The Catalyst Way™: Creative Strategies for Women in Medicine to Flourish

Harnessing the Power of Joy for Hormones and Health

“Joy can be so many different things. It can be very calm, it can be serene. That's what it is. It's an internal feeling. It's an internal state of being,” explains Saadia Mian, MD. Saadia works as a holistic endocrinologist, incorporating integrative and functional medicine into her practice to better serve her patients. She is an author and self-certified “joy expert”. Throughout her journey through medical school, Saadia realized that all of her time was being spent nurturing the left side of her brain and not enough time was being devoted to right brain activities like fostering creativity. During her leadership program, Saadia began to notice even more the importance of joy and listening to her heart. She started to increase joy by using mindfulness practices to slow down and appreciate the little things like enjoying a cup of tea or feeling the grass under her feet. In her books, she shares all that she has learned about the impact of joy on health and how to make joy your default state of being. 
 
Chronic stress can have very negative impacts on health outcomes, because it causes perpetually heightened cortisol levels which throw all of our hormones for a loop. When hormones are impacted, the entire body is impacted. This can lead to all sorts of medical concerns from late periods, to weight gain, to increased risk of heart attack or stroke. Embracing joy is the best way to combat stress and help bring cortisol levels back down while also increasing happiness hormones like dopamine and serotonin. It can be difficult to always find joy, depending on your personal situations, so one way to start is to begin with gratitude. It is sometimes easier to find reasons to be grateful than to be joyful. From gratitude you can begin to work toward finding reasons for joy. 
 
Joy can be a very powerful tool for combating the negative health impacts of chronic stress. By inserting more joy into our lives, we reduce cortisol levels which in turn helps even out the hormones in our bodies. Tune into this week’s episode of The Catalyst to learn more about how joy impacts hormones, the roles hormones play in overall health, and how to begin increasing joy in your own life. 
 
Quotes
• “Joy can be so many different things. It can be very calm, it can be serene. That's what it is. It's an internal feeling. It's an internal state of being.” (11:14-11:24 | Saadia)
• “Small changes can have a big impact on every cell in our body. And yet, we can be resilient. We can train our bodies to be more resilient in the face of stress.” (14:24-14:37 | Saadia)
• “One of the things that actually brings me the most joy is when I see somebody's life has changed because of something that I've supported them with.” (21:51-22:00 | Saadia)
• “Joy is not only things that we perceive as happy-go-lucky, like lying on a beach sipping a drink, or being on vacation. We can also find joy in things that are challenging.” (22:14-22:30 | Saadia)
• “Set a timer and just see how many things you can immediately think of that bring you joy. And maybe after practicing gratitude later on, try it again and see if it has increased.” (38:22-38:33 | Saadia)
 
Links
 
Connect with Saadia Mian:
Websites: www.saadiamianmd.com, https://linktr.ee/saadiamianmd, 
Instagram: @saadiamianmd
 
Connect with Lara: 
Website: https://drlarasalyer.com
Instagram: @drlarasalyer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlarasalyer/
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/DrLaraSalyer
TikTok: @Creativity.Doctor
 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Cortisol, Boundaries, and Menopause...Oh My!

“If you can create better boundaries to just slow down a little bit, it is crazy how everything else will feel so much more amazing,” shares Stephanie Fusnik, nutrition coach. Stephanie saw through her medical schooling and career that there were large gaps in the way the healthcare system approaches physical rehabilitation, chronic disease, and weight loss. In particular, her older female clients were struggling to lose weight or improve their health based on their doctor’s recommendations that were not taking into consideration the impact of hormones on metabolism. Stephanie soon realized that by teaching perimenopausal and menopausal women about the role of hormones like cortisol in their bodies, her clients finally saw noticeable results not only in weight loss, but also overall quality of life.
 
Once perimenopause and menopause begin, women’s bodies no longer can handle stress in the same way that they were able to before. Cortisol levels increase and stay high rather than returning to normal, because there is a lack of hormonal buffers like estrogen and progesterone that would typically help with controlling them. When cortisol levels are high, women experience increased brain fog, weight gain, digestive problems, and trouble sleeping. Learning to implement and uphold boundaries in order to reserve time and energy for yourself to not get overly stressed is pivotal for helping lower cortisol levels. With proper boundaries and an understanding of how hormones impact overall health and metabolism, it is possible to repair your relationship with your newly changed body. 
 
Perimenopause and menopause cause large changes in the way women’s bodies work. The shifts in hormones cause increased cortisol, slower metabolism, and in turn an increase in a variety of other health issues. Tune into this week’s episode of The Catalyst to learn more about the impact of menopause on the body, why boundaries are so important for overall health, and how nutrition plays a role in managing hormones. 
 
Quotes
• “There's not enough information on this out there because lots of studies are done on men, and the whole fasting thing, and not eating your carbs, and eating low calorie, and those things don't work anymore.” (5:04-5:13 | Stephanie)
• “To dismiss someone's health concerns is one of the most disrespectful things you could ever do.” (7:25-7:29 | Stephanie)
• “Stress is stress. And you get the same response whether it's good or bad, your body doesn't give a shit. So then we go through these hormonal changes. And typically before, we can handle it okay, because we have hormonal buffers like estrogen, progesterone, they all help us deal with that kind of stuff. As soon as we go through peri-menopause, and menopause, and those things drop, our body cannot handle that stress anymore.” (10:13-10:34 | Stephanie)
• “If you can create better boundaries to just slow down a little bit, it is crazy how everything else will feel so much more amazing.” (15:56-16:04 | Stephanie)
• “You're supposed to be selfish in certain aspects of your life. If you're not taking care of yourself, or doing things that you love, and you're not happy, that will bleed into all your relationships.” (17:15-17:24 | Stephanie) 
• “Just because you're not scheduled for something doesn't mean you're available.” (19:53-19:57 | Stephanie)
 
Links
Connect with Stephanie Fusnik:
Website: www.vitalityosteopathicandexercisetherapy.com
Tiktok: vitalityoet.stephanie
FB: Stephanie Fusnik
FB Group: Metabolism and Menopause by Vitality - Secrets for Fat Loss
Instagram: vitalityoet.stephanie
 
Connect with Lara: 
Website: https://drlarasalyer.com
Instagram: @drlarasalyer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlarasalyer/
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/DrLaraSalyer
TikTok: @Creativity.Doctor
 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

How Codependent Thinking Might Be Hurting Your Practice

“I define codependent thinking as a mindset and a somatic way of relating to the world in which we chronically, unintentionally, and habitually source our sense of wellness, worth, and value from everything in the world other than ourselves,” explains Victoria Albina, Master Certified Somatic Life Coach, Nurse Practitioner, Meditation Guide, and Host of The Feminist Wellness podcast with over 20 years of experience working in health and wellness. When working as a nurse practitioner primarily in gastroenterology, Victoria realized there was a deeper root cause beneath what she was seeing on the GI map, and that was a lack of embodiment and a need for a mindset shift. She realized that many people are living with a codependent and scarcity mindset rather than being able to uphold healthy boundaries that bring the nervous system back into a state of safety.
 
When people are born, they are inherently aware of their own needs and are not shy in the least about asking for them. However, that all changes as we grow up and the opinions of others supersede what we know is best for our own bodies. When people are socialized to be codependent in the way that causes them to find the entirety of their self worth and validation from external sources, they tend to neglect their own needs and struggle with setting boundaries. Our inner-child lives inside our nervous systems and causes our bodies to react in ways based on past experiences. If medical professionals do not shift their mindsets away from codependent thinking, their practices and patients will suffer. Having good boundaries is good for both the physicians and their patients because it helps develop respect and trust. 
 
Codependent thinking can be a root cause of many health concerns. The best solution is to start retraining your body to respect necessary boundaries and learn to find a sense of self worth internally rather than relying on external sources. Tune into this week’s episode of The Catalyst to learn more about how codependent thinking can cause your nervous system to get stuck in a pattern of tension that can lead to burnout, gastrointestinal problems, and more. 
 
Quotes
• “What I was really seeing as the root cause underneath the blastocysts, under the pylori, under the gut microbe, under what I saw on the GI map, was mindset and a lack of embodiment.” (4:38-4:51 | Victoria)
• “When your life is constant lions on the savanna of this time, how can the gut function? How can the thyroid function? How can we have a healthy menstrual cycle? It is not possible when you live in tension.” (8:12-8:33 | Victoria)
• “I define codependent thinking as a mindset and a somatic way of relating to the world in which we chronically, unintentionally, and habitually source our sense of wellness, worth, and value from everything in the world other than ourselves.” (17:16-17:38 | Victoria)
• “Boundaries show us where we begin and someone else ends. And where someone else ends and we begin. It's the space where I have control over my human animal and nothing else on this planet. And I get to voice what works for me and control me and only me. So I teach that we voice boundaries as, if you do X, I will do Y.” (20:31-20:58 | Victoria)
• “Our inner child can be our most loving and valiant supporters. They can really have our backs. They can encourage us to make art, and to play, and to dance, and to sing and to be loving.” (29:39-29:50 | Victoria)
 
Links
Connect with Victoria Albina:
Website: https://victoriaalbina.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriaalbinawellness/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaAlbinaWellness/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLzfjuuMedG9JtZlzd_JfA
Connect with Lara: 
Website: https://drlarasalyer.com
Instagram: @drlarasalyer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlarasalyer/
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/DrLaraSalyer
TikTok: @Creativity.Doctor
 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

How Culinary Medicine is Vital to Transforming Health and Outcomes

“I really need to understand how food is impacting the Krebs cycle and methylation and all that. So that's where culinary medicine can get a little bit more scientific versus just looking at it from a macro point of view,” explains Shefaly Ravula, PA-C. Shefaly spent 20 years as a board certified physician’s assistant and then shifted over into the functional medicine world. After her father, who seemed outwardly healthy, suffered a heart attack, Shefaly realized she needed to learn a lot more about nutrition and the impact on cardiovascular health. Now, she has her own telehealth practice, Precision Metabolic Health, where she uses culinary medicine to improve her patients’ digestive and metabolic health. She also launched the Food Is Medicine Academy which is available to the public and provides educational resources about culinary medicine. 
 
Having an understanding of the way nutrition impacts the body can help influence dramatic changes in a patient’s overall health and wellness. Nutrition has a large impact on the Krebs cycle and methylation. It impacts metabolic processes, our gastrointestinal health and cardiovascular health, yet often it is neglected in Western medicine. Ancient cultures used to view food as medicine and in other parts of the world it is still viewed that way, but in the Western world we have moved away from that. However, food still can be medicine and can be integrated together with Western medicine to create better health outcomes. 
 
Culinary medicine is a scientific way of looking at how food and overall nutrition impact the processes in the body. Although culinary medicine is not a replacement for traditional medicine, it can improve health and wellness outcomes when combined with Western medicine. Tune into this week’s episode of The Catalyst to learn more about how nutrition plays a role in metabolic function, cardiovascular health, digestive health, and virtually every aspect of our bodies.
 
Quotes
• “I really need to understand how food is impacting the Krebs cycle and methylation and all that. So that's where culinary medicine can get a little bit more scientific versus just looking at it from a macro point of view.” (8:21-8:34 | Shefaly)
• “It's not just protein, carbs, fats, fiber that I'm looking at. It's a much deeper level. And so my Food Is Medicine Academy gets into the science piece of it a little bit more than just going to maybe a regular dietitian and saying, ‘help me lose weight’.” (8:35-8:53 | Shefaly) 
• “I love data, data drives behavior change big time.” (17:46-17:49 | Shefaly)
• “If we at least shift the mindset, I think that they start thinking that way and realizing the importance of how much time it takes to do self work.” (23:08-23:20 | Shefaly)
• “I think food is medicine, and it can heal you and be a source of vitality, and energy, and vigor and health to some degree. However, it's not going to be the end all be all. You still need western medicine in some cases.” (31:33-31:55 | Shefaly) 
 
Links
Connect with Shefaly Ravula:
Websites: https://precisionmetabolichealth.com/ and also https://course.shefskitchen.com/ 
Twitter : @precisionmetab and @shefskitchen; 
Instagram @precisionmetabolichealth and @shefskitchen  
Linked-In: Precision Metabolic Health 
FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/culinarymed and also https://www.facebook.com/precisionmetabolic/
 
Connect with Lara: 
Website: https://drlarasalyer.com
Instagram: @drlarasalyer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlarasalyer/
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/DrLaraSalyer
TikTok: @Creativity.Doctor
 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Become the SHEO of Your Health

“I ultimately feel like doctors should be judged by how we get people off medications,” explains Jennifer Roelands, MD. Jennifer is the CEO and Founder of Well Woman MD. As an OBGYN with integrative medicine training and over a decade of women’s health experience, Jennifer is a catalyst for change within the healthcare community. She believes that women’s health requires a team based, integrative approach in order to really help the patient to the fullest extent and she is working to provide this model in her clinic. 
 
When Jennifer was trying to conceive her second child, she found out that her fertility was being impacted by both PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and Hashimotos Disease. To her dismay, her trusted OBGYN had nothing to offer her aside from birth control pills and a slew of other medications to counteract the side effects of the birth control pills. She realized there had to be a better way and this encouraged her to begin taking her health into her own hands by learning more about integrative medicine and really diving into information about nutrition and thyroid function. She discovered that main drivers of symptoms for PCOS are inflammation, insulin resistance, and gut health. And through that discovery, Jennifer was able to modify her diet and habits to improve her symptoms and heal her body all without the pill. Now, she uses what she has learned to help women get off of that endless carousel of medications and regain control over their own health. 
 
Just because healthcare has been handled one way for a long time does not mean it is necessarily the best way of doing things. Tune into this week’s episode of The Catalyst to learn more about how to take control of your own health. Learn about the importance of nutrition, hormones, gut health, and how having an integrative team approach can make a huge difference in your health outcomes. 
 
Quotes
• “I ultimately feel like doctors should be judged by how we get people off medications. We should be judged by that, not judged by how many people we can see in 10 minutes.” (7:40-7:52 | Jennifer) 
• “I think with PCOS, for me, it's a matter of trying to teach someone how to understand their body much better and understand their health and how my PCOS is different than your PCOS. So therefore, you need to focus on these particular aspects.” (11:43-11:56 | Jennifer)
• “If I can revamp or reimagine women's health, I would basically want it to be an integrative team. So I think that health care for women needs to be a team approach. We need to be able to take care of a patient. Here's your doctor, here's your nutritionist, here's your acupuncturist. Here's your health coach, here's your trainer, it needs to be this approach where we're basically a team to help someone.” (21:28-21:56 | Jennifer)
• “The patients want this kind of approach, we just need to learn to deliver it in a better model.” (23:25-23:32 | Jennifer) 
Links
Connect with Jennifer Roelands:
Website: https://www.wellwomanmd.com 
Instagram: @wellwomanmd (https://www.instagram.com/wellwomanmd/)
 
Connect with Lara: 
Website: https://drlarasalyer.com
Instagram: @drlarasalyer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlarasalyer/
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/DrLaraSalyer
TikTok: @Creativity.Doctor
 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Empathy Is the Sugar That Helps the Medicine Go Down

“The best thing you can do is find out a person's experience first before you start coming up with solutions,” explains Ashok Bhattacharya, MD, FRCP. Dr. Bhattacharya has been a psychiatrist for over 36 years and is the founder of The Empathy Clinic, a private psychiatric clinic that focuses on the use of empathy to diagnose and treat a variety of mental illnesses in both individuals and couples. He fully believes that learning to treat patients with empathy puts humanity back into medicine. 
 
Empathy is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses because it helps practitioners get to the root of the problem. Doctors need to view things from their patients’ point of view in order to formulate the correct treatment. It can take time to develop the trust required for empathy, but it is worth the extra work to create that understanding. Dr. Bhattacharya believes disorders like PTSD and narcissism are empathy disorders and as such, can be healed through empathy. People with PTSD often feel isolated–thinking their experience cannot possibly be understood by others. But by showing these patients empathy, compassion, and kindness, they can learn to feel safe again and kickstart their healing journey. 
 
The problem with trying to put yourself in another person’s shoes is that you have not had their same life experiences. For true empathy to be established, you must get to know your patient’s story and build trust over time. Tune into this week’s episode of The Catalyst to learn more about the healing power of empathy. Learn how to use empathy as a treatment model for mental illnesses and how it can make all the difference in patient outcomes. 
 
Quotes
• “The tough part with empathy is to negate yourself. That means thinking, ‘what would I do in that situation or if I were in their shoes?’ Those are sympathetic ways to look at somebody, but we're actually not in somebody else's shoes, because we're not them.” (4:06-4:25 | Ashok)
• “Empathy is getting the right answer. Compassion is formulating a solution. And kindness is what you actually do about that.” (6:20-6:27 | Ashok)
• “The best thing you can do is find out that person's experience first before you start coming up with solutions.” (6:52-6:59 | Ashok)
• “We have to look after our safety first, before we jump into that water and try to save somebody else. I think it's a really key thing. Empathy isn't necessarily a quick thing. It can happen very quickly, but it can also take us time. And I think if we rush it, we actually break trust.” (10:54-11:11 | Ashok)
• “We see our clients, we start calling them patients, and we start treating them like the illness that they have. And psychiatry is particularly bad because we call a human being a schizophrenic as opposed to a human who happens to have schizophrenia. And so now that disease has become their entire identity.” (16:54-17:11 | Ashok)
• “When we put humanity back into medicine, you know what happens? People get better faster and they stay well longer, because now we're putting wellness into the story instead of illness into the story.” (17:36-17:51 | Ashok)
• “Empathy is a way of not just sharing with each other in real time, but also sharing with each other when we're gone so that we can continue that experience of making the human condition shareable.” (35:09-35:21 | Ashok)
 
Links
 
Connect with Ashok Bhattacharya:
Website: https://www.empathyclinic.com
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashok-bhattacharya-687a6211
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPRzM30XZ8uscgGEx1wnEtQ
 
Connect with Lara: 
Website: https://drlarasalyer.com
Instagram: @drlarasalyer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlarasalyer/
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/DrLaraSalyer
TikTok: @Creativity.Doctor
 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Role of Ancient Wisdom (Shamanism) In Healing

“There's so many wonderful things that have happened as a result of science and civilization,” says Aviva Gold, MFA, MPS, LCMSW. Aviva has over 35 years of experience working in art medicine inspiring others to heal through the creation of art and connecting with the magic of the universe. She shares ways to incorporate shamanism, or ancient wisdom, into healing and how to embrace creating art without worrying about how the finished project will look. 
 
The patriarchy has spent thousands of years trying to discredit shamanism because of an inherent fear of death and the natural order of things. However, people are intrinsically connected with nature and are missing out on an opportunity for greater connection and healing by turning away from it. Science and civilization have brought great things to the world, but have also caused a disconnect between humans and nature, making it more difficult for humans to accept the magic of being one with the Earth and one another. Art provides a way for humans to reconnect with the magic within themselves and to receive messages from the universe. By learning how to play and make art for fun, you can unlock previously inaccessible pathways to healing. 
 
Shamanism can work hand in hand with allopathic medicine for a more balanced approach to healing. Tune into this week’s episode of The Catalyst to learn more about the ancient wisdom of Shamanism and how to apply it to your own life. Learn simple art therapy practices for reconnecting to the magic within yourself in spite of the patriarchy working hard to keep that connection severed. 
 
Quotes
• “A medical issue, a symptom, a diagnosis, or whatever you want to call it has not only an emotional root, but also has a spiritual root.” (13:40-13:58 | Aviva)
• “Even if this foolhardy patriarchy kills our species, life is gonna happen again. And it is happening somewhere else in the universe.” (25:55-26:08 | Aviva)
• “There's so many wonderful things that have happened as a result of science and civilization. It's keeping the core of the magic and all the other stuff that just stops the magic and all the inventions and all the discoveries from really helping that needs to be peeled away.” (27:09-27:37 | Aviva)
• “You have the connection with the Earth and it's in you.” (35:31-35:37 | Aviva)
 
Links
 
Connect with Aviva Gold:
Website: www.PaintingFromTheSource.com
 
Connect with Lara: 
Website: https://drlarasalyer.com
Instagram: @drlarasalyer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlarasalyer/
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/DrLaraSalyer
TikTok: @Creativity.Doctor
 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Growing During Adversity

“In front of trauma or adversity, you need to decide what is your next step. Are you planning to complain about how unlucky you are? Or are you planning to take advantage of the situation, take responsibility for your actions and your emotions, and do something?”, shares Dr. Miriam Zylberglait, also known as Dr. Z. Dr. Z. is a triple time board certified physician in internal medicine, geriatrics and obesity medicine. She is a certified mental health ally and is currently working on her first book about positive and negative catalysts, growth, and well being. She notes three catalysts for sending her in her current direction- her mother’s dementia, her children’s fears for her own mortality working as a physician during the pandemic, and witnessing her residents suffering from a lack of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 
 
People tend to be resistant to restarting or changing things in their lives, because they are trying to live on a linear path and are afraid to fail. However, Dr. Z. has found that it is much more effective to live in cycles. Instead of focusing only on resiliency and maintaining the status quo in the face of adversity, she recommends trying to learn and grow from trauma, even if that means embracing change. It is always easier to act like a victim and complain, but in order to really move forward and grow, you must take responsibility for your own actions and emotions. Make a plan to do something to change the situation and learn from those experiences. That way even adversity can become something positive. 
 
There are actually a lot of opportunities for second chances in life if you are willing to look for and embrace them. Tune into this week’s episode of The Catalyst to learn more about how to see trauma and adversity as an opportunity for growth. Find out more about living cyclically, accepting the risk for failure, and welcoming change. 
 
Quotes
• “I feel like the majority of us, we feel very afraid of changing our paths or going through life because of their risk of failing and in the type of life that we live that is so linear, right? If you fail, there is no back. No second opportunities in theory. The truth of life is not like that. In reality, we have second opportunities, we have options to change our paths, right? We just need to be aware of that.” (8:58-9:28 | Dr. Z.) 
• “You may have a medical condition, or you might be a minority like I am, or maybe you are poor, or you have a disability. But even though these may delay your journey, they may also expose you to the opportunity to learn the skills to be creative, to find other ways to do things, therefore, to grow.” (12:08-12:33 | Dr. Z.) 
• “In front of trauma or adversity, you need to decide what is your next step. Are you planning to complain about how unlucky you are? How mean people live? How unfair is the world? Or are you planning to take one advantage of the situation, two take responsibility for your actions and your emotions, and three, do something?” (24:14-24:39 | Dr. Z.)
 
Links
Connect with Dr. Miriam Zylberglait:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drzmd
 
Connect with Lara: 
Website: https://drlarasalyer.com
Instagram: @drlarasalyer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlarasalyer/
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/DrLaraSalyer
TikTok: @Creativity.Doctor
 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Empowering Women to Regain Control of Their Hormones

“We are really excited to flip the narrative on midlife women's health. Women deserve more and we deserve to enjoy this part of our lives to the fullest and rock menopause,” shares Dr. Polly Watson, functional medicine OBGYN and menopause specialist. Dr. Polly was inspired to work in women’s health after witnessing her mother’s frustrating care experiences with her own OBGYN when she went into early menopause at 38. Dr. Polly was further inspired by her difficulties advocating for her own health when her PCOS diagnosis was invalidated by her doctors.
 
Being in traditional women’s health, Dr. Polly found that clients were coming to her with bags of supplements and questions she did not know the answers to. She made the decision to fill those educational gaps and became licensed in functional medicine to better help her clients. Through her member-based functional medicine practice, Dr. Polly flips the script on menopause and shows women how to reclaim their power over their health.
 
Menopause has a bad reputation and many women fear the transition because they lack understanding of what it really involves. Tune into this week’s episode of The Catalyst to learn more about menopause, the immense role of hormones in women’s health, and how functional medicine can help meet the needs of women that often fall through the cracks in traditional Western healthcare. 
 
Quotes
• “I'm really inspired by my own journey, my mom's journey, and trying to create a space where women are heard so that they can get some power back in that relationship.” (5:00-5:17 | Polly)
• “Instead of having the transition to menopause being the beginning of the end, could we flip this and say, ‘Hey, this is a great transition. I have given my body a chance to be a reproductive female, a nursing mother, and all of these things. And now this third to maybe half of my life, my body is mine again.” (11:13-11:41 | Polly) 
• “Let's make this be about women rocking this second chapter of their lives, rather than ‘Oh, well, you're over 40. You're gonna be fat and tired. It's all downhill from there’.” (12:17-12:28 | Polly) 
• “The thing that I love about functional medicine is that the patient gets their power back. I can't go home with them and tell them when to go to bed, or what to put on their plate, or that it's time to meditate now. When they reclaim responsibility for their own care, and they reclaim their responsibility for making these health affirming choices all throughout their day, then they get their power back.” (23:03-23:33 | Polly)
 
Links
Connect with Polly Watson:
Website: https://hormonewellnessmd.com/
 
Connect with Lara: 
Website: https://drlarasalyer.com
Instagram: @drlarasalyer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlarasalyer/
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/DrLaraSalyer
TikTok: @Creativity.Doctor
 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Finding Your Flow in Other Facets of Your Life

“Even as adults, I think a lot of people really want to be published, but it's such a journey, and you have to enjoy it,” shares Natalie Rompella, middle school teacher and children’s author. Natalie’s Masters in Education and background in science combined with her love of teaching children took her down a path to publishing more than 60 children’s books. Her chemistry professor encouraged Natalie to publish the picture book she had created for her final class project and the rest is history. Natalie now teaches various levels of creative writing and helps kids learn how to lean into their creativity and write something besides nonfiction essays. 
 
Publishing does not always have to be the goal behind writing. Writing as a creative exercise has merit in itself for both adults and children, encouraging mindfulness and using the imagination to stretch the limits of what is possible. When people learn how to write for fun, they are also learning how to let go. Adults have a bad habit of getting so caught up in their busy lives that they don’t take time to be creative just for fun. So, it is important to give creative writing a chance and allow your creativity a chance to flow. 
 
Tune into this week’s episode of The Catalyst to learn more about Natalie’s catalytic moment, the benefits of creative writing, and how to go with the flow. 
 
Quotes
• “A lot of kids who write science fiction end up going into the fields of science and technology. And I had just never made that connection of science-fiction is what's possible.” (6:29-6:42 | Natalie)
• “Even as adults, I think a lot of people go into it, they really want to be published, but it's such a journey, and you have to enjoy it.” (14:26-14:34 | Natalie)
• “It took me 15 years to finally realize I write the best first thing in the morning. So I was not using the time I was most productive. I had to really be mindful and think about when am I most productive? When do I feel the most creative?” (21:39-21:57 | Natalie)
• “When you write, you have to get to a point where you have pride in what you wrote. Where you want to not necessarily share it with other people, but you want to hold on to it.” (25:34-25:44 | Natalie)
 
Links
Connect with Natalie Rompella:Website: https://natalierompella.com
 
Connect with Lara: 
Website: https://drlarasalyer.com
Instagram: @drlarasalyer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlarasalyer/
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/DrLaraSalyer
TikTok: @Creativity.Doctor
 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm