Over 40 - Fit or Falling Apart - Women's Edition

......We survived the hormones of puberty, about 20 years later, they're back with a vengeance.

I'm over 40....and had a hysterectomy in my early 30's, so this is a subject I am more than happy to explore further. So much so, I decided to further get educated and have the certificate to prove it. I'm also sure the audience reading this won't be those living their best lives hormonally balanced in their 20's and 30's... no this isn't for you. This is for me...and every woman over 40.

Let's first talk about the obvious hormones that make us female at birth..... estrogen and progesterone.

Around that magic age of 40, your body gives you an unpleasant welcome to perimenopause - where your periods become a lot shorter, and your PMS a little wilder. Am I right? It is around this time, ovulation begins to cease as well.

You then begin to get hot flashes, night sweats - the feeling of being hot one minute and cold the next, insomnia, stiff joints and muscles, headaches and... the chin hair. Not to forget the mood swings, my goodness - brutal. Your short term memory all of a sudden is struggling. All these paired up with a dry vagina and lack of sexual desire also in a nose dive straight into the abyss of middle age, making you feel like your partner is into necrophilia at every encounter. You really want to, but it seems like the wire that connects your brain to your lady parts has been disconnected somewhere.

This lasts about 3-5 years before you get to actual menopause - when you have total cessation of your cycle for 12 months.

So remember those two hormones that make us female - estrogen and progesterone? You can thank the sudden plummet in ovarian production of these hormones for this smorgasbord of unpleasantries. Estrogen can be broken into 3 different types of estrogens - I'm not going to get too technical here, but estradiol - one of the estrogen hormones, can become problematic as we enter menopause. Keep reading.

Also, there's another hormone at play - Testosterone. We often don't think about this hormone when talking about women's health, but all women have a small amount of testosterone in our bodies which is responsible for our sexual desire and other functions of our reproductive system- this too tanks - and it takes all the sexy with it.... leaving you with all the chin hairs.

With the decrease of these protective hormones, it now leaves us more vulnerable to chronic illnesses. It is well researched that estrogens protect our blood vessels and are cardio protective. With the onset of menopause, that is now significantly decreased - and cardiovascular disease risk is now almost the same as a man of equal age. Other chronic diseases that start to sneak in are osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, colon cancer, and cataracts.

Now this is where I say... if your menopausal symptoms are so bothersome that it's affecting your daily functioning, go see your doctor. They may suggest hormone replacement therapy - however these have their risks too - such as blood clots and increased risk of breast cancer. If you feel like you can live with it, here are some tips and tricks to "get through it".

Check your nutrition.

Fibre.. and more fibre. Research is saying that adding in whole grain fibre is starting to show that it regulates, and decreases the estrogen - estradiol - which is largely responsible for breast cancers. The high fibre will also keep the colon clean and things moving and lower your risk of developing colon cancer.

Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts - again like fibre, research is showing these veggies regulate and lower estradiol, lowering breast cancer risk. It also lowers risk of colon cancer as these veggies power through the digestive system and keep things moving.

Add Soy - the non-gmo, organic kind. Soy contains something called isoflavones. They look like our own body's estrogen enough that our body thinks it's our own. Advantage - if you don't want hormone replacement therapy, it can soften the menopausal symptoms, the plant protein in soy is low in saturated fat, which is better for cardiovascular health.

Reduce dietary fat. Did you know that adipose tissue - or fat tissue produces estrogen, and more specifically - estradiol - the one that likes to bind to cancerous tumour cells. Dietary fat should be no more than 30% of your daily intake - preferably 20%. Reducing dietary fats is also going to benefit heart health in the long run.

Go Vegetarian. Building on the same concepts of fibre and cruciferous vegetable intake, a whole food plant based diet has been shown to reduce overall body fat, and reduce menopausal symptoms and severe PMS. PMS is thought to be a hormonal imbalance, so this adjustment in diet would help mange symptoms.

MOVE! Although exercise does not replace hormone therapies, it has multiple benefits during this time of our lives. Exercise gets the heart pumping and blood flowing - making the number one benefit cardiovascular health. Exercise, especially weight training, also promotes joint health, preventing osteoporosis and prevents muscle atrophy as we age. Regular exercise also helps with regular sleep patterns, and improves mental health.

In the bedroom. We're all adults here and quite frankly we can't keep these struggles in the closet. It's real, and often embarrassing. You feel like something is wrong with your relationship, but really it's your ovaries crapping out. First - speak to your doctor, or consider seeing a natural path, get your levels tested. There are creams and topicals that can be used locally, with less system effects that may be right for you. Next - go to your local sex shop -yup - I mean that. There is nothing to be ashamed of here. There are products out there that can definitely help you with lubrication, arousal, and enhance your experience with your partner. This is something we shouldn't be afraid to talk openly about, because it's real life.

We can't stop the normal and biological process of aging. However, we have full control of how we choose to age. If we modify our diets to include more fibre, vegetables, and whole foods, less processed foods, regular moderate exercise and seek medical attention for regular check ups and if things aren't quite right, then we stand a chance at beating chronic illness as we age.

Don't worry men.... I've got you next. Stay tuned.

xoxo

Amanda