My Aligned Menopause

As I write this I am 2 weeks off 50 years of age. I have regular periods, no sign of night sweats or hot flashes. So of course until recently whenever I saw an article or post on Menopause I swiped right by 

My preparation for menopause has been very much like my approach to childbirth. I know it’s coming and it’ll be painful…… but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. I have since learned that, just like child birth, there’s a lot we can do to create a positive experience… we have a lot more power than we realize! 

Firstly let me share with you 8 things I have learned about Menopause that I wish I knew when I was 40

1. Menopause is easy. It’s just one day! It marks the day exactly one year from when you had your last period. It’s the 7- 10 years preceding that day that are chaotic! That my friend is your Peri-Menopause and most of us know very little about this massive period of change

2. The average age for Menopause is 51. Therefore most of us go through peri menopause in our 40's but some women begin as early as 35! For those us who had our a babies a little later in life (me age 43!) it means that symptoms such as exhaustion, brainfog, bellyfat and aches & pains, could easily be put down to the challenges of Motherhood.

3. Estrogen is a powerful anti-inflammatory hormone. When Estrogen declines, all the inflammation in your body is revealed! There are Estrogen receptors in every cell in our bodies. That means Estrogen contributed to the function of every system in our body.

4. We also loose Testosterone who looked after our muscle strength & brain function and Progesterone who kept us sane!

5. When you first leave home you learn to shop, cook & clean and take care of yourself, because Mama & Dada are not around! When Estrogen (aka Mama) and Testosterone (aka Dada) leave the building we have to find new ways to reduce our inflammation, build our own muscle, protect our bones and optimise our brains.

6. We can make up for the loss of ‘Mama & Dada’ through lifestyle changes including anti-inflammatory nutrition, meditation, strength training etc (ugh! I know!) We kinda have no choice. If we choose to ignore this option we will most likely end up over weight, depressed, possibly diabetic, most likely developing osteoporosis, heart disease or other preventable illnesses.

7. HRT will help some women. But if your gut is out of whack and your cell receptors are clogged with toxins you won’t actually reap the benefits. HRT must go hand in hand with lifestyle changes. There are no shortcuts (I’ve tried!)

8. Menopause does not signify decline and despair (Whew!) It’s a time when we can really step into power and support ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally and energetically........possibly for the first time in our lives!

STEPPING INTO OUR POWER?

It is with this in mind that I began to introduces some changes into my health and wellbeing practices. Guided by the principals of The Galveston Diet by Dr Mary Claire Haver I have introduce 3 new practices

1. Intermittent Fasting. I eat between the hours of 10am and 6pm. The rest of the time I don't eat. It's much easier than I thought it would be

2. An Anti inflammatory diet- I eat high protein, high good fats, high veg & fruit. Low refined carbs, sugar, processed foods. This diet (which is also easier than I thought) has kept me feeling satisfied. My blood sugars are balanced and I'm not hungry all the time like I used to be! 

3. Resistance & Strength Training to promote bone and muscle health. Okay to be honest I haven't started this yet but I will keep you posted!

Overall 3 weeks in I have way more energy, I'm sleeping better, my brain fog has lifted, my anxiety has lifted, my mood has stabilized, my aches & pains are gone, I've lost 9lbs and I feel excited for life!

NOW HERE'S THE IMPORTANT BIT

In preparation for making lasting change I have been working on clearing my blocks around eating healthily, exercising and fasting. In my journey to hear I have discover ancestral trauma around starving, past life trauma around torture and limiting beliefs around my ability to make this a permanent life style shift rather than a quick fix. 

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one whose patterns of behaviour are influenced by past traumas such as these, And this is where I want to help Peri Menopausal and Menopausal women. It is the missing piece on the road to success I think

With that in mind I invite you to join me for a Free Workshop & Healing Session on April 30th @8pm on zoom 

Click here to register. If you can't attend live you will receive the recording.