Balance Your Hormones – Behind The Food Nutrition by Veronica Lim

Category: Balance Your Hormones

What’s with these joint and muscle pains in menopause?

29 February 20208 November 2020
by Veronica Lim

I was at a networking event earlier this week, and was talking to a lady who just can’t understand why she has joint and muscle pains that she can’t seem to get rid of.

She loves running. And although visits to the osteopath and physiotherapist have helped, they too can’t work out why she still doesn’t seem to recover.

It’s frustrating when you know that something’s not right but you just don’t know where to start or where to go next.

What’s interesting is that her joint and muscle pains only started as she got into menopause.

Without seeing her, I can’t tell what’s going on with her. But what I do know is that joint and muscle pains can happen for many women due to the accumulation of inflammation in their bodies.

Inflammation can accumulate in the body over decades. Poor diet, processed foods, not enough nutrients, too much caffeine, too much sugar, chemical exposure, alcohol consumption, insufficient sleep and stress will all have contributed. As well as over-exercise or under-exercise.

Then at menopause, with falling oestrogen levels, joint and muscle aches can appear to suddenly flare up.

Underlying all of this, is inflammation.

You see, oestrogen plays a key role in the healing of our joints, and also has antioxidant or anti-inflammatory effects in our cell membranes. So lower oestrogen levels in your menopausal years can contribute to unexplained aches and pains.

So it’s key to reduce inflammation.

Here are some areas to consider.

Are you sleeping all night? Insufficient sleep raises inflammation in the body and increases insulin resistance, which can contribute to elevated blood sugar and insulin. Not to mention adding to fatigue and stress.
Are you eating the right foods at the right time? Not eating enough can also affect your sleep, causing you to wake up in the middle of the night. While eating the wrong foods can stop you from falling asleep in the first place. Are you eating to reduce inflammation or is your eating adding to that inflammation? Eating an anti-inflammatory diet and the right fats help to temper the inflammation and lubricate the joints.
Are you over- or under-exercising? If you’re going too hard, you’ll create excess inflammation, while sitting around all day long will lead to inflammation too. Think Goldilocks here.
How’s your stress going? Or more pertinently, how’s your stress hormone, cortisol, going? I say, “cortisol” because many smart thinking women can mentally and emotionally handle an extraordinarily high level of stress and think that they aren’t stressed. But it’s there. And prolonged stress can increase pro-inflammatory messaging in the body, which can perpetuate inflammation.
Finally, your liver. Your liver is involved in just about every process in the body. It breaks down fats, stores sugar as triglycerides (fats) and produces energy. It’s also responsible for detoxification. When your liver is not able to function properly or is overworked, inflammation can ensue. Is your liver getting the nutrients it needs? And are you minimising the load on your liver, for example, by reducing alcohol and toxin exposure?

If you are suffering from unexplained joint and muscle aches and pains that no one seems to be able to figure out, you must first sort out the inflammation.

Balance Your Hormones

Alcohol and menopausal symptoms

28 December 20198 November 2020
by Veronica Lim

In my younger days, before I realised that my body really couldn’t handle it, my favourite drinks were gin and orange, rum and black, mojito (I have made a delicious Mojito cupcake before too) and oh, the cocktail I used to absolutely love.

Strawberry Homicide.

They served it in this cocktail bar in London, called Rumours. It’s no longer there, and is now a burger joint.

Truth be told, I never drank very much, because my body doesn’t process alcohol well. My liver can’t do the second step so well. You’ll see what I mean in a minute.

And this meant that I would go from sober to feeling sick pretty quickly, and totally skip the bit in between. People tell me that’s the “nice bit”. I used to often ask Jeff what it felt like to be drunk!

In detoxifying alcohol in the body, there are two key steps – firstly converting the alcohol to acetaldehyde and then converting the acetaldehyde to acetate.

Because acetaldehyde is highly toxic, the liver does its best to convert it to acetate as quickly as it can.

As a whole, alcohol is toxic to the body. That’s why the liver prioritises its metabolism above all else, when/if you drink.

The liver also processes excess oestrogen. And if the liver is busy dealing with the alcohol, or not otherwise working properly, toxins can build up and lead to inflammation and oxidative stress… which can make menopausal symptoms worse.

For example, it can trigger or worsen hot flushes and disrupt your sleep. Although you may think that alcohol helps you get to sleep, it affects the quality of your sleep, making you tired in the morning and perhaps even anxious or depressed.

It reduces REM sleep which is when your brain processes the day and consolidates memories. If REM sleep is disrupted on a regular basis, then this may affect memory function.

Alcohol has also been positively associated with increased risk in breast cancer. In fact, any amount of alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer.

“But Veronica, it’s my only pleasure!”

And some women say, “But Veronica, it’s my only vice!”

I get it. Even though I don’t drink much. It feels nice to be having a drink, especially when everyone else is too, like at this time of the year.

At the end of the day, it’s not necessarily about completely giving alcohol up altogether. It’s about knowing where your own personal threshold is. You may be able to “get away” with one glass or two, and find that if you have more than that, your symptoms get worse. Either way, do remember the guideline of limiting alcohol intake to 14 units of alcohol a week.

But if you find that having even one glass of alcohol triggers your symptoms, good news. All is not lost.

There are non-alcoholic alternatives.

These taste rather like gin, and with reduced sugar tonic water, it can nearly pass for the real thing. It feels like the real thing, even if you don’t think it tastes 100% fully like it. But it’s close.

Non-alcoholic botanicals.

Here are some different brands. It seems pricey at first sight, but it’s similar to a bottle of gin, and if it brings on joy and happiness, I say, bring it on!

Seedlip – https://seedlipdrinks.com/uk – this is the only one I’ve tried so far and I like it
Lyres – https://lyres.com.au – this one is Australian
CeroCero – produced by Lidl (yes, the supermarket) and it’s about half the price of the others
Ceders – https://ceders-alt-gin.com/index.html# – from South Africa

Now, if gin isn’t your thing, how about these?

Nine Elms No. 18 – https://www.nineelmsdrinks.com – more like a wine.
Celtic Soul – from Pernod-Ricard – and rather like a whisky, I gather.
Stryyk Not Rum – https://www.stryyk.com/products/not-rum

Some of these brands are stocked in supermarkets here in the UK, and if that fails, try Amazon.

Some of the sites have some good looking cocktail recipes too. But remember to watch the sugar content of the mixers, OK.

Have a most wonderful break. Celebrate well, rest well and keep well. Remember to put your feet up, let the others wash the dishes and tidy the place, enjoy some no-need-for-thinking Christmas movies, or a rom-com maybe.

Happy holidays!

Balance Your Hormones

Why letting go of control can help in menopause

13 December 20198 November 2020
by Veronica Lim

Did you know that this is the first time ever that women like you and I have had to deal with both the menopause and the modern lifestyle as we’ve come to know it? When our mothers went through their menopause, the world wasn’t as global or eternally “on” in the way that it is today.

Even as recently as the 90s, we didn’t have social media, email or the internet vying for our attention to the extent that we have it today.

If you happen to work for an international company, you likely come into work to new emails from colleagues from the other side of the world, sent while you were asleep (or should have been! 😋). Or you have a boss that works late. Or one that works and sends you emails over the weekends.

No surprise then that you may feel behind again from where you left off the evening or the week before. Or you check your emails during the night or over the weekend and don’t switch off fully. All of that adds to your stress… even if you may be so used to it now that you don’t think about it anymore.

According to research, our attention spans have shortened greatly too. In 2000, the average attention span was estimated to be 12 seconds. In 2015, this had reduced to 8.25 seconds. And the attention span for a goldfish is…. drum roll please…… 9 seconds. Twitter, anyone? Or guilty of having a habit of skim reading just about everything?

Imagine the kind of messages this sends to your nervous system.

To add to it, you’re likely part of the “in between” or “sandwich” generation. There are both kids to look after, who may or may not be fully grown up now, and there are aging parents who also need your attention.

Even though neither may graciously accept it. You know?

Now, add the fact that your body is going through a significant change, with fluctuating and changing hormones. It’s a physiologically stressful time, in and of itself.

Ooh, now the Christmas festivities too.

Both the outside environment and the one on the inside greatly influence your stress load. And during the menopausal years, your body becomes more sensitive to stress.

The more you have on your menopausal plate – poor food choices, an overloaded liver, a heavy workload, organising the household and children’s activities, an imbalanced gut, drinking more coffee of alcohol than your body can handle, going to bed late, not eating enough, other worries – the more severe your menopausal symptoms are likely to be, especially if these have been going on for a number of years beforehand.

And then, at Christmas and holiday time, one of the most challenging elements that can surface up, perhaps more obviously than at any other time of the year, is this.

The need for control.

Must get the Christmas cards out on time, must get the presents for…., must get the Christmas day festivities organised, must serve up Christmas lunch by x time, must get the place cleaned before this date, must get my work done before the holiday break, must do this and that and the other and the list goes on. Must be perfect.

Deep breath, and pause for a moment.

Are every single one of those things a “must”?

Ooh, did that press a button for you?

If it did, then now’s a good time to start practicing letting go of control, starting in small ways.

I remember consciously starting to do this in 2006. The reason I remember the date so well is because Jeff and I were living in New Zealand at the time, which meant that we had a car (not like in London where we use public transport virtually all the time).

One of my first acts of practising letting go of control was this. Parking right in the middle of two parking spots, totally ignoring the white guidelines.

I assure you, it was at the empty end of the car park, in the middle of the week and at a time of day when I could be sure that I wasn’t depriving anyone else of a parking spot.

Even Jeff, who is so easy-going, said, “You can’t do that!”

Let me tell you, it was hard! I even felt guilty.

“Look, most of the car park is empty, no one’s going to care!”

I had to start to break the pattern.

The conditioning runs deep. And with it, the control that we often feel we must exert, be it over ourselves or others.

Does this resonate with you at all?

Sometimes, it may serve you well. And other times, it may not serve you so well. You only think that it does.

Another example was to do with toothpaste tubes. I used to “have to” have my toothpaste be squeezed from the bottom of the tube so that the tube stayed neat and tidy. Way more obvious in the day when we had metal tubing. Less so these days with the plastic. But the concept remains.

It drove me nuts when someone else used the toothpaste and left dents in places they weren’t supposed to be. Was this really important?

Another example is when you want someone to do something to help you and in your mind, it simply must be done right now!

Feeling the need to be constantly in control takes up valuable energy, and creates internal tension and stress, which in turn, upsets your hormonal balance.

At this time of menopause and hormonal changes, you may be feeling like you’re not in control of your own body. And as paradoxical as it may seem, the practice of letting go in certain areas, as difficult as it may feel in the beginning, teaches you how to let go and relax.

In time, you’ll feel the sense of freedom that comes from it.

After all, if you can’t let go of control, then are you really in control?

Balance Your Hormones

What You Can Do About Brain Fog (Part 2)

23 November 20198 November 2020
by Veronica Lim

Out of the blue, the words fell out of my mouth.

“The Gruen Transfer.”

“How did you remember that?” Jeff asked.

“I don’t know. It just came out,” while inside I was grinning like the proverbial Cheshire cat.

We were talking about a programme we used to watch on TV while we were living in Australia for a while.

It felt damn good to be able to think quickly, to get that piece of information out as if it was always on the tip of my tongue, to find the words right off the bat.

But I know what brain fog feels like.

And it was food that made the biggest difference for me.

I discovered this when I was back in investment banking before the degree. I had decided to try out an exclusion or elimination diet – where you remove certain foods for a limited period of time, and then reintroduce it, to test whether your body has an immune response to it, and with it, symptoms like brain fog (among many possible others).

Within less than a week, my eyes were clearer, I could see better, everything looked brighter and sharper, I had more energy, I felt lighter and you guessed it, no more brain fog! And no more sugar or carb cravings either.

So, what’s going to move the needle for you and make the biggest difference?

Following on from last week, here is what you can look at and do in relation to your food. Make sure that every meal or snack you have, includes at least one of each of the following.

(1) Healthy fats

Our brain is made up of some 60% fat. (Now you know where the phrase ”fat head” came from. Well, OK, I just made that up, but it’s true that your brain is made up of that much fat).

If you’re not eating enough of the right types of fats, your brain will suffer and so will your ability to think. Because your body uses fats to build your cell membranes (not just in your brain, everywhere).

It also helps maintain brain messaging pathways and the production of neurotransmitters (brain messaging chemicals).

Too little fat and your brain shrinks and can’t communicate so well. And too much of the wrong type, and your brain can’t function properly.

What you can do: Eat oily fish twice a week for their omega-3 fats (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies). Also eat lightly roasted or raw and unsalted nuts and seeds for a combination of omega-3, omega-6 and monounsaturated fats (walnuts, macadamia nuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds). Choose other healthy fats too, like avocados and grass-fed meats. Use extra virgin olive oil and flaxseed oil on top of your salads.

(2) Rainbow foods

Think vegetables and fruits of all the different colours. They’re filled with vitamins, minerals and polyphenols (plant chemicals), which have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. What’s more, polyphenols have been shown to be neuroprotective and can help to improve cell to cell communication in the brain.

What you can do: Challenge yourself to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables you’re eating each day. Aim for two servings of fruit and five or more servings of vegetables a day. Use your hand as a guide – the size of your fist is one serving. How many do you eat right now? Increase gradually until you get there.

(3) Protein

Proteins are often called building blocks for our body. For good reason too. It’s broken down by our bodies into the smallest unit, called amino acids. These are then used by the body to make a whole load of different things and in a whole load of different processes.

For example, they are used to make neurotransmitters, which is one of the ways in which your brain communicates. They’re also used by the liver as part of its detoxification process to convert what the body doesn’t need into substances that we can pee or poo out. If the liver can’t function properly and we don’t get rid of these, that could result in brain fog. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

So, getting enough protein is key. Now, there are 21 amino acids all up, of which 9 are “essential”. This means that your body cannot make them, so you must get it from your diet.

What you can do: Eat one serving of good quality protein with every meal. One serving is about the size of your palm. If you can, focus on choosing organic and grass-fed meats.

If you’ve chosen to be vegetarian or vegan, it can be a bit tricky to make sure you’ve got all the amino acids your body needs… because we can get into eating ruts, eating the same thing over and over again. You know what I mean? So, be sure to get the right education and know-how you need to be able to design your meals (and your supplementation) so that they are well balanced.

One last thing. Watch out for when you eat too. If you find yourself getting light-headed or dizzy between meals, or having to eat every three hours or so, it’s possible that you’re either not eating enough of the right things and/or your blood sugar balance isn’t quite right. That can contribute to brain fog and unclear thinking too.

Alright. Between Part 1 on this subject and this, I think that’s plenty to be getting on with, don’t you?

Let me know what you’ve implemented. Just send me an email. I’d love to hear.

Balance Your Hormones

What You Can Do About Brain Fog (Part 1)

17 November 20198 November 2020
by Veronica Lim

Brain fog.

That was me in the early days of my degree. I’d be fully present, hanging on to every word the lecturer was saying, capturing notes intermittently as we went along. Then the lecturer would say, “…….a, b, c, d and e….” and I’d think, “Ooh, must get that, “ and I’d write in my notes, “a………d and….”.

I just couldn’t remember the in between, or sometimes even the end, even in that short space of time. No sooner was it said, it was gone from my mind.

My mind and my memory were things I’d always prided myself in. Jeff often called me “elephant memory” but I had been noticing that accessing some of those things in the memory I was so proud of was just not happening, more often than not.

I’d draw blanks. I wouldn’t even be able to remember what letter of the alphabet that something I was trying to remember started with.

It wasn’t just the elephant memory piece, it was also my short-term memory. I’d begun to notice that I couldn’t remember whether I’d done something or talked something over with Jeff.

Not to mention the time I was back in investment banking and couldn’t find the words to answer the question that I knew I knew the answer to, only to find my 30-year old colleague saying what should have been coming out of *my* mouth.

What if these were early stages of Alzheimer’s (mild cognitive impairment)? What if I’d progress with my studies and find that I couldn’t remember what I needed to know? What if I was losing my sharp thinking and my ability to think on my feet?

These were key elements of my sense of self, my identity. And it was scary to think about.

I knew that forgetfulness wasn’t a given, as far as aging was concerned. My mother, who is now nearly 96, had better recall than I had then. So was my brain fog due to the menopause?

Regardless, simply accepting it as the status quo isn’t where it’s at.

The question isn’t about the what. It’s about the why. Why the brain fog in the first place? Because identifying and addressing the root cause is where it’s at. It means that you can do something about it.

(1) Reduced oestrogen levels
Falling oestrogen levels as we get to menopausal age, may mean that you notice a reduction in mental focus and increased brain fog. Oestrogen has many roles to play in the body, not just as a sex hormone. For example, it helps with neurotransmission and stimulating nerve cell growth. Not only that, it can act as an antioxidant which may help with oxidative stress levels (see below).

What you can do: Include phytoestrogenic foods in your diet, such as ground flaxseeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, mung beans and fermented soy. These can mimic the oestrogenic effect and give you a bit of a boost.

(2) Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between the production of free radicals (highly unstable molecules that cause damage to nearby cells) and the level of antioxidants available in the body to neutralise them. Too much oxidative stress can result in oxidative damage and inflammation. And when this happens in the brain, you can get brain fog.

What you can do: Eat anti-inflammatory foods and antioxidant-rich foods. Avoid processed, packaged foods and rancid vegetable oils. Choose butter, olive oil or coconut oil instead.

(3) Reduced blood flow to the brain
Your brain needs enough blood flow to bring fresh oxygen, nutrients and fuel, and to clear out waste matter, in order for it to work properly. Otherwise it’s like a clogged up sink. Stuff stuck in the drainage and the dirty water fills up the sink, complete with debris and muck. Imagine the murky water; that’s like foggy brain.

What you can do: Move regularly to get the blood flowing and to increase the level of oxygen you’re taking in and the amount of waste products you’re breathing out. Get a standing desk, go for a walk, stretch. Besides, exercise also triggers the growth of new blood vessels and nerve cells in the brain.

(4) Gut microbial imbalances
Yes, it’s true. Some people find that their brain fog kicks in with a vengeance shortly after they’ve eaten certain foods, and this may be due to a gut microbial imbalance. It could be due to an overgrowth of candida or yeast or an overgrowth in certain bacteria that produce a substance called D-lactate, which causes brain fog.

What you can do: Get tested. The combination of a stool test and an organic acids test will give you a comprehensive view. (If you want to do these tests, do ask me. I love them!)

(5) Poor sleep
I know. This can be a real pain when going through menopause if this also happens to be one of your symptoms. It can leave you so tired that you can’t think, or you don’t have the energy to feed yourself well. Then when you get to bed, you can’t sleep, You’re tired but wired. And then this adds to your stress levels and the vicious circle goes round. That’s why it’s often one of the first areas I work on with clients.

What you can do: Learn how to manage your blood sugar levels, as they have a key role to play in both sleep duration and quality. If you’re tired, get a nap in the middle of the day if you can. Have a regular sleep routine, go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Have either a warm bath or a cold shower right before going to bed – experiment and see which one works better for you! Avoid blue light at night, and get plenty of daylight, especially first thing in the morning, to regulate your circadian rhythm.

(6) Dehydration
Even mild dehydration (1-2% of body water) can make you less alert, less able to concentrate and more forgetful. It can make you feel moody, anxious or irritable too.

What you can do: Drink sufficient water or herbal teas throughout the day. Gauge how much is right for you, from the colour of your wee. Very pale yellow or nearly colourless is what you’re going for.

(7) Too much stress
I’m not going to say much about this. You know what to do

(8) Other factors
Sadly, we now live in a world that’s filled with toxins. Chemicals from air pollution, pesticides, extensive use of plastics, unfiltered water, chemicals in our make-up, cosmetics and toiletries and the list goes on. And for some, there’s also excessive alcohol and smoking (including vaping).

What you can do: Reduce your exposure to all of these as much as you possibly can.

“But Veronica, what about nutritional shortfalls?”

Ah, I knew you’d be asking that.

Next week, my friend, next week. Can you wait?

In the meantime, pick something from the list I’ve given you so far. Something you know you can do, and do that. With action comes clarity. Get that going, then pick the next one.

And if you want support, accountability and a guide to help you with this, shoot me a message and we can talk.

Balance Your Hormones

Are you letting stress throw you off your stride?

10 November 20198 November 2020
by Veronica Lim

It’s been Stress Awareness week this week, did you know? Well, today I went to the gym. But I didn’t on Wednesday.

Stay with me here.

In menopause, our body’s ability to handle stress is changed, such that we become more susceptible to its effects. (You may remember my explaining this a couple of weeks ago)

High levels of chronic ongoing stress (and stress hormones) can have a huge impact on your health.

Increased risk for heart disease and diabetes. Stress can increase the risk for heart disease and diabetes by promoting chronic inflammation, affecting your blood “thickness,” as well as how well your cells respond to insulin. Also, oestrogen plays a role in reducing inflammation, and it also helps insulin sensitivity, so falling oestrogen levels that come with the menopause can contribute to increased risk.
Reducing your immunity. Stress hormones affect the chemical messengers (cytokines) secreted by immune cells. As a result, they are less able to do their jobs effectively. Wound healing can slow down, and susceptibility to illness can increase.
Causing “leaky gut”. Stress can contribute to leaky gut, otherwise known as “increased intestinal permeability.” Cortisol (stress hormone) can open up tiny holes in your gut by loosening the grip that the cells in your intestinal tract have on each other. These “leaks” can then allow partially digested food, bacteria or other things to be absorbed into your body, triggering food sensitivities and low grade inflammation.
Disrupting your sleep. Stress and sleep go hand-in-hand and more and more research is showing just how important sleep is for our health, which is why it’s always a topic I discuss with clients. It’s often difficult to sleep when you have very important (and stressful) things on your mind. I know that you already know, that when you don’t get enough sleep, it affects your energy level, memory, ability to think, and mood. Our bodies repair and rejuvenate while we sleep, and a lack of sleep impairs our ability to regulate our blood sugar levels, and makes it difficult to lose fat.
Reducing muscle mass and bone mass. Cortisol can break down muscle and/or bone in order to free up amino acids (units of protein) for use as energy. At menopausal age, activity levels tend to drop, and the corresponding lack of activity can lead to loss of muscle and bone mass. But over-exercising can do the opposite, by increasing cortisol levels. That’s why some women may find it difficult to build muscle.

Now, all that said, stress (or cortisol) actually isn’t all bad. Cortisol naturally goes up in the mornings to kick-start us awake. It increases our blood sugar levels to give us the energy we need to get going for the day. So it won’t come as a surprise then, that too little cortisol isn’t good either, because we can lose our get up and go.

With the body, there is always a “Goldilocks” range, within which our health and vitality are at their best.

But when our lives get crazy busy or our stress levels hike right up, guess what the first thing is to go out the window?

Self-care, sleep, healthy eating, movement, relaxation…. the very things that support our health. Then the downward spiral starts. Cravings. Lack of sleep. Poor eating. Tiredness. Feeling irritable. Hangry (the combination of hungry and angry).

And each of those things add even further to the stress.

Now, let’s pile on the menopause. Menopause itself is a stressful event for your body. And it lasts for several years.

What’s more, your adrenal glands, which are responsible for producing your stress hormones, are also responsible for producing oestrogen and testosterone (women have some of that too), taking over as the main sex hormone producer post-menopause. Even more burden on these little glands.

That’s why it’s extra important to continue to look after yourself in any small way, and not throw it all out of the window.

I missed going for my work-out on Wednesday. I was intending to, but I indulged in a brownie before I went to bed the night before, and the increased sugar in my system meant that I had a terrible night’s sleep (4½ hours according to my Oura ring when it was time to get up).

Needless to say, I felt terrible. So, instead of going to the gym, I slept for another hour. The next night (last night), I went to bed earlier than usual, and slept just over 7½ hours.

It was back to the gym this morning. And it felt good.

Life is a continuum. And so is health.

Doing something is better than nothing. And doing something a little better is better than nothing too. If something has to give, be conscious about what that is and why.

So, standing up for some of the time while working at your desk, is better than nothing. Eating a snack of roasted and salted nuts is better than a bag of crisps, if you just cannot bring yourself to having the unroasted and unsalted nuts which are better. And for me, skipping the gym was better than going, to get the extra sleep I clearly needed.

Getting it perfect is not the name of the game. It’s about doing something. Some days, you can dial it up. Other days, you may need to dial it down. But, don’t let it all go.

Thinking this through ahead of time can help. What strategies can you come up with now, when you don’t need it, so you can then draw on it when you do, without having to use up precious energy thinking about it then?

Take some time for yourself and put a list together.

Balance Your Hormones

The yin yang challenge

8 November 20198 November 2020
by Veronica Lim

“What I see is a depletion in yin and just yang yang yang everywhere! No wonder the hot flushes and the inability to sleep properly for so many women in menopause.”

So said Kyla, the acupuncturist I met up with over a coffee this week.

We both agreed that it boiled down to an imbalance – too much of something and too little of another.

The trouble with our modern culture, is that we’ve primarily latched on to just one side. So we have a highly linear way of looking at things. If this isn’t right, then let’s fix that one thing, right here where it appears to not be right, and that should fix it.

Or we want to know the exact formula – exactly how much exercise should I do and how many times a week. Then, there’s the other piece of linear thinking – if a little is good for me, then a lot must be a lot better. And if works for you, then it must surely work for me.

Do you know what I’m talking about?

Guilty?

So pause for a moment, take a deep breath and hear this.

Your body isn’t linear. Instead, it’s a multi-system of inter-related systems. Tweak one thing, and it has an impact on another.

For example, if you’re overly stressed for a prolonged period, this can put a strain on the adrenal system. Over time, your body will attempt to balance that.

One example of how your body might do this, is to reduce the level of active thyroid hormones. Yhyroid hormones regulate our metabolism, and it is thought that the body does this in an attempt to slow you down, to reduce the overall level of stress. But this can also slow down all other bodily processes.

Now, depending on your own genetic susceptibility, and your health, diet and lifestyle history (we call these “antecedents”, “triggers” or “mediators” in Functional Medicine), different symptoms can show up.

For one woman, this could be joint aches and pains, from a slowed down immune system. For another, a reduced metabolism could mean weight gain. For yet another, slower functioning of the liver and/or gut could lead to excess oestrogen not being effectively cleared from the body, which may then show up as symptoms of oestrogen dominance, such as anxiety, bloating, brain fog, insomnia. And some women may get a combination of symptoms.

That is why every single woman’s menopause is unique.

While you may experience similar symptoms to your best friend, how your body may have got there is different. Because your biochemistry is individual.

The good news is, there are foundational principles that you can build on, to bring your body closer back to balance. I call these principles my Six Elements of Menopause Balance. Balancing each element progressively helps the body to rebalance and diminish menopausal symptoms. If the symptoms still persist afterwards, then there’s something else deeper going on (and that’s where personalised nutritional therapy comes into its own).

Now back to the yin and yang Kyla and I were talking about. Yin is a representation of the feminine energy, and yang the masculine. Yin is allowing, cool, receptive, nurturing, relaxed. Yang is logical, linear, fast, restless, expansive. We need a balance between both.

But our world is more yang focused. We look for the quick fix or the big fix, moving from one thing to the next before the first thing has had a chance to take root. Yet seemingly small changes can make a significant difference.

So this week, my challenge for you is to help your body to de-stress by sending it a message that all is well in your world. When you sit down to eat, take the time to really enjoy your food. Smell it more and fully focus on the taste of it. Slow down and fully chew your food.

Remember how I said, “Tweak one thing and it has an impact on another”? This is you, tweaking.

Rushing through a meal sends stress signals to your body, and you now know at least one way in which your biochemistry can change and translate into symptoms. And the seemingly simple change of slowing down to eat, can have profound and far-reaching effects on your digestion, sleep, stress levels and more.

Come on over and join us in the Facebook group – The Menopause Reset Club. I’d love for you to share how you’ve got on with this, and let’s carry on the conversation there.

Balance Your Hormones

The worst thing about this time next year

8 November 20198 November 2020
by Veronica Lim

“Show me where you’re spending your time, and I’ll tell you your values.”

I was reminded of that this week.

A dear friend from the community radio station where I used to be a presenter, passed away this week from cancer. We are at that age when our health risks escalate. If we don’t change things and focus on what’s truly important.

I can be as guilty as anyone on that front. When we were living in Malaysia, I worked with a personal trainer three times a week, and got plenty of steps in every single day. Then I came back to the UK and it dropped off the side of a cliff, even though there was a gym and swimming pool just yards from my front door.

If you’d looked at how I was spending my time then, you’d see that I spent most of my time on my clinical reports and dissertation. No prizes for guessing that my studies were topmost in my list of what I considered most important.

I have a habit of putting my work and others, ahead of myself. So the things that I know are good for me are usually pushed aside, even though I know that when I do those things, I feel and show up better in the other aspects of my life too.

Do you find the same?

Why is it that we don’t put ourselves right at the top of our own values list? Why is it that we usually value work and others more than we value ourselves?

I know that habit change is tough. It’s tough to change in the beginning, and then, even when the new habit is no longer new, other things can pull you off your focus. All kinds of things, from supposedly well-meaning friends who say, “Go on, you can start tomorrow,” to the workload that seemingly cannot wait, to your own mind saying, “I have to do this thing for [someone else], I’ll start tomorrow.” And then, before you know it, a whole year of tomorrows has gone by.

Will you wait until “something happens” before you evaluate and reprioritise what is truly important? If you knew exactly how much time you had left, would you reprioritise?

Here’s what I know. It’s not about reprioritising as such. It’s not about moving things around on a list of to dos, so that changing to healthier habits goes to the top of the list. If it was that, you’d have done it by now.

It’s about finding the meaning behind “that thing” that you keep meaning to do. It’s that meaning that is so meaningful to you and you alone, that you’ll do “that thing”.

The biggest mistake that we are prone to making is trying to change too much all at the same time, whether it’s the number of things we’re trying to change or the size of the thing we’re trying to change. It overwhelms us and we end up doing nothing.

Instead, we need to focus on doing only one thing. Consistently. For 66 days. 66 days because the research shows that that’s how long it takes for a habit to become automatic. That’s just over two months.

And that one thing needs to be small enough for it to be what I call a “slam dunk” action – an action that is 10 out of 10, no question, it’s done, and it’s done every day.

It could be committing to 10 minutes of guided meditation every day or even 5, doing half an hour of movement every day, going to bed ten minutes earlier every day, drinking an extra glass of water every day…

It’s not how big or how small the action is. It’s an action that’s good for you and one that you will do.

This is key, because your mind, helpful as it is, has a tendency to point out your failures. You know what I’m talking about? So you must show it that you can.

Then, get some support. Maybe you can ask a friend to send you a daily text message asking if you’ve done your habit that day, because that will help to keep you focused. Or maybe you’d like to know a favourite podcast of theirs that they know you’d love to listen to while doing your habit?

Ironically, we often shy away from asking for help and support for ourselves. Yet, support, accountability and community are powerful.

In fact, it’s so powerful that I’ve started up a Facebook Group to help with exactly that. I’ve called it The Menopause Reset Club. In it, I’m going to show up and teach and share what I know works, from the last 20 years of coaching and the last 5 years focused on nutrition (and biochemistry, of course!). It’s a private group, just for you. And please invite your girlfriends too. Let’s support each other through this time of our lives.

I think we’ll kick it off with a single habit challenge. What do you think?

Come and join me in the Facebook Group here.

One year from now, you could have made five different habit changes. Each of these can have a positive ripple effect on the different facets of your life. The worst thing about this time next year is wishing you’d started now.

What will you have started now that will make you so proud of yourself in one year’s time?

You are worth it.

Balance Your Hormones

Not Sleeping Well?

21 October 20198 November 2020
by Veronica Lim

That was me all through my 40s. At 3:16 a.m. most mornings, to be exact.

I’d wake up, look at the time (of course) and then get out of bed and go “prowling”. Well, that’s what Jeff called it.

There was simply no use in trying to get back to sleep. I’d given up on the “will myself back to sleep” lark. It’s funny… but not funny haha at 3:16 a.m…. why is it that in those moments, the sound of someone else gently snoring (Jeff, lol) could suddenly become annoying, as if it was his fault that I couldn’t sleep?

The idea that it could be menopause-related never once crossed my mind. That’s something that happens when you’re at least 50, no? I didn’t know that peri-menopause generally starts around 35 to 40. I didn’t even like the word.

But it’s changing quickly now, and the topic is being more openly discussed. In fact, it’s World Menopause Day today.

Anyway, I’ve since learnt that difficulty in falling asleep, trouble staying asleep or waking up earlier than desired, are all elements of insomnia, and it’s a common symptom during menopause.

But is it because of the menopause itself?

I decided to dig into the research. (That’s what over five years of doing an evidence-based degree does to you, lol).

Here’s what I found.

About one-third to half of all women between 40 and 64 suffer from poor sleep, but interestingly, over half were already poor sleepers while they were pre-menopausal. It’s thought that one of the reasons for this is that new mums learn how to sleep with one eye and one ear open from the birth of their first child, and then don’t get their sleep rhythm back.

And while the research showed a clear link between hot flushes and disturbed sleep, it also found that not everyone who had disturbed sleep experienced hot flushes.

Then there’s the chicken and the egg.

Poor sleep itself can contribute to hot flushes, because it adds to your stress levels, which trigger stress hormones, which elevate stress levels further, which then contribute back to hot flushes.

What’s more, cortisol (stress hormone) suppresses melatonin, the hormone that encourages sleep. And when melatonin is too low, this can lead to more hot flushes and night sweats, and now, we’re back to disrupted sleep.

But what if you don’t have hot flushes?

Take a look at what else could contribute to poor sleep.

An overstimulated nervous system can churn through certain neurotransmitters which can reduce melatonin activity. It could be stress. It could be that incessant monkey mind. We’re the generation that’s caught looking after both the kids and our aging parents. In clinic, this can be seen on an organic acids test (an easy to do urine test that’s done at home).
Eating too much sugar, processed or refined foods, which stimulates insulin and throws your blood sugar levels out of balance. This one I know firsthand. Even now, if I go over my threshold for sweet things, I will either have a challenge with falling asleep, or wake up with a night sweat.
Not eating enough of the right things to provide sustenance through the night. Your body continues to work during the night, on healing, rejuvenation, repair and maintenance. So, not having enough to sustain you through the night can lead to reduced blood sugar levels and the triggering of cortisol, which can then wake you up.
Inflammation, which can be due to things like eating foods that you’re sensitive to or carrying too much weight, especially belly fat. These activate the immune system, which means extra energy usage during the night and a less than restful sleep.
Digestive issues, such as acid reflux or IBS or even imbalances in your gut microbiome, such as the growth of parasites or yeast overgrowth. This can cause inflammation plus, research has also found that your gut bacteria influence your circadian rhythm and sleep regulation. Imagine the party the bacteria could be having at night! Are they the good ones or the bad ones?
A non-conducive sleep environment, such as a room that’s too warm, or a room that’s not completely dark. Temperature affects messages from the hypothalamus in the brain which is your body’s thermostat and light affects melatonin levels.

Besides the obvious, such as irritability, mood, and not being able to think straight from feeling tired the next day, poor sleep is also linked with conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, weight gain (or inability to lose weight), Alzheimer’s disease and more. And because of the changes in our hormones due to the menopause, the risk for these conditions increases for us at the age of 50.

That’s why addressing sleep issues is a key area to look at with clients. Because the lack of sleep or poor sleep quality is a symptom of what’s going on inside.

We know for sure that over the age of 40, our female hormones are changing. But what we may not think about, is that a change in one hormone will affect other hormones because our body is always looking to rebalance itself. And when we notice the symptoms, it’s invariably because the body hasn’t been able to rebalance adequately.

So, if you’re suffering with disrupted sleep, what’s out of balance and what needs to change?

The challenge is, our body is complex and its systems are inter-related. It’s usually not about changing just one thing, but the combination of different things that all add up to make the difference.

In clinic, lab testing can help to pinpoint the imbalances, which makes it easier to know what you need to rebalance to feel good once again.

Imagine having had a great night’s sleep and sleeping right through the night. How would that impact how you feel?

On the other hand, what could happen if you don’t address your sleep issues? How would that impact your health? And your family?

You are worth the detective work to figure out what’s behind your symptoms. And I’d love to help you.

So, experiment with the things you have the most power over (diet, stress, etc that I’ve mentioned above). Many clients have already started making some changes before coming to see me. What they then find is that the insights, support and accountability help them to really gain momentum that can make the key difference to feeling like themselves again.

If this is you, then click here, and book a time for us to talk. We’ll be able to work out if this is the good next step for you or not.

Until then. Happy Menopause Day!

Balance Your Hormones

Why Am I So Easily Irritated?

12 October 20198 November 2020
by Veronica Lim

If there’s one thing that can really get my goat up… how did that phrase come about, I wonder, “get your goat up”…. Anyway, as I was saying, one thing that I find really annoys me, is incompetence. It’s not new, it’s something I have known from way back when.

Over the last several years though, I’ve mellowed and I’m not as fiery as when I was younger, so it took me (and my husband) by total surprise when I got shirty with the lady who was checking me in at the airport last month. Because, well, she simply wasn’t with the agenda. That definitely got my goat up. Then I got annoyed at Jeff because he called me out on it! Not in front of the lady, I might add.

I did apologise later. Then this week, I caught up with a friend who’s going through peri-menopause, and she mentioned how she’s been frequently over-reacting to certain things.

Is this you? Do you find that even little things that used to be like water off a duck’s back can now trigger you in a way you’ve never known before?

In fact, “over-reacting” may even be an understatement.

You may have found yourself exploding or flying off the handle, or maybe even experiencing rage, at something that you intellectually know isn’t a big deal. One thing for sure. You know that you would never have responded that way before.

It’s as if there’s some underlying anger or irritation that’s simmering just below the surface and it comes out whenever “it” feels like it, often so quickly that it astounds you.

And then it passes, just as quickly as it came about, leaving you feeling less than in control, and sorry or guilty.

I want for you to know that you’re not alone.

Many women experience what is commonly called “irritability” – a proneness to anger, annoyance or impatience. Up to 70% of women in peri-menopause say that irritability is their primary mood complaint.

In peri-menopause, sex hormone levels are quite literally all over the place. In particular, oestrogen levels are up and down, although as a whole, its levels are falling too.

It’s these falling oestrogen levels that contribute to our being more sensitive to stress when we get into peri-menopause. You see, reduced oestrogen levels have been associated with higher levels of stress hormones (cortisol) in the body. It is thought that oestrogen helps messaging in our body’s stress axis, so when it drops, the messaging isn’t so clearly received, and stress hormones continue to be triggered.

What’s more, oestrogen plays a role in the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood. So this is a bit like a second whammy.

What this translates to is, your tolerance for the same level of “stuff” that’s going on in your world as before, can be significantly reduced, especially during those times when your oestrogen has taken a dip. Which is why you don’t fly off the handle all of the time. But during those dips? Now, one more small thing, and that’s it. You’re triggered.

You might find it helpful to take some time to explain this to your loved ones, so that they know, that you’re going through a challenging time, and that it isn’t necessarily that you’re mad at them.

It’s a natural process, but stressful on the body all the same (like puberty in reverse). So help your body and reduce the overall stress load as much as you can.

1. Eat to keep your hormones in check. This means steering clear of sticky buns and sugary cereals, and consuming protein, healthy fat and fibre at every meal. Oh, and eating three main meals a day. Not grazing all day long. This helps keep your blood sugar levels stable, and your insulin (a hormone) in check. Fluctuating blood sugar levels can be a reason for irritability (ever get grumpy if you’ve missed a meal? Yep, that’s it), so it makes sense to handle this one which is totally under your control.
2. Review your exercise. Because your body is now more sensitive to stress, a challenging exercise routine may be just too much for it right now. Try a gentler exercise and give your body a break. Perhaps yoga, or moderate walking for 25-30 minutes a day.
3. Get good sleep. I know this might be a challenge if you happen to have night sweats and hot flushes too. But every little bit can add up to making a big difference. So have a sleep routine that helps you relax before bedtime so you can ease into sleep. Aim for between 7 and 8 hours of sleep. Go to bed a little earlier perhaps, and read for a few minutes, or meditate, or journal. And definitely have a digital curfew – no phones, tablets or computers beyond a set time every night – and use something like justgetflux.com to cut out the blue light from your screen.
4. Let yourself get bored. Sometimes, women can feel guilty taking time out and doing “nothing”. Other times, they say that it’s too boring. Many moons ago, I read this. “The gateway to peace is boredom.” I didn’t have a clue what it meant at the time, but I’ve found it to be true. To quieten our mind and to bring ourselves peace, we do have to sit through our mind agitating us to do something because it’s bored. Will you give it a go? You deserve some down time.
5. Take a moment to review. Is there anything hiding underneath your anger? Women are generally taught to be nice. Many of us have also been taught to be polite and to not rock the boat. So over the years, we may have buried the emotions we’d felt, or not spoken up for ourselves. We bit our lips and carried on. The things that we suppressed, can then become stuck blobs of energy – buttons that can be pressed by seemingly unrelated things later on in life. Now, in menopause, it’s a time of change that can be likened to rebirth. It’s an opportunity to review and let go of past hurts, guilt, or habits that are no longer serving you, make peace with them and to let those blobs of energy go.
6. Start doing other creative things. One of the most creative acts that any woman can go through is that of having children. Now that the children are likely grown up (or getting there), you have a great opportunity to redirect your energies into something creative once again. This could be taking up photography, or art class, or jewellery making… whatever it is that brings you joy.
7. Draw regularly on the box. Box breathing, that is. Actually, I don’t know why it isn’t called square breathing, but it isn’t. So, imagine the four sides of a box (square). The idea is to work your way around it. Breathe in and count to four for one side, then hold for a count of four for the next side. Now breathe out and count to four for the third side, and then hold your breath for the last side to the count of four. You’ll have made the four sides of a box (square). Repeat three times, or more, if you choose. I hope you got that. This allows your body to calm down, and engages the parasympathetic (relaxing) nervous system.

One last thing. Do as much as you can and as consistently as you can. It all adds up. I’m often as guilty as anyone when it comes to wishing I could do something once or twice and reap the results right away, but nature doesn’t work like that.

Do what’s right for you. You deserve it.