Women’s health has traditionally taken a back seat, especially during times of hardship. According to a new study from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and published recently in The Guardian, life expectancy in the UK is 25th out of the 38 countries looked at. For a so-called first world country, this is a concerning statistic.
In addition, GP surgeries have been under so much pressure during the pandemic, many women have struggled to get appointments with their GPs. And so many women are telling me that they are feeling anxious. So anxious that they can’t drive on motorways. So anxious that they’re pulling away from their partners and friends.
If this sounds familiar and you’ve been finding it difficult to get help, then you should know that you’re not alone. The British Menopause Society has even issued a press release stating that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been significant disruption to all aspects of healthcare provision in the fields of sexual healthcare, obstetrics, gynaecology and menopause care. So, it’s a fact that many women are now suffering, and they are finding it a struggle to get help.
Recent articles in the mainstream news and social media posts on Facebook and Twitter have shown that many menopausal women are now resorting to obtaining their HRT drugs on the black market, which is beyond dangerous. You may think you’re getting your normal prescription drug, but there are many more nefarious entities making money on inferior formulations that can cause you more harm than they will do good.
What can you do to help?
Menopause is a normal life event that is part of our natural ageing process, and it’s something that every older woman who walked the Earth before us has been through. And it’s only been in the past few decades where HRT has become a crutch to help with our mood swings and anxiety, but it is possible to live a fulfilling and healthy life without it if you choose to do so .
Yes, you may experience feeling hot, sweaty and tired every day. Yes, you may be sleep deprived. Yes, you may feel an anxious mess. Yes, you may have extra flab that’s appeared around your belly. However ALL of this may more likely than not be connected to the food that you’re eating and the lifestyle that you’re living.
It is never too late to make a change, and there is more than enough evidence that nutrition plays a huge part in not only helping to manage menopause, but making you a happier bunny all-round. Just making the decision to cut down on the coffee or wine is a huge step making that change.
Regardless of whether you’re going to continue on your HRT journey or not,or look at other alternatives , the best decision you can make during this special time in your life is to:
- Eat a healthy diet — What you eat has a direct impact on your hormones and body. Eating healthy is crucial to ensure the effective functioning of your hormones. Processed foods, unhealthy fats, and refined carbohydrates can increase your estrogen levels, giving rise to symptoms of menopause. Various health-degrading ingredients such as chemical additives, trans fat, sugar and GE ingredients found in processed foods can trigger inflammation within the body, and reduce the level of other critical hormones. A high calorie and high fat diet can initiate endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in the hypothalamus which can further lead to leptin and insulin resistance. This can raise the chances of obesity and diabetes mellitus.
- Get the right amount of exercise for your body — Exercise not only helps to slow down menopause brain fog, but building muscle assists you in burning fat and keeping osteoporosis at bay.
- Reduce your stress levels — This is an extremely important piece of the tackling menopause that shouldn’t be overlooked. Consistent stress and anxiety messes up with your reproductive hormones ever further, while it exhausts your adrenal glands. Adrenal failure isn’t something you want to recover from — it can take years!
These three steps are some of the great ways that you can start doing to rebalance your body’s hormone levels naturally, as well as maintain optimum health in these challenging times.
If you’re beyond the point of feeling total rubbish, then I invite you to join me on a call, where we can discuss exactly how I can help you out of your rut. When you’re deep in your struggle, there’s always a way out — you just have to ask for help!
So, if you need any help implementing the above steps and getting your body into optimum health then let’s connect! Call me for a confidential chat on 07748 298 728.
P.S. Do you need help with anxiety and hot flushes? Evidence suggests that evening primrose oil can help you to naturally benefit from the relief of menopausal symptoms like hot flushes, night sweats, breast pain and mood swings. In one study, participants to evening primrose oil for six weeks and they all noticed an improvement in the severity and frequency of hot flushes, as well as a boost in their overall sense of wellbeing.
