Remember life is all about enjoyment, not deprivation.
So in order to give you a bit of a heads up (as we all know forewarned is forearmed), here are some things to consider when you could be starting to deal with or going
through the menopause:-
1. Don't accept tiredness/fatigue as the norm as part of life. If it's continual go get your hormone profile done so you know exactly where you are at in the cycle of change.
2. Don't get stuck in the diet trap. Nourish your body with nutritious wholesome food to help those hormones work effectively to make the menopause as smooth as passage as possible.
3. As we age, it is necessary to reconsider how we are exercising.
Is it the right kind of exercise to help our bodies continue to strengthen and build muscle tone. Weight bearing resistance exercise is the best.
4. Have you got a lot of belly fat around the middle? Yes, well we need to kick this one out as soon as possible as fat around the middle is bad for your body. Apart from weight training exercise or HIIT which can be low impact to help your body increase its metabolism, consider what you are eating and when and how it makes you
feel.
5. Are you bloated all the time? This is a sign that your digestive system is not working as well as it could do so maybe you need to give it a bit of a rest and ease up on processed food or eating saying late at night or things that you know bloat your stomach. It's best to give your body time to settle before bedtime and not eat too late.
6. Difficulty falling asleep could be related to adrenal depletion if you are stressed out which will again make the
menopause worse for you. Try to find time to meditate or have a bed time routine to wind down properly to help you get a deeper sleep. It is being suggested that afternoon naps are a brilliant way to recharge the batteries so see if you can squeeze a power nap in every so often.
7. Got an achy shoulder or dodgy knees? Did you know that just before your cycle women are more prone to having knee injuries due to laxity behind the knee? So why not reconsider your training leading
up to your cycle and take a less impact option so you can really ensure good technique or perhaps do a flexibility session instead at this time.
8. Are you getting hot flashes or flushes whatever you prefer to call them? This may mean that your oestrogen levels are low, particularly if you are also getting night sweats, incontinence, mood swings and irritability. Oestrogen alters during and after the menopause and diminishes dramatically from being produced by the ovaries so
it is important that our liver functions well and adrenal glands to continue to generate oestrogen in the body. Bear in mind that oestrogen can be taken into the body through chemicals in the household products we use and cosmetics (not great way to get your extra oestrogen) and also through eating plants - phytoestrogens that can mimic action of oestrogen in cells and alter hormone production. Eating more vegetables may help to diminish the hot flashes and other symptoms mentioned
above.
9. Of course our fat cells also produce oestrogen so excess is possible too if you are considerably over weight. Excess can lead to yeast infections, breast swelling and tenderness, headaches, leg cramps, nausea, vomiting, bloating. Fun things! So if you have been experiencing these symptoms maybe your oestrogen levels are a bit high.
10. This is not the end of the things that you should consider but is the end for this list for now. Take note now of what
your periods are like or what they are not like. Notice how you feel, pain levels, moodiness, etc, because there is a strong possibility that what you experience as PMS will hit you even harder when you go into the menopause so if you can suss this out now, it may well give you a smoother ride later as it gives you a benchmark to improve upon as naturally as possible.
