Cat & Nat Unfiltered

Why does nobody prepare us for perimenopause and menopause? One minute we’re managing our lives just fine, and the next we can’t sleep, can’t remember a word, feel irritated by literally everyone, and wonder what is happening to our bodies.We were so excited to talk to board-certified OB-GYN and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner Dr. Mary Claire Haver to talk about what’s actually happening during the menopause transition, from brain fog, mood changes and weight gain to hormone therapy, sleep and long-term health. We get into the confusion around HRT, why hormone blood tests aren’t the answer everyone thinks they are, and how to know when it’s time to ask for help.Plus, Dr. Haver shares why strength training and protein matter, and what we can do now to feel stronger and healthier as we age. Because we’re not just trying to survive our 40s and 50s. We want to feel good at 60, 70 and beyond.If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s you, your hormones, or everyone around you suddenly becoming unbearable, this episode is for you. You’re not crazy, you’re not alone, and you do not have to suffer through it.Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of The New Menopause and The New Perimenopause and founder of The ‘Pause Wellness, a clinic dedicated to comprehensive menopause care. She also hosts unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver and is a leading voice in menopause education, translating complex science into accessible, evidence-based information for women. For more on Dr. Mary Claire Haver follow her @drmaryclaire. You can find her books and so much more at https://thepauselife.com/.Keywordsperimenopause, menopause, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, hormone therapy, HRT, brain fog, bone health, osteoporosis, vaginal estrogen, menopause symptoms menopause, perimenopause, hormone replacement therapy, HRT, GLP-1, bone density, muscle, visceral fat, women's health, strength trainingKey topicsDr. Haver explains why perimenopause’s effects on sleep, mood, cognition, and the whole body were historically under recognized in medical training.The conversation distinguishes common brain fog, such as losing words or keys, from dementia-related loss of understanding; Haver notes that brain fog is not itself a formal diagnosis.Dr. Haver describes steadier moods, stronger boundaries, and positive changes in her own post-menopause life.Dr. Haver says hormone levels fluctuate too much for a simple perimenopause blood-test baseline; diagnosis relies on symptoms, clinical assessment, and tests to check for other causes.Dr. Haver says every woman deserves an individualized conversation, not a default prescription.Dr. Haver emphasizes that hormone therapy is not a weight-loss drug and that body composition, including muscle and bone, matters beyond the scale. Weight alone can be misleading; maintaining bone and muscle matters, with strength training and adequate nutrition as important supports.She describes increased visceral fat accumulation during the menopause transition and explains why waist measurements and body-composition tracking can reveal more than appearance or scale weight.Dr. Haver says hormone therapy may slow visceral fat accumulation but does not melt fat; she discusses GLP-1 medications as another clinical tool, alongside attention to muscle and bone.She outlines a clinic approach she calls “GPS”: GLP-1 medication, protein tailored to body composition, and strength training.Dr. Haver explains that people with a uterus need endometrial protection when using systemic estrogen, such as with a progestogen or, in some cases, an IUD; she also notes progesterone may be calming and support sleep.The conversation highlights gaps in clinician menopause training, ways to seek informed care, and Haver’s advocacy for better education, care, and insurance coverage.Dr. Haver frames long-term health around strength, quality nutrition, sleep, community, boundaries, and putting health ahead of thinness.

How much money are we actually supposed to give our kids when they go off to university? We’re paying for tuition, residence and meal plans, and somehow they still need money for Uber Eats, clothes, nails, groceries and pretty much everything else. How much allowance is reasonable? Should we be giving them a set amount or letting them figure it out themselves? We also get into credit cards, debt, and the things we wish we’d known at their age. Because at some point, we have to stop managing every dollar for them and teach them how to manage it themselves. But how much is too much, and when do you cut them off? We want to hear what you’re budgeting for your kids each month and how they’re making it all work!Keywordsuniversity expenses, student budgeting, financial independence, parental guidance, student life, money management, university costs, financial literacy, student habits, budgeting tipsKey topicsUniversity expenses and costsStudent budgeting habits and habitsParental guidance on financial independenceRealistic spending for students living away from homeLessons in financial literacy for young adults

Hockey parents know that the game is about so much more than what happens on the ice. We’ve encountered so many different types of hockey coaches over the years, from the young, energetic coaches full of promise to the cranky, win-at-all-costs coaches. And then there are the ones who seem to have a little anger management issue.We’re talking screaming coaches, kids getting benched for things that are completely out of their control, brutal mid-season cuts and the parents who are somehow still paying thousands of dollars for the privilege. Because youth sports can bring out the best and the absolute worst in grown-ups. And somewhere in the middle of all the yelling, pressure and team drama, someone needs to remember that these are literally just kids playing a game.Keywordsyouth hockey, coaching styles, parental involvement, youth sports chaos, hockey coaching humorKey topicsDifferent coaching styles and their impactThe role of yelling and discipline in coachingParent and coach dynamics in youth sportsChallenges of team selection and coaching qualityHumorous and chaotic moments in youth hockey

From struggling to figure out tampons as a teenager to unexpectedly bleeding through your jeans onto a stranger’s brand-new white chair, no period story is off limits. Nat is sharing her very real, very mortifying experience with the heavy bleeding she’s been dealing with and the frustrating journey of trying to get answers and treatment. Plus, we get into the conversations women need to be having about periods, birth control, HRT, and making decisions about your own body. Add in restless legs, 3 a.m. thought spirals, and a whole lot of questionable opinions about foot size!Keywordswomen's health, menopause, menstrual management, HRT, hormone therapy, personal stories, medical advice, women's wellnessKey topicsMenopause and peri-menopause experiencesTips for managing menstrual health and accidentsInsights into hormone replacement therapy and its controversiesThe importance of trusting and advocating for your doctorUnderstanding the impact of health decisions on daily life

Life is kind of life-ing over here so we are bringing you a repeat episode today of one of your faves! We are talking about screens, kids, and the chaos that comes with both. Remember when we thought parenthood would be easy? Between SnapMaps showing everyone's location, and the cesspool that is Snapchat, it’s enough to fry your brain. We’re talking about how to protect your kids from themselves, why monitoring their digital world is a full-time job, and how even with our ScreenSense guide (that breaks it ALL down for you in a super easy and digestible way) our own kids still managed to get around screen time. Because of course they did. Parenting is a full-time job—you put in all this effort, and now the extra work isn’t carpools or lunches, it’s keeping up with what they’re doing online. That's exactly why we created https://www.thecommonparent.com/screen-sense-ebook.

If you’ve ever watched parents lose their minds over a kids’ sports game, this episode is for you.In this repeat episode, we reveal the secret to spotting the most attractive parents and the truth about how the crazy loud ones often have the least self-awareness, and also get into the obsession with pickleball outfits and visors, and whether you really need to tell everyone your kid is “the smartest in the class.” Because apparently, kids’ sports come with their own set of rules, rivalries and completely unhinged adults.It’s funny, it’s ridiculous, and if you’ve ever questioned your sanity sitting on the sidelines, you’ll feel right at home. Kids’ sports: where the kids are playing the game, but the parents are having a full-blown competition.

Ali Budd of Ali Budd Interiors joined us once again to talk about what it’s really like to put your life, your work and your voice out there for everyone to judge. From the unexpected backlash over her voice on House of Ali to why she refused to make the show unless she could do it her way, Ali gets into building a business, trusting your gut and why having haters might actually mean you’re doing something right.Ali breaks down where to splurge and where to save, why your cheap couch might be costing you more in the long run, and the one thing you can do to change a room without spending a fortune. She also shares her very honest take on why you should stop chasing trends, and how to make your home feel like you.We talk about designing dorm rooms, and the judgment moms face over how they set their kids up for university. Ali is funny, refreshingly direct and full of opinions, and we get into all of it.Ali hosts Home Network’s House of Ali, which is back for Season 2, following Ali and her female-led team as they tackle million-dollar renovations, demanding clients and the ups and downs of running a design business. With her unfiltered honesty and one-of-a-kind creativity, Ali wins over even the pickiest clients. House of Ali Season 2 airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Home Network and streaming on STACKTV. Follow Ali @alibuddinteriors.Keywordsinterior design, TV show, branding, authenticity, women support, home decor, design tips, Ali BuddKey Topics• Ali Budd's journey into TV and design• The importance of authenticity and self-confidence• Supporting women and celebrating success• Design principles: personal style over trends• Using AI as a communication tool in design• Balancing work, family, and personal growth

While our Canadian friends are enjoying Thanksgiving, we are bringing you a repeat of one of your faves! Before we did the research on Roblox, we honestly thought it was just a simple video game. Most parents probably do. But the reality is far more complicated. Roblox is a massive gaming platform with millions of user-created games inside it. Anyone can build a game, and kids can jump in and play — which means there’s essentially no real regulation. And because kids are kids, they don’t always recognize what’s happening. Groomers often pretend to be the same age as the child they’re interacting with, and they know exactly how to move conversations off the platform where they can’t be traced. These people are highly skilled at what they do, which is why parents need to know what’s really happening behind the scenes. We created a guide to help you navigate it all at https://www.thecommonparent.com/.