Finding Joy in Menopause.
Has menopause stolen your joy?
Do you feel unable to concentrate, you’re trying to spin your usual plates but they keep crashing to the floor.
Maybe you feel anxious and are second-guessing every decision you make. You’re trying to be healthy but feel totally confused about what to eat and exercise (if you can even be bothered) just results in pain and injury.
What you really want to feel is motivation and excitement about your life and business.
Menopause has stolen your Zest for Life!
It’s time to take it back!
Where is your Joy Hiding?
Menopause, just like puberty and the six weeks postnatal, is a time in our life when our moods are extremely vulnerable.
Fluctuating hormone levels can also affect our neurotransmitters which are responsible for our feelings of happiness, love, motivation and pleasure.
We all have some measure of control over finding our joy and reclaiming our zest even if this starts with a visit to the GP and a discussion about HRT.
However, if you are feeling well enough to take action yourself, here are my starting points.
Finding Joy in Food
Food can be such a complicated subject.
Nutrition science has turned meal planning into a minefield.
I try and make the subject of nutrition as simple as possible for my clients.
Don’t restrict, honour your hunger and eat well-balanced meals and snacks consisting of;
- Protein
- Fibre (Carbohydrates)
- Healthy Fats
I always find knowing WHY supports these goals;
Our body uses PROTEIN to build and repair so think, cells, hormones, neurotransmitters, and enzymes. Although the body can use protein for fuel there are so many uses for it in the body there is rarely any leftover.
FIBRE feeds our healthy gut bacteria. Our gut is our second brain and where all dis-ease begins. Eating fibre also keeps us fuller for longer, provides many micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and supports the elimination of waste, this includes excess hormones.
Including HEALTHY FATS in your diet such as olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocados allows the body to absorb the nutrients from the fibre. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble vitamins essential for the health of our eyes, immune system, bones, muscles, blood and heart. Fat also helps increase the satiety of food, it keeps you satisfied.
Finding Joy in Your Gut
Gut health is so important that it needs its own section.
For one thing, you aren’t just what you eat, you are what your body can absorb.
Our body needs to absorb Tryptophan from certain forms of protein in order to produce Serotonin.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter and hormone that supports the body with concentration and focus. It helps you get a good night’s sleep and wake up happy and energised ie full of ZEST!
However, our serotonin levels are also linked to estrogen. When our estrogen levels fluctuate (taking serotonin along for the ride) we can experience anxiety, agitation and rage along with a lack of focus and concentration, sound familiar?
If you are experiencing menopause symptoms such as bloating, constipation, cramping and IBS then focusing on improving your gut health will bring relief.
Finding Joy in Flow
Many of my clients are female business owners.
Having run my own business for nearly 20 years plus supporting my husband with his construction business I understand the day-to-day challenges experienced. Add menopause into this mix and it’s like the usual anxiety, multi-focus and imposter syndrome on steroids!
You don’t have to be a business owner to find joy in flow.
Many women have a business and they don’t even realise it, probably because it doesn’t pay and gives no thanks, it’s called running a home!
If you haven’t heard the term flow before, a flow state is a state of mind when you are totally immersed in a task. When you are in a flow if you;
- Completely forget about the outside world
- Become creative and productive
- Lose track of time
- Feel Happy and in control
Flow is about mono-tasking rather than multitasking. Multi-tasking is an illusion, even a super-duper computer doesn’t multi-task it just does one thing after the other really quickly.
We are all really busy and the stress this creates can steal our joy.
Reclaim your joy by choosing a task, you know the one, the one that immediately came to mind, the one you have been avoiding.
Choose a time to start, ideally your peak energy time, write an action list of the steps you need to take to complete this task, now start.
Focus for as long as you can, and try not to get sidetracked, you might find it helpful to set a timer and use the Pomodoro Technique.
Finding Joy in Menopause
There can be many ways that menopause can steal your joy but if you are someone who refuses to be kept down for long I hope you embrace the challenge to reclaim your joy.
If you want to surround yourself with other women on their menopause journey who are choosing to reclaim or even hold on to their joy, come and join my private Facebook Group, Menopause Nutrition Hub for education, motivation and accountability, oh and lots of Joy! I can’t wait to welcome you.
Work With Me
Are you ready to take responsibility for your menopause health?
If you’re just looking for a single session to get clear about what you can do for your unique menopause journey book a 90-minute Menopause Solution Session.
Maybe you need a little more support and accountability, if so my 5-session Empowered Menopause package will provide the education, support and accountability you need.
Follow the link to learn more and buy.