Cortisol, Sleep, and Drinking Smarter in Midlife w/ Dr. Christine Boev
Welcome to Journey to the Sunny Side, the podcast where we have thoughtful conversations to explore the science of habits, uncover the secrets to mindful living, and of course, your own mindful drinking journey. All right, we're back with Doctor. Christine Boev, former ICU nurse and the founder of Master Menopause. If you haven't heard part one, we broke down what actually shifts after thirty five: hormones, workouts, body comp, and how to support yourself or your partner through it. In this second half, we start with Christine's mic drop moment: alcohol is fertilizer for cortisol.
Speaker 1:We unpack what that means for stress, sleep, recovery, and why even one or two drinks hit harder as we age. You'll get real tools if you're not going fully alcohol free, like what to choose, how to hydrate, how long it actually takes to bounce back, and what swaps are actually worth it. Let's get into it. Something you said there that I don't want to float by. Alcohol is fertilizer for cortisol.
Speaker 2:Mhmm. Yes. Yes. And that's part of the reason why like, let's say I have two glasses of wine before I go to bed. Right?
Speaker 2:And my aura ring the next morning is like, your resting heart rate was way higher than normal. Well, that's cortisol. Your heart rate variability. So with heart rate variability, higher is better. Right?
Speaker 2:If you got a nice high one, it means you're just physiologically crushing it. It'll it'll get cut in half if you drink. And that all has to do with cortisol, which is your stress hormone because alcohol causes a stress response. Right? It also disrupts your sleep, which is going to further induce that stress response.
Speaker 2:So it's a catch 22. So if you're on this journey, this health journey of health span, then you again, it better be worth it in something that is like, you know, a special occasion, whatever. Whatever it is worth it to you because it doesn't discriminate the impact. And then it's not a twenty four hour thing. It's like a forty eight hour, seventy two hour.
Speaker 2:As you get older, that impact, that lasting impact of alcohol in your system tends to linger. You know? If you go out and you drink way too much and you're my age, I'm 50, I'm gonna I'm gonna feel like garbage until, I don't know, Saturday, and it's Wednesday. Like, really? Do I want that in my life?
Speaker 2:I don't.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And, well, and I even heard a comment the other day, a guest that we had, doctor Brooke Scheller, and she made a post that cortisol doesn't even really recover for, like, seven to ten days.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Absolutely. And the other thing about cortisol, why it's so powerful is elevated cortisol also causes your immune system to function negatively. So you might end up getting sick when normally you wouldn't because your cortisol is so high and you're more susceptible to, you know, all the germs that are out there. And so, like, then do you wanna get sick too on top of it because you're on this kind of, you know, pathway of negativity from whatever the event was where you had too much to drink.
Speaker 2:It lingers. And I don't know the research on this specifically, but I just know from personal experience, the older you are, the longer it is for sure.
Speaker 1:A 100%. You know? And you I wanted to point that that saying out because sometimes that that just gets planted in somebody's head when you hear something impactful for for like that. Same with the aura ring.
Speaker 2:You
Speaker 1:know, we've I've had multiple guests who have said they've changed their drinking just based on wearing that and realizing what's going on. One one guy said he just he didn't even go crazy and had drinks and just bought the ring and saw how impactful it was. So he took a year off. Another another guy who had basically been a lifelong drink daily drinker started wearing it and same with his daughter who was in her twenties, I think. And then his was way off from hers.
Speaker 1:And then one day they matched. He's And like, oh, we have, like, the same. And she's like, yeah. I went out and got trashed last night. Oh, yeah.
Speaker 1:And then he was like, oh, man. I got you know, I need to make this change. I don't know if I could wear one of those because I feel like I would get a little too obsessive on it just knowing my personality. I'd rather just get a baseline to know where I am. But I will say, you know, I'm a big I'm big into breath work.
Speaker 1:And if I drink within couple days within, doing a breath work, Like, do Wim Hof with retentions. I have really long retentions, you know, five, six minute retentions holding my breath. But if I drink within days, it's, like, cut in half. Mhmm. And that's sort of my barometer for for how my health and rest is.
Speaker 1:Like, if I haven't slept well, my breath work is retention times are down. If if I'm stressed, they're down because my heart rate's higher and all these other variables. And so that's my little aura ring, but, yeah, it definitely is impactful. So that said, I don't think it's a giant shocker to anybody listening that it's not great for us and that it can disrupt these hormonal and metabolic changes. What's the path if just going completely abstinent isn't in the cards for somebody?
Speaker 1:What what do you suggest?
Speaker 2:To me, abstinence is easier than dabbling. And that's just from my own experience. You know? You can try to limit it to, like, two drinks a week, but it's so much easier to just be like, I'm just not gonna do this. And you don't you don't tend to crave it when you've had, like, ten days of no alcohol, and then you're just like, I don't really want that because I remember what it feels like.
Speaker 2:What I tell my clients who are like, I like to drink. I'm social. That's fine. Like, let's, like, let's figure out how we can do this in a way that's not gonna completely sabotage your progress. So what I recommend is water and then a clear spirit like vodka, tequila, club soda, lime, water, and then, like, just really try to dilute out as much as you can.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't go over two drinks. I think that's when, you know, all your whole judgment is out the window in terms of making good decisions about nutrition. So if if that's what you're gonna do, that would be my recommendation is just overhydrate and in between those those drinks of clear spirits, just lots and lots of water and electrolytes.
Speaker 1:Tell me about why the cleared spirits?
Speaker 2:Well, when you think about it from a calorie and a carbohydrate and a metabolism standpoint, it's got the the least amount of, caloric load compared to a beer, a glass of wine. The other thing that I've noticed for women in particular is our ability to metabolize wine, especially like white and red wine, well, those are the only two. But, like, when you'd wanna drink wine as you get older, the negative ramifications tend to ramp up. So it has to do with hormones. It has to do with your metabolism.
Speaker 2:But the hangover effect from wine tends to be a lot more significant than just drinking vodka or tequila. Headaches, you know, all of the metabolites, the tannins, the things in the the wine tend to stick with us. Beer, in my opinion, is probably the the worst thing that you can drink because of the heavy amounts of gluten. It's just a heavy, you know, carb loaded beverage. Unless you're gonna drink something like McUltra, which is kinda like water.
Speaker 2:So I don't know if you really want that. You you gotta decide. Yeah. And then as far as, like, the the sugary margaritas, like, it's just a no in my opinion.
Speaker 1:I totally agree. You know, I find myself though, in all honesty, finding it difficult because I know and have read about which of the least or the the worst and which ones are probably, like, the the least worst, which you mentioned there. And, like, yeah, I could totally enjoy a tequila and soda, but I also know that I would just sip sip that thing break down. Mhmm. And then it'd be gone.
Speaker 1:Whereas, like, a and I and I'm more in potential for having another and then maybe crossing that line. Whereas, like, a beer, which I know is the worst, but then I'm like, well, if I just sip the one beer, I can have it for a long time, and I probably won't progress quite as fast. So, you know, like Yeah. I think the reason I'm saying that is just that you know you, whoever's listening, and, you know, if you can make that healthier choice and it works for you, or if you're like me and you're a barbarian and you just chug everything down quick, coffee, water, tequila, and soda. Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, just know who you are.
Speaker 2:I think it depends on your goals. Right? Most of my clients are looking to lose weight and body fat, which is why the clear spirits make a little bit more sense. But, yeah, you're right. Like, that thing could be gone in five minutes.
Speaker 2:It's 90 degrees outside and it you know, you're sitting at the pool and like, oh, where where did that go? Right? Like I said, it's a slippery slope. And if if you can, just not because you're on a mission to improve your health span. That's that is your best case scenario.
Speaker 2:You know, there's we've been, dabbling in some mocktails, and there's a lot of different things coming out now with, like, adaptogens that make you feel, you know, like you're bougie and sophisticated, but there's no alcohol in there. So I'm always looking for, like, the next best thing, you know, like a mocktail that doesn't have a lot of sugar, but maybe has stuff in there that's good for me. You know? But there's great alternatives now when there didn't used to be.
Speaker 1:Yes. There are a ton of them out there. In fact, I can barely keep up with them. You know, some of them adaptogens, some of them, the delta THC, which is like the legal version of of marijuana. Not a fan my myself, but I know a lot of people are.
Speaker 1:But, you know, one thing I wanna ask you is that, like, let's say somebody starts on a path. They're understanding what's going on. They've cut out alcohol or at least, like, significantly lowered it to a moderate amount, and maybe they're working out and eating well. They're doing all the right things, but they're still not feeling better. How do you approach that conversation?
Speaker 2:Well, it depends. So I'm very focused on nutrition. And nutrition is really the cornerstone of your health and wellness when you're going through perimenopause and menopause. So we I wanna make sure that that is dialed in, and that is the hardest variable to tweak. Because if you're eating the standard American diet, then you are nutritionally deficient.
Speaker 2:So I like to start there and really make sure that it that they are eating the way that I am prescribing them to eat. And honestly, Mike, if you're if you're eating well and you're following your nutrition and your workouts, like, you're just gonna feel better. There there is there's no way around it. You are gonna feel like a different person. You know, there's a lot of different other ways to level up.
Speaker 2:And the next thing I would say is let's talk about supplementation. I think supplements are a really important part of your health and wellness journey. It's a they're a big part of my life in helping me to hit my protein goal, maintain optimal health and wellness. And so but that, again, there's there's a thousand different supplements out there. So I like to be really targeted in terms of what you actually need and what is just not worth the money with supplements.
Speaker 1:Yes. Yeah. That's a whole other conversation. I mean, not only what to take, but where to source it because Oh, yeah. There's all kinds of things going on.
Speaker 1:You never know where it's coming from. You don't know the the purity, the bioavailability, the pricing, or if it even works at all.
Speaker 2:Yeah. 1000%. I agree. You've gotta do your homework. And, you know, for me, like, I know where my supplements come from.
Speaker 2:They're all third party tested, and I've had great results. And so, you know, you've gotta you've gotta use what works for you, but some people just go crazy. They're like, I'm gonna do all the supplements. And it's like, well, let's fix let's fix the basics first. Right?
Speaker 2:And then we can worry about all the other things that you can incorporate into your life.
Speaker 1:Well, I I certainly love that nutrition is, like, the foundation for you. And I'll throw you a compliment. You can tell that nutrition is and eating right is something that you've been doing for a long time because you look very healthy.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Fit, of course. But but what I learned early even in the nineties when fitness had all kinds of wacky, ideas, still was somebody told me, like, muscle and gained and being athletic, it's 80% diet Mhmm. And 20% in the gym. And when you start to approach it like that, boy, you don't even have to spend nearly as much time in the gym and look even better than you did if you gave little importance to meals and hours in the gym.
Speaker 2:Yeah. You can't exercise a bad diet, and people have tried. And it gets harder as you get older. I'm in the gym for forty five minutes. I don't have all this time to linger and, you know, so my workouts are very strategic, very focused.
Speaker 2:I'm in and out, and I'm done. And that's a lot a lot of people my age, you know, we're busy. We don't have time to to spend in the gym for two hours a day. So how can I get in there, do my workout, get the most bang for my buck, but focusing on nutrition, specifically protein, and getting enough protein to help support that muscle growth, that's the most important thing? And then eating a whole foods diet where you're not grabbing the pretzels and the Pringles and, you know, all the prepackaged stuff that are so ultra processed that they cause our appetite to be so abnormally stimulated that our our brain doesn't even know what to do with it.
Speaker 2:And that's the problem right now with these highly processed foods is they're so addictive, and they're meant to be addictive that, you know, you're right. You can't just eat one potato chip. You're not supposed to. They're designed that way. But, boy, it's easy to, you know, fall into that trap.
Speaker 1:It is. And it's really difficult to eat healthy. And I just did an episode. I don't wanna sound, like a broken record, but, like, when I was in Europe, it was a lot easier to find whole foods than it is here. And even when I find a lot of what I think are whole foods, they still make me feel sick because I just think that there's there's an element in our food industry that's not giving us what we think we're getting, unfortunately.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Absolutely. And, you know, eating seasonally is so important so that, like, if it's, you know, August, so right now, watermelon, peaches, cherries, like, eat what's in season. In January, you should not be eating peaches and cherries. Right?
Speaker 2:You should be eating citrus fruits. And that way, at least you're going to be getting, you know, what nature is trying to provide for you. We eat a lot of meat in my family, and everything is locally sourced organic, like grass fed, no garbage in it. And because that's where we get our protein, and I want good high quality protein that isn't full of a bunch of hormones and antibiotics and all that stuff that I know is gonna make me sick. But you're right.
Speaker 2:Like, you go to Europe, it's it's way easier. Right? They have a lot more regulation on their food than we do.
Speaker 1:Yes. And it's a lot cheaper. The the problem also that, you know, you said there is, like, of course, I always wanna eat grass fed if possible, but it's just so difficult here, and that's an unfortunate thing. But I just think it's about being informed and I think be it's a little off topic that we're talking, Doug, but it seems to be very on topic, correct, as as far as, like, this period for women to really be conscientious of what they're putting in their bodies as far as food and drink and everything else.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And you're feeding your family. So I cook for my entire family, my husband, my kids. I wanna make sure they are fueled appropriately just like I am. And remember as parents, like, kids are watching you.
Speaker 2:So everything that you do, everything that you eat, every bottle of beer that you drink, you are validating that that is what is supposed to be done for your kids. And I've got two kids in college right now, and you wanna talk about alcohol. You know, it is, it is difficult to parent in a way that I'm like, okay. I understand. You're in college.
Speaker 2:You know, you're gonna do these things. Let's be smart about it, and let's make good decisions. But my kids go to the gym every day. They're super conscientious about what they eat because my husband and I have role modeled for them. So don't ever underestimate the power that you have as a role model to teach your family how to live well.
Speaker 2:It's so important.
Speaker 1:So well said. And sometimes sometimes it's a great motivator for us to do the right thing because we don't always wanna do it for ourselves. But if you have an outside motivation, that could just be that extra thing. I mean, we always really, in an unselfish way, should do things for ourself first, but that doesn't mean that we can't use these other reasons to push us forward and do do better for everyone.
Speaker 2:Yeah. They you are the biggest influence in your household. So everything that you do is they're watching you. And it's hard. Right?
Speaker 2:We're not gonna all be perfect all the time. But if our messaging and our actions speak louder than our words, then that is going to trickle down in a positive way. And it's not just your kids. It's your neighbors, your friends, your coworkers. You know, they see you show up to lunch, and you've got your, you know, your protein and all the stuff here and talk to them about it and explain to people what you're doing to live a better life because there's so much misinformation and confusion.
Speaker 2:You know, you could be a really positive influence for good for people.
Speaker 1:So so true. Alright. Now let's do a little bit of fun stuff. Let's do the lightning round.
Speaker 2:Alright.
Speaker 1:I'm just gonna throw some stuff at you and see see how it goes. I think it's gonna be great. So okay. First one is a red flag women often overlook.
Speaker 2:Oof. Confusion, brain fog. It's not normal.
Speaker 1:Confusion and brain fog.
Speaker 2:It's not normal. So once you start to feel like, oh my you can't remember people's names. You can't remember, you know, where your keys are. That's something you should not just be like, oh, that's normal.
Speaker 1:That's a great one. Yeah. Because that's easily written off. You know? Yeah.
Speaker 1:Alright. A belief about alcohol and health that you'd love to see go away.
Speaker 2:Oh, that red wine is gonna help your cardiovascular system. That was a study that was done a while ago with resveratrol, and what they found was you actually have to have, like, two barrels of red wine to get the impact of the cardiovascular. Just go for a walk. It's way better.
Speaker 1:It is so ridiculous. I'm glad you said that one. I mean, it is just a big marketing ploy. Oh, it's mean, don't
Speaker 2:believe that. We're like, wait. I thought this was good for
Speaker 1:me. Yeah. I mean, we all wanna look for excuses to justify things that we want to do.
Speaker 2:Oh, listen. I love red wine. I think it tastes amazing. It just doesn't love me. So, you know, I'll drink it.
Speaker 2:I will feel like complete garbage the next day, so it's just not worth it.
Speaker 1:I'm with you. I love red wine too. That's probably my favorite.
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:And I also know that that was always the one when I overindulged was the one that made me feel horrible. That and beer. Always beer.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Of course.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Alright. A supplement that you often recommend.
Speaker 2:Creatine. So creatine monohydrate is a no brainer. It is the most studied for safety and efficacy. One of the things is that women think, oh, it's a it's a male supplement. No.
Speaker 2:Actually, women should be taking it as well. It helps with your muscle, your energy. It helps with brain health, and it literally has no side effects. So that's that's a no brainer is take your creatine every day.
Speaker 1:That is that's one that's so trending because that was, like, an that was back when I told you that advice around the diet and stuff. Mhmm. I was also taking creatine, like, 18, 19 years old. It was, like, brand new to market, and then it just kinda, like, under the radar for, like, decades. Now it's just boom.
Speaker 1:Every for everyone, though.
Speaker 2:It's
Speaker 1:And for other reasons.
Speaker 2:Everybody should take it. I mean, unless there's some re you know, I'm not giving you health advice, but, like, consider it as part of your supplement stack because it is so beneficial. It basically helps your cells work better. It's the energy. It makes the ATP.
Speaker 2:And so we all need that from 15 year olds to 80 year olds. Like, we could all use that help. So I'm glad it's more mainstream. It's not expensive. And it's I do the unflavored, so it just goes into my water, and I don't even know it's there.
Speaker 1:Super easy to take. And, yeah, it is a it's, like, very affordable and lots of options.
Speaker 2:So
Speaker 1:I like that. Alright. Last one. Your go to reset when you're feeling off.
Speaker 2:I have an infrared sauna in my basement, and I am obsessed with it. So I love to go down there thirty minutes, quiet. It's got a red light, and it is amazing to detoxify, to help with your cardiovascular system. The health and wellness benefits of an infrared sauna are endless, and it's just a nice quiet place to meditate, breathe, and reset.
Speaker 1:Couldn't agree more. I mean, my health club when I was young, 16, 17, had a sauna and a steam room, and I just got hooked. And I've always used them throughout my life. And when I don't have one or access to one, it's a massive difference. Like, mental health and just the way I feel Yeah.
Speaker 1:When you leave those, you feel like a million bucks. Absolutely.
Speaker 2:And then if there was a bonus question, I would throw a cold plunge in there as well because the mental health benefits of a daily morning cold plunge have been demonstrated, and it's such an easy thing. You know? Three minutes and, like, the weight of the world was off your shoulders.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah. I love me a cold plunge or a cold ice cold shower
Speaker 2:if So
Speaker 1:Yeah. Christine, this has been amazing. I want to give you the stage a little bit to just talk about the projects that you're working on right now that you're really excited about. And if anybody wants to learn more or contact you, what the best way to do that is?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So, my website is mastermenopause.com. And, you know, my biggest project right now is helping as many women as possible to reclaim their health. So I work with women one on one. I design their fitness nutrition programs.
Speaker 2:I provide them with that accountability so that, you know, they don't quit. And I don't mess around, you know. It's an investment in you. It's an investment in me, and I take it very seriously because I want all of my clients to be wildly successful in this health journey so that they can live a really long life. You can also find me on Instagram.
Speaker 2:It's Doctor Christine Boeb. And, you know, you can message me. I'm really responsive, and I would really love to help as many people as I can.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you for sharing that. I mean, in all the research I've done, you're highly qualified. You're definitely genuine and caring. And thank you so much for coming on here and sharing with everybody listening. So if anybody's listening, definitely reach out to Christine.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:This podcast is brought to you by Sunnyside, the number one alcohol moderation platform, having helped hundreds of thousands of people cut out more than 13,000,000 drinks since 2020. And in fact, an independent study showed that Sunnyside reduced alcohol consumption by an average of 30% in ninety days. And as one of our members shared, Sunnyside helps me stay mindful of my drinking habits. It's not super restrictive. So if I'm craving a glass of wine with dinner, I just track it and I move on with my week.
Speaker 1:If you could benefit from drinking a bit less and being more mindful of when and how much you drink, head on over to sunnyside.co to get a free fifteen day trial. You'll get access to everything that we offer, including tracking and planning tools, coaching from our experts, a vibrant community of people just like you, and the motivation and advice to stay on track with your health goals, all with no pressure to quit. That's sunnyside.co.
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