can heal when it is given the right tools to do so is imperative in your healing journey. Book a free informational call to learn about our Wisdom Doctors and Nutritionists who provide health and hormone support that is more than just a list of foods you can’t eat. Featured Provider: Leah Barack

Tell us if this sounds familiar: You abruptly wake up and desperately fly to open a window or throw off the sheets in the middle of the night. The temperature in the room is completely normal, but you are drenched in sweat and squirming in discomfort. Then you start to wonder, how much research and solution-seeking would we see if men were this uncomfortable... instead of women? We would probably all have ice packs wired into our clothes by now!! As women, our hormones begin to decline at 35 years old, and we can suffer through a myriad of symptoms that are kicked off by perimenopause all the way through to the year of our last cycle. And hot flashes? They are the hallmark symptom of menopause! Up to 80% of women will have some hot flashes as they go through menopause, which just means that if it isn't you turning up the AC in April, chances are it is someone you love. Even worse, this can last for 7 or more years with s ome women experiencing up to 20 hot flashes per day during perimenopause and menopause. As you can imagine, hot flashes significantly affect your quality of life. They can interfere with sleep, make it harder to concentrate, reduce your energy, worsen your mood and, when it happens, can be quite embarrassing and might cause you to withdraw from social activities. So, what’s a woman to do? Quietly suffer? Just learn to live with it? Not if we have anything to say about it! With our commitment to non-dismissive care, when you tell us about downright uncomfortable symptoms like hot-flashes, we will never tell you: it’s just part of being a woman it’s all in your head come back when it is unbearable Our doctors provide science-backed solutions that work for YOU. Our very own Dr. Melonni Dooley, shares her top tips to consider when it comes to hot flashes: Hot flashes occur as a result of a hormonally-mediated thermoregulatory response that occurs alongside declining estrogen. Replacing estrogen (and progesterone) with bio-identical hormones can be a highly effective therapy. However, before starting any hormone therapy, you need to get your hormone levels checked. Not only does this test measure all hormone levels but we also get information on how your liver is metabolizing & eliminating these hormones which is important in preventing side effects of hormone therapy. Pay attention to what is triggering a hot flash. Alcohol and cigarettes are common triggers but hot flashes can also be triggered by caffeine, spicy foods, food sensitivities and stress. Become familiar with plants and herbs known to contain compounds that can regulate hormones, mimic estrogen or have cooling properties. Practice Mindfulness. Clinical research has shown that relaxation training and stress management techniques effectively reduce the degree of distress caused by hot flashes. Mindfulness techniques include diaphragmatic breathing, breath awareness, meditation, progressive relaxation, imagery and biofeedback. We are all about making life for women smoother, happier, and healthier because we know that when women get the care they deserve, there is a ripple effect on our families and communities, too! Featured Provider: Dr. Melonni Dooley