Hello friend!

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I've been thinking about this all week, and it's one of those thoughts that keeps circling back to my attention. We're always asking ourselves "what should I do with my life?" But what if that's not the most important question?

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The Irish poet John O'Donohue said something that made me pause. He said we don't ask ourselves enough how we want to BE in the world.

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Not what we want to do – but who we want to BE.

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It's such a subtle shift, but it feels significant, doesn't it? Instead of focusing on our endless to-do lists or life moves, what if we spent time cultivating the qualities we want to embody?

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👇 In today's email:

• This week's inspiration: Maybe I'm asking the wrong question
• Latest blog post: Traditional Chinese Medicine and HRT: A Balanced Approach to Menopause
• What I'm listening to: Food & Brain Health with Dr. Streicher & Dr. Annie Fenn

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Maybe I'm Asking the Wrong Question

My inspiration for this week comes from John O'Donohue, the late Irish poet and philosopher. He suggests that as humans, we often think about what to do with our lives, but we don't think enough about how we want to be in the world. The qualities we want to cultivate in ourselves are certainly worth our curiosity.

Sometimes, by looking at others, we can gauge our compass to guide us toward the qualities we admire and want to emulate. However, it can be even more illuminating to consider the qualities we find reprehensible or abhorrent in others. By dissecting those, we can identify their opposites, make a list of those positive qualities, and then consider how to incorporate them into our own lives.

The Space Between Stimulus and Response

I believe there's a liminal space between what happens to us in life and how we choose to react. We are not like two-year-olds who react purely on impulse; we don't just have knee-jerk reactions. Our free will lies in our ability to choose how we want to be—with ourselves, with others, and within our community.

When I did this exercise for myself, I came up with a list. It's certainly just the beginning, but it's a list worth checking in with daily to see how I'm measuring up. Holding myself accountable.

I would like to be:

• Accepting
• Inclusive
• Joyous
• A beacon of light
• Heart-led
• Warm

What would you aspire to?

I encourage you to try this exercise yourself. Look at the qualities you admire in others, examine what you find challenging in people, and create your own list of how you want to show up in the world.

Remember, this isn't about perfection – it's about intention. Each morning, we get to choose the energy we bring to our interactions, the warmth we offer, the light we shine. Yes, you can consciously cultivate the qualities that align with your truest self!

Latest blog post
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​Traditional Chinese Medicine and HRT: A Balanced Approach to Menopause​

Like so many women past the age of 40, I'm navigating hormonal changes and working to feel my best. Even though I'm firmly in the camp of alternative medicine, I use hormone patches, creams, and various other treatments alongside Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and exercise to maintain vitality.

This is new and challenging terrain to figure out. As part of a generation of women who remember the Women's Health Initiative study from 2002 that claimed hormone therapy caused cancer—a conclusion we now understand to be flawed—we're learning to navigate this new reality with a combination of good science and natural solutions.

In this post, I explore how Traditional Chinese Medicine can work beautifully alongside Hormone Replacement Therapy. Rather than seeing these approaches as competing, I've found they can complement each other to create truly personalized treatment plans for menopause.

Key highlights:

• How TCM views menopause as a "Second Spring" rather than decline
• Research showing acupuncture's effectiveness for hot flashes and sleep issues
• My personal perspective on using both HRT and TCM during perimenopause
• Practical steps for creating your own integrative menopause management plan

This integrative approach allows us to benefit from both modern medical advances and ancient wisdom. There's no one-size-fits-all solution, and that's exactly why having multiple tools in our toolkit is so valuable.

​Read the post here →​

What I'm Listening To
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​Food & Brain Health with Dr. Streicher & Dr. Annie Fenn​

I am unapologetically a foodie, and since my husband used to be a professional chef, the obsession with food is ever-present. I sometimes find myself thinking about what we'll have for dinner as early as late morning, considering all the options and what we might be craving by sunset.

Our passion for the freshest ingredients is especially exciting now that it's spring. Seeing evidence of growth in our raised beds fills me with joy because soon we'll be eating vegetables we've grown ourselves.

The intersection of health and fabulous food, especially when it comes to improving cognition, fascinates me on many levels. This podcast explores exactly that – how we can optimize our eating not only for deliciousness but also for neuroprotective qualities.

What you'll learn:

• Why food impacts the brain (spoiler: it's more than you think!)
• Which foods to avoid for optimal brain health
• What foods are actually neuroprotective

Dr. Annie Fenn, author of "The Brain Health Kitchen: Preventing Alzheimer's through Food," shares practical insights about how when it comes to dementia risk, family history is just one factor. Physical activity, social connections, and yes – what we eat – all play crucial roles in keeping our brains sharp as we age.

As someone who wants my brain to stay sharp and my meals to be delicious, this conversation hits all the right notes. Because why choose between brain health and culinary pleasure when you can have both?

I’m cheering for you. Have a wonderful week!

Dr. Cat 🥰

Dr. Catherine

Looking to book a session in my Newport Studio? If you are new to my practice, book a Free Consult or if you know what you want, reserve your spot for a One-on-One experience.

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