How we pivot during Menopause
As we travel through life, we learn to pivot when life throws us curve balls. Woman are especially good at navigating the ebbs and flow of life and evolving as we care for everyone arounds us. Until recently woman suffered through perimenopause and all the stages of menopause that follow, because of the lack of research and education on what happens during these phases. So many woman have approached their family doctor and or the gynecologist regarding symptoms only to be told they are normal and to suck it up. This is 100% wrong, you are not alone, every woman will experience these phases at one point in their lives. Consider this, you start perimenopause around 42 years old, you live to 90, its more than half of your life, why should we suffer, it should be the best half! When we start to become symptomatic, its time to pivot. Lifestyle changes are imperative now, the old eat less and do more cardio does not work. Phase 1, Nutritional Support, this will help balance our hormones, build strong bones, and muscles, increase metabolism and keep a healthy gut. Your focus should be high fiber, lean protein, anti-inflammatory foods, and fermented foods. We need to ditch the processed and high sugar foods. Phase 2, Exercise and recovery, Joints, tendons and our heart all need TLC now. During midlife our bodies don’t recover like they use to. Our focus is lifting heavy to build dense bones and strong muscles. Walking vs running is gentler on those joints, swimming is great cardio with no impact. Recovery isn’t just a quick stretch after your workout, its sauna, meditation, breathwork, red-light therapy and yoga. Feel free to email me with questions or for more details about phase 1 and 2. Stay tuned for the next few phases!
Woman are masters at understanding as life changes we have to change as well. Life throws us curve balls and we experience so much of life, and as it ebbs and flows we do as well. For many of us we take care of everyone else most of our lives, children, parents, co-workers and friends. As we approach the beginning of perimenopause we are in the midst of all of this. Our symptoms may start with little things and some start like a kick in the gut! We all experience things differently. Unfortunately, until recently there was little information about our symptoms and very little education for our healthcare providers. So many woman have come to me after seeing her family doctor or gynecologist and was told the symptoms are normal and nothing can be done to help. Some woman have been misdiagnosed or sent to cardiologist and other specialist because the doctors do not realize there symptoms are menopause related. Truth be told, everything is changing and we now have research , answers and ways to thrive during this part of our lives. Think about it, if you start perimenopause at 42 and live to 90, its more than half of your life, there is no reason for us to suffer anymore. So speaking of Pivot, as we enter this time in our lives the first change we need to make is Phase 1, Nutritional Support, this will help balance our hormones, help build dense bones, strong muscles, increase our metabolism and create a healthy gut. Our focus will be a high fiber, anti-inflammatory foods, lean protein, and fermented foods. Cutting out highly processed and sugary foods will really help us regain control and minimize that belly fat that seems to sneak up on us. Phase 2, Exercise and Recovery, our midlife bodies don’t recover like they use to. Our joints, tendons and heart need TLC now. The old eat less and do more cardio does not work anymore! Our focus is on strength training- lifting heavy, joint friendly cardio like walking vs running, and swimming is a fantastic form of cardio with no impact. Recovery isn’t a quick 5 minute stretch any longer. Recovery is many different things to bring our cortisol levels down as workouts are a stressor on our bodies. Sauna, red-light therapy, yoga, meditation, slow walks, are all ways to help your body recover. If you have any questions about the content email me, and stay tuned for the next few phases of this navigation.