10 Things I learned at the Power of Menopause first-ever Summit

CoolYourSweats was a vendor at the first ever Power of Menopause event, hosted by Morphus supplements’ founders, Andrea Donsky and Randy Boyer. Over 180 women showed up for this amazing event which took place at the Hilton Garden Hotel in Markham, ON on October 21, 2023. It was a full day PACKED with information, research, tips and motivational speakers to help women navigating perimenopause and menopause acquire the tools and skills they need to equip them through this unique, and often surprising, time in their lives. 

I’ve been in the menopause and women’s health space since 2020 and have done a ton of research on the subject, not to mention experiencing many of the symptoms myself. I felt as though I was fairly well-informed on most things menopause but it turns out that I still had a lot to learn. During the presentations, I can’t count the number of times I thought to myself, “oh, I didn’t know that,” or “ah, I get it now,” or “that is good to know.” My head was swirling with information as I left the event and I needed a full day to let the dust settle before writing about it.

There were many amazing speakers and a fantastic panel, so it was hard to pick only 10. However, these are the top 10 things that left a lasting impression on me from the show. 

1. Common myths about HRT and who it’s right for: Anna-Maria Wysynski, Dr. Bryce Wylde

• Bio-identical hormones are a more effective treatment method than synthetic hormones such as Premarin (an estrogen pill that is derived from horse urine) and can be used indefinitely with guidance from your informed health practitioner. (Dr. Anna-Maria Wysynski, aka “Dr Wizz”)
• Bio-identical hormones can be used by some women who have previously had breast cancer. (Dr. Wizz)
• Estrogen dominant women are not great candidates for estrogen therapy and a DNA test will help you identify if you’re estrogen dominant (Dr. Wylde)

2. Sunlight and energy: Expose yourself to sunlight in the morning. If you can, go outside and walk around in early morning (sunrise) and don't wear sunglasses to let the light in through your eyes to kick your cortisol into action. Do your intense exercise in the morning when you have the most energy. (Samantha Gladish).

3. Live or Last? Weight training with Melissa Hyde Do you want to live your life or just “last” in old age? Weight training can help your bones and muscles stay strong so you can lead a long and healthy life.

4. Finding your authentic self: Shyamala Kiru told us that you can journal all you want but you have to understand who you really are in order to achieve what you want. Address your emotional health and accept who you are in order to achieve your own definition of success. She’s written a book too!

5. Pelvic Floor Therapy: Sheela Zelmer discussed pelvic floor health. Getting up to go to the bathroom more than 2x per night is an indication that you might have an internal muscular problem. You can fix your issues with bladder control among other issues through internal muscular (pelvic floor) rehab.

6. Quit sugar: (ugh – this is hard for me!) to see a massive improvement in your skin tone (Stacey Shillington) and overall health (Julie Daniluk – Julie’s written a book, Becoming Sugar-Free.)

7. Advocate for yourself: find the right medical specialists to help you as you age – Stephanie Shaw and Nicole Scott.

8. Face yoga can help you improve muscle tone in your face without surgical procedures (Karey Coughlin Lewis)

9. The latest Menopause research: There are over 100 symptoms of perimenopause and menopause – it’s not you thinking you’re crazy. (Andrea Donsky)

10. The power of aggressive positivity – Limore Zisckind gave a powerful talk (and singing performance!) on how she beat an aggressive form of cancer by focusing on what she wanted out of life and being “aggressively positive.” She wrote a book on her experience. 

The gift bags:

The gift bags were really impressive. I’ve been to a lot of events over the years but this one by far had the most impressive haul of goodies. All designed to help you live a healthy and full life.

 

Vendors: In addition to the incredible and inspiring speakers, there were excellent vendors with supplements, face rollers, specialists in various health areas to give you a 10-minute consultation, help you grow your own food, and help you sleep more comfortably when you have night sweats (😉).

In my Simone "nightgown" - comfy day dress too!

Video sessions: if you were unable to attend in person but are interested in any of the presentations, they’ve recorded them and are available for purchase.

If menopause symptoms are disrupting your life, this conference can help you start to make sense of what in the world is happening to your body and mind. While there will be recordings available, it's possible it will become a regular not-to-be-missed event. Please visit the Morphus website to stay in the loop about future events.