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There once was a time when smell was not something that we hid, it was something we relied on. Babies knew their mothers by scent, partners were drawn to each other by smell, and the body used smell to signal your health status, hormone status and emotional status. Today, instead of listening to that signal we mask, we spray, roll, rub, layer and mask our natural scent every single day w/ Perfume, deodorant & lotion.

And while the concern today isn’t the scents themselves, it’s how much we use, where we apply it, and of course, the chronic exposure over time. When we stop listening and start masking we lose an important form of communication between our body and brain.

Smell is one of our most primitive senses.

And while the concern today isn’t the scents themselves, it’s how much we use, where we apply it, and of course, the chronic exposure over time. When we stop listening and start masking we lose an important form of communication between our body and brain.

Somewhere along the line smelling human became something that we needed to fix. But our personal smell is actually information. Before logic- before memory & before words, the body communicated through scent

Smell is one of our most primitive senses- its tied directly to our:

Memory

Emotion

Our Attraction

Safety

& our recognition

Before modern hygiene products , humans recognized each other by scent.

Body odor-BO- isn’t just sweat- sweat itself is mostly water and salts-its odorless. The smell we call body odor comes from bacteria that lives on our skin interacting with our sweat and breaking down certain compounds-by compounds I mean the natural chemicals in your sweat- like proteins& fatty acids that bacteria break down to create the odor-

Deodorant vs- antiperspirant :

We are applying chemicals daily to a highly absorbent area near lymphatic tissue- remember they are in your armpits (dry brushing)

Deodorants- aim to reduce odor- they do not block sweat Antiperspirants- BLOCK sweat glands, using aluminum salts-aluminum salts are the active ingredient in antiperspirants- they temporarily block our sweat glands-which stops sweat from reaching the surface of your skin.-this is why they keep you dry-even when you are hot or exercising. Think of it like tiny plug in your sweat duct-

Food for thought: Breast cancer continues to rise in both men and women. Blocking/plugging sweat glands with antiperspirants on a daily basis could interfere with your body’s natural detox pathways in the breast tissue- it blocks sweat glands- so the toxins that are meant to come out- get backed up into our tissue- and overtime could lead to long term effects.

I need to say that there is no scientific proof that antiperspirants cause breast cancer- but it’s something to think about when deciding how and when to use it. I hope you think twice

Lotions and skin absorption:

Lotion is another big player in this conversation- and it’s not talked about a lot. Many-if not all lotions contain synthetic fragrance, preservatives and stabilizers designed to make them smell good- and to last on a shelf. By applying them everyday like we have been taught- not only are we moisturizing our skin-we are also covering up our natural scent.

With that being said- remember that your skin absorbs everything you put on it- our skin is NOT a barrier-it’s an organ- &what you put on it is absorbed into your body and becomes part of your overall chemical load over time.

Enjoy!

Joanne Demers

The Aging Mask- A Lifestyle Medicine Podcast

949)236-15

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I realized something the other day- I am coming up on one full year of this podcast- I have talked about habits, health, nutrition, stress, digestion, gratitude, listening to your body, and the chakra system- and 48 other topics, yet I have never talked about the topic that I not only reference in the title of this podcast- but reference a lot throughout the episodes themselves- and that is “Lifestyle Medicine” –Lifestyle medicine is the foundation of this podcast- AND I have never stopped or thought about defining it for you.

So that is what I am going to do today.

I’m not going to talk about it in a scientific way and definitely not a trendy way- When I say LSM – what I really mean is going back to the basics. The kind of Basic people lived by long before we had supplements, diets, drugs and protocols- the basics- when our ancestors choices, and daily life itself supported their health.

Lifestyle medicine is NOT a pill, not a prescription, it’s not a program,it’s not complicated , extreme, or expensive and it’s not just a series of routines you need to perfect.

Lifestyle medicine is the understanding that how YOU live- shapes how you feel, and ultimately , how healthy you are.

It IS a balanced lifestyle- It is the idea that YOUR Daily choices- small, repeated-sometimes boring- or time consuming- shape your health overtime. It’s Not “someday” that it shapes it- it shapes your health every day!

Having a balanced lifestyle regiment is a whole heck of a lot harder to follow than just getting a prescription and taking a pill- AND it requires personal responsibility to maintain- BUT it is far more effective!

Lifestyle medicine IS preventive, NOT reactive. It’s not about waiting for something to break and then fixing it. It’s about supporting your body before dysfunction becomes disease.

I want the Aging Mask Podcast to feel modern, accessible and lived- not so academic and technical.

The six pillars of health- sleep, movement, nutrition, meditation, emotions and self care- are the foundation of LSM. Without them, there is nothing solid for us to build on.

Everything I talk about on this podcast, every topic and every conversation-rests on these pillars

I want to help you build a strong and steady foundation so whatever you add on top of it actually lasts!

What I really want to do as this podcast moves into its second year- is to bring back lifestyle medicine- the daily basics.

Everything that I have talked about thus far falls under this umbrella. I truly believe that if you are a breathing, upright human, EVERY Choice you make matters.

Everything you DO, everything you SAY, and even everything you consume- physically ,emotionally & mentally is lifestyle medicine. It all counts. From how you eat, to how you sleep, to how you speak to people- all the way down to something as simple as what shoes you choose to wear on your feet- it’s all lifestyle medicine.

So as much as I want to bring us back to the basics, I also want you to know this- I am here to teach you what I have learned, and I’m here to keep learning right along side you.

My going into 2026 mantra is:

If I want to learn something -I need to read about it.

If I want to understand something -I need to write about it

And If I want to master something- I need to teach it.

That’s what this podcast- THE AGING MASK- is for me- a place to study, understand, and to share, so we can all live a little better, a little more aware, and a little more connected.

This is lifestyle medicine- learning, living and growing together. We are not here to be perfect, we are here to be aware

Enjoy!

Joanne

T

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R. E.S.P.E.C.T- today’s topic is on Respect.

This word carry’s a lot of weight - even more than love. We don’t use it casually- and we don’t lose it accidently.

When someone says they have lost respect for another person, something meaningful has already shifted- something foundational.

Respect is foundational to all relationships-personal and professional- and the reason is simple:

Every relationship requires trust, safety, and recognition, and respect is what creates all three of these.

RESPECT is Recognition -it is the ability to see another person as whole- separate from you- not owned by you-not there to manage your emotions- not there to serve your needs- or validate your identity.

Respect matters to us humans so deeply because it is tied to our sense of worth, safety, and social belonging.

1.it affirms our value

2- it creates emotional safety

3- respect is important to all of us because is supports connection and cooperation- We humans are social animals. We are wired for connection

4-And Respect Nutures SELF RESPECT-respect from others teaches us how to value ourselves. When others treat us with dignity we internalize it- we stand taller, set those boundaries, and demand better treatment.

What does respect actually looks like & what does it feel like in a marriage- And what does respect look like from a child.

Let me start with kids.

Kids respect adults who:

1- Set and enforce clear boundaries

2- Model honesty and integrity

3- listen actively

4-Show calm authority

Real respect from kids grows and is earned when adults model, fairness, consistency, and emotional accountability-which means showing them how to handle BIG feelings without blaming or hurting others.

what does RESPECT actually look like- and what does it if feel like- in a Marriage

I say both Look and feel because they serve different purposes:

*Look like- is an Observable behavior (what others can see

* Feel like- this is an internal experience- emotional safety- you feel tension and calm-

Respect that only looks right can still be wrong. Respect that feels right, but isn’t supported by behavior doesn’t last.

Respect in a Marriage LOOKS like:

· Listening without interrupting or correcting

· Speaking about your spouse with dignity, even when they are not present

· Keeping your private struggles private

· Honoring boundaries without punishment- meaning- respecting your partners limits- WITHOUT reacting with anger, guilt or the silent treatment- they decline a request- you accept it.

· Allowing your partner to be different without trying to manage or change them

· Addressing issues directly with your partner instead of using sarcasm, silence or pulling in a third person to mediate or vent to- this kills respect.

In closing- I would like to remind you that respect is truly the key to all relationships-even more than love. And if you feel yourself losing respect for someone you love, that isn’t a failure-it’s a signal. A signal to communicate honestly, to slow down, to do the work together and to give one another the opportunity to earn it back. Love can survive a lot of things , but when it comes to respect in order to survive it has to be protected.

Enjoy!

Joanne

The Aging Mask- A Lifestyle Medicine Podcast

949) 236-1529

Follow along on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theagingmask