This is SUPER interesting! Natural medicine at work. Love it.🎉 I was writing a client this morning about this and thought I'd share with you all because I know a number of you have concerns with ALZ in the family / having APOE4 genetics. EXPLANATION: Lithium is an important but often misunderstood mineral we used to naturally get a lot more of from well water before modern filtration. It's widely known that areas with higher levels in the water have much LOWER rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, abuse/violence, etc. (There is a FASCINATING episode of the Radiolab podcast about this from years ago!) For this reason, some people supplement it at a low dose (5-10mg). [I used to as well, but it's hard to get in Canada bc it's not Health Canada-approved (ugh). So I get it from the US -> 5mg lithium orotate from PureEncapsulations or Swansons.] You may also know lithium as a prescription for bipolar disorder...but in that context, the dose is MUCH higher (200mg+) and has VERY different effects. WHY I'M POSTING THIS NOW: New research confirms researchers that areas with higher levels of lithium in the groundwater have LESS of an increase in Alzheimer’s rates compared with those that had lower levels of lithium. The study results are not a big surprise since previous studies linked lithium to a decreased risk of dementia, so this great confirmation at a large-scale population level. Promising! There are other positive studies on the link between lithium + ALZ prevention listed here: https://www.geneticlifehacks.com/lithium-a-mineral-that-affects-mood-alzheimers-disease-obesity-and-telomeres/ (I LOVE that site -> she's a geneticist who deep dives research as it relates to genetics and does an amazing job. If you can't see that page and want to, I'll share my login.) Anyway, standard low dose is 5-10mg for mood, but we don't yet know the effective dose for ALZ. (More on that latest study here.)

Happy summer friends! It's the season for fresh berries, fruit, chilled white wine on the deck, sharing good times with friends... And for many of us, this can mean more sugar in our diets than usual. I hear a lot of women say their sugar cravings get worse this time of year, or that they used to be able to resist dessert after dinner but now it's almost impossible! Want to know why and what to do about it? Check out this post I wrote for you here. (Hint: It's often your BIOLOGY, not a failing of willpower, so please don't beat yourself up!) PS - Summer is naturally a time Mama Nature wants us to put on a little extra before the cooler temps arrive - that's why she makes all that amazing fruit /berries for us to munch on! It's in our nature to some degree...BUT, when it gets out of control or drives us towards refined sugars, that's when we want to be more mindful. This is what I want to help you with.

(From my latest newsletter:) Here's what's new in recent research we care about as midlife women... 1 - Care for your heart ❤️ -> lift heavy things! 💪 A fresh new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (REF 1) confirms that women who lift weights at least two hours a week lowered their risk of cardiovascular disease significantly (20%!) and their risk of a heart attack (44%!) compared to women who do zero resistance training. Plus, every additional hour is linked to an extra 5% drop in heart disease risk and a 14% drop in heart attack risk! Plus... When those same women also clock 150 minutes of weekly aerobic exercise (and reduced time being sedentary in front of the TV), their risk of heart attack and stroke drops to the lowest of any group studied. Amazing! One caveat to note: The study noted that benefits were maximized when participants also limited their sedentary behaviours, such as watching less than 2 hours of TV per day. To put these findings in practical terms, this could be 5 x 30m of aerobic activity and 3 x 40m weight lifting sessions per week. Reasonable, yes? (If no, go slow - Rome wasn't built in a day.) Soooo, yes, it's boring but straight-forward: move more, sit less, don't marry your sofa. [Here's WHY this is important: According to the World Heart Federation, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women globally, accounting for about 30% of all deaths. Perimenopausal women in particular are 2x as likely to have a low cardiovascular health score compared to women who are still cycling regularly, mostly thanks to rising cholesterol and blood sugar. The Journal of the American Heart Association went so far as to call perimenopause a "window of opportunity" to get on top of metabolic issues and prevent future cardiovascular disease. (REF 2) In other words, this isn't the beginning of the end—it's your critical upgrade window.]

I finally made it to SKOOL after being a member for awhile. I love that I can look at my new blood test results I just got and see what Blood Tests All Female Patients Need with the parameters of where I should be. Yay!