A holistic guide to multiple aspects of the physical, mental, and emotional health of women, Womens Health, Wisdom, and Wine! is where Dr. Laurena White shares her expertise and advice to achieve optimal health on Audible. 


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Whether it be essential vitamins, prenatal care, acne, dealing with menopause, or identifying causes of PCOS, here are 5 tips from this podcast that will help you embark on your health journey.


Prioritize Vitamin D for Optimal Health


Vitamin D is one of the most essential nutrients in our body. When our body gets the right amount of it, we are able to function optimally and a deficit of this nutrient can cause our system to collapse. 


"Vitamin D makes an enzyme that makes a chemical called Acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is really important in our autonomic nervous system. When you take D it helps your body absorb the calcium in the food and also the magnesium. Another important factor is it keeps the kidneys from spilling calcium into the urine. Kidney stones are one of the results of having a low D.


Eat Your Greens For Optimum Prenatal Nutrition


Pre-natal stages of motherhood are unequivocally the most integral to determining healthy childbirth. Nutrition is essential during this period, mothers to be who eat right and maintain a good lifestyle ensure their babies are healthy too. Here is some expert guidance from Dr.Laurena White on sources of food, pregnant or expecting women must consume. 


"In terms of supplements, your doctor should be able to recommend good prenatal vitamin and mineral supplements containing extra iron and calcium. Folate, not folic acid is a Vitamin B and is now known to boost fertility and prevent neuro tube defects such as spina bifida which is a serious abnormality in earlier fetal development. A major source of folate is cooked greens and another that we recommend is orange juice. If you are contemplating pregnancy and thinking there is any other possibility that you could get pregnant, for ensurance, take a daily B complex vitamin that supplements and provides at least 400 micrograms of folate."


Embrace Natural Care and Lifestyle Changes to Navigate Menopause


Menopause is one of the most common conditions all women naturally go through. As women reach their menopausal period they tend to rely on over-the-counter medication for symptomatic relief. 


A lot of this is not required or may have side effects, A quote from centuries before the advent of the pharmaceutical industry states, "Anything that can be treated naturally with dietary means should be". Natural remedies, lifestyle changes, and exercise help relieve menopausal effects to a large extent.


"We found in a survey of 1,100 women not that long ago, that 37 per cent of women were given anti-depressants for menopause, 84 per cent said they did not feel it was appropriate because they did not have clinical depression, and 41 per cent were given hormone replacement therapy, 14 per cent did not take it cause they were too scared and of the ones who did, 62 per cent came off in the first year cause of adverse side effects. 


They were not then given anything else because although everything we do is based on published medical research, most of the doctors don`t know about it."


Mitigate Acne With a Dietary and Lifestyle Changes


Acne scars and breakouts are women`s worst nightmares. The rich diet and skincare routine may help mitigate acne but never completely avoid it. The immune system is what responds to the overgrowth of bacteria on our skin such as C-Acne, which is what results in inflammation. 


As suggested on this podcast, laboratory testing, dietician expertise, and adequate lifestyle changes do away with acne well. Harsh medication which is popularly advertised in the market must be avoided. "Acne is a complicated condition, it is caused by a number of factors and influenced by factors such as diet, stress, hormones, genetics, etc. It is really driven by the overgrowth of one bacteria on our skin. 


This bacterium is called cutibacterium acnes or C-acne and is present on everyone`s skin. C-acne`s supposed to be on your skin but when it is part of a balanced microbiome, you are healthy and you don`t have any inflammation or acne. It`s only when it overgrows beyond a certain point, that you generate that inflammation, and your body responds with that inflammation that you basically see on your face."


Manage PCOS with Lifestyle Modifications


Polycystic ovary syndrome is a condition where you have few, unusual, or very long periods. It often results in having too much of a male hormone called androgen often resulting in the ovaries not releasing eggs. However, testosterone is not the only hormone imbalance that causes PCOS, our bodies produce other androgens that add up to the condition PCOS. "Hormone imbalances are one of the major PCOS root causes for most women with the condition. 


While testosterone was made mostly in the ovaries, DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) is another androgen that comes mostly from the adrenals. However, genetic factors also seem to be the reason why 20-30% of women who have PCOS also have DHEA. This causes the symptoms associated with PCOS which are weight gain, hair loss, body and facial hair, and fertility." As prescribed by the doctor over-the-counter medications can be consumed, a good diet, and exercise are the most common and effective ways to ease the effects of PCOS.


Women need to engage more in informative conversations about health backed by medical evidence and effective solutions.