The Menopause Guide: What Every Woman Needs to Know to Feel Amazing Again

1. 0:00 – 7:23

   Meet the Guest

   1. SSDr. Stacy Sims0:00

      Take control and acknowledge the fact that menopause isn't happening to you, it's something that you can face and have control over.

   2. MRMel Robbins0:09

      I can have control when my body is going through such crazy changes?

   3. SSDr. Stacy Sims0:13

      Yep, and the more we know, the more we control.

   4. MRMel Robbins0:19

      The most popular guest of all time on The Mel Robbins Podcast, I'm talking about Stanford University's Dr. Stacy Sims, is back for an incredible episode about menopause and hormones.

   5. SSDr. Stacy Sims0:32

      So if we think about puberty and all the things that are happening from the perspective of a young girl's body, if we're taking it to the other side of things, where we start to unpack everything, and we're not having estrogen, and we're not having progesterone, every system in the body takes a hit.

   6. MRMel Robbins0:47

      No, it makes so much sense, that, like, if you really think about your own experience of what happened to your body in puberty, when you hit perimenopause and menopause, it's like you're going through a reverse puberty.

   7. SSDr. Stacy Sims0:59

      Right. I'll say there are a lot of tools on the table. Taking control of your body through strength training. So if you are creating a new pathway or a stronger pathway to be able to lift that load, it improves the neuroplasticity of the brain.

   8. MRMel Robbins1:13

      You're literally rewiring your body to work with what you have in it?

   9. SSDr. Stacy Sims1:17

      Yes.

   10. MRMel Robbins1:17

       Oh, my God!

   11. SSDr. Stacy Sims1:18

       It's never too late to start, and you can always become stronger and build muscle. When you have the education, and you put the steps into play, then you understand what's happening to your body, and you can adapt and change and modify things to counter what's happening. I want women to go away not being afraid, 'cause it's such an amazing, powerful tool to have, to have that education, and to be able to invoke change to improve how you're feeling in the moment, and also how you're feeling five, 10, 15 years down the line.

   12. MRMel Robbins1:49

       Where do you start?

   13. SSDr. Stacy Sims1:50

       So we wanna-

   14. MRMel Robbins1:51

       Dr. Stacy Sims, all the way from New Zealand, I am so excited to sit down with you and learn from you today. Thank you for being here.

   15. SSDr. Stacy Sims2:00

       Thanks for having me. I'm looking forward to having a bit of a chat, a bit of fun.

   16. MRMel Robbins2:04

       Oh, we're gonna, uh, have more than fun, 'cause I know it's gonna be a life-changing conversation-

   17. SSDr. Stacy Sims2:09

       Awesome

   18. MRMel Robbins2:09

       ... for so many people that listen and then share this. So I'd love to start by having you just talk directly to the person listening.

   19. SSDr. Stacy Sims2:16

       Mm-hmm.

   20. MRMel Robbins2:16

       What could they experience in their life that's different if they take everything that you're about to share today, about the science of menopause and women's health and exercise, to heart, and they just put it to use in their life? Like, what's gonna be different?

   21. SSDr. Stacy Sims2:32

       I think it's going to be the education component, of actually understanding why and what is happening.

   22. MRMel Robbins2:38

       Mm.

   23. SSDr. Stacy Sims2:39

       'Cause we have not talked about that. Like, I think we're the first generation of women that is trying to push and understand what is going on, and that we're not siloed. So if you, as a listener, understand what's going on, and you start putting some of the practices that we'll discuss into play, you're gonna have more empowerment and more ability to take control, and acknowledge the fact that menopause isn't happening to you, it's something that you can face and have control over to improve parts of your life.

   24. MRMel Robbins3:13

       Really?

   25. SSDr. Stacy Sims3:14

       Yeah.

   26. MRMel Robbins3:15

       I, I'm, I'm, I'm sitting here processing this, because l- last night-

   27. SSDr. Stacy Sims3:19

       Mm-hmm

   28. MRMel Robbins3:19

       ... I was in my hotel room here in Boston, and it was, like, 2:30, and I had had, like, some sort of stress dream.

   29. SSDr. Stacy Sims3:27

       Yep.

   30. MRMel Robbins3:28

       That's a whole different conversation. But so I have this stress dream, I wake up, and I kid you not, [laughing] Dr. Sims, as I laid there, and the clock was kind of, uh, casting this light, I was so freaking hot, like a furnace, that I could see almost, like, steam.
2. 7:23 – 14:56

   The Truth About Menopause: Debunking Common Misconceptions

   1. MRMel Robbins7:23

      a question-

   2. SSDr. Stacy Sims7:23

      Yeah

   3. MRMel Robbins7:23

      ... before we go there?

   4. SSDr. Stacy Sims7:24

      Yeah.

   5. MRMel Robbins7:24

      You know, you've published 107 peer-reviewed [chuckles] studies, like, that focus almost entirely on women, and women's health, and hormones, and fitness, and you participate in your own studies.

   6. SSDr. Stacy Sims7:35

      Yep.

   7. MRMel Robbins7:35

      And so you are a rigorous and world-renowned researcher, and I want to make sure that as you're using the term menopause, for example-

   8. SSDr. Stacy Sims7:45

      Mm-hmm

   9. MRMel Robbins7:46

      ... that I've put my arm around the person that's listening, and we're keeping up with you. So what exactly, Dr. Sims, is menopause? Just so that, as I'm learning from you, and as the person that's with us is learning from you, we're kind of thinking about it the same-

   10. SSDr. Stacy Sims8:01

       On the same page.

   11. MRMel Robbins8:01

       Does that make sense?

   12. SSDr. Stacy Sims8:01

       Yeah, absolutely.

   13. MRMel Robbins8:03

       Okay.

   14. SSDr. Stacy Sims8:03

       So when we talk about the definition of menopause-

   15. MRMel Robbins8:06

       Uh-huh

   16. SSDr. Stacy Sims8:06

       ... I tell people it's another birthday, because what it marks is one day on the calendar of the preceding 12 months of no periods. So you haven't had a period in 12 months, boom, that day, menopause. The period time before that is perimenopause. The period of time after that is postmenopause. So when we talk about menopause, it's one day on the calendar.

   17. MRMel Robbins8:28

       Wow!

   18. SSDr. Stacy Sims8:28

       And we can say, "Happy Birthday. New biological state."

   19. MRMel Robbins8:31

       This sounds like the adult version of when you get your period, and some idiot's like, "You're a woman now."

   20. SSDr. Stacy Sims8:37

       Yeah.

   21. MRMel Robbins8:37

       So now you're like-

   22. SSDr. Stacy Sims8:38

       The next level

   23. MRMel Robbins8:38

       ... "Happy Birthday!"

   24. SSDr. Stacy Sims8:39

       Yeah.

   25. MRMel Robbins8:39

       "Welcome to being dry."

   26. SSDr. Stacy Sims8:41

       Yeah, I know. It, it seems like an, uh, like a negative connotation-

   27. MRMel Robbins8:44

       Ah!

   28. SSDr. Stacy Sims8:44

       ... but-

   29. MRMel Robbins8:45

       It's not gonna be-

   30. SSDr. Stacy Sims8:46

       It's not
3. 14:56 – 27:18

   How Menopause Changes Your Body

   1. MRMel Robbins14:56

      I think what would be super helpful is if you could walk us through, maybe from the head all the way to wherever, to the toes-

   2. SSDr. Stacy Sims15:06

      Yeah

   3. MRMel Robbins15:07

      ... what is the role that estrogen had been playing, and how does a drop in estrogen or proge- like, I don't, the, the other one-

   4. SSDr. Stacy Sims15:16

      Yeah

   5. MRMel Robbins15:17

      ... how does that impact the functioning of that part of our body now that the key is out of the lock?

   6. SSDr. Stacy Sims15:25

      Okay. So when we talk about estrogen, we have to also know that estrogen, progesterone, progesterone is like the Cinderella hormone, but has a lot of effect in the body as well.

   7. MRMel Robbins15:35

      What does Cinderella hormone mean?

   8. SSDr. Stacy Sims15:37

      No one really talks about progesterone, but it's really important.

   9. MRMel Robbins15:40

      Okay.

   10. SSDr. Stacy Sims15:41

       Progesterone is responsible for moderating what happens with estrogen-

   11. MRMel Robbins15:46

       Hmm

   12. SSDr. Stacy Sims15:46

       ... so that's why I talk about the ratios, and it has a lot of effect on our autonomic nervous system, so that's our sympathetic and parasympathetic, our heart rate, our breathing rate. So when we lose progesterone, a lot of those functions start to go awry.

   13. MRMel Robbins16:01

       Okay, so now I'm at the point where the key is out of the lock, and what's- what happens in your brain? Like, talk to me about the role that these things played before-

   14. SSDr. Stacy Sims16:12

       Mm-hmm

   15. MRMel Robbins16:13

       ... and now what's gonna happen now that I have a brain that's used to having progesterone and estrogen, and now it's not getting it.

   16. SSDr. Stacy Sims16:21

       So I'll start with the mood aspect-

   17. MRMel Robbins16:23

       Okay

   18. SSDr. Stacy Sims16:23

       ... because it's really, um, down to neurotransmitters. So those are the little chemical messengers in your brain that affect your mood. We see that estrogen drives serotonin. People have heard about serotonin in sleep and calming. It also drives dopamine. We see when there's a lot of estrogen, we have a lot of serotonin and a lot of dopamine that come into play, so we have an increase in that, you know, calming state.

   19. MRMel Robbins16:49

       Hmm.

   20. SSDr. Stacy Sims16:50

       Progesterone drives a couple of other factors that will negate it, so we're looking at progesterone countering some of those serotonin and dopamine responses, so you start to feel a little bit more anxious. When both of those drop off, your neurotransmitters are kind of askew, and so you'll go through a day where you're like, "I feel really great. I don't feel really great. I feel... Uh, what's going on?" So your brain is really confused, 'cause some of the key messenger are not really working how they used to when they were affected by estrogen and progesterone.

   21. MRMel Robbins17:23

       Hmm.

   22. SSDr. Stacy Sims17:23

       So this is how we get a lot of mood changes, and it's really the six or so years before that one point in time, menopause, that we see all of these effects, and they get worse and worse the closer we get to menopause. Then, after that one point in time, we'll have a few years where it's still occurring, and then it completely tapers off. When we're looking at estrogen and progesterone in the brain, it also helps with what we call brain metabolism, so that's how your brain fuels itself. We see that glucose is really important, so your blood sugar and the sugars that are in your blood go to the brain, and it's an incredible, uh, fueling, and your brain uses a lot of it.

   23. MRMel Robbins18:01

       Uh-huh.

   24. SSDr. Stacy Sims18:02

       And when we start to lose estrogen and progesterone, we lose some of the sensitivity of that glucose, so there's a little misstep in brain metabolism. So we start to have a little bit less of the driver for brain health. We have an increase in total body inflammation as well, because estrogen drives inflammatory responses. One of the other offshoots of having greater inflam- inflammation from low estrogen is we start to have more what's called esterified fatty acids. So this is-

   25. MRMel Robbins18:34

       That sounds awful.

   26. SSDr. Stacy Sims18:35

       I know. It's a change in our fat molecules that circulate-... it's the structure of the fat molecules that circulate in our blood, and they're read by the liver as something that needs to be taken up and stored as visceral fat.

   27. MRMel Robbins18:52

       Uh-oh.

   28. SSDr. Stacy Sims18:52

       So this is why we start to see that meno pot, and-

   29. MRMel Robbins18:55

       Is the meno pot the flesh fanny pack that you're talking about-

   30. SSDr. Stacy Sims18:58

       Yeah
4. 27:18 – 37:16

   The #1 Tool for Thriving in Menopause

   1. MRMel Robbins27:18

      so let's talk about the one thing that makes a huge difference in menopause. What is it?

   2. SSDr. Stacy Sims27:27

      Taking control of your body through strength training. So I'll say there are a lot of tools on the table.

   3. MRMel Robbins27:33

      Okay.

   4. SSDr. Stacy Sims27:33

      And we've heard a lot of conversation about menopause hormone therapy.

   5. MRMel Robbins27:36

      Mm-hmm.

   6. SSDr. Stacy Sims27:37

      And I will say that that is a very useful tool, but it is not the be-all, end-all. Because when you are using it, it just slows the rate of change, it doesn't stop it.

   7. MRMel Robbins27:47

      What does that mean? So let's say you're on, uh, hormone replacement therapy-

   8. SSDr. Stacy Sims27:51

      Mm-hmm

   9. MRMel Robbins27:52

      ... and which, you know, like you, I believe it's an incredibly powerful tool that every woman should at least have discussed with her by a medical professor- professional-

   10. SSDr. Stacy Sims28:01

       Mm-hmm

   11. MRMel Robbins28:01

       ... so that she understands what's available, what's not, the risks, the benefits. But what do you mean by the fact that if you take hormone replacement therapy, it doesn't... Like, it- what did you just say? It doesn't s-

   12. SSDr. Stacy Sims28:14

       It slows the rate of change, but it does not stop it. So what I mean by that is we're- our bodies, when it produces our own estrogen and progesterone, different levels and different pulses, so the response is completely different. When we start losing it, we're also having a change in perimenopause of our receptors. So we're down-regulating-

   13. MRMel Robbins28:34

       Hmm

   14. SSDr. Stacy Sims28:34

       ... receptors in certain parts, up-regulating others. So then when you have a continuous dose of your menopause hormone therapy, it has a different response in the body.

   15. MRMel Robbins28:44

       Huh.

   16. SSDr. Stacy Sims28:44

       Even if it's called bioidentical, micronized, gets in, it's very bioavailable, there's still a different response, and the amount of hormone that's coming in is not the same as reproductive years, or the same as an oral contraceptive pill. Those are much higher doses than when we're talking about menopause hormone therapy. So menopause hormone therapy, which I'm calling it, it's not hormone replacement therapy, 'cause I'm specific to menopause.

   17. MRMel Robbins29:09

       Wait, what's the difference between HRT and MHT?

   18. SSDr. Stacy Sims29:11

       And MHT. So if we're talking about hormone replacement therapy, that's hormones that can be used at any time of life, so that even includes thyroid.

   19. MRMel Robbins29:20

       Oh, so I, I'm using the incorrect term. So I'm basically walking around wearing an estrogen patch, saying I'm on hormone replacement therapy, and I'm actually on menopause-

   20. SSDr. Stacy Sims29:29

       Menopause hormone therapy

   21. MRMel Robbins29:30

       ... hormone therapy.

   22. SSDr. Stacy Sims29:30

       Yeah.

   23. MRMel Robbins29:30

       Okay, got it.

   24. SSDr. Stacy Sims29:31

       It's a contention point in a lot of the research, 'cause people are like, "Oh, everyone says HRT." I'm like, "But I'm not talking about younger women who need thyroid hormone, or women who have had breast cancer and need certain-

   25. MRMel Robbins29:44

       Mm-hmm

   26. SSDr. Stacy Sims29:44

       ... different types of hormones."

   27. MRMel Robbins29:46

       Mm-hmm.

   28. SSDr. Stacy Sims29:46

       So there's- it's- HRT is like the umbrella.

   29. MRMel Robbins29:49

       Got it.

   30. SSDr. Stacy Sims29:49

       And I'm talking about-
5. 37:16 – 43:25

   The Ideal Menopause Strength Training Program

   1. MRMel Robbins37:16

      really dumb this down for me-

   2. SSDr. Stacy Sims37:17

      Mm-hmm

   3. MRMel Robbins37:17

      ... and I were to get, like... All right, Dr. Sims says that at a, this is the minimum that I need to do to be able to take advantage of this extraordinary thing that my body can do to adapt and change how it functions, how my brain works, how my muscles, all of it, through this type of exercise.

   4. SSDr. Stacy Sims37:37

      Mm-hmm.

   5. MRMel Robbins37:38

      What am I doing in a week exactly?

   6. SSDr. Stacy Sims37:41

      Okay, I'm gonna bring it back a step, though.

   7. MRMel Robbins37:44

      Okay, cool.

   8. SSDr. Stacy Sims37:44

      So if we start talking about strength training-

   9. MRMel Robbins37:47

      Uh-huh

   10. SSDr. Stacy Sims37:47

       ... and people who've never been in it before, there's where you start, and then there's the ideal.

   11. MRMel Robbins37:52

       Got it.

   12. SSDr. Stacy Sims37:52

       Okay?

   13. MRMel Robbins37:53

       Let's do-

   14. SSDr. Stacy Sims37:53

       So-

   15. MRMel Robbins37:53

       Let's go with where do you start?

   16. SSDr. Stacy Sims37:54

       So we want to move people to the ideal, which I'll explain after where do we start.

   17. MRMel Robbins37:58

       Beautiful.

   18. SSDr. Stacy Sims37:59

       When we start, we want people just to move against the load, so that means maybe body weight to start or maybe light dumbbells to start, but you're adding load to a specific movement.

   19. MRMel Robbins38:12

       Okay.

   20. SSDr. Stacy Sims38:12

       So it could be squats, could be, um, push-ups, could be overhead press, whatever it is. But we want it to be relatively functional, and it doesn't have to take a lot of time.

   21. MRMel Robbins38:23

       Okay.

   22. SSDr. Stacy Sims38:23

       So we can think 10 minutes, three times a week.

   23. MRMel Robbins38:25

       Great. 10 minutes, three times a week?

   24. SSDr. Stacy Sims38:27

       Mm-hmm. That's all-

   25. MRMel Robbins38:28

       To start?

   26. SSDr. Stacy Sims38:29

       To start.

   27. MRMel Robbins38:29

       Okay.

   28. SSDr. Stacy Sims38:29

       To start, because then you are getting some of that neural adaptation that I was talking about. The nerves are coming-

   29. MRMel Robbins38:35

       Mm.

   30. SSDr. Stacy Sims38:35

       You're getting stronger. You're learning how to move.
6. 43:25 – 51:22

   The Cardio Mistake Most Women Make During Menopause

   1. MRMel Robbins43:25

      you mentioned cardio.

   2. SSDr. Stacy Sims43:26

      Mm-hmm.

   3. MRMel Robbins43:27

      Are we not doing cardio? I hate cardio, so if you're saying I'm not doing cardio, I'm glad.

   4. SSDr. Stacy Sims43:31

      [laughs]

   5. MRMel Robbins43:31

      But are we supposed to do cardio when we're-

   6. SSDr. Stacy Sims43:33

      A little bit, yep.

   7. MRMel Robbins43:35

      And what does a little bit mean? Like, what are we doing that actually helps us activate and change our body?

   8. SSDr. Stacy Sims43:41

      Yep. Okay, so when we're looking at cardio, it's all about the intensity.

   9. MRMel Robbins43:45

      And this is for women that are-

   10. SSDr. Stacy Sims43:49

       Peri, perimenopause onwards.

   11. MRMel Robbins43:50

       Okay, so when estrogen starts to drop, progesterone starts to drop, this is the protocol from Dr. Sims. What is it?

   12. SSDr. Stacy Sims43:57

       So we want to either do true high-intensity interval training or sprint interval training.

   13. MRMel Robbins44:02

       Which one's easier?

   14. SSDr. Stacy Sims44:03

       Uh, they're both relatively difficult.

   15. MRMel Robbins44:07

       [laughs]

   16. SSDr. Stacy Sims44:07

       It's just sprint interval is much shorter.

   17. MRMel Robbins44:09

       Okay, I'll take that one.

   18. SSDr. Stacy Sims44:10

       Okay.

   19. MRMel Robbins44:10

       I'm in. I'm in, coach!

   20. SSDr. Stacy Sims44:11

       Okay.

   21. MRMel Robbins44:12

       I'm sorry, I just- like, I'm just being honest here.

   22. SSDr. Stacy Sims44:14

       Yeah, no.

   23. MRMel Robbins44:14

       Like, I, I, I want to be successful, so I'd like to know-

   24. SSDr. Stacy Sims44:19

       Mm-hmm

   25. MRMel Robbins44:19

       ... what could I get the biggest bang for my buck, and I- and if I'm not in a class where somebody's screaming at me-

   26. SSDr. Stacy Sims44:26

       Yeah

   27. MRMel Robbins44:26

       ... and I don't feel publicly humiliated if I drop out, I need-

   28. SSDr. Stacy Sims44:30

       Yeah

   29. MRMel Robbins44:30

       ... something that's shorter. So what is actually sprint interval training?

   30. SSDr. Stacy Sims44:34

       So sprint interval training is a subset of high-intensity interval training, and I'll explain that one after sprint interval training. So if we look at sprint interval training, it is as hard as you can possibly go for 30 seconds or less. Ideally 30 seconds, but some people make 20, and then you have a full minute and a half to two minutes recovery between. And when you go to do this, the recovery is essential, because you want to be able to go do that 30 seconds just as hard, if not harder.
7. 51:22 – 54:51

   What to Eat During Menopause

   1. MRMel Robbins51:22

      biggest mistakes that women who are peri- or postmenopausal are making with nutrition?

   2. SSDr. Stacy Sims51:27

      I'll give you a case scenario that I see all the time.

   3. MRMel Robbins51:30

      Great.

   4. SSDr. Stacy Sims51:30

      Okay. So a woman comes in, she's in her mid-40s, she's doing all the things. She is putting body fat on, even though she's exercising. She thinks she's eating a clean diet, and you talk and find out that she's really worried about putting on more weight, so she's cut her calories and increased her training. So when I look, I'm like, "Well, we need to drop the training and increase the food," and automatically get the eyeball of, "What? Uh, what's going on? You want me to drop my training and increase my food? It's gonna make me fat." No, 'cause when we're looking at nutrition, we are under the idea that if we eat more, that we put on fat. But for the most part, women who are stressed out and really super busy don't eat enough.

   5. MRMel Robbins52:18

      Hmm.

   6. SSDr. Stacy Sims52:19

      We also have this fear of carbohydrate. Women need more carbohydrate. When we're perimenopause into postmenopause, and we have issues with insulin and insulin sensitivity, the type of carbohydrate we eat becomes important.

   7. MRMel Robbins52:30

      Like what? What do we need to eat?

   8. SSDr. Stacy Sims52:31

      So we wanna look at more fruit, and veg, and whole grains.

   9. MRMel Robbins52:34

      Mm-hmm.

   10. SSDr. Stacy Sims52:35

       Not only does it help with insulin, but it also helps with our gut microbiome, right? 'Cause we wanna feed our little gut bugs to be really crazily diverse, right? So if we are being very restrictive, reducing the amount of carbohydrate that we're having, we often restrict fruit and veg-

   11. MRMel Robbins52:54

       Hmm

   12. SSDr. Stacy Sims52:54

       ... and that is the food for our gut.

   13. MRMel Robbins52:57

       Is the rule of thumb that you should be trying to eat, like, your ideal body weight in protein also count for women in menopause-

   14. SSDr. Stacy Sims53:06

       Yes

   15. MRMel Robbins53:06

       ... and perimenopause?

   16. SSDr. Stacy Sims53:07

       We try to get women to have about one gram per pound of body weight, and the reason for that is-

   17. MRMel Robbins53:14

       What you are now or what you wanna be?

   18. SSDr. Stacy Sims53:16

       What you are currently.

   19. MRMel Robbins53:17

       Okay.

   20. SSDr. Stacy Sims53:18

       And then as your weight comes down, your protein increase comes down. But ideally, if we are-

   21. MRMel Robbins53:23

       I don't, I don't think I could get 150 grams of protein in.

   22. SSDr. Stacy Sims53:26

       You could. You could.

   23. MRMel Robbins53:27

       Really?

   24. SSDr. Stacy Sims53:28

       Yeah.

   25. MRMel Robbins53:28

       How the hell... How am I gonna do that? Like, I don't wanna eat 15 eggs.

   26. SSDr. Stacy Sims53:32

       No, you don't have to, and I get that a lot. So it's like we're not looking at all animal products, and we're not looking at 15 cans of beans. What we're looking at is a wide variety of things.

   27. MRMel Robbins53:44

       Okay.

   28. SSDr. Stacy Sims53:44

       So say you have a salad for lunch.

   29. MRMel Robbins53:46

       Mm-hmm.

   30. SSDr. Stacy Sims53:46

       It's not just salad with side of chicken. We're looking at mixed greens, we're looking at putting in some green peas, some nuts, some seeds, maybe some black beans, a little bit of cheese, like feta cheese, a little bit of chicken. And then you're looking at a plate that has around 30 to 40 grams of protein-
8. 54:51 – 1:01:31

   Managing Stress and Sleep During Menopause

   1. MRMel Robbins54:51

      How do stress and poor sleep make menopause symptoms, like hot flashes and brain fog, worse?

   2. SSDr. Stacy Sims54:58

      When we think about sleep, no one actually understands why we need to sleep. Because if you think about it from a logical standpoint, to, like, be knocked out and unconscious in an area where you could be attacked doesn't make sense. But for some reason, every mammal needs sleep for regeneration purposes, brain-... transmissions and synapses and everything, right? So when we get into perimenopause, because we are so stressed from a s- nervous system standpoint, 'cause again, we're having all these changes in our hormones, and we're sympathetically driven, then we can't get into our deep reparative sleep, because we can't actually access parasympathetic responses very well. So I say that there are these primary four buckets that we look at.

   3. MRMel Robbins55:40

      Okay.

   4. SSDr. Stacy Sims55:40

      First one is mindfulness and sleep, then we have physical activity, nutrition, and community. So if we are looking at all the things that we're talking about today, I want you, the listener, to think about one of those four buckets.

   5. MRMel Robbins55:55

      Say them again.

   6. SSDr. Stacy Sims55:57

      So we have mindfulness and sleep-

   7. MRMel Robbins55:59

      Mm-hmm.

   8. SSDr. Stacy Sims55:59

      They go hand-in-hand, physical activity, nutrition, and community, or the social part.

   9. MRMel Robbins56:05

      Okay.

   10. SSDr. Stacy Sims56:06

       So I want you, the listener, to pick one of those things to work on over the next two to three weeks, and that's the only thing you have to focus on, 'cause making change is huge.

   11. MRMel Robbins56:16

       Now, if I want to focus on mindfulness and sleep-

   12. SSDr. Stacy Sims56:19

       Mm-hmm. What do you do?

   13. MRMel Robbins56:21

       -what does the research say that I need to do, and does the drop in estrogen and progesterone, is that impacting my sleep?

   14. SSDr. Stacy Sims56:28

       Absolutely.

   15. MRMel Robbins56:29

       Okay, so what do I do?

   16. SSDr. Stacy Sims56:30

       So what do you do? So when we're talking about mindfulness and sleep, the mindfulness is to increase parasympathetic drive. So I, as a scientist, and as someone who's been entrenched in the medical, right, and so very, uh, Westernized, I still tell people there's been a lot of recent research on cognitive behavior therapy, and how much more powerful that is than even using menopause hormone therapy or other-

   17. MRMel Robbins57:00

       Hmm

   18. SSDr. Stacy Sims57:00

       ... supplements for helping with sleep. So mindfulness is part of that CBT. It's not the full, but that's one piece that everyone can action. I find first thing in the morning when no one else is up, that's where I can have my peace. If I don't have that, then the rest of my day is off-kilter.

   19. MRMel Robbins57:19

       Mm.

   20. SSDr. Stacy Sims57:20

       So it's something that you can practice on putting in... Do- does it mean you have to get up at 4:30 in the morning? No, because I want you to spend time sleeping. If you can't find it, but maybe it's you dropped your kids off, and now you're sitting in the car, before you get into traffic, take those five to 10 minutes with the windows up, and just sh, have that peace.

   21. MRMel Robbins57:41

       Dr. Sims, what, um, strategies do you recommend that are proven by your research to help manage, uh, increased anxiety and mood swings that women experience during menopause?

   22. SSDr. Stacy Sims57:54

       This is where we can look at some of the supplements that are out there, so we look at L-theanine. L-theanine is a non-protein amino acid that is used by the brain for parasympathetic activation.

   23. MRMel Robbins58:08

       Huh.

   24. SSDr. Stacy Sims58:09

       Um, we can also look at apigenin, which is a key component of chamomile tea that relaxes you, that you can get as a supplement. Those two together really do help invoke more parasympathetic and reduces anxiety. I often recommend using it before sleep, because then it does help with that parasympathetic. The other thing is creatine. So creatine, primarily creatine monohydrate. We look at Creapure, 'cause then we know that it's pure creatine. If it saturates the brain, we see that there's research to show women who are using three to five grams of creatine can get out of a depressive and anxious episode a lot faster than women who are just using an SSRI. So if we're looking at anxiety meds and how they affect anxiety and depression, I'm not saying get off them, but I'm saying that you can complement it with creatine, or if you're someone who has not gone on them, and you're having all these mood swings, to use creatine, because it is something that significantly helps with the moderation of brain metabolism, which we need to help with our moods.

   25. MRMel Robbins59:15

       In your research, have you found a connection between the strength training... I mean, you- we've kind of talked about that grocery example, of even holding the, the bags of groceries stimulates a nerve response, stimulates this kind of stress response, where you're actually training your body to get stronger under a stressful situation, which is basically what you're also doing when you lift weights, right?

   26. SSDr. Stacy Sims59:37

       Right. Yeah.

   27. MRMel Robbins59:37

       You're, like, putting yourself into a stressful body state-

   28. SSDr. Stacy Sims59:41

       Mm-hmm

   29. MRMel Robbins59:42

       ... which then builds strength. Is there a connection between doing that and lowering anxiety or mood swings or even your stress response?

   30. SSDr. Stacy Sims59:51

       Absolutely. We see a lot of the psychological research that's showing if we're doing strength training, and we're modulating brain synapse, we're improving our ability to be stress resilient, and that feeds forward to reducing anxiety and depression. There's a really cool study that just came out on, um, boys and girls in puberty-
9. 1:01:31 – 1:07:24

   Take Back Control of Your Body

   1. MRMel Robbins1:01:31

      What is it possible to feel in terms of the changes of what your life can feel like if you really implement some of these changes? You implement the strength training, you implement some of the, the sprint training, you really pay attention to diet, and sleep, and that 10-minute rule, and some of the other things that you've talked about. What, what's, what is it possible to feel?

   2. SSDr. Stacy Sims1:01:52

      Empowered.

   3. MRMel Robbins1:01:53

      Hmm.

   4. SSDr. Stacy Sims1:01:54

      Uh, because when you have the education, and you put the steps into play, then you understand what's happening to your body, and you can adapt, and change, and modify things to counter what's happening. 'Cause I think we've gotten to this point with our generation, who's been fit and told we can do whatever we want, and we can achieve whatever we want, and then boom, our bodies aren't playing ball, right? And now that we're talking about it, and we're being educated about what's happening, we can take the reins again, and we can be very individualistic to, "What's happening to me and my body? How can I take control of it, and what do I need to do to create the adaptation that I need to improve myself and my symptoms?" And there's the generalization of all the guidelines I've given, but if you're someone who's like, "Well, sprint interval, it doesn't work for me, but high intensity gives me my old feeling of runner's high, and it's improving all these things that I'm finding," then go for it.

   5. MRMel Robbins1:02:52

      Yeah.

   6. SSDr. Stacy Sims1:02:52

      Strength training, a lot of women don't love it, but you can learn to love it. I didn't love it. Now, I love it, 'cause I find a sense of elation more than smashing. 'Cause again, it's central nervous system, so when you get out, you feel like, "Yeah, I feel strong and powerful. I don't feel completely smashed from being in the gym." So there's lots of different things that you can do with the tools in the toolbox to then take and say, "I own you, menopause. You don't own me."

   7. MRMel Robbins1:03:19

      [exhales] I... You blew my mind today. Like, I am going to look at the rest of my life completely differently.

   8. SSDr. Stacy Sims1:03:28

      Fantastic.

   9. MRMel Robbins1:03:29

      I look at what is possible in my body completely differently. I am about to open up my contacts-

   10. SSDr. Stacy Sims1:03:36

       Yeah

   11. MRMel Robbins1:03:36

       ... and share this conversation with probably 75 women, because I have a totally different understanding of what is possible, of what is happening, of the tools, whether it's menopause hormone therapy, but more importantly, how you've just educated and empowered me to think about the intelligent and amazing design of my body to be able to adapt, thrive, and win at this next chapter. And so I just am so grateful. What are your parting words?

   12. SSDr. Stacy Sims1:04:15

       Uh, not to be afraid, because I've had younger women in their 30s say, "I'm so afraid. With all this conversation around menopause, I'm so afraid." It's like, "Well, don't be afraid, because it happens to everyone who's had a menstrual cycle in their life." [laughs]

   13. MRMel Robbins1:04:30

       [laughs] It's coming.

   14. SSDr. Stacy Sims1:04:30

       It's coming. But m- having the knowledge and the tools, it's not something to be afraid of. It's something to know that it's there. It's part of life. There are other cultures where there is no word for hot flash. There is no real word for menopause. It is just something that happens, and our culture has made it such a negative thing-

   15. MRMel Robbins1:04:50

       Hmm

   16. SSDr. Stacy Sims1:04:50

       ... right? I want us to all change that rhetoric and conversation. Women don't die at 40. Research doesn't stop for women at 40. We have another 40 years. Let's not be afraid of it. Let's really figure out what's going on, so that we have those tools to be empowered, to be able to make the changes we need. 'Cause again, we're not an algorithm. We don't age the same as men. That's why, up to this point, no one's had these conversations. But now that we're having these conversations, we know what to do. So I want women to go away not being afraid. I want you, as a listener, to take one of these things and implement over the next couple of weeks, and then slowly build from there. 'Cause it's such an amazing, powerful tool to have, to have that education, and to be able to invoke change to improve how you're feeling in the moment, and also how you're feeling five, 10, 15 years down the line.

   17. MRMel Robbins1:05:43

       Well, Dr. Stacy Sims, I'm trying the three days a week of the 20-minute strength training. I am going to be using the programs [laughs] that we linked to.

   18. SSDr. Stacy Sims1:05:50

       Nice.

   19. MRMel Robbins1:05:50

       I cannot thank you enough for hopping on a plane and flying here all the way from New Zealand. And this is one of those conversations that I believe is going to change the trajectory of millions of people's lives, and I personally feel incredibly empowered about this next chapter of my life, because I understand what's happening, and I actually am excited to try these tools. So thank you, thank you, thank you.

   20. SSDr. Stacy Sims1:06:19

       You're welcome. I'm excited.

   21. MRMel Robbins1:06:20

       Me too, and I'm also excited for you, and I want to thank you for being here, for listening to this, for sharing this with all of the women in your life. I mean, this blew my mind. I'm sure it blew your mind. The research is incredible, Dr. Sims is incredible, and you're incredible, too. And one more thing: in case no one else tells you, I just want to tell you that I love you, and I love you because you're taking time, and you don't have a lot of time, to learn about your health. You're taking time to empower yourself. I think that is the coolest thing in the world, and because you actually listened to this, I have zero doubt that you have the ability to create a better life, and now you have a roadmap to go do it using science. So use it and share it. All righty, I will see you in a few days. I'll be waiting in the very next episode to welcome you in the moment you play. I'll see you there. And thank you for watching all the way to the end, and you're gonna love this next video, and I'll be waiting to welcome you in the moment you hit play. [upbeat music]

Episode duration: 1:07:24