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How can you improve your sleep in the Perimenopause and Menopause?

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 14:14:47 GMT

How can you improve your sleep in the Perimenopause and Menopause?

We all know how bad we can feel after one bad night’s sleep. Regular lack of sleep can become draining and often debilitating, making a full day of activity a difficult task. Knowing that sleep deprivation is a form of torture and knowing that it affects so many women as they move into the Perimenopause, the subject of sleep (and more the lack of it) seemed an important topic to discuss at Joan’s Wellness Zone’s Menopause Hub.

For women in the perimenopause and menopause, lack of sleep or difficulty sleeping is to do with the fluctuating hormones oestrogen and progesterone which will happen as we age, but lifestyle and our daily routines affect and influence these too.

Why is sleep important?

We need to sleep to allow our body some time to rest and restore itself for the next day. A period of sleep gives our body systems time to work without interruptions and particularly in the brain, it allows the Glymphatic System to do it’s job. The Glymphatic system is the brain’s own cleaning system that helps to remove any amyloid plaques and protein tangles that have been laid down and are the precursors to developing Alzheimer’s.

There is a 24% increase in heart attacks the day after we lose an hours sleep when the clocks go forward in the Spring

To prove the point on the importance of sleep, there is a 24% increase in heart attacks the day after we lose an hours sleep when the clocks go forward in the Spring. This is reversed in the Autumn proving that extra sleep, enough sleep, is life changing.

Trying to get more sleep is not a sign of being lazy, it is a requirement of a healthy body and the ability of the brain to function.

It is quite common during the Perimenopause...

It is quite common during the Perimenopause for us to experience getting off to sleep OK but then waking several hours in to the night and then not being able to get off again. This can often be due to a reduction in the hormone Progesterone as this is our calming hormone and helps promote sleep.

This pattern of getting off to sleep OK and then waking a few hours later, often around 3am, and not getting back to sleep happened to me for months on end and didn’t change until I’d got a few things in check. The following things helped me, and I hope they will help you too.

A bedtime routine – we are cyclical creatures so going to bed and getting up at the same time will give your body time to establish a pattern if when it should be sleeping and when it should be getting on with things.
A bedtime routine that involves a wind down period – trying to get to sleep when we’re still wired and buzzing from the day could make the initial nodding off more difficult so it’s best to have at least a 30 min quiet time before trying to sleep.
Cutting out caffeine later in the day. Having a cut off time for our last caffeinated drink will mean it’s out of our system when we’re trying to get off to sleep. This time will vary for everyone so it’s best to start by restricting caffeine from midday and see what happens.
Try not to eat too late and if it is later, try to eat a smaller meal. If we eat a late meal and then try to sleep, our digestive system is going to kick in to action when we’re trying to rest and cause a disturbance for us.
Don’t exercise too late in the evening. Again, this won’t allow a period of wind down before sleep and make it more difficult to drop off.
Don’t use alcohol to help sleep. Alcohol may initially help us to drop off because it’s a sedative, but it will cause us to wake earlier and out of our deeper sleep and make the rest of the night more restless.

There are other factors that may also help,

Avoiding blue light late in the day. Blue light from phones and screens can confuse the body that it is daylight and upset the body’s natural rhythm of the sleep/wake cycle. If you can’t sleep the last thig you should do is scroll through your phone!
Keep your bedroom dark and cool. Your core temperature needs to be lower to be able to get off to sleep and you will drop off better if the room is dark.
Meditation – this can help calm the nervous system down, reduce the stress hormone cortisol. If the level of cortisol is too high, it won’t allow your body to rest.

There are also a couple of supplements, well documented that my also help you too improve your sleep. These are Ashwaganda and Magnesium. I have personally had a good effect from both of these. I no longer use them but they helped get me in to a better pattern of sleep that I could then continue with.

These are the links to the two supplements I used

120 x Ashwagandha 1000mg Tablets | 4 Month Supply | 1000mg Per Tablet High Strength Vegan Ashwagandha Tablets (Not Capsules or Pills) of Pure Ashwagandha Powder UK Made : Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care

If you’re interested in finding out more about sleep and then the real expert on this is Matthew Walker, he has a book called ‘Why We Sleep’ but to hear him speak you can watch this clip

https://youtu.be/5MuIMqhT8DM

If you would like some help in achieving better relaxation/meditation/gentle stretching to help aid your sleep, my Rel-ease class may be of help to you. This runs on a Tuesday evening twice a month 7.45-8.30pm. For more information please click here

Wishing you a better night’s sleep ��

What information is helpful to take to your GP when asking about HRT?

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 12:52:15 GMT

What information is helpful to take to your GP when asking about HRT?

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has received so much press lately that it may have made you think about looking into it for yourself. HRT can definitely make a difference to how many women feel through the change of perimenopause to menopause but it isn’t the only answer to help you manage your symptoms and it doesn’t help everyone.

My advice as a Women's Health Coach, if you’re considering going to the GP about HRT then you’ll probably experiencing one or many of the symptoms that can come with the Perimenopause, the lead up to Menopause which is when your periods have stopped fully for a whole year.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is all about trying to balance the hormones in the body to give optimum function, with Oestrogen and Progesterone being the primary hormones in this situation.

Oestrogen & Progesterone

Oestrogen has at least 400 functions in the body with Oestrogen receptors all over the body so it is a hormone of great importance to many bodily functions, it’s not just involved with having a period and getting pregnant. Progesterone, another highly important female hormone is influenced by Oestrogen and with a change in this hormone too it can affect many health factors including breast and heart health, thyroid function, mood regulation, anxiety and sleep.

Get Tracking...

With these two hormones in mind and their influence on the menstrual cycle, making notes on any changes you’ve experienced in your menstrual cycle is helpful. This is why it’s important to note what’s happening to your cycle from much earlier on in your life and remembering that your period is classed by those that specialise in menstrual health as your ‘5 ^th Vital sign’ (the other 4 being pulse, body temp., breathing rate and blood pressure).

If we experience a regular ovulatory cycle, we should cycle through regular peaks and troughs of these two hormones (there are other hormones involved with this cycle but you don’t need a full biology lesson here!)

You may have noticed earlier on in your life that your menstrual cycle may have changed in times of stress, and this is because the stress hormone Cortisol influences the production of the female sex hormones Oestrogen and Progesterone. A stress to the body is a one-off event that can influence our cycle but as we begin to age and move in to our 40’s, it is natural for these hormones to fluctuate, and it is these fluctuations that influence the many symptoms that are experienced. The fluctuation in these hormones is a normal body response and is like the second puberty! HRT can help level out these fluctuations and reduce the symptoms that we can experience.

So with the menstrual cycle, changes to length of bleed, heaviness of bleed, frequency of bleed are all factors to note as these are influenced by the new fluctuations in the hormones. However, you won’t know if they’re differences in your cycle if you weren’t tracking it before – get tracking!

What other changes have you noticed?

As I’ve already mentioned oestrogen has a big impact on many bodily functions so any changes in the following will also be helpful to note and take as changes that you’ve noticed, which you may not have considered as part of the changes experienced in this hormonal change.

Digestive system – in particular changes in bowel habits as the hormone changes can slow down the gut motility and cause some constipation. You may also find you have become more sensitive to certain food types, and you may find you need a bowel movement more urgently than usual.

Pelvic health – there may be some changes in pelvic floor strength noted, leaking urine for example may occur because of muscle strength in the pelvic floor muscles has been affected.

Sleep – you may find that you wake in the night and then find it difficult to go back to sleep, along with this you may find you become anxious, this is not the same as being depressed so antidepressants are not usually the answer.

Ability to function/work – as there are many oestrogen receptors on the brain, your ability to focus may be more difficult and you may develop what is known by many as brain fog. You may also find you have noticed more mood swings, different to any you may have experienced in your usual cycle.

Unable to exercise in the same way as you are used to – again muscles and joints rely on the hormones to not only function well but also recover from exercise too.

All the above are areas that you can work on naturally but may also need the input of HRT too to help you function. Again, keep track of some of the above, you may notice that some of the above issues are also cyclical and are therefore related to how your hormones are behaving.

Keeping track of any of your symptoms will also help you to clarify if HRT is helping you should you eventually go on it rather than using it because it seems to be the answer for everything. For more information about HRT see the NHS website - Click Here to view!

I will talk more in my other blog posts about other ways you can help with the areas I’ve listed as things to keep track of and what I did to help myself before I started on HRT. We are all different and will all have a different story, but I believe understanding what is happening to your body will give you a better idea of how to manage it.

My Menopause Hub doors are always open if you want to chat about your symptoms or enjoy a Rel((ease)) class - Click Here for more information!

Healthy Eating over the Festive Season

joan@mumsfit.co.uk (Joan Palmer) — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 14:20:03 GMT

Festive Baubles

We all like a treat at this time of the year, but how can we have something that tastes yummy but that doesn’t spike our blood sugar levels?

When you pop into the supermarket or even your preferred coffee house the treats on display seem to be hyped up by over 100% at this time of the year. How are we supposed to navigate to something healthy but still feels like a treat?

This is where the Festive Bauble comes into play…

This recipe is super quick to make and so tasty you will want to make it all year round. It has only 5 ingredients, no cooking involved, making and prep time is minimal and they just require a couple of hours in the fridge. If kept in the fridge in an airtight container they will last for several days! (that’s if they aren’t eaten too quickly)

So if you want a treat this festive season then why not try these Christmas Baubles!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of dates (I softened them in water for a couple of hours first)

• 2 tbsp of ground almonds

• 2 tbsp of nut butter (I used Meridian almond butter)

• 2 tbsp of dried cranberries

• 4 tsp of cocoa powder

Method

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor, roll mixture in to small balls and roll in desiccated coconut. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours and keep in the fridge in an airtight container. They will keep for several days but probably won't last very long anyway as they are so delicious!

Enjoy!

Chia seed energy bars.

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 12:39:40 GMT

Chia Seed Energy Bars!

Don't head for chocolate and biscuits when you need a quick fix!

It’s very easy to head for biscuits and chocolate when you feel tired and hungry and you want a quick fix. Ultimately, a quick fix is all you will get as these types of snack will give you a sugar rush that will sustain you for only a short time and you will feel hungry again. What you need in these situations is something that won’t spike your sugar levels and give you energy over a longer period.

This is a recipe that I adapted from a running magazine to contain Chia seeds. Chia seeds are a great source of protein, they give sustainable energy and they help to keep the digestive system healthy and functioning properly.

I took these bars to my Pelvic Floor information evening for the ladies to try and they were a real hit. They don’t take long to make so give them a go and have some healthy snacks on standby that make you feel great.

Ingredients:

125g ground almonds
pinch salt
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
60ml coconut oil (melt over pan of simmering water)
60ml rice malt syrup or sweetener of choice (I used maple syrup)
I tsp alcohol free vanilla extract
40g cashews crushed
160g combined chia seeds, sunflower seeds and slivered almonds
40g dried cranberries (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven at 175 degrees Celsius

Grease 20x20x5cm tin

Mix ground almonds, salt and bicarb. In another bowl mix coconut oil, rice malt syrup or alternative and vanilla extract. Add the almond mixture to this. Mix in nuts, seeds and optional cranberries. Press mixture firmly into the tin. Cook 15-20mins until golden.

Remove to wire rack and cool before cutting.

Enjoy!

Five great reasons to come to Buggyfit

joan@mumsfit.co.uk (Joan Palmer) — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 10:07:17 GMT

Five great reasons to come to Buggyfit

Find out more about the class and it's benefits.

Come and join us for a session, it's great to get outdoors, breathe in some fresh air and meet other mums!

The biggest reason when you are a new mum, is that you get an hour of ‘me’ time!! On having your baby, everything and everyone is focussed on the baby, now it’s time for you to do something for yourself while your baby is safely with you in their buggy. Start early on giving yourself some time to do something for you as it can be quite difficult to fit it in!
Fresh air! Even if you have had a poor night’s sleep you will feel so much better for getting up and out into the fresh air – so many mums at my classes tell me this. Many studies have also shown that babies who go out in the fresh air will sleep better – it’s a win win situation for you.
You know you will be returning to exercise post pregnancy and birth in a safe and gradual manner. You will complete a full health questionnaire to pick up any complications that may inhibit your return to exercise and I will provide a video for you to do a tummy muscle check and do this face to face with you if required, to make sure you are doing the correct exercise at the right stage of your post-natal recovery. All exercises are given with an easier option so you don’t need to be concerned about your level of fitness before starting the class. Come along and get fitter and stronger with every session.
You will get a release of endorphins with a session of exercise. Endorphins are your natural feel good hormones and when you are a new mum finding your way with new situations you could do with a few of these. Your workout will also mean that you are getting stronger in all the areas that will have weakened through your changing pregnancy posture. Unless you work on these areas of change they will remain weak and you will then be more susceptible to developing aches and pains through a lack of muscle strength and good posture.
A social outing. An opportunity to have a chat and make new friends going though similar things in life as you and with the same interest as you to get back in shape. You know the saying, ‘A problem shared......’ You may be at an exercise session but there is always time for a chat! There are also several places to grab a cuppa with a friend afterwards too.

Come along and join us Monday, Wednesday and Friday meeting for 10.30 in front of the Pump Rooms at Pittville Park. There is parking behind the Pump Rooms but there is now a small charge (which can be paid for on a card) but there is plenty of free parking around the lower end of the park around Pittville Lawn and Central Cross Drive. E mail joan@joanswellnesszone.co.uk for any other details.

What does "wellness" mean to you?

joan@mumsfit.co.uk (Joan Palmer) — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 09:48:31 GMT

I hope you enjoyed the sunshine while it lasted! Within the space of a week, I was in the park wearing short sleeves on one Wednesday and a woolly hat on the next! I hope many of you have enjoyed getting together with some extra friends and family in the last week and over the Bank Holidays. With the Bank Holidays over it's full steam ahead with classes back in action and it’s been lovely to see many of you now in the flesh.

With the word ‘wellness’ now in my brand title, I thought I would ask you what ‘wellness’ means to you and I’ve had a think about it too.

I would imagine that wellness isn’t going to mean the same to everyone as we all have different things going on in our lives and we may be at different life phases. As my younger self, I would have thought about wellness as just being what my body is capable of function-wise and how much I can fit in during one day, but I would say now that the mind has probably got a bigger portion to play in that!

I would now say that ‘wellness’ is a balance between mind and body.

If like me, despite all the horrid stuff that’s gone on over the last year, you may have had a chance to slow down a bit and realise that all the rushing around carried out previously wasn’t always necessary. Now, you may think that some headspace is an important part of your wellness and recognise that being able to clear your mind is quite beneficial. I know I have, and because of this, I have slept better than I have done over the last 3 years. Along with this, I have also found the benefits of more restorative exercise which previously I wouldn’t have considered important in my exercise timetable.

I’ve also had extra time to do more exercise as there’s been far less taxi services to swimming pools for the girls. I’ve kept up with running several times a week and despite my initial frustrations at not being able to go as far or for as long as I used to, I have learnt to accept that at least I’m out and enjoying myself and doing what I have chosen to do. I am also looking forward to the lido opening so I can enjoy the tranquillity of a swim there too. I still like to have goals of things to achieve with exercise, but these goals are totally personal to me and involve no one else so taking away any pressure.

Managing two very different, hormonal teenage girls on your own can be quite a challenge. With the added anxieties of COVID that have come along and disrupted the day-to-day functions of one of them, the emotional energy that I am giving out is exhausting. If I hadn’t been able to recognise this, I probably wouldn’t be a functioning adult right now! I have learnt that it is fine to take time out and have given myself permission to remove myself from the situation to allow the mind to clear and to boost my energy for the next hurdle that comes along.

So, wellness to me means, that I can keep active in a way that I enjoy without having to compete against others and feel that I must keep up with someone else. It also means that I am grateful for my body and how it functions without trying to change it to look like someone else’s – I’d love smaller thighs but mine are good strong legs!! Wellness also means, giving myself permission to take time out to recharge my mind and my body to allow me to cope with the daily activities. Along with this, it also means saying ‘no’ to something that will increase pressure for me to fit more things into my day which then makes me resentful against that extra activity. I think wellness also means that you surround yourself with positive people who take you as you are and who you are not trying to compete with or impress, being happy in your own skin certainly has a wellness influence.

And finally, for now, wellness means allowing myself to eat the food I enjoy without making myself feel guilty about it. I have always enjoyed my food, but in the past, I have been quite a bit bigger than I am now, and with perimenopausal hormone changes affecting what likes to hang around on my hips I do have to be sensible, and I know my body functions much better with healthier options, but I would never be hard on myself for eating what I enjoy. For those that know me well, this is fish and chips and scones with jam and cream but not at the same time!!

I’d love to hear what wellness means to you and maybe how I can help you achieve a place in your own ‘wellness zone’ with the classes and courses that I have on offer.

Look after yourself and see you soon.

Joan x