Transform Your Menopause Misery: 7 Ways to Help Your Body Feel Better TODAY
You’ve probably heard that what you eat and how you move can make a HUGE improvement in some of the symptoms of menopause. They can stave off the dreaded weight gain at this time of life. (Ugh!) And they can help prevent other issues like heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Here are seven ways to eat and move that you can start right now, and help manage your menopause misery:
1 – Hydrate:
Drink more water.
Drink one half your body weight in ounces. For example: 150 pounds x .5 = 75 ounces = 9 cups per day. And, if you don’t feel you need that much you definitely need to at least drink enough throughout the day so that you’re not thirsty.
I know that’s easy to say but it’s also really easy to do.
Try having a full glass first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything. Adding the juice of half a fresh lemon to the water will provide an alkalizing, liver cleansing benefit. Wait 30 minutes before consuming any other food or drink.
Prefer tea? Steep some sliced lemon and/or ginger or your favorite caffeine-free herbal teabag. This counts toward hydration as well. My go-to hydrating drink to sip on during the day is organic green tea. You’ll reap the benefits of its anti-inflammatory properties, as well.
You can also keep a large bottle or mug beside you all day wherever you work so it’s always easy to grab. Set your smart phone or smart watch alarm to remind you every 30 minutes to take a big drink, and have sips throughout the day to make sure you’re not getting thirsty.
2 – Eat real food:
Ditch the processed food and bump up your intake of whole plant foods, like (yes, you guessed it) vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. We’re going for quantity here. Try to include these whole foods in every meal and even most (if not all) of your snacks. Be sure to activate nuts and seeds, by soaking them in water first, to make them digestible. Nuts and seeds contain phytic acid, an enzyme inhibitor, that is nature’s way to protect them from sprouting, but makes them indigestible for us humans until they are soaked in water and then dehydrated (to prevent mold).
Want another reason to eat more plants?
Plant-based diets are associated with fewer hot flashes. Bonus!
Check out my recipe below for your “no excuse” solution to getting more veggies wherever you go.
3 – Eat high-quality protein:
While you’re chomping your plant foods don’t forget to include some good quality protein (and healthy fats) from eggs, fish, meat, nuts and seeds (and their butters).
With animal foods, quality is very important, so try to get organic, wild, and/or pasture-raised meat, dairy, and eggs if you can.
Why pasture-raised? Grain fed cows eat a diet supplemented with inflammatory promoting foods such as corn and soy, and other additives such as antibiotics and hormones. Grass-fed, pasture-raised beef tends to have less fat and five times the amount of Omega 3’s.
4 – Cut back on these foods that aren’t your menopause friends:
Reduce and/or eliminate alcohol, caffeine and processed foods. This can have a tremendous impact on balancing your hormones naturally without the help of pharmaceutical medications. How? Read on…
Caffeine mimics stress and increases the stress hormone, cortisol, in people at rest. Also consuming caffeine may interfere with estrogen metabolism, which can lead to estrogen dominance and a host of hormonal imbalance!
Menopause and alcohol don’t mix well. Many women would agree that alcohol makes mood swings, insomnia, and hot flashes worse. Doctors warn that alcohol can be more dangerous for women, the older they get. Women don’t metabolize alcohol as efficiently which leads to hormonal imbalance, irregular blood sugar levels, poor calcium metabolism and bone structure, and increases the risk of osteoporosis.
With those increases in hydration, whole plant foods, and quality protein, you simply won’t have as much room for alcohol, caffeine, and processed foods with added salt and sugar. You already know that’s good news, right? Moderation or abstinence is the key.
5 – Move your body:
If you don’t do this already, try to move your body every day. Aim for 5 hours a week to start. You can gradually increase that over time, and believe me, your body will thank you!
Here are some enjoyable ways to increase movement in your life: walking (especially outdoors in the sun, if possible), qigong, yoga, tai chi, or even some weight-training.
You’ve heard the saying: The best exercise is the one you’ll actually do. Well, go ahead and do it. 🙂
6 – Get enough sleep:
You need 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Sleep is one of your best allies in fighting menopause misery!
You may have discovered that menopause can bring on (or ramp up) sleep problems.
Here’s how to create healthy sleep in your life: set a daily routine where you’re relaxing with no screen-time (computers, tablet, phone, tv) a few hours before your bedtime. Electronic devices emit a strong blue light which can prevent the release of melatonin, your sleep hormone. Try reading a book or having a bath before bed time. It’s also important to have dim lights in your surroundings to reduce your exposure to blue light before bed, so turn all those devices completely off. Regular indoor lighting may also emit blue light. So, ideally you can use amber or red lights, or even wear some blue-blocker sunglasses.
Retire for the night before midnight. Before 10pm is best! Every hour of sleep before midnight is worth two after midnight. The 90-minute phase before midnight is one of the most powerful phases of sleep, because it is when the body is replenished. Consistency is important here to receive the health benefits of good sleep.
7 – Find great stress relieving activities:
The good news about stress-relieving activities is they are free to do, easy, and you can do them anywhere! Here are my favorites:
Meditation. Deep breathing. Taking a warm bath (okay, I guess you can’t do that one anywhere). What about the latest craze: coloring for grownups? You can also use exercise as a form of stress relief – so you get a two-fer of movement AND stress-relief all at once!
Do whatever works for you. Just make sure you do it regularly as a preventative measure to avoid accumulated stress. Stress, whether real or perceived, is detrimental to your health and contributes to weight gain.
Ready, Set, Let Go of menopause misery!
You now have an arsenal of great ideas to stave off those menopause symptoms naturally.
Recipe: Wherever You Go Veggie Salad in a Jar
Here is a great solution to having a fresh and nourishing salad (in a jar!) for wherever your day takes you. Enjoy!
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons almond butter
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons sesame oil
½ apple (diced)
4 radishes (sliced)
2 celery stalks (diced)
4 tablespoons of your favorite nuts or seeds (walnuts, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
4-6 cups of your favorite greens (spinach, kale, mixed greens, etc.)
DIRECTIONS
Add first four ingredients to a small bowl & whisk until smooth.
Add apple to dressing (so it’s covered and won’t brown) and divide between two 32 oz. mason jars.
Layer the radishes, celery, nuts/seeds, and greens on top and seal.
When ready to eat, shake up the jar, open and enjoy or pour it into a large bowl to mix more thoroughly.
Tip: Wide-mouth jars work best for this amazing way to bring veggies with you wherever you go!
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