Midlife Wellness Blog

Did you know that our body is made up of around 60% water?   So proper hydration is vital for every function in our body. Particularly as we age because our body doesn’t retain moisture as well. The sex hormone estrogen makes it easier for our tissues to retain moisture, so as we transition into menopause and levels of estrogen drops, so does our body moisture. Dehydration can cause fatigue, headaches, joint inflammation, mood swings, brain fog and forgetfulness. Other symptoms include drier, more brittle hair and nails, skin that is flaky, dry, and itchy. Headaches are common, as are constipation and bloating. Sounds fun ha! Not! Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink water – if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. (Drink up!) I wrote this blog for those of you who aren't drinking enough water - been there, done that! So, check out these nine reasons to stay hydrated all day long, every day. You may be surprised and see that some of your symptoms improve and that has t...

(Recipe included) Diet plays a huge role in balancing hormones. For women particularly, hormone imbalances during peri-menopause can certainly make you feel really crap, making it difficult to lose weight, impact your overall feeling of wellbeing and even increase your risk of certain cancers and other serious diseases. Besides healthy fats (which provide the building blocks for steroid hormone production), fibre is a must for our overall health and no more so during midlife.   The 3 most important reasons fibre helps your health and hormones are: Stabilizing blood sugar Reducing cortisol levels Flushing out excess estrogens and toxins Fibre is a special type of carbohydrate that does not get converted to sugar and therefore does not raise blood sugar levels like other carbohydrates do. Fibre  comes in two forms, soluble and insoluble fibre . Insoluble fibre is found in the cell walls of plants and cannot be dissolved in water. This adds bul...

If you are a women in midlife and experiencing peri-/menopause symptoms caused by hormonal imbalance, such as insomnia, hot flushes, weight gain and mood swings (to name a few!), you might be wondering what treatment options are available.  Before looking at medical intervention, you can start trying some simple new daily, healthy habits. This includes switching up your diet. I have listed below just some foods that can actually help a lot with hormonal imbalance and will get you on your way to easing some of your peri-/menopause symptoms. Apple Cider Vinegar You have likely heard of people talking about apple cider vinegar recently and discussing the many health benefits of it. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has many health benefits for you, even aside from helping with your hormonal imbalance. It can lower your cholesterol, help with your blood sugar levels, and even aid in your weight loss efforts. ACV is also amazing for your digestion and fatty liver.  Since apple cider vinega...

It goes without saying that we need to sleep in order to function at optimal levels. Sleeping well improves your appearance, brainpower, memory and other vital body functions. It also reduces your risk of gaining weight, feeling fatigued or developing chronic health conditions.  Both adults and children need 8 hours of sleep every night for optimal health. However, just because you’re getting the recommended hours of sleep each day does not mean that your body is getting the rest that it needs.  A lot of women toss and turn all night and can suffer night sweats because of per-menopause and the fluctuations in hormones. Due to this they don’t feel like getting out of bed in the morning and drink plenty of coffee to avoid drowsiness during the day.  If you’re suffering from such sleep problems, then you need to improve the quality of your sleep. Here are a few top tips on how to boost your sleep quality. Sleep in a Cool, Dark & Quiet Room Sleeping with the lights on is ...

One of the most common physical side effects of having a hormonal imbalance, especially in women, is weight gain. Why is that? Because your hormones help to regulate many systems in your body that control your weight, including your appetite and metabolism. This article is going to explore what hormones you need to keep balanced, how they can affect your weight, and what you can do about it. Estrogen VS Progesterone Weight Changes Many hormones can affect your weight, but two of the more common ones are estrogen and progesterone. The difference is that when these levels are too low or too high, it can cause considerably different outcomes as far as your weight goes. Understanding this will help you and your doctor to figure out which of your hormones are responsible for the unexplained weight gain.  If you have more body fat, unexpected weight gain, fluid retention, headaches, depression, and blood sugar issues, it is probably from the estrogen in your body being out of balance. On...