In The Field with Dr. Alison Monette

Ep. 009: Is Perimenopause Normal? The Circadian Biology Answer

Perimenopause is a major conversation we are having in the field on a daily basis–not because the transition is happening seamlessly. But, because women are struggling; experiencing irregular periods/menstrual cycles, hormonal imbalances, poor energy, difficulty sleeping, inability to lose weight and infertility. This trend on its own is cause for alarm, but is made even more concerning by the fact that the age of those who identify as being in perimenopause is getting younger and younger. To us, this is a representation of the state of humanity more broadly. The conventional understanding of perimenopause is purely biochemical, seen almost exclusively through the lens of hormones. Women are told that it’s as simple as imbalance, dominance, surges, swings and declines. The solution: tinker with the biochemicals using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or bioidentical hormones; measure, replace, repeat.  And for many, that can “work”–relief can be achieved. But, this conversation is for those who don’t want to be tied to exogenous hormones or centralized, medicalized control of their body. This conversation is for those who want true health, connected to nature and so they ask the deeper questions: Why has this transition become so challenging in modern times? Why in younger and younger women? What can I do about it? In this episode, these are the questions we hope to answer. Perimenopause is actually nested within the larger story of fertility and reproductive cycles–or, rather, infertility and irregular cycles. And fertility is nested within the larger story of redox potential and proper circadian timekeeping, which is driven by a connection to the decentralized timekeeper: the light/dark cycle present in a normal earth day. Perimenopause is a symptom–not a cause–of a slow loss of energy created by a complete disconnection to proper circadian timekeeping. As redox collapses, the body must engage in trade-offs; fertility is not a requirement for individual survival–in fact, it may be something that threatens individual survival. It starts to become irregular, mistimed, chaotic, confused. If nothing corrects, eventually it gets turned off. What are we fundamentally saying: perimenopause isn’t a biochemical failure of your body; it’s a biophysical failure of your environment driving circadian collapse. It’s exactly what you’d expect to happen to women living in a modern, artificially-lit world. But, it’s entirely correctable if you’re willing to reconnect. In Part 1, we talk about why we should all be paying attention to this trend; what drives and controls the female reproductive cycle; and how the modern environment is disrupting proper circadian timekeeping, driving redox collapse and creating what we call perimenopause.  In Part 2,  which is available to Premium members exclusively, we talk about the labs Dr. Alison uses and how she interprets them through the lens of biophysics; the story of our surfaces (eyes, skin and gut); and how to reconnect with normal timekeeping, rebuild redox potential and restore normal. If you are not a Premium member, but would like to hear that episode, you can join here [https://fieldlab.mn.co/plans/1903955?bundle_token=180260f0f3488d6e30a110c55270dd5b&utm_source=manual⁠]. [Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, health, or professional advice and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Any reliance on information provided through the podcast is solely at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, please contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately.]

Ep. 008: Does The Sun Cause Skin Cancer? The Biophysics Truth

Sunlight is a point of major confusion, contention and fear in today’s world. We’ve been taught that UV light is deleterious to humans and that a single sunburn spells disaster for your future health. In response, people have altered their behavior drastically–lathering themselves with SPF sunscreens and makeup, wearing polyester clothing, covering their eyes with polarized sunglasses or simply choosing to stay inside altogether. All in the name of health.  This narrative was built by centralized institutions using reductionist studies with no basis in nature. Distribution was handled by the medical system by doctors in their interaction with parents and children. Generation after generation has been trained to fear sunburns, skin cancer, skin damage, and cataracts, led to believe that the sun and human biology are incompatible.  The result? A society that spends 90% of their time indoors, purposefully burying themselves from the sun, compliant to recommendations like “slip, slop, slap” while skin cancer rates continue to rise and overall health rapidly devolves. Here’s the paradox–what would happen if the sun suddenly vanished tomorrow? The answer is quite simple: life would cease to exist entirely.  This begs the question: How could the primary source of energy and information for planet Earth be something humans can live without? Or, even deeper: How could it be something that is dangerous? When you understand human design through the lens of biophysics, you quickly realize that everything about us–form, structure and function–points back to sunlight. We were built by sunlight and designed to live in flow with the daily and seasonal oscillation between light, dark and frequency. When we disconnect chronically, our form has to change. It has to adapt. We call this disease. Something needs to change. But, we can’t wait for the institutions and trusted “experts” to catch up. We must challenge the dogma of centralized science, trust our own intuition and connection to nature, build health wisdom and pass it onto the next generation. It has to start with you. Now, let’s be clear: we are not telling you to go from 0 to 60 with your exposure to sunlight. If you’ve lived a modern life, assume your solar panel is atrophied. An atrophied solar panel can’t interact with light appropriately. You need to rebuild a normal human surface and that doesn’t happen overnight. It requires work and intentionality. But, don’t worry, we’ll teach you how.  In Part 1, we talk about the historical and scientific framework upon which the fear of sunlight is built and walk through the impact of disconnecting chronically, what it looks like when a human is built on artificial frequencies, the truth behind skin cancer and how to begin reconnecting with natural light in a way that is wise.  In Part 2, which is available to Premium members exclusively, we journey deeper into the biophysics of our interaction with light including, how the effect of a chronic lack of sunlight has compounded transgenerationally and how to rebuild your human surface. If you are not a Premium member, but would like to hear that episode, you can join here: https://fieldlab.mn.co/plans/1903955?bundle_token=180260f0f3488d6e30a110c55270dd5b&utm_source=manual [https://fieldlab.mn.co/plans/1903955?bundle_token=180260f0f3488d6e30a110c55270dd5b&utm_source=manual] [Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, health, or professional advice and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Any reliance on information provided through the podcast is solely at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, please contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately.]

Ep. 007: Your Nervous System Isn’t Broken. Your Environment Is.

The wellness space is flooded with information, protocols and experiences/retreats focused on the nervous system. We are told repeatedly that our nervous systems are dysfunctional, dysregulated, hypersensitive or burned out. We are told that all you need is a reset, rewire or reprogram your nervous system, you will finally find your health. This trend has exploded since 2020, but it’s hardly new. What we call nervous system dysfunction today was once called “adrenal fatigue." Though completely unrecognized by the western medical system, adrenal fatigue was fully embraced by functional medicine. With it came diets, supplements, and practices that promised to give your tired biology a moment to rest, support the biochemical insufficiency, and help you manage your stress. Initially, the functional medicine approach helped. But, eventually it failed to move the needle. At the same time, the message evolved; what was once considered localized failure became global collapse – the idea that it was more than just the adrenals; it was your nervous system as a whole that was stuck, frozen, unbalanced, or simply broken. But, what hasn’t entered the conversation? The role of the nervous system as an interface between you and the environment. A biophysical, decentralized network responsible for transforming energy and information into action and adaptation, designed to remain in constant flow with nature’s decentralized network. By excluding the deeper story from the conversation, we’ve forgotten that our bodies aren’t broken. It’s the environment that’s broken. We can’t reset, rewire or reprogram anything–this job belongs only to nature. Maybe this is you.  Maybe you’re somebody who feels a sense of chronic stress, overwhelm, anxiety or panic. Maybe you’ve tried a nervous system reset, a diet, a protocol, a supplement or even gone to a retreat or an experience. Maybe, despite doing it all right, you still feel trapped by the battle being waged between you and the environment. Or maybe it’s someone close to you–a family member, a friend, a coworker. There’s no doubt that somebody in your life, whether you realize it or not, would identify with the daily struggle of anxiety, overwhelm, fatigue or panic created by the chronic mismatch of modern living. If you fall into either category, this episode is for you. In Part 1, we talk about: why everyone seems to be identifying with the idea that their nervous system is a problem; where this story originated; the biochemical perspective and where it falls short; how the story has evolved into the modern day belief that global nervous system collapse is the issue; and what you can do to break this cycle.  In Part 2, we explore the biophysics of the nervous system: how it should be functioning versus what is happening in the modern world; the role of POMC, UV light and neuromelanin; why living a proper earth day is the only reset that will truly drive deeper health; and what this all means for the next generation. Part 2 is available exclusively to Premium members–if you would like to hear that episode, you can join here: fieldlab.mn.co [Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, health, or professional advice and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Any reliance on information provided through the podcast is solely at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, please contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately.]

Ep. 006: The Real Reason You Think You Need to Detox

The wellness industry has built a massive business on a single idea: you are toxic, and you need to detox. From functional medicine doctors to health influencers, the message is the same — your health struggles trace back to a single point of failure: a detoxification system that can't keep up. Meanwhile, we are living through an unprecedented collapse in human health. Fatigue, disrupted sleep, weight gain, brain fog, and skin issues have become the norm. Desperate for answers, people search — and what they find is a wellness space eager to market, package, and sell them a solution that sounds elegant, scientifically supported, and sure to be the answer. Twenty years later and what is the result? A milieu of cleanses, detoxes, fasts and diets that are sold as "root cause,” claim to provide a “clean slate,” have the unique capacity to “renew” or “reset” your system and are built on a lofty promise: purge your liver, kidneys, gut and immune system of the modern day scourges of lyme, mold, parasites, and any number of environmental toxins and health is sure to follow. And when they don’t work (or even more troubling: you feel worse after doing it)? You are told you just didn’t do the right detox, didn’t do it long enough or must not have done it correctly. What hasn’t resulted in twenty years of detox culture? More “true” health for anyone. Our bold statement: not only is the detox narrative oversimplified — it's biologically backwards and even harmful. Detox is part of normal human function and always has been; when this system fails, it’s a symptom—not a cause—of a bigger issue: declining cell redox due to environmental failure. Forcing a system to detox that is intentionally down-regulating the process will never lead to more health — it’s working against the very intelligence of our complex biology and overriding programs designed to help us adapt to changing environments. And given the state of human redox in the modern world, it will always do more harm than good. In this episode, we head “into the field” with Dr. Alison who brings 20 years of clinical perspective to this conversation. She watched the modern detox trend evolve in real time — from its roots in her medical training, through its use as a cornerstone of her early medical practice, to the moment she abandoned it entirely. That shift came when she recognized that biophysics — not biochemistry — is the true foundation of human function and health. We discuss: * What is detox?  * Why detoxes once “worked” to make people feel better and why that is no longer the case? * What it means for your deeper health if you think you need a detox?  * What you should actually do instead of a detox? This is Part 1. Part 2 is available exclusively to Fieldlab members in our Premium space, where Dr. Alison goes deeper into the biophysical framework: redox potential, POMC, the evolutionary role of detoxification, deuterium, transgenerational epigenetics, and what you actually need to do if you think you need a detox. Become a member: fieldlab.mn.co [http://fieldlab.mn.co] [Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, health, or professional advice and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Any reliance on information provided through the podcast is solely at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, please contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately.]

Ep. 005: Cholesterol Revisited—Community Questions, Nature's Answers

Cholesterol is one of the most misunderstood — and feared — molecules in the human body. For decades, mainstream medicine has painted it as the villain in the story of your health. Instead of looking at the changing environment, we used the surface-level framework of biochemistry to create a cultural belief that the human being is broken and nature is fundamentally flawed. This created a gigantic industry — both medications and supplements — built around cholesterol lowering.  But what if the story is wrong? What are the implications for human health by demonizing part of what makes us human? In this episode, Dr. Alison revisits the topic of cholesterol, this time guided entirely by you — the Fieldlab community — based on the overwhelming response we received after our first cholesterol episode (Ep.002: "Cholesterol is part of what makes us human" [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6smRmRVcWBuQs8u24oAF8j?si=baY2lhwdQmaJ-QLYvCLJpQ]). Your forum posts, poll responses, and questions became the roadmap for this follow-up, making this one of the most community-driven episodes we've produced. You can find that first episode here [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6smRmRVcWBuQs8u24oAF8j?si=baY2lhwdQmaJ-QLYvCLJpQ]. Thanks to the questions submitted by our amazing Fieldlab community, Dr. Alison covered tons of ground in this episode, including: * Understanding familial hypercholesterolemia.  * Why biochemistry and nuclear genetics are a trap. * Debunking the myths you've been told about cholesterol and heart disease. * What high cholesterol really means.  * Epigenetics, mitochondria and cholesterol production.  * Is low cholesterol the goal? * Exploring the relationship between cholesterol and your light environment.  * Unpacking the deeper story buried in your lipid profile. * Where does particle sizing and typing fit into the story.  * The relationship between inflammation, cholesterol and heart disease. * Why fear of cholesterol persists.  * How cholesterol-lowering medications actually work.  * Cholesterol and it’s role in the human brain.  * The long term impact of cholesterol lowering supplements and medications. * What a Calcium Index Score is telling you about your deeper health through the biophysical lens.  * What is Oxidized LDL and what is it trying to tell you about your environment and redox potential.  * Where seed oils fit into the cholesterol story.  * How to have a productive discussion with your doctor around cholesterol and cholesterol lowering medications. This is the conversation modern medicine and science simply are not having. Cholesterol isn't your enemy — it’s a foundational building block. A critical component of every cell membrane. And once you understand what it does and what it’s trying to tell you, everything changes. At Fieldlab, we believe that nature holds the answers — and that your body already knows how to heal when you give it the right conditions. This episode is another step in reclaiming that truth. Your questions. Dr. Alison's answers. Nature's wisdom. This is just Part 1 of the episode. Part 2 lives within the Premium space of our Fieldlab network and is only available to members. In Part 2, we dig into the deeper biophysical framework of redox potential, calcium signaling, non-native EMF, UV light, the photoelectric effect, transgenerational epigenetic and the truth behind detox. Become a member: fieldlab.mn.co [http://fieldlab.mn.co] [Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, health, or professional advice and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. Any reliance on information provided through the podcast is solely at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. If you think you’re having a medical emergency, please contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately.]