👋🏼 Hey ladies!

Welcome to Bodytalk, where we discuss the realities of women’s health, culture, and more. This is our space: To unpack the double standards, to confront the misinformation, and to open up about the things we’ve been told are “TMI”.

Hey, quick question: How is it only Tuesday? I’m having one of those weeks — you know the kind. Everything just feels like it’s dragging. I suppose it’s the time of year, I don’t know.

But luckily, I have a great reason to just give in and pour myself one more cup coffee (more on the below). Because not only does it help me perk up, it also may offer some bennies down the line…

Anyway, let’s talk about it 🗣️

When I was going through infertility, hearing friends announce their own pregnancies felt like salt being poured into my wounds. It wasn’t just painful, it was uncomfortable. I felt like everyone was looking at me to gauge my reaction.

Because of this, I preferred to receive pregnancy news from friends via text or email, but even those always seemed to strike a nerve for me. It just feels like when it comes to telling a friend who is struggling with fertility stuff about your own pregnancy, there’s just no right way to do it.

Recently, I came across a post from Lucky Sekhon, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist, who shared an incredibly thoughtful message from one friend to another.

In the message, the pregnant woman shares that she has been thinking of the friend going through IVF ever since she learned of her pregnancy, and wanted to give the other woman plenty of time to process the news. “I so wish I was sharing this with you at a different stage in your own journey,” she writes. 

But even in the comments of Dr. Sekhon’s post, people are divided. “Do not text. If this is a close friend it should be in person if possible. If I got this in a text Id be upset. This happened to me. I was doing fertility with multiple losses. My best friend, unmarried and not trying got pregnant, came over and told me before anyone,” one commenter writes. Personally, I disagree — but that just goes to show that there’s no perfect way to do this.

And while many commenters call this “beautiful”, some find it a touch condescending, or say it veers into toxic positivity territory. And truly? I don’t know how I would have felt if I had received a message quite like this one. Read more.

🔎 Ask Clara: How can I support a friend going through infertility?

I'm just a smidge over five feet tall, so when I got pregnant with twins, everyone's immediate reaction was the same. "You're so tiny," they'd say. How are you going to carry two babies?".

But my doctor assured me my height wouldn't affect things. "I see petite women carry perfectly healthy pregnancies all the time, even with multiples" she explained. As for the discomfort of carrying twins on a small frame? She didn't "have any evidence" that carrying eleven-ish pounds of baby would be more challenging due to my size.

And I don't have any evidence of this either. All I know is that for me, carrying two babies to 36 weeks was not easy. At all. But then, I imagine it's not easy for any mother of any size.

I recently thought of this when I came across a video of Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo talking about this very issue.

Despite my doctor's assurances, there is data to support the idea that height can play a role in how your pregnancy goes. Read more.

 🔎 Ask Clara: What’s the difference between health and wellness?

It’s hard to scroll social media without coming across a video from a creator who “prioritizes protein” or has a strict daily protein goal. 

These creators will show us all the things they do to hit these protein goals: Everything from making high-protein desserts to chugging egg whites to incorporating protein bars and powders and popcorn and cold foam and…well, you get the picture.

Obviously, protein is important…but has the craze gotten out of hand? It feels like we’ve reached a place where we can’t just eat something without making sure it is protein-ized, even if that something is a cookie or a bowl or ice cream. 

Anna Bohnengel, a registered dietitian, agrees: The protein craze has gotten a little out of hand — at least to some degree. But that’s not to say protein is not incredibly important. 

“Many people are now chasing numbers with powders and bars instead of building meals from whole foods. Highly processed protein supplements often displace fiber, phytonutrients, and micronutrients that you get with real food sources like eggs, beans, dairy, fish, and meat,” says Bohnengel. “There are also legitimate concerns around contaminants, added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and poor bioavailability in some powders and bars.”

And this — this is exactly what feels so contradictory about the diet and wellness crazes we’re being fed (no pun intended). Read more.

🔎 Ask Clara: How much protein should I actually be eating?

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Sometimes it feels like everything I enjoy is deemed "bad for you". But finally, a piece of news I can get behind: That "I probably should stop but I really could use a buzz" second (or third or fourth) coffee of the day may actually offer some protective benefits.

A new study published in JAMA details observation of 131821 people from two cohorts. The data was collected between 1980 and 2023, and in those years, 11,033 dementia cases were observed. 

According to the findings, coffee drinkers in middle age had an 18 percent lower likelihood of developing dementia later in life, while tea drinkers reduced their risk by 14 percent. The key here is the caffeine: The effect didn't hold up among people who drink decaffeinated teas and coffee.

As always, moderation is necessary. The study calls out two to three cups of coffee a day or one to two cups of tea a day as the protective sweet spot. For me at least, that second or third cup is where I find myself asking if it’s going to be too much caffeine in one day even if I really feel like I could use a bit more energy. This study might make me rethink that…

It’s important to remember that one study doesn’t give us absolute truths. While this data gives us a reason to believe caffeine may have cognitive health benefits — and this isn’t the first time we’ve found a reason to believe coffee can bring benefits to the table — it doesn’t necessarily tell us that a few cups of coffee a day will prevent dementia.

But I could really use some good news right now, and I’m going to take this as a sign that I should pour myself another cup. Join me?

🔎 Ask Clara: How does caffeine affect you?