Where's the surprise? (An update on menopause symptoms)

So Anyway.

January was a practice run, and February is really when the new year started, well that’s how it’s working out for me anyway.

I have noticed over the last few months, since about November ish, that my frequent menopause symptoms have been amplifying themselves again, and really, I am NOT surprised.

When you know better you do better. I know that excessive carbohydrates can set things off for me, but it’s been so bloody cold and recently, that I have been craving butter soaked toast, and Greggs sausage rolls, and I know that it’s because I have been indulging regularly, that’s the reason that things are kicking off again.

Slight bloating, not as bad as it was, but the hot sweats have now been accompanied by a new pal, the COLD sweats. My hands and the back of my neck for some reason go icy cold and I am sweating as well.

So here I am having a word with myself about how to look after myself better, and stop literally saying F**k it to food groups that, when eaten daily, really do make my body react in unpleasant ways.

Menopause sweats equals stress, which equals cortisol levels increasing, which then brings on weight gain, which then makes me feel like crap, and makes me reach for the carbs to comfort eat.

Yes I am health coach, and yes I literally do still have to have a stern word with myself.

Just a short post today but the message is, yes if you make a 1% improvement in your life it can snowball into something amazing by the end of the week/month.

It’s the same the other way.

If you are consistently 1% rubbish with food, movement, sleep patterns, stress, it will also snowball into something bigger after one week or month.

Ooft.

Onward!

Menopause, and how I deal with it.

So anyway.

This post could be a bit of a trigger so if weight loss or weight gain conversations do that then please don’t read on.

I am a member of a website with workouts on it, and the website also has a private Facebook page.

One of the the most common comments I read on this have the following:

I am doing all the workouts, and I can’t lose weight.

I’m eating really healthy and I can’t lose weight

I’m feeling so down because I’m working out so hard and I step on the scales and nothing has changed.

It truly is one of the most awful things about menopause. The unexplained weight gain, and it’s definitely top of the list when I think about the ‘things that made me cry the most’ list. The reason for that being that the weight gain directly impacted my confidence as well, and I seriously didn’t know how to dress.

Recently, a good friend in her early 40s commented to me that her appetite had gone through the roof, and she couldn’t stop eating, and I thought ‘oh oh’, I know this one too well.

How awful to try and think how to explain to my gorgeous friend that this was because The Cookie Monster has moved into her brain. It really is a nasty thing to think about, saying to a woman that she needs to watch her food consumption. The best way I could think of wording was ‘well… 52 year old me, would tell 40 year old me to think about whether it was hunger or hormones’. That really is what it comes down to.

As women get older, 2 hormones in our body start having a party.

Ghrelin tells your body to keep eating, Leptin tell the brain that you are full up and to stop eating.

What happens in menopause is that Leptin goes on holiday ,and leaves Ghrelin in charge.

The best thing you can do is to keep your fluid intake up, and when you feel hungry, have good think about whether you ARE hungry or if its just your brain playing tricks on you.

What an awful thing to say I know, but having this information now will save you a lot of scrolling and ugly crying later on, I promise.

One of the best things I can say, is follow an eating plan, and don’t starve yourself.

I cook from the slimming world magazine, and make all my own lunches and dinners because it keeps me out of Greggs at lunchtime. Also, the more protein I eat, the less sugar I crave.

I get my chocolate fix from protein chocolate shakes. Winner.

I went through an awful time with bloating and sweating and not fitting into my clothes which would increase my stress, and make sweat a lot more. It was the worst 18 months ever. I'm telling you all this to help spare you from that ordeal, or at least make it a bit easier to bear.

I host menopause workshops, and I also have a menopause workbook on my website here . I don’t give advice about medication, thats for your GP to do, but what I concentrate on is reducing stress which ultimately is the best thing you can do for yourself full stop.

Please get in touch if I can help you further with any menopause advice. If I don’t have the answer, I can signpost you where you need to go.

Onward!

Elizabeth

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...

Can Massage Therapy Help Me Sleep Better?

A good night’s sleep is crucial to our wellbeing and our health. If you’ve ever had trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, then you know that being tired or craving sleep can impact your entire day. You feel drowsy or irritable, your thoughts may be foggy, and you may start to notice a difference in your body as well.

If you’re having trouble falling asleep at night maybe it’s time you consider massage therapy to help you sleep better.

The Importance of Sleep

Sleep is such an important part of our wellbeing. While some people need more sleep than others, getting too little sleep is associated with a host of medical issues, and a habit of poor sleep can lead to a decline in your overall health.

The Centre for Disease Control has reported that a lack of sleep is associated with a host of medical issues:

●      Diabetes

●      Cardiovascular disease

●      Obesity

●      Depression

An ongoing issue with sleep can really start to affect how you feel physically and emotionally, and grow into a larger health issue.

Massage for Better Sleep

Some research is illuminating how massage therapy can benefit people who are having difficulty sleeping. For example, one study followed several people with lower back pain and sleep disturbances. The group that received massages reported feeling less pain, with fewer depression symptoms and improved anxiety and sleep.

This study followed these adults with lower back pain and sleep disturbances for five weeks. Each of the adults chosen for the study had been experiencing lower back pain and related sleep issues for at least six months.

One group received 30-minute massages, two times per week, and the other group received relaxation therapy sessions twice a week for 30 minutes. Each participant filled out a questionnaire at the beginning and end of the trial, and those in the massage group reported benefits in anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. They even showed improved trunk and pain flexion performance.

Massage and Fatigue

Sleep issues will lead you to feel fatigued. Another study followed the effects of massage therapy for patients with poor sleep quality who had also received a coronary artery bypass graft surgery. This study looked at whether massage therapy was an effective way to improve sleep quality for these patients.

The 40 participants in the study were randomly assigned either to a control group or a massage therapy group after they had been released from the ICU. For three nights following their release from intensive care, the participants in the massage therapy group received massage therapy sessions.

Every participant in both the control group and massage therapy group were evaluated the following morning for pain in their back, chest, and shoulders, and also on fatigue and sleep. While both groups reported feeling an improvement in their back, shoulder, and chest pain over the course of the three days, the participants in the massage therapy group also reported fewer complaints of fatigue on the first two days, and more effective sleep throughout the entire study.

Another reason, and this one you won’t believe:  poor sleep can also contribute to weight gain.  With the amount of work I have done to try and lose menopause weight gain there is no way I am letting this one creep up on me!  Menopause itself can lead to insomnia due to waking up lots during the night due to the horrible night sweating. 

The soundproofing in my flat is not as good as it could be, so for me, it’s earplugs for the win!

Other things you can do is have lavender essential oil to hand, and sprinkle it on your pillow as part of your bedtime routine. Counter balance this with rosemary essential oil first thing in the morning to help with concentration.

I know how much sleep matters, and I’m a firm believer in the benefits of massage therapy for sleep disturbances, sleep disorders, and fatigue. Let’s work together to help you experience the benefits of massage therapy, so you can sleep better at night, and wake up feeling rested, happy, and well the next morning. Contact me today, and let’s set up an appointment.

In days of yore, when I had clients that were feeling poorly or had the start of a bad cold, I would ask them in anyway for a full body tune up to stimulate their lymphatic/immune system.  These days with a whole new load of bloody viruses and variants going around, I can’t do that, as the symptoms mean a wider public health problem!

If you DO find yourself feeling drained, look up a foam rolling class, give yourself a good foot massage and really get in between all your toes etc.  Have a lovely hot bath, or get in the sea, flowing water actually stimulates your lymphatic system as it gently glides over your nodes.  The highest concentration of lymph nodes are under your armpits and in your groin area.  That’s why these areas ache when you are feeling under the weather, its your lymph nodes working super hard. 

It's all change with 'the change'.

So anyway.

After a few years of studying and researching menopause, turns out I need to listen to myself more often.

Oh boy.

Like everything in life, I think I have worked something out, then the plot twist happens.

Don’t worry, it’s nothing more than simply overeating, but its amazing how it can get out of control.

My amazing 50 something body has changed tack again, going in another direction that seems to be very fond of making all my cloths feel a bit nipped.

Lockdown has affected us all, in many different ways. I have started wearing my fitness tracker again as I was more than aware of not moving enough, over the last couple of months, especially not working at the moment.

The overeating was very subtle, and it took my sister to flag it up to me.

Would you believe that having a period actually uses up a lot of energy, so when in menopause, and your period stops, the amount of calories you need daily/weekly/monthly drops too. It does’t help that during this process, our leptin levels also drop. Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating as you are full, so the menopausal munching continues! Oh my!

I also noticed that I wasn’t doing myself any favours at all, by eating light during the day, then having an enormous dinner. So have switched it up, and am now making my evening meal lighter.

So I really have had to go back to basics. Get outside walking daily for at least an hour. Revisit my beloved Toned in 10 Davina McCall DVD, and start eating delicious homemade soups in the evening.

If you are trawling the internet looking for menopause advice, look no further than my Menopause Workbook, available for £4.99 from my website. I wrote it, and it’s jam packed full of helpful information to help you take steps towards better menopause management.

There is no magic pill to make the symptoms completely disappear, but there is great deal you can do, to turn the volume down, including a focus on stress reduction.

Find out more here.

Onward!

Elizabeth