447 | The Body Keeps Score: Practical Tips for Taking Care of Your Pelvic Floor with Dr. Janelle Fredrick (Relationships, Sex, and Reproductive Health)

Summary

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Affirmations for Black Girls

Episode 447 | The Body Keeps Score: Practical Tips for Taking Care of Your Pelvic Floor with Dr. Janelle Fredrick
Date: December 17, 2025
Host: Tyra The Creative
Guest: Dr. Janelle Frederick (Pelvic Floor Therapist)

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Episode Overview

This episode is part two of a powerful series exploring Black women's reproductive health, with a special focus on pelvic floor care. Tyra The Creative welcomes back Dr. Janelle Frederick, who dives deep into how hormonal changes, everyday stress, and life experiences can manifest as pelvic floor dysfunction and pain. The conversation is affirming, frank, and intentionally centered on issues Black women face when navigating reproductive wellness—from misdiagnosis to shame to actionable lifestyle changes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unpacking the Causes of Pelvic Pain (04:14–07:24)

• The Role of Hormones

  • Hormonal imbalances—like PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)—may lead to irregular periods, excessive bleeding, and changes in libido, but don’t typically cause pelvic floor dysfunction directly.
  • "If it's just hormones...it may contribute to stress, which then could lead to the dysfunction. But directly, hormonal insufficiencies or hormonal imbalances don't necessarily cause pelvic floor dysfunction." — Dr. Janelle Frederick (05:24)

• Vulvodynia Explained

  • Vulvodynia is chronic vulvar pain, often described as stinging, burning, or aching, typically misunderstood or misdiagnosed—especially in Black women due to differences in the language used to describe pain.
  • "Vulvodynia is a condition that causes pain anywhere on the vulva...most women don't have the name for it, but they can't wear jeans, because there's stinging or burning sensations." — Dr. Janelle Frederick (06:08)

• Diagnosis & Treatment

  • Vulvodynia can have hormonal or muscular causes; pelvic floor tightness is a common culprit.
  • Discontinuing long-term birth control can reduce pain for some; more rare cases (proliferative vulvodynia) may need surgical intervention.
  • Vulvodynia is reported as the number one cause of painful intercourse. (08:26)

2. Why Black Women Are Often Misdiagnosed or Dismissed (10:12–13:22)

• Systemic Issues in Medicine

  • Misconceptions persist among physicians that Black women have higher pain tolerances ("black superwoman" trope).
  • "Doctors were actually taught...that Black women have a higher tolerance to pain—and that we cannot feel pain. Just a few years ago...a good 40% of [doctors] still believe that." — Dr. Janelle Frederick (10:25–10:51)

• Cultural & Personal Barriers

  • Cultural reluctance to speak openly about pelvic pain or sexual health, often influenced by upbringing, shame, or religious backgrounds.
  • "Most people don't even tell the doctor or their partner if they're experiencing pain, which is...sad. Because the person that is your soulmate...even they are not aware." — Dr. Janelle Frederick (11:55)

• The Power of Language

  • Black women tend to say "aches" instead of more clinical descriptors like "burning" or "stinging," contributing to misdiagnosis.

3. Reframing Normalcy in Reproductive Health (15:26–16:59)

• Pain Should Not Be Normalized

  • Many have learned to accept period pain, painful intercourse, or pelvic exams as normal.
  • "It should not feel like you're about to go into labor. If you feel you have to take off from work...be curled up for hours, that's a signal." — Dr. Janelle Frederick (16:59)

• Real Talk on Menstrual Health

  • Not all periods are supposed to be intensely painful—mild discomfort may be manageable with OTC medication, but severe pain is not typical.

4. The Role of Lifestyle & Nutrition (26:08–31:12)

• Foods Supporting Pelvic and Reproductive Health

  • Magnesium-rich foods (greens, almonds) help relax muscles and reduce pelvic pain.
    • "Spinach especially is rich in magnesium...anything magnesium-rich is going to relax muscles." — Dr. Janelle Frederick (27:34)
  • Zinc plays a role in menstrual regulation and conception ("zinc spark").
  • Omega-3 foods (salmon, walnuts, avocados) reduce inflammation and support hormone production.
    • "Walnuts actually have more Omega 3 than salmon...eight walnut pieces have a decent amount." — Dr. Janelle Frederick (30:22)

• Practical Tips

  • Incorporate leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish for pelvic and hormonal health.
  • Vitamin D is essential; low levels linked to worsened period symptoms, mood disorders, and fibroids. (19:32)

5. Self-Advocacy & Breaking the Silence (13:22–14:03)

• Speaking Up With Providers
  • It can be difficult, but it's crucial to describe symptoms fully and push for answers.
  • "Open up and talk to your doctors, y'all." — Tyra the Creative (14:03)

6. Stress, Sleep & The Pelvic Floor (16:59–18:55)

• Stress and Hormonal Health
  • High stress and insufficient rest increase cortisol, which lowers progesterone, leading to heavier, more painful periods.
  • Simple interventions: prioritizing sleep, stress management, and overall emotional wellness.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Power of Language in Diagnosis:

  • "We say things like, it aches down there...we're getting misdiagnosed because a lot of doctors are looking for specific descriptors of pain." — Dr. Janelle Frederick (08:27)

• Reclaiming Normal Pelvic Health:

  • "It's not supposed to hurt at all...not even on the first time." — Dr. Janelle Frederick (09:22)

• On Normalizing Discomfort:

  • "If you believe that it's supposed to hurt, when does it go away? When does it become normal for it to NOT hurt?" — Dr. Janelle Frederick (09:37)

• Addressing the Black Superwoman Complex:

  • "We don't want to look weak, we don't want to complain, we don't want to be a burden." — Dr. Janelle Frederick (10:51)

• Vitamin D’s Hidden Role:

  • "Vitamin D also is a hormone...if your vitamin D levels are low, you're at a higher risk for depression...mental health and pelvic health, even fibroids." — Dr. Janelle Frederick (19:32)

• On Self-Advocacy:

  • "I have to prep myself to say these types of things because I am not conditioned to say what is going on with me." — Tyra the Creative (13:25)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:14 — How hormones and stress impact pelvic floor health
• 06:08 — Vulvodynia: Causes, symptoms, and why it’s overlooked
• 08:26 — Vulvodynia as a cause of painful sex and why Black women are misdiagnosed
• 10:25 — Myths about Black women's pain tolerance in medicine
• 11:55 — Cultural barriers and shame around pelvic pain
• 13:22 — Tyra reflects on why it’s hard to speak up at the doctor
• 15:26 — Conditions like endometriosis and how they mimic pelvic floor pain
• 16:59 — What’s normal and what’s not with periods
• 19:32 — The importance of vitamin D for Black women
• 27:34 — Foods that support pelvic and reproductive health (magnesium, zinc, omega-3)
• 29:00 — Best sources of omega-3 and practical eating tips

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Final Insights and Takeaways

• Pelvic Pain Is NOT Normal: Any consistent pain in the pelvic region—especially with sex, periods, or exams—deserves to be investigated, not ignored or normalized.
• Self-Advocacy is Critical: Black women must intentionally speak up for themselves in medical spaces, despite barriers and stigma.
• Nutrition & Lifestyle Matter: Nutrient-rich foods, vitamin D, sleep, and stress management significantly impact reproductive and pelvic health.
• Knowledge Is Power: Learning the clinical language for what you're experiencing helps with accurate diagnosis and better care.
• Breaking Generational Silence: It’s healing to have open conversations about reproductive health with loved ones, partners, and providers.

Next episode: Part three will feature listener questions and real-life stories, continuing this powerful, affirming exploration of Black women’s reproductive wellness.

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Want to connect with Dr. Janelle Frederick?
All her details are in the show notes. Stay tuned for part 3 in this essential health series!

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Transcript

[Host/Promoter]

So let me ask you guys a couple of serious questions. Do your joints feel older than you? And do you really know what's going on inside of your body? Yeah, me either, y'.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

All.

[Host/Promoter]

Now, y' all know whenever I go home to Louisiana, family time is everything to me. When we're all together, I'm always so grateful for that quality time. It always reminds me to take care of myself so that I can keep making memories with the people I love for years to come. And I'm ready to get even more serious about that. So I just learned about True Diagnostics and their True age plus True Health test, y'.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

All.

[Host/Promoter]

This ain't nothing like a grade school test. Okay? But the more research I do on it, the more I'm interested. Did you know that a single painless finger prick at home can lead you to over 180 personalized insights into your health and how you're aging? On one hand, True Health runs tests to look over 100 biomarkers, which is stuff like your vitamin levels and nutrient balance, your immune system, and even stuff like gut and cognitive health. On the other hand, True Age goes even deeper, y'. All. Their test shows your biological age, which is the pace of your aging. And it shows how important organs and systems like your heart, your brain, your liver, and your immune system are aging. Which means I'm 30 years old, and my biological age could be more than 30, or it can even be less than 30 years old. And this test will help to show me where I'm at. So this is a full snapshot of how your body's really doing on the inside. And with an easy to read report and personalized recommendations, I honestly feel like this is a tool that can help me actually stay on top of my health and put energy into the right habits where I'm not just guessing all the time. So if you want to dig a little deeper and if you're serious about living healthier and longer, visit truediagnostic.com and use my code affirmations for 20% off your entire order or subscription. That's true diagnostic.com code affirmations for 20% off YOUR future self will thank you.

[Sarah (AMPM spokesperson)]

What do you think makes the perfect snack?

[AMPM spokesperson]

Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

[Host/Promoter]

Could you be more specific when it's cravinient? Okay.

[AMPM spokesperson]

Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at a.m. p.m. Or a savory breakfast.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Sandwich I can grab in just a.

[Host/Promoter]

Second at a.m. p.m.

[Sarah (AMPM spokesperson)]

I'm seeing a pattern here.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.

[Sarah (AMPM spokesperson)]

Crave, which is anything from am, pm.

[AMPM spokesperson]

What more could you want? Stop by AM pm where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience. Am, pm. Too much. Good stuff.

[Tyra the Creative]

What is up, beautiful people? And welcome back to another pep talk Wednesday. I'm your host, Tyra the creative and your virtual cheerleader for the day, delivering the midweek pick me up that you have been craving today. We are actually back, you guys, for part two of our conversation with my girl, Dr. Janelle Frederick, who is an amazing pelvic floor therapist who helps women get to the bottom of their pelvic floor dysfunction. So if you happen to miss our last episode, last time we started talking about why black women often ignore miss our pain in our reproductive systems. Why it's easier to say things like I'm fine than to ask the hard questions or to really find the the source of our problems. But the truth is pain does have a source and understanding it matters. If you'd like to start from the beginning and then jump into this episode, the link for that episode is down in the show notes. It was episode 444 and today's episode is 4:47. But today we're digging into the signs and symptoms that often get brushed off as stress or just pms breaking down what's really going on, how our hormones, stress induced or otherwise, can impact our pelvic health and what steps we can take to listen to our bodies before things begin to escalate. This is where we start connecting the dots between discomfort symptoms and overall reproductive wellness. So let's go ahead and jump right back into our conversation.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Few things are as powerful.

[Tyra the Creative]

Okay, so there are a lot of symptoms that we experience as black women that get brushed off as stress, PMS or just life. And pain has a source. And understanding that source can be our key to healing. And I really want to understand more about what it actually is that causes all of these things. So my first question is how do our hormones, whether they're like, you know, stress induced hormones or whatever, whatever, how do they impact our pelvic health?

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

That's a good question. I think, you know, those three areas are usually the, the biggest things we have to sort of sift through to figure out what's driving the pelvic pain or what's driving the pelvic dysfunction. And so like if you're having a hormonal imbalances, for example, I have pcos. And so for Me, that means I may miss a period or sometimes male pattern hair growth. You know, I had to get rid of my mustache before I came over here. My little razor.

[Tyra the Creative]

You know what I'm saying? Yes.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

The camera was going to be close up, or it may just be heavy bleeding and a lot of clotting. So usually if it's hormonal issues by itself, you may see things like changes to your period or changes to your libido or thyroid changes. Low energy generally, though, if it's just hormones is not going to cause pelvic floor dysfunction. It may contribute to stress, which then could lead to the dysfunction. But directly, hormonal insufficiencies or hormone hormonal imbalances don't necessarily cause pelvic floor dysfunction. There is one, though, that I think we should talk about, and that's called vulvodynia.

[Host/Promoter]

What is that?

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Vulvodynia is a condition that cause causes pain anywhere on the vulva. Okay. A lot of women that have vulvodynia don't have the name for it, but they. They can't wear jeans because every time they wear jeans, it's pressing up on their vulva and there's like, stinging or burning sensations. So vulvodynia can cause pain on the clitoris. It can cause pain on the vaginal opening or anywhere on the outside, like the labia. And so hormonal insufficiencies from being on birth control for, like, way too long, or there are insufficiencies with hormones caused by, like, other medications. Let's say someone is going through treatment for cervical cancer, and they're like, blocking different hormones that could cause vulvodynia, but then also pelvic floor dysfunction. So when your muscles in the pelvic area become too tight, it restricts blood flow to the nerves, and those nerves can start emitting signals that are abnormal. Meaning you start having pain with just light touch, or you start having a burning sensation with just pressure. Oh, wow. And so that's vulvodynia. And I would say aside from that, there aren't many too many conditions that are caused in isolation directly from our hormones.

[Tyra the Creative]

How do you fix vulvodynia? Same ways.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Great, Great question. You do have to look at what's driving it first. So we have the hormonal cause of ovidinia, then we have the pelvic floor cause, which 90% of women that have vulvodynia have pelvic floor tightness. So that's one of the biggest issues but then if it's truly from hormones, sometimes just having my patients get off birth control significantly decreases their pain. They have less dryness. They have more comfort down there. There's also a type of vulvodynia called proliferative vulvodynia, and that means that there has been an upregulation of nerves around the vaginal opening. So usually surgery is what takes care of that because they sort of remove a part of the vestibule, which is the opening that leads to the vaginal canal. But that's more rare. It's not one of the more common signs. But vulvodynia is the number one cause of painful intercourse, so.

[Tyra the Creative]

And I never even heard of it.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Yes. And also research is showing that when black women experience conditions like vulvodynia, we don't use words like burning or stinging.

[Tyra the Creative]

What do we say?

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

We say things like, it aches down there. And so we're getting misdiagnosed because a lot of doctors are looking for specific descriptors of pain.

[Tyra the Creative]

Right.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

And we don't. We don't express our pain, even emotional pain, the same as white women. So a lot of people are missing our dysfunction because the way we navigate our sufferings is different.

[Tyra the Creative]

Yeah.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

But we just need to know that it's not supposed to hurt at all.

[Host/Promoter]

Right.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

And even if it has been hurting and you don't know what's causing it, we need to continue to look for those solutions so that you can really get the wellness and the quality of life that you deserve.

[Tyra the Creative]

Is not supposed to hurt at all, y'.

[Host/Promoter]

All.

[Tyra the Creative]

At all.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

At all. Not even on the first time.

[Tyra the Creative]

I think that that's a big thing, because.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Yeah, you.

[Tyra the Creative]

We are conditioned. Oh, it's gonna hurt. Some stuff gonna hurt, depending on what it is. Too big, too wide. Hurt, like all of these things.

[Host/Promoter]

Yep.

[Tyra the Creative]

It ain't supposed to hurt.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

And then you start. Because if you think it's gonna hurt regardless of what it is, the tampon, the pelvic exam, sex. If you believe that it's supposed to hurt, when do you. When does it go away? When does it become normal for it to not hurt?

[Tyra the Creative]

Right.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

So people go, like, two, three years just going through pain, expecting it to go away when it was never supposed to hurt. Maybe you would have felt some pressure, some discomfort, some muscle tension, but actual pain.

[Host/Promoter]

Yeah.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Yeah. It's actually a sign of something going on, usually what Pelvic floor involved.

[Host/Promoter]

Wow.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Yeah.

[Tyra the Creative]

So we kind of talked about this a little bit a second ago, but why are black women so often misdiagnosed.

[Host/Promoter]

Or even dismissed when we are reporting.

[Tyra the Creative]

Our pain to our primary care physicians.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Who child, we don't have enough time today. Oh, man, there's so many angles. One of them is that doctors were actually taught, and there's research to show this, that black women have a higher tolerance to pain.

[Tyra the Creative]

I saw that.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

And that we cannot feel pain.

[Tyra the Creative]

And so that makes my.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Now, I mean, just a few years ago, there was a survey done in our current doctors. A good 40 of them still believe that.

[Host/Promoter]

Yep.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

So, I mean, that's part of it. Is that even just the whole idea of, like, black women being superwoman, you know, like that whole black strong woman complex. We don't want to look weak, we don't want to complain. We don't want to be a burden. And so I think that's part of it. Another part of why we're experiencing pelvic pain and also just feeling so dismissed by it is because we actually have more workplace stress. We have higher levels of burnout. And many of these mental health conditions don't just live in our head. It transfers to the rest of the body. And so we may have began to normalize it, you know, depending on how long it's been going on. If there's a background of religion or conservative culture in your background, you may also be less reluctant to talk about certain things, even outside of sex. I mean, how many of us grew up being told that it's called a flower or, you know, saying down there.

[Tyra the Creative]

Yeah.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

So there's a lot of shame. And so when we don't have the comfort and the freedom to talk about what's going on in our bodies, then it becomes difficult to. To feel comfortable not just telling our loved ones, but even telling the doctor. Yeah, most people don't even tell the doctor or their partner if they're experiencing pain, which is, wow, that is sad. Because to think that the person that is your main. That's your ride or die, you know, that's your. That's your soulmate. But even partners are not aware that we're experiencing high levels of, like, pelvic pain, pain with intimacy, etc. So I think these conversations are healing. Just like knowing, like, oh, I'm not the only one dealing with this. Having the language and the words to learn. Because if you don't know what things are called, it can be difficult to express what you're going through. And so I think that's a big. A big part of it. Racism, for sure, and gender bias in health care. But Then also any, like, insecurities about talking about things that are a little bit more private. And a lot of the stress, anxiety, trauma that we're just so used to carrying, it could be that we don't even know that there's a better way. Like, oh, I didn't know that there it was possible for me not to have pain with this, if that's all you've known. So I think that's a huge part of it. Oh, my gosh.

[Tyra the Creative]

That is a huge part.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

I.

[Tyra the Creative]

Because even now, when I go to the doctor, I'm like, tyra, leave all of that discomfort at the house. Tell the doctor what's going on. Like, I have to, like, prep myself to say these types of things because I am not conditioned to say what is going on with me. And it's not because. It's not because my, like, parents or anything was. Were proactively saying, like, keep this in the house or don't say, you know, anything. I actually don't know where it actually came from, but subconsciously I learned, keep your mouth shut. Deal with this at home or by yourself. So, yes, open up and talk to your doctors, y'.

[Host/Promoter]

All.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

And also, doctors don't typically ask for things beyond just, are you sexually active or, you know, even for when you go into a OB gyn, let's say you're having the vulvodynia. Rarely will a doctor ask, do you have pain on your vaginal opening? You know, these are not questions that we typically get asked anyways. And also, sexual shame is not something that a doctor can't feel themselves. Yeah. So a lot of times, even the providers may not feel comfortable asking certain things that really do point to serious issues. Like, while it may seem taboo to talk about your vagina or sex or even orgasms, those are usually signs of things going on in our body because it's still health, you know? And so I think that there is hopefully a movement of more acceptance and more comfort around pelvic health, women's health, sexual health, not just among us, but even among healthcare providers, too, because they can sort of set the stage for the appointment if you feel like, oh, my doctor is open to talking about so and so, then I think it won't fix it. But she'll feel a little bit more comfortable if you don't feel like you're just bringing it up randomly out of the blue. Yeah. Yeah.

[Tyra the Creative]

That leads me to another question. So I know, like, I want to say, my mom just recently found out that she had endometriosis. Because she's been dealing with it for a long time. And I know people who have been like, experiencing symptoms of things like endometriosis for, like, years. So what are some reproductive conditions that often masquerade as just like pelvic floor pain or things that we just. Pain that we just deal with.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

So just hearing that about your mom in my head, I'm like, how is it that no one caught it earlier?

[Tyra the Creative]

Well, I'm about to say. I'm about to say I'm sorry.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

I know, I know we shouldn't go on a tangent, but it's, it's. It's unacceptable. Yeah. Endometriosis, of course, is one. But painful periods. I mean, I remember growing up being taught that if you have pain on your periods, that's just part of being a woman.

[Host/Promoter]

Yeah.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Like, it wasn't seen as dysfunctional.

[Tyra the Creative]

And before you even continue, I felt like something was wrong with me because my periods are not painful.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

That's amazing. Chef's kiss.

[Tyra the Creative]

And I was like, am I okay? Like, you know, am I okay? Because that's what I learned.

[Host/Promoter]

Yeah.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

That's sad when you question normal function.

[Tyra the Creative]

Yeah. So I will have pain sometimes, but I will never, like, some of my friends will be like, I'm on the floor all day. I literally have no, no energy to do anything. And I'm like, just give me an hour to lay down and then I'm.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

I'm good.

[Tyra the Creative]

You know what I mean? So, yeah, on the opposite side, I'm like, oh, my gosh, is something wrong with my reproductive system?

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

No. So what I always say is when you have your period, you are having your period, you're not having a baby. It should not feel like you're about to go into labor. You should not. Usually if you take an over the counter medication for your pain, that should be enough. If you feel like you have to take off from work or be curled up in a ball for several hours, there is just something that we need to discover. It may not be something huge. It could be your vitamin D is low, or it could be maybe you have polyps or small fibroids, or there's so many things, and it's not always something crazy, but it is usually a signal. And it even can just be lack of sleep, because when you don't get enough sleep, your cortisol levels raise, which then raise your blood sugar levels. And it also can contribute to low progesterone, because progesterone is the hormone that's released after we ovulate, which helps to Balance the level of estrogen. Okay? So if you have too much estrogen, you're going to have heavier periods, more clotting and usually more pain. Things like endometriosis and fibroids, they feed on estrogen. Okay? So when we are highly stressed, we're not getting enough sleep, we're working so much in order for the body to make cortisol, which is the stress hormone, it pulls from progesterone. It's like a progesterone bank. And if you don't have enough progesterone, your periods will, you'll have the, the mood swings right before your period. You'll start getting super emotional right before your period. Or maybe you'll have the short periods where it's like only 21 days instead of like a full month. And so literally just sleeping more, incorporating more activities that calm you down and balance your stress levels can be supportive for your hormones and for your pelvic health. So. Yeah, I need to get more sleep tonight.

[Tyra the Creative]

Yeah, I was about to say, I was gonna say I need to get more sleep as well because I have been, I've been a very busy girl lately. But you mentioned vitamin D. I just took a test, like a blood test, and my vitamin D levels are low. So what does, what does that, how that correlate with your periods? Because I will say last month's period was hard. I was in the bed for, I.

[Host/Promoter]

Had to take a nap.

[Tyra the Creative]

So I, I took like a three hour nap and then I got up and I was fine. You know what I mean? But that's, that's a lot for me when it comes to pain. So what does vitamin D specifically have to do? Because I know a lot of like dark skinned black women, our vitamin D levels are low, like as a whole.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

So, so vitamin D works as a, to fight disease and dysfunction in the body. Vitamin D also is a hormone which most people don't know. So I didn't know. If your vitamin D levels are low, you're at a higher risk for depression, you're at a high risk for mood imbalances. There's a huge support system for our bones that really rely on vitamin D. And also just every cell in the body needs vitamin D. So skin, your organs, I mean your brain, all of it, but especially the fact that it is a hormone. It's known to support overall women's health. And so even for me, when I have, when I'm taking my vitamin D supplement, I usually have a more regular cycle, but usually when I'm taking my Vitamin D. I'm just more disciplined with everything. So it's not just the vitamin D, but yeah, that's what I mean. It's so important. We're made, especially as black women, we thrive in the sun. Yeah, we literally, you know, we glisten, like, where that's who we are. And so if we're not getting enough of vitamin D, we're usually going to see our mental health and our pelvic health, even fibroids. So there's been more research coming out than women who have fibroids typically have significantly lower levels of vitamin D. All.

[Host/Promoter]

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[Tyra the Creative]

Right?

[Host/Promoter]

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[Tyra the Creative]

That last minute holiday sprucing and trying.

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[Tyra the Creative]

I need to ask her for the.

[Host/Promoter]

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[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

What's your favorite food?

[Tyra the Creative]

What's my favorite food? My favorite food? I don't have a favorite food. Honestly, you sound like me. I don't have a favorite food. I don't like to eat the same thing all the time.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

So what I'm hearing is that you cook a lot.

[Tyra the Creative]

No, what you're hearing is that I eat a lot of different things a lot. I eat out a lot. That's what you're hearing. That's what you hear. Even though I'm a chef, I don't really. I mean, I cook a lot and then I don't cook a lot. I have my spurts of time.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Tara, what don't you do? So you're a chef.

[Tyra the Creative]

Do not strip.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Praise the. Praise the Lord.

[Host/Promoter]

Amen.

[Tyra the Creative]

Hallelujah. I'm glad to hear it because maybe listening.

[Host/Promoter]

Yeah.

[Tyra the Creative]

Because a lot of people do ask me, like, what don't you do? And that's what I say. I, I don't strip. Never tried it. Look, I just not imagine you would say that's it. Because everything else, Jesus, I didn't. Look, I didn't been there, done that. But when it comes to food, I, I like anything Southern. Honestly. That's what I will say. I eat, I eat a lot of southern food. But, you know, we can't eat a lot of southern food because it'll stick to your balls.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

That's what they say. Yeah, well, we do, like, a lot of fried stuff.

[Tyra the Creative]

Yeah.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

But. Okay, so one of the southern foods that I love specifically for pelvic and vaginal health. Collard greens.

[Host/Promoter]

Really?

[Tyra the Creative]

I love collard greens.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Collard greens.

[Tyra the Creative]

What about mustard? So is it just collars or collars? Mustards.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Any greens?

[Tyra the Creative]

Any greens?

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Any greens? Typically like collard greens and spinach. Okay. Spinach especially is rich in magnesium, and we need magnesium to fall asleep.

[Tyra the Creative]

We need to be taking the magnesium powder and stuff. Yeah.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Also, almonds have a lot of magnesium. So I love almond. Anything magnesium rich is going to relax muscles. So your uterus needs to relax if you want to bring those. The pain down on your period, if you have a lot of tension, whether it's low back pain, hip pain, pain with intimacy, magnesium. So, so spinach, any type of greens, almonds, the nuts, even zinc can be really supportive for pain and also regulating the menstrual cycle when you. I know everyone's not trying to get pregnant, but we're actually in that age range where a lot of us are trying to get pregnant.

[Tyra the Creative]

Yeah.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

When we conceive, there's actually something called the zinc spark. There's like a light. There's a spark in our ovaries, which is right when the sperm meets the egg. And it happens because of zinc. So, like, zinc is like, part of the spark of life. Like, you need zinc to regulate your cycle. It's good for your mental health. And so magnesium zinc is. Is super important. Pumpkin seeds have a good amount of zinc in them. Okay. And then also, like, seafoods as well. Oh, okay. Okay.

[Tyra the Creative]

I was about to ask you, where can I get zinc in my diet?

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

I know, I know. Salmon is the number one, I would say, number one food for overall pelvic pain. It has something called Omega 3, and Omega 3 helps to make the good prostaglandins. So if you've ever been in. I know you say you don't have bad period pain, but the cramping that we get on that period, that's because of something called prostaglandins. Those are the bad ones.

[Host/Promoter]

Okay.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

So if we have a lot of inflammation in our body, our body is going to make the bad prostaglandins. In order to make the good ones, you need the omega 3. Okay. So salmon and avocados. I cannot. I cannot speak highly enough about avocado. This is really supportive for just hormones in general. You make hormones from fat, so there's a lot of good fat in here.

[Host/Promoter]

Okay.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

And so I. I half a day, half of avocado every day.

[Tyra the Creative]

I love avocado, too.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Well, clearly.

[Tyra the Creative]

My avocado pillow. But that's. That's all good to know. Well, this is so back to the salmon for a second.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Let's do it. I love salmon.

[Tyra the Creative]

Salmon has omega 3 fatty acids in it, right? Catfish do, too, but just not as much. What if I eat a bunch of catfish?

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

I did the research. Catfish has omega three.

[Tyra the Creative]

Yeah. Not as. Not nearly as much as salmon, but it's in there.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Okay. I say if it's for. If it's gonna make you happy, go ahead and do it. If you're trying to decrease the pelvic pain, specifically, I would go salmon, salmon, salmon. Our omega 3 supplements. Walnuts actually have more omega 3 than salmon. Oh, okay. So like eight walnut pieces have a decent amount of. Okay.

[Tyra the Creative]

Me and my dad was just talking about this. Walnuts just take all the spit out your mouth. They made they so dry, girl.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Put them in some banana bread.

[Tyra the Creative]

Well, okay. Okay. There we go. There we go.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

Yeah, don't put as much sugar in it if you're trying to decrease inflammation. But so, so good. That's even some yogurt.

[Tyra the Creative]

Like, that's true, but eating them bottoms, I can't eat walnuts by themselves.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

That's not the nut I go for. I would go for cashews or pecans.

[Tyra the Creative]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I will, too.

[Host/Promoter]

Okay.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

By the way, now, that will. That will not decrease your pain.

[Tyra the Creative]

It will not pop.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

But it will increase your happiness. It'll increase your happiness, and we need that.

[Host/Promoter]

We do.

[Dr. Janelle Frederick]

We do. Balance. I struggle with, like, having one piece of something. Same. Yeah. So I'm not that good at, like, food control, but we can talk about that in different.

[Tyra the Creative]

So we're gonna talk about that a little later.

[Host/Promoter]

Y'. All.

[Tyra the Creative]

Today really opened my eyes. We went deep into stuff that most of us just tend to shrug off. The pain, the discomfort, the things that we either didn't know how to name or didn't realize was connected to each other. And hearing how all of these pieces fit together, from endometriosis to vaginismus, and even how movement like yoga or Pilates can make a difference, really makes you stop and start to pay attention. So if this episode resonated with you and you'd like to get in touch with Dr. Janelle, I have put all of her information down below in our show notes. But like I said, this is a three part series. So next time, we are wrapping up this series by bringing in your questions, your stories, and keeping it real about what all this looks like in every everyday life. And before I get out of here, let me if you would like to have Dr. Janelle back on the show. She is a wealth of knowledge and I know the two of us can kiki all day. We had such a great time and that is all that I have for you guys.

[Host/Promoter]

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure.

[Tyra the Creative]

To share with someone who could really learn something from it. And I really hope you guys tune in again for part three that'll be coming out in the new year. So you have a little bit of time but make sure you stay tuned for that. This this is affirmations for black girls.

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