99 wellbeing tips to give you a wee bit of inspiration to blossom through your menopause.

  1. Eat protein at every meal and with any snacks. Feel fuller for longer.
  2. You cannot ‘work hard’ to balance your hormones. It happens when you sleep well, eat good food and take time to relax
  3. Be cautious with sports drinks as they can be calorific. If you are exercising for under an hour then water is fine.
  4. Herbal Tea is fabulous hot or cold and it has zero calories!
  5. Restorative exercises is fab for reducing stress levels. Hatha yoga and walking in green space are the best for this
  6. Greek Yogurt is a fabulous source of protein – check it’s not Greek Style yogurt though big difference between the two.
  7. Take 10 mins out of your busy day, close your eyes ….and relax
  8. 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!
  9. Your menopausal body can become sensitive to sugar. Check food labels, aim for less than 10g per 100g
  10. If you crave foods when you have PMS, watch that it does not become a habit. Sugar is addictive! 3pm choc fix anyone!
  11. Menopausal women often wake up during the night due to low blood sugar. Don’t eat too early & include complex carbs at dinner
  12. Start your day with a mug of hot water and lemon to help your digestive system
  13. It’s called comfort food for a reason. Figure out why you need comfort rather than beating yourself up for overeating
  14. Do you talk yourself out of exercising? Change the time you workout if tired or go with a friend for accountability!
  15. Plan your meals for the week, especially if you are having a busy one or very socialable one. Have healthy food organised
  16. Movable goal posts – adapt if a goal you have set for yourself is too big or the timing is wrong – keep going!
  17. Water, water, water water. And then some more: water, water, water, water. 8 glasses a day to help you keep hydrated
  18. Keep a PMS diary of find a app to track your symptom’s. If you know what’s coming its easier to prevent them!
  19. Dark Chocolate has more antioxidants than blueberries. Find bars over 70% cocoa content. Yum
  20. Practice portion control particularly with ‘healthy’ foods they are not calorie free!
  21. The type of PMS symptoms you have relates to hormone imbalances. Types are: A:Anxiety, C:Cravings, D:Depression & H:Hydration
  22. 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
  23. The World Health Organisation reports inactivity is now the 4th biggest killer in the world #keepmoving
  24. Cook extra and freeze leftovers for a busy day – plan ahead
  25. Plan ME time for every day this week. Add it to your diary & keep the apps – there is nothing more important than self care!
  26. HIIT training is effective for weight loss if you are fit and injury free. Use interval training to build up fitness levels
  27. Do you talk yourself out of exercising? Find something you enjoy rather than something you should do
  28. If you are interested in weight loss, weigh your food more than you weigh yourself #knowyournumbers
  29. Pilates is fabulous for improving your posture and strengthening both your core and back. A little and often works wonders
  30. A new study suggests Vitamin D treatment acts in the brain to improve weight and blood glucose (sugar) control
  31. Are you label savvy? The number of ingredients should ideally be 5 or less to ensure it’s not too heavily processed
  32. Do something you love for 10 mins everyday – make your own self care a priority and find the time
  33. Have a digitial detox this Sunday. Switch off laptops & phones & be disconnected for a wee while
  34. For optimal health your waist measurement divided by hips should be less than 0.82 to reduce risk of diseases like diabetes
  35. Are your snacks hindering your weight loss? Check how much sugar is in your ‘healthy snack’ less than 10g per 100g is ideal
  36. If you store all your weight around your tum, stress less to lose weight – harder than it sounds I know – ME time & delegate
  37. New habits take a wee while to form. The more enjoyable the new habit the easier it is. So find exercise you enjoy!
  38. The average age of the menopause is 51 years, but hormone imbalances oftern start years earlier – time to take care of you
  39. Avoid heating up food in microwaves using plastics containers as they can contain addivitive that mimic estrogen
  40. If you are interested in weight loss, weigh your food more than you weigh yourself #knowyournumbers
  41. Get at least 8 hours of sleep to help balance your hormones. Bed time by 10:30 for the most effective results
  42. Calcium is such an important mineral it is stored in our bones. It is found in dairy products, tofu, green leafy veg & nuts
  43. Have a digital curfew. Switch of tvs, tablets & phones 30 mins before bedtime to improve sleep quality
  44. Not eating enough carbs can affect your mood, energy & create a foggy head, find your personal level for optimal intake
  45. Essential fatty acids help balance hormones. You can eat salmon, pumkin seeds & walnuts & supplements Evening Primrose oil
  46. The hormone Leptin maintains a set point in the body. Speeding up metabolism when we are overweight, slowing down when under.
  47. Hatha Yoga is fab for relaxing, whilst Ashtanga Yoga tends to be more energetic and can be a awesome bodyweight workout
  48. Practice portion control – especially with ‘healthy foods’ they are not calorie free!
  49. Know when your period is due and how that affects your eating habits and mood. Be preventative and limit your carbs
  50. If your hormones are out of balance you may start to get more PMS symptoms or feel tired mored often. TLC is required
  51. Sports drinks should have around 4g per 100mls for fast hydration without energy burst. All that’s needed if less than 60mins
  52. Check with your Doctor before taking any supplements for menopause. ‘Natural’ products can interfer with meds you are on
  53. Mix it up and have a meat free Monday
  54. Dairy is fab source of calcium & bone strength, but it can affect blood sugar levels. Find your own optimal level
  55. Be nice to your liver. One of it’s jobs is to get rid of excess estorgen – regularly have alcohol free days
  56. Did you know an increase in PMS symptoms in your 40s can be an indicator of estrogen levels starting to lower
  57. 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
  58. Dark green leafy veg contain vitamins A,B,C,E & K They keep your liver efficient which is important for hormones balancing
  59. If you are interested in weight loss, weigh your food more than you weigh yourself #knowyournumbers
  60. Are you label savvy? Neither salt or sugar should be listed in the first 5 ingredients.
  61. Lowering estrogen levels can affect your mood. Listening to music, moving move and dark chocolate can all help to lift it!
  62. Research shows acupuncture can help with the frequency & severity of hot flushes
  63. Does alcohol affect you differently at different times of the month? Start tracking and changing to improve your wellbeing
  64. Swimming is fab as its low impact & nice on joints. It doesn’t build bone strength so shouldn’t be only exercise at menopause
  65. 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
  66. Research has shown a link between hot flushes & hip fractures. They don’t know why yet, do what you can to keep healthy bones
  67. Turkey is a lean meat & good alternative to chicken. It contains essential amino acids that create seratonin-a happy hormone
  68. Swimming is a fab source of exercise. it often increases appetite so be prepared and have healthy quick food ready for after.
  69. Keeping a food diary it helps track what you eat and also how you manage your hunger, energy and cravings.
  70. The hormone Leptin maintains a set point in the body. Speeding up metabolism when we are overweight, slowing down when under.
  71. If you cannot look after yourself, how can you look after those that are important to you. Make time for you #feetuponsunday
  72. Ensuring you get a good nights sleep is one of the best things you can do to balance your hormones
  73. How are your New Years resolutions coming along? Keep going, adapt wherever you need to!
  74. 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
  75. Weight training helps keep bones strong and an increase in muscle mass helps to maintain your figure.
  76. Phytoestrogens are a plant based food which have an estrogen like effect on the body. Look for fermented products tofu
  77. Pilates is fabulous for improving your posture and strengthening both your core and back. A little and often works wonders
  78. What can you downsize or swap to reduce calories – long term small changes make big changes over time
  79. Cortisol 1. Cortisol levels rise and peak between 6am-9am, this will raise your blood sugar levels
  80. Essential fatty acids play in important role in weight loss, they slow down the rate which the stomach empties.
  81. 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
  82. Self care is not all spa days, it’s everyday small chunks of ME time, repeated often!
  83. Research into mindful eating show’s a substantial decrease in later food intake. Keep the TV off while you are eating dinner
  84. Green Tea & Oolong tea can have a fat burning effect on your body. Drink daily to help support your wellbeing
  85. Don’t confuse movement with exercise. You can still be active even if you hate the gym. Walking, gardening, housework counts
  86. Dehydration can make you feel tired and hungry. Get into the habit of grabbing a glass of water first rather than a snack
  87. Smelling oranges helps curb sugar cravings by 60% according to a Leeds Uni study
  88. Plan some ME time this week. Doesn’t have to be an expensive spa day just something that will make your heart sing
  89. Green Tea contains an amino acid called theanine. This may help reduce stress levels in the body
  90. Try changing one thing at a time, studies show you will be more sucessful at creating a long term habit
  91. Self care: try to fit 50 mins into an hour rather than cramming 70 mins into 60
  92. 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
  93. 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!
  94. Eat better not less: add in lots of different coloured veggies, lean proteins, complex carbs and just a wee bit of good fats
  95. Nuts, seeds and avocados are good fats – easy on portion size as they can be calorific
  96. Be as inefficient as you can to ensure you move more. Lots of trips up stairs & walking the long way round!
  97. Do you manage to eat 5 a day fruit and vegetables a day?
  98. 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?
  99. 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.