19 Questions With Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino
by The Candidly Team
This article is part of our series called "People We Like," in which we highlight interesting women, across all walks of life.
Leaders, great cooks, doctors, parents, writers; people who inspire us.
Today, we’re featuring Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino, a Senior Doctor at Parsley Health and a go-to hormone specialist. Naturally, we had to ask her a few questions about what the f*&$ happens to our bodies once we turn 40.
The Candidly Questionnaire
1. What is your most compelling quality?
How deeply I care, and how endlessly curious I am.
2. What’s your worst quality, according to your friends?
Unfortunately, caring too much can also be my worst quality.
3. What’s an overrated value you don’t buy into?
Nothing is one-size-fits-all; there’s not a single diet, lifestyle or wellness practice that’s going to work perfectly for everyone. You have to do what works for you, and that might not look like what works for your friends, or your partner, or your family.
4. What's the one truth you wish all women in their 40's knew about changing hormones that no one ever tells them?
Sometimes it’s not actually your hormones! Often we attribute symptoms to hormonal changes during this time in our lives, but there’s actually something much more complex physiologically going on.
Our daily state of health is rarely entirely dependent on one factor; often it’s a combination of things that are responsible for how we feel each day, including our diet, how restorative our sleep is, our fitness level, and how we’re managing stress.
5. How do you feel about cilantro?
I’m a fan.
6. Are essential oils anything?
Definitely. I personally love aromatherapy and use essential oils in my own wellness routine.
7. What are the most effective beauty tricks you use?
I’m pretty low-maintenance when it comes to beauty; I don’t wear much make-up, or use too many products. Maybe that’s my beauty trick — keeping it simple!
I do strongly believe in drinking plenty of water, and I also add collagen to my morning smoothies. I also regularly include sauna time in my self-care routine.
8. How do you get your self-esteem?
I try to be very proactive about criticism or weak points, so I’m always working on turning something I might feel sensitive about into something I can find strength and positivity in. I definitely also look to others for inspiration when it comes to feeling a strong sense of self worth.
9. What meal can you make the hell out of?
Sinigang! It’s a Filipino stew with a tamarind base, so it has a complex sour and savory flavor. We make it almost weekly at home, from scratch, with organically sourced proteins and vegetables. I couldn’t live without it.
10. What symptoms should we be on the lookout for that might tell us hormonal imbalances are afoot?
Increased stress, blood sugar dysregulation, menstrual changes, sudden weight loss or gain, or excessive fatigue — these are all symptoms that might be related to hormonal changes and may require further examination.
Remember that not all hormonal issues are related to sex hormones; our body produces a range of other hormones, including cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormones, that all can all play a role in other health issues.
11. What’s your favorite item of clothing you own?
I live in breathable fabrics, so you’re always going to find me in some combination of a breezy top and my go-to leggings.
12. How do you handle conflict in your closest relationships?
Breathe through it and give yourself time; I wasn’t always that way, I used to be very reactive when I felt triggered by something. These days, I’m letting myself sit with something, and giving myself the time to process it from every angle before I react.
13. What’s something you’ve changed your mind about in the last year?
This has been a very rough year for many of us, and one of the biggest revelations for me has been finding joy in my surroundings, no matter how limited they have necessarily had to become. Joy and health do not have to be costly or complex, they can be as simple as what’s in your own backyard, or getting a night of restful sleep.
14. What are a few amazing diet tips to help women over 40 regulate their hormone imbalances?
Rather than focusing on a “hormone-specific diet,” a great way to support hormonal health is just to support overall health through a well balanced diet.
That means a diet that contains lots of fruits and vegetables, fiber and whole grains, lean proteins from sources like wild caught fish, and healthy fats such as omega-3 rich foods. Eliminating processed foods, added sugar, food allergens, gluten and/or dairy can also be helpful.
Foods that are nutrient dense, support proper elimination, and help regulate blood sugar support general health — which in turn includes your hormonal health.
15. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about yourself as a leader?
There’s always, always more to learn. My approach to leadership centers around a philosophy of consistently trying to evolve and grow based on my own experiences. I’m always looking at the places that are the furthest from my comfort zone and figuring out what I can learn and how to move forward from those spaces.
16. What’s the most delicious bite of food you’ve ever had?
When I want something savory, then I go for hearty broth. When I want something sweet, I’m a sucker for an excellent tiramisu.
Anything my mom makes always tastes like one of the best things in the world, because it’s always from a place of love and nurturing.
17. Is social media ruining our brains?
Unfortunately, I have to say yes. I think we’re losing a lot of the richness of our experiences to the way we feel the need to filter them through our phones. Social media can be a really powerful tool for sharing and learning, but we have to learn how to set healthy boundaries with it.
18. Describe your actual bedtime routine.
Nothing gets done late! In our house, we try to wrap up all of our household chores by 7:00 pm. And then I am dimming the lights in our entire house, because we’re getting our brains ready for bedtime.
I also take magnesium before bed, as well as a multi-herb complex with melatonin for sleep optimization. Right before bed, I start doing breathwork to engage my parasympathetic body response. I sleep like a baby now, because I’ve really worked hard to create a sleep routine that facilitates high-quality sleep.
19. What's your one, biggest piece of advice for women to manage their post-40 hormonal changes in a way that feels do-able for their lives, and also truly efficacious?
It all comes down to lifestyle, which means acknowledging that there might be parts of your lifestyle that require a different approach for this phase of your life.
As our hormone levels change, our body may need to be cared for in a different way and the first step to doing that is acknowledging that some of the self-care practices or lifestyle habits we had before might not be working for us now.
We may require more sleep, a modified exercise schedule, better stress management, and a different diet to meet our body’s daily needs.
Have an open mind and be prepared to make changes as necessary.
What is your single favorite:
Wellness product that *actually* works: Myotape, which we use to facilitate proper nasal breathing during sleep (or otherwise).
Lip balm: Coconut oil (and plenty of hydration).
Jeans brand: Madewell (I prefer the high-rise skinny).
Sweats: Vuori sweats and Beyond Yoga spacedye leggings.
Effective “lady” product: Honey Pot brand items.
Last minute gift: A nice succulent.
Shampoo: Viori shampoo & conditioner bars — no packaging!
Comfortable shoes: I unapologetically love my UGGs and I could live in them.
Splurge skincare: Erno Laszlo Firming Cream with Bakuchiol + Spirulina.
Drugstore skincare: Cetaphil, CeraVe, and Vanicream.
Everyday bag: Everly Crossbody bag from Parker Clay. I need to have my hands free.
Guilty-pleasure TV show: I watch all of the medical dramas. The Resident, Rhe Good Doctor, Grey’s Anatomy. And yes, I know how funny that is.
Drink: My morning smoothie. It’s an essential part of my morning ritual, and I can’t go without it.
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