Forty & Fabulous!

40… Strange things start happening to our body when women hit this notorious age (I’ve certainly noticed some)!

Aches emerge that we’ve never noticed before, a few kilos suddenly appear around our middle, our energy is never really great, our skin looks dry and dull, and hormones are all over the place. These are the first whispers from the body that all is not so well. It’s a little confronting, and kind of tempting, to ignore.

However, these whispers do not simply go away; it really is a sign that something needs to change. For many women, their energy is spent in caring for others. Many a woman will carefully prepare nutritious food for her children, whilst existing on a coffee or two and a vegemite sandwich herself.

As we approach menopause, we must learn to take real care of ourselves, otherwise, our body is not going to hold up! The good news is that our body has a most amazing capacity to heal itself, so long as we provide it with the right conditions.

• Clean up your diet: Get rid of the empty foods: refined carbs, starchy foods, sugar and most coffee & alcohol. Load up on clean proteins (eggs, poultry, meats, fish), antioxidant-rich vegetables (green leafies, beetroot, pumpkin, tomatoes) and healthy fats (avocado, egg yolk, coconut oil, chia, walnuts, oily fish, butter)

• Look after your adrenals: The primary function of these glands is to produce hormones involved in the stress response. During menopause, however- when ovarian hormone production decreases- the adrenals take over. Healthy adrenals produce enough oestrogen & progesterone to tide you over, avoiding the dreaded hot flushes, sweats & mood swings. Women who enter menopause with adrenal depletion have a much harder time than those with strong adrenal function. Practice actively de-stressing through things like mindfulness meditation, prayer & yoga. Equally important is getting adequate rest & downtime, and making sure you do the things you love.