Top tips to thrive into menopause

For many women, post menopause can be a difficult time, the change in hormones can be a catalyst for a number of health issues.

Many women experience emotional, physical, and physiological changes during ths time in their lives. The only benefit women have expressed to me is that their terrible life long periods have finally come to an end. This is a relief for those women who went through life with an undiagnosed hormone imbalance (good reason to get hormones balanced as early as you can).

But it doesn’t have to be that hard, and in fact if the right issues are treated correctly and swiftly, then those terrible symptoms you are experiencing can be eased.

The symptoms that I find are most common with my menopausal clients are:

Night sweats
Hot flushes
Anxiety
Fatigue
Insomnia
Rapid weight gain (which cannot be shifted)

Other problems, which can also occur, are:

High cholesterol
Thinning skin
Hair loss
Metabolic syndrome
Depression

It sounds bleak, but if you solve the underlying issue, it doesn’t need to be such a dire situation, or a guaranteed issue associated with menopause. It is all about supporting your own unique body in a way that will help you thrive and move beyond your 40’s with vibrant energy.

All of the symptoms, including the weight gain, are a result of fluctuating hormones. It is often assumed to be low estrogen, which is often the case. But never make this assumption, always test your estrogen levels, as some women have an issue with some estrogens being too high, which can trigger cancer growth. So it’s always smart to get tested in order to understand what is going on first.

Your body has spent decades trying to balance itself and recover rom high stress, chrnic ilness and preganacy. It will take time and pateince to restore the balance but it is possible. And once this balance is restored those sytmpoms yu hought were a done deal with menipaouse will be a dsitant memeory.

As menopause is a result of hormone dysfunction, and weight gain is a result of menopause, then it makes sense that it is the hormones that need to be treated, not necessarily the menopause.

First you need to understand what is holding you back from thriving after menopause, it isn’t as simple as cutting down your food intake .

Understand your thyroid first and foremost

Your poor thyroid has probably copped a beating through your life. It’s the back up system, when you get stressed, when you go through trauma, when you are immune compromised, or when you eat crap food, your thyroid is ‘the fall guy’ and takes the brunt of it. Needless to say, your thyroid gets a little tired from all this back and forth. By the time you are ready to go through menopause, your thyroid is ready for retirement!!

So the best way to turn this around, and flip the switch is to nourish, restore, and love your thyroid. I have a great blog post to help look after your thyroid and regulate your metabolism.

My top 5 must do’s for your thyroid are:

1. Balance your blood sugar
2. Get tested (TSH, T3, T4 and Reverse T3)
3. Stop pushing through it – rest and restore
4. Ensure you get zinc, iron and idoine in your diet
5. Cleanse your body

Know that stress has the biggest impact on how you experience menopause

Out of balance cortisol and chronic stress wreak havoc on your endocrine system. Not only is it a progesterone stealer (this is your yummy loving, happy hormone) but it also causes an inflammatory cascade, which leaves you puffy, sore, and experiencing intense hot flushes. Deal with the stress first in order to reduce the symptoms.

“Are you a people pleaser?”
“Are you doing it all yourself?”
“Are you a perfectionist?”
‘Do you clean constantly?”

OR, do you find an hour in the day to just ‘BE’?
Do you make time to sit and eat your breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
Is going to yoga a non-negotiable for you?

If you want to experience an improvement in your body’s systems you need to start taking time for yourself, delegating, and saying ‘no to the myriad of things you feel you ‘need’ to do.

My all time favorite stress relieving tactics are in my blog post here:

“It’s all about finding time for you!”

Other great ways to help your body balance out stress hormones are:

Holy basil tea
Drink 2-3 cups of this healing tea daily

Herb mix with withania and rhodiola
These herbs are wonderful for the nervous system, you can get them in liquid or pill form

Magnesium
Take magnesium amino chelate daily, powder form is best, take about 400 mg twice daily. You can also indulge in a beautiful Epsom salt bath weekly.

Meditation
This has to be about the best thing to do for stress, but so many people who NEED to do it, say they don’t want to. I suggest you start slowly. Use anAPP like Headspace or Calm and just begin with 10 minutes daily. As you begin to notice the benefits you can increase the time.

NEXT…..

Balance your hormones
You could have high estrogen, low estrogen, or low progesterone, some women have testosterone through the roof after menopause and other women are super super depleted. Every woman is different.

As you can see, a lot can be going on with your hormones.

Testing is always the best way to go –
But to balance you can follow a few general rules:

Use diet to balance blood sugar
Balancing blood sugar is the holy grail of health, but so few people take steps to really do it. It can be the fastest, cheapest, and most effective way to regaining your health. The best place to start is your diet. If you want a helping hand, here is a meal plan that will get you on your way to balanced blood sugar.

Give up the sugar
Sounds intense, I know! But sugar not only affects your inflammation, ageing, weight, and immune system. It also has numerous negative effects on your hormone balance. You can replace sugar with healthy alternatives, but the key here is to ensure you don’t spike your blood sugar, so make sure you also buffer high GI foods or sweet foods with fat or protein.

Don’t eat foods you know you react to
If foods like gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, or legumes cause negative effects, then omit them from your diet. Any reaction to foods can cause a cortisol spike, which then causes an inflammatory cascade and puts more pressure on your hormonal balance.

Get your gut lovin’ on
Taking care of your gut has a myriad of health benefits, not just at gut level. By increasing good bacteria found in sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir, and kimchee you’ll help with the natural synthesis of hormones. Repopulating your gut is a great way to get your hormones rebalanced.

So, remember. It’s not always about being labelled as menopause…..

It’s more about:

Nourishing your adrenals
Balancing your hormones
Taking time out for YOU
And giving your thyroid some tender loving care