I’M 40 AND PERIMENOPAUSAL – HOW DO I KNOW, LIFE CAN REALLY BE GREAT IN YOUR 40’S?

I’M 40 AND PERIMENOPAUSAL – HOW DO I KNOW, LIFE CAN REALLY BE GREAT IN YOUR 40’S?

When you hit 40, the saying goes that “life begins”.  This is actually true in more ways than you think.

You have probably talked to your friends or your mother about Perimenopause and Menopause” and its cascade of symptoms.  Did you know that there are At least 22 symptoms of Perimenopause (which are the years leading up to Menopause) and possibly more.  It is possible to have very little or minimal symptoms and be able to live your life and feel great inside and out during Perimenopause and Menopause.  Most women do not realise that their symptoms are not due to “old age” and they don’t have to put up with them. Ageing doesn’t have to be daunting at all. 

HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE SYMPTOMS YOU COULD BE EXPERIENCING DURING PERIMENOPAUSE

Your sleep can be disrupted and you dream of sleeping like a baby.  Hot flashes can disrupt sleep or you could be waking up in the early hours of the morning.  Stress can affect cortisol levels which puts out your circadium rhythm and so you are waking up at 2 am or 3 am. 

You may have just started with your own personal sauna ie hot flashes and they can happen at any time, not just at night.  This can disrupt your day to day life as you never know when an attack is going to happen.

You may start to notice that you just don’t feel like your old self or start to feel no emotion, too much emotion or even anxiety.

You may have noticed that everyone around you is acting strangely and getting on your nerves.  Your husband or partner is suddenly agreeing to everything you say or your box of paracetamol is empty and you only bought it yesterday. 

In the Perimenopause years, your hormones – in particular estrogen and progesterone, are on a rollercoaster ride, one minute up and the other down.  Its no surprise that you feel like you have lost your sense of identity and feel like you are out of control.  This can affect your relationships with your friends, family and colleagues, you just can’t focus at work, you feel bloated and have sugar cravings that you can’t seem to control and you lack the energy to even get sexy with your husband and enjoy family life.

There are so many things that you can do but here are my favourite 5 things to start right now:-

EGGS

Eggs are powerhouses of nutrition and help to control your appetite because they contain protein, selenium, which is essential for thyroid health and your thyroid helps you to control hormone balance.  Eggs also contain amino acids to help support mental health by regulating the release or serotonin which is our feel good hormone.  They contain cholesterol which is critical for healthy hormone levels, they help to reduce the bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol.  They contain choline which is great for brain health to help you feel more focused during perimenopause.  They contain Vitamin D which is essential for bone health and immune system health.  The last thing is that eggs contain B vitamins which we need for energy and metabolism. 

GREEN TEA

Green tea can help you to lose weight which compliments a healthy diet and reduces fatigue as it contains a catechin called Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is a fabulous antioxidant.  Green tea contains polyphenols too, so the antioxidant and polyphenols together can help against breast cancer.  The tea also contains L-theanine which helps with anxiousness and to promote good sleep.  Green tea can also help to keep your bones strong and keep your heart healthy too.  

CINNAMON

Cinnamon is great at balancing blood sugar levels and controlling sugar cravings.  It is also loaded with antioxidants and helps to reduce inflammation.  It is also great to regulate the menstrual cycle and calm menstrual cramps and supports mood and anxiety.

WATER

It is not only essential every day to keep us hydrated, it also can help to burn calories and if you drink a glass of water 30 minutes before you eat it can reduce the amount of food that you eat.  It can increase your metabolism by as much as 30%.  This is a great help to control extra weight gain during perimenopause and hormonal imbalance.  It also helps with digestion and keeping things moving through the digestive tract to keep the toxins out of your body which helps with hormone balancing and to stop constipation.  When our hormones are on a rollercoaster ride this causes stress and can cause a disruption on the digestion too. 

MACA

A Peruvian Root which is classed as a food rather than a supplement.  It is an excellent adaptogen.  Adaptogens can help to balance the body due to stress without causing any major side effects and is excellent for hormonal balancing. 

Maca is raw and it can be hard on a sensitive digestion.  You can buy powder or capsules.  If you have a sensitive digestion, I would recommend gelatinized Maca powder.  The starch in the gelatinized Maca has been broken down slightly to make digestion much easier.  By breaking down the starch some of the nutrient content is removed.

Maca contains B vitamins, Vitamin C, E, protein and omega 3 fatty acids.  It is good for mood and brain health, increases bone density and is an energy enhancer but does not stress the adrenals.  It can also increase libido and enhance fertility.

There are three types of Maca, yellow, red and black.  The yellow type can be used by both men and women.  The red Maca is most suited to women and has a high phytonutrient content.  The black Maca is most suited to men as it boosts libido and sperm count. 

A study from 2004 in Australia revealed that Maca powder, at a dosage of 3-5 grams per day, reduced psychological symptoms, including anxiety and depression and lowered measures of sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women independent of estrogenic and androgenic activity.

Want to learn how to take back control of your hormones?  Join my Programme now. We start on the 15th June.  The price is £95 but for a limited time only there is an early bird price of £60 so grab your spot now before the price goes up.  

Go here for more details and to book the Programme.

I look forward to getting to know about your perimenopause or menopause journey.

HOW TO AVOID THE POOR HEALTH EFFECTS OF PROLONGED SITTING

HOW TO AVOID THE POOR HEALTH EFFECTS OF PROLONGED SITTING

Modern life has trained most of us to remain seated or standing for a prolonged period of time. 

This allows us to work hard at certain tasks without interruption, maximizing our market value to companies and, supposedly, increasing our productivity. 

Even when we retire we carry the same sedentary habits with us. 

Unfortunately, standing and sitting for so long can do terrible damage to our bodies, yet there is a solution: the following infographic reveals all:


READ MORE HERE

4 THINGS A WOMAN CAN DO TODAY TO KICKSTART THEIR MID LIFE JOURNEY

4 THINGS A WOMAN CAN DO TODAY TO KICKSTART THEIR MID LIFE JOURNEY

Have you reached a stage in your life when you are questioning the direction you are going in?  Many women hit the age of 40 and start questioning whether their current journey through life is fulfilling them anymore. 

Our mid life years should be something to look forward to rather than be feared. 

You can change your way of thinking that its “all downhill from now on”. 

It is possible to age without the deterioration of ageing. 

Whatever path you have taken up until now, as you reach your mid life years, you may be feeling restless or even stuck for all sorts of reasons:-

When you are young, you tend to make a list of how you would like your life to be.  This may involve an achievement, your ideal job, getting married, having a family, owning a special make of car etc.

You suddenly hit mid life and then you realise that everything on your list has been accomplished and this leaves you to wonder where to go next.  

READ MORE ON MY BLOG HERE

ESTROGEN AND PERIMENOPAUSE

ESTROGEN

Estrogen is important in the body for many reasons for both men and women.  How does estrogen affect our hormones during perimenopause and menopause.  I will explain in my video.

TOMATO TART WITH COURGETTE HUMMUS & SUN-DRIED TOMATO CRUST - GLUTEN FREE

TOMATO TART WITH COURGETTE HUMMUS & SUN-DRIED TOMATO CRUST - GLUTEN FREE

By thisrawsomeveganlife.com

Crust:

150g/1 cup walnuts

150g/1 cup pumpkin seeds

400g/2 cups sun dried tomatoes

Salt, as desired

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Courgette hummus:

150g/1 cup sesame seeds

400g/2 heaping cups chopped courgette

Salt, as desired

1-2 garlic cloves

Juice from 1 lemon

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Topping: 2 cups baby tomatoes, Salt, as desired, 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)

To make the crust: pulse the walnuts and pumpkin seeds into powder in a food processor, then add the rest of the ingredients and process until it all stick together. Press into a tart pan and put in the fridge so it can set.

To make the courgette hummus: process the sesame seeds into sesame butter in a food processor or high speed blender, then put everything to a high speed blender and blend until smooth and thick. Spread evenly into your crust and refrigerate.

To make the topping: slice all the baby tomatoes in half, then rub with olive oil and salt. Dehydrate or bake in your oven at the lowest temperature for 4-5 hours. Decorate the top of your tart with the tomatoes.

COULD THIS HELP WITH YOUR PSORIASIS?

COULD THIS HELP WITH YOUR PSORIASIS?

This women has suffered from psoriasis since she was 14 years old and I believe this is now 32.

She has tried all kinds of healing diets but nothing has worked for her.

She started taking plant based minerals and within one month she saw 30% to 40% reduction in the redness of her skin.  Here are the before and after photos. You can clearly see the redness has gone down.

Click here to see the article

ARTICLE

You can order the Plant Based Minerals from my Website here:-

MY WEBSITE

CHOCOLATE CHERRY MINI TARTS - VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE

Chocolate Cherry Mini Tarts

By fooddoodles.com

makes 8 – 12 mini tarts, depending on size

Crust

75g raw almonds

100g dried cherries

50g Medjool dates

dash vanilla

30g unsweetened cacao powder

In a food processor, process the almonds until no large pieces remain.  Remove the ground almonds and place in a bowl.  Add the cherries and dates to the food processor and process again until no large pieces remain.  Add in the ground almonds, vanilla and cocoa powder and process until the mixture is completely combined but still crumbly.  Spoon the mixture into your preferred tin(either a mini muffin tin, mini pie plates, mini tart pans, etc) and press down firmly to form.  Place the shells in the freezer until ready to use.

Filling

2 ripe avocados

2 tbsp coconut or almond milk

40g cacao powder

100g maple syrup

In a food processor, completely combine the avocados, milk, cocoa and maple syrup or raw honey.  Process until completely smooth.  Taste and add more maple syrup or cacao powder as desired to get the right taste for you.  Assemble the tarts by removing the shells from the freezer.  It’s easiest to remove the crust from the tin when it is frozen.  Place a dollop of the chocolate filling in the tart and top with some fruit of your choice.

These will last in the fridge until ready to serve, but I wouldn’t store them for more than a day.