Episode 47: Happy New Year, Happy Healthier You!

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Hello everyone. Welcome to the Dr. Sophia ObGyn podcast. I'm an ObGyn practicing for over 15 years in my native New York City. And I love to help women learn about their bodies, empower them, and embrace themselves. On this podcast, we talk openly and with heart about all things affecting women from pregnancy, menopause periods, sexual health, fertility, and so much more. Disclaimer, this is general medical information based on my professional opinion and experience. For specific medical advice, please refer to your physician. Hi everyone and welcome to the doctor Sophia ObGyn podcast. Well, we are in 2026.

Touseef Mirza:
We're already here.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
I can't believe we've already made it now to 2026. We're on to the next thing. I'm so grateful and thankful that I have my good friend and co-host Touseef who is right here with me.

Touseef Mirza:
I am so happy to be next to Dr. Sophia.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
I know we're a little corny, but we really love each other. We do.

Touseef Mirza:
We love each other.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
And why not in 2026? Yes.

Touseef Mirza:
More love.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
More love In 2026. Yes. Also in 2026, as always, now is a good time to think about your health, our goals, what are we gonna accomplish this year? And so we figured why not start with this episode to talk about what are the five things we really want in 2026 moving forward, whether you're 20, 30, 40, 50, what are the three to four things that you can be looking forward to in terms of your health, your health goals that we all can be doing in 2026?

Touseef Mirza:
Yeah, so we felt that already everybody has these New Year's resolutions and everybody, a lot of people wanna lose weight for example. That's always a big one. But we thought from an ObGyn perspective, like that's also part of your health. So why don't we also look into different age groups of all of you and really focus on how you can also really make sure that you are on top of three to four things that you could do for yourself.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Yeah. We want you locked in on your health this year.

Touseef Mirza:
So what we wanted to do is to look at different age groups. So we'll first start from twenties to thirties and then thirties to forties and then forties to fifties. So that way each of you can really hone in in specific areas based on your age.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Starting with our women in their twenties, what are some of the things that they should be looking forward to? Top of mind for me is that 21 is the first time a woman should be having a pap smear. Pap smears are a screening test to check for a woman's risk of developing cervical cancer in the future. And it's an important one because cervical cancer is such a preventable cancer. And so if you are in your twenties and you haven't had a pap smear yet, then this is the time to definitely get with an OB GYN and get a pap smear.

Touseef Mirza:
So I think also when we say cervical cancer and we talk about twenties, sometimes that feels like a disconnect. Like, you know, we don't even wanna think about that 'cause we feel it's something that cancer is like later in life, so why do we even wanna talk about this right now? But pap smears are just part of the routine checkup that you need to do basically.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
And it's the concept of prevention. That's really what this is about. So yes, most women who experience cervical cancer, god forbid, are typically in their late thirties and forties. However, if you start your screening and you're doing what we're supposed to do in terms of the screening starting in your twenties, then we have an opportunity to prevent cervical cancer. And so that's with the pap smear and also with something called HPV vaccination because most cervical cancer actually comes from the HPV virus. And so if you've gotten your HPV vaccine, most of the time we get it as kids. Up until the age of 26 typically. And now we've actually extended the time that women can get the HPV vaccine all the way up to 45 if they never got it before.

Touseef Mirza:
And so that's just a one-time shot vaccine.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
The vaccine itself is actually a series of three. You start the first day you get it, and then it would be again two months after that. And then the third one would be six months after the first one. And that's usually how the series is done. And like I said, in your twenties, perfect time to get it if you haven't gotten it already. But we do offer it to women all the way up to 45. This is also a time when women are, you know, exploring and you're definitely sexually active. And so for sure we want you to get your STI screenings and this is throughout your life. However, definitely in the twenties, I wanna make sure that women are being very mindful of their sexual practices and being screened.

Touseef Mirza:
And that's something depending on your activity to do that more on a regular basis or not.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
I would say that if you're having new partners, that's a good time to get a new screening test. And whether that's on an annual basis, whether that's every six months, you can determine the timeframe for you. However, I do think that we have to remember sexually transmitted infection screening as a part of healthcare. It really shouldn't just be because, oh, I am sexually active, I'm not sexually active right now or what have you. It really needs to be kind of ingrained in us. And this can start in our twenties that I should get this tested at least on an annual basis.

Touseef Mirza:
And is that something that is typically done at an ObGyn office or other places as well?

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
You can actually get your STI screening either at your ObGyn or with your primary care physician. And certainly in your twenties you should be establishing a good relationship with a primary care doctor. This is a good time to understand how you feel about pregnancy, whether or not you would like to get pregnant. And if you are trying to prevent pregnancy, this is a good time to have that conversation with your, you know, your provider, your ObGyn, so that way you can have a more robust conversation regarding birth control and what kinds are out there, what are your options, what's good for someone who's never had a child versus someone who has, or what's going to be really good for you. And this is a great time to start to think about that, have that conversationAnd also to make sure that there are other things that are just normal, like your period.

I don't think enough of us really talk about what is a normal period and to know what are the outliers. Like, is your period too heavy? Is your period too painful? Those are things that you should be bringing up to your doctor because it can signify a deeper issue. . Or something that we need to address or that we may need to test for different screenings or just other tests that we can be doing to make sure that your periods are normal and, and that you're healthy in terms of your reproductive system.

Touseef Mirza:
So how would a person in their twenties know whether or not their period is normal? Is it depending on how their period is over time and then all of a sudden it's like really a heavy flow for a few cycles? Is that what it means to have a heavier period? Or it could literally be a heavier period like all the time, but what is the gauge for that?

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
That's a great question because I do think that women tend to normalize things. So let's start with what's a normal period. So a normal period usually comes anywhere between 21 to 35 days, but in young women it tends to be closer to like the 27 to 30 day mark. And moreover, it's the consistency of that. So whether you're a 25 day person, a 28 day person, a 30 day person, it's usually right around there, give or take one or two days. So we're looking for whether or not you're having shifts that are more than five days. So instead of being a 30 day person, you all of a sudden become a 25 day person or that in terms of the psych, the, the duration of it. You used to be someone who had a period for let's say four days. Now all of a sudden it's seven days or you're having some bleeding in between your periods or your periods do become so heavy that you're using multiple pads, let's say in an hour or two or that your period is so heavy that it soaks through your clothing or your bedsheets. Those are reasons to come in and, and see your doctor and talk to your doctor and that should be a part of your normal health.

Touseef Mirza:
So a heavy, heavy period when you're going through more than two pads in an hour is heavy?

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Yes. Okay. Then you're more than likely bleeding way too much.

Touseef Mirza:
Okay. And that's something that should be brought up? Yes. Okay.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Absolutely. Alright.

Touseef Mirza:
So for the 20 to 30 year old, we talked about pap smear and HPV vaccine. We talked about STIs or sexually transmitted infection, ex or STDs, we talked about pregnancy and thinking about that and coming up with options. And finally the last one period, whether they're abnormal and or just too much flow to bring all these things up.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Definitely. And so we move now onto our 30 to 40 year olds. And I think this is a really crucial time because these are women who hopefully like, you know, they've, they're really thinking about where they are in terms of their career and things like that. And so they may or may not be thinking about actually their fertility. And so I definitely think that this is a time where if you hadn't thought about it before, you should consider things like, whether it's do I want a baby, do I wanna be a mother, do I wanna be pregnant? And what that looks like for you, because this is the time, especially in your early thirties, that if you haven't been pregnant before, you wanna make sure that you're either considering things like egg freezing or some type of fertility conservation, having these kinds of conversations perhaps with your partners in order to, to gauge where you are in terms of your fertility.

Touseef Mirza:
So what's interesting with that is I really just found out about this in the past year because I think we talk about fertility more around more like the end of thirties and forties, mostly based on like different things in culture and movies and all that stuff. But it turns out that really in your thirties you start to diminish the number of viable eggs and the quality of the eggs.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
That's correct.

Touseef Mirza:
As early as in your early thirties. And that's something that people like women really need to know. I mean, I think it's just powerful to know that information. So if you really want children that you don't know this information when you're 42, that you know this, like when you can actually do something about

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
It. Something about it. Absolutely. And so of course, you know, most women in their early twenties, they're not thinking about having a baby. And, and if they are, you know, great, but, and, and this is the time when they have their best fertility, right? But in your thirties I think is really when women kind of feel a little bit more settled and you know, they're probably married or at least have gone through, you know, their college and postgraduate and things like that and they start to settle down and think about, Hey, what about a family?

I have a woman who comes in, she's in her thirties and she hasn't already, you know, either started to think about pregnancy, then we bring it up, it needs to be a conversation because this is the time that if you haven't already done it, let's say in your late twenties to definitely be thinking about some type of fertility conservation, whether it's egg freezing or having those kind of conversations with your partner as to, well when are we planning to have a baby? And so I think that that definitely tops some of the things that I like to talk about in women who are between thirties and forties. This is also the time that I start that conversation regarding hormonal changes because that's exactly what's happening. It can start as early as in your thirties and if you are not aware of it, then you don't know to bring it up,

Touseef Mirza:
Which most people don't.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
I agree. Yes, I agree. And so certainly for a woman who may be 37, 38 and approaching her forties, just pay attention to your body, see if you're feeling anything that seems a little bit out of the norm because you can be experiencing some hormonal changes at this time. And let's talk about how you can start to even be very proactive in terms of keeping your hormones in better balance. And this is a really good time to start those practices, whether it's lifestyle modifications such as things like exercise, watching how you're eating really, you know, your twenties, you're kind of like a little bit flippant eating anything, you can kind of eat what you want, you still don't gain weight.

But those things definitely start to change in your thirties and definitely in your forties. So this is the time to kind of, you know, hone in on am I exercising and what does that look like for me? And am I eating clean and what does that look like for me? And can I, you know, throw out the junk food and you know, definitely alcohol and moderation. This is the time to have that kind of a conversation.

Touseef Mirza:
So the reason for that is because now you are, you're having hormonal changes, hormonal shifts, and by maintaining or having good lifestyle practices that you are actually reducing the level of like drastic change of the hormones. So you keep in balance.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
That is correct, because those changes are gonna happen regardless. But we want to like to be as, I guess the word is vital as possible. And we want those shifts to happen more gradually. And they're coming, you know, we're, we're getting into our forties, and then we have to really have a way more robust conversation regarding things like perimenopause.

Touseef Mirza:
So this changes even before perimenopause,

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Before we're even talking about the perimenopause. Because if we can set up a really good routine well into our thirties, then we kind of set ourselves up to how we can manage perimenopause in our forties.

Touseef Mirza:
And for women who have gone through perimenopause, that would've been amazing to know. .

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Yes. That is key information. as, as the perimenopause woman herself speaks.

Touseef Mirza:
Because I mean, I remember when I was, when I was younger in my twenties and you know, we had like these videos, like exercise videos and they would say at the beginning, please be careful not to start this before speaking to your doctor or it might cause injury. And I was like, what are they talking about ? And now, now being you're that-

Hold on, can I do this exercise with my knee? Like, would that work? But I never thought about those things before because they're not in my present.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
That's right.

Touseef Mirza:
That's right. But I think it's so important to, I tell my knees all the time, oh my God, please keep your flexibility. 'cause It's so hard to get her back. I'm working on it now. But yes, we can't, not taking these things for granted is so precious.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
It is so precious. And I mean, when we're in our thirties, we're still working hard and really driven. And so it could still be the time where you don't wanna get pregnant. It could still be the time where you're not quite ready for a family. And so it's going back and drilling down, well, what are the best hormonal options or non-hormonal options when it comes to pregnancy prevention that is also still in the conversation. Satis, like we said, is always gonna be a part of the conversation and prevention of, you know, things like chronic disease. You know, is this the first time you're maybe being diagnosed with something, diabetes, high blood pressure, et cetera, and trying to do the best you can to be healthier

Touseef Mirza:
Because that's the time that can really help to either remove the tendency or the risk of having chronic disease if we catch ourselves early and have a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Exactly. And so that is my, probably one of the biggest conversations to have with someone who's in their thirties is, okay, let's assess some of your risk. You know, let's talk about what are some of your, you know, maybe hereditary risks, you know, whether it's high blood pressure and diabetes, and what are the things we can modify, whether it's, you know, how often are you drinking? Are you smoking, are you a little overweight? And, and talk about those things so that way we can help you before you get to the point of being in your forties and you are going through the perimenopause, the hormonal changes, and the things that are going to make some of those things so much harder.

Touseef Mirza:
All right. So to recap, for women in their thirties, the areas where you can really look into your health is to dive deeper from a pregnancy standpoint and make sure that you're addressing whether or not you wanna have babies or not. Just having those conversations and considering fertility measures depending on where you stand. Also starting as early in your thirties to having the conversation around the change in hormones that are starting to occur and looking at your chronic disease history or even-

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Just your risk factors for those.

Touseef Mirza:
Or the potential of it. And to be ahead-

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
To be ahead of it. Prevention is key. Prevention really is a cure. So women like me in their forties, this is perimenopause. I don't even know what to say more than that,

Touseef Mirza:
But it is a fabulous decade aside from that.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
I mean yes. Do I feel fabulous at 40? Absolutely. I mean, look at her. Absolutely. Yes. I am in my late forties and I am I, and I feel great, but it definitely comes with understanding that this, there is that little monkey on my back. It's called the perimenopause change or transition and understanding that yeah, maybe my ADHD might be a little bit worse. I am having hot flashes or night sweats or, you know, things that can be happening within your body that nobody's really connecting the dots. Joint pain and headaches and gas bubbles that I didn't used to get, you know, so many things that don't connect the dots until you hear the word perimenopause. And so I like to make sure that for all of our listeners out there, that you're not alone if you are in your late thirties and forties, that this is a reality. And just knowing that it exists helps so many women to feel at least validated, right. That we're not just out of our minds and that some of the symptoms that we're experiencing are in fact real.

Touseef Mirza:
Right. And they're not because you're dramatic. It's really a biological mechanism.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
That happens. Exactly. That is truly just biology. And of course, I mean, once we enter our forties, we have to be thinking about so many other things, mammograms and colon cancer screening. But I definitely think outside of those things, which are super important, you have to get those done. It's really having an opportunity to focus on yourself and check in on what's happening with you at this phase in your life.

Touseef Mirza:
Should a woman in their forties literally bring up to their ObGyn. Okay, I'm in my forties. Do we need to talk about perimenopause? Like should they literally bring it up?

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
I think they should. I absolutely think they should because the reality is that most women will go to five different doctors with so many different symptoms before anybody actually puts the, the two and two together, that all the things that they're going through are actually related to perimenopause. And so I think it's good to have the conversation, you know, as early as you can so that you can start to recognize. When those things are actually happening to you.

Touseef Mirza:
Okay. So even if it's not happening, it's okay to start having that conversation. Yes. To check in, this is where I'm at and I really wanna be on top of this, top of this, this. Yes. So yes, you know, I wanna talk about it every time it comes up. And if all of a sudden it comes smacking you in your in the face, then you know, then we need to chat and-

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Then, okay. Exactly. Exactly. But women, please don't forget the first mammogram, your colonoscopy screening, going to see your PCP, making sure you're doing your diabetes screening, getting your blood pressure checked, all those things are still happening. They still need to be happening now that you're in your forties and whatever, like other lifestyle changes that you haven't already done in your thirties definitely need to be happening in your forties. Weightlifting, for example. Like adding that to your exercise routine and cardio, so it's not just one or the other. You still need both stretching, making sure that you're checking in with your mental health . You know, checking in with yourself. Because the thing is, is that in our forties, we're pretty sandwiched with taking care of our kids and taking care of our aging parents. And we're high performers at our jobs. We're usually the most experienced in the room. And so you can get lost, you can lose sight of who you are. So in 2026 you are a priority.

Touseef Mirza:
So let's go back a little bit to, for, for this age group, in terms of mammograms, when should they start?

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
40,

Touseef Mirza:
40.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
40. If you don't have some family history or some other reason to get a mammogram sooner.

Touseef Mirza:
Okay. And mammogram being a screening of-

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
A screening for breast cancer,

Touseef Mirza:
For breast cancer. And what is usually the frequency of that.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
So if every one to two years, I would say a woman who's on a two year schedule is on point.

Touseef Mirza:
Okay. All right. And then you also talked about colon cancer. So how is that screened?

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
So a colon cancer screening, usually we say we'd like to start that screening around age 45. And that is by going to a gastroenterologist, which is a specialist that looks at your intestines and they would do something called a colonoscopy.

Touseef Mirza:
Alright. More on that in a little bit. So it feels like the more that the woman is growing in her age, there's more things to consider. Right?

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Yeah. I would say some things stay the same too, right? Whether you're 20, you're 30, or you're 40, I still want you to be as healthy as possible. So making lifestyle changes that are going to improve or, you know, we, an ounce of prevention is always gonna lead to cure. So it's just like the concept. I still want you to eat healthy. I still want you exercising and moving your body. Like this is what's going to help us to prevent things like Alzheimer's disease or, you know, like keeping us really what we call vital. Right. And that's throughout your life. But as you approach, let's say you're, now we move on to our fifties.

Touseef Mirza:
So let me just summarize the forties.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
The forties, let's summarize,

Touseef Mirza:
To summarize, I'm a big summary person. So for my women in their forties, the main ones that we talked about that you need to checklist is perimenopause, obviously. Number two is mammograms. Number three is colon cancer. By getting, going to see a, a gi, which you could get a script from an ob gyn Yes. To, to do that. Yes. So that's something you can ask about the ObGyn, and then all the different types of chronic diseases and lifestyle and mental aspects that can also play in your life at that point. Also, I just think that we just mentioned pap smears in the twenties, but that's something that you do throughout. Yeah. You continue. So you start in your twenties and that's something you continue out. These other things are an add-on that we talked about in terms of what is new that's happening in the forties. You may continue to the fifties.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Aw, thanks.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
So fifties, I mean fifties and beyond. The average age of menopause is about 51. And so in your fifties you are at this point hopefully post-menopausal, meaning you've gone through a full 12 months with no period. And this is the time when things can become a little bit more consistent in terms of where you land for hormone changes. And it's a good time. If you haven't already during the perimenopause phase, have a conversation regarding whether or not you're a candidate perhaps for hormone replacement therapy. And what are some of the other lifestyle changes you can be doing in order to continue to help your bones, your brain health, making sure you're definitely checking in in terms of your cardiovascular health and vaccinations that you should be getting, such as your shingles vaccine, your pneumococcal vaccine, you know, shingles to prevent shingles, pneumococcal to prevent pneumonia, and all of the things that are just your annual vaccinations that are super important. Flu shot. And now we have COVID. So we think about a COVID shot annually and, and the things that you would do seasonally. And then you should get a bone density screening test.

Touseef Mirza:
How is that done? It's like

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
An X-Ray.

Touseef Mirza:
Okay. Yeah. And it's not your full body?

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
No, it's not your full body

Touseef Mirza:
That's, that's a big x-ray. So they just take it, is it your arm?

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
So it can be done in different ways. It could be they're looking at your hips, they're looking at your, your vertebral column or your spinal column. They're taking a look to see what is your risk of osteoporosis and what can we do at that time to prevent it.

Touseef Mirza:
So I am in that age group of fifties. Like I mentioned before, I'm, I'm 53 and so I am in the menopause phase. I am on HRT and it's working really well with me. One thing I just wanted to share is Dr. Sophia talked about this in, for the previous age group in terms of doing a colonoscopy. I actually did not have a colonoscopy in my forties. I did my first one last year, I think a few years back, I did something like colon guard. And they said, oh, you can try that and everything's fine. You don't have to do the colonoscopy.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Colonoscopy.

Touseef Mirza:
Right now. And so when I met with the GI this past year with the gastroenterologist, he asked me a few questions and I did tell him that I was dealing with acid reflux on and off for a few years. And he is like, okay, well that's not normal. And he said, all right, so we'll do a colonoscopy and an endoscopy. So colonoscopy being, they're looking in your colon and then an endoscopy, which is they're looking in your stomach. And I am a pretty resourceful person. So I was trying all different things under the sun for the past four years, trying-

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
To deal with your acid reflux.

Touseef Mirza:
To deal with my acid reflux, apple cider. And then there was like, there, I was always trying something new like aloe vera. And sometimes it would help and sometimes it wouldn't, but it wasn't something that was ever solved. Right. And so it was almost like a flare up. It would come back and go and come back and go. And sometimes it was really painful. And so when he did the endoscopy, they found out I had two ulcers. Wow. And I was shocked because I consider myself as a pretty healthy person. Right. And I think I am downplayed, I have a tendency to downplay things. Oh, I was just a little acid reflux, you know, whatever. Well,

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
That's the problem. I mean, women in general, we tend to downplay things. .

Touseef Mirza:
Right? Yeah. Yeah. And so we're just like, oh, you know, so I have a little stomach pain here and there. Whatevs. I think having dealt with periods for so long, , and this is such a cyclical pain that maybe we just like to understand other stuff, this from the same lens. We're like, oh, you know, it is just pain. Who cares? It's fine. Yeah. I'll be fine. Yeah. And then found the two ulcers. And then they found out that there was a bacteria called h part puri, that, that is a common culprit for-

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Gastroenteritis.

Touseef Mirza:
Yes. Yes. For gas gastritis, excuse me for gastritis. And I was like, oh, okay. So what are we gonna do? So the cure for that is like really intense, two different types of antibiotics and acid reducer. Taking that like hardcore for two weeks. And it basically destroys your microbiome, the good and the bad because we wanna kill the bad guy. But with that we're killing the good guys. And so anywho did that. And I went on my own diet to figure all that stuff out. And then I haven't had acid reflux since then. I went back to see the doctor literally two weeks ago, two, three weeks ago. And my ulcers are healed. The HP is gone. I've lost almost 15 pounds since it's amazing. Since the past six months. And this is because this, this bacteria that was inside of me that I, I tried everything under the sun. And this, this story is all to say is that sometimes you just need professional help. Okay. You can't do it on your own. You can try to solve things. 'cause I think in the time in the world we live in, of the Google time, we Google everything. Yeah. We look at all these YouTube videos.

We become our own doctors. And then we, we self, you know, medicate with all different types of supplements. And, and I think it's fine to do that to a certain point, but if it's not working, it's like this was such a huge lesson for me. I just need professional help. This is, I would've never been able to address this by myself. And so I'm so happy I did. And I think one of the reasons why I've lost weight is that now my stomach is not in a state of stress, which increases cortisol. When you increase cortisol, what happens is that the body holds onto fat because it thinks that, you know, there's like a huge problem in the body, which it was.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Yeah. You just have inflammation. So now you no longer have that inflammation. Your body can actually take in the nutrients that it needs from your foods. And you don't have that h pylori working against you, causing you that acid reflux. I am so happy for you.
Touseef Mirza:
So I and then I said, okay, I definitely need to be on top of everything that I need to do from my health perspective. 'cause Sometimes you just go, I'll do it in a couple of months.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Yeah. So all that to say we need to see our doctors regularly, that's really what that means. And we also always need to do a self check-in, like, Hey, what is going on with me? Do I have acid reflux? And if I do, do I need to bring that up to my doctor? And, and other things, you know, I mean, random constipation, vaginal discharge changes with your period. I, there's just so many. But do that self check in. Let 2026 be the year that you are doing your own assessment and taking that information with you to your doctor's visits, checking in so that you are really honing in on how we're going to become healthier. I didn't say skinnier. . I said healthier. And I want us to be healthier in all aspects of our lives. That's both in our mental health, our physical health, our spiritual health, our financial health. Let's do the work that makes us feel incredible this year.

Touseef Mirza:
Yes. I also wanna say my goal is not to be skinny. I just wanna say that it wasn't the point to be skinny that I said that story. I wanted to be at a healthy weight and I was trying everything to be at a healthy weight because I wanna lead a vivacious life. And that finally enabled me to put all the pieces together. So definitely for me, 2026, I am taking this lesson and completely applying that for the rest of, well, for the rest of this year and for the rest of my life really.

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Yeah. That sounds awesome. That sounds awesome. So in closing, 20 26, 20 26,

Touseef Mirza:
It's your time to,

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
It's your time.

Touseef Mirza:
It's your time to just look at your health, not just going to the gym, but just looking at all these different pieces and be the best that you

Dr. Sophia, ObGyn:
Can be. Be the best that you can be. Embrace your body and embrace yourself. Thanks for listening to the Dr. Sophia OB GYN podcast. Bye for now. Bye. This is general medical information based on my professional opinion and experience. For specific medical advice, please refer to your physician. Until next time, embrace your body. Embrace yourself.