Ep. 167 - Weight Management Tools for Menopause with Sarah Kennedy

Dr. Fiona Lovely is a longevity, health and wellness expert with specialties in menopause medicine, functional neurology and functional medicine.  She is speaking to the topics of women's health around perimenopause and menopause. 

Today I welcome Sarah Kennedy, founder and CEO of Calocurb, for an insightful conversation demystifying weight management and appetite modulation, particularly in the context of perimenopause and menopause. Discover the physiological changes women experience at midlife, the often-frustrating weight gain, and the truth behind cravings and willpower. 

Key Discussion Points:

• The Menopause Weight Struggle is Real: Many women experience frustrating weight gain during perimenopause, with the SWAN study indicating an average gain of 22 pounds. Often, the advice given is simply to eat less, which overlooks significant physiological shifts.
• Physiological Changes at Midlife: Understand the impact of dropping estrogen levels, decreasing metabolism, changes in fat distribution (visceral fat), and increased insulin resistance during perimenopause.
• The Myth of Willpower: Learn why hunger and eating are primal, biologically controlled instincts originating in the hypothalamus. Stress, hormones, lack of sleep, and alcohol can easily override frontal lobe willpower.
• The Importance of Protein and Muscle Mass: Maintaining muscle mass is crucial during menopause to prevent sarcopenia and frailty. Ensure adequate protein intake (around 120 grams for post-menopausal/perimenopausal women is suggested) and engage in resistance exercise.  This is especially important when using one of the weight-loss injectables.
• Sarah Kennedy's Story: Sarah shares her personal journey of yo-yo dieting and how Calocurb (a GLP-1 activator) has positively changed her relationship with food. Her background in R&D for a major dairy company also highlights her passion for protein and muscle health.
• Hope for Post-Menopause: Sarah offers an encouraging perspective, sharing that she is the same size now as she was at 25 and feels at peace. Many women find that life gets better on the other side of menopause.

This episode provides a comprehensive look at the physiological factors influencing weight during menopause and explores a natural, scientifically-backed approach to appetite modulation with a GLP-1 activator like Calocurb. It emphasises that hunger is not simply a matter of willpower and offers hope and practical strategies for managing weight and cravings at midlife and beyond.

Find out more about Sarah Kennedy and Calocurb, please visit this website.Use the code LOVELY10 to get 10% off your first order.

Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

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