hormones HAPPY
ANXIETY & MENOPAUSE WHAT IS THE LINK?
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DR. ALAN CHRISTIANSON ON MAINTAINING HORMONE BALANCE NATURALLY
CELEBRITIES TALKING
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MAKING CHANGES WITH DR RANGAN CHATTERJEE
Menopause
Contents 07
Renewing The Metabolism: An Interview With Dr Jade Teta
Making Changes With Dr Rangan Chatterjee
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Flashes And Flushes: When Things Heat Up
Lauren Lovell: Spring Into Summer Feeling Lighter, Brighter, And Renewed!
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Dr. Alan Christianson On Maintaining Hormone Balance Naturally
Is Alcohol Affecting Your Hormones?
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Fruitful Leadership: Dr Joanne Martin
Anxiety And Menopause: What Is The Link?
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11 Celebrities Talking About Menopause
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HAPPY
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Contributors n
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Dr. Alan Christianson is a Naturopathic Endocrinologist who focuses on Thyroid function, adrenal health, and metabolism. He has been actively practicing in Scottsdale since 1996 and is the founding physician behind Integrative Health. He is a NY Times bestselling author whose books include The Metabolism Reset Diet, The Adrenal Reset Diet, and the Complete Idiot’s Guide To Thyroid Disease. Dr. Christianson regularly appears on national media like Dr. Oz, The Doctors, and The Today Show.
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Dr. Jade Teta is an integrative physician, author, and expert in the realm of natural health, fitness, metabolism, and self-development. He spent the last 25 years immersed in the study of strength and conditioning, hormonal metabolism and the psychology of change and success. He has written five books on metabolism and co-authored the exercise and sports nutrition chapters, of The Textbook Of Natural = Medicine. Dr. Teta has recently started a new company, Jade Teta, LLC, that combines his medical and fitness knowledge with his expertise in self-development and mindset change. He writes and lectures extensively on the subjects of lifestyle medicine, natural health, and mindset change to both healthcare professionals and the public. His latest book is a daily meditation on making life changes and based on his 6 Powers. Human 365 is available on Amazon.
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Joanna Martin is a renowned visionary, coach and catalyst; whose message and work have directly impacted over 70,000 people on 4 different continents. She is currently leading over 26,000 professionals at various stages of growth to increase their impact and influence through her three organisations: One of many, Shift Speaker Training and EMPRESS: the global collective for entrepreneurial women. Jo was always dedicated to excellence, graduating from medicine, then a career in performing arts before finding her calling in coaching. She very quickly become an internationally acclaimed and award-winning speaker.
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Originally from South Africa, Lauren’s interest in health began when she struggled with hormonal issues as a teenager and battled fatigue as a young adult, eventually being diagnosed with anaemia and PCOS. After healing herself through food and supplements, she went on to qualify as a Nutritional Therapist, specialising in hormones and gut health. She is now client services manager at Happy Hormones For Life, helping women all over the world.
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Editor-In-Cmhs ief Nicki Willia
Hi, and welcome to our Spring issue of Happy Hormones magazine! We created this magazine to educate, inspire and empower women to regain control of their hormones during peri-menopause and beyond, so that they can feel better than ever as naturally as possible. We are very excited to have Dr Alan Christianson in this issue. Take some time to read how to balance your hormones naturally, its well worth your time . Also in this issue is a Dr Rangan Chatterjee, our favourite UK Doctor! His prescriptions are more likely to be a diet and lifestyle tip over a pharmaceutical drug. And his latest book The Stress Solution is a must have for everyone who has any kind of stress in their lives! Other great info included in this issue is... Renewing The Metabolism: An Interview With Dr. Jade Teta Flashes And Flushes: When Things Heat Up Dr. Alan Christianson On Maintain Hormone Balance Naturally Fruitful Leadership: Dr. Joanna Marin 11 Celebrities Talking About Menopause Making Small Achievable Changes With Dr. Rangan Chatterjee Lauren Lovell: Into Summer Feeling Lighter, Brighter, And Renewed! Is Alcohol Affecting Your Hormones? Anxiety And Menopause: What Is The Link? As you can see our magazine is filled with information and tools to provide the missing support for women going through hormone imbalances.
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Thanks for taking the time to read it! happyhormonesmagazine.com
Nicki
Renewing The Metabolism: An Interview With Dr. Jade Teta
Many women report weight gain as the most unwelcome symptom of menopause. While fad diets may have worked in the past, once hormones are out of balance, they are rarely effective.
Dr Jade Teta has an alternative solution for women trying to lose menopausal weight. He is an integrative physician who specialises in natural health, fitness and body transformation. He is also co-author of The Metabolic Effect Diet and other titles, and a doctor of naturopathic medicine. Dr Teta is focused on the subject of hormonal weight loss and advocates a functional medicine approach to chronic disease. Happy Hormones chatted with Dr Teta to find out about some ways in which he is helping women to deal more effectively with hormonal and metabolic changes. happyhormonesmagazine.com
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Dr Teta, you have a program called Metabolic Renewal that’s tailored specifically to help people going through menopause and other fluctuations in hormones. What can you tell us about the program and how it differs to other options on the market? The weight loss industry as a whole treats everyone the same. There is no appreciation of the hormonal differences between men and women, no distinction made between younger women and more mature women, and there is no consideration for the differences from one woman to another. This why almost all diet programs fail. Every human is unique in their physiology, psychology and personal preferences. These differences must be honored. When a woman goes through menopause she first loses progesterone and then estrogen. These hormones help make a woman more insulin sensitive (estrogen) and less stress reactive (estrogen & progesterone). Losing these hormones mean changes in sleep, hunger, mood, energy and cravings. This often causes increased weight gain especially around the belly, and a decreased ability to manage excess calories in general. It is a double whammy for fat gain. Metabolic Renewal addresses this by helping women understand how their unique hormonal balance is impacting their metabolism, and how to address it. Each woman
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learns where their hormonal imbalances lie and how to manage them. They then are taught how to read the biofeedback of their bodies so they can individualise various lifestyle inputs like diet, exercise, mindset and movement. Metabolic Renewal teaches them how to address their unique female stage of life as well as their unique metabolic needs as an individual. During your clinical experience, you have discovered the idea that most women fall into one of seven different core hormonal types. Can you please explain this? The truth is there is no such thing as seven different hormonal types, because in reality every woman is unique; there are actually infinite hormonal types. However, in order for a woman to find her unique type she needs to be pointed in the right direction at first. The seven types is simply a diagnostic tool to start the process of self-discovery. Think of it like Google Maps for your physiology. The hormone types gets you in the right city and perhaps neighborhood, but each individual must then find their correct street and house. I call this “structured flexibility.” Individualised medicine requires people to be given a structure (the hormone type) and also a set of instructions to be able to change and adjust based on their unique needs (the rest of the program).
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What is one of the biggest differences between how women’s and men’s hormones work, that not a lot of people know? The female hormonal process is more fine-tuned, sensitive and adjustable. The metabolism is nothing but one big stress barometer and the female stress barometer is more sensitive compared to a man. This makes sense since women are the one who bear children. Their metabolism must look out into the environment and make an assessment about the suitability of having a child at that moment. Because of that, the female hormones fluctuate and adjust. The changing concentrations of estrogen and progesterone during the cycle are a reflection of that. Estrogen allows women to be in more of a building phase. It is kind of like a more refined version of make testosterone. It allows women to handle more stress, build more muscle and refine its fat storage (taking fat off of the belly and placing it more strategically on the hips, butt, thighs and breasts). Progesterone tells the metabolism to refine and reserve. It prepares the female metabolism for the possibility of a fetus and therefore calms the body (stress reduction and cortisol blocking), but also holds onto more fuel (making the body more insulin resistant to keep some fat and sugar around for the baby). This is a very sensitive and
coordinated process. The male physiology is not nearly as refined. What are some key things women should start doing differently ASAP to start feeling better when they’re going through menopause? The key is to understand that there are four aspects to metabolism, not just two. Most people think the metabolism is simply about diet and exercise. In reality there are two other areas that are arguably more important. Those are mindfulness (stress management) and movement (all activity excluding exercise). These two areas have more influence over metabolism for most women. The metabolism is nothing more
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solution is often the best. Walk more but exercise less. Don’t eat less and exercise more, but rather more closely match intake and output by either eating less and exercising less or eating more and exercising more. This is how you manage the unique hormonal situation at menopause. For readers who would like to learn more about the metabolism and how it works, what would you recommend?
than one big stress barometer. Unfortunately, extreme diets and exercise that is too long, too frequent, too intense can stress out the metabolism further, creating compensatory changes that slow fat burning and increase hunger and cravings. By instituting stress-reducing techniques and elevating non-exercise movement (like walking), this releases the breaks on fat loss. This is why individuals who go on vacation or move to a city like Paris or Manhattan often effortlessly lose weight. This is especially true of menopausal women who have lost the stress buffering aspects of estrogen and progesterone. For these women, the counterintuitive
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Some of the information mentioned above is based on a brand new understanding of metabolism. It was not until around 2001 that regulating bodies in medical research started to mandate equal inclusion of women in studies. Up until this time, the vast majority of information on metabolism was derived from studies done on young college-aged men. This is part of the reason that information on this topic is confusing and less understood. For those who would like to understand the latest data on metabolism, Dr Teta has a free beginner course called Metabolism School that will bring them up to date. Head to jadeteta.com for more information about Dr Teta’s programs, books, podcasts and more.
Click here to discover your hormone type with Dr Teta’s Quiz
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Flashes And Flushes: When Things Heat Up Whether you call them hot flashes or flushes, if you’re having them, you’re definitely not alone. About 20% of women going through menopause are lucky enough to never experience the dreaded sudden feeling of heat and sweating, but the rest of us fight a turbulent hot battle for on average seven years.
The most common symptom of menopause and perimenopause, hot flushes, are caused by fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone, affecting thermoregulation in your brain, or your temperature control. For some people, these hormonal changes cause occasional surges of heat, while for others it’s completely debilitating, affecting them every 15 to 20 minutes. happyhormonesmagazine.com
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Getting hot and flushed at random times can be highly uncomfortable and embarrassing during the day, but for many, Mother Nature’s gift continues through the night, leaving you soaked in sweat and missing out on much needed sleep. Thankfully, there are some ways you can reduce hot and sweaty episodes through managing the triggers that can exacerbate hot flushes.
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Stress. A stressful experience can trigger a hot flush due to the release of cortisol, but this becomes more intense during menopause. External stresses, like work deadlines, financial issues, relationship and family issues can cause hot flushes, as well as internal stresses on your body such as dehydration, nutritional deficiencies, and a sensitive digestive system. Avoiding stress is easier said than done, but managing deadlines, having a balanced diet and trying to put yourself first at times can help to stabilise your stress levels. Yoga, meditation, epsom salt baths, light exercise and massage are all worth trying to try to reduce symptoms, plus any activities that normally help you to relax.
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Diet. Common diet triggers are alcohol, sugar, caffeine, hot drinks, spicy foods and food intolerances such as gluten or dairy. Try eliminating these‌one by one to look for any patterns. Once you know your trigger foods, avoid or minimise them in your diet.
A well-balanced diet can reduce blood sugar changes that can lead to hot flushes.
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Phytoestrogens. Naturally occurring oestrogen in some plant foods can help to replace falling levels of oestrogen in the body. Try to include as many of these foods as you can on a daily basis - including organic soy, flaxseeds, chickpeas, and lentils, as well as plenty of healthy fats.
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Supplements. Make sure you take a good quality multivitamin to make sure your nutrient needs are met. Isoflavones can be helpful to support oestrogen levels. Choose a supplement that has preferably been through clinical trials such as Promensil.*
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Minimise exposure to Toxins. Eat organic as much as possible. To avoid the pesticides, filter your tap water if you can, avoid plastics, cigarette smoke and synthetic fragrances where possible because they can be triggers.
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Temperature. It sounds obvious, but regulating your external temperature, you can help to control your internal temperature. This can be through air conditioning or fans, carrying cold water with you, sleeping with a chill pillow (or an ice pack), wearing loose fitting clothing made of natural fibers and carrying handheld fans or a damp cloth for emergencies.
If you have any stories on what’s worked for you, we’d love to hear them.
*Click here to purchase Promensil and use NJW010 for your 10% discount.
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Maintaining
Hormone Balance Naturally Dr. Alan Christianson No matter how much you sweat it out at the gym or deprive yourself of cake, if your hormones are not in balance, you are fighting an uphill battle. If you get your hormones in order, the story will be quite the opposite.
According to leading hormone health expert and Naturopathic Endocrinologist, Dr. Alan Christianson; “Your overall hormone balance is the connection between lifestyle and health. If hormones are not well regulated in some way, then lifestyle efforts become less effective. And vice versa – when your hormones are well controlled, your lifestyle efforts are amplified.� happyhormonesmagazine.com
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Dr. Alan Christianson, known affectionately as Dr. C, was drawn to science from a young age. His childhood was fraught with medical concerns, having been born with cerebral palsy-like symptoms including seizures and poor coordination. By adolescence, he had put on a significant amount of weight and decided it was time to use his inquisitive mind, uncanny ability to take in and synthesise large amounts of information and his high intelligence to do something about it. He studied every nutrition, fitness and weight loss book he could find, setting him on a career course that would help thousands of people suffering the same frustrating, overwhelming journey. Early on in his studies, Dr. C recognised the role hormones play in our overall health. He found that without optimal hormone balance, any lifestyle efforts we make to improve our health are largely ineffective. “My journey was such, where lifestyle really improved a lot of things for me. In medical school, I came to realise that hormones were almost like the regulators of the effects of lifestyle. Many people who had problems with their hormones, weren’t able to achieve the benefits of lifestyle that I was, until they were able to get past the hormone imbalances,” he said. “So that’s been the whole point behind my work, to help people
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really potentiate the effects of their lifestyle and get more benefits from that by correcting the underlying problems that thyroid, adrenal, ovarian hormone levels so that those things can work better.” Medically, the term ‘hormones’ relates to the chemicals made by all glands in the body. Together, they have profound effects on everything from energy and metabolic rate, to sleep, immune response and chronic pain. Ovarian hormones add another dimension for women, controlling functions such as the menstrual cycle and (when it comes time), peri-menopause and menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and weight changes. In addition to simply making you feel worn out, hormonal imbalances have been tied to risk factors related to significant illnesses. “A lot of these complications, especially those around metabolism and energy, have strong ties to risks related to diabetes, heart disease, premature brain ageing,” said Dr. C. So, what can you do to improve your hormonal health? Ironically, while hormones appear to have a significant impact on lifestyle benefits, bringing back balance starts with improving your diet and exercise habits.
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In terms of diet, three major factors in that have significant impact on how the body responds to hormones relate to liver function, blood sugar regulation and cortisol metabolism. Dr. C explains; “The ovaries make the hormones and they circulate, then the liver plays a role in activating and eliminating them. Stress hormones, such as cortisol, affect whether those hormones enter into the bloodstream and get used, or whether they stay outside of the cells and remain in an inactive state.” “Diet has strong impacts on blood sugar, which in turn affects the cortisol cycles. Over time, the build-up of that within the liver can completely change how the liver regulates hormones.” Exercise is important in maintaining a good stress response and healthy cortisol balance. The key here, is regular movement, breaking up long sedentary activities into manageable blocks. Dr. C recommends 50 minutes at a time sitting still, such as working or researching, then 10 minutes of movement and plenty of water in between. The other important way to help naturally manage your hormone balance is with a healthy adrenal rhythm through maintaining good circadian hygiene. This is especially important as we age, when our ovaries begin reducing their output and the adrenal glands step in to compensate. Practically speaking,
this means a nice release of cortisol in the morning and a good shutdown of cortisol at night. To help regulate your cortisol levels, aim to get some sunlight (or similar intensity of light) first thing in the morning and a eat solid protein packed breakfast within an hour of waking. Having a consistent wake-up time helps too. “Also, consuming healthy amounts of resistant starch from a good variety of dietary sources is useful in mitigating menopausal symptoms. You can get this from white beans, plantains or less-ripe bananas, or potatoes when they are boiled. The benefits of these is that they improve the gut flora in a way that helps the transition through perimenopause and menopause and lower overall symptoms.” Dr. C said. Lastly, remember that hormonal shifts are a normal part of the ageing process and largely genetically driven. “It is intentional and it is timed…but taking steps to identify and mitigate controllable factors within that are huge things to maintain overall health.” For more information on Dr. Alan Christianson and his work, visit drchristianson.com Read more about his routine here; drchristianson.com/exercise-theory
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Metabolism Join the 7-Day Challenge! Why Do Most Diets Fail You? They Address the Wrong Things... The Metabolism Reset Diet is a Supportive Liver Detox that Frees Trapped Fat, Boosts Your Energy, and Heals Your Gut. Join Me, Dr. Alan Christianson, and Thousands of People during This Incredible Free 7-Day Challenge.
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Click here to register to reserve your spot on the 100% FREE Metabolism Reset Challenge! https://metabolismreset diet.com/challenge.php
Fruitful
Leadership Dr. Joanna Martin
Men and women are different, there is no doubt about that. We look different, think differently, and interpret the world around us differently. So, when it comes to leadership, why are we expected to operate the same? Dr Joanna Martin recognised this need to embrace our difference and find a way to help women be the powerful, inspirational leaders the world needs. Her company, One of Many, was inspired by the Dalai Lama’s quote “The Western woman will save the world” and strives to bring leadership philosophies back to a more natural rhythm that complements women’s needs as well as satisfies the demands of modern-day workloads. Sadly, Joanna has seen many women, who are more than capable of a leadership role, opt out due to other commitments, a perceived lack of time or simply nothing left in the tank to take on more responsibility. “A lot of women will opt out of taking the opportunity to step into more senior leadership, because
frankly, they are the ones still doing the juggle. Someone still has to buy the Christmas presents and make sure the car insurance is paid. Usually it is the woman who is doing all of the family’s ‘life admin’ as well as holding down a job as well as being the primary caregiver for children,” Joanna said.
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At the core of her community is the understanding that women’s bodies have a natural rhythm that should be tapped into, not dismissed. Our hormones affect our psychology and ways of thinking, but not always in a negative way. Yes, the anxiety, mood swings and brain fog many women experience, thanks to fluctuating hormone levels, can cause upset, but with these biological differences comes a unique insight, which can be leveraged for the positive. To help women in a very practical way, One of Many established the program, Be Fruitful, to teach women how to better manage their time (most women find at least five hours a week that they didn’t know they had), feel more energy, be in control of their schedules and regain control of their lives. “Our philosophy on leadership is that a great leader is someone who has their platform in place and their messaging, but that platform is held up by their life. It is really hard to be an inspiring leader when you can’t pull yourself out of bed, because you are burned out. It’s impossible to be a very powerful or inspiring leader when you or your partner has spent the night on the couch, because you are fighting so hard and there is no alignment in the relationship. Being a great leader is actually about having stability of those life pillars that underpin you,” Joanna said.
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Be Fruitful also challenges the traditional notion of ‘productivity’, from the very linear and mechanistic view to more natural and cyclical. Joanna’s advice for those suffering overwhelm is to quit trying to be ‘productive’, but instead focus on being ‘fruitful’. Allow some flexibility in your daily expectations – no two days are the same. This is the very nature of our cyclical biology. “We look to nature for inspiration. Understand that we have cycles we move through. There are times for tilling the soil, times where it’s about pruning, and time where it’s actually about harvesting your fruit,” explained Joanna.
“The Western woman will save the world” refers to all of us with the courage, compassion and strength to step up and make changes to the way the world views leadership and femininity. There are many women, like you, with so much to offer once they have the energy and support to go forth and conquer. “If you are able to step up and change your corner of the world – not the whole world – just your corner, if enough women stepped up, then as a collective, we could utterly transform the world we live in, and I truly believe a transformation is necessary.”
Hear more from Dr. Joanna Martin here at: joannamartin.com Register for Joanna’s free training From Frantic To Fruitful here happyhormonesmagazine.com
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FROM FRANTIC TO FRUITFUL: TIME AND ENERGY SECRETS OF REALLY EFFECTIVE WOMEN
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Celebrities
Talking About
Menopause Menopause has been a taboo subject for previous generations of women - our mothers and grandmothers did not have access to information or support in their day, so they just had to ‘get on with it’ and suffer in silence. Thankfully, these days, women are speaking out. Due to the general lack of support and education about menopause, many women are now asking questions and seeking guidance. Celebrities are leading the way by opening up about their own experiences and inspiring other women to seek help. Here are 11 celebrities that have opened up about their journeys through menopause and their different choices and experiences. happyhormonesmagazine.com
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Carol Vorderman
Amanda Redman
Lorraine Kelly
Kim Cattrall
Julie Walters
Zoe Ball
Carol Vorderman opened up about her struggles through menopause in 2018. Vorderman admitted to a downward spiral of depression. She revealed how she felt weighed down and empty through her menopause. Vorderman then took matters into her own hands where she began private hormone therapy and loved it.
Lorraine Kelly shared her journey through menopause with the public. She revealed the results of her Hormone Replacement Therapy and how it made her feel. Kelly said the treatment made her happier and helped her get back on track.
Julie Walters has been in a ten year battle with menopause. She has learnt many tips and tricks through this battle and revealed dietary changes were key. For her, it was no red meat, no alcohol and no hormone replacement therapy.
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Amanda Redman revealed that she rejected using HRT and chose a more natural route. She also shared that despite some horrendous times, she doesn’t regret choosing the natural path to help her menopause symptoms.
Kim Cattrall encourages many women to find their “menopause style”. She said she partnered closely with her doctor and listened to her body. She revealed how she had thought she would have been prepared for menopause but as her body changed, she realised she needed to know more.
Zoe Ball talked about her journey through menopause. She stated how she felt a ‘hurray’ moment as she realised this was the last milestone and can now move forward with the next stage of her life. She opened up about her tips and tricks for others to follow, mentioning that a good sex life is key to push through the journey and changes.
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Meg Mathews
Dawn French
Gillian Anderson
Davina McCall
Meg Mathews is an activist and entrepreneur. She decided to launch MegsMenopause to break the stigma around menopause. She reveals her symptoms, tips and tricks to share with other women and help them through their own personal journeys of menopause.
Gillian Anderson revealed how she didn’t feel the first symptoms of menopause and it hit her like a freight train. She stated she had anxiety through the nights and hot flushes during the days. Her struggle has helped her open up for others to listen and learn. She says she wants to help anyone going through what she went through.
Dawn French described her menopause as hell. Her struggles were so intense she decided to have a hysterectomy in 2011. Not only was her body affected but also her memory. She says her memory has never been the same since, and she writes herself notes to remember daily things.
Davina McCall opened up about her life with menopause and her new love for exercise. She says she had always been fit, however her body was changing and she decided to experiment with exercise to get through the changes and struggles. She recommends others to start exercising while going through menopause.
Ulrika Jonsson
Ulrika Jonsson shared that she thought she was developing Alzheimer’s due to memory loss and anxiety linked to menopause. She said she was premenopausal at only 46 and had been exercising and eating healthily, which she then continued through her 4-year experience of menopause.
With the stigma of menopause slowly eroding, so many more women are able to speak out about their own experiences of menopause. The future looks brighter for women to get the right help and support.
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Making Changes Image credit: Andrew Fox
with Dr Rangan Chatterjee Many women suffering hormonal imbalances find it frustrating to be told by their Doctor that the only solution is some form of medication, or indeed, just to ‘get on with it’! One doctor, who is doing things differently, is Dr. Rangan Chatterjee. This long-time GP is one of the most influential doctors in the United Kingdom, spreading the message far and wide that the natural approach can go a long way. He is the author of two books, The 4 Pillar Plan and The Stress Solution, a regular commentator on BBC Radio, the host of his own popular podcast, Feel Better Live More, and now also the star of the BBC One series Doctor in the House.
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For the show, the physician lives with three different families in their own homes for a month at a time. During his stay with each he gets to know the family members well, and is able to advise them on how to make a number of small, achievable changes to their diet and lifestyle to get their health in order.
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Dr Chatterjee is known for taking a 360-degree approach to health which is all about finding and maintaining good health, avoiding illness, and living longer. In an interview with The Telegraph in the UK, the doctor said, “Good health isn’t as hard as we think it is. I always tell patients that most healthcare takes place in the home. It is based around what you put on a plate and how you use your feet.’’ When it comes to sensible, healthy living, two of the big things Dr Chatterjee espouses is combatting stress and cutting back on sugary and processed foods. For people facing hormonal changes and issues, this is particularly important. On his blog, the doctor explains why. “If your stress hormones – like cortisol – are raised, this will have an impact on many of your other hormones. If you are on a blood sugar roller coaster all day because of your high sugar diet, your insulin levels will be fluctuating and this can lead to subsequent changes in your cortisol and adrenaline levels. They’re all linked.” Dr Chatterjee addresses the issue of stress triggers and their effects in his latest book, The Stress Solution.
Speaking with the Irish Examiner, the physician noted that, “what we often don’t realise is that the reason we are engaging in certain lifestyle choices, whether it’s too much sugar (or) too much alcohol, is a compensation for the stresses in our life.” His book offers tips and tools which are tried and tested. “They’re the things that I’ve been using for years with my patients. These are busy people with busy lives. Most of (the strategies) take less than 10 minutes a day. Most of them are free. I want to show people that it’s not as hard as you think it is to lower the stress in your life.”
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To be most effective, Dr Chatterjee believes an ideal morning routine has three components: mindfulness, movement, and mindset. This might include things like deep breathing, meditation, yoga, star jumps, and setting yourself up for a positive start to the day. Affirmations, for example, are good for this. “Affirmations are short statements, very powerful, that you repeat over and over again, to help feed your brain information that everything is OK.”
He suggests a variety of simple tools people can use to not hit their daily stress threshold so quickly. In particular, people need to try to reduce the number of micro stress doses (MSDs) they’re exposed to each day. This is especially key in the morning. “One tip is to not look at your phone first thing in the morning,” he told the Irish Examiner. “It’s such a game-changer for so many people. If people can bookend the start and the end of the day, where they don’t look at their tech, I think it’s really helpful. If you look at your phone first thing you’ll go to reactive mode straight away.”
Being tech-free at some points during the day at least, such as getting away from your phone and computer at lunch, is important, as is face-to-face time with friends. By following some of Dr Chatterjee’s guidance, women suffering from hormonal challenges should hopefully be able to see a reduction in the symptoms they face.
To find out more about Dr Chatterjee and his books, TV show, podcast, blog, courses and more, head to DrChatterjee.com
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Spring into summer feeling lighter, brighter and renewed!
Lauren Lovell Detoxing is a bit of a buzz word during Spring and it’s a traditional time to clear out the old and bring in the new. Our ancestors have been doing it for centuries, and rightly so; it’s a great time for fresh starts and renewal. But there’s so much more to detoxing than suffering through a 7-day juice fast or trying to spring clean your entire home in one weekend!
Here are our top 5 tips for taking a more holistic approach to clearing out the winter cobwebs so you can spring into summer feeling lighter, brighter and renewed.
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Drink up! With 60% of our bodies being made up of water, it’s essential we give it the attention it deserves, especially as our requirements increase in the summer months. Dehydration can make us feel lethargic, dry out our skin and reduce our cognitive function. Plus water is vital for flushing out toxins. Aim to drink at least 2 litres of filtered water daily for glowing skin, energy, weight management and mental clarity.
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Love your liver
This major detoxification organ works hard for us daily and requires a range of nutrients to
function optimally. A congested liver can make us feel tired, bloated, swollen and sweaty. Include a couple of these liver-loving foods daily; cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, rocket and watercress, onions and garlic, eggs, oily fish and beetroot. Check out the recipe in this issue for a delicious liver-supporting summer salad!
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Ditch the harsh chemicals from your toiletry bags Chemical-laden make-up, cleansing and cleaning products, can put an extra strain on the liver. The liver needs to metabolise the hundreds of hormone-disrupting chemicals, drugs and toxins we expose it to every day so take the load off by switching to hormone and liver friendly organic and natural products.
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Detox your digital world Have you considered the impact your digital presence has on how you feel? Overwhelmed by emails? At the mercy of your phone’s constant notifications? Not only do these things overflow our inboxes, they overflow our minds too, making us feel bogged down, unfocussed and stressed. Unsubscribe from email lists that don’t add value to your life or that you never open. Turn off or prioritise the notifications you receive on your phone, so you’re not constantly interrupted and set daily limits for your screen time. Make your bedroom a no-tech zone for a sleep promoting environment that will help you feel calmer, rested and sunnier.
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Declutter your inner world It’s not just our physical and digital worlds that deserve attention - our emotional, inner worlds can greatly influence how we feel too. Take some time to clear out your emotional clutter; this could be committing to talking therapy or reaching out to a loved one, ditching toxic “friends” that don’t support you or perhaps taking micro-steps to form a positive habit you’ve been wanting to include in your life. Clearing out our “emotional trash”, can help us feel lighter, brighter and better able to handle what life throws our way.
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Detoxing Summer Salad This bright, fresh salad is perfect for summer! A great option if you’re wanting to help your liver detoxify and balance your hormones. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, rocket and watercress provide compounds called sulforaphane, which play a key role in our liver detoxification pathways. Oily fish and quinoa contain important sulphur-rich protein, iron and B-vitamins also needed for effective detoxing. Phytochemicals from beetroot are vital too and olive oil can support bile flow which helps us eliminate toxins more efficiently. Ingredients (serves 2); 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 fillets wild salmon 125g tenderstem broccoli 2 large cooked beetroot 125g cooked quinoa 40g (2 handfuls) rocket 40g (2 handfuls) watercress ½ lemon Salt and pepper, to taste
In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over a low-medium heat. Add the tenderstem broccoli and salmon fillets, seasoning with salt and pepper and adding a good squeeze of lemon juice. Fry gently for about 10 – 12 minutes until cooked through, turning halfway. Meanwhile, chop the beetroot into eighths then toss together with the rocket, watercress and cooked quinoa in a salad bowl. Flake the cooked salmon and add to the salad, along with the broccoli. Toss with the remaining olive oil and a squeeze of lemon and season to taste.
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Is Alcohol Affecting Your Hormones? If you’re like many busy women, you might choose to relax at the end of a big day with a glass of wine or a few large G & T’s.
The problem is that, as much as we love the taste, relaxing effects, connection with others, and habitual comfort that comes from drinking, our bodies don’t necessarily respond to it so well. In particular, alcohol and our hormones don’t mix positively. This is especially the case as we get older, our hormones fluctuate more wildly, our nutrient levels may not be optimal and our livers aren’t at their best. Read on for the lowdown on how alcohol might be affecting your hormones and some tips for helping your body to deal with alcohol more effectively when you do imbibe.
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The Effects Of Alcohol On Hormones Mood And Stress
Although you may feel happy and de-stressed after drinking, alcohol actually tends to lower serotonin levels and raise the stress hormone, cortisol. In turn, you may become more anxious, depressed and overwhelmed. Plus, alcohol often lowers testosterone levels. This can reduce your sense of wellbeing, levels of motivation, and libido.
Weight Gain As women age, it gets more difficult to budge extra kilos as the metabolism slows down and hormones go haywire. When you drink alcohol, not only are you taking in more ‘empty’ calories than you need, but that drink can lead to poor eating choices and also messes with your blood sugar levels. It reduces your levels of growth hormone and testosterone, which are the fat-burning hormones you need to lose weight.
Sleep Alcohol can help you fall asleep initially, but having an evening drink can reduce your deep sleep and wake you up at 3am with low blood sugar and / or dehydration – both of which are stresses on the body, raising cortisol.
Liver
Our livers are typically working hard to process all the toxins we’re exposed to in our modern world. When you add alcohol into the mix, your liver may have to sacrifice eliminating other toxins or hormones, increasing your toxic load and circulating oestrogen. When this hormone builds up too much, the result can be PMS, heavy periods, headaches, bloating and an increased risk of breast or ovarian cancer.
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Bone Health Drinking alcohol can negatively impact your bone health. This is because alcohol inhibits osteoblasts (your bone building cells), alters vitamin D, testosterone and cortisol – which all impact bone health.
Tips for making alcohol consumption less impactful
Never drink on an empty stomach. Choose quality alcohol over quantity, and avoid pairing sugary mixers with spirits. Red wine is a better option for most people. Drink plenty of water before you consume alcohol, as well as while you’re drinking, and afterwards, too. Restrict alcohol consumption to as few days per week as possible, and take longer breaks, such as a “dry” month or more, throughout the year. Boost your liver detoxing abilities, especially when it comes to oestrogen, by eating more cruciferous vegetables. This food group includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale and chard. If you think you may have candida, take steps to get rid of this infection before you continue drinking in your daily life – alcohol will only feed it. Unfortunately, if you already have some hormonal imbalances, gut issues, auto-immune disorders, nutrient deficiencies or trouble sleeping, alcohol is likely to make all of the above problems larger.
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Take a quality multivitamin that has high levels of active B vitamins, which can be depleted by alcohol.
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ANXIETY & MENOPAUSE
What Is The Link? Women are more susceptible to anxiety; In fact, twice as likely to suffer from it than men, and even more so in Europe and the USA. Everyone feels anxious at times; it’s part of our bodies natural stress response, enabling us to deal with danger, so we stay alive. But when anxiety turns into excessive fear, panic and worry, it can have a devastating effect on home and work life, both physically and emotionally.
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Sex hormones; oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, have a big role to play in how your brain works and how you feel. Fluctuations after 40 can increase anxiety, depression and general brain function.
Anxiety is an unpleasant feeling of nervousness, apprehension and fear that something bad is happening, or about to happen. You may experience physical symptoms like sweating and feeling shaky, palpitations, nausea, diarrhea, shaking or panic attacks.
Include plant oestrogens to regulate your levels, such as, flaxseeds, lentils, and some organic soy. If you’re considering HRT, it’s useful to get your hormones tested by a specialist health practitioner.
What are the causes?
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Increased stress levels stimulate constant cortisol release, which can interfere with your brain neurotransmitters and increase anxiety if this is out of balance.
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Many women find they become more anxious during peri-menopause and menopause, even if they have never had anxiety in the past. This can be due to falling levels of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, as well as increased cortisol.
To help balance your cortisol levels, schedule in daily stress management practices, such as meditation, mindfulness, deep breathing, yoga, reading or massage.
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A high sugar/refined carb/ processed diet can increase your insulin levels, which can cause inflammation in the brain, altering neurotransmitters and mood. Maintain a low GL diet with plenty of protein, healthy fats, colourful vegetables and complex carbs. Reduce alcohol and eliminate snacking to keep your blood sugar stable and reduce inflammation.
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Low thyroid hormones mean a lower supply of energy to the brain, which can disrupt normal mood and function and increase anxiety. Get your thyroid properly tested, asking for TSH, T4, T3 levels and antibodies to be checked. Increase your intake of foods rich in thyroid supporting nutrients such as iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, zinc, selenium, iodine.
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There is a direct link between your gut and your brain, so if your gut isn’t happy, it may contribute to low mood and/or anxiety. Try eliminating foods that you might be sensitive to (eg. gluten or dairy), for a few weeks to notice how you feel. Increase your intake of foods which are rich in probiotics, such as live yoghurt, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha to rebalance your gut bacteria.
You may be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals which are crucial for brain health. These include Magnesium (nature’s tranquiliser!), Vitamin D (sunshine), B12, B6 (helps to make neurotransmitters like serotonin), Folate (helps B12 and iron), Iron (carries oxygen to brain cells), Omega 3 fats and Zinc. Get your levels checked and begin supplementing, if needed. Check with your Dr if you’re on medication.
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Anxiety might not be anything to do with your physical body, it can come from emotional issues which affect your self-esteem and confidence. You may need to get specialist help with this. Chat to your GP and get a referral to seek counselling and take up some relaxation practices, including breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, visualisation, meditation, mindfulness, and gentle physical activities such as yoga and Tai Chi.
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