S5E12: Uncovering the Root Cause - A Naturopath's Approach to Women's Health, with Deborah Lightstone

“I don't want women in middle age to feel like they're dying just because they're having all these weird and like, crazy symptoms or feel like they're literally going crazy, which kind of happens a lot of the time.” - Deborah Lightstone

Discover the shocking truth about the overlooked symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. Uncover the surprising impact of anemia on your energy levels and mental health. Join Deborah Lightstone as she sheds light on the hidden struggles of middle-aged women and reveals the holistic approach to navigating this transformative phase. Stay tuned for a deep dive into the unexpected connections between hormones, iron levels, and overall well-being. Don't miss this eye-opening discussion that could change the way you view menopause and its related health challenges.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Understand the diverse symptoms of perimenopause and menopause for personalized health management.
• Discover the benefits of naturopathic medicine tailored for middle-aged women's well-being.
• Explore the integration of nutrition in naturopathic practice to support overall health during menopause.
• Learn effective strategies for managing ADHD and anxiety with alternative medicine approaches.
• Transition seamlessly to virtual naturopathic consultations for convenient and comprehensive menopause support.

My special guest is Deborah Lightstone.

As a Naturopathic Doctor, Deborah Lightstone delves into the root causes of disease, striving to understand and address imbalances by viewing the patient as a whole. After completing a degree in Nutritional Science at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, she went on to study Naturopathic Medicine at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is passionate about food and nutrition and believes in the importance of educating and empowering patients about health and wellness. Deborah encourages her patients to take an active role in their own health care. Her practice is centered on providing individualized, integrative, and preventative care to restore and optimize health and quality of life.

Over the last 20 years, Deborah’s practice has grown and evolved, cultivating a strong interest in women’s health. She is particularly focused on helping women understand and navigate hormonal changes in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Dedicated to guiding women through various life stages with enhanced support, knowledge, and confidence, Deborah aims to equip women with the tools and insights they need to thrive and lead healthier, more empowered lives.

Transcript:

00:00:03
Welcome to your Next Stop podcast.

00:00:08
Welcome back to your Next stop. This is Juliet Hahn. You know, I say it every single time. I love having people that have followed a passion. So I'm going to welcome Deborah Lightstone.

00:00:19
How are you? Good. How are you? Thank you for having me. Good.

00:00:22
So I know we're giggling because there's a little backstory that we will get into, but Deborah goes by Deb, but you can find her on LinkedIn @DeborahLight Lightstone. And Deborah is a naturopathic doctor. And Your website is naturic llc.com. i'm going to spell it and it's N A T U R O L O g I c llc.com.

00:00:49
but it also took such brain concentration for me to look at that and make sure nothing was moving around because of my dyslexia, that I was like. Okay, I probably should have given you the second one because it's easier. But my original one, which is still linked, is doc deb.net. so d o c d e b net goes to the same place. Goes to the same place.

00:01:11
No, but I love this because this is your company. Hold on. My microphone's all weird. That is your company, and that is what is what we want to share and talk about. So also, we were connected because your husband, I was on his podcast Pathfinders, and he is on our Masterminds in Medicine, which is part of FET Tech that hasn't come out.

00:01:35
It might actually be out by the time this episode goes out. So we'll see. We'll see what that is. But when he was telling me about his wife that is a naturopath, I was like, wait, what? I was like, you know, that that's like my obsession.

00:01:47
Like, I have a naturopath. I have a homeopath. Like, this is like, all. And he's like, oh, my God, you guys are going to be so excited to talk. And then we, you know, the summer happens, travel, all these different things.

00:01:59
And then we did have something scheduled and we had technical difficulties, which means that we weren't supposed to do it. Right. It was not supposed to happen that time. So here we are today, and I cannot wait to get into this. And you're based.

00:02:13
You want to tell a little bit about, like, where you're based. So if people are like, wait, I want. You know. But you do virtual as well. So.

00:02:18
Yes. Why don't you start with that and then we'll get into your story. Sure. So I am in West Lafayette, Indiana, which is where we came to live many Moons ago when my husband was doing his PhD at Purdue University. And, yeah, we've just.

00:02:35
We've been here ever since. But I do do quite a bit, virtually, definitely since COVID That kind of switched everything. And at that time, I was obviously doing 100% virtual. But now I do a combination of both in person visits and virtual visits. Okay, I love that.

00:02:55
So I want to get into kind of the backstory, you know, a little bit about where you grew up, you know, what you studied and all these, like, what you were fascinated with as a child. And then we're going to get into really how you started your own practice. So I think as a child, I always would. When you were asked, what do you want to be when you grow up? I think my answer was always, I wanted to be a pediatrician.

00:03:20
I always had a love for kids, and I think I just. I just wanted to be able to help people. And that just kind of was interesting to me. I did not grow up with any alternative or integrative medicine really type stuff, as in all of my younger years, I went to a conventional family doctor and, you know, it was pretty normal stuff. Right.

00:03:52
But I think as I got older and obviously got closer to deciding what I was going to do for university, I was kind of not excited about the conventional medical system. Not that I didn't want to be a doctor, but I just. I didn't love the system. I just. There was too much disease focus, not enough, like, wellness and, you know, preventative medicine focus.

00:04:17
And, yeah, I just. I didn't love that. And I did. I always still worked with kids. I was, you know, a camp counselor.

00:04:27
And I. I worked also in some schools for kids with special needs, and I worked with kids that were on the autism spectrum and had some other disabilities. And so, you know, for a while, I was like, well, do I want to be an OT and specialize in kids with disabilities? Then I wanted to be maybe a midwife. Okay, interesting.

00:04:54
And I had thought about that for quite some time, but then I realized, like, I'm little. I, like, I'm five, two. And I was like, I don't think I can, you know, lift, you know, pregnant women and move them around and do what I have to do with them. And I was like, I don't do well without sleep and not eating for hours on end and, you know, being on call like that just. I just didn't think that was going to work out.

00:05:23
Even though I still, like, had a passion for, you know, the pregnancy and the babies and, you know, all that stuff. And then I ended up going to university in Canada. I'm from Toronto, and I was lucky enough to take a program in nutritional science. It was a biology program, but it was focused on nutrition because that really is what interested me with the nutrition. But when I was getting towards graduating at that time, because this is many, many, many years ago, nutrition back then wasn't really full career like it is now.

00:06:05
Right, right. And so I still had to figure out, like, okay, like, what am I going to do with this nutrition degree, which I loved and I really enjoyed. And in my last year of school, in my. In my fourth year, one of my professors offered two classes. He offered a class in complementary and alternative medicine and another class in herbs, spices and medicinal plants.

00:06:29
And I took both. And it just really opened my eyes to things that I really wasn't exposed to growing up. Right. And that is what sort of set me on my path. Because then I started investigating some of these other professions and some of these other alternative healthcare things, integrative medicine things.

00:06:50
Definitely found naturopathic medicine and did a bunch of job shadowing at that time just to kind of see, like, what are these people really doing and practice in real life. Right. And I could just really see myself doing it because it was, you know, it still had a huge nutrition component and I could. So I could still do the nutrition, but I could still do so much more. And I just really resonated with a lot of the principles of naturopathic medicine and, you know, with like, you know, getting to the root of the problem and, you know, treating the root and focusing on prevention and the doctor is teacher.

00:07:32
And not. Not to say that, you know, there's just a heavy emphasis on. That is really like educating your patients and also just treating the whole person, which I wasn't feeling was really happening, you know, in the conventional medical system. So, yeah, no, I love that journey and I love how you kind of, kind of laid it out. So, like, a couple things I'm hearing, like, you really loved to learn.

00:07:57
Like, you were curious, you loved the science and how things worked. And so that kind of is where you wanted to do the doctor. Like, you obviously knew you wanted to not just do an undergrad. You didn't want just to be a. Whatever, you wanted to go to the next thing.

00:08:11
So it was kind of like you searching for different things. And I think so many people sometimes get so pigeonholed into one thing because it's like, I just want to be this or I want. I. This is. This is Makes me curious and I'm going to go.

00:08:23
And then they get stuck in a profession that they really don't love because they didn't actually do the work outside, as you said, kind of like the whole body. Right. It's like one thing that interests me. But is it something that long term? So you were thinking long term, like, okay, maybe I can get strong to lift these pregnant woman.

00:08:39
Women, but is that something I want to do? And then I don't do well in sleep and without nutrition? Like, also knowing yourself is so important. I think, again, there's so many people out there, especially kids that are going into university, that don't really think of all of those different things. They have that small little thing that excited them, and then they just run with it and they really don't ever go back and reflect on that.

00:09:01
So I love that you did that. The other thing that I'm actually curious about. So when you were in Canada, did you always kind of have thoughts that you were going to stay in Canada? And is. Was naturopathic medicine more prevalent in Canada than it was in the US back in the time?

00:09:18
Can you take us through a little bit of that? Yeah, sure. It's. It's still all evolving in terms of naturopathic medicine both in Canada and. And the US because there are certain provinces in certain states that are regulated and certain ones that are not.

00:09:34
Right. So, yeah, I think, like, initially, I mean, my. Obviously my family's in Canada and I just didn't necessarily imagine or really think that I would truly leave, but it's, you know, it's just where my path took me. And I definitely didn't think that I would still, like, 20 years later, be in Indiana, but I thought he'd do his PhD and, you know, we'd be out. But so, yeah, like where I went to school, obviously in Ontario, it's regulated, and, you know, I got my license originally in Ontario and all of that.

00:10:17
But there are certain provinces in Canada where it's still not regulated. And same in the states. There are states that it is not regulated. Right, okay. Yeah, so.

00:10:27
Because I find that. That's one of the things I find so interesting because I do think I'm the same sort of way. I, especially in my older life, and I was just on one of my podcasts, I was talking about growing up, and my mom and my parents were a little bit more crunchy, but not like, you know, we didn't take Advil. It was like, you know, put an ice pack on it. Like, it wasn't we weren't popping stuff.

00:10:47
Like, if you had a cold, you did not do that. You, you know, honey and lemon, you know, but it wasn't to the extent of where I went with, you know, all of my stuff. And I really found homeopathy first, and it was. One of my sons had a lot of issues when it was during vaccine time. And so that's really how I found it.

00:11:07
And then when I, you know, dive into things, I dive into them. And then it also takes me back. Nutrition was a big thing in my house because even though we were undiagnosed, there was a lot of add. So my mom would make sure that we didn't have the red, you know, dyes that we ate. Very natural and clean.

00:11:27
You know, my dad, I think we had beans and rice, I mean, like tubs of it in the garage that that's what they would use. You know, we gardened. So there was things like that. However, you know, there. We still, you know, grew up.

00:11:38
There was five of us. We played sports, so we were all over the place. So it wasn't like my mom was this granola crunch that did that, but we had the knowledge of it. And especially for me, I was the attention deficit with the hyperactivity. So if I had certain foods, you know, it very well.

00:11:55
It affected me. Yeah, I was pretty much of a spaz even, you know, at a young age. I know, climbed out of my crib before I could walk, you know, crawled up on the refrigerator before I could walk. My mom was like, oh, my. During nap time, folding laundry, and I'm up on the refrigerator, and she's like, what the hell?

00:12:13
So I was very sensitive to the. Even when she was breastfeeding, like, she breastfed for a long time, you know, so I had the knowledge of it, but then really diving into it. And then me diving into, you know, past the homeopathy, but also into the naturopathy with my hormones. It's just really fascinating how the whole body really plays a part and how traditional medicine really just puts bandaids on things. And it's.

00:12:38
It frustrated me. When my kids were little, it frustrated me. I was, you know, and there was times where I found myself actually getting very angry and not trusting my doctor. And I was like, this is not good either. Like, I don't trust anything they say I'm going to do.

00:12:51
Literally the opposite. And I was like, that's not good. Right. Because I'm not a doctor. Right.

00:12:56
And I'm not a doctor, and I probably don't Know everything, but because they said it, I'm doing the opposite. So it was this journey kind of with, you know, traditional medicine versus alternative medicine that I found a really good balance because I do believe that there's, you know, necessary for both. I'm definitely way more like, I. My naturopath and homeopath. I go to them way before I do anything.

00:13:21
And then when it's like, okay, and we really haven't come to that, we're pretty fortunate. But, you know, I love how you talked about that whole body because that is what is so important. Let's get to the root of what is causing this. And we don't do that. And I don't understand in traditional medicine why it wouldn't be like, you know, someone has sinus issues.

00:13:45
I'm just going to give you antibiotics to clean that out. Let's find out, like, oh, you keep getting sinus infections. Are you allergic to mold? Is there something that you're allergic to? You're eating?

00:13:53
Let's find out. Let's look at your environment, let's look at your house. Let's look at what all of these different things. So when you took that nutrition class, I would love for you to kind of take us through what you fell in love with, that part of the nutrition. Well, I mean, I took four years.

00:14:11
Well, I guess the first couple years were just basic science, but I guess the last two years were heavily focused on nutrition. Well, I guess maybe even earlier than that. But I mean, I took all kinds of nutrition classes, right. So I took, like, nutrition through the life cycle, like the, the nutritional biochemistry, the, you know, like, various nutrition classes, which I found all of them fascinating, which is why I wanted to continue nutrition. But at that time, I really just didn't know that that was enough as a career.

00:14:39
I probably would have been right. But it just, at that time, like, if you go back, you know, more than 20, 25 years ago or whatever it was, you know, it really kind of wasn't mainstream. Like, it is more mainstream now. You know what I mean? And so, like, I pursued, like, do I just do my master's in nutrition and then figure out, like, what I'm gonna do from there?

00:15:01
Because, I mean, all of. I loved all of it, like, but then I think when I found naturopathic medicine, it just really seemed like the right fit because it still had the nutrition plus so much more, plus the homeopathy, plus the traditional Chinese medicine, plus the, you know, just all the basic medical science stuff. Right? And, you know, just focusing so Much more also on just like the psychology and, you know, the lifestyle modifications that people would maybe need to focus on or need to do. So it was just, it just had everything really.

00:15:40
And that's kind of what drew me to it. And even initially, when I, when I was choosing my undergrad program, I had the choice of doing a. A dietetics program. So, like becoming a registered dietitian at the same university. And a lot of our classes initially did overlap.

00:15:57
Right. And I had that choice. But again, it was just so disease focused. Like, it was just, you have this condition, you have this disease, this is what you're going to do. For that.

00:16:09
There was no prevention like, at that time. I mean, hopefully the program has evolved and changed some now. But then it really, there was, it was just a disease model and I wasn't, I wasn't attracted to that. So right now, do you think. Because I always find it really fascinating.

00:16:30
Doctors, like, I used to babysit for one of the top cardiologists in New Jersey and like, their diet, I'd be like, I don't think this matches. And I would say that to them, be like, this is what they tell you not to eat. And they'd be like, so do you find that, you know, what, do you practice what you preach? Is it easy for you? Like, is it very natural?

00:16:50
Because I feel like for some people it's probably natural. Others, it's probably a little bit more difficult. They know how to teach it and give other people the advice, but then they don't take it themselves. If you could take us through that a little bit, I would love that. So, I mean, I'm a normal person.

00:17:03
I live in a normal house with three children. So, you know, it's, you know, we don't eat, like, perfect and. But yeah, I mean, like, my kids know a lot. Like, you know, they know how to read a label. Right.

00:17:17
You know, like, things like that. You know, I'm, you know, I'm more strict, I'm sure, than other, other moms in terms of like, sugar and, you know, junk food and stuff like that. Do they still get some? Of course, you know, because they're kids. Yeah.

00:17:34
Right. I mean. And, you know, it's, it's really funny is because. So I was like, really? Because I was such a sugar.

00:17:40
I mean, I still, I mean, I think some people thrive. Like, they need a little bit of the sugar. We know, with, you know, ADD and, and the dopamine hit, you know, like, sugar was like, I used to down like honey bears, like I mean, still, like, I'm, I'm. Sometimes it would just like, you know, what are you doing? I.

00:17:57
Or eat like brown sugar. Trying not to eat crap. Sugar is like, you know, I would try to eat more than natural sugar because I just love sweets. But I remember when my kids were little, so my oldest, he probably was like 2 before he had any like actual sugar. And then when the second one, I'll never forget, we were having ice cream and we used to just give him a cone, you know, he was probably like one and a half.

00:18:18
And he would get the cone and sit in the stroller and the older one, I guess gave him a lick and his face, he threw the cone down and like screamed at us. And I was like, oh.

00:18:32
It was like, I want that. Like, what have you been doing? I've been eating this stupid, like wafer cone, you know, but not even the sugar. Like the sugar cone paper. Yeah, I'm eating this piece of paper.

00:18:42
Which probably wasn't very good either for him, but it was really funny because I was. And then the third one, I think, you know, at like one point, one of the kids gave her like a lollipop at like before, you know, like too young. And I was like, oh, all right. But I was so strict. So strict.

00:18:59
Because I was really focused on, I knew how nutrition, how evolved for me and myself. But then it's also like, you can't have. You. You want your kids also to live a normal life. Right?

00:19:10
So. And then there's a certain time. Yeah, I think also like in, in everything. Like in my practice, I'm a moderation type person. So like, I never really focus on like extreme diets or like extreme like recommendations in that sense.

00:19:28
Like even exercise or whatever it is, but specifically with nutrition. Like, I really, I really do try to push the moderation. Like so, you know, because I mean, it's just not realistic. Also. You got to meet people where they are also.

00:19:44
And I just. And so I think we're. We're mostly the same at home, like. Right. And how old are your kids?

00:19:56
So I have a. Almost not quite 11 year old, 12 year old and one that just turned 14. Okay, so you, you. So you're like the older ones. Like, I mean, again, they're going to go to school and have stuff and you can't.

00:20:09
And you hope that you gave them the tools to be like, just look at the label. Like, don't be morons. Right. And they still, you know, they still do it sometimes, you know, and it's still going to happen. And it's, you know, I just have to kind of.

00:20:24
Yeah, I have to kind of accept that. But I think at home we, we do try to do pretty well. And you know, in terms of. In terms of fairly balanced diet, right. My kids would always say we had the worst snacks.

00:20:37
I was. We were the worst snack house. But it's also because if we had any of the sugary snacks, I would eat it all in one sec. Because I was. I'm all or nothing.

00:20:45
So I'd be like, I got you the good snack. Sorry, I had a sugar craving and I ate the whole box. They're like, what the hell? And I'm like, so people always would be like, oh, you're so disciplined and controlled. I'd be like, no, it's because I'm not controlled.

00:20:56
Right. In my house. Just don't buy it. I will eat it. Yeah, so, and so I totally.

00:21:02
I hear you. I love that. So when did you decide to go into practice yourself? I mean, how did that come about? So pretty much when I graduated.

00:21:10
So my husband was still doing his PhD here at Purdue, and so he was still a student technically. And I moved here after I graduated and you know, we got married that same same year. And I. At first I actually started working out of a. Out of a health food store.

00:21:33
Like I had a private office in the back just because it was. Seemed to be a good fit and just a good way to get right started. And like, those were the people that were. Especially in a smaller town because we're in a smaller. We're not in a big city.

00:21:49
You know, that was just a good way to find people. Right. And then I ended up working in a medical practice, you know, under a medical doctor and in a more integrative practice with a chiropractor and a massage therapist and stuff. And I did that for a little while and then I moved more to just my own. My own thing after that.

00:22:11
I still worked with some of the chiropractors in town over, over the years. And again, just because it just seemed like a good fit. Like just, you know, the integration and being able to refer people back and forth and. And now, now I'm. I'm more independent, obviously, you know, with COVID That also just like changed things because I went like, you know, just virtual.

00:22:37
And I do collaborate though, with a medical doctor here in town, so I do also share office space there currently. And yeah, it's just been working out really well because his focus is also lifestyle medicine. So it's Also just a really good fit. That is a good fit because again, I think that there's a space for Western, Eastern. Some people use those terms.

00:23:04
But using both is really smart. And I think if more practices and more, you know, the medical community can acknowledge that there is something for both. I mean, I remember I used a chiropractor, really probably like high school. I babysat for a chiropractor. So.

00:23:19
And I loved. But I remember, you know, friends that were orthopedes that were like, no, that's quack medicine, right? And I'd be like, no, I love my chiropractor. Like, I'm gonna. I'll go to a chiropractor for the rest of my life.

00:23:32
And I always do. I have always integrated a chiropractor. And it's not like the cracking and all of that, because some people are like, oh, because now that you crashed all those years, now you have to continue to go, you know, like. And I'm like, no, that's not the way it works. That's what.

00:23:45
That's what you're being told, which you can understand how it has evolved. But all of these different things I think are so important, and I think it's important for people. I mean, I know one of. One of your. Your patients who I know who's very traditional medicine.

00:24:01
I kind of was like, wait a second. I know someone in your area. I know this might be really weird and uncomfortable for you, but I think you should just think about it. Like, I don't want to push my. Right, because I, you know, sometimes I.

00:24:15
And I never really push, but I am very non traditional. My, you know, in. In my views, and it's just because of experience. Again, I believe in both. I'm not like completely on one end.

00:24:28
I think it really is, but. And I also think what works for your family, but I think there's so much to get to the bottom of when you have something chronic. Like, it's not. You're just like, don't just keep putting band aids on it. Don't.

00:24:40
Like. And so anyone that's listening to this, that is like, you know what? I do have chronic, you know, sinus infections, or I do have, you know, my joints, you know, arthritis or different things. I mean, we have a really long history of arthritis. And I early on started getting them in my knuckles.

00:24:57
And that's one of the things I use my homeopath and as I said with my hormones, my naturopath has been so amazing. And they work together right there. There's times where they're like talking together and they're both virtual. One is in New York. Homeopath is actually out of North Carolina because that's where my sister was.

00:25:13
So if you could also talk about a couple different things like you know, that you're seeing right now, trends that people are coming to see you. Because again, that is like awesome. Where someone could be listening to this and be like, well, I don't have a naturopath in my area. And that's the people are nervous because you do you. There's a lot of coaches out there that don't have degrees.

00:25:34
There's a lot of people that say they have knowledge. I mean again, I have knowledge, but I would never treat someone because I don't have that kind of knowledge. I just have my own personal knowledge. But you have a degree, you went to school for this. You're practicing.

00:25:45
So tell, you know, if you can let us know some trends that maybe can trigger some things in people's minds like, oh, maybe I do need to go this route. So over the years I definitely have had a pretty diverse practice and seen people of, you know, all ages and all conditions. But the bulk of my practice has always been middle aged women. It's just, they've just always been the ones that have been, you know, gravitated. Right.

00:26:11
Gravity. Yeah, exactly. But now that I'm one of those people, now that I'm in midlife myself, I really am like, I don't know if it's just evolved this way, like just because it has or if it's also because of where I'm at in life, but I feel like I am doing more, I think, focusing on like a lot of like the perimenopause and menopause stuff. So I think that right now that is a big area of focus that even just a big area of interest for me too because I just feel like it's a very misunderstood time. That's a misunderstood time.

00:26:48
Very misunderstood. I think that there's very little education in the conventional world. You know, you're, you're lucky if you're, if your GP or even your gynecologist had like an hour of, you know, menopause lecturing. Right? So there's very, very little education.

00:27:10
And now women are spending a huge amount of their lifetime in like post menopause or even like if you count perimenopause and menopause, you know, like 50% of their lifetime. Right? And there's, and there's very, very little education. So that has become sort of my new passion, I guess, is trying to, like, work on educating women and really giving women tools and some of the. Some of the information that they need to know what's actually happening and, you know, making their transition and their journey a much easier one, one that they can do, you know, more gracefully and with more confidence.

00:27:51
Because I just feel like it's a really difficult time. And, you know, it may be a great time in their lives. Like, you know, they may have thriving families and. But then, you know, there's all these other layers, and I know you can relate, but, you know, like, they may have. Their family might be thriving, but there's changes.

00:28:10
Like, you know, they may have kids that are leaving home, and, you know, which I know you. I think you just went through that. And, you know, aging parents that they may be taking care of, they may be, like, really thriving and doing great at their careers, but their bodies are kind of, like, failing them or, you know, or they're. They're feeling like their health is kind of failing them, even though they've got all these other maybe great things going on. But it's, like, change and stress and, you know, just a lot of stuff.

00:28:38
So I think there's a lot of things to navigate, and I feel like there's a huge gap in care when it comes to that stage of life for women. So that's, right now, something I really am kind of honing in and focusing on. But it just turns out that that's also a lot of my patient base. Right.

00:29:01
But I also definitely, over the years, have worked a lot with fertility women, like, women that are having issues with fertility. So that's, like, another area and another area that I'm also sort of passionate about, you know, in terms of helping. Helping. Because I also feel like there's kind of a gap. A gap there, too, because, you know, no one's helping them with their, like, nutrition and.

00:29:25
Which can have a huge impact. Right. And just, you know, a lot of other things that come along with that and their stress and. Because that's a very, very stressful time for most women. But, I mean, of course, I see other.

00:29:40
A lot of digestive stuff. I see a lot of thyroid stuff, but again, that often overlaps with the other hormonal stuff just because of how everything's connected. So I would say, like, those are a lot of the things that I see majority. Like, those are the main people that I see. But I still see, like, kids on the spectrum or kids with ADHD that are needing some Extra support.

00:30:05
You know, a lot of times, like, the moms come first, and then they bring their kids, you know, or vice versa. No, I love that. You know, that's like segwaying into. So I. When I went to my.

00:30:18
The naturopath, it was really hormones. A friend was like, okay, I don't think I can handle you right now. To see my naturopath, Whatever you're doing is not working. And I was like, oh, fine. And so you're funny enough.

00:30:31
When we did all my blood panel, we realized I was severely anemic. And he was like, how are you functioning? And I was like, functioning? What do you mean? I, like, do yoga, like, eight times a week.

00:30:40
I walk my dogs. He's like, yeah, you actually, like, should not be functioning at all. And so then it was like, oh, we need to do a deeper dive. And it was interesting when I. My anemia, because again, the bleeding and all those changes, everyone's always like, do you have a heavy period?

00:30:58
And I was like, I mean, I'm saying, I'm thinking, yes, now I know. Yes, because of all the conversations and how much blood I was losing. It's not a conversation. Even though I am an open book, but it's not something I say to my friends, hey, do you keep a wad of paper towels in your car and shove them down your pants before you go into a store? I would do that because I'd be like, I don't know, gosh, sorry for men that are listening to this.

00:31:22
But it's life. And, you know, if you have women in it and this is going to happen. So they were like, oh, you keep paper towels. Yeah, that you're very heavy. And I was like, okay.

00:31:30
But, like, again, I go through Tampa, you know, but it's not something that I crack on. Right. I just go on. I live my life. And yes, there's.

00:31:38
It hasn't been as comfortable as I've gotten older, but I just have always dealt. So when that triggered. When my iron went down, it killed. I think it was my. And then my estrogen was getting messed up.

00:31:50
It might. ADHD went in the toilet. And I've been using homeopathy, you know, for now a long, long time. Not meds. I was on meds in college for that when I first was diagnosed, and that was great then, but I really did not want to stay on them.

00:32:05
I was not. As I said, we didn't take Advil, so there was a little shame around when I was taking meds. That's how I Had to get through college. You know, I actually just did an episode on this for my dyslexia podcast. But there was a lot of stuff around that.

00:32:17
And so when I, you know. And he's like, well, are you tired? And I'm like, I mean, I'm very high energy. I was like. So I.

00:32:25
I don't. Like, I literally for a second stopped and looked at him and I was like, I can't have any more energy. Like, oh, my God, I'm gonna exhaust myself and my poor husband. Right? Like, I can't have any more energy.

00:32:35
But then when, after I got the infusions, I was staying up until 10. I wasn't like, literally at 9:15, like, falling into bed. Like, I was like, yeah, I mean, crashing, where I don't even think, like, it was like, boom. I was out cold. You know, sleeping great, but out cold.

00:32:55
And so that was like, oh, I guess that's where it all was. Thank goodness I didn't have thyroid issues, you know. They were very surprised. They're like, okay, how we don't know how long you've been anemic because you basically have been going off of adrenaline. Like, adrenaline has been running your life.

00:33:09
And I'm like, oh, that's so interesting. So then I got my daughter because she had just been two years in her period and was having terrible, like, insomnia and all these different things. And we realized she was in the. Like, he's like, I don't even know how she's walking. And I'm like, she's playing lacrosse.

00:33:25
And like, he's like, yeah, yeah. So we were able to get on that. And that's what I think is so important for people to hear. Like, also learning I was anemic when I was in high school and then probably sometime during there, but then was never. They don't really take your.

00:33:41
Like, it's so silly. Like, no, it's. It's definitely something that gets very overlooked and not really explored properly. Because even. Even just checking the blood counts, even if they do check the blood counts, doesn't give you all the information about what's going on with the iron.

00:33:58
And the iron can have a huge impact on many things, like, just mental health wise. So never mind. Like, just the adhd, but even just anxiety, depression. Yeah, it can be. It can be huge.

00:34:12
So it is definitely something that I am chronically screening for because I just feel like it plays into so many things. It does. And I mean, that was one of the things I felt so bad because it Was like, when my daughter was in seventh grade, like, she probably was starting and it was like just a year. And now we eat healthy. Like, we eat, you know, I mean, that's all I was like, all I do is eat.

00:34:34
Like, I cannot be any healthier. What are you talking about? Like, Jesus. Like, come on, come on, on. I'm doing everything right.

00:34:43
But it was, it was, you know, then I got the iron infusions and I've had to go through some rounds. Then I got the ablation because it was like, I'm not going to go on birth control because I, you know, I just. I had a weird one time when I decided to try, you know, the pill. I don't want my daughter to have to do any of that. So she's had to get multiple rounds of these infusions.

00:35:04
But we're on top of it and everything is so much better. I didn't realize that when you're iron, you could be. Have insomnia issues. I had no idea. The poor little thing.

00:35:13
Going into middle school with all. I mean, it was not an easy first year, but I'm so thankful that I had the open mind because again, no doctor was saying, even my gynecologist, who I love, who's a woman. My gynecologist is not a woman. My GP is a woman. But no one was saying, like, oh, you're having.

00:35:33
Maybe it's some of this other stuff. It's like, oh, yeah, right. You're probably going through, like, the change. And I was like, okay, what can I do with that? I'm not.

00:35:40
I don't want to take hormone replacement. I'm not against that, but I just. I would love to do everything as natural as possible just because that's always how I've lived for the most part. And so it was like, these are your two issues. And then I had friends saying to me they would go to their gynecologist and they try to put them on antidepressant.

00:35:59
And I'm like, what are you talking about? She's like, she wanted to put me on an antidepressant. And I was like, but you've never been depressed. She's like, I know, but she said that that's the only thing that's going to help. And I was like, okay, I hate her.

00:36:09
And go, please see a naturopath. You know, so it's so good that you're out there that you are also doing virtual, because there's so many people that are going to listen to this that might say, you know what? Let me just schedule that first appointment. No, I'm nervous about it because it is, you know, when you're stepping out of your comfort zone doing something a little different than you ever done, sometimes it is a little like, no, for sure. But as you can hear, you know, Dr.

00:36:37
Lightstone is like, you know, I mean, you're just, you're lovable. You really are. Thank you. You really are. I am.

00:36:47
I am also working on. It's not finished, but I am working also on like a mastery class kind of thing, like a series for. About perimenopause, menopause stuff. Just because I am really finding, like, it's just, you know, even. Well, definitely not in appointments, but I can only definitely literally scratch the surface.

00:37:07
But I also have been. I've been giving a, a presentation on like, like sort of an intro to perimenopause. And even it's like a jam packed hour and I'm still just scratching the surface. So, you know, just more information on like the ins and outs of the hrt, like for, you know, because again, it's not, it's not for everybody. But I think people have to have a better understanding of, you know, what it is and what the risks and benefits are and what the contraindications are, you know, and then obviously the nutrition and, you know, how important it is to prioritize their sleep and, you know, the things that are affecting their sleep and the movement and, you know, just all the things.

00:37:50
I just feel like there's so much. And we just, we do a good job of educating our kids about adolescence, but, you know, there's not there. We don't get educated on any of this. None of it. Right?

00:38:03
None of it. And. But it's almost like, like puberty 2.0.

00:38:12
But nobody's, nobody's teaching us about it, so. And you know, and they're letting us. Go crazy, feel like we're going crazy. And if you think back like a couple generations, like when they didn't even get like the puberty education, you know, like, you know, maybe a grandmother or great grandmother or something, you know, when they first went through puberty and had their first period, right, like they kind of thought they were dying because nobody had told them about it or like what was happening to them. And all of a sudden, like, they're just bleeding, right?

00:38:42
So they think they're dying. And so my goal is, I don't want women in middle age to feel like they're dying just because they're having all these weird and like, crazy symptoms or feel like they're literally going crazy, which kind of happens a lot of the time, you know, or even there's like a huge list of symptoms that you can have, and some of them are weird and, you know, like even weird neurological symptoms. And, you know, but then people start panicking and they start googling and like, oh, my God, do I have. Do I have ms? Do I have this?

00:39:16
Do I have that? And, you know, and they get really. And then they start going down these rabbit holes, which obviously, you know, sometimes you need to investigate some of those things. Don't get me wrong. But, you know, there's just so many symptoms associated with this time in our lives and the changes in hormones and changes in our brain also, and how our brains are like, literally remodeling with the changes in estrogen.

00:39:41
And so I just feel like there's a lot of information to share. Yes. No, I love that. I love that. So, again, people can go to your LinkedIn and that's Deborah Lightstone, and then they can go to your website.

00:39:55
Do you want to say that again? My website, there is a contact page also just to like, you know, to either work one on one together or if they want to send me their contact information for when I have that, the doors open for that Mastery series also. Oh, great. And again, that's N A T U R O L O G I C L L c dot com. And it will be all in the show notes and everything.

00:40:24
Yeah. I mean, thank you so much. This is awesome. I'm glad that we connected. I'm glad that we got this recording down.

00:40:30
Yeah. Yes. So, you guys, you know what to do, like rate, review and share. You do not know who needs to hear this. You do not know who out there right now is going through something.

00:40:41
It could be, you know, menopause, perimenopause. It could be something with their child. It could be iron. It could be. There's so many different things that they might not be thinking.

00:40:50
They might just be going to a doctor that is putting a band aid on it. And Deb, as she said, said, can really get to the root of things. So again, like, rate, review and share. And we'll see you for another episode of your next stop.