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Mini Pause #67: Natural Ways to Boost Bone Density

Posted on by stephanie-estima

TL; DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)

Maintaining bone density naturally becomes crucial as we age due to shifts in bone metabolism.

Osteopenia, the gradual loss of bone density, is a decades-long process that accelerates significantly during perimenopause and menopause, increasing the risk of osteoporosis.

Bones are dynamic tissues consisting of cortical (outer shell) and cancellous (inner, marrow-rich) bone, both of which change significantly with age.

Increasing bone density through strength training, plyometrics, walking, and adopting nutritional strategies is essential for maintaining overall health, regulating metabolism, and achieving optimal body composition.

WHY

Bone density naturally declines as we age because osteoclastic activity (bone breakdown) outpaces osteoblastic activity (bone formation). This process accelerates dramatically during perimenopause due to hormonal changes, particularly declining estrogen levels.

Estrogen supports bone density by inhibiting osteoclast activity (reducing bone breakdown) and promoting osteoblast activity (enhancing bone formation), thereby maintaining a balanced bone remodeling process.

Bones aren't just structural; they actively secrete hormones such as osteocalcin. This influences metabolism, insulin sensitivity, muscle function, and overall body composition.

WHAT

  • Cortical Bone: Dense outer shell providing structural support.

  • Cancellous Bone: Porous, spongy interior housing bone marrow, essential for metabolic and structural roles.

As we age, cancellous bone density decreases, making bones more susceptible to fractures.

Bone-derived hormones like osteocalcin regulate metabolism by enhancing insulin secretion and sensitivity, promoting glucose uptake by muscle tissue, increasing energy expenditure, and improving overall metabolic health and body composition.

Bones are the scaffolding of the body, but they are also active endocrine organs.

HOW

Practical ways to increase bone density naturally:

  • Strength Training: Increases mechanical load on bones, stimulating osteoblastic activity. Aim for consistent, progressive resistance exercises. 💪

  • Plyometrics (Jumping Exercises): Improves bone density through high-impact activities, encouraging stronger bone formation. Examples include jump squats, box jumps, jumping jacks, skipping rope, and squat jumps. I personally love to do plyos on a step (complete with my leg warmers and off-the-shoulder top). ‼️

  • Walking: Regular weight-bearing activity is gentle yet effective for maintaining and improving bone density. 👟

    • Try Magnesium Breakthrough and use code ESTIMA to get 10% off.

    • For vitamins, click HERE and you’ll get an automatic pop-up box discount for 25% off.

    • Getting enough protein is easy with 8 flavors of grass-fed beef isolate goodness. Click HERE and use code BETTER to get 20% off.

  • Nutrition: Ensure adequate intake of magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin K2, and protein to support bone formation. 🦴

  • Sunlight Exposure: Enhances vitamin D synthesis, crucial for calcium absorption and bone health. ☀️

NOW

➡️ Choose one of the above that you are currently not doing and start integrating these bone-strengthening practices into your routine immediately.

➡️ Schedule regular strength and plyometric training sessions, daily walks, and supplements into your calendar or set reminders on your phone! This is one of my best tips for remembering to get all these little habits dialled in.

What I Recommend

TAME STRESS WITH THE RIGHT COLLAGEN

Stress does number on your body. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, directly breaks down collagen, leading to deterioration of skin and connective tissue. Chronic stress not only accelerates collagen breakdown but also disrupts skin barrier function, leading to increased water loss and dryness. High stress elevates cortisol, promoting glycation, which causes collagen fibers to stiffen, resulting in skin wrinkles and dullness over time.

That's why you want a bioactive collagen that effectively counters the effects of stress!

  • Avoid Heat Degradation: High temperatures can break down collagen into less effective amino acids, reducing digestibility and bioavailability. Heat degradation creates cross-links within the collagen structure, making it more gelatin-like, less soluble, and harder for the body to absorb. This is why controlled low-heat processing, like Health Nag’s patented laser technology, preserves collagen’s full bioactivity and effectiveness.

  • Choose Hydrolyzed: Non-hydrolyzed collagen is ineffective because it’s too large to be absorbed. Hydrolyzed collagen is broken down into small peptides that cross the gut lining and are bioavailable to support collagen synthesis in skin, joints, and other tissues. Hydrolysis is key for any collagen to exert real benefits.

🍏 Health Nag’s collagen offers the most unique gel form I’ve seen on the market. And wow!—the delicious green apple flavor doesn’t disappoint. And just in time for spring and summer, Health Nag launched its bioactive collagen jelly in individual packets. Super convenient when you’re on the go or traveling! Learn more and try it HERE. Use code DRSTEPHANIE to save 10%.

KICK-START YOUR PERFORMANCE, ENERGY & FOCUS

I’ve been turning to ketones regularly in the morning before my workouts. Ketone-IQ gives me the fuel I need to power my favorite strength moves in the gym. Check out these mainstay benefits:

  • Appetite Control: Helps manage hunger by promoting a state of satiety. (Pro tip for my Bettys who find it hard to eat before early morning workouts.)

  • Energy & Focus: Provides a fast and steady energy source that crosses the blood-brain barrier. (I have the energy to focus on my workout and also maintain mental clarity to plan and think through my workday.)

  • Performance & Recovery: Enhances physical endurance and speeds up recovery by supporting mitochondrial function. (I don’t cut corners when it comes to recovery, but I do like the benefits of recovering more quickly and efficiently.

💥 Try Ketone-IQ (with or without caffeine) in several flavors: peach or green apple for me, please! Visit https://ketone.com/STEPHANIE to get 30% off your first subscription order. No code needed; discount automatically applied at checkout.

🌟 Love these recommendations? Find more resources to support your health in midlife in my Health Toolkit!

Reclaim Your Energy and Vitality with Cold Water Therapy

Posted on by stephanie-estima

If you’re navigating the rollercoaster of perimenopause and menopause, you know how disruptive the hormonal shifts can be in all areas of your life. From stubborn weight that won’t budge to brain fog and restless nights, the symptoms you’re likely experiencing during this time can feel overwhelming.

One thing I hear consistently from the Bettyverse is that women in their 40s and beyond are looking for real solutions that make a real difference.

Cold water immersion (or cold plunging) isn’t just for the elite athletes or biohackers you see all over social. It’s an incredible tool for women going through hormonal changes.

How Cold Eases Perimenopause & Menopause Symptoms

Midlife hormone shifts, especially the decrease in estrogen and progesterone, affect everything from your skin’s collagen production to how you sleep and manage stress. Cold plunging supports your body through these changes in many ways:

  • BETTER SLEEP: One of the most frustrating symptoms of peri & meno is disrupted sleep. Cold water immersion helps regulate your body temperature, making it easier to fall and stay asleep. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming your body down and promoting deeper, more restful sleep.
  • SHARPER FOCUS & MENTAL CLARITY: Brain fog is a common complaint, and cold therapy increases blood circulation and reduces inflammation, helping to clear away the fog and sharpen your focus.
  • BOOSTED ENERGY & IMPROVED METABOLISM: If you’re feeling sluggish, cold water immersion offers a natural energy boost by increasing blood flow and stimulating the release of norepinephrine and endorphins. It also helps with metabolism, making it a valuable addition to your weight management efforts.
  • MUSCLE RECOVERY & REDUCED INFLAMMATION: Whether you’re working out or dealing with the physical toll of daily life, cold therapy reduces inflammation, eases sore muscles, and helps your body recover faster.

You’ll want to start slowly with 3x a week, 3-4 minutes per session. (If that’s too much at first, take it even slower with 1-2 minutes and work your way up.) The ideal water temperature for women is about 10C-16C / 50F-60F.

In just a few minutes each week, cold therapy can help you feel more like yourself again by improving sleep, sharpening your focus, boosting energy, and helping your body recover faster.

Click HERE to learn about Coldture barrels and tubs, and use code DRSTEPHANIE to get an exclusive discount.

Mini Pause #19: Eating High Protein? Add Collagen to Balance Amino Acids

Posted on by stephanie-estima

Keep an Eye on Methionine and Glycine; They Affect Body Composition & Emotional Well-Being

TL;DR

Higher protein consumption is essential as we move through perimenopause and menopause. We should be mindful, however, of balancing the amino acids we take in through a variety of protein sources. Specifically, we want to think about our methionine-to-glycine ratio. 

Today, I discuss these amino acids, where they are abundant, and the products you can take to keep them in balance. 

WHY

Methionine and glycine are two amino acids that profoundly impact your body composition and emotional well-being. These two changes are inexplicably intertwined and exacerbated in perimenopause. Methionine and glycine are crucial in maintaining your muscles, joints, and connective tissues, and to help you heal when you’re injured. They’ve both been shown to help with type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke–all of which are diseases of aging and poor metabolic health.

Striking the right balance will help keep your hair lustrous, build muscle, regulate blood sugar, help quell anxiety, and keep your faculties sharp.

WHAT

Methionine is an abundant amino acid in meat, eggs, chicken, and fish. We typically associate these foods with “high protein.” Methionine also is implicated in several metabolic processes including endogenous creatine synthesis, glutathione synthesis (the master antioxidant in the body), and DNA methylation. 

However, consuming only foods high in methionine can deplete your glycine levels.

Glycine has been shown to stabilize blood sugar levels, keep your hair shiny and thick, and promote collagen and elastin production in the skin. All things we would like to continue to have in our 40s and 50s, thank you very much!

You want adequate levels of BOTH methionine (derived largely from an animal's muscle) and glycine (derived largely from an animal's skin, bones, and connective tissue). 

So, how much of each should we be aiming for?

If you want to build muscle and are actively lifting weights in the ways I’ve described in previous newsletters, consume approximately 1g of protein (in this case, methionine-rich foods) per ideal pound of body weight. This is a good place to start. The 1g of protein can be considered your muscle meats (aka the methionine-containing products) and you will most certainly consume adequate amounts of methionine.

The question then becomes: “What about glycine?”

HOW 

We know our ancestors, through nose-to-tail consumption of animals, consumed way more glycine than we do now in modern life. 

The “meat” we consume today is often just the muscle of the meat, and we often discard the bones, the fat, and the organs. I’m guilty of this too. I can make a pretty mean stock from chicken bones and a great bone marrow, but that is the extent of my organ-making skills. I consume liverwurst as my “organ” because I just can't stomach eating the actual liver, heart, kidneys, and other things that are in liverwurst. 

  • If you are eating an animal-based diet, for every 10 grams of animal (muscle) protein you consume, you can add 1 gram of glycine in the form of collagen protein, bone broth, or glycine supplements. This would be a 10:1 ratio. For example: If you’re eating 150g of animal (muscle)–based protein daily, you want to consume 15g of collagen protein. 
  • If you are eating a plant-based diet, your glycine intake is already naturally higher, as plant-based proteins tend to have more glycine. I recommend adhering to the 10:1 ratio here, as well.

The best sources of glycine are going to be bone broth, hydrolyzed collagen powder, glycine supplements, gelatin, and even edible bones (like in your can of sardines). 

My main source of glycine comes from collagen powder: I use mindbodygreen’s Beauty & Gut Collagen powder or Equip Foods’ Grass-Fed Collagen. The benefit of collagen powder is that it is superior to collagen synthesis than taking a pure glycine supplement. So I always opt for collagen powder or bone broth over taking a glycine supplement. 

NOW

  • Ensure you are balancing your methionine intake with glycine by supplementing with 1g of glycine for every gram of methionine intake
  • Pick up a bag of hydrolyzed collagen powder like Equip Foods or mindbodygreen. Or, you can make or buy bone broth, or glycine powder. (If you try Equip or mbg, click the links and use code DRSTEPHANIE for a discount.
  • I add one scoop of collagen powder to my workout drink–it’s flavorless and dissolves completely in water.

Question of the Week

Q: Do you prefer to work out alone or with your partner? 

Thanks to Lazgrrl on IG for asking this question. The short answer? I think it depends on what I am working on! 

On leg days, I usually work out by myself simply because my husband doesn’t train glutes in the same way I do. I’m doing large volumes of glute training, and we often are not using the same machines. I also need to dig deep psychologically for leg day, which means I need my music, and I don’t want to talk. 

On back days, I love to train with my hubs because we work the same muscle groups in similar volumes. The same goes for shoulders! 

Cardio is the absolute hardest thing for me to get in consistently and I’m inclined to skip it, so I like to have a cardio partner. My husband is particularly gifted with sprinting! It’s a challenge for me to try and keep up with him (I don’t). 

What I Recommend: CollaGenius

There's a new collagen product that I tried and I have to say, I’m wholly impressed with CollaGenius. It differs from other formulations because it combines hyper-concentrated forms of Lion’s mane, Chaga, cordyceps, and reishi mushrooms with the collagen. Then, in a brilliant taste move, adds Peruvian cacao!

This formula targets your brain for maximum energy, focus, and performance. It also improves skin elasticity and helps alleviate stress. I like to mix it with my morning cappuccino to transform it into a mochaccino with benefits. It's also great in smoothies and even just with water.

After each serving of CollaGenius, you’ll feel calm and energized. I noticed a difference right away. You get antioxidants, mood support, and improved brain function. It's a good fit for my Bettys struggling with peri & meno symptoms like brain fog.

Go to nootopia.com/bettergenius and use code BETTER to get 10% off. (Note: It's soy-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, and GMO-free.