Vitality for Life
Strength & Stretch Specialist
Astrology Lifecoach
Myths around Perimenopause and Menopause
Myth #1 - Symptoms are due to a lack of estrogen and are normal
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Symptoms like hot flshes, insomnia, brain fog, heavy periods, sore boobs, and mood swings are so common but not necessary
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A woman's balance of hormones can begin to shift from her mid-30's to late 40's depending on her lifestyle, stress, and other factors
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Hormone balance is intimaltey ties to nutrition, stress levels, and environmental toxins.
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In the years leading up to menopause, women will start to experience anovulatory cycle where they don't make progesterone. The ovaries continue to produce estrogen and your body will also produce estrogen in fat cells, especially during times of stress which can lead to estrogen dominace.
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According to research done by Canadian endocrinologt Dr. Jerilynn Prior, the fall of progresterone levels are proportionatelymuch greater than estrogen. Excess estrogen when unopposed or not balanced by progesterone and low thyroid is what drives these symptoms. Due to widespread misconception in Western medicine attributing perimenopausal symptoms solely to estrogen deficiency, estrogen is commonly prescribed
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These symptoms are so common but not necessary - you don't have to suffer
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I had a hysterectomy in 2001. I was only 31. Did not have the same access to information as we do now. My doctor told me nothing about symptoms. I had no symptoms for 20 years. Subtle symptoms started showing up in 2020. I managed everything via strength training, nutrition, stress management techniques to help me get good sleep so my body could shift. What is great is more and more information is coming out. These symptoms are signals from the body that something needs to be adjusted.
Myth #2 - Fat gain is inevitable
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The majority of women I work with have spent years punishing their systems into a stressed state through restrictive diets, exessive exercise, not enough sleep, too much alcohol, hormonal contraception, and emotional stress.
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Women tend to be ore sensitive to stress. So, years of this combined with hormonal shifts, and the fact that most women are under-muscled means they start to become glucose intolerant.
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Plus, most women continue to try and lose weight through restrictive diets, they live in a constant state of stress, they lose more muscle, they end the day with binge eating and gaining more weight.
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You need to get out of this stressed state and work on building muscle. Support theyroid function by tracking your food and eating enough, eat well-balanced meals at consistent times, get adequate protein and get enough of the right nutrients by including liver (this can be done via supplements), shellfish, dairy, fruit, roots, saturated fats, and bioavailable animals proteins in your diet, lower stressors and add more muscle to your body through strength training.
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It's important to understnad that fat gain is not inevitable and symptoms can be imporved through diet and lifestyle changes.
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Again, I am living proof. I did have to make changes to my lifestyle and nutrition. I tracked my food and discovered I was not eating enough protein. That happens when you go into a stressed state. A lot of people did in 2020. I closed my studio and basically shifted my whole business model. I had to sort my health, lifestyle and business out to reduce my stress. As many of you experienced and why I'm doing this program.
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You can start any time.
Myth #3 - You should cut sugars and carbs from your diet.
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Did you know that your cells run on a sugar called glucose? It is your cells primary and preferred fuel source. It is needed to convert inactive tyroid (T4) to active thyroid hormone (T3). It pretty IMPORTANT!!
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When you cut sugars and carbs from your diet you force the body raisse blood sugar through an inflammatory process called gluconeogenesis. This is process increases insulin and forces the body to breakdown muscle tissue to turn protein into sugar (glucose).
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This way of making fuel is not the body's preferred way and it is a backup system when food is scarce. I like to think of insulin like a key that unlocks the door to let glucose into the cell.
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Fructose, juice and honey help the cells to use glucose more effeciently.
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So as you age and become more glucose intolerant, fix the issue by lowering stress, supporting thyroid fucntion, and building more muscle. Don't cut sugar and carbs from your diet. So we are clear -- I'm not talking about the processed garbage -- that needs to go!
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This is why tracking your food, consuming the right amount of calories for your goals, ensuring you get enough protein, getting enough of the right nutrient and eating well-balanced meals with protein, carbs, and fats is important and can help regulate blood sugar.
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If you want to kick your perimenipausal/menopausal symptoms to the curb and imporve your body composition all while eating real food and learning how to strength train -- Join my 12 week Menopause and Strength Training Program.
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Head over to my contact page to send me an email or give me a call to get you started
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I'm building this page and this program can be done In-Person or Online; At a Gym or at Home; Access to a lot of equipment or Minimal equipment.
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I have got you covered
What is included in this strength training and menopausal program
Week 1: Defining Your Perimenopause/Menopause Vision Satement
Week 2: Perimenopause/Menopause Nutrition: How to Build and Optimize Your Nutrition Plan
Week 3: How to Build and Optimize Your Strength Training Plan
Week 4: Lifestyle and How to Optimize Sleep Strategies.
Week 5: Mindset strategies
More to come on what's included. You will have support throughout the 12 weeks and beyond.
This is not a 12 week one and done. This is to help you take this into your lifestyle and beyond.
Start Date: Coming Soon....
Cost: TBD
In-Person strength training sessions: My home gym, Ritual Strength, or your home gym
Online Strength training sessions: Zoom and video content for your choice of envirnment