99 wellbeing tips to give you a wee bit of inspiration to blossom through your menopause.
- Eat protein at every meal and with any snacks. Feel fuller for longer.
- You cannot ‘work hard’ to balance your hormones. It happens when you sleep well, eat good food and take time to relax
- Be cautious with sports drinks as they can be calorific. If you are exercising for under an hour then water is fine.
- Herbal Tea is fabulous hot or cold and it has zero calories!
- Restorative exercises is fab for reducing stress levels. Hatha yoga and walking in green space are the best for this
- Greek Yogurt is a fabulous source of protein – check it’s not Greek Style yogurt though big difference between the two.
- Take 10 mins out of your busy day, close your eyes ….and relax
- Mark in your diary when day 14 of your cycle is. It is the day you ovulate also known as ‘taking over the world’, you will feel awesome!
- Your menopausal body can become sensitive to sugar. Check food labels, aim for less than 10g per 100g
- If you crave foods when you have PMS, watch that it does not become a habit. Sugar is addictive! 3pm choc fix anyone!
- Menopausal women often wake up during the night due to low blood sugar. Don’t eat too early & include complex carbs at dinner
- Start your day with a mug of hot water and lemon to help your digestive system
- It’s called comfort food for a reason. Figure out why you need comfort rather than beating yourself up for overeating
- Do you talk yourself out of exercising? Change the time you workout if tired or go with a friend for accountability!
- Plan your meals for the week, especially if you are having a busy one or very socialable one. Have healthy food organised
- Movable goal posts – adapt if a goal you have set for yourself is too big or the timing is wrong – keep going!
- Water, water, water water. And then some more: water, water, water, water. 8 glasses a day to help you keep hydrated
- Keep a PMS diary of find a app to track your symptom’s. If you know what’s coming its easier to prevent them!
- Dark Chocolate has more antioxidants than blueberries. Find bars over 70% cocoa content. Yum
- Practice portion control particularly with ‘healthy’ foods they are not calorie free!
- The type of PMS symptoms you have relates to hormone imbalances. Types are: A:Anxiety, C:Cravings, D:Depression & H:Hydration
- What is more important:to lose weight or to lose weight and not put in back on? Find out what works for you and keep doing it
- The World Health Organisation reports inactivity is now the 4th biggest killer in the world #keepmoving
- Cook extra and freeze leftovers for a busy day – plan ahead
- Plan ME time for every day this week. Add it to your diary & keep the apps – there is nothing more important than self care!
- HIIT training is effective for weight loss if you are fit and injury free. Use interval training to build up fitness levels
- Do you talk yourself out of exercising? Find something you enjoy rather than something you should do
- If you are interested in weight loss, weigh your food more than you weigh yourself #knowyournumbers
- Pilates is fabulous for improving your posture and strengthening both your core and back. A little and often works wonders
- A new study suggests Vitamin D treatment acts in the brain to improve weight and blood glucose (sugar) control
- Are you label savvy? The number of ingredients should ideally be 5 or less to ensure it’s not too heavily processed
- Do something you love for 10 mins everyday – make your own self care a priority and find the time
- Have a digitial detox this Sunday. Switch off laptops & phones & be disconnected for a wee while
- For optimal health your waist measurement divided by hips should be less than 0.82 to reduce risk of diseases like diabetes
- Are your snacks hindering your weight loss? Check how much sugar is in your ‘healthy snack’ less than 10g per 100g is ideal
- If you store all your weight around your tum, stress less to lose weight – harder than it sounds I know – ME time & delegate
- New habits take a wee while to form. The more enjoyable the new habit the easier it is. So find exercise you enjoy!
- The average age of the menopause is 51 years, but hormone imbalances oftern start years earlier – time to take care of you
- Avoid heating up food in microwaves using plastics containers as they can contain addivitive that mimic estrogen
- If you are interested in weight loss, weigh your food more than you weigh yourself #knowyournumbers
- Get at least 8 hours of sleep to help balance your hormones. Bed time by 10:30 for the most effective results
- Calcium is such an important mineral it is stored in our bones. It is found in dairy products, tofu, green leafy veg & nuts
- Have a digital curfew. Switch of tvs, tablets & phones 30 mins before bedtime to improve sleep quality
- Not eating enough carbs can affect your mood, energy & create a foggy head, find your personal level for optimal intake
- Essential fatty acids help balance hormones. You can eat salmon, pumkin seeds & walnuts & supplements Evening Primrose oil
- The hormone Leptin maintains a set point in the body. Speeding up metabolism when we are overweight, slowing down when under.
- Hatha Yoga is fab for relaxing, whilst Ashtanga Yoga tends to be more energetic and can be a awesome bodyweight workout
- Practice portion control – especially with ‘healthy foods’ they are not calorie free!
- Know when your period is due and how that affects your eating habits and mood. Be preventative and limit your carbs
- If your hormones are out of balance you may start to get more PMS symptoms or feel tired mored often. TLC is required
- Sports drinks should have around 4g per 100mls for fast hydration without energy burst. All that’s needed if less than 60mins
- Check with your Doctor before taking any supplements for menopause. ‘Natural’ products can interfer with meds you are on
- Mix it up and have a meat free Monday
- Dairy is fab source of calcium & bone strength, but it can affect blood sugar levels. Find your own optimal level
- Be nice to your liver. One of it’s jobs is to get rid of excess estorgen – regularly have alcohol free days
- Did you know an increase in PMS symptoms in your 40s can be an indicator of estrogen levels starting to lower
- To calculate your daily intake of protein take your weight in kg x 0.75. So 45g of protein a day if you weigh 60Kg
- Dark green leafy veg contain vitamins A,B,C,E & K They keep your liver efficient which is important for hormones balancing
- If you are interested in weight loss, weigh your food more than you weigh yourself #knowyournumbers
- Are you label savvy? Neither salt or sugar should be listed in the first 5 ingredients.
- Lowering estrogen levels can affect your mood. Listening to music, moving move and dark chocolate can all help to lift it!
- Research shows acupuncture can help with the frequency & severity of hot flushes
- Does alcohol affect you differently at different times of the month? Start tracking and changing to improve your wellbeing
- Swimming is fab as its low impact & nice on joints. It doesn’t build bone strength so shouldn’t be only exercise at menopause
- Monday Plan A: Go for a run. If raining Plan B: Go to gym. If no energy Plan C go for a long walk #keepmoving
- Research has shown a link between hot flushes & hip fractures. They don’t know why yet, do what you can to keep healthy bones
- Turkey is a lean meat & good alternative to chicken. It contains essential amino acids that create seratonin-a happy hormone
- Swimming is a fab source of exercise. it often increases appetite so be prepared and have healthy quick food ready for after.
- Keeping a food diary it helps track what you eat and also how you manage your hunger, energy and cravings.
- The hormone Leptin maintains a set point in the body. Speeding up metabolism when we are overweight, slowing down when under.
- If you cannot look after yourself, how can you look after those that are important to you. Make time for you #feetuponsunday
- Ensuring you get a good nights sleep is one of the best things you can do to balance your hormones
- How are your New Years resolutions coming along? Keep going, adapt wherever you need to!
- Monday Plan A: Go for a run. If raining Plan B: Go to gym. If no energy Plan C go for a long walk #keepmoving
- Weight training helps keep bones strong and an increase in muscle mass helps to maintain your figure.
- Phytoestrogens are a plant based food which have an estrogen like effect on the body. Look for fermented products tofu
- Pilates is fabulous for improving your posture and strengthening both your core and back. A little and often works wonders
- What can you downsize or swap to reduce calories – long term small changes make big changes over time
- Cortisol 1. Cortisol levels rise and peak between 6am-9am, this will raise your blood sugar levels
- Essential fatty acids play in important role in weight loss, they slow down the rate which the stomach empties.
- Is exercise me time, time to catch up with girlfriends, time to learn something new? Maybe all 3, find out what motivates you and keep going
- Self care is not all spa days, it’s everyday small chunks of ME time, repeated often!
- Research into mindful eating show’s a substantial decrease in later food intake. Keep the TV off while you are eating dinner
- Green Tea & Oolong tea can have a fat burning effect on your body. Drink daily to help support your wellbeing
- Don’t confuse movement with exercise. You can still be active even if you hate the gym. Walking, gardening, housework counts
- Dehydration can make you feel tired and hungry. Get into the habit of grabbing a glass of water first rather than a snack
- Smelling oranges helps curb sugar cravings by 60% according to a Leeds Uni study
- Plan some ME time this week. Doesn’t have to be an expensive spa day just something that will make your heart sing
- Green Tea contains an amino acid called theanine. This may help reduce stress levels in the body
- Try changing one thing at a time, studies show you will be more sucessful at creating a long term habit
- Self care: try to fit 50 mins into an hour rather than cramming 70 mins into 60
- One portion of fruit or veg is 80g. Next time you are in the supermarket, look at how much you are buying 5 a day = 400g
- If you’ve had a bad day & only a glass of wine will do. Find something else to raise your mood-music, walk, have a laugh!
- Eat better not less: add in lots of different coloured veggies, lean proteins, complex carbs and just a wee bit of good fats
- Nuts, seeds and avocados are good fats – easy on portion size as they can be calorific
- Be as inefficient as you can to ensure you move more. Lots of trips up stairs & walking the long way round!
- Do you manage to eat 5 a day fruit and vegetables a day?
- The order you eat the food on your plate can have a big impact on feeling full. Experiment & mix it up. Starch first or last?
- And relax…..
Samantha Valand is the founder of Wise Women Wellbeing Academy.
A comprehensive hub of resources on hormone balancing, healthy eating and exercising in your menopausal years and beyond.