Navigating Menopause and Military Life: Dr. Maria Luque on Why Menopause Matters -40
Get ready for an inspiring conversation as Dr. Maria Luque, an Air Force veteran, fitness expert, and menopause coach, joins host Kim on "Dog Tag Diaries." In this episode, listeners embark on Dr. Luque's journey from growing up in Germany to serving in the United States Air Force. She shares her unique perspective on the intricacies of military life, detailing both the challenges and joys she experienced during her seven-year service. Dr. Luque highlights the evolution of her career path from finance to fitness, revealing how she found her passion in transforming lives through health. If you're curious about how fitness can reshape the menopausal experience and what it means to embrace life with vitality, this episode promises to inspire and inform.
Dr. Maria Luque is an accomplished fitness expert, menopause coach, former health science professor, and proud Air Force veteran. With over two decades of experience, she is deeply committed to empowering menopausal women to become stronger, healthier, and embrace a life full of adventure. Holding an M.S. and Ph.D. in health sciences, as well as a range of certifications, including Certified Health Education Specialist, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, ACE Fitness Nutrition Specialist, and NASM Women's Fitness Specialist, she combines her expertise with a passion for transformation. Dr. Luque is the founder of Fitness in Menopause, a company dedicated to helping women navigate the challenges and rewards of midlife.
Conneect with Dr. Maria:
Instagram- @drmarialuque
LinkedIn- drmarialuque
Website- www.fitnessinmenopause.com
Kim Liska served in the United States Army/Reserves as a Combat Medic, Combat Nurse, Flight Nurse Instructor and one of the Top Female athletes in the Army. Kim worked 20+ years as an ER nurse and decided to explore the world as a travel nurse. She's an Advanced Wilderness Expedition Provider and Chief Medical Officer for numerous endurance/survival expeditions in different countries. Kim has a son, Jace and a daughter in law, Sammy and 2 grand animals, Joey & Bear. Her dog Camo is her best buddy. Camo is the sweetest yellow Labrador Retriever to walk this earth. He loves licking snow, riding the ocean waves, visiting carnivore food trucks and loves belly rubs and treats. Fun Facts: Kim's lived in the Reality TV World! Fear Factor, American Ninja Warrior-Military Edition, American Tarzan, Spartan Namibia and more to come!
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Transcript
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Kim [:Menopause isn't a setback. It's a new mission. Doctor Maria Luque, air force veteran, fitness expert, and menopause coach is leading the charge to help women embrace midlife with strength, health, and adventure. With over two decades of experience, she's not only transforming lives through her company fitness and menopause, but also pioneering programs for women in the military. Ensuring that they have the tools to thrive at every stage of service and beyond. Welcome to Dog Tag Diaries. I'm your host, Captain Kim. Our podcast is where military women speak their truths and share the stories that have shaped their lives.
Kim [:From moments of resilience to hard won triumph, we hold nothing back. Twenty twenty four was a year of incredible milestones for this community. Our voice were heard in over 33 countries around the world, and we ranked in Apple Podcasts top 200 in personal journeys in The United States, a test movement. Let's break barriers, shatter silence, and amplify the voices of military women everywhere. Thank you for listening, sharing, and making this possible. This is dog tag diaries. Doctor Maria Luque is an accomplished fitness expert, menopause coach, former health science professor, and proud air force veteran. With over two decades of experience, she is deeply committed to empowering menopausal women to become stronger, healthier, and embrace a life of full adventure.
Kim [:Holding an MS and PhD in health sciences as well as a range of certifications, including certified health education specialist, certified personal trainer, fitness nutrition specialist, and NASM women's fitness specialist, she combines her expertise with a passion for transformation. Doctor Luque is a founder of fitness and menopause, a company dedicated to helping women navigate the challenges and rewards of midlife. Doctor Luque, thank you for being on Dog Tag Diaries.
Dr. Maria Luque [:Yay. I'm just so honored. I love anything veteran and I love everything menopause.
Kim [:Oh, I could tell already you were gonna be a hoot.
Dr. Maria Luque [:Well, I am. I'm a Huawei.
Kim [:Well, let's start. Let's hear about how you were as a child and the impacts that had to take you into your military career.
Dr. Maria Luque [:I grew up in Germany. I had, I'm a child of Spanish parents. And so I did not come to The States until I was a full grown adult after I already had a college degree. And I met an army GI, and that is how I ended up in The States and then ended up joining the Air Force. It's really like twists and turns. If I look back at my life, I'm thinking, how did this all happen?
Kim [:Yeah. Let's hear about it. Get more descriptive. Let's hear how this all happened.
Dr. Maria Luque [:Yes. So I, grew up as a a Spanish child. My parents were are Spaniards. They moved to Germany as many after World War two, there was a lot of jobs. So there was a lot of migration of Spaniards, Italians, Turkish people to Germany. So I was born and raised there and went through all the schooling there until I had my bachelor's degree. I met an American GI there and then ended up moving to The States. And once I got here, I honestly just still don't know how well, how the air force called me.
Dr. Maria Luque [:I was trying to look for opportunity, something interesting. I wanted to go to continue my college education, and I was working at a college at the time. And opportunity offered itself. And I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to get my college, my master's degree, and experience something different. And I surely did. So I was in the Air Force for over seven years, seven years, a little bit over. And the rest is history as they say.
Kim [:So what was your experience like in the Air Force?
Dr. Maria Luque [:I loved it, honestly, because I was already older. I was 24 when I enlisted, which as you probably know, most people join when they're like 18. So I was kind of like the old woman going through basic training. And so a lot of the things that the younger kids were bothered by, I thought this isn't a big deal. Also, I grew up in Germany, which is fairly disciplined. And so I didn't have a really hard time in basic training. It was rules. I love rules and regulations, so it kind of fit my standard.
Dr. Maria Luque [:I was more annoyed by other people not doing what they're supposed to be doing.
Kim [:Okay. And you were in 1998 to 2006? Yes. Okay. Where did you do your basic?
Dr. Maria Luque [:San Antonio. As I was living in San Antonio, did my basic in San Antonio, went to Shepherd Air Force Base, which is still in Texas, and then was sent right back to San Antonio for my first four years. What was your job? I was finance. I worked for DFAS. So I was in a purple unit with the army, which I really enjoyed. So we were attached to Randolph Air Force Base, but we were not at on the base. We worked downtown in San Antonio in a civilian building with civilians and army. We had an army commander and an air force lieutenant commander.
Dr. Maria Luque [:So it was really great. It was a great exposure to both parts, to two different completely different branches because, as you know, they don't speak the same language. It's very interesting.
Kim [:No, we don't. I'm army. So, yeah, no, we don't.
Dr. Maria Luque [:Wow. It was really, really interesting because we worked on the same thing. But even though everyone was getting paid, our system was so different. ARMY had a different system than we had, and it made no sense at all. But for it not to be the same across the line, right, it would have been more sense for everybody to get paid the same way.
Kim [:Yeah. You mentioned finance. Okay. Because we just talked about in your bio how health conscious you are. So how did you start in finance?
Dr. Maria Luque [:Well, the recruiter did a really good job at selling me on finance being the right fit for me.
Kim [:They're good at that.
Dr. Maria Luque [:And I didn't know much. I came from Germany. I didn't understand any of the American system. I was kind of familiar with the army lingo and everything, but not the air force part. I knew I didn't wanna do the army because I've experienced that from a spouse perspective. So I wanted to do air force. And I don't know, I ended up in finance. I can say that I didn't like it.
Dr. Maria Luque [:Again, I am someone that likes detail and data. So from an analytical perspective, I'm still in that realm because I like data, I like research, I like all that. And I thrived in it. I did really well. I did my four years, first four years at San Antonio and then went to officer training school to transition. So I went in as enlisted and ended up as an officer and then moved to California for my last two years in the service.
Kim [:Okay. Were those the two years that you weren't too fond of, or was it those four years in between?
Dr. Maria Luque [:I didn't mind the enlisted part. Honestly, the officer part just ended up being at the end, I have to be honest, at the end of it, it was I wanted to do more, and I was going to end being the assistant to the commander. And I just didn't see myself being a personal assistant to commander. I there was an entire thing to me. And at that point in time, the air force was trying to get rid of a lot of officers. So there was an opportunity for me to exit because they were cutting down officers. There were too many of us and not enough enlisted people. And so too many cooks in the kitchen.
Dr. Maria Luque [:Yeah. I used the opportunity because I wanted to be go into physical therapy, And so I exited to get my master's degree and go into physical therapy. And so I used that opportunity.
Kim [:As well as a female in the military, did you find it difficult?
Dr. Maria Luque [:No. I don't think I I did. I also think my experience in the air force may be very different than the other branches. A lot of my bosses and my superiors were female. We had a male commander. My direct commander was female. My supervisor was a female. On the enlisted side, it was female.
Dr. Maria Luque [:So I and it's finance. So by the trade, we had more females in there. And then I moved into so I started with finance as an enlisted person and then went into human resources of personnel when I became an officer. So still in the same realm, but still the same. We had, you know, 90% of the people there were females. So I got to see a lot of that. But I also have to say that I got to see a lot of the dysfunction and the sexual assaults. And so I became a sexual assault prevention coordinator and advocate during my last few years in the military.
Dr. Maria Luque [:I mean, it's disgusting, but it was eye opening to see how these things are processed and what happens and the the steps that people go through and the amount of those assaults, like the sheer number of assaults that happen is just incredible.
Kim [:Yeah. Can we talk a little bit about that? And I know this is a silly question because we get so many different titles in the military. You go in with your job title, but then you get every other title. So how did you end up being the sexual assault coordinator?
Dr. Maria Luque [:That's a volunteer position. As you know, most of the things that you do on the side is all volunteer. So you still have your job-job. When I was in San Antonio, during the first year, I volunteered to become the fitness tester. I forgot what the name was then. And then so I did that all the way through. And then when I became an officer, I became the fitness program manager for the base. So that's followed me through the entire time, and I always volunteered to do that.
Dr. Maria Luque [:That was always an additional job. And then I wanted to get involved and help sexual assault victims to know what their rights are, to know what and so I volunteered to do that as well. So I went through the training and did those, and I've always enjoyed helping other people. And this is why I'm in the job I am now, I think. So it's it was very rewarding and very eye opening. And it just reinforced my belief that we all play a part in this big village of ours, and we all have to help.
Kim [:Well, thank you for taking on that role because military sexual trauma is so prevalent in the military. So we need people like you to step in and be like even though you didn't experience it specifically, the fact that you really wanted to take care of us, like military women and military men, is a huge on taking. So thank you.
Dr. Maria Luque [:Well, I'm thankful and feel honored that I got the opportunity to do it because, obviously, those programs have to be in place. And I don't know where they are now because I got out a long time ago, and the sexual assault rate has only increased since then. So I don't know what those systems and programs are that are in place. I would hope that they got better because they were not very efficient when I was in, and so I'm hoping that they got better, but I don't know. So and I don't know what your experience was in the air army. I'm sure it's even more different because I I feel that, the air force, in my experience, has has had a lot of steps in place because they say it's like air force is the easier life lifestyle. And that's true.
Kim [:Well, you're such an advocate one for helping women who and men who have gone through the military sexual trauma, but also being the physical fitness coordinator. Let's talk about that. Is that what prompted you to go into physical therapy and all the things that you do now?
Dr. Maria Luque [:And this goes back to childhood. I grew up in Germany. I was a such an active child because it is the culture. You walk everywhere, you bike everywhere. I've always enjoyed movement. I've always enjoyed fitness, but not in a regimented way like we do here, which is go to the gym, do the things. It was more part of life. And so when that opportunity opened itself up and let's be real.
Dr. Maria Luque [:The Air Force physical fitness standards when I was in were quite ridiculous because it was a bike test and a few push ups and sit ups. So that changed during my time, and I was lucky that I got to be a part of that change. So I was a part of changing the Air Force's fitness program to what it is, I think, still now, but at that point where it moved into having to run and do your push ups and having the the body measurements. So more in line with the other branches rather than the ergonomic the bite test. So I'm really proud of that. That part that I was I feel like I played a little bit of a role. I was part of the change.
Dr. Maria Luque [:That was really big, and I really enjoyed it. And then even back then, I always felt when we were going on runs and everyone was complaining about how now they have to run because these are people that have been in the military, especially those that have already been in for a decade or more. Those were the grumpiest of all saying, why do we have to run now every morning for a PT? This is an army thing. The air force doesn't do that.
Kim [:They get used to a certain lifestyle.
Dr. Maria Luque [:And I thought, you know what? You get to run right now instead of you getting paid instead of having to go to work. And so I've always been in that mindset. We need to switch how we think about movement, that it's not a chore, but that it is something that feels good, that makes you healthier. And in that case, you're getting paid to do this right now. It sucks maybe that you have to get up at 06:00, but you would have to get up at 06:00 to go to your logistics job. So I was the lieutenant for the logistics squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base. And so those guys were especially, especially the older guys were like, I don't wanna do a PT. I want to retire.
Dr. Maria Luque [:It was really fun. So I look back. I had a great time in the air force. I got out right before I was gonna start to have not fun anymore.
Kim [:Yeah. Like you said, you didn't wanna be this assistant, and you can tell that you have that tenacity because all the things that you went ahead and did in the health and fitness world and then the menopausal world for women. So thank you for that, and let's get into that.
Dr. Maria Luque [:Yeah. I love it. So the menopause I get asked a lot, how did I end up in this? Because it wasn't something that I set out to do, nor was it ever on my mind to talk about menopause or menopause in general. I wasn't aware. So when I went through my I came, I got out, I started my personal training business when I got out while I was doing my master's getting my master's degree and built my personal training business because it was easy for me to do while I was going to school. And then once I had my master's I'm a sucker for education. Then I got my PhD, so I continued growing my business. And for my dissertation, I had to pick a topic.
Dr. Maria Luque [:And I already had a lot of middle aged clients that were going through menopause. So I was introduced into the topic and how hard it was. At that point, I was in my thirties. So I wasn't nowhere near menopause, but I saw the need. So I did my dissertation on the topic of physical activity and quality of life through the perimenopausal transition. And that's it. I mean, this was a twenty ten and I haven't left the space because now we're talking a lot more about menopause. But when I was going through my dissertation, no one was talking about it.
Dr. Maria Luque [:And it wasn't even a topic of conversation or research. Not that it is now. We have very little research, but it's more of a broad topic now. We hear it everywhere. Too default. Now it's awful because there's too much information and too much misinformation. But back then, there wasn't. So I felt like this was where I needed to be.
Dr. Maria Luque [:And I've been there and I love it. I would not change it. I don't see myself ever moving out of the space because it's really rewarding. And I get to, you know, I get to work with a lot of incredible people.
Kim [:Yeah. Well, let's talk about the effects that movement, like you were talking about, that movement does to your whole body and why it's so important for us to have, like, those new PT standards, physical fitness test standards.
Dr. Maria Luque [:The science is clearer over and over and over again. The more we move, the healthier we are. There's no doubt about it. It isn't the diets. It's not the supplements. It's not whatever you take. It's the consistent movement. And when we are able to move more, especially in a world where we sit a lot more, right, we have there's more jobs where people are just sitting all day.
Dr. Maria Luque [:So we can't really undo eight hours of sitting or ten hours of sitting by going and doing an hour of CrossFit. That doesn't work. There has to be more movement throughout the day. And for women, especially as we go through menopause, men also go through losses in muscle mass, not to the extent that women do because once once we go through menopause, estrogen does play a big role in just how we feel and how things are processed and the testosterone lower gets lower as well. But we lose muscle mass at an accelerated rate. And so if we start with less muscle mass already, and we go through menopause and lose even more, it affects us from a functionality perspective, because we're able to not do the things that we might want to do. It also from a cosmetic perspective, this is what most people are bothered by. We see changes in our body, how it's composed, more fat deposits, especially in the middle.
Dr. Maria Luque [:So a lot more belly fat. That's what a lot of women complain about the most. And it's true. I mean, it's a huge challenge. We see our bodies change even if we are still doing the exact same thing we used to do. But it's undeniable that if we do resistance training, you are going to gain muscle and you are going to live a better life. There's no doubt about it. If you have more muscle, you're going to be able to live a more functionally able and hopefully higher quality of life lifespan as it increases your lifespan.
Dr. Maria Luque [:There is just no downfalls to having muscle and to doing resistance training. And for women in menopause and beyond, and that's beyond because menopause is so to clarify, just for the terms as I'm throwing these out, premenopause is everything before things start getting a little wonky. Perimenopause is the timeframe that no one can define where hormones start to fluctuate. You might start feeling symptoms, you might not. Your periods could be regular, and I wanna say this clearly because a lot of women wait for the periods to start to change for it to be a sign. A lot of women have regular periods throughout or you might be on birth control and you don't have a period or you may or might not have a uterus anymore and you don't have period. There's a million ways that you might start having symptoms. It could be anxiety, depression, itchy skin, more fat in the middle or different body composition.
Dr. Maria Luque [:That's perimenopause. Most of the symptoms happen in that timeframe. Generally, it's mid 40s to early 50s. But some people start feeling it a little earlier. So maybe early 40s, anything before 40s, it's really considered premature menopause and is not as often, but it does happen. But if you're in that middle forty five to fifty range, chances are you are going through that transition, even if you're not feeling symptoms. And then you're considered postmenopausal twelve months after your last period. So once you had your last period twelve months.
Dr. Maria Luque [:And that can only be determined retroactively because you don't know when your last period was until you know that it was. And no one can tell you when you're going to start. So this is what's so tricky about it. So a lot of women go into this stage not prepared to almost connect the dots to say, well, I don't know why I've been feeling so annoyed all the time or why I'm just feeling really depressed or anxious. And it could be menopause. It could be perimenopause. And a lot of women don't connect these dots, and they don't go out and get help because there is there are lots of treatments. There's lots of things.
Dr. Maria Luque [:But movement is shown to consistently be beneficial. Even if it doesn't do away with symptoms, it's consistently shown to just you know, it's a mood booster, again, from a functionality perspective and from a metabolic perspective. It's the most effective way to do.
Kim [:I have to agree with you. And anytime I start feeling anxious or anything, I take myself out into nature and I just walk. And I give myself time for my body to have that cascade effect, releasing the good feeling hormones so you can think more clearly. And then just breathing in outside. I mean, the air outside. Well, yes, we have some pollution, but it's a lot better than, you know, the recycled air you're breathing inside. So I do have a question for you. You are so knowledgeable about menopause.
Kim [:Obviously, you did your dissertation in it. Here's my question. Because military women, they're still in the military between 45 and 55. So you have all these emotions and unfamiliar things that are happening in your body along with usually when you're in the military, you stay in that fight or flight response for longer periods of time. Your cortisol levels higher. You have PTS, like how in the world do women even start to manage all of this? And have you ever thought of taking your program into the military? That way it can benefit the military women. Because like you said, even the civilian women, while there is a lot of information, but there's a lot of misinformation. How do we distinguish, like, between PTS, between going into menopause, and then how do we deal with it all?
Dr. Maria Luque [:That's the million dollar question. And so to answer one of the questions, I've been working, and I'm involved with the DAV. They did and I don't know if you've known, like, they released a report, women's mental health report last year. So it's the women veteran's journey to mental health. So I was asked to give my 5¢ on the menopause part because I'd I'd gone through one of their DAV business boot camps, so I've kinda stayed connected with them because I said, I want to bring more menopause awareness to the military, to veterans, specifically to the VA as well. I've tried. It's really hard to penetrate that wall, and we just don't have enough information. But especially in this report, if you haven't read it, it is incredible, first of all, because the mental health aspect of what the military does and the resources that are lacking is incredible.
Dr. Maria Luque [:And then you add menopause, like just what you were saying, when we're looking at women veteran that have PTSD from war, that may have had sexual trauma happen to them, and then just life. And then they may be transitioning out of the military into something completely new. And then menopause. That happens as a layer, not as in a vacuum. This doesn't happen in a vacuum. So we're looking at a perfect storm for all stuff to just go wrong because you don't know which piece am I attacking and what is the root cause of all my stuff because you can't attack it all. Now I always say that the only way to do it is to attack one symptom at a time. Menopause itself can be treated as menopause because everybody has a different experience.
Dr. Maria Luque [:Again, some people may have no symptoms. They just transition through or they might they're not bothered by them. Let's say that as well. Some women may not be bothered by some of the symptoms and some others have an insane amount of symptoms. And so you're not going to treat the symptoms differently necessarily just because it's menopause related unless it can be treated with a menopausal hormone therapy. But some of the, mood disorders, so if you have anxiety or depression, those still have to be treated with medication possibly if it's necessary. Your medication isn't gonna be different because it's a menopause related depression. It's gonna still be treated as a depression.
Dr. Maria Luque [:And so it's important to notice that you have to go and get help for the symptom rather than, oh, it's menopause, so therefore I don't care. The problem also is that women have to be better at advocating for themselves when they go to their doctors. Unfortunately, it is incredibly common for women to go to their primary care physicians and be dismissed. Happens all the time. I hear it all the time. I am lucky that I've had really great, great experiences through the VA, but I also know my stuff. So I go in with the right questions and I don't let them bully me out. But a lot of women don't know what questions to ask.
Dr. Maria Luque [:So it's really important to get that information to say, hey. I know you're telling me this. However, this isn't good enough. That's really important for women to just get the basic education on how to talk to their providers.
Kim [:You're right. That educational piece is so vital because if you don't know, you can't you can't ask the questions. So the fact that they asked you to come in and do a speaking piece for them along with the mental health is so beautiful to hear because it at least says that we're making progress. Correct?
Dr. Maria Luque [:Yeah. I haven't I didn't do speaking piece, so I was interviewed for the report. So it was part of they interviewed a few women veterans, so disabled veterans, and myself, and to ask about their experiences as being a woman in the military and from a mental health perspective. And then I come in with a menopause piece because menopause does affect women's mental health incredibly. And that is a missing piece. And and again, for women veterans, I wish there were more resources because menopause, I think, can be even worse just because of the trauma that you know your average civilian person doesn't necessarily experience. Sexual trauma happens everywhere and those happen but the combination of war trauma, possibly the PTSD, plus possible sexual assault, plus menopause is all of those things rarely come together in the civilian world. The fact that we have so many women in the military that are going to go through this or are going through it now and don't have the resources is really sad.
Dr. Maria Luque [:And the fact that the VA is being underutilized. So there's a large number of women veterans that are not using the VA because they don't have any trust in the VA health care system. So we need to talk about it more. When I talk to people in the VA, my doctors and the I try to talk to as many people as I can. Say, why are there no services like this? And they said, because we just don't have enough demand either. So there's just not as much utilization of women in the health care system, so they're not going to offer things because the majority of people are men that go through the system. And so we need to empower women to make use of those facilities more. That's a right that you earned to go, especially if you are disabled.
Dr. Maria Luque [:That's a right. If you're retired, that's your right. These are services that you earned, and you should be able to walk in there and say, I demand to be taken care of.
Kim [:Doctor Luque, that is so right on the money because you're right. And that's why we have these podcasts and these stories and you coming on to say, yes. You deserve this. You earned this. This is your right. And that educational piece to have people like you to be there to educate them. And we'll have your information in the show notes so that they can access you, so they can learn more about all of this, and that you can empower them and be their advocate.
Dr. Maria Luque [:I try. And also, if anybody listens to this and they have a nonprofit, a veterans nonprofit, or they have any interest in me talking about this or coming on a podcast or coming to a conference or doing, we need to amplify this. I do believe that we have to change us as women veterans. We have to be the ones that advocate for each other to say there has to be done more. We have to do more, and we have to get women to use the services that they have earned and that they have a right to use. And so I'm really passionate. I don't know if you could tell, but I'm really interested in that.
Kim [:Yes. I can.
Dr. Maria Luque [:Get more involved in it. But like I said earlier, it is incredibly hard to penetrate that wall of the VA and military service organizations to be able to talk about this. So if there's anybody out there that knows anybody on how to get in there and how to maybe do more events like that, I am all game for this.
Kim [:I can hear it in your voice. You do are very passionate about it. And I think that there's, like, this beautiful woman movement that is happening. And not to discourage men, they have their resources. But there is this beautiful movement in a very, like, beautiful dance that women are really coming together now and telling their stories and hearing other women's stories saying, oh my gosh, I'm not alone. And it is okay to talk about this. So I know that in the military, we it's very male dominant. We are a very small percentage, so our voices do get taken away quite a bit.
Kim [:And then if you're like anything, if you're exposed to that for long periods of time, that just becomes your condition lifestyle. And so I'm really happy that you came along. I hope that the VA continues to reach out to you to somehow develop, you're very creative. So to develop something that can, you know, like you said, be penetrated into the actual military that when women that are in the military still and doing their careers at 45, 50 five hitting that menopausal age can access and be like, oh, and then, like you said, we just need to take more time with these women because there's so many complex layers, MST, PTS, even chemical warfare, the exposure, which changes body composition. We need to take time and be like, oh, yes. This is what's going on. And let them know that, yeah, there's resources out there. We can get you through programs like you have.
Kim [:If they don't wanna get on medication, movement is wonderful medication. Yes.
Dr. Maria Luque [:And it really is the education piece. The education piece is so understated because when it comes to this stage in life, education is your ally. You have to be able to educate yourself. And sadly, now you have to be able to discern and be critical about the information that you're consuming. Because menopause is having a moment, everyone is telling you that they got the solution for you. And I have to say in my experience, and it's a vast amount of experience, the keys to making this transition and the rest of your life a positive one are that you move more and that you tune into yourself more, that you get coaching just like from a health coaching perspective and you have a community. There's no one out there that can sell you a solution. And that's just it.
Dr. Maria Luque [:If anyone is selling you the diet that is a menopause diet or the thing that is that or the supplement that will cure this or the program that suddenly will get rid of all your menopause symptoms, that's all lies. There is none of that is available. The three I mean, there's hormone therapy, and I'm a huge fan of it. Not everybody can take it. Not everybody wants to take it. But there are availabilities. It's all about knowing the range of options. But in essence, if nothing else is available, community, movement, and education are the three things that will get you through.
Dr. Maria Luque [:And those three things anybody can do because they don't cost anything if you really don't want to. And there are enough organizations out there now that are providing the community aspect and not providing more of the coaching aspect. Like myself, I do a menopause coaching.
Kim [:I was just gonna ask, is that what you teach in your business, fitness and menopause?
Dr. Maria Luque [:I do a lot of coaching. Yes. I do still do a lot of fitness one on ones, but I am also in the process. I'm a part of a startup where I'm helping to be a health coach. I'm a health coach for a startup. All of this will be launched soon, so there will be more coming. Stay tuned. But those services, so I'm really excited about taking on more of a health coach, menopause coach role that takes into account the broader aspect where nutrition plays a role, where sleep education takes a role, where fitness takes a big role.
Dr. Maria Luque [:So all of those pieces, because they all go together. So we can't just take fitness. We can't just take nutrition. Women have to know that all of it plays a role in how to get those pieces together. So that's where I'm going into having more of a role in that field. And I've been branching out of just fitness for a long time. So fitness I will always do fitness, but branching more into a bigger picture aspect. And I'm also writing a book.
Dr. Maria Luque [:So hopefully, by the end of this year, there will be a fun book coming out.
Kim [:Okay. Well, you'll have to let me know, and then we'll have you on again. And we can talk about the launch to your book and the launch, but I feel like everything has led you to this point because your certification in health education, your certification in fitness nutrition, and also in the being a fitness specialist. This is, like, perfect.
Dr. Maria Luque [:I honestly have never thought that I would be in this place, but I I truly feel that I'm right where I need where I need to be. Like, currently in my life, I'm right where I need to be, and I'm really super excited about it.
Kim [:Well, we are so happy that you are in this place. And so we love to ask the close this and the closing question. What would you tell military women who are in now or thinking of joining?
Dr. Maria Luque [:To speak up for yourself, you know, especially in the military in the military, as you said, it's male dominated. I mean, civilian world is male dominated as well. But know your voice and listen to that voice. And that carries over in post military as well. But you have a voice. We've gone, especially in military, you have the discipline. You know, you've gone through that training. You're not just somebody else.
Dr. Maria Luque [:You have done the stuff. Trust that you have that voice and make it heard. That's it. And that will last. I mean, especially later in life as well.
Kim [:That's such powerful advice. I love that. Your voice. Yes. Your voice. We need to start using it. Yes.
Dr. Maria Luque [:We can't take that away. We just keep it getting louder.
Kim [:Well, doctor Maria Luque, thank you so much for being on Dog Tag Diaries and for telling us all of your knowledge. And we are so excited to hear about your, like, your position in this startup and also your book launch. So, yes, thank you so much for being here.
Dr. Maria Luque [:Well, thank you for having me, and I look forward to being back with some big news.
Kim [:Thank you for joining us on this episode of dog tag diaries, where military women speak their truth and share their true stories. Every story told here is a step towards understanding, healing, and connection. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. And remember, your voice matters. Together, we're building a community that empowers, uplifts, and inspires. Stay connected with us. Follow dog tag diaries. Leave a review.
Kim [:And let's continue to amplify the voices of women warriors around the world. Your voice matters. Share your thoughts and reviews to help us grow, improve, and continue making an impact. Until next time, stay strong, stay true, and keep sharing your story.
