Monthly symptoms are wearing you down, like PMS or painful periods, are you worried about the dreaded chaos of perimenopause, feeling exhausted or bloated?
With spring just around the corner, you might be tempted to try another fad diet or workout that promises everyone, but won’t be sustainable in the long run.
Instead, how about eating and living to support your hormones, metabolism and health, not only to look good, but to feel good, now and in the long term?
If so, then try these 5 simple tips!
- Keep your blood sugar stable
- Increase your intake of protein, omega 3 and vegetables
- Move your body – but also give it rest
- Prioritize sleep and stress management
- Take time to have fun and play
How is this done? Let’s look at each of them in more detail.
1) Keep your blood sugar stable
There is currently a lot of hype around blood sugar monitoring, such as the Zoe app using continuous blood sugar monitoring which is taking the UK by storm. But this is not something new. Research has known for decades that having stable blood sugar levels not only helps beat cravings, reduce belly fat and wrinkles, but is also important for maintaining inflammation, free radical production, “rust” and cellular “aging” (via a process called glycation). , where sugar attaches to our cells and creates “advanced glycation end products”, in short “AGEs”), as well as a stronger immune system. Instead of completely cutting out all carbs, focus on “coating” your carbs with protein. vegetables and fats to reduce blood sugar spikes. Which brings us to the next round.
Blood sugar fluctuations also play a big role in hot flashes, mood swings, brain fog, and stubborn belly fat.
2) Increase your intake of protein, omega 3 and vegetables
This will not only help keep your blood sugar levels more stable, but will also give your body the building blocks it needs to thrive. As we age, lean muscle mass decreases unless we consume enough protein to maintain it (and exercise; we’ll talk more about that in a moment!). Protein is also needed to make neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which keep us happy, calm and motivated.
Omega 3s such as those found in salmon and sardines (or seaweed supplements if you prefer plant-based) control inflammation, help our mood, energy, reduce bloating and help to a killer metabolism, and help fight inflammatory hormonal conditions like PCOS and endometriosis.
And finally on the food side: Eat the rainbow in vegetables! They all have different wonderful health properties. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, for example, help break down estrogen and thus reduce symptoms such as tender breasts, PMS and painful periods. Seaweed is rich in iodine, essential for our thyroid (= metabolism!), the health of our breasts and much more! Keeping half the plate full of vegetables will also feed your gut microbiome, those little bugs in the gut that have recently attracted a lot of attention in research for their many important effects on short-term well-being, but also on long-term prevention.
3) Move your body – but also give it rest
You probably know that exercise is about more than just burning a few extra calories. Research shows its role in maintaining the health of our heart, our cardiovascular system and our brain, the strength of our muscles and our bones, but also in balancing our mood, keeping our blood sugar levels more stable by keeping our insulin-sensitive cells and burn stress hormones. Getting moving, whether it’s a strong vinyasa flow, a barre or spin class, will also contribute to a better monthly cycle and better hormones. But did you know that restorative and stretching classes like yin yoga are just as important? It is during these rest periods that the body can take full advantage of your most intense workouts, and stretching allows the lymphatic system to detoxify any metabolic waste that may have built up in your fascia and reduce joint pain. .
4) Prioritize sleep and stress management
Are you the type who thinks you can sleep when you’re dead? Not almost. It is during sleep that we recover and recuperate. This is when we flush out all the toxins from the brain, keep our blood sugar levels more stable and our cells healthy. Research also shows that just one night of lack of sleep causes our bodies to react entirely differently to the same amount and type of food we eat the next day, making us more likely to store it around the next day. waistline instead of using it to nourish ourselves, and to top it all off, increasing cravings for unhealthy food choices. Aim for 7.5 to 9 hours whenever possible.
Another factor that is often overlooked, especially in my patients with Type A personality, is stress. Are you the type who exercises diligently, eats healthy, takes supplements, but is constantly in fight or flight mode? This is often the missing link to symptoms and abdominal fat levels that won’t budge. When we are in fight or flight mode (also called the “sympathetic nervous system”), the body redirects its blood and efforts to flee from an imaginary tiger – instead of sending it to our restorative and healing organs. Try to activate the vagus nerve more often, which is the main nerve in the “rest-digest-heal” mode (also called the “parasympathetic nervous system”). Good strategies are breathing, abdominal breathing and mindfulness, like in a yoga class. But other tips like saunas or yoga nidra can also help you transition into this healing mode.
5) Take time to have fun and play
Along the same lines, also focusing on rest and stress reduction means making time for fun and play. Once again, many are starting to focus too much on a healthy lifestyle, obsessing over measurements from different home monitoring tools, food consumption and more (it’s even been given a name, “orthorexia”). Not only is it important to have fun and play to reduce stress levels, but taking time for social connection has been shown in research to improve health, hormones, stress levels, inflammation and even how our bodies respond to food and sugar consumption! I generally advise an 80/20 approach when working with my clients (unless there is a serious problem, where a 90/10 might be advised for an initial period to restore balance). – 80% of the time, for the question “How can I best nourish my cells?” » – and 20% for the little pleasures of life.
Want to learn more about eating, living, supplements and testing to achieve better hormones, a stronger metabolism and long-term health, then join Mirthe at one of our upcoming workshops where she will delve deeper into these topics.
Reserve your place here.