Words of Wellness with Shelly

Your Health Is Your Greatest Wealth: Breaking Free from Hormonal Struggles

• Shelly Jefferis • Season 2 • Episode 76

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When Monika Eva found herself gaining weight and battling fatigue in her twenties despite eating clean and exercising regularly, her doctor dismissed her concerns and offered only birth control or antidepressants as solutions. That pivotal moment launched her into discovering the complex world of hormone health—and eventually becoming a hormone nutritionist who's helped thousands of women reclaim their vitality.

On this eye-opening episode, Monika reveals why so many women struggle with hormone-related symptoms that conventional medicine often misses. She explains how the current buzz around perimenopause has created both awareness and confusion, with many receiving inadequate or generic advice that fails to address their unique biochemistry.

The conversation dives deep into the transformative power of functional testing beyond standard bloodwork. Monika walks us through how she evaluates the complete hormone picture through dried urine testing, gut health analysis, and mineral status assessment—revealing why two women with identical symptoms often need completely different protocols. You'll discover why minerals are truly the "spark plugs" for your hormones and how chronic stress rapidly depletes these essential nutrients, creating a cascade of hormone dysfunction.

Most importantly, this episode challenges the notion that symptoms like unexplained weight gain, energy crashes, brain fog, and mood swings are inevitable parts of aging or womanhood. Trust your intuition when something feels off in your body. Whether you're in your twenties or navigating perimenopause, Monika offers hope and practical wisdom for reclaiming your health when traditional approaches have failed.

CONNECT WITH MONIKA: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monikaeeva

https://www.monikaeva.com/whatsblockingyou?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAab_f4_XWrudwU11-SEgyNj1ScFG40W3Lo280bLryGkkuArDy2_WB5VI3Bc_aem_pkxHaaNDafgc96tKQpX7yQ

CONNECT WITH SHELLY:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellnesswithshellyj
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Thank you for listening to the Words of Wellness podcast with Shelly Jefferis. I am honored and so grateful to have you here and it would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to follow, leave a 5-star review and share the podcast with anyone you love and anyone you feel could benefit from the message.

Thank you and God Bless!
And remember to do something for yourself, for your wellness on this day!

In Health,
Shelly Jefferis

Speaker 1:

And I said I think we need to look deeper, Like there's definitely something there. And so his answer was I can either put you on birth control or prescribe you an antidepressant, because that's all I really have. And when I insisted that maybe we test my hormones, he basically told me that I couldn't really waste any endocrinologist's time because there was nothing actually wrong with me and I was way too young to be having a hormone imbalance.

Speaker 2:

Do you get confused by all of the information that bombard us every day on ways to improve our overall health and our overall wellness? Do you often feel stuck, unmotivated or struggle to reach your wellness goals? Do you have questions as to what exercises you should be doing, what foods you should or should not be eating, how to improve your overall emotional and mental well-being? Hello everyone, I am so excited to welcome you to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly Jeffries and I will be your host. My goal is to answer these questions and so much more to share tips, education and inspiration around all of the components of wellness through solo and guest episodes.

Speaker 2:

With 35 plus years as a health and wellness professional, a retired college professor, a speaker and a multi-passionate entrepreneur, I certainly have lots to share. However, my biggest goal and inspiration in doing this podcast is to share the wellness stories of others with you, to bring in guests who can share their journey so that we can all learn together. While making an impact on the health, the wellness and lives of all of you, our listeners can enhance the quality of your life, and that you will. We all will, now and into the future, live our best quality of lives, full of energy, happiness and joy. Now let's dive into our message for today.

Speaker 2:

Hello everyone, and welcome to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly Jeffries and I will be your host, and I am very excited to welcome my guest, my friend. This is our second time to jump on the podcast together and she has a wealth of knowledge, so I cannot wait to dive in. But she has helped thousands of women lose weight naturally and her specialty is holistic weight loss and balancing our hormones. So, monica, eva, how are you doing?

Speaker 1:

I am doing so great. I'm so excited for us to have this conversation, Shelley.

Speaker 2:

I am so excited. Also, I know that we have shared some discussions in the past and I just feel like this is such important information, especially this time, for whatever reason, and it's a good thing. The discussion around hormones perimenopause, premenopause, menopause, postmenopause it's all more and more out in the open, more so than I think ever. Are you noticing that?

Speaker 1:

A thousand percent. I feel like the world woke up in 2025 and said we got to talk about perimenopause. Now everyone, on every single platform, is talking about it and it's actually interesting because even you know, going out in passing, like there'll be complete strangers and I don't know, you're like in an elevator and you comment about the weather and a woman will say like, oh, I don't mind that it's so cold because I'm in perimenopause, like I'm enjoying this, right, and it's like. It's funny because people actually joke about their symptoms or things that they're going through and how they're navigating perimenopause, even to complete strangers, because now everyone is aware of what's actually happening in their body.

Speaker 2:

Well, I think it just is a testament to the fact that it's just a natural part of what women go through, and I know someone recently kind of likened it to going through puberty and talking about that like and that again, when I was growing up it wasn't talked about a lot. I guess it just takes time and generations later to be like. This is just a part of our natural, you know, progression of life, our health, our bodies, and I'm open to talk about anything usually and so I'm excited that it is becoming more and more discussed and it's not something to be ashamed of by any means, because we all go through it.

Speaker 1:

Well, that's the thing, we all go through it, and you know. But with that being said, the fact that everyone's talking about it, the fact that everyone's talking about it, it also leaves a lot of room for women to receive misinformation, because in everyone talking about perimenopause like I don't know if you've noticed this, but a lot of people are all of a sudden like perimenopause coaches, and it almost happened overnight, because it's a really it's like a big buzzword right now, right, and so it's really important that the information you're getting is legitimate and it's not just from someone who, you know, decided to become or to call themselves a perimenopause coach for the sake of marketing.

Speaker 2:

That's where you come into play, and you've been doing this now, monica, for how many years?

Speaker 1:

So I've actually been a full-time hormone nutritionist since 2018.

Speaker 2:

So for quite a while, yeah, so that's the thing I think for people like yourself, you're going. Okay, I've been, I've been sharing about this for a while. I kind of liken it. You know, we talked about this one other time about toxin exposure. That's something that I talk about as well, and I have for years, and I've shared about this topic with my college students for at least a decade, probably more. And now to see it becoming more and more widely discussed and shared and people becoming more aware of like wow, I didn't realize this chemical was in the food that I'm eating or the water that I'm drinking or the shampoo that I'm using, whatever it is, but it's the same kind of thing. I think that it's just so exciting that it's becoming widely discussed and people are becoming more and more aware, and that's a really, really positive thing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, for sure. I mean. I love that this topic is now mainstream, right? People are just becoming a lot more aware, they're more interested. I also think that now more than ever, people are realizing just how important their health is, whereas maybe in the past it was like, oh, it's just part of life and you kind of shrug it off, like you placed a value on other things, whereas now I think people actually, like it's starting to click where your health really is your greatest wealth. And, you know, even though perimenopause, for instance, is something that every woman's going to experience, it doesn't have to suck.

Speaker 2:

That's the main message. I think it doesn't have to be such a struggle, and that's another really beautiful thing is that we can find ways to navigate it. It doesn't take over our lives in a negative way, right? Exactly. So take the listeners back, and me as well, to kind of the process that you go through with women, because you work with women one-on-one mostly, or do you do group so it's actually like a fusion of one-on-one and group.

Speaker 1:

Things have kind of changed a little bit in the business. So I have a membership depending on the level of oh how do I word this? I guess the level that someone wants to invest in themselves, or how much time they want to spend, or even, like you know, the degree of the symptoms that they're experiencing. But there's a membership. We also have, like a group program where we run all the full functional testing, which I'll explain why that's so important, especially when you're going through perimenopause and then, of course, there's the option to add on one-on-one. So everyone is a little bit different in terms of the support they're looking for, and so I'm just trying really hard to meet everyone kind of where they're at with what they need.

Speaker 2:

And that makes so much sense because I think about that often with my moms who flourish community. I think, okay, there are some moms and women and moms in your case who want that one-on-one attention and need it a little bit more intensely, and then others who want to be a part of that group setting. And I think it just depends on the person also, and I tend to think a group setting is great because you get a little bit more support of others going through similar experiences. But for some again, they need a little bit more one-on-one and they want to go a little bit deeper. So that's probably what you're experiencing, I would guess.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, like a little mix of everything. So I find that even with my one-on-one clients they still get access to the group. It's just the one-on-one is for those that want that extra individualized support, so to speak.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that makes sense. So for our listeners, I want to encourage you to go back and I should have looked it up. The first episode that Monica and I did together. She shared her history and her story. So go back to that episode and I again I should look it up and see which number it is. But it's early on. It was about a year ago I think we hopped on. But just for our listeners who are new today, can you maybe share like a little bit of a brief background of what you experienced?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, absolutely so. For the majority of my life I struggled with losing weight and you know, then I finally like figured it out. I was so excited. So I was probably like in my late teens, early 20s, like between 18 and 21, let's say, and you know, I felt really good. But I did this by following a heavy caloric restriction, like really dialing in on, like macros, working out and basically doing all these things that like my 20 year old body was able to to do and to actually properly respond to. And then it kind of backfired on me.

Speaker 1:

A couple of years went by, I was in university and I just like all of a sudden gained about 25 pounds, but nothing had really changed. Like I was still eating very clean, I was still working out, I was doing all this stuff, and so in my mind I was like I just need to work out harder and longer, push myself even harder than I was, I need to restrict more, and so it just it didn't really feel good until things got to a point where my energy started to suffer as well. Like there were days so this is once I was like working in the legal industry, I literally there were days where I couldn't get out of bed, and so I knew that something was wrong. So, just like anyone else would do, you go to your family doctor and you start telling them about your symptoms, right? So at this point I'm like in my mid twenties and so I'm sharing, like I don't have the energy, like my I'm getting these monthly migraines. My menstrual cycle is kind of doing these like weird things. It's not like crazy bad, but it's not normal for me. And so I don't like how I'm feeling. My body's not responding properly to my diet, to my exercise routines. I'm gaining weight Like I don't know what's going on.

Speaker 1:

And so my doctor ran very standard labs and then told me everything looks normal. And so I refused to accept that answer and I said I think we need to look deeper, like there's definitely something there. And so his answer was I can either put you on birth control or prescribe you an antidepressant, because that's all I really have. And when I insisted that maybe we test my hormones, he basically told me that I couldn't really waste any endocrinologists time because there was nothing actually wrong with me and I was way too young to be having a hormone imbalance. And so at this point I had enrolled in holistic nutrition school because I was already very health conscious and I knew that there was something missing, like I knew that you know, this wasn't it. There was something deeper, and I was just so determined to go and figure it out.

Speaker 1:

And so it was inside of holistic nutrition school that it dawned on me Like I had this light bulb moment that went off that I think I have a hormone imbalance, and it's not like your typical sex hormone imbalance where something's going on with your estrogen or progesterone that a doctor would flag or not even like specifically like a thyroid needing medication. It was something else, and so back then we used to call it adrenal fatigue. Now it's correctly known as dysregulated, like HPA access, basically, and so my cortisol was just completely dysregulated. I had a sluggish thyroid, actually did have progesterone deficiency, but nobody was testing that, and so I ended up studying hormones in depth, like advanced women's hormones, advanced gut health, and I really got to the root cause of what I was experiencing. I reduced all this inflammation in my body like support, like just did all this stuff, like literally a wild transformation, and within six months my energy completely came back. I released 25 pounds and like the rest is basically history.

Speaker 2:

It's so amazing. I am so fascinated when I hear your story and I've heard it a couple of few times now. Just the fact one, how young you were. And two again not to bash any doctor, but many times back then and even probably now, they don't have the education in hormone health, just like many of them don't have much education in nutrition, and they'll admit that. They'll admit that. So I think it's such a huge testament and again, for the listeners to know that we have to advocate for ourselves and our health.

Speaker 2:

Even this day and age, even though this happened to you many years ago, it's still so important that if something doesn't feel right, then it probably isn't.

Speaker 2:

If we feel like we need to get more information or second opinion, we probably should, and I think that that's another area that's evolved.

Speaker 2:

I feel like, whereas you know, when I talk about this with others and we've talked about it, I've talked about with other people on my podcast years ago we were so much more trusting not that we don't trust our doctors, it's not that at all but I think now people are more apt to stand up for themselves and ask for more or ask for a second opinion, whatever that looks like.

Speaker 2:

Again, doctors are only human and I think that there was a time when, whatever they would say, that was it right. That's what we would go by, rather than I can't even think of ever questioning what my doctor told me years ago. I would never think of it right. But now you know there's so much more to it and there's so many intricacies to our overall health in so many different ways that I just think, looking back, for you, it's just so, so much gratitude I would think to for you to be able to connect the dots and like so grateful that you were led to going to school and studying this, because that's what has led you to where you are today but also ultimately helped you with your health.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and you know what? The thing, shelley, that I want to mention is that a lot of times, women think like, if I go to my doctor and my doctor says everything's fine, then things must be fine. But what we fail to recognize, like, time and time again and it's nobody's fault, because this is kind of what's been instilled in us, you know, to this day, like, for instance, my mom, she's of the generation that doctors know best, and if the doctor says this, then it's golden, you kind of like move on, whereas I find that my generation, like the millennials, are more so, like no, I'm not okay with that. And we're recognizing that, hey, doctors actually, like what they do is they treat disease, and a hormone imbalance isn't a disease, it's a condition. And a hormone imbalance isn't a disease, it's a condition.

Speaker 1:

And so you know, it'd be really silly of us to think that we can go to a doctor and say, hey, like I'm experiencing low energy and I can't lose weight, and then have the doctor give us a solid answer manage disease. They. They aren't taking like a preventative approach. They're also not going to be, like, you know, a little sidekick that's going to tell you like, clean up your nutrition and then let's take a look. What's going on with your hormones specifically. How's cortisol affecting you? Like, maybe you're burnt out because that's not something that they were taught to do.

Speaker 2:

Well, that's the thing nowadays, too, is I notice more and more are focusing more on the holistic approach, which is a wonderful thing, and I find more and more doctors and health practitioners are looking at the root cause, like you're saying, and this is such an excellent point. And again, we need doctors. They're amazing. They're incredible. This is not in any way to bash them, but, like you're saying, it's such an excellent point that you're making, and I think I want to just really stress this for all the listeners that that's what they are trained in. They are trained in treating, not so much preventing or looking at the cause, but how can we treat where you are at right, here and now? And most of the time, if not all of the time, that involves some kind of medication, right?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, like it's kind of similar to you. You know, I don't know walking and then something happens with your ankle. You go to your doctor. Your doctor is going to say, oh, I'm just going to rule out it being broken or that you like pulled a tendon or something right, even if it's sprained, your doctor can't really do much for you, but you can be super convinced, like you know what you feel like in your body. You go to your doctor. You're like but my ankle doesn't feel good. They can send you for screenings, but the screenings they're sending you for is they're just looking to see if something's broken or if a ligament is torn and if those screenings come back all clear, you're kind of left with the ankle that's hurting you, right. So it's kind of similar to like the hormone imbalance. It's like you feel that pain. It's really frustrating, but it's not broken enough for them to operate or give you a prescription.

Speaker 2:

It's such a great point and it's so true. How often do you hear of cases where someone does go to the doctor and they have these different symptoms like you're describing and it doesn't really fit any any kind cause us right, and we tend to not know exactly? We know in our minds, in our bodies, we know how stress affects us, but for us to go to the doctor and say I have these symptoms and for them to say it's stress, it's still such a gray area and I kind of feel like this is a little bit of that, even though it's getting more clear. And same thing I know we talked about on one of our other conversations. It reminds me of the symptoms that we experience when we're exposed to toxins. It's the same, real similar, but you can't really pinpoint it right.

Speaker 2:

You don't go to a doctor and go. I have foggy brain, I'm not sleeping well, I can't lose weight, all of these things, and they're going to go. Oh, it's toxin related. That doesn't happen yet. I mean maybe in the future. But again, I feel like it goes back to your point that they're treating a disease and if there's not a clear cut diagnosis, then these other potential things that are going on with our bodies might not be discovered or talked about, maybe unless again, they specialize. If they specialize in the hormones, and that's a wonderful thing. I just think it's great, great what you were doing. And you test women. So when they come into your program, what are some things that you do again, kind of initial testing to see where they're at?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so inside the balanced body methods this is my three months like holistic weight loss, hormone balancing transformation program we actually run three different functional tests. So we run the Dutch test, which measures your hormones through dried urine and saliva, because we want to see not just what's happening with your estrogen and progesterone, because definitely in perimenopause there's going to be fluctuations with these hormones. They're likely not going to be, you know, as balanced optimally as we want to see, and so and that's normal. However, there's also other hormones that are in your body that definitely affect all of these other symptoms that you're experiencing as a perimenopausal woman. Everything from you mentioned the brain fog, energy metabolism, like the weight being you know how it feels on your body like your libido, vaginal dryness, like all this different stuff. It's all intertwined and so we want to look at your cortisol. So I definitely look at your daily cortisol pattern, so that's measuring cortisol at all five points throughout the day. If you're someone who struggles with insomnia, we'll also do like an overnight sample just to make sure that you know cortisol is like, what's going on with it, so that we can correctly get you on the right strategy to stop this sleep disruption from happening. We look at your androgen levels, like your testosterone, your DHEA, dheas, like we get very deep into what's happening with those hormones as well as the way that your body's utilizing them. So it's very different from blood work, because with blood we're just getting like a snapshot of what's happening with the hormones that are circulating in your blood in that moment of time that the blood is being drawn, whereas with the Dutch test it's more of like a you know, like a bigger picture of how your body's actually using it, cause it's one thing for these hormones to be circulating in your blood, it's another thing for your body to actually be using them. So that's why we run the Dutch test.

Speaker 1:

Now I also take things a step further and we run a gut health test. It's called the GI stool map. So we take a sample of your stool, send it off to a lab and we scan it for pathogens. So we see, basically, do you have any bacterial pathogens? Are there any parasitic infections, yeast or candida overgrowth? Is there any opportunistic bacteria? That's causing an imbalance between the good bacteria the bad bacteria, because all of that is actually going to affect things like your immune system, your hormones, your metabolism, your mood, your energy, like all the different things.

Speaker 1:

Um, because, especially when we're dealing with like hormone imbalances and what's happening with hormones, it's never the hormone's fault why a hormone is acting a certain way.

Speaker 1:

There's always something deeper rooted that's causing the hormone to signal the way it is. So whether hormones are tanked or depleted or too high, it's because there's something else that's causing that response in the body. So that's why we do like the very thorough testing. Then the other thing that we test is your mineral status, and we do this through hair tissue, and the reason why so it's called the hair tissue mineral analysis, why I love it so much, is because minerals are the spark plugs to your hormones, and you would be shocked if I told you the amount of women that have low mineral status and are also complaining of things like low energy, a sluggish metabolism, weight being super glued to their body, pretty much, brain fog, low libido, mood swings, like just irritability, all this different stuff. And so when we take a look at what's happening with their minerals whether it's imbalances in minerals or maybe mineral toxicity in the body like heavy metals, and we start working on that, it's incredible how fast a transformation can happen.

Speaker 2:

That's so incredible because I think back when I made some adjustments in my nutrition over 10 years ago. I know, I'm sure that I was deficient in minerals because I, even though I had the education, I knew what to do, but I didn't really come to my attention. Until those moments, I didn't really realize how deficient our nutrition is. So as I'm thinking, ok, I'm having spinach every night, oh no, well, that's great, but the amount of nutrition you're getting in that spinach is next to almost zero. So the minerals I'm so glad you bring that up, because they really truly are the spark plugs that we need to feel our best and have our energy. We need those minerals also to be able to absorb the vitamins, and so many of us are not. We're not getting either, at least not a high quality that we're able to utilize by our bodies. That's huge.

Speaker 1:

And huge. And you know what I just want to add, that people also think like oh, minerals, you know, we just need to eat a healthy diet and we need to eat. You know, even if you get on like a greens powder or like a mineral powder, but truthfully, like a greens powder or like a mineral powder, but truthfully, your lifestyle will also dictate how fast or how much of those minerals get depleted. So if you are someone who's stressed out and you might not feel like you're stressed out, because if you're anything like me, you might be very ambitious, like very go-getter, like go, go, go, go go all the time. There's no rest, you're always just pushing through to the next thing, right, when you're like that, that's stress in your body.

Speaker 1:

The first mineral to be depleted is magnesium. When magnesium's depleted, you aren't going to feel really good because it's also it's a co-factor for so many different processes in the body and it's so needed by hormones like progesterone and estrogen, cortisol, like all these hormones needed. And if you're in perimenopause, on top of that, it's like these minerals are already depleted because of what's happening in your body naturally. Hormones are already depleted because of the transition into menopause. Like you have this natural decline in hormones. So it's almost like you have to work a little bit extra hard to ensure that that mineral status is optimized to work a little bit extra hard to ensure that that mineral status is optimized.

Speaker 2:

It's so interesting because I'm thinking it goes so much in line with individuals who want to lose weight. And years ago we're taught okay, less calories, expend more, which we know that's not. It's much more complicated than that. However, when we're already depleted most, every single person is already depleted with their vitamins and minerals, and then now you're going to cut back even more on your nutrition, thinking it's going to help you lose weight. It just it's just a vicious cycle and it just causes more issues than than helps, and it's I think.

Speaker 2:

I like to think the message is getting out more and more now that that's not the way to go, and I know that that's something you share too. It's not about restriction, it's not about cutting calories, because we already are not getting enough. Our bodies are not getting enough high quality nutrition. So then it comes more to that dense quality nutrition, a little less caloric input maybe, but we're getting the nutrition that our bodies need and it just sounds so similar. And it all, of course, like you're saying, gut health, all of it's connected, which is a beautiful thing. I mean, our bodies are miracles, so it's just okay, where do we need to focus our energy and what do our bodies need? And I love that that's what you're doing with your clients is really doing that individual testing to really truly see where they are deficient and what they need to be able to to fill their best.

Speaker 1:

And that's the thing Everyone's different people Like I have clients who present with identical symptoms, yet they're all on different protocols, because, I mean, no two women are ever alike.

Speaker 1:

They might share their frustrations with you know the stubborn belly, fat jeans not zipping up, feeling like they gained weight overnight. It feels like having that lack of motivation to get going. In the morning they push through, but they're like I definitely need, like, my double shot of espresso to get me going, or something right, or the brain fog is so real. They notice that they're frustrated, yet when we run the functional testing, the results are completely different. And I think that this is also why a lot of women lose motivation when they start very generic diets and basic exercise because they buy into things that promise like, oh, you're going to lose, you know, 30 pounds in three months. Like you just got to do this one wall workout every single day, like, or whatever it is that they're falling for right. Or like take this greens powder, but really it's. It fails them because they're not following a strategy customized to them.

Speaker 2:

It has to be a strategy. It also has to be all encompassing. We've been so again, going back to years, decades ago. I mean, I know I'm quite older than you, but back to the exercise more and eat less that, just as we know, that's not the equation that works and unfortunately, many of us lived through that era. But also now, even still, we see we want that quick fix and that's not realistic either. It has to be a lifestyle change and I think that's the message too that I try and get across, and I know that's what you are doing as well, because it's not just like you're doing all the testing to see, it's not just one component. All of this is connected and related. So if we dive deep, then we can really get to the root and see what exactly is causing our issues and our. What are we deficient in? And I think what you're doing is so, so great, and obviously I will put your information in the show notes. But how can people reach out to you, monica?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so my favorite way has to be Instagram. I love getting DMs, so please go ahead, give me a follow on Instagram at Monica E Eva. I know Shelly will drop it for you guys in the show notes. Feel free to send me a DM and just ask me whatever questions you have and I will do my very best to help you get started and figure out your best next steps.

Speaker 2:

And I think that that lends itself to women moms reaching out and feeling comfortable and I think that's important too is like having someone that you feel you can talk to and discuss these areas with, and so I appreciate you for that, because that's really important too.

Speaker 1:

I appreciate you so much, shelly, that, honestly, it means the world to me. When clients come back and tell me like wow, I feel like I can tell you anything. And even when you know we have a plan and it's like I struggle with implementing it, I'm not afraid to tell you hey, like I'm finding this really hard. And then it's like that's okay, like that's what I'm here for. We're going to work through it, because you know nobody, I'm not expecting anyone to be perfect. We just want to make sure that you're doing the right things for your body, but then also that it fits your lifestyle.

Speaker 2:

Well, and I think that's where, obviously, how we, you and I, connected. We want to serve others and that's really ultimately the goal. And it's going to look different for each person, but nothing I know you're like that too Nothing brings us more joy than to help someone feel their best and experience a healthy self, a healthy body. You know, mind, body, it's just, it's huge. And I just know personally, that's, that's always my goal, because life is meant to be enjoyed and we're meant to feel good and have energy and move our bodies and do all the things. And we're meant to feel good and have energy and move our bodies and do all the things.

Speaker 2:

And it just makes me sad when people feel like they can't experience that. Or I'm sure you experience this, they just accept oh, this is how it is, this is what happens when you get older, and I'm going to say no, it doesn't have to be that way at all. Definitely not A lot of good. It doesn't have to be that way at all, definitely not a lot of good. Good years ahead, and I think the focus becomes more on that, not just the longevity, but but feeling good. And we want to feel good in in all of the years, and I think that's for me and I know you as well just ultimately, the goal is to feel our best, look our best, and and that's so huge because it's possible, we know it's possible- it is.

Speaker 1:

I actually just had this conversation with a woman this morning that you know, sometimes we spend such a long time not feeling good in our bodies that we almost forget what it feels like to feel good and we almost don't believe that we can get back to a place Like you feel, like you're like the hole is so deep. You're like how do I get myself out of it? But it's basically based on you making a decision. Making a decision and taking action that, like you know what, I am never going to get today back and going forward.

Speaker 2:

I want to feel my very best, and so you're not going to do like a 180 overnight, but you're going to take small steps that are going to get you that transformation you're after. Just don't think they can get out of that hole and feeling bad and not having energy. And there's also the other group which I fall into is going, oh, I'm feeling pretty good and energetic and then going, oh my gosh, but I couldn't realize how much better I could feel. You know, when it started to incorporate some of the different nutrients that my body was missing and I didn't even know it. So I think that's another huge testament to to too, to finding out what's going on and making those changes, because we might think we're feeling good and then go, oh my gosh, because you just don't know until you experience it.

Speaker 2:

That was me, like I had no idea until I experienced it, and when I'm like, gosh, I didn't realize I could even feel this much better. And so I think that's a great, great message for everyone out there, that I guess it's a message of hope, knowing that no matter what stage you're in or how you're feeling, there's always the possibility for feeling better and having more energy and just having that vitality. And I think that's so huge, absolutely. So I'm just so happy, monica, we got to do this again. I'm so grateful for you. Thank you so much for jumping back on with me.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 2:

Yes, it's so great Every time we have a conversation. I just so. I feel like I learn something each time and I just enjoy so much getting to chat with you and any last minute words of advice or inspiration you wanna share.

Speaker 1:

You know, just really trust your gut If you do not feel good in your body. Do not let any doctor, or anyone for that matter, tell you that it's all in your head or that everything's fine, because at the end of the day, you live in your body, you know what feels good versus what doesn't, and so don't be afraid to dig a little bit deeper, get a second opinion, run testing and really get to the bottom of what it is that you're experiencing so good and I will definitely have Monica's information in the show notes for all of our listeners.

Speaker 2:

And thank you so much again. And I just want to encourage any of you who might be going through you might not even realize it. Maybe you have questions about your hormones or menopause. Reach out to Monica. As you heard today, she can absolutely help you and please, please, reach out to her and, as always, do something for yourself and your own personal wellness on this day and, until next time, have a beautiful, blessed rest of your week. Everyone. See you next time.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode. I hope you gained value and enjoyed our time together as much as I did, and if you know someone who could benefit from today's episode, I would love and appreciate it if you could share with a friend or rate and review words of wellness so that more can hear this message. I love and appreciate you all. Thank you for listening and if you have any questions or topics you would like me to share in future episodes, please don't hesitate to reach out to me through my contact information that is shared in the show notes below. Again, thank you for tuning in to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly Jeffries and I encourage you to do something for you, for your wellness, on this day. Until next time, I hope you all have a healthy, happy and blessed week. Thank you.