Why I Focus On Midlife Women
I’m a woman in midlife and I’m very aware that we have a lot to deal with during this stage of life! It can be a huge juggle of work and family demands; whether that’s supporting ageing parents, or little ones to hormonal teens just when we’re entering the perimenopause when our own hormones are in freefall. It can be an overwhelming time of life and very easy to prioritise the needs of others instead of our own health and wellness.
It’s a time of life when our hormones are in constant flux which can be stressful when we’re used to understanding our body’s patterns. So how can we help our bodies become more effective, reduce the stress load and make the hormonal transition easier? We can support our bodies during the rollercoaster perimenopause and menopause years by ensuring it’s in the best shape possible. By this, I mean sleeping well, eating well, moving well and focusing on our gut and liver health. A sort of midlife reset!
It’s a chance to set things up for the next stage of our lives and protect ourselves against lifestyle related diseases. We can do this by supporting what our bodies do naturally and slowing down any stress on our systems. Of course, easier said than done sometimes, but I’d love to offer my support in getting your body back to balance at this time and optimising how it works.
My Health Journey
When I was 40, I was invited to my local surgery for a health check. I arrived with some perimenopausal symptoms - a lack of energy, night sweats and my joints were feeling pretty achy. I was sent for some blood tests which showed that I had high cholesterol and I was also diagnosed with mild arthritis.
Focus On Health
I was advised to lose some weight and not drink as much alcohol so I delved into the weight loss world and quickly got really confused with all the conflicting advice. I soon realised that my priority was my health and fuelling my body to feel energised rather than restricting food groups and feeling pretty hungry!
Midlife Reset
In order to truly understand nutrition and the impacts it can have on our bodies, I decided to undertake some accredited courses. I found that it’s not just nutrition that can impact our health and hormones, but also quality of sleep, frequency of movement, stress levels and our gut health. I realised midlife was a good time to effectively press reset and start thinking far more holistically about optimising my health with sustainable changes. These changes have so far raised my energy levels, erased the stiffness and pain in my joints and have kept my cholesterol at a level whereby I don’t need medication.
I am currently a volunteer for the Harpenden, St Albans and Luton Hygiene Bank. The Hygiene Bank works to tackle poverty in our local area. Those who can’t afford food, certainly can’t afford to buy period or hygiene products but having access to these products is essential for a person’s health and wellness.
My role is putting hygiene bags together for local families that School Family Workers have identified as needing some extra help. We are often short of donations of essential items such as deodorant, conditioner and toothbrushes. I have therefore pledged 5% of all profits from The Nutrition and Wellness Coach services to our local Hygiene Bank. This means many local families will now be able to receive complete bags when they need them most.
