Rayna Neises: 0:08

Welcome to A Season of Caring Podcast where there’s hope for living loving and caring with no regrets. This is Rayna Neises, your host. And today we have special guests. Dr. Leslie Kasanoff. Dr. Kasanoff has spent her life in healthcare. Including 25 years as a holistic chiropractor on the central coast of California and 10 years before that as a medical laboratory scientist. Over the past couple of years, Dr. Leslie has been combining her science knowledge and her holistic and nutrition expertise in health coaching and consulting. Dr. Leslie also has additional certification in women’s health and diet and lifestyle intervention. Thank you so much for being a guest with us today, Dr. Leslie.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 0:49

Thanks for having me, Rayna.

Rayna Neises: 0:52

Whenever we got to know each other, I just, I know that so many of our caregivers really struggle with that self-care piece. It’s typical for everybody to have that struggle, but it’s even that much more important when you’re in this season of caring because of the stress and the extra things that are on your plate. So I wanted to have an opportunity to talk with you and have you share some simple things that we can do to try to consider our overall health as we are in the season of caring. So start off and just share a little bit about alternative health care and kind of what got you into health coaching and looking for supporting people in that.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 1:33

Okay. Well, like you said, in my bio, I did spend 25 years in a private practice as chiropractor. And what I started to realize towards the end of that time was that the only people that I could have an influence on to actually change them in a positive way in a chiropractic practice were literally the people who I could get my hands on every day, day in and day out. So obviously that limits me and I always had this idea of being able to have an influence on many more people than that. So by moving into health coaching and consulting, it gave me that opportunity and that together with my own personal story of some of the stuff, that I’ve gone through with my own health issues over the years and resolving those issues. Just really helped me put all that together in a way that really started making a difference for other people, partially while I was still in practice. And then moving forward, seeing that I could concentrate just on that.

Rayna Neises: 2:49

That’s great. And I think influence is always something that we’re trying to share, especially as we have gone through life, there’s been so many things that. we have to share and that’s part of why I enjoy doing this podcast is just being able to gather the experience and wisdom of others and share that with our listeners, just to increase that reach a little bit. So, thank you for being able to do that with us today. So let’s get back into the down and dirty of just a couple of easy to do things to better take care of ourselves, especially, as caregivers, we just don’t feel like we have the time to spend focusing on ourselves. So, that easy is so important. So what would you tell us to do?

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 3:31

So I think one of the things is with everything that’s going on with the pandemic. I mean, a lot of us are still working from home and doing that whole thing. And if you’re working from home plus you’re caregiving and you might even have kids thrown in the mixture. You’re just getting it from all sides and you really need to take that self-discipline and it might be as simple as setting an alarm clock for when the day ends. You know, most people have to set their alarm clock for when the day begins. You need to set your alarm clock for when the day ends. Take that time, take that extra hour for yourself in the evening and, go take a bubble bath or, whatever it is that, that something that, something that you enjoy. So do those things and take that time during the afternoon. Don’t work through lunch. Don’t sit there with a sandwich and one hand typing with three fingers. And the other hand, sit down, take some time for lunch, take some time to breathe, and I’ll actually go back to some physical reasons for that. If your working and eating at the same time. There’s a couple of things that happen there. Number one, your brain, isn’t really getting the message that you’re eating. So you’re actually going to want to eat more later. So guess what? Weight problems, right? And also in the same realm, if you’re stressed while you’re eating, because you’re working and eating at the same time, your body is going to take, because it’s going to have extra cortisol sourcing around your system. The cortisol is actually going to help take that nice nutritious food that you just took in. It’s actually going to shunt it all right into fat.

Rayna Neises: 5:34

Well, we don’t want that.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 5:35

Yeah. And, and you don’t want that. And that’s your body’s ancient mechanism for when we had cortisol running through our systems, because we were trying to run away from the bear, the saber tooth tiger, we needed to get that stuff stored as fat so that we would have it for later for survival. So that’s the body’s ancient mechanism for that. But now that all of the saber tooth tigers are between our ears, so to speak,

Rayna Neises: 6:04

Mm.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 6:05

We have to take the time. One thing that I encourage my clients to do and this is just a really simple thing. You get done for you morning, you’re going to take your lunch break. Sit down, take 10 long, slow, deep breaths. In through your nose, out through your mouth. What that does is it settles down your system. It brings your cortisol levels back down, and then you can eat. Your stomach is going to feel better. You’re not going to get as below. You’re going to digest your food better and your food is going to be much more functional in that body.

Rayna Neises: 6:46

I love that. So caregivers really listened to, that’s a wonderfully simple thing that we really can do. So many times, I know when I was fixing lunch or dinner for my dad, it really was a time that I focused on him and he often would wander into the kitchen while I was getting things ready. And early in the process, he might help me cut up the lettuce or put things on the table, actually helped me a little bit as we were fixing dinner. But eventually, it was just, a matter of kind of having him wander in and sit down at the table, but just sitting with him was always something I really tried to do, but I love that. Just taking 10 deep breaths, the person we’re caring for might not even notice that we’re doing it, or it might be great just to say that with them let’s breathe together. So that they can as well release any stress that they might have because. Gosh, some days was a little stressful just to getting to come to the table when I think about it. So, you know, deciding that, okay, it’s time now we’re going to eat now. It’s it’s hot. You like it hot dinners hot, let’s eat. So that’s such a simple thing to do. So really both for the person we’re caring for and for ourselves to help trigger our brain, that we’re changing, we’re shifting gears and we are now going to enjoy the nutrition that we need And help our bodies to actually turn it into what we need.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 8:06

Yeah. It makes a difference, not just on the emotional level, but on the physical level as well. So, Yeah.

Rayna Neises: 8:13

That’s interesting.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 8:14

Back to the idea of people who may still be working from home, and when you get that time to actually work, in your work, as well as your caregiving. One of the things that I’ve been encouraging people also to try and do 50 minute hours, and then take those last 10 minutes and get up and move around. Do a little bit of a stretch break, do those kinds of things, just so that you’re not sitting in the same place for an hour, hour and a half, two, three, four hours. Every 50 minutes, get up and take 10 minutes to just stretch and move. Go get something to drink, stay hydrated to do some of those really simple things.

Rayna Neises: 9:02

Again, triggering that when you’re in the office, for those of you that are not 24 hours caring for someone, but even when you’re caring for someone that time can kind of stretch because you’re sitting and doing a puzzle together, you’re sitting and just keeping them company. And so sitting is a lot of what we do. Whether it be in caregiving or in our jobs, many times sitting is a part of that. So really kind of shifting to 50 minutes, I’m going to get up and I’m going to do something different. And hopefully part of that is care for myself, which is just get a little bit of a stroll in and get some water and that kind of thing. Great. Those are easy self-care tips and so important to keep it easy.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 9:43

And there are a couple of apps that help with those kinds of things, too. There’s an app called Pomodoro that basically you can set it for how long you want that quote, unquote work period, whatever it is to be. And then how long you want the break period to be. And it’ll tell you when it’s time to shift back and forth. That’s something that can be really helpful and people who are caregiving, if they have a person that they’re caregiving for, that’s still the least little bit mobile, maybe that person should get up and do five to 10 minutes with you, maybe they can walk down to the end of the hall and back, or, walk out onto the porch or whatever it is.

Rayna Neises: 10:33

Definitely.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 10:34

Yeah.

Rayna Neises: 10:35

I found too with my dad with having Alzheimer’s when he was in a grumpy mood or, something was bothering him that we couldn’t articulate physical movement helped to kind of shift that in his brain anyway. So it was a good thing to try to get up and do a little bit of movement, not only on the creaky bones, but also to try to help shift the mindset a little bit. So that’s a great suggestion.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 10:59

Exactly. And the physiology does agree with that. There’s been a lot of studying done that basically movement does help people with Alzheimer’s and with other forms of dementia, it actually helps get blood flow into the brain, which can help tremendously as can good fruit and vegetable nutrition.

Rayna Neises: 11:25

Yes, nutrition is important. So I know you work a lot with women during midlife, and there are things that can help in terms of memory, issues and mood, as well as some of the things that we think of associating with that, like hot flashes and weight gain, menopause. So majority of caregivers are women and we find ourselves in that season where things are changing with our bodies. Share with us some things that you have found are helpful..

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 11:54

back to what I just said, fruits and vegetables.

Rayna Neises: 11:57

Yeah.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 11:58

The more we learn, the more we realize how important all that stuff is that we were always told, your mother always told you eat your veggies. She didn’t know the half of the why that we now know. But basically what we now know is that all the green veggies give our body the ability for us to help our arteries and our veins dilate and contract. Helps regulate our blood pressure helps bring new blood flow into the area, all those kinds of things that can help, not just with the immediate effects of exercising, but also with getting fresh blood flow into the brain to prolong it’s useful life and everything else. Basically the more fruits, veggies, beans and whole unprocessed grains that you eat, the more you’re going to be feeding into better circulation, better nutrition for your gut microbiome, which actually we’re now learning that our gut microbiome actually makes the vast majority of our hormones. We always thought they were made by some magic somewhere in our organs. They’re actually made like 90% of them are actually made by our gut microbiome. But if we don’t have the right mix of the right gut bacteria, because we’re eating poorly, we’re eating inflammatory food, we’re eating too much meat and too much process stuff. We’re not going to have the right bugs. So the more fruits and veggies, beans, and whole grains, you eat the better off. You’re going to be with feeding those guys right. And feeding you food that’s also going to be better for you and help stabilize weight, help stabilize blood pressure, inflammation, all those other things.

Rayna Neises: 13:59

So that diet is a really important key for ourselves. And then again, we know that as we’re taking care of ourselves, it makes it easier to take care of our loved ones. And so, just making sure that we’re really not going the easy route And grabbing all the processed foods and all the simple things like that, but rather go with the whole foods and less processed things.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 14:20

And when you said easy route, of course you say easy route and food the first thing I think about is fresh, raw fruit. I always have apples and oranges and other fresh fruit on hand and have that available that’s my go to in the afternoons. When I get that lall and most people go for a candy bar. I go eat a fresh apple. Does the same thing and as much better for me.

Rayna Neises: 14:51

And it’s a key of what you had said earlier too, you’re being prepared by having those things and having them available. So it’s just like the other routines that we talked about. If that’s part of the routine is to grab something that’s easy and you don’t have to prepare at all ,like fruit. Then it’s definitely just part of what, what happens. So whether it be that afternoon tea that you actually sit And enjoy an apple or an orange with your loved one just making those rituals or rhythms in life that can help feed our souls as well as our brains.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 15:24

Also in that same line, having that cup of tea with a piece of fruit and not having the cookies in the house where they’re not calling to you in the middle of the night, and they’re not calling to the person that you’re caregiving for in the middle of the night. Having it so that those foods are not in the house is that much better for you. And it’s that little bit of discipline that we would do in other areas of our life that we may not think about doing about the food that we eat. But if we do, we will be that much better.

Rayna Neises: 16:06

Especially when we think of all the benefits that that gives us, like we mentioned earlier, as far as the hormone fluctuations and the weight gain and the hot flashes, but also the brain, just giving us all that we need to continue to be at our best mentally. It definitely feeds that.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 16:25

And you don’t need the sugar rush and the inflammation that goes along with eating the cookies and the chips or that stuff.

Rayna Neises: 16:34

So tell us more about that connection between diets and clear thinking.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 16:39

Well, basically, in a nutshell, that’s just exactly what it is. Your fruits and veggies, your beans, your whole grains. Basically they not only feed you and nourish you, they feed your gut microbiome so that they make the right quantities of all those hormones. And then you can turn around and absorb them. For example, if you eat too much animal food, one of the things about animal food is that it has its own naturally occurring sex, hormones, and growth hormones, and now if you think about it dairy is from a pregnant cow. Meat is obviously also from an animal. A chicken lays an egg every day of its life. So that takes a heck of a lot of estrogen. If you’re, if you’re eating animal foods on a daily basis, you’re feeding your body, those foods that have all those hormones in them. And you’re absorbing those directly into your system as going to raise your hormone levels in an unbalanced way. Whereas if you’re eating more, plant-based, you’re going to be eating foods that are going to settle down those hormones.

Rayna Neises: 17:59

So interesting. So if there’s one tip that you could give caregivers today, I would say, you’ve said it’s whole grains and fruits and vegetables and having them right at a hands reach so that it’s easy to go for the good thing and eliminate the bad. Did I summarize well?

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 18:18

Yes. And I just would like to put one particular caveat in there about whole grains. When I say whole grains, I don’t mean ground whole wheat flour, or even ground non wheat flour. What I mean is grain in its natural form whole brown rice, keenwah, barley oats. Actually in more in the whole grain form rather than in the pulverized form, because that pulverize form to a large extent is almost like it’s pre digested because you’ve grounded up and it’s gonna be that much quicker to absorb into your system, which is going to shoot your blood sugar levels much more unstable.

Rayna Neises: 19:04

So much to learn about how to be healthy and how to take care of ourselves. And hopefully today, listeners, you’ve just gotten a little glimpse so some of the things that really can help you to stay healthier and manage your stress and manage this season of life. Dr. Leslie, tell us the best way to learn more about what you do.

Dr. Leslie Kasanoff: 19:23

There are several places you can find me. My website is www.DrLeslieK.com. It’s just D R L E S L I E K .com. And if you are on Facebook, I have a public Facebook group called Vibrant Health Over 40. So that’s one simple way to get in touch with me. There’s contact information on my website, you can sign up for my newsletter, which is basically my blog that I send out every couple of weeks. So those are the main ways.

Rayna Neises: 20:02

Great. So listeners be sure to check out Dr. Leslie’s website at www.DrleslieK.com. Thank you again for joining us today. And just to reminder, A Season of Caring Podcast is created for the encouragement of family caregivers. If you have medical, financial, or legal questions, be sure to consult your local professionals and take heart in your season of caring.

*Transcript is an actual recount of the live conversation