5 Ways to Master Menopause Symptoms

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Hitting menopause put me in a bad attitude.

I wasn't prepared.

I wasn't educated.

And I didn't care about mastering menopause since surviving this life change would be enough. Personally, I just wanted to cancel the whole thing.

You too?

I tend to always start things with a lousy attitude only to realize that it could be more helpful. And I miss all the good things in my challenging situation when I allow a bad mood. 

All women experience hormonal shifts, and it's important to understand that what worked in your twenties, thirties, or forties won't be helpful to your lifestyle and eating plan as much now. This is due to a decline in key hormones. 

You may notice this decline as hot flashes, night waking, and depression, or you might experience signs of hormone decline like decreased energy levels. Lower estrogen levels tend to catch the blame for menopausal symptoms because estrogen is a crucial hormone for energy and gives a general feeling of wellness. 

As it decreases, you experience the domino effect caused by this change. 

This all begs the question: What must we do to Master Menopause, and How can we Thrive? 

After all, one-third of a woman's life is spent in this menopausal season, so prioritizing self-care and showing up well for myself, my family, and my friends is paramount. 

Let's look at the 5 Top Ways to Master Menopause starting today.

1 - CALM YOUR MIND

We all hear it, and we all know stress reduction is essential. The problem is that very few of us are doing anything to change our stress levels or actively shift to a calm state. 

It's time for a wake-up call. 

Stress is no longer a minor nuisance or something you deal with occasionally. Your body is less tolerant than ever in midlife to high-stress levels. Not only are the symptoms unpleasant they can be downright dangerous and unhealthy!

Chronically high cortisol levels trigger increased visceral (belly) fat. This is not subcutaneous (under the skin) fat but the fat that wraps around your organs. When your cortisol levels remain high, it causes blood sugar issues and can cause insulin to spike, which increases the opportunity for more fat storage. 

In midlife, your body reacts a bit more to life as stress because of the hormone shifts and imbalanced estrogen. And then you throw in life stressors, illness, family issues, heavy workload, poor nutrition, dieting, less movement, and sleep, and you are a sitting duck for increased belly fat. 

Handling your stress needs to be a practice you start working on today. 

Incorporate belly breathing or box breathing. Deep breathing helps your body shift from fight or flight into your rest and digestion system. 

Meditation to calm your brain and get in the present moment is also beneficial. It lets your brain take a break and sit in a peaceful space.

Practicing gratitude is another way to handle stress. Speak out loud what you are thankful for. Keep a journal of gratitude. Shift your mind and body away from reaction and into a place of rest and gratefulness, producing a hormone called oxytocin (cortisols opposer).

Other stress-reducing ideas include taking a 15-minute walk, soaking in an Epsom salt bath, or doing yoga or other stretches to calm your body.

2 - EMPOWER YOUR METABOLIC HEALTH

Your metabolism is a very complex structure. But when I say metabolic health, I'm talking about the factors that contribute to your metabolism: your thyroid, all of your hormones, your cholesterol, blood sugar, and other metabolic markers. 

How well is your metabolism doing?

Is it struggling? 

Are you Metabolically Flexible? 

Metabolic Flexibility is how well your body rolls with the punches and the first place to check is your thyroid. Is your thyroid optimized for the best function of your body? 

Your thyroid is your battery. And sometimes, you need to jumpstart your battery (thyroid) because it's been drained. 

Getting your thyroid checked regularly by a practitioner who knows how to optimize your thyroid must be your priority. There is a difference between the normal range and the optimized. So many of you feel like crap and have symptoms but are working with a doctor who cannot help because they only test your TSH level. You will not get your metabolism jumpstarted if you don't have your thyroid optimized, and that means finding a practitioner who will look at a full thyroid panel and help you get those numbers in the optimal (not "normal" range)

So when I say “manage your metabolic health,” I include optimizing your thyroid, balancing your blood sugar, knowing your A1C and insulin numbers, and keeping them in check with your food and lifestyle choices. If these areas are not in check, you will struggle in menopause.  

3 - POWER OF PROPER NUTRITION AND STRENGTH TRAINING

You gotta know I can't leave you without talking about proper nutrition!

The Trim Healthy Mama eating plan is the only plan I recommend. 

The key is to utilize Trim Healthy Mama for midlife strategically. 

Best practices for midlife women:

> Eat at least 2 E (energizing) meals daily

> Lighten up your S meals (reduce your fat - don't remove it, reduce it)

> Increase your fiber (veggies at every meal)

> Boost your gut health: cultured vegetables, miso, and kefir

> Eat Clean - limit packaged foods

> Elevate protein - make it a queen in your meals!

> Avoid white flour, white sugar, and alcohol. Reduce caffeine.

These dietary changes increase your ability to detox overabundant hormones, clear out toxins, boost your digestion and absorption of key nutrients, and support hormones while allowing for better sleep and less stress to your system. 

I also can't leave you without chatting about exercise. 

The best exercise you can do for yourself in midlife is strength training. Yes, we definitely need to work our hearts. But if you compare cardiovascular versus strength training, strength training will win out every time. 

The main benefits are reducing bone and muscle loss, which happens after age 40. The hard facts - If you're not exercising, you replace muscle with fat. And fat creates more fat. 

None of us want more fat, so your best exercise to combat increased fat is lifting weights and building muscle.

4 - EMBRACE AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

Everyday movement is critical. 

I talked earlier about declining estrogen levels causing declining energy levels, causing us to move less. 

Moving less is one contributing factor to weight gain and cardiovascular risk. 

You can lower your weight gain and cardiovascular risk by prioritizing getting 5,000 to 10,000 steps every day. 

This might be a quick exercise break every 2 hours or a longer walk once a day. 

Ladies, we've gotta get up and move, and it needs to be intentional. 

Take the next step into becoming more active. 

You will burn more calories and help with mental clarity, stress relief, and possibly better sleep; it is a win, win.

5 - OPTIMAL HEALTH WITH VITAMIN D

Most Americans are low in vitamin D no matter how much sun they get. 

The only way you will know your Vitamin D levels is by testing. Thankfully this test is relatively inexpensive and can be a game changer in your overall wellness.

Request your Vitamin D test from your doctor at your wellness visit but track the numbers yourself. The optimal range is around the 80s.

Low Vitamin D levels contribute to hormonal issues and slow down weight loss. 

Proper Vitamin D levels help your body absorb calcium, combat inflammation, and boost immunity. Another benefit is mood support and decreased feelings of anxiety and depression. 

Now you know the 5 Ways to Master your Menopause Symptoms. 

Go back through these and choose one you can work on. 

Write down the steps you need to take. Baby steps count.

Are you done with feeling stuck and confused, and you’re tired of suffering from menopausal symptoms...

It’s time to experience freedom; your midlife body is ready to release the fat and be in hormonal harmony. 

With the Feminine Freedom Path, my 6-month Age-defying Fat loss program, you’ll take the simplest path to turn your health around, burning fat for fuel and eating the right foods at the right time for maximum fat loss. 

Without confusion & overwhelm and without strict diets.

And in just weeks, YOU could have a simple fat loss plan, have less confusion and overwhelm and turn your body into a fat-burning machine.

Ready for the keys to fueling your fat loss & empowering your hormones?

Your first step is to apply for Feminine Freedom Path here.