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[00:00:00] Jenny Swisher: Welcome friends to this episode of the Sync Your Life podcast. Let’s dive into the topic of toxins in our environment and why this matters more than ever during perimenopause. We’re going to be talking about what menopause really is, how to handle our hormones and hormonal changes during that transition, what perimenopause means, and also what does it mean to be in an environment with a lot of toxins?

[00:01:20] Jenny Swisher: How can we make simple swaps so that our endocrine disruption is lessened? This is a topic that’s on the rise because truly endocrine disruption is impacting every aspect of our lives right now. We know that inflammation is the root of all disease and we know that endocrine disruptors are really everywhere in our environment.

[00:01:36] Jenny Swisher: As we record this, I’m sitting here in Indiana and my pollen app is showing that the number one allergen in the environment today is actually plastic particles. So, to say that it really is all around us is, is no elaboration. That’s really true. So this is a recent live Q& A that I offered to my community where I touched on this topic of toxins in our environment.

[00:01:57] Jenny Swisher: How to make simple swaps in our household care, our skincare, the things that we can do and that are within our control. So without further ado, here is that live Q and a, as usual, I will link everything up for you in the show notes so you can simply swipe up to look into more information. But here we go.

[00:02:11] Jenny Swisher: Let’s dive in.

[00:02:13] Jenny Swisher: Okay, ladies, happy Labor Day weekend. I wanted to come on here and offer you guys this live Q& A as promised at the tail end of our endocrine disruption group week. Now we’ve been talking about all things simple swaps this week, so I’m going to give you a little bit of a recap of our group. Everything we’ve talked about here, I’m going to remind you of our 15 percent off Labor Day sale happening through the 3rd, and we’re also going to touch on some of the questions that came in to some of our advocates this week on the topic of menopause, perimenopause, belly fat, belly fat.

[00:02:42] Jenny Swisher: endocrine disruption, magnesium. We got lots of questions to cover. So you might see that I tried to do this live stream yesterday and for whatever reason, 25 minutes later, after doing the entire thing, a couple of you guys were like, Hey, there was no audio. So we’re going to hope that this time is working.

[00:02:58] Jenny Swisher: It looks like my audio is working from what I can see. If you hop on here live and you have questions, feel free to chime in. I will answer them. Otherwise, if you see this later, because I know it’s a busy weekend, feel free to comment below and I’ll come back to those later. So, first of all, we’ve loved having you part of this group.

[00:03:12] Jenny Swisher: This has been an awesome just introduction to the idea that we do have toxins in our environment and we do have things within our control, as it pertains to simple swaps, that we can make to be healthier and to have healthier environments for our families. So, as a recap, we started this week talking about, uh, Shereen talked specifically about the liver.

[00:03:32] Jenny Swisher: and our natural body’s detoxification system, right? Which involves the liver. So our liver does a lot of work for our hormones. And , if we have a sluggish liver, if we’re not, , having good regular digestion and, and if we’re not excreting waste through sweat, through urine, through poop, yes, I said poop, uh, then we’re really doing our hormones a disservice.

[00:03:52] Jenny Swisher: And actually I see this happen a lot with women. I know a lot of women struggle with things like irritable bowel syndrome. They don’t have good digestive habits or they’re not super regular. They deal with constipation or discomfort digestively. And so that can all play a role, right? Because what can happen is hormones can recirculate in the body if they’re not being excreted.

[00:04:11] Jenny Swisher: So it really does start with our bodies as a machine first, right? Helping our body naturally detoxify, , through different supplements, which I’ll, I’ll touch on here soon. Um, And through the way we eat, right? Like, making sure that we’re looking at, , the EWG website has the, the Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen, so making sure that you’re staying away from the more chemically laden produce and sticking to the healthier option produce, the Clean 15, as it comes to that.

[00:04:38] Jenny Swisher: So, making sure that we’re doing that in our day to day lives, like fueling our body with whole foods, , you know, sticking to that Clean 15 as it pertains to produce, um, making sure that we’re supplementing through pre and probiotics, digestive enzymes, , also with things like glutathione, which is a powerful liver detoxifier, which is in our, uh, hydrate and detox formulation.

[00:04:58] Jenny Swisher: These are all things that we can do to really just prime our bodies to be the detox machine that it needs to be. So that when it does get xenoestrogens, or it does have that toxic load, it’s going to you know, it can excrete things well on its own. So that’s step one. And then from there we move more into the things that are touching our skin, that are going into our body or that we’re breathing in.

[00:05:18] Jenny Swisher: So when women ask me like, where do you begin? Like, what’s the best first step? The best first step is in really just priming your body first, helping support your liver through natural detoxification. Now there’s lots of things you can do in this regard, right? So number one, making sure you’re having regular bowel movements.

[00:05:35] Jenny Swisher: If you’re not currently taking a pre or probiotic or both, highly recommend that. That is already in our hydrate and detox supplement. I like to call hydrate and detox the twofer. So you’re getting the electrolytes that you need to be able to absorb your water. There’s magnesium, potassium, and sea salt in the hydrate and detox, but it’s not excessive amounts of sodium or excessive amounts of sugar that you might find in other electrolyte formulations.

[00:05:58] Jenny Swisher: So it’s everything you need. to be able to absorb that water. A lot of women think, Oh, I just need to have a water goal. Like I’m just going to shoot for 50 or a hundred ounces of water a day or whatever. It’s not really that simple. It’s not about how much water you drink, but it’s also the quality of the water and also the electrolytes that are involved in your consumption.

[00:06:16] Jenny Swisher: So hydrate and detox is a twofer because you’re getting the hydration and you’re also getting the detoxification. through the pre and probiotics and the glutathione that’s already in there. So it’s kind of like it plays multiple roles in one supplement. You just add it to your water each morning. So we start with that.

[00:06:32] Jenny Swisher: We start with priming our bodies. There’s other things you can do as well, right? You can make sure you’re exercising to help increase, , sweat to increase excretion that way. , castor oil packs and castor oil are a great way to also aid the liver in detoxification, proper sleep, right? There’s all kinds of things that we can be doing to help our body first.

[00:06:50] Jenny Swisher: That really is step one. And then taking a look at what are the things that I’m breathing in in my house. What are the things that I’m putting on my skin? We talked here in this group this week that the average woman puts 168 chemicals on her skin per day, per day, through things like makeup, cosmetics, lotions, body washes, etc.

[00:07:09] Jenny Swisher: We can lessen that load, right? And that’s why Hugh and Grace is so powerful because we can not only help you with the nutritional side priming your body, but we can also help you with the things that you’re putting in on and around your body. So I like to say, start with our routine first. If you don’t know where to start, start with the routine.

[00:07:27] Jenny Swisher: The routine has your hydrating detox, Your collagen, which is all three types of collagen. So we’re not just supporting hair and nails We’re also supporting joints and muscles as well. And then you’re also getting the morning supplement to regain that energy, right? So those three things are all part of the routine.

[00:07:42] Jenny Swisher: That really is step one from there Take a look at your household cleaners. Look under your laundry room cabinet say, okay, when are these things running out? You know, I’m almost out of window cleaner. I’m almost out of surface cleaner Now’s a good time to maybe try the hue and grace concentrate and to make that swap And then take a look at your skincare and say, okay, where am I, you know, my moisturizers or my skin serums, whatever it is you’re currently using, how can you slowly as they start to run out, replace them with healthier options.

[00:08:11] Jenny Swisher: And human grace has options for that. So we’ve kind of featured our favorite products throughout the week. We’ve given you guys some information about those things. If you have questions about them, please let us know. As you there’s a 15 percent off Labor Day sale happening site wide.

[00:08:24] Jenny Swisher: through the weekend, actually through the third. So, um, now’s the time. Now’s the time to check out the website. You know, refer to the website link that, , you were referred to by the advocate who invited you here. And if you have questions about any of that, let us know. But this is why this really matters, right?

[00:08:38] Jenny Swisher: Because regardless of where you are in life, endocrine disruption is really all around you. At the time that I’m recording this, I actually, so, we have COVID in our house right now. My oldest daughter tested positive on Wednesday night. She’s . graciously spreading it to all of us. Uh, it’s really hard when you have a seven year old with COVID.

[00:08:54] Jenny Swisher: You can’t really avoid it. But yesterday I was like, well, maybe this is just allergies for me. Like maybe it’s not COVID. And so I pulled up the PollenWise app and I searched by zip code and it said that the number one allergen in my area yesterday was plastic particles. I can’t make this up, you guys. Go to PollenWise and you can see it for yourself.

[00:09:13] Jenny Swisher: The number one allergen in my environment yesterday, in middle Indiana, was plastic particles. It is literally in the air that we’re breathing outside. And we can’t necessarily control the air that we’re breathing outside. But we can do things within our homes, right? We invested in an air purifier. a water purifier.

[00:09:31] Jenny Swisher: , believe it or not, there’s a lot of xenoestrogens in our water. So making sure that you’re investing in that type of stuff can be beneficial as well. And then like we said, making those simple swaps elsewhere. So, but here’s the deal is that it’s all around us. And I, for me, if I had known this information when I was in my twenties, when we were going through our infertility journey, I would have been making these lifestyle changes first.

[00:09:54] Jenny Swisher: Fertility doctors don’t teach this stuff, right? It’s not part of what they do. They can bring you in for pelvic ultrasounds and ovulation injections, and they can talk to you about IVF and they can do all this stuff where science intervenes. But a lot of times they’re not mentioning the simple things that you can do in your lifestyle, like helping support liver detoxification processes and helping, you know, making these swaps in your home so that you don’t have as many endocrine disruptors around you in your home.

[00:10:20] Jenny Swisher: These are things that I wish somebody had told me in my twenties. But now at the age of 40, almost 41, I’m now grateful that I do know this information because I can start to make these swaps, especially as my body goes through perimenopause. Perimenopause, by the way, can start as early as your 30s. We’ll talk about what that is here in a second.

[00:10:38] Jenny Swisher: But during this decade of life, things start to get a little wonky, right? A lot of women say it’s like a rollercoaster ride. We don’t really know what our menstrual cycles are doing. Things become really irregular. Symptoms might start to pop up. Brain fog, anxiety, trouble sleeping, headaches. For me, it’s migraines.

[00:10:54] Jenny Swisher: , all that kind of stuff, right? And so it’s no fun, but it’s definitely not going to be very much fun if we are in a very toxic environment. Again, it all comes back to helping our bodies be the machine that it needs to be so that we can achieve that optimal balance and optimal energy. So let’s talk about what menopause is, because the questions we got this week were, how do I manage hormones through menopause?

[00:11:15] Jenny Swisher: What is perimenopause? Why can’t I get rid of the belly fat? And then some questions about magnesium as well. So I’m going to cover all four of those here right now. So number one, let’s just establish that menopause is not something that you go through. And I put that in air quotes, , it’s something that happens.

[00:11:32] Jenny Swisher: It’s a birthday. It’s a moment in time. It’s a moment in time, 12 months. from your last menstrual cycle. So, the last time you had a period, right, if you’ve gone 365 days since that, you are officially in menopause. From there on after, you are considered post menopausal. So, the decade or so leading up to menopause is what most women are actually referring to when they say menopause.

[00:11:56] Jenny Swisher: And it’s perimenopause. Okay, so it’s actually just this sort of 8 10 year span of time can start as early as your mid 30s where symptoms might start to pop up because progesterone starts to decline first. So what happens over this decade, progesterone starts to decline first, eventually estrogen does as well, and everything starts to shift.

[00:12:16] Jenny Swisher: You might hear women say, I hit 40 and things just changed. I’m not sure what happened, but all of a sudden I had trouble sleeping, or I started having brain fog, or my migraines came back, or my periods got more painful, or heavier, or lighter, or whatever the case is, right? This is perimenopause. And just because it has a bad connotation and women are out there making fun of things, like hot flashes and night sweats, doesn’t mean we have to live with it that way.

[00:12:39] Jenny Swisher: Right? Just because it’s common, doesn’t mean that it’s normal. And normal is certainly not optimal. And so I know for me, introducing things like bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, proper supplementation, like the proper form of magnesium, taking control of my lifestyle, the way I exercise, the way I eat, my prioritization of sleep.

[00:12:58] Jenny Swisher: These are all things that are within our control that help us manage this decade of life better. So let’s talk about what, what it means. So someone had asked the question, how can I better manage my hormones during menopause? Well, that’s sort of a funny question because we can’t manage our hormones. Our hormones really are managing us.

[00:13:17] Jenny Swisher: They’re these little chemical messengers that really control everything pertaining to our energy, our mood, uh, everything. I mean, truly. And so We can’t manage them, but what we can do is be better informed. We can be hormone literate. We can start to learn more about our bodies and what’s happening during this transition.

[00:13:34] Jenny Swisher: We can start to ask better questions in the doctor’s office. We can advocate for better testing. We can maybe seek health through a functional lens as opposed to what modern medicine often offers. These are all things that we can do to really make sure that we’re living with that maximum energy. So my recommendation to you would be, what are the steps that you need to take to learn more about your body and how And are you working with a practitioner who really looks at things through a functional lens?

[00:13:59] Jenny Swisher: What do I mean by that? Well, in modern medicine, whether it’s an OBGYN or primary care practitioner, a lot of them just are not super educated about what it looks like to look at root cause medicine. A lot of them instead will say, Oh man, it’s perimenopause. We better put you on birth control, or we don’t know what to do.

[00:14:18] Jenny Swisher: So sorry, this is just what happens. This is part of the aging process. Or you, they, they do labs for you and then they tell you, oh, the labs are normal, right? And you feel crazy. You’re like, well, something’s not right. Like my check engine light’s flashing and I certainly don’t feel right. So this is where you have to step into the role of being your own best advocate and start asking more questions.

[00:14:39] Jenny Swisher: And if that’s not the right doctor for you to answer those questions, it might mean finding one who is. Right? So that’s, that’s what I have. I mean, there’s more where that came from, but for today’s purposes, that’s where we’ll leave it. So you don’t manage your hormones through menopause, but you do manage your lifestyle so that your hormone balance can be easier achieved.

[00:14:57] Jenny Swisher: And those are things that we’ve talked about here. Eliminating toxic load, making these simple swaps, supporting your liver, , proper sleep, exercise, nutrition. Okay, so from there, let’s talk about perimenopause. So during this decade leading up to menopause, I like to use the analogy of a cruise ship leaving the dock, right?

[00:15:16] Jenny Swisher: So we’ve kind of, maybe if you’ve been on a cruise ship, you might know that it takes forever for the ship to actually leave the port. Like usually the boat will start moving and everybody on top of the boat gets excited and they’re like, yay, here we go. But then like three hours later, you, you’re, you feel like you’ve only gone a few feet, right?

[00:15:32] Jenny Swisher: Like it’s like the slow departure. That’s your ovaries during perimenopause, right? They’re like, Hey, it’s been real. It’s been fun. Um, Your fertile years are ending. We’re giving you a little bit of a warning as we head out to sea. Okay? But during this time, let me ask you this question. , does your body still produce sex hormones after menopause?

[00:15:50] Jenny Swisher: So once you’re done bleeding, once you’re done with the menstrual cycle, do you still have estrogen, progesterone, testosterone? Well, the answer is yes, you do. But now, instead of being dominantly excreted by the ovaries, it’s being excreted by the adrenal glands, which are these tiny little glands that sit above your kidneys that prior to this have only been responsible for your survival, right?

[00:16:11] Jenny Swisher: Your fight or flight, run from a bear, keep you alive, stress hormone, cortisol. And so these little adrenal glands start to basically take the baton from the ovaries, right? The ovaries hand it over. They’re like, here you go. It’s your turn now. It’s been real. It’s been fun. We’re out to see. They hand the baton over to the adrenals and these adrenals become extra taxed because not only are they keeping you alive, They’re responsible for your stress response.

[00:16:36] Jenny Swisher: Now, all of a sudden, they’re taking on the responsibility of sex hormone production, too. And so, during this phase of life, I’ll say from age 35 to 50, this is when you hear women say, I hit 40 and I don’t know what happened. Things started to shift. Or, I’m doing all the things that I used to do and, and my belly fat isn’t budging.

[00:16:54] Jenny Swisher: Or, I can’t seem to lose the weight. Or, You know, you name it, I’ve tried it and nothing is working. A lot of women will go back to doing what they did in their twenties and thirties, which oftentimes is more cardio and less eating, right? Like less carbs, less food in general. And that’s really just counterproductive to their physiology because what they’re doing is they’re putting their body into a higher state of stress.

[00:17:17] Jenny Swisher: Which is then causing more stress for the adrenals that are already under stress, right? so this is why it’s really important to really understand what’s happening during this period of life and In this decade, you know, what’s happening first as I mentioned is progesterone is declining first Followed by estrogen at the tail end toward menopause.

[00:17:38] Jenny Swisher: And so as progesterone declines It’s actually the gap or the ratio between progesterone to estrogen You commonly known as estrogen dominance, that is what’s causing a lot of women to gain that weight, to gain the belly fat, to start having those symptoms of anxiety or trouble sleeping or headaches.

[00:17:56] Jenny Swisher: It’s actually the decline in progesterone that does that. Now, I’m a huge advocate for bioidentical progesterone. I’ve been on it myself since age 27 because I have significant deficiencies in progesterone. , it’s been a game changer for me. But here’s the deal is that, But during that decade of life that we’re talking about, you’re in this state of estrogen dominance, so we start to see that belly fat come on, we start to see weight gain, weight loss resistance, brain fog, all the things I’ve mentioned.

[00:18:21] Jenny Swisher: And what happens is if we’re not actively making the types of changes that we’ve talked about here in this group this week, if we’re not making simple swaps, if we’re not lessening our toxic load, it just adds to that estrogen dominance. Right? All these, you know, estrogens that are in our environment, the plastic particles that I’m breathing in right now from here in Noblesville, Indiana today with the high allergen of plastic particles.

[00:18:45] Jenny Swisher: When I’m breathing that in, that’s adding to my estrogenic load, which is considered toxic load. And then my, if my progesterone is declining, it’s contributing to that. It’s making things worse. So this is why making these types of swaps, it’s always going to be important. It’s important for my kids. I have a three year old and seven year old.

[00:19:04] Jenny Swisher: My 7 year old is obsessed with all things Sephora. She doesn’t even know what Sephora is. She’s been in Sephora once. But she sees it. She sees it from her friends talking about it. She sees it on YouTube. She sees it places. She thinks it’s cool. It’s my responsibility to educate her on what those types of things are doing if it touches her body.

[00:19:22] Jenny Swisher: Right? I need to educate her on that. We have something in our house. that is healthy for her to use. I let my kids use the night serum. I let them use the body oils. I let them use the body butter. They, they’re into that. They’re excited about it. I have girls, so they’re really into it. Um, but I want to make sure that I’m making that change for them, right?

[00:19:39] Jenny Swisher: That’s a choice I can make. It’s important at every age. We’re seeing young girls start their periods earlier. They’re starting them as soon as age 11, which is crazy, right? So, it’s important for all ages.

[00:19:50] Jenny Swisher: I wish I would have made the changes in my 20s, like I said, because it would have possibly helped or changed our fertility struggle. But now, at 40, I really have to make the changes. Because now it’s, it’s more important than ever that I decrease this toxic load as my body goes through these shifts and changes and goes through estrogen dominance.

[00:20:08] Jenny Swisher: So hopefully that helps you better understand menopause, perimenopause, why belly fat happens especially in this decade of life and maybe what we can do about it and what’s in, what’s within our control. Finally, the last question that was asked was about magnesium. There is magnesium glycinate in our PM supplement that I featured here this week with the tart cherry juice.

[00:20:26] Jenny Swisher: , there’s L theanine in that supplement as well. That’s known to boost GABA, anti anxiety, really good for just sleep and relaxation. I love the PM supplement. Doesn’t make you sleepy, doesn’t make you groggy. It’s just enough to help you relax. , but here’s the deal is that All magnesiums are not equal.

[00:20:42] Jenny Swisher: So, there are lots of different types of magnesiums out there, and they all target different things within the body. So, magnesium threonate is great for brain health. In fact, it’s recommended for people in early stage Alzheimer’s, or who have family history of Alzheimer’s. , magnesium glycinate tends to be the most absorbed version of magnesium, and the most tolerated version.

[00:21:01] Jenny Swisher: It also rescues hormones in a variety of ways. So if you go to Dr. Laura Bryden’s website, she has a blog article all about how magnesium rescues hormones. She also, as a functional doctor, makes the recommendation that women use magnesium glycinate. That’s what’s in our PM supplement with Human Grace. So, why does this matter?

[00:21:19] Jenny Swisher: Because most women are just going to Amazon, or going to CVS, and they’re buying a magnesium that is magnesium citrate or magnesium oxide, or it’s a really low dose, it’s not making enough of a difference. All humans are deficient in magnesium because it’s just not in our soils now. It’s just our soils are depleted so our crops aren’t getting the right magnesium and therefore we are not getting the right magnesium.

[00:21:40] Jenny Swisher: When we don’t get enough we start to see things again like anxiety and all these different issues pop up. Did you know by the way that magnesium is one of the most administered IV, not really drugs, but supplements in the emergency room. If someone comes in with seizures, if they come in with heart issues, they administer IV magnesium.

[00:22:00] Jenny Swisher: Magnesium is powerful. Everybody needs to be on it. I feel safe saying that because even though health is individual and everybody has unique needs when it comes to supplements, there are some that we just know we need. Omega 3s and magnesium are two of those, right? So I feel confident telling you that those are important, but not all magnesiums are the same.

[00:22:19] Jenny Swisher: So if you’re purchasing a magnesium from your local grocery store or Amazon, check the bottle. If it’s oxide, citrate, if it’s anything except lysinate or a combination of eight different magnesiums. Most likely you need to make a shift with your magnesium. Quality really matters. By the way, Amazon has no regulation on supplements.

[00:22:36] Jenny Swisher: So you might think you’re buying something quality and it could be from a total third party , and it could be almost a ripoff like almost a filler to be honest So I try to avoid buying on amazon unless i’m buying directly from the supplement maker So always make sure you’re checking your source.

[00:22:52] Jenny Swisher: Okay, so that’s a lot. That’s what the questions were for this week. I’m sorry about the audio glitch yesterday. Hopefully you’ve learned something here, but we’ve been just so excited to serve you and share this. All of us are on fire for this. We’re so excited to be partnered with Hugh and Grace. We’re so excited to be able to offer you these solutions when it comes to simple swaps.

[00:23:09] Jenny Swisher: We have some amazing products coming down the pipeline. So actually in two weeks, A lot of us are headed to Nashville, Tennessee to learn about some new nutritionals that are coming out by end of year. We’ll be able to share that with you as we hear those announcements. And then we have even more products coming down the line.

[00:23:25] Jenny Swisher: If you’re interested in hearing what those might be, reach out to the advocate who invited you here. We’re happy to share. But this is an awesome company to partner with. Whether you’re a customer, whether you decide to become an advocate or an affiliate, or just simply subscribe and save, it’s an awesome, awesome thing to be able to trust one company.

[00:23:42] Jenny Swisher: With products that you know are not going to disrupt your hormones, that you know are safe for your kids and for your family, and that’s exactly why we’ve chosen it. So, thank you so much for being here, for being part of our group. If you have any more questions, let us know. We’ll talk soon.

[00:23:54] Jenny Swisher: Bye bye.