Fit2BTide S07.E16: March is Women's History Month

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Wvuafm, tuscaloosa. [00:00:13] Speaker B: Happy Sunday, y'. [00:00:14] Speaker C: All. [00:00:14] Speaker B: You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone. Hello. You know, one of the first things I wanted to say is hopefully people can hear us even more clearly than [00:00:26] Speaker C: normal because we don't have our mask on. [00:00:28] Speaker D: We don't have our mask on. Man, I threw that sucker in the air so high. [00:00:32] Speaker B: I know. I feel like. I don't know. I'm. I have some just to have, like. I'm not gonna, like, just completely get rid of them. [00:00:40] Speaker D: Well, you might have to wear them again someday. You never know. [00:00:42] Speaker B: You know, never know. But it does feel very free. [00:00:45] Speaker D: It's so funny because, you know, there's lots of different thoughts out there about mask wearing, but I honestly feel like. Like, we're kind of more united now because I've seen people that had their mask on for, like, ever. People that didn't, whatever, and everybody's like, we're free. [00:01:02] Speaker B: No, I mean, this probably TMI for the radio, but you know how when you get home, like most people, that instinct is like, oh, I'm gonna take my shoes off. [00:01:11] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:01:12] Speaker B: I just. I take my bra off. [00:01:13] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:01:14] Speaker B: It's very freeing. Sorry. For our listeners. [00:01:16] Speaker D: It's kind of perfect for what we're gonna talk about. [00:01:18] Speaker C: It is. [00:01:19] Speaker B: Okay. That makes me feel better. I don't feel, like, automatically get fired from the show for saying that, but. How has your week been? [00:01:28] Speaker D: Pretty good. I'm trying to think what I did this week. I don't even know. Do we have storms this week, or is that last week? [00:01:34] Speaker B: I think we. It was the week before. [00:01:36] Speaker D: That's right. [00:01:37] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:01:37] Speaker D: I mean, this time of year, you never really know. I guess we're heading into March. [00:01:40] Speaker B: Yes. [00:01:41] Speaker D: This week. [00:01:41] Speaker B: And what's crazy is just thinking about spring break, too. I think I've asked you about this. If you had plans for spring break, if you're doing any specific travels, anything along those lines. [00:01:52] Speaker D: Not traveling. I'm sure I'll try to, you know, maybe go up to Huntsville and see the family, but no, not really. What about y'? All? [00:02:00] Speaker B: We are at some point. Point that week. My little brother had a baby back in January, and so I am going to assist my parents in us going to North Carolina to go see the baby. Just because. With, like, Covid. And then my dad had a kidney transplant and all the things. They've not yet met the baby. So, you know, and I need to know what this child looks like, because I hear that Oftentimes, the baby can take on a lot more of the dad's features. And the way that I'm explaining this is essentially like my. My kids look more Caucasian than my nephew. Like, my nephew, because my brother is the dad, he is modeling the same, like, very thick Filipino hair, has this natural tan, and my kids are white with some Asian facial features. Like, the eyes, for sure. It's more of a. I'm just very interested to look at this super cute baby and kind of. [00:03:03] Speaker D: It'll be fun to kind of get away in North Carolina. That's kind of a far drive. [00:03:07] Speaker B: It is, yeah. I'm gonna be the one driving. [00:03:10] Speaker D: So you're going with your parents and you're gonna let your husband keep your kids? [00:03:14] Speaker B: Oh, the kids are coming too. I don't know what I'm thinking. So I'm gonna take them in the minivan. It'll be quite the adventure. [00:03:21] Speaker D: Wow. [00:03:21] Speaker B: So just with my dad, with his kidney transplant and all the things, and my mom, she would not be offended at me saying she's not the best driver. So I feel like the safest option for us as a family is for me to drive all of us. We've got, like, the kids can watch movies in the car. It'll be great. It'll be fine. [00:03:42] Speaker D: It'll be great. [00:03:43] Speaker B: It's unfortunately happening towards the end of spring break instead of the beginning, so [00:03:47] Speaker D: you might need to take off a few days. [00:03:49] Speaker B: I think I might. [00:03:49] Speaker D: I think you might. Cause Body Appreciation Week was last week. [00:03:52] Speaker B: Yes. [00:03:52] Speaker D: You were super busy. I feel like we both. We got a couple emails. I think we were in, like, some of the same emails, and it was like you hadn't quite responded. Usually you're pretty quick to respond. And then I, like, respond, and you're like, oh, yeah, I'll respond. And I was like, she's busy. [00:04:06] Speaker B: Yes. No, but we have definitely kept each other accountable that way. But no, but, you know, March also, too, is National Nutrition Month. [00:04:15] Speaker D: That's true. [00:04:16] Speaker B: That will be coming up in conversation at some point this month. But we just have a lot of different things going on. But I'm trying to think what else I was gonna tell you. I am so. I think I need more caffeine like I did last week. And then last week kind of affected me. [00:04:32] Speaker D: You were on it, and I was like. I was, like, so out of it. But this week I feel like I'm a little bit more on top of it. [00:04:39] Speaker B: You are. So let me stop talking, and then I'll. But I'll let You do that after the break. I'll get us out of here. I love it. Okay, you guys, let's take a break. Maybe you'll take a quick, like 15 second power nap like me. I don't know. You are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheen and Whitney on 90.7 capstone. [00:04:58] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa. [00:05:05] Speaker D: Welcome back to this crazy Sunday on Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Whitney. We are just. Sheena's over here stretching. She's like, you know, trying to get herself ready. Last week she had tons of caffeine. All right, I guess I gotta hold it together for the sake of the show. [00:05:19] Speaker B: It's on, man. Got it. [00:05:21] Speaker D: Well, if that's the case, we're just gonna play K pop the whole time and I'm gonna put BTS on and then we're just gonna dance around. [00:05:26] Speaker B: Well, I think the good thing in all of this is we have a guest that's gonna keep us accountable. [00:05:32] Speaker D: Thank goodness. Cause I. [00:05:33] Speaker B: You know, and it's someone who knows us versus being that we are just off our rockers. Yeah. [00:05:39] Speaker D: Well, with no further ado. And it's not like she's really been. She's not, like, really a guest. She's kind of like a. Our Stand in wellness person. This is Neeka Morgan. Neeka, welcome to the show. [00:05:48] Speaker B: Hi. [00:05:49] Speaker C: Thanks for having me. Again. [00:05:50] Speaker D: Again. How many times have you been on the show? [00:05:54] Speaker C: Five. Six. [00:05:54] Speaker D: Five, six. And I feel like we always typically bring you in when we have, like, a health topic to talk about. Usually it's a month where we're celebrating something. But for the people that have not heard you before talk on our show, tell us about yourself. [00:06:07] Speaker C: Okay. [00:06:07] Speaker B: Who are you? [00:06:08] Speaker D: What do you do? [00:06:09] Speaker C: Yes. [00:06:09] Speaker B: What is the essence of Nikom? [00:06:11] Speaker D: What is the essence of Nikomo? [00:06:12] Speaker C: What's the meaning of life? Yeah. Well, I am a health educator by trade. I got my master's in health promotion and health education from the University of Alabama. Roll Tide. Roll Tide. And I was in grad classes with the fabulous Sheena. [00:06:29] Speaker B: Hello. [00:06:30] Speaker C: And I personal trained and taught group aerobics with the phenomenal Whitney Pape over here at the rec center. So that's how we all know each other. And then I've worked for St. Vincent's Health System Extension, St. Vincent's in Birmingham since. Since 2010. And then also my other hat that I wear is I am a clinical instructor and faculty advisor for the department of Kinesiology here at the University of Alabama. Roll Tide. [00:07:00] Speaker D: Roll Tide. Yes. [00:07:01] Speaker C: And so I have Just a love for health and wellness and fitness and just, you know, all the things. But I really, really have a heart for women's health. I mean, yes, I'm a woman, but I've also gone through some things in my life that affect women specifically. That has just made it kind of part of my testimony in life. And just, I'm just naturally drawn to the research and the news and the prevention of it. So that's why I love women's health. [00:07:31] Speaker D: You know, it was so funny. I totally bombed and didn't even say what we're talking about today. I just realized that that's how out [00:07:37] Speaker B: of it I am. [00:07:37] Speaker C: Well, the listeners should know when they hear my name, it's gonna be women's health. [00:07:41] Speaker D: That's right. That's right. Well, that's our topic. [00:07:43] Speaker B: I mean, you know, and before we dive into that, because we have a whole show dedicated to that, I have to rewind a little bit. You know, the fact that you mentioned being a faculty advisor, that's basically code for student therapist, right? [00:07:57] Speaker C: Yes, correct. [00:07:58] Speaker B: So, yeah, tell us, share some adventures in advising for us if you can, [00:08:02] Speaker C: what you can share. [00:08:03] Speaker B: Because I feel like sometimes our listeners may not realize, or maybe they do know, the impact that their advisor had on them because you hear of experiences where people will say, oh my gosh, my advisor changed my life. They really kind of helped me navigate these decisions. And then unfortunately, you have some students that maybe have had a lesser experience, maybe at a different institution or with a different advisor. So, yeah, yeah. [00:08:27] Speaker C: So how I view advising, how I do it, is, yes, my number one goal is to get you graduated on time, to meet all the degree requirements, to not take frivolous classes that you don't need or spend extra time doing classes that you don't want to have to pay for. You know, it's to kind of keep you on the straight and narrow. But I'm also kind of like campus mom, camp counselor. So when you come to me, I want to protect your gpa, but I, I want to protect your sanity. So I ask you, what have you got going on this upcoming semester? Are you going to internship somewhere? You know, do you have more responsibilities at your work study job or your real job? And if so, let's not take on too much with these classes. And so it's always constant. It's kind of like a chess game. You know, we see, we got. It's not checkers, it's chess. It's a long term, four year goal. But we have to make sure that you enjoy college while you're maintaining your sanity and your gpa. But I'm also kind of like a life coach because students will come and say, I've just had a change of heart. I don't think I want to do what I've been working towards the last two years. I don't know what I want to do. And so there's a lot of self exploration. Some questions I ask about, well, what do you see yourself doing for 40 years of a working career? And we really kind of talk, and I get to know my students, and I love that, and what motivates them and what. And what scares them and what excites them. And it's really kind of cool because one of my favorite books is the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. And it's kind of watching that unfold in real time as they're discovering things. And all I'm doing is just asking questions and guiding. But it's, you know, it can be tiring because I do have 900 students in our program, which is a lot. Thankfully, I don't have to see all 900. I see the upper. [00:10:20] Speaker D: About 80%, right? [00:10:21] Speaker C: About 80%. About 80%, yeah. About 650. So pretty much everybody but the freshmen and the first semester sophomores. But, you know, I really do internalize their struggles. Like, I do. Like, I feel for them because I was once in their shoes. And I remember very vividly those feelings of fear of, am I doing the right thing? Am I choosing the right thing? Am I wasting my time? Am I wasting my money? So it's a lot more than just, hey, you need to take chemistry next semester. [00:10:51] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:10:51] Speaker D: See, I think back to when I was an undergrad and like, my advisors, oh, Lord. Like, I feel like they did the group advising. We had to go into a room and like, you really didn't get any direction. And then I met Dr. Green and it changed the game. And it was somebody that actually would sit down with me and say, let's get you out of here. And I remember that day that it was written out and I was like, I'm actually graduating. Like, there's an end in sight. [00:11:16] Speaker C: I'm graduating. [00:11:17] Speaker D: Yeah. And so, I mean, I hear a lot of really cool stories about advisors. Kathy Elliot's one of them. She's an instructor with us and an advisor. And I hear about things where, like, really, you have to have a passion for doing that because you're. You're really mentoring and showing people, like, their next steps in their life. I think about Hannah, my Sweet little PA that's. She either just saw you or she's going to come see you. And she's like, I may have to change. I think I have a change of heart. And she was like freaking out about it. And it's just, it's hard when you're at that point in your life because you don't really know if you're going to have support from your family. You don't really know if you're going to have support, you know, from your advisor, your friends or whatever. So I'm sure they're very thankful year round. [00:11:56] Speaker C: Oh, well, you're so kind to say that. Thank you. [00:11:58] Speaker B: Y. I mean, just the fact that you can serve as that both subjective and objective voice of reason is probably so helpful for them because I think sometimes we can kind of get on this high of our like, illusions of grandeur, of like, oh, I'm gonna do this, this and this and this. [00:12:13] Speaker D: And it's like, oh, too much stuff maybe. [00:12:15] Speaker B: What are you gonna eat? What are you gonna sleep, what are you gonna do? [00:12:18] Speaker D: All these things. Self care. [00:12:20] Speaker C: That's what I always tell my students. I say, it's not that I don't think you're not smart enough to carry this load, it's just why, you know, why don't you wanna enjoy life for just a moment? Because there's no other time in life like the four years of college. You are in this very unique state of life where you get to nap. [00:12:36] Speaker D: You'll never get back either. [00:12:38] Speaker C: Yeah, you won't. And I'm like, don't you have 40 years to put the pedal to the metal? Just, you know, don't push yourself so, so hard that you get in a funk and then you just, you're not even excited about starting your career now. [00:12:52] Speaker B: Have you noticed this? And I'm staying on topic, but like, I'm just thinking about, you know, especially as it has become more comm. For students to come in a little bit younger because they're coming in with these credits from doing dual enrollment or whatever else. I mean, we got some babies on campus and they have like had more life in them than, you know, sometimes what I think I've had, right. [00:13:16] Speaker C: I think we forget, and this is not to be demeaning or condescending in any way, but I think we forget that there's still young adults are children almost because I mean a pediatrician will see you until you're 21, you know, so we expect them to make 30 year old decisions at 18 and we have to give them grace. And we have to say, listen, we know you're gonna screw up. We know you're finding your way. You're forging your path. We are here to help guide you. We're almost a parent. Almost. In a way, you know, yes, they have their parents, but you also have to be, hey, you don't need to do that. Let's think about that. Because it's one thing to hear it from your parents. You know, we kind of tune it out. But I think if you hear it from another adult advisor who really, you know, wants your success, I think it makes you stop and really reflect and consider what you're about to do. [00:14:10] Speaker D: Yeah, we're gonna be coming up on a break soon, but you did mention, you know, health educator. [00:14:16] Speaker B: This is. [00:14:16] Speaker D: This is very different, but also some similarities, because you are educating them on the steps of their life. You're looking at the wellness wheel, and you're probably trying to make sure, like, indirectly, maybe directly, that they're getting all these components. But, like, we know the kinesiology side. But what drew you to the wellness side? [00:14:35] Speaker C: I've always loved fitness and food, like nutrition. I mean, like, you know, I've always been very just drawn to how food can heal or kill, how exercise can heal or kill. Can heal or kill. And, you know, I've always been very active. You know, I taught my first aerobics class at 14, which is crazy. [00:14:58] Speaker D: What was that thing you told me? And I know we're gonna come on a break soon, but, like, the thousand crunches a day thing, when you were like, remember you're doing majorette stuff. Didn't you tell me something like that? It was some weird thing where you [00:15:08] Speaker C: were like, yeah, in the mid-90s before, maybe better, I would do, like, a thousand crunches a day. And now looking back, I realized that, no, I wasn't doing them properly. Cause I could do them properly. You could do. [00:15:18] Speaker B: I was like, hold up. [00:15:19] Speaker C: Yeah, but I. I thought I was doing right. [00:15:22] Speaker D: I just remember hearing that going, whoa, girl. [00:15:25] Speaker C: Yeah. I think it's just intriguing to me. I just think, you know, the design and how our body's designed and what it can do, and it's just amazing to me. And it's just. It's where I nerd out. [00:15:37] Speaker B: Yeah, well, we're gonna stop on that sound bite right there. That's where we nerd out, y'. [00:15:42] Speaker C: All. [00:15:43] Speaker B: Okay, we're gonna take a break. You think about those thousand crunches. Is that possible? You're listening to Fit to Be Tied With Sheen and Whitney on 90.7 the cap. [00:15:58] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloosa. [00:16:05] Speaker D: Welcome back. I hope those thousand crunches went well over the break. Right, Sheena? Can you imagine? It's so funny, like, when you start learning about your body and how it moves and, like, a thousand crunches. I think you said Usher. Usher did it. But that boy's got genetics. He just looks good. Like, that's just how that works out. But, you know, like, thinking about, like, to me, the biomechanics of doing a crunch, I'm like, if you do it correctly, you probably can do, like, maybe 50 really, really good. [00:16:29] Speaker C: Right? [00:16:30] Speaker D: Man, it's so much. You just learn as you go. You just learn. [00:16:33] Speaker B: And then for anybody who's experienced, like, the burn from crunch, like, I'm, like, feeling those sensations right now, just sitting there, just conceptualizing all of that, and I'm like, oh, my goodness. [00:16:44] Speaker D: But anyways, anyway, back on topic. Are we even on top? Have we even gotten to our topic yet? [00:16:48] Speaker C: We kind of did. [00:16:49] Speaker D: We did. [00:16:50] Speaker B: We just mentioned it. [00:16:51] Speaker C: Okay. [00:16:51] Speaker D: You know why we're like, this. Spring break's around the corner. That's why. It's that time. [00:16:57] Speaker B: Anyways, so if you are just now joining us, because apparently we're just now joining us too. This month is Women's History Month, and so I think in the spirit of that, we wanted to talk women's health, which is super exciting. And, you know, Whitney, what I love about what you did in preparation of today's show is that you said, Mika and I some really great articles related to milestones in women's history, women that changed health and fitness. And when I looked through the fact that, like, the one handwritten note that I put on my agenda that I took from those articles was Kotex 1921. [00:17:35] Speaker D: It's a pretty big deal. [00:17:36] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:17:36] Speaker B: I mean, not to say that the other things were not important, but I feel like for some reason, that just resonated with me. [00:17:43] Speaker D: I mean, you know how, like, the new this is. I'm sorry, listeners, if this isn't your thing, turn it off. Whatever. I don't even care. But I'm just saying these are women's health issues. This is stuff to be aware of. If you're, you know, curious, listen to our show. But have y' all heard of the new cups that people wear? Like the menstrual cups? [00:18:00] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. [00:18:01] Speaker D: That to me, is a weird thing. Like the codex. I'm like, yeah, get rid of it. But the cups, it's a little strange. Have you all looked into it. [00:18:09] Speaker C: I've looked into it. [00:18:10] Speaker D: It's sustainable. So if you're a hippie, it's gonna work and it's gonna save the environment. And so that's a good thing. But there's some weird things about it. I just. I'm not sure. [00:18:19] Speaker C: I think everybody has their jam. [00:18:20] Speaker D: I think everybody has their jam. I'll stick with Kotex. [00:18:23] Speaker B: Yes. And then there's also the. And not in just the, like, casual phrasing of, like, oh, these are my period panties. But there's actual, like. There's actually period panties out there, man. [00:18:34] Speaker D: It's weird. [00:18:36] Speaker B: And the bathing suits that are made for the period. [00:18:38] Speaker C: I will say I am loving that it's not so taboo as it was when we were teenagers. That's true. I think that helps young girls and even young guys who are like, what is going on? Cause guys, you know, young boys, I remember being sixth, seventh grade, it was. [00:18:53] Speaker D: They don't get it. [00:18:54] Speaker C: It was. [00:18:55] Speaker B: The girls have to go to this room to watch this movie. We can't tell you what it's about. [00:18:58] Speaker D: Y' all go play dodgeball. [00:19:00] Speaker C: It's so mysterious. And now I think with advertisement, social media, they can educate themselves and not be so weird about, you know, like, oh, I'm reading this book on women's health when I'm a boy. I think it helps them support women better. [00:19:15] Speaker B: Yes. [00:19:15] Speaker C: And then it just helps. Helps our health because we don't have to feel like we're hiding the fact that we're doing something monthly that we were designed to do. [00:19:24] Speaker D: Yeah, I think that's true. It's not as taboo, because I remember, like, growing up. I mean, even, like, in high school, you couldn't pay me to walk into a store and buy Kotex or whatever. Cause I'd be so embarrassed now. I'm like, I just don't care. I don't even think twice about it. Right. And I don't even. I mean, one time, this nice man was in Walmart, and I was standing there. He was like a dad or something. And he stops me and he's like, can I ask you a question? I was like, yeah, sure. And was like, asking what to get his daughter. She was like, a volleyball player and athlete. And so I'm like, hooking him up. I'm like, get her these. This will help with this. Get her that. This will help with that. And he's like, thanks so much. He's like, you got it. You know, it was just like that. [00:19:58] Speaker C: Solidarity. [00:19:59] Speaker D: Solidarity. I Was like, I got you, bro, don't worry about it. [00:20:01] Speaker B: But no, and I think when we think about women's health, that is an obvious point to think about. But we are such cool biological beings. I mean, we freaking grow humans. [00:20:15] Speaker D: That's true. [00:20:15] Speaker B: Like, that's a microphone. [00:20:16] Speaker C: I eat milk. [00:20:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:20:17] Speaker C: Black cow. We can't. I mean, we do. I mean, I know there's more than just cows that produce milk, but I'm just saying, you know, you think about it, you know, you think about that. [00:20:26] Speaker B: Yes. [00:20:26] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:20:27] Speaker D: You know, I'm kind of curious. Just in light of women's health, I kind of want to get into like what we should be doing for screenings and prevention because I think we can throw it out there. But you know, if we can kind of go through like the big ones, you know, just to kind of rattle through them. Yeah, I think that'd be great. [00:20:45] Speaker C: Yeah. Okay, so first of all, I want all my female listeners out there to that the number one killer that will take you down is heart disease. Okay. All forms of cancer that a person can get combined still doesn't add up to how many women die of heart disease a year. [00:21:05] Speaker B: That is sobering. [00:21:06] Speaker C: That is sobering. [00:21:07] Speaker D: Why? [00:21:10] Speaker C: It's to do with hormones. And just like our different hormones and just the way we're built, we're just genetically different and our heart suffers a little bit more stress than a man's. [00:21:23] Speaker D: I almost wonder too if like, as a woman, I don't really think about heart disease, to be honest, because I have this, you know, mindset. I'm being totally stereotypical of like a middle aged man who has a barrel chest that might be high risk of heart disease or heart attack or something like that. I never really think of why women for some reason. [00:21:43] Speaker C: Well, because of that, you want to get your blood pressure checked, your cholesterol and your blood glucose levels and you know, According to the U.S. preventive Services Task force, which is kind of the end all be all that says this is what you should do. You know, when we're talking about blood pressure, I think everybody needs to know what their blood pressure is. I don't care what age you are. And of course, you know, you want it to be 120 over 70 or 120 over 80 or below. And if it's something higher than that, you need to let your physician know. But every single year, when you go for a wellness checkup, make sure they check it. They usually do. But you can stop and say, hey, what is that? Because if you're Keeping up with it. And it's really high or it's really low. You can bring that to the attention of the physician when you see them. [00:22:33] Speaker D: And I will put a plug here for wellness and work life balance. They've done a great job of trying to get those blood pressure cuffs put places. I think we have one at the student center. [00:22:41] Speaker B: Yes, we do. [00:22:42] Speaker D: And then I think they have one over employee resource center. So, you know, if you've never taken your blood pressure before, go check it out, stick your arm in the cuff, see what it is. Do your health screening. Okay. That was my plug. [00:22:54] Speaker C: Now you good. [00:22:55] Speaker B: And I'll say, specifically because of conversations that I have had with the two of you on air before, and we've talked about stress and blood pressure. I finally restarted my blood pressure medication as of last week. [00:23:09] Speaker C: And I love that you say that, because, again, people think it's menopausal women or women who are overweight or women who have, you know, COPD or something like that. It can be any age. You can be 15 years old, perfect healthy weight, perfectly, you know, great diet, physically active, and still have it. You just don't know what's going on on the inside until you check it out. [00:23:31] Speaker B: Out. [00:23:32] Speaker D: Do you feel good? [00:23:33] Speaker C: I do. Good. [00:23:34] Speaker B: I do. [00:23:34] Speaker C: Which. [00:23:35] Speaker B: But I'm also one of those people where high blood pressure had been the norm for me for so long. [00:23:39] Speaker C: Like, I. [00:23:40] Speaker D: You don't know how to chill out. [00:23:41] Speaker C: No. [00:23:41] Speaker B: That's why it's the silent killer, as we talked about. [00:23:45] Speaker C: Yes. You're not always gonna have a headache with high blood pressure. You're not always gonna have a tight chest. You're not always gonna have a red face. Those are all myths. [00:23:52] Speaker B: Mm. [00:23:53] Speaker D: And everybody's different. [00:23:55] Speaker C: You know, it's just reactive for me. And to think about it, being a silent killer is. It's putting so much pressure on you internally, and you don't feel that, and then something happens, like a stroke or an aneurysm or a heart attack. Yeah. So you need to get your cholesterol tested as well. You want to start at age 20 and get it regularly. If you're at a risk for high cholesterol, family, your diet, maybe some of the medications you're on. And then you just talk to your physician after that about how regularly you need to get it tested. And then for blood glucose, you want to check for diabetes. If your blood pressure is higher than 135 over 80, if you're under the age of 40, you'll want. Or you take medicine for High blood pressure. You're going to want to get, like, an A1C test, and then from there on out, your physician will tell you how often you need. [00:24:46] Speaker B: Did you have to do that the last time? They did not run an A1C. They did my lipid panel. Those numbers were beautiful. Very, very proud of that. So. And honestly, that was always my cop out. I was like, oh, well, who cares? My blood pressure is high. Like, my cholesterol is kind of amazing, or my triglycerides, my blood sugar. And, like, I don't need to do that. Like, I was very grateful. Those numbers were normal and great. But I think I used that as a way to minimize my blood pressure because I didn't want to take ownership of the fact that I was having. That's me just being transparent. [00:25:26] Speaker C: Everybody needs to know that, you know, so then coming in second is cancer. Okay. Lung cancer actually beats out breast cancer for the killer of women. [00:25:36] Speaker D: Really? Just from smoking? [00:25:38] Speaker C: No. [00:25:38] Speaker D: Really? [00:25:39] Speaker C: Yes. You know, the research is. I'm sure there's better research than what I have found just by looking lately, but it's not always just due to smoking. I don't know if it has something to do with the effects of estrogen and progesterone and everything else on the body, but lung cancer comes in number one, and then breast. So for a lung test, this is where I kind of disagree. I'm not a physician, but you know me, I'm preventive. So I always like to err on the side of being kind of maybe a little bit manic about it. Yeah. [00:26:14] Speaker B: A little more proactive. [00:26:15] Speaker C: We're proactive. They say, say, 55 to 80 years old, if you've smoked or if you've quit within the past 15 years. Here's what I say. I say if you have any kind of. And it's hard now with COVID because, you know, you get a slight cough and they all say, oh, you know, get tested. Yeah, Covid. Or, you know. But then on the flip side of that, that is pretty good, because now if you do have a lingering cough and they want to test for long Covid, you can also say, well, I'm a woman. Can we test for lung cancer? So that's the other one. And then breasts, of course, as we know, you don't really want to get a mammogram below the age of 40 because our breasts are dense. And a mammogram, it's not going to really see anything because you've got the fatty tissue. But if between 40 and 50 if you have a family member that has had it or you feel any kind of lump or any kind of changes, discharge, let your doctor know. But then once you get to 50, you gotta get screened every two years until you hit 75. [00:27:17] Speaker D: Dang, man. [00:27:18] Speaker B: Okay, well, on that note, I know we have to go to a break, and I'm glad that you mentioned that about not typically getting a mammogram under 40, because I had to reschedule, like, my annual exam with my physician. The scheduler's like, oh, do you need a mammogram too? And I'm like, I don't know. You tell me. Nobody's ever asked me that before. Okay, whatever you think. But anyways, we're gonna take a quick break. You are listening to Fit to Be Tide with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7, the capstone. [00:27:47] Speaker A: WVUAFM Tuscaloosa. [00:27:54] Speaker D: And we're back on Fits A Be Tide with Sheena and Whitney. And it's Women's History Month coming up in March, and we're talking about women's health and all the great things. And we were just talking about getting mammograms. And Sheena, you were asking the nurse practitioner or the doctor if the they recommended you get one for your age or they should have told you. [00:28:11] Speaker B: It was so she was just in the scheduling department, and so I think she was just trying to hit her P's and Q's of like, oh, I gotta get this all, like, organized for you. So I think it just may not have been her checking to see, like, whatever. So now I can feel more confident saying, no, I don't think I need. [00:28:30] Speaker D: But they kind of are. Like, the last time I went to My doctor, I'm 37. And she was like, you wanna start scheduling your mammograms now? Like, earlier, I was like, like, like, now, now? And she was like, well, yeah. And I was like, do I have to? She was like, you don't have to. I was like, well, then why would I. It was like this moment of like, [00:28:43] Speaker C: why you gonna make me do this? Yeah. [00:28:45] Speaker D: That's all. It's time. But I think they're. They are starting a little younger, you know? [00:28:49] Speaker C: Yeah. Because the prevalence is getting younger and younger. [00:28:52] Speaker D: You know, man, I had this sweet lady. I'll tell y' all this, and we'll go on to our list. I teach breast cancer stretch class at the rec center, and bless her heart, she had to get a one of them removed. I guess it's a not a mysectom. Mysectomy. Because it would be both. [00:29:04] Speaker C: Right, well, double mastectomy. But it's anesthetic. [00:29:07] Speaker D: Okay, that's right. I don't even know the terms, but man, I felt so bad for it. I was like. And this just happened recently, so kind of sad. So you need to keep these things in mind. [00:29:15] Speaker C: Yes. And you want to do your own like self exam every month, no matter how old you are, Then let's move into sexual and reproductive health. Hey, I know this is probably not PC, but I have always said we have so many self destruction. We have ovaries and fallopian tubes and a uterus and a cervix and a vagina and breasts. Men don't have those. I mean, yes, men can get breast cancer and prostate and testicular cancer. Yes. But there's just so many moving parts that I feel like we have to keep up on as a woman. And so, you know, we talk about a Pap Pap test, a Pap smear that is to check for cervical cancer. And so you need to get one every three years if you're 21 or if you're sexually active. So if you're sexually active at 14, you might not want to do it, but you got to go and start getting tested. We got to check because hpv, human papillomavirus, you know, is one of the causes of cervical cancer, you know, or the cause of cervical cancer. And so then after that, you want to get a pap smear and an HPV test every five years if you have a cervix now, if you have a, a hysterectomy, you no longer have a cervix. And so then that way. [00:30:33] Speaker D: I didn't realize how that works. [00:30:35] Speaker C: Yeah, you don't have a uterus or a cervix. [00:30:37] Speaker B: I'm like, I need to go back to anatomy. [00:30:39] Speaker D: We have a diagram, please. [00:30:41] Speaker C: And so that way, you know, you don't have to get. But you still have to get a pelvic exam. So a Pap smear, for those of you who don't know, they do take a sample and they send it to the lab to see if any, you know, it cultures it to see if there's any cancerous cells. A pelvic exam is kind of like, like a prostate exam for women, you know, where there's fingers that go into an orifice. Yes, sure. [00:31:05] Speaker D: Yes. [00:31:05] Speaker C: But that is checking for lumps or tumors. And so that doesn't ever change because, I mean, you still have that anatomy. So you want to Talk to your doctor about that once, you know, you get to be about 40 or so. But usually every time you get a pap, you're going to get that and you're going to get a breast exam when you go to your gynecological appointment. So it's pretty much a package deal. But what's not a package deal is STD testing. They're not just going to do that. So I think the young girls out there, the young females, need to know that when you go to the OBGYN and you get a Pap smear and a pelvic, they're not going to come back and tell you if you have chlamydia or syphilis or. They're not testing for that. So I think that's something that we erroneously believe as young women, that. Oh, well, if I had something, they would have told us. [00:31:53] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, that's a good point. You know, you go in for your regular exam or whatever. So just like, if you're curious, listening to our show and you're like, you know, maybe I should get kind of checked out, just ask the doctor, say, hey, I need. Or just tell them, be like, hey, I need to get tested. And that's really all you have to say. And then they're gonna know. [00:32:11] Speaker C: Now, if you get pregnant, they're gonna automatically do it. They automatically do it. But, you know, if you've had and blood transfusion for any reason at all between the years of 1978 and 1985, you need an HIV test. [00:32:27] Speaker D: Oh, yeah. [00:32:28] Speaker C: Okay. So don't think, oh, I didn't engage anything that would have maybe given me hiv. It's. It's just the way that the, you know, the protocol was before 1985. But you do want to get tested at least once in your life for hiv, no matter if you've been in a monogamous. Monogamous relationship. Because. And I hate to say this, but I'm going to be honest. Not everybody is truthful with their partners. [00:32:52] Speaker D: That's true. Yeah, that's true. [00:32:54] Speaker C: Yeah. So you want to. You want to do that, and then, you know, that's your sexual reproductive health. And then you. Of course, for everybody. We want to get screened for our skin dermatology. [00:33:07] Speaker D: I love going to the dermatologist. I'm like, take that off right there. Can we write that one off? Take that there. [00:33:12] Speaker C: Of course. [00:33:12] Speaker D: You know, you have beautiful, like, olive complex skin. Nika and I are, like, pale over [00:33:16] Speaker C: here with our freckles just like, you know, just one up from the redhead freckles, you know, that burns very well. [00:33:24] Speaker D: Summertime I wear 50, I still get burned. [00:33:28] Speaker C: So you want to start at age 18 and go at least every two years and get a head to toe, which means they take a little bit more time with you. They look at stuff and then from there, depending on your history and what they take off of you and your skin type, your doctor will tell you, hey, come back in six months, come back in a year, whatever. But now we'll say this, that most people don't know. The rate of getting and producing and developing melanoma is so much higher when a woman is pregnant and up to a year after her pregnancy due to the high estrogen levels. [00:33:58] Speaker D: Interesting. [00:33:59] Speaker C: So you need to make sure for sure that while you're pregnant and after pregnancy that you really wear that SPF every single day. [00:34:07] Speaker D: Well, and that being said, does that mean that women are, I guess, at a higher rate of having melanoma? [00:34:14] Speaker C: Yes, more so than men. [00:34:15] Speaker B: Okay, I'm just starting to learn. Estrogen is like freaking kerosene. Like it messes around in our body, but it's like. [00:34:24] Speaker C: But you also know if you lose your both ovaries before age 40, you know, your life expectancy is around like 65 years and you are higher risk for having osteoporosis and Alzheimer's. So it's protective in some ways, but it's also self destructing in some ways. [00:34:40] Speaker B: Oh, my Lord. [00:34:40] Speaker C: I know. That's why we have to be as women, we have to constantly be upon it. [00:34:44] Speaker B: Yes. And so, you know, for those of us listening to today's show, you know, you might get squirmy, start thinking, oh my gosh, like, all the things, I'm [00:34:53] Speaker C: dying, the world's coming. Yeah. [00:34:54] Speaker B: No, but knowledge is power. Knowledge is power, you know, and that's why we bring these things up and [00:35:01] Speaker C: yeah, get control and get it early. That's what I say. [00:35:04] Speaker D: You know, I was just thinking all these things and we talk about all the time about eating the right things and being active. And I just want to throw in there, you know, if you're a female and you're like, I need to start exercising and I need to start being active. I mean, we mentioned osteoporosis and this is, I mean, a very prevalent thing for certain groups of women. I mean, I would recommend strength training and doing some cardio for everybody. It doesn't have to be go kill yourself in the gym. But we've gone through the recommended, I think a couple shows ago we talked about, like, recommended what you should be doing. I mean, don't be afraid to go pick up some weights or if you don't want to go into the weight room, like, do some yard work, lift heavy things. You need to be building that bone density. I didn't know. Is that even going to be on one of your lists? [00:35:46] Speaker C: Yeah. So that's the next one. Actually. You're perfect. I didn't even know. They say that you need to get the bone density test, like the DEXA scan, at least once, once you hit 65 or older. But if you've had osteopenia, osteoporosis in the family, you've had lots of fractures, you can talk about that with your physician and they may request a DEXA scan earlier. So again, the whole thing is communicate. Talk to your doctor. And you can't talk to your doctor if you don't go to the doctor. You can't go to the doctor if you don't make an appointment. [00:36:15] Speaker D: And if you go to your doctor and it's not something that you click with, go to a different one. [00:36:19] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It's just like dating. You gotta find the one you click with. You know, you're right. And then finally, before we run out of time, this one, I think, is a big one. Depression and anxiety. [00:36:31] Speaker B: Yes. [00:36:31] Speaker C: And again, that goes back to some estrogen. [00:36:34] Speaker B: Oh, estrogen. Hello. [00:36:36] Speaker C: Yes. You know, you got to think about postpartum when the hormones are trying to rebalance themselves. And, you know, postpartum. I think a lot of women erroneously believe that, oh, I've never had depression, I've never had anxiety, so I'm not going to get postpartum. It is not a respecter of persons at all. It can hit anyone. [00:36:59] Speaker D: So I'm kind of curious. You two both have children? I don't. I've never been through that. I mean, what is. I mean, have y' all been through that? Like, is it something that you think that. I mean, maybe you haven't experienced it fully. I'm just kind of curious if it's just like this sense of you're just depressed, I guess. [00:37:16] Speaker C: I don't really know. You're overwhelmed and you're tired already because, you know, one day everything just changed. And now you're up every hour and a half feeding a human being and changing them and crying them, and you're building the bridge as you go. But then all this hormone that has built up in your body for nine months to sustain this life is gone. The minute they take the placenta out, and it just starts dropping. And you're trying to regain that balance in the brain and in the body, and you couple that with overwhelm and anxiety. [00:37:53] Speaker D: So it's just kind of like a lot happening, right? [00:37:56] Speaker C: A lot, yes. [00:37:57] Speaker B: And I think it needs to be normalized, and it's gonna look different for a lot of people because I think that when we're not talking about it a lot, whenever someone finally does share that with their partner, you don't want that partner generalizing like, oh, I heard you get that. And then you want to, like, hurt your baby. [00:38:14] Speaker C: Yeah. That's not all the time. [00:38:15] Speaker B: And it gets people to not want to share that with their partner because [00:38:19] Speaker C: they're afraid they're gonna have their baby taken away. [00:38:21] Speaker B: Yes. [00:38:21] Speaker C: They're different stages of it. There's people who are just. They're kind of despondent or apathetic, I guess. [00:38:27] Speaker D: It's such a massive change in your life, you know, that I could see. And your chemicals in your body, I could see how that would be. I've just always been curious. I've always heard of it. I never really understood what it was, but I think it's time for our break. [00:38:39] Speaker B: It is wealth of knowledge. You guys. We're taking a quick break. Fit to be tied with sheena and Whitney. We'll catch you on the flip side. [00:38:50] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloosa. [00:38:57] Speaker D: Welcome back to fit to be tied. And we're shutting it down. We're shutting it down. And women's history month, guys. I mean, go check it out. If you're like, I'm not into history, then, like, forget you. I'm just kidding. Go check out women's history month. Learn a few things. It's good to learn. It's good to keep your mind sharp. But. But, Nika, thanks for being on our show. [00:39:17] Speaker C: Hey, thanks for having me and for [00:39:18] Speaker D: giving us lots of good preventative care information. And, you know, let's just take a step back. Lots of good information. But now we want to focus on you. [00:39:26] Speaker C: Yes, yes. [00:39:27] Speaker D: So we like to do this with our guests, and we just kind of like to ask them, you know, what self care looks like for you and, like, maybe one or two things that you do for yourself to just have a break. [00:39:38] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. Self care looks different for me depending on the the day. Some days self care is going to taco bell and getting a bean burrito with lots of onions. Yeah, girl, sure. You know? Yes. That hits the spot. Some days self care is. I don't really want to Eat a whole lot, but I want to take a nap. You know, to me, sleep would be better than food at that point. But on the regular, I like to take a hot bath before I get into bed because I find that it just, like, really calms me down and gets me ready for a good night's sleep. And while I'm in the bathtub, I like to go down the rabbit hole of YouTube and I like to watch, like, clips on, like, you know, how Dave Grohl wrote Everlong King of Foo Fighters, and then I like to watch the UDA Nationals championships. And then I send text of memes to you and Gina. And so just kind of, I think maybe just zoning out and just letting, you know, learning new things, but not like, it's, you know, focus learning. It's just like, oh, this is really cool. I still want to find this. And I've learned how this song came about. Yeah. [00:40:45] Speaker B: Because I think it's one thing for someone to escape into mindless things, like, all day long escapism. And then there's times where when you're doing it for this just intentional, like, decompressing. It can be so helpful. [00:40:59] Speaker C: Yes. [00:41:00] Speaker D: I think it's great. I mean, and it's so funny, like, hearing from all of our guests that we've had so far on the show. Everybody kind of like different things that they do. And I think, you know, self care in our world always has, like, I feel like people have the mindset it's gonna be like, I eat healthy and I eat a salad or I go for a walk. Like, sometimes you just kind of need to sit on your couch and, like, play on your phone. Yeah. [00:41:18] Speaker C: You know, sometimes you do. [00:41:20] Speaker D: Yep, yep. [00:41:21] Speaker C: And go and go to Taco Bell and then go to the couch and get on the phone. [00:41:25] Speaker B: I mean, you know, it's just. I mean, you've given me some plans for summer tonight, so we might need to do that. But, you guys, we have had a fabulous show. We hope you are having a wonderful weekend and you have a fabulous Monday tomorrow. You have been listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheen and Whitney on 90.7 capstone. [00:41:45] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.