hormones HAPPY
Nutrition
forget perfection, find balance
THE TRUTH
ABOUT
HRT
CBD OIL SHOULD YOU BE TAKING IT?
Karen Arthur
MENOPAUSE WHILST BLACK
Avoiding burnout and finding harmony – with Dawn Breslin
E E R
Hormone Balancing Guide F
An easy to follow Hormone Balancing Guide for women over 40 to achieve lasting weight loss, boundless energy, balanced moods, a sharp mind and overall hormone harmony.
Click here for more information
Contents
INCREASING DIVERSITY IN MENOPAUSE WITH KAREN ARTHUR
08
AVOID BURNOUT & FIND HARMONY WITH DAWN BRESLIN
11
15
TOP 10 HORMONE BOOKS
WHAT IS CBD OIL AND SHOULD YOU TAKE IT WITH DR ELISABETH PHILIPPS
19
22 25
THE TRUTH ABOUT HRT WITH DR WENDY DENNING
CLIENT STORY – KATIE WALTON WHY SNACKING ISN’T SO GOOD FOR US AFTER ALL
29
HARMFUL INGREDIENTS TO AVOID IN YOUR SKINCARE WITH KAREN DAVIS
32
36
A DELICIOUS TRAYBAKE RECIPE FROM CERI JONES
THE TABOO OF VAGINAL DRYNESS AND PAINFUL SEX WITH JANE LEWIS
39 43
NUTRITION FOR PERI-MENOPAUSE WITH NICOLA MOORE
45
GUT HEALTH AND STOOL TESTS WITH LOUISE JOYCE
HAPPY
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Contributors
Karen Arthur is an ex-teacher now Fashion Creative who makes bespoke clothing for women as well as teaching them to use their sewing machines. This 58 year old grandmother is committed to helping diversify the menopause scene with her new podcast entitled ‘Menopause Whilst Black’. Instagram @Thekarenarthur and @menopausewhilstblack
Dawn Breslin is a leading light in the field of coaching and personal transformation. Through her work as a TV & Radio presenter, best-selling Hay House author, inspirational keynote speaker and media consultant for some of the world’s leading brands, she has inspired thousands of individuals to heal, re-energise and transform their lives. www.dawnbreslin.com
Dr Elisabeth Philipps is a clinical neuroscientist and functional medicine practitioner specialising in phytocannabinoids (CBD) and the endocannabinoid system, where she uses the diet, plant nutrients and lifestyle changes to support brain and hormonal health. www.drelisabethphilipps.com
4 happyhormonesmagazine.com
Dr Wendy Denning, who co-presented the successful Channel 5 TV series –‘The Diet Doctors, Inside and Out’ – is a GP in the Harley Street area with over 25 years experience. A strong advocate of looking at the patient as a whole person, she is well known for unravelling complex medical conditions and for coaching patients to take better care of themselves. www.thehealthdoctors.co.uk
Struggling to find any product that helped her eczema, Karen Davis spent years researching skincare ingredients to find something that worked. Using her pharmacist and aromatherapist knowledge, she started making her own skincare products. Testing it on herself, her family and friends, it was a hit, and taylormadetherapies was born! www.taylormadetherapies.com
After suffering from debilitating vaginal dryness for years, Jane Lewis decided to write a book about it to support others going through it. ‘Me & My Menopausal Vagina’ has been a huge success and has encouraged women to start talking about this taboo subject, and get the support they need. www.mymenopausalvagina.co.uk/
happyhormonesmagazine.com 5
Nicola Moore is a registered nutritionist on a mission to champion positive messages and relationships with food through her online clinic, public speaking, under-graduate lectures, Healthily podcast and social media videos and posts. www.nicola-moore.com
Louise Joyce is an Australian-trained Naturopath with just under 20 years of industry experience. Louise had her own clinical practice in Queensland before working for industry-leading clinical healthcare companies both in Australia and the UK. Louise joined Invivo in 2017 as Business Development Director.
Ceri Jones is a professional chef with an innovative approach & a passion for celebrating seasonal food. Ceri’s view is that food should be simple and accessible to all, this very much reflects in her recipes. Ceri has amassed a large following of food lovers and adventurous home cooks through her blog & social media within which she shares regular tips & techniques as well as her signature recipes. www.cerijoneschef.com 6 happyhormonesmagazine.com
EDITOR IN CHIEF Nicki Williams Welcome to the latest issue of the Happy Hormones magazine! We are very excited to share this issue with you. We created this magazine to educate, inspire and empower women to regain control of their hormones during perimenopause and beyond, so that they can feel better than ever, as naturally as possible. We are thrilled to feature the inspirational Karen Arthur on our cover. Ex-teacher now Fashion Creative, Karen is passionate about helping to diversify the menopause scene (a very white space) with her new podcast entitled ‘Menopause Whilst Black’. She tells us why she felt compelled to help black menopausal women to share their story. Also in this issue is the incredible Dawn Breslin, who talks about how a near breakdown forced her to slow down and rediscover her joy. This experience eventually led to her becoming a leading light in the field of coaching and personal development through her ‘Harmonising’ programmes for women. We’ve got the super smart Dr Elisabeth Philipps (neuroscientist no less!) talking about her passion for CBD oil and what it can do for us. Did you know it can help with sleep, mood, pain and anxiety? Harley St GP and female health expert for over 20 years, Dr Wendy Denning dispels the myths and tells us the truth about HRT. Who needs it, who might not and what forms are the safest. Nicola Moore, leading female health nutritionist, talks to us about finding balance, not perfection in our eating habits during peri-menopause. I love this interview as we talk about our favourite foods for hormone balance and gut health. Watch out for her great tip to get your bowels moving!
Jane Lewis is the author of the groundbreaking book ‘Me and My Menopausal Vagina’, a book she felt she had to write after suffering debilitating vaginal dryness for years. Not getting the support she needed, she ended up becoming an expert herself through her own research. Now her mission is to break the taboo surrounding this topic so that other women can get the support they need. Karen Davis is the founder of taylormadetherapies, a range of natural and organic skincare – check out her article about the potentially harmful chemicals in a lot of skincare products that can affect our health (and hormones!), what to look for and what to avoid. And Ceri Jones, amazing natural chef and food blogger shares another delicious recipe with us. This time it’s a super easy tray bake with Potato, Chicory, Chickpeas, Halloumi & Black Olives. Can’t wait to try that one! We also feature our Top 10 Hormone Books including some of our favourite hormone superstars (Dr Sara Gottfried, Nicole Jardim and Lara Briden are on the list!). And our client story this issue features Katie Walton who shares how she got her energy and brain back so that she could finally launch her own business!
Nicki happyhormonesmagazine.com 7
Karen Arthur
INCREASING DIVERSITY IN THE MENOPAUSE DISCUSSION 8 happyhormonesmagazine.com
Karen Arthur is a fashion designer, sewing tutor, model and a key figure in the drive to increase awareness of diversity in menopause. We asked her how she came to be an inspiration to so many women going through menopause.
HH: What led to you starting your
podcast ‘Menopause Whilst Black’?
KA: I started menopause six years
ago. It was an awful time as I was also diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Anyway, fast forward to 2020, and I’m trying to live my best life the only way I know how, and then lockdown happened. Soon after that came the Christian Cooper incident in Central Park, and then the next day, the news of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police. And I felt a rage bubble up in me that I hadn’t felt in the same way before. Racial trauma is hard enough, but I just wondered, how are black menopausal women coping in this mess? When you Google ‘menopause’ and click ‘Images’, it’s a sea of lavender and very sad white women with their heads in their hands who look nothing like anybody I know. So I started a survey for black women. I asked questions that they hadn’t been asked before. The little research I found showed that black women were more likely to develop menopause symptoms a couple of years earlier, and also that we were apparently going to suffer more severely. I felt compelled,
is the only way I can describe it, to share black women’s stories, so that they don’t go through what I went through six years ago. And I have two grown-up daughters, and I don’t want them to get to a point where they don’t have the information, because we don’t get taught this stuff, do we? And that’s how the podcast started. HH: What happened to you during
menopause?
KA: My menopausal symptoms
were hot flushes, but I thought that it was my heating! I’d just got a new boiler, and I thought it was faulty. And I had tingly legs, which some people describe as insects crawling under your legs. Then there were the mind symptoms; anxiety, depression, paranoia, brain fog, I couldn’t remember things, and I lost the will to create. That was the biggest indicator I think, that I didn’t want to sit at my sewing machine. Therapy unravelled all that for me. I highly recommend it! happyhormonesmagazine.com 9
HH: Did you try anything else to
help with your menopause?
body. I re-learned my mind, and I came back to myself, and I’ve emerged much better, much more honest. I have put boundaries in place too, that’s a biggie.
KA: I went to a herbalist, and I don’t
know if it worked, but sitting in a room with a woman who was only focused on me was the most healing experience. So I’d go anyway! I learned mindful meditation, and I did a lot of just being quiet. I re-learned my
HH: What would be your number
one tip for women over 50?
KA: I would say if there’s something that
you want to do, then get up and do it, and don’t let the fact that you have never done it before stop you. This isn’t the
You can find out more about Karen on Instagram @TheKarenArthur and @MenopauseWhilstBlack 10 happyhormonesmagazine.com
How to
AVOID BURNOUT & FIND HARMONY
with Dawn Breslin
With the world seeming a little crazy right now, endless juggling and responsibilities, it can be easy to burnout. Through her work as TV and radio presenter, best-selling Hay House author, inspirational keynote speaker and media consultant for some of the world’s leading brands, Dawn Breslin has inspired thousands of individuals to heal, re-energise and transform their lives. We caught up with her to ask her about her story and to share her tips for finding some harmony in these turbulent times. happyhormonesmagazine.com 11
HH: Dawn, how did you find
the inspiration to create your Harmonizing wellbeing coaching process? DB: Well Harmonizing is a process
where you come into alignment with your natural organic thoughts, and the natural energy of your body. And I came into alignment with all of them because I was completely OUT of 12 happyhormonesmagazine.com
alignment and overwhelmed! I had this amazing career, working in television, radio and with some really big brands. But I went through a catalogue of disasters. I set up an online business, but I was in £100,000 debt. And around 27 things happened in my family, it was just one thing after another. And I was a single mum trying to look after my family. With the fear that, if
I was in the garden, and I remember just feeling this sense of presence and breath and connection and spaciousness with life. It was like, Oh my God, this is what it feels like to breathe and really feel alive without pressure. interesting was within a few weeks of that happening, there was this peace that came over me. Suddenly my life was very uncomplicated. There was no business, there was no job, I couldn’t work. I was in the garden, and I remember just feeling this sense of presence and breath and connection and spaciousness with life. It was like, Oh my God, this is what it feels like to breathe and really feel alive without pressure. It took me nearly three years to properly heal and find real inner peace. things were really going to start to fail, I might go bankrupt, I might even lose the house. But there came a day where I just had to let it all go. And I realised when I stopped working, how adrenally fatigued I was. I had hit burnout. My body just stopped. I had to sign up for government support, but I just had enough to get by. But what was really
HH: Many people would love to
know how to get a little bit of that inner peace? DB: One of the ways to avoid burnout
is start to give yourself what you need. You’ve got to give yourself space. Slow down, spend time prioritising your tasks, instead of just being suspended in the overwhelm. happyhormonesmagazine.com 13
When you learn to trust your body, the rhythm of life and nature, you recognise that if your energy is low and you’re depleted for a period of time, if you manage that, the energy will come back again and you will have a period of productivity.
We are so disconnected from the natural world. We are so disconnected from what will keep us really healthy, bring us wholeness, meaning, beauty, spaciousness, bring us into quality of life. HH: So what would you suggest
So you learn to work in the productive phases and you learn to be more reflective, more creative, more inward in the quieter phases. We have a commitment that we need to make to ourselves. If we want to be here for our families, we have to look at this seriously. What do you do? Do you just keep going, and keep going until burnout? Or do you learn to take a step back, nourish yourself, find a compromise where you are giving and receiving in equal measure.
to someone who is exhausted and stressed out? DB: The first thing is just think of
three dreamy words, three emotions that you would love to feel each day. Sit with those three emotions and say to yourself, how can I have these? What would it look like for me to have them? And then you can create a goal chart from there. The other one is just give yourself a break. Find a way, to find that compassion for yourself. Give yourself a break. And get support.
You can find out more about Dawn and her coaching here.
Our Editor in chief Nicki Williams chats to Dawn Breslin 14 happyhormonesmagazine.com
TOP 10 Hormone
Books
Looking for hormone help? There are hundreds of books out there to choose from. Here are 10 of our favourites;
1
‘The Hormone Cure’
by Dr Sara Gottfried
One of the originals, this New York Times bestseller is still a great resource, helping women of all ages achieve increased energy, resilience, vitality, and sensuality through science-based natural therapies.
2
‘The Hormone Fix’ by Dr. Anna Cabeca
The Hormone Fix introduces Dr Cabeca’s unique Keto-Green protocol, a plan that pairs the hallmarks of ketogenic (low-carb/high fat) eating with diet and lifestyle changes that bring the body’s cellular pH to a healthy alkaline level.
happyhormonesmagazine.com 15
3
Fix your Period
by Nicole Jardim
The ‘queen’ of period health, Nicole Jardim’s Fix Your Period will help you to regain normal, healthy periods and get your life back on track.
4
Woman Code by Alissa Vitti
Another oldie, but goodie, Woman Code is groundbreaking and informative , helping to educate women about hormone health in a way that’s relevant and easy to understand.
5
Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden
Written by a naturopathic doctor with more than twenty years experience, Period Repair Manual is your guide to better periods using natural treatments such as diet, nutritional supplements, herbal medicine, and natural hormones.
6
The Balance Plan
by Angelique Panagos
The Balance Plan explains how to tune in to your hormones and make the changes necessary to bring them into balance. Take the six steps, follow the 28-day plan and transform your life!
16 happyhormonesmagazine.com
7
The Stress Solution
by Dr Rangan Chatterjee
BBC One’s Dr Rangan Chatterjee draws on two decades of practice to show you how to make easyto-follow and sustainable health and lifestyle improvements to your everyday life.
8
Older and Wider by Jenny Éclair
From C for Carb-loading and G for Getting Your Shit Together to I for Invisibility and V for Vaginas, Jenny’s hilarious whistle-stop tour of the menopause in all its glory will make you laugh and realise that it really isn’t just you.
9
Period Power by Maisie Hill
Maisie Hill’s Period Power is the no-nonsense handbook to periods and hormones that will leave you wondering why the hell nobody told you this sooner!
10
It’s not you it’s your hormones by Nicki Williams
Written by our very own Editor In Chief, Nicki Williams, this is THE essential guide for women over 40 to fight fat, fatigue and hormone havoc! Discover the 4 simple steps to balanced hormones for life.
happyhormonesmagazine.com 17
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What is CBD OIL
AND WHAT CAN IT HELP WITH? CBD oil has had a lot of hype, and you may be a little bit confused and unsure whether it’s safe (or even addictive!). Dr Elisabeth Philipps is a clinical neuroscientist and functional medicine practitioner, specialising in phytocannabinoids and THE go to expert on CBD oil.We caught up with her to find out more about CBD and what it can do for us.
happyhormonesmagazine.com 19
HH: What is this ‘endocannabinoid’
system that scientists are getting so excited about? EP: Well to me it’s the missing link because it underpins the balance in our bodies. We need good blood pressure, good body temperature, appetite regulation, good circadian rhythms. And our hormones need balance throughout the day. The body is constantly trying to remain in this balanced state. And the endocannabinoid system is involved in all of those areas of balance.
It underpins sleep, pain and inflammation, our hormone levels, our appetite, our muscle function. It really is absolutely key. And we need to be thinking about the endocannabinoid system as much as we think about, the brain, the heart, the guts, and all the other systems. HH: How do we support this
system? EP: Our body produces its own endocannabinoids. It’s actually the Sanskrit word for bliss, which I love. It’s called Anandamide, and we can get it in our diet. Essential fatty acids that we find in oily fish, nuts and seeds are the building blocks of our body’s own endocannabinoids. And actually dark chocolate as well, contains Anandamide. And Echinacea, the herb, is another source. Stress has a big impact on the endocannabinoid system. So again, 20 happyhormonesmagazine.com
the more that we can do with our lifestyles to manage stress, that is also providing the balance within the endocannabinoid system. HH: What exactly is CBD? EP: CBD is short for Cannabidiol
and it’s found inside the hemp plant. When it’s just extracted from hemp and is in a quality product and there is less than 0.2% THC detectable in the oil, then that product is legal as a food supplement. “ HH: What symptoms can it help
with? EP: First of all, the sleep. It is not a sedative, it can just really help you naturally fall asleep and stay in a good quality sleep. It’s also really important for mood, helping to calm you down, and relieve anxious, hyper feelings. The other main area is pain management and reducing inflammation in the body. That includes gut health, joint pain, back pain, migraine, helping to reduce cramping and period pains as well. HH: What do we look for in a CBD
product? EP: I would always recommend you look for a certified brand. And the best way to take it is under the tongue. You can get drops or mouth sprays, and you want to start low, go slow. I recommend you start with a 500mg product where a couple of sprays or drops will deliver approximately 2-4mg and build from there.
You can follow Dr Elisabeth on instagram @drelisabethphilipps Listen to the full interview on the Happy Hormones podcast
Our Editor in chief Nicki Williams chats to Dr Elisabeth Philipps
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The Truth
ABOUT HRT Dr Wendy Denning is passionate about integrated medicine, the mix of complementary and traditional medicine to treat a patient holistically, and applies this in her busy London practice every day. We caught up with her to talk about women’s health and particularly about some of the confusion around HRT.
HH: What are the main symptoms
women coming into your clinic are struggling with? WD: The main symptoms women come to see me with are hot flushes, night sweats, lack of libido, vaginal dryness, low energy, loss of confidence, anxiety, weight gain, and sadness, feeling like you’ve lost your mojo. But I think the key thing is awareness of the changes happening and working out how can we maximize the next 30 years of your life? How can you be the best version of yourself? 22 happyhormonesmagazine.com
HH: When do you start talking
about HRT with a patient? WD: Actually many women want to start talking about HRT well before they’re in fully established menopause. And that is because actually during the perimenopause, which is basically the time before you hit the menopause, women can be absolutely miserable. So, very often, I am putting hormones in place then, but I’m putting in the right hormones, because you can get it very badly wrong in the perimenopause.
Some patients of mine have already got high oestrogen levels and they’ve been getting symptoms that someone has interpreted as being oestrogen deficiency without adequately checking it, and have actually been given more oestrogen. And that’s probably the last thing they need, because one of the things we know about the perimenopause is that very often the oestrogen levels are quite high but their progesterone levels start dwindling as we ovulate less. HH: What does progesterone do? WD: It helps calm you, it helps you
sleep, it’s a natural antidepressant. This is a time when women are very often what we call oestrogen dominant. They’re low in progesterone, they’re high in oestrogen, and what you want to be doing is balancing those two out. HH: Who shouldn’t take HRT? WD: Anyone that’s had a hormonally
driven cancer is not going to be suitable for HRT. You’re not going to take that chance with it. Or if you have a strong family history of breast cancer. Or if you’re obese, or have other risk factors.
Oral oestrogen goes through the liver. And as a result of that, it has an increased potential for clotting. It puts you at a slightly increased risk of DVTs and pulmonary embolism still being prescribed. And the truth is that we have an alternative, so therefore there’s really no reason to take synthetic progestogens. Utrogestan is a natural progesterone available on the NHS. HH: What’s wrong with oral
oestrogen? WD: Oral oestrogen goes through the liver. And as a result of that, it has an increased potential for clotting. It puts you at a slightly increased risk of DVTs and pulmonary embolism in the same way that the pill does actually. So,
HH: Is progestogen in many
HRT brands the same as natural progesterone? WD: No. It’s synthetic, not the same at all. We’ve known for as long as I’ve been a doctor, that progestogens increase your risk of breast cancer, heart attacks, and strokes. But they’re happyhormonesmagazine.com 23
ideally you don’t go on oral. But I know for some patients it’s the only thing that works, so it’s a case of balancing the risk. HH: What about patches? WD: For patches, you want the
oestrogen only patch. Do not use a combined patch, that always has progestogens in it. Ideally you can have an oestrogen only patch and then take Utrogestan at night alongside it. So, there’s no need for the combined patch. HH: What other types of natural
body identical types of HRT should women should look for? WD: There’s also a gel, called Oestrogel and in the private sector we can give something called Biest, and that has got a combination of
Oestrogel and Oestriol which is a weaker oestrogen and has some breast protective effects. Sometimes I’ll only give women vaginal oestrogen or oestriol because they may be suffering with recurrent bladder infections and oestriol is particularly selective to the urinary tract. They may be having difficulty with sex, but actually they don’t have the other symptoms and that’s their only symptom. And it’s at a very low concentration, so it doesn’t carry the risk of breast cancer. But the key point about this is to get yourself on body identical oestradiol and/or oestriol with natural progesterone. Body identical hormones are hormones that our body is used to. And it’s all available on the NHS.
You can find Dr Wendy Denning at www.thehealthdoctors.co.uk
Listen to the full interview on the Happy Hormones podcast 24 happyhormonesmagazine.com
CLIENT STORY
Katie Walton
HOW KATIE GOT HER HEALTH BACK AND LAUNCHED HER OWN BUSINESS
A
t 47, Katie Walton wasn’t sleeping, she had brain fog, anxiety, low mood and fatigue. She also had joint pains and headaches and had no idea what was going on. And she was gaining weight, which as a personal trainer was very worrying for her! After finding Happy Hormones For Life, she signed up for a head to toe testing package to find out what was going on. HH: Hi Katie, what were you
struggling with before you sought help?
KW: I had dreadful anxiety. Then sleep
became the big issue for me because I either could not go to sleep or I couldn’t stay asleep, it was one or the other. And that created more anxiety! And then came the brain fog, and the
forgetfulness, and the lethargy. And I was getting headaches and I never ever get headaches. I thought maybe it’s just stress. And I just thought, well I’ll just have some coffee to keep going. And then of course that impacts the sleep so I was going round and round in circles. Luckily I came across you and your book, and decided to do all the tests, and find out exactly what’s happyhormonesmagazine.com 25
and DNA tests. The gut test showed up some inflammation, because I was having lots of bloating and cramping and I felt sick quite a lot of the time. I had to manage my stress, increase my fibre, and take prebiotics.
I was wide awake at 2:00 AM, so that made sense. My oestrogen and progesterone levels were low, even though I’ve still got a monthly cycle. These imbalances were leading to my low mood, lethargy and weight gain. As a personal trainer my usual protocol would be just exercise more eat less - and that’s completely the wrong thing to do! The solution was to try and bring down the anxiety and inflammation and level out all the hormones.
HH: And what did the hormone
HH: What did you have to change?
going on to try and solve all these problems. HH: And what did you discover? KW: I did the gut, hormone, blood
test reveal?
KW: High cortisol levels, not
surprising but good to see on paper.
26 happyhormonesmagazine.com
KW: I had to get rid of the coffee, that
was the big thing for me, and the sugar, and wine! You have to just go, come on,
sort it out, here is the evidence, and it’s telling you what you need to do.
brain had cleared and I was finally able to set up this new business.
HH: What did you find out in the
HH: Tell us a little bit about your
blood test?
new venture!
KW: The blood test results showed
KW: It’s called ‘Embrace Over 40’. I
that I had thyroid antibodies present. My TSH levels were okay, but my T4 and T3 levels were at the lower end of the range. That explained the weight gain, sluggishness and insomnia.
knew that if I was struggling, other women would be too. So I wanted to help put together a bespoke package for them, not just fitness, but also ideas of what they can be eating.
HH: The DNA test revealed you
were a slow detoxifier of caffeine and that’s why coffee was having such a big impact on you. What else did you find out from your genetic profile? KW: That I had an intolerance to
gluten. I was having a lot of bread, crackers and cakes. I have gone completely gluten free, and I don’t miss it actually. And after three months my
HH: That sounds very exciting!
So are you happy you made this investment in your health? KW: Definitely, it was worth it just to
sleep! But the anxiety and brain fog have just disappeared, it’s amazing. If you’d like to find out more about the Happy Hormones testing packages, do contact us for a free initial call
Find out more about Katie’s new business here: www.embraceover40.com
Our Editor in chief Nicki Williams chats to Katie Walton happyhormonesmagazine.com 27
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28 happyhormonesmagazine.com
o s ’t n s i g n i k c a n s y h W l l a r e t f a s u r o f good Snacking didn’t exist in our grandparents’ time. They had 3 square meals a day and didn’t need anything in between.
T
hen some time in the 1970s food companies saw an opportunity to copy the US and introduce snack foods for kids (remember the ad ‘a finger of fudge is just enough to give your kids a treat’?). This trend exploded in the 80’s and now snacking is a HUGE industry, and it’s become totally normal. Not helped by the fact that we’re all so busy and rely so much on convenience foods to save time. And we thought it was OK. In fact we’ve been told for years that eating little and often is a good way to eat – to boost your metabolism, lose weight and balance your blood sugar! Turns out, health wise, snacking is not the best idea…
1
Health Effects of Snacking
Promotes sugar/carb cravings Not only is it hard to feel full and satiated after a snack, but most snacks are also pretty carb heavy (even the healthy ones). You’re unlikely to be
snacking on veggies! That just means that your blood sugar will be raised more often and require high insulin levels to clear the sugar from the blood. Next thing you know you’re craving another snack/sugar hit 2 hours later and now you’re on the blood sugar roller coaster!
2
Weight gain As well as increased insulin (your fat storing hormone), if you’re constantly eating, you’re re-filling your sugar stores all the time. So when your body needs energy, it will burn the sugar stores all day long (and leave your fat stores where they are!).
3
Lower energy It takes at least 6 hours to properly digest your food. When you constantly eat, your gut has to constantly work. You might get a short term sugar hit, but all that digesting can reduce your energy reserves and make you feel sluggish and lethargic. happyhormonesmagazine.com 29
It’s easy to snack to feed your emotions, fill a gap or feel comforted
4
Gut issues If you’re constantly switching on your digestion, it can actually impair the process overall, and cause a host of gut issues including constipation and malabsorption of nutrients.
What’s a better way of eating?
Hormone imbalance What do we know about insulin? It’s a fat storing hormone, energy drainer, mood swinger and hormone destabiliser!
This will help to turn off hunger hormones, give the body (and digestion) a rest, and reduce your insulin activity, allowing your body to burn fat between meals.
Promotes emotional eating Are you reaching for a snack because you’re sad, angry, frustrated or BORED? It’s easy to snack to feed your emotions, fill a gap or feel comforted. This can lead to addictive behaviours and a disconnected relationship with food.
If you need to snack (if you have blood sugar issues, or you feel dizzy or ‘hangry’), then go for low carb options like veggies (carrot sticks, celery, cucumber etc), nuts, seeds, hummus, boiled eggs, avocado on oat cakes, etc. That way at least you’ll keep your blood sugar nice and stable.
5
6
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A more healthy way to eat is to have 2 or 3 larger meals with 4-6 hours in between. A substantial meal with a good source of protein, healthy fats, lots of veggies and slow carbs should easily keep you full for 4-6 hours.
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happyhormonesmagazine.com 31
INGREDIENTS TO AVOID IN YOUR
e r a c n i k S
by Karen Davis, founder of Taylormadetherapies.com
32 happyhormonesmagazine.com
M
y interest in skincare ingredients stems from an outbreak of eczema when every product I used felt as if it aggravated and irritated my skin. Using my pharmacy and aromatherapy knowledge I started investigating the impact of some common skincare ingredients. I was shocked by what I discovered, and soon realised that if I wanted safe skincare products that worked for my skin I would have to formulate my own range! That’s how taylormadetherapies began. In my research, I discovered that in skincare products there are chemicals or ingredients that benefit the skin and there are ones to avoid. Here are some of the ingredients I work hard to avoid and why; Parabens are widely used preservatives that are known carcinogenic endocrine disruptors (so it can upset the hormones in a way that may result in cancers). Artificial fragrances in products like perfume, suntan lotion, shampoo, fabric conditioner, candles, air fresheners, hand sanitisers, soap and liquid soaps to name a few, contain a collection of chemicals, many of which have been found to disrupt hormones.
Silicones consist of silica which is the main component of sand but to become silicone, it goes through a lot of chemical processing. As silicones are hydrophobic, they repel water which makes them hard to remove from the skin so they can trap dirt and dead skin cells. This can contribute to spots and they can block other nutrients from being absorbed by the skin. If you need more reasons to avoid silicones, they bioaccumulate and they take a long time to break down. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is a cheap surfactant (foaming agent) that is used extensively in cosmetics and household products. Many people find it can irritate and dry out their skin, leading to itching and inflammation. Phthalates are a huge class of chemicals that have been linked to many conditions including asthma, breast cancer, behavioural issues, altered reproductive development and male fertility issues. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable. Phthalates are found in artificial fragrances and plastics used in food packaging and cosmetic products. Our skin is the largest organ in the body (it makes up 20% of us!), so it’s vital we look after it. Choosing safer, more natural products is an easy way to do that.
Find out more about natural skincare products at www.taylormadetherapies.com happyhormonesmagazine.com 33
www.taylormadetherapies.com 34 happyhormonesmagazine.com
@taylormadetherapies
shop sustainable.
Be kind to your skin
shop natural.
taylormadetherapies
Menopause? Try
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happyhormonesmagazine.com 35
By Ceri Jones www.cerijoneschef.com
Potato, Chicory & Chickpea i m u o l l a H h t i w e k Tray Ba & Black Olives
36 happyhormonesmagazine.com
Tray bakes are brilliant, because there is very little hands on time. In this recipe, not all the ingredients take the same amount of time to cook, so need to be added onto the tray at set times. Chicory, also known as Belgian endive, is wonderfully bitter, but adding balsamic vinegar and roasting really transforms the flavour, it’s one of my favourite things to eat. The gremolata isn’t essential, but certainly freshens up the roasted vegetables and halloumi. Serve alongside a leafy green salad. Serves 2, easily scaled up.
TRAY BAKE 2 medium sized white potatoes, sliced into long slim wedges
1 plump clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 red onions, peeled and sliced into wedges
220g pack halloumi, sliced into 6 or so slabs
1 teaspoon of dried herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary, or a mix like Herbes de Provence)
Sea salt
2 red chicory heads, sliced into wedges
GREMOLATA
1/2 to 1 tin of 400g chickpeas, drained, rinsedand patted dry with kitchen towel
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
10 black pitted olives (I like Kalamata)
1 lemon, zest only
INSTRUCTIONS
1
Pre-heat your oven to 200ºC (fan).
Place your potato and red onion wedges into a large baking tray, make sure it is big enough to take all of the ingredients. Toss with a good glug of olive oil, the dried herbs and a pinch of salt. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
2
After 20 minutes remove the tray from the oven, give the dish a good shake and add in the chickpeas, chicory wedges, olives and garlic, making sure everything is evenly spaced out. Pour over 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and add another drizzle of olive oil. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Olive oil
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
3
After 10 minutes remove the tray from the oven again and turn the heat down to 180ºC (fan). Top the vegetables with the halloumi, then return to the oven for a final 15 minutes, or until the halloumi has started to brown on top.
4 5
To make the gremolata, chop all of the ingredients together on a chopping board until fine.
When the halloumi has browned remove the tray bake from the oven and scatter over the gremolata. Serve the tray bake straight to the table.
This recipe is one of my 3 simple seasonal suppers - a free recipe guide you can download when you sign up to my mailing list from my homepage. www.cerijoneschef.com happyhormonesmagazine.com 37
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o o b a t e h t k a e r b o t e m i t s It’
ABOUT
VAGINAL DRYNESS AND PAINFUL SEX Vaginal dryness or any ‘down there’ issues are not something we tend (or want) to talk about. Yet it’s one of the most common symptoms of menopause, and most of us will experience it at one time or another. Jane Lewis suffered so badly from it that she decided to write a book. ‘Me and My Menopausal Vagina‘ has been a huge hit! Not surprisingly she found out that many other women were also suffering in silence. We caught up with her to find out her story. happyhormonesmagazine.com 39
HH: Jane, tell us about why you
wrote this ground-breaking book? JL: I suffer from vaginal dryness, which sounds as if it’s nothing really. But it took me to the point of being almost suicidal. Pills had to be hidden away and I needed counselling. I realised that there’s lots of books out there on the market, but there was nothing solely about vaginal dryness, which is actually officially called ‘genitourinary syndrome of menopause’ or ‘GSM’. I have three daughters and a granddaughter and I wanted the taboo of taboos to be broken. And I think two years on, women are definitely starting to talk. HH: What kind of symptoms did
you have and how did it affect your life? JL: I’m 54 now, and when this all really started, I was 45. So there’s a huge myth that vaginal dryness is only for post-menopausal women. I had the very common symptom that many women talk about, painful sex to start off with. It affects the whole genital area, inside the vagina, the external area of the vulva and the urinary area, which is the bladder and the urethra.
I was getting constant UTIs. And externally, my vulva was burning, itching, sore, splitting. HH: And did you go to the doctor
about it?. JL: Yes I went to the doctor and because I was 45, they couldn’t accept that it was to do with being menopausal. So I did do a bit of what’s called ‘doctor shopping’ because believe me, when you can’t sit down, you can’t
It affects the whole genital area, inside the vagina, the external area of the vulva and the urinary area, which is the bladder and the urethra. I was getting constant UTIs 40 happyhormonesmagazine.com
wear trousers, you can’t wear jeans, you want to get help! And I eventually found someone who realized that this was about my hormones. HH: Now tell us a little bit about
self examining. JL: It’s really important that we examine ourselves, routinely every month if possible. You are looking for redness. You are looking for whiteness. You are looking for sores, darkness, moles, and really getting to know your ‘normal’. If you see anything that you’re not happy with, you need to get the doctor to have a look. HH: What are the treatment
options for women? JL: You can get the vaginal moisturizers, but ultimately the vagina, bladder and vulva love oestrogen. Use it locally in the vagina. The amount in it is very small. There are many different products we can get in the UK on prescription.
There are two types of pessaries; Vagifem and IMVAGGIS (both oestradiol). We then have two types of cream (both oestriol); Ovestin and Oestriol. There’s also a pessary ring (Estring) which sits in the vagina for 90 days and releases the equivalent of just over five doses of Vagifem per week. Quite often you need to experiment. Some may not work for you, or you may need a combination of oestradiol and oestriol. And then there’s roughly 20 to 25% of us who need HRT as well. Thank you so much for speaking out about this very, very difficult issue for many women. I would urge you if you have any of the symptoms Jane has mentioned, to firstly buy her book, so that you understand what you need to talk to the doctor about. And secondly, go join her Facebook group and ask advice and questions in there.
You can also listen to the full interview on the Happy Hormones Podcast.
Our Editor in chief Nicki Williams chats to Jane Lewis happyhormonesmagazine.com 41
Available on NHS prescription
Enjoy intimacy again Vaginal discomfort can make love-making uncomfortable. With its’ hormone free, plant-based formula, Sylk lubricant is the natural solution for vaginal dryness. Sylk is recommended by health professionals and it can be bought with or without prescription at all chemists.
For your free sample go to www.sylk.co.uk
42 happyhormonesmagazine.com
Quote ref: HH
Nicola Moore
NUTRITION FOR PERI-MENOPAUSE:
Forget perfection & find balance HH: Why are you so passionate
about nutrition and health? NM: I believe that by helping someone to understand the connection between what they eat and how they feel you’re then able to empower them to transform their health in a lasting way and get them feeling better quicker. HH: Have you seen real
transformations for women
through eating differently? NM: Yes, every week! I am constantly amazed about how incredible changes are possible for people. I’ve had clients who have been on such a low ebb. We women neglect ourselves for years, focussing on your families or career, not putting ourselves first. Then we get into our forties, and the wheels can start coming off! Those little niggling health concerns that you’ve been putting up with actually start to gain momentum. happyhormonesmagazine.com 43
HH: What are your top foods to
focus on to balance your hormones in peri-menopause? NM: Hormone fluctuations in perimenopause can affect our food choices and cravings. One of the things I recommend is to focus on some of the big food groups. Ask yourself where is my protein coming from? Good protein sources are meat, fish, eggs, shellfish, dairy, nuts, seeds, quinoa, tofu, beans, lentils etc. HH: What about veggies? NM: Yes plant based foods are
the heroes! My top veggies would be; 1/ Broccoli – some may say a bit drab, but I have a bit of a love affair with it! I try to make sure I always have it in the house. It helps support healthy oestrogen management (along with other cruciferous vegetables). 2/ Beetroot – I love it because it helps keep me regular. A regular bowel movement helps with overall elimination of chemicals, including hormones like oestrogen. HH: Why do we tend to put on
weight during menopause? NM: It’s very natural to put on a bit of weight actually, depending on
your starting point. If you need a bit more fat on you, your body will adjust and make that happen as it’s a natural source of oestrogen when our ovaries can’t produce as much. But if it becomes a problem, then you’ll need to focus on getting good protein and fats at each meal, as that will help keep you full and reduce your need to snack between meals. Snacking and grazing are not going to help with menopausal weight gain. The ideal is for a meal to be substantial enough to make you feel secure and settled. HH: What about
carbohydrates? NM: You don’t want to avoid carbohydrates. The trick is to focus on veggies as your main carbohydrate source, and limiting the amount of carbohydrates from grains like bread, cereal, pasta and flour products. HH: Why does it feel difficult
sometimes? NM: I think there is sometimes a perception that we have to be ‘perfect’ or attempt an ‘all or nothing’ approach to eating well, and this feels overwhelming and beyond reach (not to mention being unsustainable). It’s about just trying to do what works for you and not trying to be perfect.
Find out more about Nicola here; www.nicola-moore.com 44 happyhormonesmagazine.com
WHY GUT HEALTH AND STOOL TESTS
can be the key to optimal health Louise Joyce is a director at Invivo healthcare company, specialising in the human microbiome and state of the art stool tests. She talks to us about the importance of gut health and what the right stool tests can discover.
HH: How on earth did you end up
an expert in this area on microbes and gut health? LJ: “Well, I guess it goes back to when I really started training as a naturopath and in naturopathic training, it’s all about interconnectedness. You know we’re never looking at a system in isolation to another and so often it just kept coming back to the gut.We started looking at microbes and how much these microbes really governed a lot of our functions. When we focus on this system it does have massive cascading effects. HH: Why is gut health so
important and particularly for women as we get older?
LJ: We’ve got this incredible digestive
system you know, from mouth to anus that connects us to the rest of the world. And this membrane is beautifully engineered to connect us with the rest of the world, to be taking on macro and micronutrients and also function as our immune system. So how can we think of it in isolation to our hormonal health? Many of our hormones like oestrogen, serotonin and thyroid are actually metabolized and modulated and excreted in the gut. HH: Why do we tend to get flare
ups of digestive issues during perimenopause? LJ: We have a lifetime of kind of
happyhormonesmagazine.com 45
luggage with us, you know, baggage by that time. Stress and cortisol can wear our systems down, leaving us more prone to flaring of things that we are susceptible to. As well as cortisol, we’ve got this complex dance of hormones that are happening typically at that age, sometimes in excess and sometimes in decline. And if our microbiome is dysbiotic or out of balance, it may not have an ability to cope. And again, sometimes it is that in combination with the changes in hormones. HH: So who would benefit from
doing the kind of stool tests that you do? LJ: We do quite a specific type of test, a little bit different to what you’re going to be coming across with your general healthcare practitioner or your medical doctor. We look at host markers. These markers really help us to understand what’s happening from
an inflammatory, immune and also membrane perspective. The rest of our panel really opens up into microbial patterns; parasitology, fungal markers, etc, but it’s really looking at chronic disease markers for things like IBS, IBD, Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, but also health optimisation in general. HH: What is the link between gut
health and mental health? LJ: Symptoms we see linked to the gut include anxiety, depression, mood swings, brain fog, and it’s fascinating. We’re starting to rename some probiotics to ‘psychobiotics’ for their ability to work on this gut-brain kind of modulation. And that’s where, you know working with an experienced practitioner, you can really dig down with stool tests and identify the patterns. And work out what to do with your diet and lifestyle, or potentially a supplement to improve things.
If you’d like to know more about how these state of the art stool tests can help optimise your health, contact us at Happy Hormones for a free call; www.happyhormonesforlife.com/contact
Our Editor in chief Nicki Williams chats to Lousie Joyce 46 happyhormonesmagazine.com
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